A photocopy of a Washington Post newspaper article tited "AuCoin: Ready to 'Kick Ankles' for Abortion Rights" by Don Phillips, published on December 8, 1989. The article describes US Congressman Les AuCoin's famous "take names and kick ankles" speech, delivered on the House floor in defense of abortion rights before the vote of an antibortion amendment (which did not pass) which would have restricted Medicaid funding of abortion in the cases of rape and incest. The article quotes a part of AuCoin's speech: "Those of us who defend a woman's freedom of choice are drawing a line in the sand today, a line of decency, a line of fair play-- and a line of serious politics....If you vote for those amendments, you will be held accountable in ways you have never dreamed possible at ballot boxes all over this county. The pro-choice movement is mobilized. And from this day forward, it is going to take names and kick ankles."
A video featuring footage of a NBC News story covering a 1989 "Timber Summit" held in Salem, Oregon organized by the Oregon congressional delegation. The news story included an interview with US Congressman Les AuCoin. The 1980s and early 1990s in Oregon were marked by a declining timber industry, including a large-scale debate between environmentalists (including members of the ESA Committee, the "God Squad") concerned about protecting the habitat of the endangered northern spotted owl and the members of the logging industry who argued that the Endangered Species Act and its regulations reduced the number of jobs for timber workers.
On August 2nd, 1989, AuCoin gave what became known as his “Take Names and Kick Ankles” speech. The statement was in response to an amendment proposed by Representative Robert Dornan, Republican from California, to prevent the use of public funds for abortion in the District of Columbia. From his seat on the House Appropriations Committee, AuCoin led the debate, declaring that Congress could no longer pass anti-abortion policy without political backlash. This is one of a collection of digitized objects from the Les AuCoin Papers (MS.147) at the Pacific University Archives, and it can be found in Box 10, Folder 8.
Photocopy of an article in the Washington Post on December 8th, 1989. The article, written by Don Phillips, discusses the role that Representative Les AuCoin played in the congressional fight for abortion rights. This is one of a collection of digitized objects from the Les AuCoin Papers (MS.147) at the Pacific University Archives.
Representative Les AuCoin speaks with House Speaker Jim Wright on the House Floor. In typed notes about the image, AuCoin writes: "Conferring with House Speaker Jim Wright. I was 47, Dean of the Oregon House delegation, 84th in house seniority, a member of the Democratic whip organization, a veteran of the Appropriations Committee, and an official congressional observer to the US-USSR arms control talks in Geneva." Based on these notes, the photo was probably taken in 1989. This is one of a collection of digitized objects from the Les AuCoin Papers (MS.147) at the Pacific University Archives. The original photo remains with the AuCoin family.
Representative Les AuCoin and Senator Mark Hatfield speak at the 1989 "timber summit" between Oregon's congressional delegation, federal land-management officials, timber industry representatives, and environmentalists. In typed notes about the image, AuCoin writes: "Mark Hatfield and me conferring. At the "timber summit" in Salem that we called to find common ground between the members of the timber industry and environmental activists." A note on the back of the photo reads "Les and Hatfield, "Timber Summit", Salem, City Hall, 6/24/89". The back of the photo is also stamped with "The Oregonian". This is one of a collection of digitized objects from the Les AuCoin Papers (MS.147) at the Pacific University Archives. The original photo remains with the AuCoin family.
