Recently the House GOP passed a cruel, cold-hearted, partisan, and completely unnecessary budget bill. They call it a “Big Beautiful Bill,” but contrary to the title, there is nothing beautiful about it. A more appropriate title is the “Big, Bad Bill.” To pay for tax breaks that overwhelmingly benefit very wealthy people and corporations, the bill makes devastating cuts to essential programs like Medicaid and SNAP. And it’s not even fiscally responsible; it actually would add to the deficit. Maybe that’s the reason it passed by only a single vote.

During the process the House GOP leadership scheduled meetings and votes in the dark of night, which certainly felt like an attempt to hide what they were doing from the American people. Many of my Democratic colleagues and I spent those nights awake at the Capitol, doing everything possible to change it, stop it, or at least slow it down. The GOP majority rejected almost all of the 527 amendments we introduced and debated.

About 1.4 million Oregonians get their health care through Medicaid, including 1 in 3 children. If  this bill passes the Senate in its current form, close to 14 million Americans and Oregonians would lose coverage.

And this bill will take food from hungry children and families. SNAP helps more than 775,000 Oregonians, 50 percent of whom are children, to put food on their table. Needy families would see a significant reduction in benefits under this bill.

Additionally, the bill is a dream killer because it will make higher education less accessible and more expensive. Current student loan borrowers could be in debt until they die. Many students who get Pell grants will be harmed. This bill will raise monthly student loan payments for working and middle-class borrowers, affecting 15 million people across the country. That includes more than 50,000 Oregonian students and families who, with this bill, will have limited options for repayment.

Finally, the bill reverses much of the progress we’ve made to transition to renewable energy, and it gives polluters a green light to privatize, drill, and destroy our public lands for profit.

I am disappointed and disheartened by the bill that passed. I will continue to call on the Senate to reject this harmful legislation, and I urge you to make your voice heard as well. My GOP colleagues are avoiding the constituents they represent by cancelling town hall meetings and scheduling debates in the middle of the night, but they cannot hide from the fact that they are turning their backs on Oregonians and Americans.

I’ve been grateful to spend time in Oregon when Congress isn’t voting. Here are some highlights:

Celebrating the Opening of Centro Mercado

It was wonderful to celebrate the grand opening of the Centro Mercado with local leaders and community members in Cornelius. No one in our country should go hungry, and the Mercado provides a welcoming space where people in need can get free food that is healthy and culturally appropriate.

Standing Up for Oregon’s Arts and Culture Community

Hearing from Mental and Behavioral Health Experts

Thank you to my colleague and friend Rep. Salinas for inviting me to participate in a forum about mental and behavioral health. We heard from local experts and leaders about how Trump and Republican cuts to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, Medicaid, and other essential programs would decimate access to care in Oregon.

When people don’t have coverage, they don’t get care and treatment. More people end up in emergency rooms and in the criminal justice system.

Elected officials must respond to the needs of the communities we represent. Rep. Salinas and I will continue to do all we can to stop the GOP’s Big, Bad Budget Bill and the Trump administration’s destructive agenda.

ICYMI

• I joined Rep. Dexter, Planned Parenthood Columbia Willamette, and local health care leaders to speak out against the GOP’s attempt to take away access to health care.
• I denounced the GOP’s bad faith use of antisemitism to attack higher education.
• I celebrated the inaugural trip of the North Coast Express, a new transit service connecting the Portland Metro area and the North Coast.
• I took to the House floor to champion NOAA and its dedicated workers that make up the backbone of this nation’s environmental safety and resilience.
• Congratulations to 2025 Congressional Art Competition winner Ingrid Lopez Bonilla, a Beaverton HS senior whose art will be displayed in the US Capitol!
• I commended Lincoln HS and Sprague HS, the co-champions of the 2025 We The People civics competition.
• I’m reading some of the letters and emails I get from constituents in my new video series: the Mailbag Minute.