Good work Jamie. I have written to all of Oregon's members of Congress,
including Greg Walden. Strangely, the response from Walden has been crickets.
Of course I did call him out for sympathizing with our uninvited guests and not
once addressing the safety of or suffering being inflicted on the people who
live in his district during his half-hour long rant on the House floor.
Dave Irons
Sent from my iPhone
On Jan 21, 2016, at 3:11 PM, Jamie S. <dmarc-noreply@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
From Peter DeFazio. I'm not sure if the YouTube link will work (there were
lots of extra spaces in his letter and the link), but, if it doesn't, you
should be able to search YouTube for it.
Jamie
----- Forwarded Message -----
From: Congressman Peter DeFazio <or04ima@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: woodpecker97330@xxxxxxxxx
Sent: Thursday, January 21, 2016 2:56 PM
Subject: Reply from Congressman Peter DeFazio
Dear Mr. Simmons:
Thank you for contacting me regarding your concerns with the illegal
occupation of the Malheur Wildlife Refuge in Burns, Oregon. We are in
complete agreement that immediate action is needed at the federal level to
halt the takeover and prosecute those responsible.
This illegal occupation and resulting destruction of federal property is a
direct result of the abject failure of the Obama Administration to enforce
the law against Cliven Bundy, the father of wildlife refuge occupiers Ammon
and Ryan Bundy. The federal government, by backing down under Cliven Bundy’s
threats of violence, prosecuting no one, and collecting no fees or cattle,
has greatly emboldened other right-wing extremists and caused a proliferation
of militia movements leading up to the occupation in Burns.
I served as the Ranking Member on the House Committee on Natural Resources
during Cliven Bundy’s standoff, and I met with the BLM and the DOJ several
times to urge prosecution of Mr. Bundy for his failure to abide by the law.
While both the BLM and the Department of Justice (DOJ) assured Congress that
he would be held accountable, they have done nothing .
The failure of the BLM and Department of Justice (DOJ) to prosecute Mr. Bundy
only encouraged his sons and their followers to replicate his actions in our
State of Oregon. On January 2, they took over the Malheur Wildlife Refuge
Center in Burns demanding the federal government give up public land to the
people for ranching, mining, and logging use.
I am outraged Oregonians are paying the price for the Administration’s
timidity and inaction. Life for Harney County residents has become chaotic;
schools were closed for a week, a Burns pastor felt the need to move his
family out of town, and Harney County Sheriff David Ward says unknown
individuals idle near and slowly drive past Refuge employee’s homes. It is
outrageous that local residents feel intimidated while the federal government
stands by and does nothing.
The people of Oregon follow the law. We do not always agree on federal
policies, but we abide by the laws, and this ridiculous occupation led by
extremists who do not reside in Oregon needs to be stopped.
I recently gave a speech on the House floor demanding the Justice Department
take action against the Bundys and other individuals responsible for what’s
happening in Burns. You can access my speech by clicking this sentence or by
visiting the link below.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ynWZhvD9wmc&feature=youtube ;
It is long past time for the Justice Department to intervene and stop these
antigovernment right-wing extremists and end the lawlessness. I’ve contacted
both the DOJ and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to express
concerns and urge them to stop the illegal occupation. You can be sure I will
continue to do what I can to enforce the law, end the takeover, and prosecute
those illegally occupying the Malheur Wildlife Refuge.
Thanks again for your message. Please keep in touch.
Sincerely,
U.S. REPRESENTATIVE PETER DeFAZIO
Fourth Congressional District, Oregon
******PLEASE DO NOT RESPOND DIRECTLY TO THIS EMAIL******
Please submit further correspondence by visiting the Congressman's website at
www.defazio.house.gov
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