Even before this election, Rep. Peter DeFazio (D-Ore.) was synonymous with the 4th District. This is his turf, his stomping ground and it’s no surprise that he’s back to represent it for the next session of Congress. DeFazio collected 63.23 percent of the vote in Tuesday’s election, defeating Republican challenger Jim Feldkamp by a margin of more than 20 percent. He’ll return to Congress for his 11th term as the 4th District’s congressman.
To be sure, this is now a drastically different Congress and DeFazio’s longevity, coupled with the new Democratic majority in the legislature, will provide some clout in the name of the 4th District voters. DeFazio needs to take advantage of the current circumstances and work harder now than ever before to make a change in Washington. The water is right for DeFazio to make waves this Congress.
We encourage DeFazio to take advantage of the climate change in Congress and work toward tangible results in some of the issues on which he campaigned. First and foremost, it will be critical for Democrats to develop a timeline for the war in Iraq. DeFazio did not support entering the war initially, but recognizes his role in the process of creating viable solutions. As he has in the past, he will need to work across party lines in an effort to help the resolution process. This has to be one of his immediate priorities this congress.
DeFazio is a large critic of special interests’ role in the political process. As a prominent figure in the new House, he should push for the development of campaign finance reform. There is no better time than now in Congress for progress in this regard. DeFazio should work to clean up the lobbying process in Washington, or Congress will continue to move further away from its intended role as a representational entity of the American people and closer to being extensions of their corporate backers.
Additionally, it will be important for DeFazio to continue his work against the privatization of social security. A failure to keep the program in public domain could have potentially disastrous consequences for many lower and middle-class Americans.
The Oregon economy needs some real stimulation. In the past, DeFazio has been able to bring in significant funding for Oregon’s transportation department for the repair of the state’s aging road system. During this session of Congress, he should continue to pursue other creative avenues that will bring jobs home to Oregon and specifically the 4th District.
DeFazio also campaigned heavily on the issue of health care. He should take the opportunity presented by a Democratic house to work toward extending prescription drug coverage to seniors and low income families. It is becoming extremely difficult for many working Americans to afford the medication they need.
The next few years in the House are going to look very different than the previous eight. Democratic lawmakers have the potential to take some historically progressive steps out of the fiscal and political hole in which we currently sit. DeFazio should go into this session hungry to get results.