In this paper I have chosen to research and present my comparative findings of two members of the house of representatives. The congress members are both from the state of Oregon. Oregon has a total of seven members of congress, five of them belonging to the house. The two individuals are from opposing political parties, they are D-Rep. David Wu from the 1st congressional district and R-Rep. Greg Walden, elected into the 2nd district. What I found interesting throughout this study is that each member represents a diverse culture with different interests, these interests are often reflected in the members issues and voting record.
Rep. David Wu and Rep. Greg Walden are both serving in their fifth term. Both of the men were elected first into congress in the same year, 1998 however, their backgrounds and political stances could not be more different. David Wu, age 52 is a resident of Portland, Oregon. He is the first and only Chinese-American to serve in the U.S. House of Representatives. He was educated at Stanford University where he received a BS, attended Med school at Harvard, and received a joint degree in law from Yale University. Congressman Wu’s prior legal experience is limited to a clerkship held with a Federal judge in Portland. Prior to becoming a member of congress Mr. Wu’s “distinguished legal career started In 1988 when he co-founded the law firm of Cohen & Wu. For a decade, the firm successfully served the high technology industry and numerous small businesses across Northwest Oregon.” (1)
Rep. Greg Walden sits in the seat of Oregon’s second congressional district. He is 51 with a wife and family whom reside in Hood River, Oregon. He is the only Republican House representative for the state of Oregon. In 1981, prior to pursuing his political career he received a BS at the University of Oregon. Mr. Walden’s political experience includes working as Press Secretary for Congressman Denny Smith for four years, Chief of Staff to...