June 16, 2025

June Newsletter

 

A MESSAGE FROM VAL

Dear Friends,


Thank you to everyone who joined Senator Wyden and I at our town halls in Coos and Curry County over Memorial Day weekend. Hearing from you directly means that I can bring your thoughts, opinions, and priorities with me to D.C. in real time.


Throughout the month of May, I joined House Democrats to fight back against what the Republicans are calling the “Big, Beautiful Bill”, a proposed budget resolution that explodes the national deficit and includes the largest cuts to Medicare and SNAP food benefits in history. This bill will have serious implications in Oregon and across the country.

This bill also includes Section 70302 which, if passed, would erode the courts' Constitutionally required duty to hold the Executive Branch and Congress accountable. The Constitution establishes three separate and equal branches of government, so that no one part would become too powerful. The Founding Fathers believed that concentrating power and authority in one branch of government would result in tyranny, and they were committed to the idea that the United States would never be ruled by a king or a tyrant. The moment we lose these checks and balances in our government, we set up the downfall of our Republic as we know it. Regardless of party, this should be a line we all agree should never be crossed.

Normally, legislation and budget decisions of this magnitude allow time for transparency, public input, and bipartisan committee processes to ensure that the American people can see how their taxpayer dollars are being spent. Instead, conservatives in D.C. opted to jam this bill through to a vote at 1:00 AM because they knew the American people would be outraged if they had time to see what was included. I was proud to join so many of my Democratic colleagues in adding amendments that would make this bill better and forcing a discussion over 24 hours to allow the kind of transparency that the American people deserve. This isn't how the business of Congress should be done – this isn't legislating, it's looting.

Recently, we heard that the Trump administration is scrambling to rehire fired federal employees, after realizing DOGE's haphazard layoffs are making it impossible for government agencies to deliver critical services. I agree that we should find efficiencies in government and root out waste, fraud and abuse. However, firing the people responsible for our national security, weather and natural disaster response, front line staff at the Social Security, Veterans Administration and the Federal Aviation Administration isn’t being efficient.

As the chaos grows, my staff has shared with me that dealing with our federal agencies is getting harder and slower every week. Now more than ever, we encourage you to reach out to us if you are having trouble accessing your benefits or just getting through to someone in a federal agency. My office can provide assistance. Give us a call or submit a ticket on my website and a member of my team will be in touch.

We are experiencing challenging times, but please know I am committed to fighting for every single one of you in D.C. If you have any questions or comments, please don’t hesitate to contact our office.


Talk soon,


Val
Representative Val Hoyle (OR-04)

Impacts of House Republican Budget Reconciliation Bill in Oregon’s 4th District and State-wide:

NATIONAL
DEBT

According to the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office, this bill would increase the national debt by $2.4 trillion.

HEALTHCARE

Over 1/3 of our district relies on Medicaid.

  • 33,240 OR-04 residents are at risk of losing their health insurance coverage
  • 23,000 OR-04 residents, who are covered by the ACA, could see their premiums increase by $1,070

SNAP

Currently, 163,000 Oregonians in the 4th District receive support from the SNAP program.

  • 27,000 OR-04 residents are at risk of losing some or all of their SNAP benefits

TAX CUTS

About 37.5% of OR-04 has a household income under $50,000.

  • Those in the top 0.1% will save over $1,000per day on their taxes.
  • Those making between $17,000 and $50,000 per year will pay $700 more per year on their taxes.

PELL GRANTS

17,278 students in the 4th District currently receive Pell Grants.

  • Because this bill fails to adequately fund the program, low-income students risk losing this aid.
  • In addition, the bill will cut 15.3% of the Department of Education’s budget that will defund programs to help low-income students, incarcerated people, and immigrant children.

FAQs about the House Republican Budget Reconciliation Bill (HR 1)

Here are some of the most frequently asked questions our office has received regarding this bill.

  1. “What is this bill?” Budget reconciliation is a process that allows Congress to more easily make tax and spending changes. Conservatives in D.C. are using it to push through unpopular tax cuts for the wealthy, massive Medicaid cuts that will takeaway healthcare from millions of Americans, and more without Democratic support
  2. “What is going to happen to my Medicaid?” Nothing yet – this bill still needs to pass the Senate. This bill passed by House Republicans will cut hundreds of billions of dollars from Medicaid. This would push 13.7 million Americans off of their health insurance, according to the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO). It would also put a burden on states to fill the funding gaps. They are also proposing new bureaucratic barriers to push people off the program.
  3. “What else is in this bill?” The reconciliation bill effectively bans every Affordable Care Act insurance plan from covering abortion, increases home electric bills by at least $110 per year, and ends a service to help taxpayers file taxes for free.
  4. “Why do I keep hearing about the national debt?” This bill’s tax breaks for the wealthy will reduce the amount of money coming into the government, so conservatives in D.C. have opted to cut programs working people rely on like Medicaid and SNAP. But the tax breaks for the wealthy are so large, that even after the cuts the CBO estimates this bill will add $2.4 trillion to the national debt and leave future generations to foot the bill.

D.C. UPDATE

May Recap

Fighting Against Republican’s Massive Budget Bill

  • In the House Natural Resources Committee: Filed multiple amendments to House Natural Resources Committee’s portion of the budget bill, delaying the mark-up for over 15 hours with fellow Democrats.
  • During final passage: Joined House Democrats in filing over 500 amendments to the House Rules Committee’s final 1:00 AM mark-up on the bill, delaying the process for over 24 hours.
  • Worst of the worst: Urged Speaker Johnson to oppose sections of the bill that would prohibit federal courts from enforcing contempt orders, undermining the judiciary’s ability to hold this administration accountable to the law.


Oregon First: Fighting for Our Communities

  • Fighting for Community Funding: Rep. Hoyle submitted requests to the House Appropriations Committee for funding for various programs in Oregon’s 4th, including:
    • The Port Infrastructure Development Program (PIDP): Rep. Hoyle previously helped expand this program and is now fighting for additional funding to help support commercial fishing in and around the Oregon coast.
    • Protecting NOAA: Led a request for $656 million for NOAA’s Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research (OAR). OAR provides vital predictive information for commercial fisherman and during wildfire season.
    • Standing Up for Veterans: Rep. Hoyle called for increased funding to the VA State Home Construction Program, as a part of her ongoing efforts to secure funding for the Roseburg State Home Construction project.
    • Disaster Declaration for Floods: Urged FEMA to declare a Major Disaster Declaration to get federal help for responding to and recovering from the floods that damaged parts of Coos, Curry, Douglas, and Harney counties in March.
    • Giving Tribes a Voice: Welcomed the Cow Creek Band of the Umpqua Tribe of Indians and their Director of Forestry to a hearing on House Natural Resources Hearing on tribal forestry so their voices could be heard.
    • Protecting Our Nature: Cosponsored the Protect Our Parks Act and the Save Our Forests Act to ensure that the National Park Service and Forest Service are fully staffed, all terminated employees are reinstated, and that all funds appropriated to the parks by Congress are available as intended.

Other Legislative Actions

  • Fighting to strengthen our infrastructure: Cosponsored and voted for the Fire Safe Electrical Corridors Act, which would cut red-tape and help electric utilities prevent wildfire risk near electrical infrastructure on our federal lands.
  • Protecting Workers: Cosponsored the VA Employee Fairness Act to protect and ensure collective bargaining rights for all clinicians working in the Department of Veterans Affairs.

WE'RE COMING TO YOU!

Members of Team Hoyle have been holding office hours throughout the district to give you a chance to have in-person assistance. If you or someone you know is having trouble getting a response from federal agency and would prefer in-person help, click here to see when we’ll be in your area!

CONSTITUENT SPOTLIGHTS

Do you know of an incredible person doing great work to help their community? Representative Hoyle wants to recognize and honor residents in Oregon’s 4th District for their contributions. Click here to nominate someone you know who you think should be recognized for their service.

STAY INFORMED!

If you haven’t already, subscribe to official updates from Congresswoman Hoyle here. The more the merrier - invite your friends and family in the district to subscribe too!


Watch our last town hall about Social Security here.
Stay up to date on my official statements and press releases here.
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