Shafer goes to Congress

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Umatilla County Commissioner John Shafer spent the first half of this week in Washington, D.C., attending the National Association of Counties conference. He met with legislators, discussed issues, and won a prize.

At the end of a meeting with Congressman Cliff Bentz (R-Ontario) there was a drawing of those who attended. The winner got to be Bentz’s guest at President Donald Trump’s speech to a joint session of Congress.

He said he was first taken to a reception at the Library of Congress. There he met Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and others. Then came the speech.

Shafer, who sat in the balcony with others who are not members of Congress, said that directly across from him was Melania Trump and he saw Elon Musk and many other famous faces.

“My ears were ringing the whole time,” he said. “It was fantastic just to be in there, to have something that historic happen, and there I was, able to have the opportunity.” There was another benefit to his journey as well. Shafer is president of the Oregon Association of Counties so that organization paid for his trip to the nation’s capitol to represent the state.

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