Greg Walden to meet with brewers, veterans, and small businesses in Bend next week

BEND— U.S. Rep. Greg Walden (R-Hood River) will be in Central Oregon next week to discuss growing jobs and holding federal agencies accountable with brewers, veterans, and small businesses.  On Monday, Walden will have a roundtable meeting with craft brewers in Bend. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently released a draft rule that would tightly regulate brewers’ “spent grains,” a byproduct of the beer-making process that is often sold or given to ranchers for use as animal feed.

The draft rule could harm the craft brewing and livestock industries in Oregon, and Walden has urged the FDA to reconsider its rule.  He will announce steps he is taking legislatively to bring common-sense to this rule-making process.

Walden will then kick off Facebook’s “Small Business Boost” workshop, where Central Oregon small businesses can learn to better use social media to reach potential customers. As the chairman of the House Subcommittee on Communications and Technology, Walden has worked to unleash innovation and grow technology jobs in Oregon. 

On Tuesday, Walden will meet with veterans at the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) hall in Bend. He will give an update on legislation in the House to reduce the claims backlog at the Veterans Administration (VA) and ensure those who have worn the uniform receive the benefits they’ve earned.

Also on Tuesday, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and local small businesses will present Walden with the “Spirit of Enterprise Award” for his efforts to help small businesses grow and create jobs in Oregon.  Later in the week, Walden will have meetings in southern and eastern Oregon. A full schedule will be sent out once it’s finalized.