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Dear Friend,
It has been another busy month fighting for Oregonians, and I want to share some of what I’ve been doing to work for you.
I’ve spent much of this year focused on the affordability crisis. I’ve heard from customers at the grocery store, parents juggling childcare, and seniors stretching fixed incomes. Under President Trump, too many Americans are being forced to make impossible choices about their finances.
Small businesses, the backbone of our economy, are feeling the strain. Last week, I visited with local shop owners in McMinnville and heard firsthand how tariffs are driving up costs, creating uncertainty, and making it harder to stay afloat.
I’ve been working to put an end to this chaos. I supported legal challenges that led to the Supreme Court ruling that said President Trump’s unilateral tariffs are illegal. Refunds are now available, but only to businesses that paid import fees directly.
That’s why I’m pushing for further action. I’ve called on major companies to ensure refunds reach those who actually paid the price, and I’m backing legislation to roll back these reckless tariffs, reassert Congress’s authority over trade decisions, and return money to affected small businesses. We are in an affordability crisis, and I’ll keep fighting to protect small businesses and lower costs for Oregonians.
Also this month, I heard from mothers on Capitol Hill about how the affordability crisis is affecting families. Families should be able to spend more time with their children and less time worrying about finances. That’s why I’ve cosponsored legislation that would ensure working families pay no more than 7% of their income on childcare.
I have continued to press the Trump Administration for accountability. On the House floor, I spoke out against ICE’s inhumane treatment of children in detention centers. I also demanded answers on ongoing delays in DACA renewals, which are putting Dreamers who have built lives in this country at risk of deportation.
FUNDING DELIVERED: Where somebody lives should never limit what they can achieve. I was proud to deliver $850,000 to construct career technical education facilities for underserved rural communities. The Barbara Roberts Career Technical Education Center in Sheridan will provide hands-on training that leads directly to high-skill, high-wage jobs for people across Yamhill and Polk counties.
FUNDING DELIVERED: Earlier this month, I brought $1 million in federal funding back to the City of Dallas. This investment expands the city’s sanitary sewer system and unlocks hundreds of acres of land for new housing and economic development.
FUNDING DELIVERED: I delivered another $1 million to Anahuac Farm in Turner. This federal funding will be used to process traditional crops, provide meals for families in need, and support instructional programming for Indigenous and Latino communities across the Willamette Valley.
NEW BILL: Quantum technology will define the next generation of innovation. My new bill would fund shared research facilities and instrumentation for our universities and startups so they can translate breakthrough research into good-paying jobs and real-world solutions for Oregonians.
NEW BILL: Kombucha contains trace amounts of alcohol produced by yeast during fermentation, which can trigger federal excise taxes and regulations covering alcoholic beverages. But kombucha isn’t comparable to traditional alcoholic beverages like beer, and taxing it as if it were doesn’t make sense. My new bill modernizes the tax code so this industry isn’t unfairly burdened and unlocks new opportunities for local businesses.
If you have a question about my work or need help with a federal agency, do not hesitate to contact my office at salinas.house.gov or call us at (503) 385-0906 to share any questions and or comments you may have.
Be well,
Andrea Salinas
Member of Congress
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