I hope your Thanksgiving was full of good food and quality time with loved ones. As I write this newsletter, I’m back in Washington, DC for a few more weeks of hearings and votes before the holiday break.
Hearing from the Community
Although I was disappointed to cancel my remaining in-person town halls last month because the House schedule changed and I needed to be in Washington, D.C. for votes, I appreciated speaking with many Oregonians during my telephone town hall meeting. We had a thoughtful conversation about a range of issues, including the lack of Medicare coverage on the North Coast, the need for aid to Ukraine, antisemitism on college campuses, and homelessness.
Several people called with concerns about the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas; especially how that conflict is affecting Palestinian and Israeli civilians. Although I am encouraged by the current temporary ceasefire that was negotiated to facilitate the return of the hostages, a ceasefire should continue to allow for all of the hostages to be released and for more humanitarian aid to get into Gaza. The U.S. needs to advocate for:
- return of all hostages,
- a robust increase in humanitarian aid to the civilian population of Gaza,
- the removal of Hamas from controlling Gaza,
- an increase in diplomatic efforts with international partners to achieve a negotiated two-state solution, and
- assistance rebuilding and reconstruction of the region, including Gaza and the West Bank.
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