GREG WALDEN

When he’s not killing endangered birds, he’s killing the internet

Greg Walden can't seem to decide what he hates the most: owls and sage grouse, a free and open internet, or poor Americans with preexisting conditions.

Walden was born in The Dalles, Oregon, the son of Elizabeth (née McEwen) and Paul Ernest Walden. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree at the University of Oregon in 1981. Before being elected to Congress, Walden owned and ran radio stations, where he developed a set of corporate relationships that would ultimately serve him well. Throughout most of his political career, he continued to own radio stations, using them as a megaphone for his backwards policy beliefs and a tool to subvert democracy. Then, Walden accepted $155,100 from telecom companies and has, little surprize, voted to destroy the internet as we know it so that those same telecoms could leach more money from American consumers.

If you take a glance at Walden’s voting record when it comes to medical marijuana, he has failed to represent Oregonians by voting against legislation that would make medical marijuana legal at the federal level. ”Voted YES on prohibiting needle exchange & medical marijuana in DC. Among other provisions, the bill prohibited the use of federal funds for needle exchange programs, and prohibited implementing an approved ballot initiative to legalize the medicinal use of marijuana.” Fortunately this bill died in committee, but nonetheless it shows that Walden does not favor safe access to medicine that has great benefits for the patients who use medical marijuana.

You can add to these clear breaches of his constituents’ trust, the latest betrayal in the form of his leadership on the Republican repeal of Obamacare. Walden repeatedly told constituents at town halls earlier this month that he would not support legislation allowing insurers to hike costs on sick patients. In an April 13 town hall in The Dalles, Walden said, “We’re not going back to the days when [insurers] could underwrite you, say, ‘Oh yeah, we’ll cover you.’ It will just be so expensive you can’t afford it. That is not a plan I’m going to support.” But that’s exactly what the bill does. Walden’s support doesn’t square with his promises on pre-existing conditions.