[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 214 (Thursday, December 17, 2020)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1168-E1169]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      IN HONOR OF REP. GREG WALDEN

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. SUZANNE BONAMICI

                               of oregon

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, December 17, 2020

  Ms. BONAMICI. Madam Speaker, I rise today on behalf of the people of 
our home state of Oregon to honor my friend, colleague, and fellow 
Oregon Duck, Greg Walden, for his twenty-two years of service in the 
U.S. House of Representatives. Congressman Walden's call to service did 
not start in this chamber--and it will not end here. Greg Walden and I 
share similar paths. We both attended the University of Oregon School 
of

[[Page E1169]]

Journalism, and we both began our careers in elected office in the 
Oregon State Legislature. We both started in the Oregon House, we were 
both appointed to the Oregon Senate, and we both served in leadership 
there before joining Congress.
  Congressman Walden was first elected to the U.S. House of 
Representatives in 1999, and his ascent in Congress, in both leadership 
positions in his party and on some of our most powerful committees, 
brought central, eastern, and southern Oregon to the table during the 
most pressing policy debates of the past two decades. Although 
Congressman Walden and I didn't agree on every vote, we worked together 
to find areas of common ground that helped Oregonians by advancing good 
policies. I am grateful for his most recent work to bring more 
resources to those with opioid addiction, and for our work together on 
wildfire relief. In this time of great division, I greatly admire 
Congressman Walden's lifelong commitment to serving with integrity, 
honesty, and humility. He puts pen to paper and does the hard work 
that's needed to serve his constituents and move our country forward. 
When I first joined the Oregon delegation, he welcomed me with kind 
words on the House floor and then invited me to the House dining room 
for lunch, a gesture that meant a lot to me as a new member of 
Congress. I will miss our chance to catch up on long flights to and 
from Oregon, and I'II certainly miss having a fellow Duck in the 
delegation.
  I offer my congratulations to Congressman Walden, as he closes this 
chapter of his career dedicated to helping others, and I know he will 
continue serving his community and Oregonians in new ways in the years 
ahead. Best wishes to him and his family.

                          ____________________