Recently one of the worst pieces of policy I have ever seen passed the Senate and House and was signed into law. The Republican majority and the Trump administration called it “beautiful,“ but there is nothing beautiful about the Big Bad Ugly Bill. This new law will take health care and food assistance away from millions of people in need. It cuts education funding and reverses the progress we've made on transitioning to clean energy. Millions of people will be hurt, jobs and lives will be lost, and, shockingly, the national debt will grow by 3-4 TRILLION dollars. And who wins? Wealthy individuals and large corporations will get a tax break and ICE gets way more funding. These priorities do not reflect the needs of the Oregonians I am honored to represent.

Before the vote, I heard from many constituents in NW Oregon who expressed their overwhelming opposition to this harmful and partisan legislation. I strongly opposed this bill and remain extremely concerned about the harm it will inflict on the people of NW Oregon.

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Our country does better when we open doors of opportunity, treat people with humanity, and break down barriers. This bill does nothing to Make America Great Again; it's dangerous, mean, and regressive. I’m committed to doing everything in my power to fight against these harmful cuts to education, environmental protections, healthcare, and the economic security hardworking Americans deserve. 

Feeding Students During the Summer

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I had a great visit with students at the Summer Food Service Program at Aloha-Huber Park Pre- K-8 School. Programs like these are essential in combating food insecurity, especially during the summer months when school meals aren’t available. For many children these meals are a primary source of daily nutrition. The SNAP cuts in the Big Ugly Bill threaten these vital programs. The cuts put additional strain on families already struggling to put food on the table. There is too much food insecurity, and students need healthy food to learn and thrive. Expanding access to nutritious food for children isn’t just the right thing to do; it’s investing in the health of our children.  


Demanding Transparency and Accountability

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Recently the Education Committee was considering a bill about improving the Department of Labor’s work on the serious issue of human trafficking. I planned to offer an amendment that would require the Department of Labor to release the files it has on Jeffrey Epstein, but the Republican majority actually canceled consideration of the bill rather than vote on the amendment. The American people deserve transparency, and that means learning the full scope of Epstein‘s crimes and learning who participated in his illegal activities. 

Watch this clip for a deeper explanation of my proposed amendment and why transparency and accountability in this case are so critical.

Protecting Oregonians from Authoritarian Tactics

With increasing numbers of federal officers around the U.S. ICE facility in Portland, Oregon Senator Jeff Merkley and I introduced the Preventing Authoritarian Policing Tactics on America’s Streets Act. This legislation would block the Trump administration from deploying federal law enforcement and armed forces to a city unless both the mayor and governor request aid. This legislation also requires clearly displayed identifying information, prevents the use of unmarked vehicles in arrests, and more. 

Oregonians remember the last time Donald Trump deployed unidentified federal officers to Portland. The forces sent to Oregon in 2020 inflamed tensions and increased danger to peaceful protestors and others in the area. This authoritarian behavior cannot be tolerated. I’m leading this legislation to protect Portland and cities across the country from occupation by unwanted federal law enforcement and armed forces.


ICYMI

●      I joined Oregon’s Congressional Democrats to fight the Big Bad Ugly Bill.
●      I spoke on the House floor to demand that the Trump administration release more than $5 billion in critical K-12 and adult education funding that should have been disbursed by July 1st. UPDATE: the Department of Education has now released the funding.
●      I celebrated the 3rd Annual Sneaker Day on Capitol Hill.
●      I joined NOAA to demand that the Trump administration end the dangerous budget and staff cuts, rehire the fired experts, stop the reckless purging of staff, and fully fund NOAA.
●      I spoke on the House Floor about the Older Americans Act and demanded support for the vital programs that help Americans age with dignity.

 

   

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