In Oregon, There’s Always a Way—It’s the OREGON WAY

In Oregon, There's Always a Way-It's the OREGON WAY

When I became a U.S. senator to serve my fellow Oregonians, I vowed to visit every nook and cranny of the state by holding open-to-all town halls in each county, every year. Last weekend I held my first 2025 town halls in Marion and Yamhill Counties. After more than 1,100 town halls, I was gratified by the thoughtful questions and concerns voiced by Oregonians in those counties.

Oregonians want to be able to pay all our bills (grocery, energy, gas, healthcare, childcare and all the others that come - expected and unexpected), and live in communities with flourishing small businesses, good schools, healthcare and safe roads. We also want a secure future to pass down to our kids, both economically and environmentally. Oregonians want to know we are safe today and that America's robust support system won't fail us.

This year, Oregonians in my first town halls of the new year are worried that America has lost its way among hateful rhetoric and the degradation of our Constitution. In true Oregon fashion, these caring residents asked how we could find our way back to kindness, empathy and humanity during this current administration.

Here's my take:

When things look rough, there is always a way. It's called the Oregon Way.

When Oregonians participate in open-to-all town hall meetings, your voice is heard. I listen and take your concerns and ideas back to DC with me. Open-to-all town halls in every county of the state is a phenomenon unique to Oregon. Maybe if more legislators came out and listened to actual people and not oligarchs, things would look different.

I heard what Oregonians wanted when I worked to pass the Inflation Reduction Act and the CHIPS Act. Both have benefited Oregon, creating real economic opportunities, as well as many other places in the U.S., including Texas and New York, New Mexico and Michigan, and more. Republicans will have to answer to their constituents if they tear down legislation that benefits ALL Americans simply because those laws were passed and implemented by Democrats.

Hearing what Oregonians last weekend told me they wanted, I will continue to fight to lower prescription drug costs despite the President's executive order to reverse efforts to lower the cost of prescription drugs for people on Medicare and Medicaid. I will work to rein in pharmacy benefit managers and am willing to work with members of any party open to logic and serving their constituents over oligarchs.

Speaking of oligarchs, while this current administration has shown that billionaires are far more important to them than working families, I'll continue my drumbeat for billionaires to pay their fair share of taxes. It's despicable that teachers, nurses and firefighters in the middle class and working class pay more in taxes than America's gluttony class.

To recap, in terms of basketball, we have a rules book the other team must abide by and I'm holding them to it. I'm putting on a full-court press on any and all efforts to undermine Americans' rights and freedoms, no matter their color, race, religion or gender. Through our federal courts, we'll ensure officiating is fair and impartial and will call foul when the other team tries to cheat to win. The best offense is a good defense and I'm blocking out bad policies and nominees, setting us up for a rebound. I'm in this game to win for Oregonians.