Walden breaks ranks, backs Democrats’ bill to end shutdown

Rep. Greg Walden, R-Ore., parted ways with nearly all of his GOP colleagues and voted for the House Democrats’ bill aimed at largely ending the partial federal government shutdown.

Oregon Public Broadcasting reports the Hood River Republican took heat from conservatives supporting President Donald Trump for Thursday’s vote.

Walden told OPB he believes it’s a mistake to continue the shutdown while the president and congressional Democrats fight over whether to fund a border wall.

The Second District lawmaker said he did vote against another bill offered by Democrats to temporarily fund the Department of Homeland Security, which included no wall funding. Walden said the president and congressional leaders can continue their fight over that issue without holding the rest of government hostage.

Walden also said his vote was not influenced by the closer re-election fight he faced last year, taking 56 percent of the vote in defeating Democrat Jamie McLeod Skinner, when in past races he captured about 70 percent support in his sprawling Southern, Central and Eastern Oregon district.