Greg Walden Honors Congressman Robert Smith on House Floor

Click here or on the image above to watch Rep. Walden’s remarks.

Today, Representative Greg Walden (R-OR) spoke on the House Floor to honor the life and legacy of former Oregon Congressman, Chairman Robert ‘Bob’ Freeman Smith. Walden was joined on the House Floor by Representative Frank Lucas (R-OK) who served under then-Chairman Smith on the Agriculture Committee.

Click here to watch Rep. Walden’s remarks on the House Floor.

Below are Rep. Walden’s remarks as prepared for delivery:

I rise today to commemorate and honor the life and legacy of former Congressman Bob Smith.   

An Oregon native – born in Portland and raised in Burns – he  had a deep understanding of  what it meant to be an Oregonian and knew the needs of the  surrounding communities.   

Bob went  to Willamette University in Salem, Oregon and received a degree in Agriculture. He would go on to put that degree to work on the ranch.  

In 1960, Bob’s career as a public servant began when he was elected to the Oregon House of Representatives. He served in the state House until 1972. He also was the Speaker of the Oregon House during the 1969 session and the 1971 session. He then served in the state Senate from 1973 to 1982. All together he ran in 31 elections and won every single one.  

In the State House, Bob  helped pass a number of land use bills.   

He worked hard to provide incentives for ranchers in Eastern Oregon to invest their money in state land and make it better – because at that time there was lots of state land that was in need of proper management.  By incentivizing ranchers to take care of the land he helped improve that land for future generations – something ranchers in eastern Oregon still benefit from today.  

Bob helped lower taxes – especially property taxes.  

In the state Senate he continued his efforts to lower taxes – which included refunding over $700 million to Oregon’s taxpayers. He also helped create the state’s “kicker” law, which continues to return money to taxpayers.  

Bob went on to serve here - in the House of Representatives - for 14 years, first from 1983 to 1995 and then again from 1997 to 1999.   

In Congress, he continued to be a champion of improving the management of our public lands and natural resources.   

He fought hard against a legislative proposal in the early 1990s for a national conservation area for Steens Mountain.  

Bob is also known for his work to gain $19 million in funding for the highway interchange on the north end of  Medford, helping smooth the flow of traffic from I-5 and Highway 62. In 2007, the interchange was named after Bob in appreciation of his efforts.  

For those of us that fly out of Central Oregon’s Redmond Airport – we should be grateful to Bob as well. He ensured that FAA constructed a flight tower at the airport to improve safety and facilitate the commercial air traffic options we have today.   

There were two other airports ahead of  Redmond, but he convinced appropriators to direct the FAA to construct and operate the RDM tower ahead of the others.  

Of course, Bob also fought for the health of our forests and worked to improve forest management to help prevent wildfires.  

He retired from Congress in 1995 but returned in 1997 after then-Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich called him and urged him to return. When he returned in 1997, he became Chairman of the House Agriculture Committee.  

As the Chairman of the House Agriculture Committee, he delivered resources for Oregon and the nation’s farmers and ranchers and continued to defend against economic hardships that threatened rural communities.    

Bob always looked out for the farmers and ranchers across America, but especially those in Eastern Oregon.  He was known to always fight for ranchers’ grazing rights – working tirelessly with the Bureau of Land Management and Forest Service to protect those rights.  

In all the public offices Bob held, he worked tirelessly to fight for the needs of rural Oregon.  But Bob was more than a public servant, he was a rancher and a businessman first, and most importantly a friend to all that were lucky enough to know him.  

And thanks to Bob, most of Washington D.C. knew about his hometown, Burns, Oregon - he never missed an opportunity to teach someone his Burns, Oregon song, or to point the rural town out on a globe.    

He was a strong advocate for protecting property rights, public lands, and natural resources.    

Our  nation, our state, and specifically Oregon’s Second District are better places because of Bob.    

Bob was both a good friend and mentor.  Following in Bob’s footsteps in Congress and representing the great people of Oregon’s 2nd district has been a true honor.    

He will be remembered not just for his legislative achievements, but for the hardworking, good-natured man he was. Mylene and I will keep Bob and his family in our prayers.