Walden in Bend, talks Mueller, tax returns and US 97 project

Rep. Greg Walden, R-Ore., visited Bend on Monday and discussed a big Highway 97 improvement project with Deschutes County commissioners. While he was here, NewsChannel 21 also asked Walden for his thoughts on the impending release of the Mueller report and President Trump’s refusal to release his tax returns.

Highway 97 upgrade in Bend:

County commissioners and the Oregon Department of Transportation have applied for a federal grant to improve the Highway 97 corridor on the north end of Bend.

The total project would cost more than $200 million. The grant would cover about $70 million of that amount.

In part, the plan is to turn a stretch of Highway 97 into a local business route, realign the highway between Empire Avenue and the north city limits of Bend, and create a new grade-separated intersection at Highway 97 and Cooley Road.

Commissioners say this would increase safety and relieve congestion.

“It’s really crucial for Deschutes County’s transportation needs,” Commissioner Phil Henderson said. “It’s been very important for the city of Bend, but as a county commissioner, so many county residents are impacted by that whole intersection and area.”

ODOT Region 4 Manager Gary Farnsworth estimates more than 60,000 people drive on the highway between Bend and Redmond every day. That’s part of why he said improving Highway 97 is his No. 1 priority.

Walden said it’s one of his top priorities, as well.

“That’s not why we moved here, that’s not why people live here, that’s not why they come to play here, to sit in a vehicle on a backed-up highway,” he said. “So we’ve got to get after this. There’s good support locally and from the state, and I’m going to do everything I can federally to try and secure this grant.”

Farnsworth said they’ll find out if they receive the grant by summer. If that happens, the plan is to start construction on the project in late 2021 and finish by the middle of 2024.

ODOT and county commissioners applied for a similar grant last year, but did not get it.

The Mueller report:

Walden said the U.S. Department of Justice should release everything it can.

Last month, Attorney General William Barr released a four-page summary of the nearly 400-page report.

Some criticized that move. Walden said he understands why Barr may have done that for legal reasons, and said Barr did his best to give a preview of the report in a timely manner.

On Thursday, Barr plans on sharing a redacted version of the report with the public. NewsChannel 21 asked Walden what he expects to learn from it.

“I don’t think there’s any question the Russians tried to influence the election,” Walden said. “What the report apparently says is (they were) not colluding with the Trump campaign. We’ll see that when the report comes out clearly.

“But other governments have been involved in other elections, we know Russia does this all over the globe. Anywhere where there’s a democracy and a free election, the Russians are trying to adversely affect it. We need to keep them out. They don’t have any business in our elections, and we need to be pretty clear about that. So, we’ll see.”

Walden said the only thing we know right now is based on what Barr put out in his initial summary. He said at this point, he has no reason not to trust that summary.

President Trump’s tax returns:

Walden said whether or not Trump wants to release his taxes should be up to him.

Many Democrats have said they want to see Trump’s tax returns, to find out if there’s any connection between the president and Russia. That’s an allegation Trump has denied since he was elected in 2016.

One California lawyer said it’s hard for him to find any reason why the president should reveal his tax returns. Walden seems to agree.

“They’re just going after Trump,” Walden said. “Whether he releases his taxes or not is like any other citizen — it’s up to him. And if he doesn’t, then certain people are going to complain he should have. That’s fine. They can make their decisions. But it gets pretty dangerous when politicians in the House can start going after their political enemy’s tax returns. What, you think that won’t get public somehow?”

Walden said once you open up that Pandora’s box of demanding someone release their tax returns, what’s next? He said if the Democrats can do it, what’s to stop the Republicans from doing the same thing to any politician they don’t like?

Walden said that’s not a path we want to go down as a country.