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 brief speech delivered by US Congressman Les AuCoin introducing colleagues at a hearing on the question of a nuclear weapons freeze in Portland, Oregon in the early 1980s. In his speech, Congressman AuCoin specifically mentions by name Congressman Jim Weaver, though states that "each one of the members of the Congress who are participating in this hearing has fought against the arms race throughout his career in the House of Representatives and each of us has been committed from the beginning, to the question of a Nuclear Weapons Freeze.
A speech by US Congressman Les AuCoin delivered at the Oregon Human Development Corporation, a farmworker-serving non-profit organization, on May 15, 1982. In his speech, Congressman AuCoin discussed the Hispanic community in Washington County; the increase in Hispanics in business management, colleges, and government service; his past visit to the Virginia Garcia Center; and the federal budget, arms control, the B-1 bomber, and describing how "The $4.2 billion going into bomb shelters could be better spent on the Virginia Garcia Centers and in the farm workers housing and in all the housing for all Americans then in that category."
A speech by US Congressman Les AuCoin advocating for arms control and building a peace admist national discussions of nuclear weaponry and building up arsenals in the defense budget. Delivered in the early years of the Reagan administration, Congressman AuCoin referenced the 1969 book "War by Timetables" by J. P. Taylor and states that "This member of congress has not voted for a single defense appropriations bill since he was elected to office eight years ago-- not a single one. And there's a very simple reason for that -- because it's not longer a defense budget anymore, it is a military provocation budget."
The House floor remarks of US Congressman Les AuCoin expressing his opposition to an arms sale to Saudia Arabia, delivered on October 14, 1981. Representative AuCoin and several other members of Congress had criticized the Reagan Administration's proposal to sell offensive arms to Saudi Arabia (the US–Saudi Arabia AWACS Sale), with Congressman AuCoin stating "...these are our most sophisticated intelligence-gathering and surveillance aircraft. AWACS are so sensitive, so advanced, we do not even allow our NATO allies in Europe the exclusive control over the places that Saudi Arabia seeks!...This sale jeopardizes the peace."
A speech by US Congressman Les AuCoin given at the national convention of IMAGE, an organization of Hispanic federal, state, and local government employees, on June 5, 1981. In his speech, Congressman AuCoin discussed the issue of the Reagan Administration proposing to cut several programs that benefited Hispanic Americans from the 1982 federal budget -- such as portions of the Occupational Safety and Health Adinistration (OSHA), bilingual education and migrant health, housing and social services -- all while increasing military spending. During his time in Congress, AuCoin had been a part of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus.
A video recording featuring two Les AuCoin campaign advertisements for the 1984 congressional race for Oregon's 1st District, sponsored by Friends of Les AuCoin. The first ad is titled "Defense," in which AuCoin discusses the military budget; the second is titled "Straight Talk" and focuses on AuCoin's history voting against large tax increases.
A video titled "Let's Stop the Arms Race" featuring a community workshop held in Oregon on arms control policy and preventing nuclear war with the Soviet Union during the final years of the Cold War. The workshop took place on April 14, 1984. As a Congressman, Les AuCoin served as the moderator of the workshop. Speakers include strategic analyst and researcher on US-Soviet relations Brian Green, Associate Director for space policy at the Federation of American Scientists John Pike, congressional staffer Robert Sherman, and retired Admiral and Commander of Pacific Command Noel A. M. Gayler. Audio is missing for a few seconds towards the very beginning of the video.
A video featuring a workshop held in Oregon on arms control policy and preventing nuclear conflict with the Soviet Union during the final years of the Cold War. The workshop took place on April 14, 1984. As a Congressman, Les AuCoin served as the moderator of the workshop. Speakers include strategic analyst and researcher on US-Soviet relations Brian Green, Associate Director for space policy at the Federation of American Scientists John Pike, congressional staffer Robert Sherman, and retired Admiral and Commander of Pacific Command Noel A. M. Gayler. Audio is missing for a few seconds towards the very beginning of the video.
A video primarily featuring footage of a C-SPAN interview of US Congressman Les AuCoin on the Star Wars program (officially known as the Strategic Defense Initiative) and the Anti-Ballistic Missile (ABM) Treaty in 1987. In the interview, AuCoin advocates for arms control and the ABM Treaty, which would help restrain the Star Wars program, stating that "the ABM treaty means stability, and the Star Wars program means vulnerability." Various other video clips are included at the 58 minute mark until the end of the recording, including a speech by US Senator Gary Hart and news coverage of the 1984 election, including an interview with Bill Moshofsky.
A video of a special order US House of Representatives floor speech by Congressman Les AuCoin calling for the end to funding for the B-2 Stealth Bomber program. The speech was given sometime in the years leading up to the fall of the Soviet Union, between 1989-1991.
A video recording featuring news coverage of funding for the Strategic Defense Initiative (AKA Star Wars) program and stealth bombers. US Congressman Les AuCoin notably appears at the 0:40 and the 3:00 minute marks, criticizing the Star Wars program and advocating for the funding to be spent elsewhere. This news story is likely from 1990.
A video recording of an episode of America's Defense Monitor titled "Can America Be Defended?" hosted by the WHMM television station in Washington, D.C. The program interviews experts on the Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI) "Star Wars" and Global Protection Against Limited Strikes (GPALS) programs. U.S. Congressman Les AuCoin, an advocate for arms control, appears at the 1:20, 7:35, 11:18, 16:12, 22:47, minute marks.
A video featuring a Les AuCoin campaign ad paid for by the AuCoin for Senate Committee during the Democratic primary for the 1992 Senate election in Oregon. The ad, titled "Pentagon," states that AuCoin wrote legislation to cut the Star Wars program, and highlights his goals to rebuild the economy and cut military spending.
Copy of the Joint Resolution preventing funding for tests of the anti-satellite weapons in space until the Soviet Union performs a similar test in space. The resolution is signed by President Ronald Reagan and approved on December 19th, 1985. This is one of a collection of digitized objects from the Les AuCoin Papers (MS.147) at the Pacific University Archives.
Letter from then-Senator Joe Biden to Representative Les AuCoin, thanking AuCoin for his support of a arms control statement. In the letter, Biden also thanks AuCoin's aide Bob Sherman for his help in drafting the statement.This is one of a collection of digitized objects from the Les AuCoin Papers (MS.147) at the Pacific University Archives.
Position papers on the topic of arms control, prepared by Representative Les AuCoin's 1982 and 1984 campaigns. The document includes four different papers: Peace (1984), Peace (1982), Nuclear Freeze (1982), and Arms Control (1984). Each page includes a list of Representative AuCoin's relevant votes, quotations, and positions. This is one of a collection of digitized objects from the Les AuCoin Papers (MS.147) at the Pacific University Archives and can be found in Box 51, Folder 2. See also PUA_MS147_93 through PUA_MS147_110 for other materials related to nuclear arms control.
Letter to Representative Les AuCoin from David Cohen, President of the Professionals' Coalition for Nuclear Arms Control. In the letter, Cohen thanks Representative AuCoin for his opposition of MX missiles and contributions to arms control. This is one of a collection of digitized objects from the Les AuCoin Papers (MS.147) at the Pacific University Archives and can be found in Box 25, Folder 7.
Representative Les AuCoin and Senator Carl Leven receive the 1988 Herbert Scoville Jr. Award for Distinguished Service in the Advancement of Arms Control from the Union of Concerned Scientists. In typed notes about the image, Les AuCoin writes: "The Herbert Scoville Award, Jr. from the Union of Concerned Scientists. In the 1980s, Senator Carl Leven of Michigan, the chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, and I won this prestigious award from the union for our efforts to promote arms control." 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.
