Dear Friend,

What a busy month! In between votes, introducing new legislation, and continuing work on the Farm Bill, I also spent time in the district meeting with local business owners and delivering federal funding for our community. 

As May comes to a close, here’s a quick recap of what I worked on this month.

May is Mental Health Awareness Month. As Co-Chair of the bipartisan Mental Health Caucus, I am focused on putting an end to stigma and working across the aisle to expand access to affordable mental health care for all.

Mental health challenges are increasing among children and teens, so it's essential that we take action to ensure our youth get the resources and support they need. 

This month, I introduced two new bills that will help us confront the youth mental health crisis head-on. One of them, the Latino Youth Mental Health Empowerment Act, would establish a national awareness and outreach campaign to improve mental health outcomes among Hispanic and Latino youth—who often don’t get the care they need due to stigma, cultural and language barriers, and other reasons. Additionally, I introduced the bipartisan, bicameral Trauma-Informed Schools Act, which would help ensure that teachers and staff receive the training and resources needed to support students who have experienced trauma or another kind of adverse event. 

In addition to my mental health work, I joined my colleagues on the House Agriculture Committee to continue our work on the Farm Bill. Over the last year and a half, I have held countless meetings, conversations, and public forums to gather perspectives and clarify the areas where Democrats and Republicans could work together. Unfortunately, the proposal put forth by Republicans is a far cry from compromise. Chairman Thompson’s plan would cut food assistance for hungry families by $30 billion, eliminate flexible disaster assistance for farmers, and remove critical climate protections from the Inflation Reduction Act. 

I could not vote for a Farm Bill that takes food away from hungry children, seniors, and veterans, hurts farmers, and sends us backwards in the fight against climate change. 

Although this legislation has advanced out of the Committee, it remains a deeply flawed product that has no chance of becoming law. Going forward, I will continue working to make revisions to this legislation and remove provisions that would be harmful to Oregon families. You can read my full statement here. 

Back in the district, I spent time delivering critical federal funding that I secured for our cities and counties. From expanding access to rural broadband in Sherwood to improving our water and road infrastructure in Independence, this funding will help make life better for everyone in our communities.

I will keep fighting to ensure communities across Oregon’s Sixth District get the resources needed and deserved from our federal government.

Finally, I had an amazing time touring downtown Tigard with the Tigard Chamber of Commerce! I visited some small businesses and spoke with a few local entrepreneurs. I have said this many times, but small businesses are truly the backbone of our economy and it is so important that they have the resources they need to thrive.

Below, check out my video message with the CEO of the Tigard Chamber!

This was only a snapshot of my month. For real-time updates, you can always follow me on X, Facebook, and Instagram. If you have any questions or comments, please send me an email or give my office a call at (503) 385-0906.

Be well,




Andrea Salinas
Member of Congress