PNW Lawmakers React to Release of Public Records Detailing Hidden Coordination on Dam-Breaching Proposal

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Reps. Dan Newhouse (WA-04), Cliff Bentz (OR-02), and Cathy McMorris Rodgers (WA-05) issued the following joint statement in response to learning of a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) publication detailing in-depth coordination between the offices of Rep. Mike Simpson (ID-02) and Oregon Governor Kate Brown regarding the proposal to breach the four dams along the Lower Snake River:

"For months, Rep. Simpson has been speaking with us about his sweeping dam-breaching proposal, touting transparency and an open process while telling us it was simply a ‘legislative concept' for the Northwest delegation to consider.

What he didn't tell us was that he has been coordinating for months with Oregon Governor Kate Brown's staff behind the scenes to shepherd his proposal through Congress with little to no support from Pacific Northwest representatives – Republican or Democrat.

In light of the recent release of hundreds of pages of communications between Rep. Simpson's and Governor Brown's offices – with dozens of references to keeping the discussions under wraps and out of the public eye – it's clear this proposal is not just a starting point, but rather a radical and fully-baked plan he is actively seeking to put into law.

On top of that, we have to ask, why is he building his plan around the Governor of Oregon's perspective – not his own state's? And why do so behind closed doors? Not only does this have harmful impacts on our regional dialogue, but it also raises questions about the viability of the ‘Four Governors' agreement signed last year which was purportedly intended to formalize a collaborative platform to work together to address these important issues in the Northwest.

Rep. Simpson has said that he would only move forward with his proposal if he gained support from his colleagues. Meanwhile, he admits his plan may not even help achieve our shared goal of bolstering native salmon populations.

We already know breaching the dams directly threatens our region's way of life, energy reliability and affordability, and would dramatically raise carbon emissions. This new information proves that our constituents are being left out of what should be an open and transparent process."

Background:

The 397-page document released under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) stemmed from a request by the Center for Biological Diversity dated April 9, 2021, and can be found on the State of Oregon's Public Records Log here.