[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 103 (Wednesday, June 20, 2018)]
[Senate]
[Page S4279]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       TRIBUTE TO STEVE FORRESTER

 Mr. WYDEN. Mr. President, today I want to honor longtime 
Oregon journalist Steve Forrester.
  Steve has retired as editor and publisher of the Daily Astorian. He 
will remain president and chief executive officer of the EO Media 
Group, which owns the Astorian, as well as several other newspapers, 
including publications in eastern Oregon, but we will no longer benefit 
from his day-to-day leadership at the Astorian.
  I have known Steve for nearly 40 years, since he was a reporter in 
Washington, DC, and I was a young Member of the House. In all that 
time, Steve has never hesitated to ask the tough questions and to be 
fiercely devoted to local journalism's principles and importance. The 
theme running consistently throughout Steve's career has been always to 
ensure local readers understand the impact of decisions and policies 
made in Congress, the statehouse, and city hall.
  I particularly wanted to honor Steve today because, over the Fourth 
of July recess, I will be home in Oregon highlighting the foundational 
freedoms of the First Amendment with events celebrating those freedoms 
of religion, speech, assembly, and the press.
  The Founding Fathers knew those First Amendment freedoms were core to 
our country and to creating the values that have made America a 
destination for all who hunger to be free of fear and liberated to 
pursue their dreams. As the child of parents who fled the Nazis for 
refuge in the United States, I learned early on about the importance of 
these freedoms. As the son of a reporter, I also learned especially 
about the importance of the freedom of the press.
  Because Steve has contributed so much to a vibrant and free press in 
our great State of Oregon, I will be proud to present him on July 1, in 
Astoria, with a ``Go Fourth'' award. Steve's career makes him richly 
deserving of this award and an inspiration for Oregon journalists for 
generations to come.
  I suspect Steve will exercise his self-deprecating modesty and 
question why he is worthy of such attention. I know Steve would much 
rather shine the spotlight on others, but the bottom line is I want 
Oregon to recognize his enormous and long-lasting contributions to 
making our State a better place to live and to making all of us as 
Oregonians better-informed citizens.

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