I hope you stayed safe and warm during the winter storm. After two weeks of recovery at home after being hit by a car, it was good to be able to get back to work as your representative in Congress. This month I delivered several big checks for some of the projects I was able to include in the last government funding bill. I also made my first visit to Tillamook County since it was added to the First Congressional District.

I appreciated hearing from our community (and perhaps some of the readers of this newsletter) in my first telephone town hall of the year last Friday. I answered questions about housing and homelessness, investing in child care, the need for a path to citizenship for Dreamers and other immigrants, improving SNAP, protecting Social Security and Medicare, gun violence prevention, standing with the trans community, and more.

Investing in Our Community

More than $35 million is coming to 15 community projects I advocated for in NW Oregon, and this month I celebrated with several local leaders and community members. At TriMet’s Merlo Garage, the $5 million in funding will help expand electric bus charging infrastructure and make our transit system cleaner. We celebrated the $4 million going to the Beaverton Downtown Loop, a project that will enhance walking and biking and make the city safer for pedestrians. These projects will make a difference for Oregonians and I will continue to advocate for the resources needed to help our communities thrive.

Visiting Tillamook County

I truly enjoyed my visit to Tillamook County, and I am excited to meet the people and learn more about the issues affecting the area. My first stop was a discussion with local elected officials, where we talked about the need for more affordable housing and resilient communities. I also visited Tillamook Bay Community College, and learned more about the new nursing program and plans for expansion. Of course, no visit to Tillamook would be complete without a visit to the Creamery! My staff and I enjoyed some of their world-famous cheddar.

Addressing the Behavioral Health Crisis

There are many issues to address regarding access to behavioral health care, but a critical one is growing and supporting the workforce. During my roundtable discussion with Labor Commissioner Stephenson and leaders in this field, I heard about the need to expand career pathways and to improve working conditions, pay, and benefits for workers.

Some of the barriers to expanding the workforce also affect fields beyond behavioral health. Many Oregonians have a hard time finding affordable child care and housing, or might not be in a position to take on student loan debt.

Other barriers are built into our health care system. Several people discussed losing workers to the private sector, and how the federal system doesn’t adequately reimburse for Medicaid or Medicare patients. Lengthy processes to obtain licensing can also keep people out of the field.

I am grateful to have secured more than $1.7 million for the United We Heal behavioral health apprenticeship and pre-apprenticeship program, but there is more we must do to build a sustainable workforce. This issue affects every part of Oregon, and it will take partnerships between governments, local organizations, and healthcare providers to meet the behavioral health needs in our communities.

ICYMI

• I’m ready to fight back against school vouchers and privatization of our public education system
• I am glad to be returning as Chair of the LGBTQI+ Aging Issues Task Force and to be leading the Climate Jobs Task Force
•  visited kids and staff at Community Action of Hillsboro and saw homes made from mass timber at Port of Portland Terminal 2
• Portland Community College President Dr. Adrien Bennings joined me at the State of the Union