Photocopy of an excerpt from the 1980 Oregon general election voters' pamphlet. The excerpt features the front cover and the page for US Congressman Les AuCoin's profile.
A photocopy of HR6026, the Columbia River Gorge Act of 1982. The bill was introduced by Representative James Weaver and supported by Representative Les AuCoin in the U.S. 97th Congress but never passed. A similiar bill introduced by Rep. Weaver passed and became law in 1986 in the 99th Congress as HR5705, the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area Act.
A handwritten list of dates in 1980 of US Congressman Les AuCoin's important speechs, accomplishments, events, and statements. A year seemingly focused on environmental and economic concerns, some notable subjects listed include "MFN Status of China," "Community Energy Conservation Act HR 7136," "Tillamook YMCA bill," several bills relating to the Siletz Indians, "Maritime Education and Training Act HR 5451," tesimony on the housing and timber industries, and the "Northwest Electric Power Bill."
Remarks by Mark Gaede on behalf of US Congressman Les AuCoin before the Oregon Chapter of the National Committee on the Prevention of Child Abuse, delivered on November 19th, 1982. In his remarks, Gaede discussed AuCoin's track record with the organization and in Congress, AuCoin's support of the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act and the Adoption Assistance and Child Welfare Act, and AuCoin's opposition to the Family Protection Act supported by the Ronald Reagan Administration.
A speech by Paul Romain on behalf of US Congressman Les AuCoin at a candidates fair with employees of PGE, Intel, Floating Points, and General Telephone in Oregon on October 12, 1982. In his speech, Romain provided a track record of Congressman AuCoin's career and discussed the critical issues prioritized by his campaign for re-election in Oregon's 1st Congressional District, including the economy, unemployment, and the environment. Romain especially asserted that AuCoin had fought against the Reaganomics that had created large deficits in the federal budgets, weakened the economy, and bankrupted businesses and Americans.
A letter from US Congressman Les AuCoin to a congressional colleague regarding the formation of the new, bi-partisan, Congressional Housing Caucus. Congressman AuCoin states that "The group will transcend political, partisan, and ideological lines to provide a cohesive block of support for pro-housing legislation....The Caucus will push for the development and swift enactment of a multi-faceted housing production program to stimulate housing production and sales. The Housing Caucus -- working with the Homebuilders, Realtors, labor and volunteer advocacy groups -- will play a major role in this." The letter was also signed by Congressman Joseph McDade.
A letter by US Congressman Les AuCoin addressed to a "friend" -- perhaps a congressional colleague -- describing his intent to fight against a $120 billion federal budget deficit proposed by the Reagan Administration. Ccongressman AuCoin shared his proposals to reduce the deficit, which included cutting the proposed increase in defense spending, getting rid of tax loopholes, and deferring the third year of the personal income tax cut.
A Washington Post newspaper article clipping titled "Interior Again Weighs Leasing Off Scenic Coast" by Dale Russakoff published on March 26, 1982. The article describes the Interior Department's controversial consideration of allowing oil and gas development off of the Northern California coast. It notably mentions US Congressman Les AuCoin and his attempts to introduce legislation to ban leasing in the basins, with the article describing that "AuCoin read from reports that the area is unstable -- it is near the San Andreas fault -- and could be prone to oil spills. He also quoted from a study that rates the basins as relatively low in oil potential."
A letter by US Congressman Les AuCoin to a congressional colleague advocating for his bill, H.R. 4146 - A bill to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1954 to limit the application of the subsidized energy financing limitations on certain tax credit to Federal subsidies, and for other purposes. In his letter, dated October 8, 1981, Congressman AuCoin explains how the bill would fix issues under the Windfall Profits Tax Act and ensure support for "state and local governments in their efforts to stimulate energy conservation and the development of renewable energy sources and encourage other states and localities to do the same." The letter is signed by both Congressman AuCoin and Congressman Cecil Heftel.
An excerpt of a Washington Post news article titled "House Would Ban Aborttions on Federal Health Insurance," published on July 31, 1981. The article describes how a bill introduced by Congressman John Ashbrook had prohibited federal employees from using their government provided health insurance to purchase abortions. The article also notes how Congressman Les AuCoin condemned the bill, stating "This madness has gone too far....Who do members of the House think they are to subject my daughter or anybody's daughter to such bondage?"
The rough draft of a letter to Chairman Neal Smith of the Subcommittee on State, Justice, Commerce, and Judiciary, from several US representatives advocating for the Western States Information Network (WSIN) to be included in the fiscal year 1982 federal budget following the news that the Reagan Administration planned to eliminate monetary support for the organization. The letter was dated June 4, 1981, and states that WSIN was crucial in supporting "local law enforcement narcotic investigations in the states of Alaska, California, Hawaii, Oregon, and Washington by providing analytical, financial, and equipment services."
A letter from US Congressman Les AuCoin to a congressional colleague asking for their support for his bill, HR3595 - A bill to amend the Voting Rights Act of 1965 to provide a uniform time for the closing of the polling places in all elections of the electors of the President and Vice President of the United States, to prevent the release of election results before polling places have closed, and for other purposes. The letter was signed June 11, 1981, and the legislation was notably introduced following the 1980 presidential election, when Jimmy Carter conceded the election before polls closed on the West Coast. AuCoin also attached an excerpt from the congressional record that contained his House floor speech regarding his bill on May 14, 1981.
A letter from US Congressman Les AuCoin to a congressional colleague stating his support for HR1864 - Research Revitalization Act of 1981 and HR1539 - A bill to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1954 to provide a credit against tax for certain research and experimental expenditures, and for other purposes. Sending the letter as Chairman of the House Task Force on Industrial Innovation and Productivity, Congressman AuCoin expressed that these bills would address the decline of innovation and US research and development (R&D) spending as a percent of GNP.
A letter from representatives Les AuCoin, Daniel Akaka, Vic Fazio, and Robert Matsui to the members of the Western states delegations advocating for the Western States Information Network following the news that the Reagan Administration planned to eliminate monetary support for the organization. The letter was dated June 9, 1981. The WSIN was designated by the letter's authors as crucial in supporting "local law enforcement narcotic investigations in the states of Alaska, California, Hawaii, Oregon, and Washington by providing analytical, financial, and equipment services."
A letter to Chairman Neal Smith of the Subcommittee on State, Justice, Commerce, and Judiciary, from several US representatives advocating for the Western States Information Network (WSIN) to be included in the fiscal year 1982 federal budget following the news that the Reagan Administration planned to eliminate monetary support for the organization. The letter was dated June 18, 1981, and was signed by Norman Mineta, Les AuCoin, Ronald V. Dellums, Augustus F. Hawkins, Jerry M. Patterson, Robert T. Matsui, Daniel K. Akaka, Bobbi Fiedler, Vic Fazio, Tom Lantos, Mervyn M. Dymally, Cec Heftel, Pete Starke, Julian C. Dixon, Robert J. Lagomarsino, Ron Wyden, Glenn M. Anderson, Pete McCloskey, Edward R. Roybal, Joel Pritchard, and Tony Coelho. The WSIN was designated by the letter's authors as crucial in supporting "local law enforcement narcotic investigations in the states of Alaska, California, Hawaii, Oregon, and Washington by providing analytical, financial, and equipment services."
A letter from US Congressman Les AuCoin to a congressional colleague advocating for HR3595, officially titled A bill to amend the Voting Rights Act of 1965 to provide a uniform time for the closing of the polling places in all elections of the electors of the President and Vice President of the United States, to prevent the release of election results before polling places have closed, and for other purposes; on June 11, 1981. This legislation was notably introduced following the 1980 presidential election, when Jimmy Carter conceded the election before polls closed on the West Coast.
A letter from US Congressman Les AuCoin to a congressional colleague advocating for a proposed bill that encouraged gleaning. Gleaning is the process of collecting leftover crops from a field that has already been commercially harvested. The proposed amendment aimed to encourage more farmers to donate gleaned crops by offering them a 10% tax credit against their income taxes for contributions of crops to charitable groups, which in turn could be used to feed the hungry, particularly low income, elderly, and disabled Americans. Congressman AuCoin described how Oregon was a pioneer of modern gleaning programs.
A letter from US Congressman Les AuCoin to a congressional colleague titled "A Western Solution to a National Problem," dated April 1, 1981. In his letter, AuCoin advocated for legislation that would allow states to choose for themselves when to open polls, count ballots, and disclose local results, with all polls closing no later than 11 p.m. EST and prohibiting the release of election results of presidential elections until all polls were closed. As he noted, this legislation was notably written following the 1980 presidential election, when Jimmy Carter conceded the election before polls closed on the West Coast.
A letter from US Congressman Les AuCoin to Senator Edward "Ted" Kennedy (D-MA) regarding the delay of the nomination of John B. Crowell, Jr. as Assistant Secretary to the Department of Agriculture. In his letter, AuCoin advocates for Crowell's nomination, describing Crowell as a "man of integrity, intelligence, and achievement."
A letter from US Congressman Les AuCoin to a congressional colleague advocating for the proposed Continental Airlines purchase by employees in April 1981, describing it as solving "two of the most acute problems facing American business and industry today: declining productivity and capital formation." He wrote this letter as the Chairman of the House Task Force on Industrial Innovation.
A letter from US Congressman Les AuCoin to staff contacts on the House Task Force on Industrial Innovation and Productivity regarding a briefing on a Continental Airlines purchase by employees of the company, dated April 16, 1981. In what he describes as "the fight for airline deregulation," AuCoin points out "the unique plan of Continental Airline's employees to buy controlling interest in their company and the plan's implications for industrial productivity and capital formation."
A clipping of a Corvallis Gazette-Times op-ed article titled "Quit making tritium, redirect spending" by US Congressman Les AuCoin, published on December 30, 1991. In the article, Congressman AuCoin criticizes the Department of Energy's then recent decision to restart the Savannah River K reactor to produce tritium for nuclear weapons, and instead calls for arms control in the context of the fall of the Soviet Union four days earlier on December 26, 1991.
A clipping of an Oregonian newspaper article by staff writer Les AuCoin covering the defeat of Howard Morgan for the Democratic nomination in the 1968 US Senate primary election in Oregon. The article's title is cut off from the clipping, but it may perhaps be "The Annoucement of Defeat" or "The Statement of Defeat."
An essay by former US Congressman Les AuCoin titled "Don't Get Hosed by Political Firefighters: How Political Framing Influences Fire Policy," likely written sometime during the second term of the George W. Bush Administration. The abstract for the essay states "The Bush White House carefully chose the phrase 'healthy forests' to characterize its effort to increase logging in the public's national forests. It was a masterpiece of political 'framing' -- the art of creating a central organizing idea or context for an issue through use of selection, emphasis, exclusion, and elaboration. 'Healthy forests' evokes a sense of environmental protection and personal safety at a time of deep fear of wildland fire." Former Congressman AuCoin's essay also centers around the Yellowstone fires of 1988.
