COOS BAY - U.S. Rep. Peter DeFazio drew a large crowd to Coos Bay Public Library on Tuesday and kept the assembled entertained as only a 12-term congressman can.

He took digs at former President Bush and CEOs profiting from federal bailouts, while mixing in his views on plans for health care reform, forest management and infrastructure improvements.

He refuted myths about federal health officials cracking down on backyard gardens and spoke about the promise of wave energy coexisting with the fishing industry.

After detailing the initial accomplishments of the 111th Congress, DeFazio took questions that mostly focused on how Washington will help Coos County.

When a speaker asked about the fishing industry, DeFazio noted there is $50 million in salmon disaster funds left over from last year's failed commercial fishery. Although Oregon used all of its funds, California and Washington didn't, setting up a debate between Oregon and its neighbors over the remaining funds. DeFazio said he would talk with delegates from California to see if they'd be willing to share at the start, given the commercial season cancellation this year due to the crash of the California fishery.

"If we get that, we can supply assistance almost immediately," he said.

Regarding timber, DeFazio told the crowd he would like to see the county payments extended past 2011 at the rate set for the fourth year, while increasing harvesting on federal lands.

DeFazio wasn't averse to tooting his own horn. When someone asked if he could get funding to help repair the Coos Bay Rail Link, he noted that he helped secure $8 million to help the Oregon International Port of Coos Bay purchase it. He said it's unlikely there will be additional federal dollars to help refurbish the line, though he wants to see more funds allocated for infrastructure maintenance, including port funding.

"We have a huge need for the (U.S. Army) Corps of Engineers and they need more of a budget," he said.

If there was a theme to the night's talk, it was DeFazio's faith in regulation.

He applied it to the airlines, suggesting it would be good to see some level of regulation for small and mid-sized airports, such as at Southwest Oregon Regional Airport. Then he lamented the repeal of the Glass-Steagall Act that allowed investment companies to partner with banking institutions, which contributed, he said, to Wall Street's failure.

He also denigrated proposals to address climate change by imposing a cap-and-trade system, whereby the financial sector creates a market for cutting down on greenhouse gas emissions.

The United States was able to clean up its rivers without a river-cleanup credit, he said.

"Cap-and-trade is the next disaster, I think, if adopted." he said. "There's a very simple way to deal with carbon and that's regulation."

Although DeFazio had an answer for every question posed to him, he didn't promise action on every front. When an audience member asked about stanching the flow of illegal immigrants, DeFazio said he wants to see what President Obama would do, but there isn't anything happening in Congress. He also hedged his bets on whether Washington could come to a consensus on health care reform.

DeFazio got the strongest show of support when he said he's not enthusiastic about writing out a check for foreign aide.

"Right now our principal concern has to be helping Americans," he said.

Robert Cribbins of Coos Bay said he appreciated how DeFazio really seemed to engage with his constituents.

"He's down to earth. He listens intently and he doesn't try to sugar-coat things," he said following the meeting. "I think he genuinely cares about the residents of Oregon."