It’s an honor to serve you in the U.S. House of Representatives. On day one, I promised to represent you with transparency, authenticity, and integrity, and I’m committed to upholding that promise. Every week, I’ll be sending “Lori’s Letter” to keep you updated on my work. If you know someone who would like to receive my regular updates, please have them visit this link to sign up today! Continue reading this week’s letter to learn more about legislation I helped introduce to address backlogs for SNAP applications, an effort I'm supporting to help military survivors, and more. | KICKING OFF A BUSY AUGUST DISTRICT WORK PERIOD Congress adjourned last week until early September for our August District Work Period. When I’m not in D.C. taking votes or participating in committee meetings, I’ve been traveling the District to hear your thoughts, concerns, and ideas. This feedback allows me to be a more effective voice for you at the policymaking tables in Washington. That’s why I’m looking forward to traveling the District throughout the month. I started off in the Clackamas County area this week, visiting Willamette Egg Farms, Costco Pharmacy, the Portland VA, attending the Bob's Red Mill Stock Day Family Picnic, and joining Happy Valley’s National Night Out. From working on legislation to help homeless veterans to securing funding for VA projects, I'll always fight to ensure our nation's heroes receive the care they deserve. I enjoyed having the opportunity to visit the Portland VA to learn more about the services they provide Oregon veterans! | 🍳 During my tour of Willamette Egg Farms, I learned more about the hard work that goes into producing fresh, high-quality eggs to put on grocery store shelves across the Pacific Northwest. I look forward to taking what I learned back to my colleagues on the House Agriculture Committee as we craft the 2023 Farm Bill. | I had a great time attending the Bob's Red Mill Stock Day Family Picnic! Employee-owned companies like Bob's Red Mill support our communities by keeping business local. That's why I'm proud to cosponsor the Employee Equity Investment Act to help expand employee-owned businesses. | I also visited the Costco Pharmacy in Clackamas to learn more about their services and how I can help support pharmacists at the federal level. From vaccinations to medications, pharmacies are a critical part of our health care system. I appreciate the work they do to keep our communities healthy! | Tuesday evening was Happy Valley’s National Night Out – I loved seeing and visiting with so many friends and neighbors! | NEW PROPOSAL WOULD HELP END SNAP APPLICATION BACKLOGS This week, I helped introduce the SNAP Staffing Flexibility Act. This legislation seeks to end SNAP application backlogs that many states are currently experiencing. The number of employees hired to process applications is often insufficient to deal with a large influx of applications. The SNAP Staffing Flexibility Act would give states the option to hire outside contractors during these periods to alleviate the workload of their employees. It would end these contracts when the backlog has been cleared. During my Farm Bill listening sessions, Oregonians have made it clear that SNAP improvements are necessary to ensure those who rely on the program most are able to access and receive the support they need in a timely manner. That’s why I’m proud to help lead this legislation, which would reduce the backlog of SNAP applications and put food on the table for families in need. Learn more by visiting my website: | SUPPORTING MILITARY SURVIVORS AND THEIR FAMILIES I cosponsored bipartisan legislation, the Caring for Survivors Act, which would adjust monthly benefits for family members and survivors of veterans who lost their lives in service to the United States. It’s long overdue legislation that will provide much-needed financial relief to surviving military spouses and their families. As a nation, we owe it to our fallen service members to take good care of their loved ones, and this bill will ensure they can maintain their standard of living more comfortably. I’m honored to support this bipartisan legislation and am hopeful that not one more year will go by before we bring some commonsense parity to DIC recipients. Learn more: | WORKING ACROSS THE AISLE TO DELIVER BIPARTISAN RESULTS FOR OREGON I promised my constituents when I was sworn into office that I would work in a bipartisan manner to get results for our district. During my first seven months in office, I’ve worked hard to uphold that promise. I’m focused on reaching across the aisle to get things done. Watch this clip from my recent KOIN interview to hear some of the highlights: | ONE MORE THING! My team and I stand ready to assist veterans like Dale receive the compensation they deserve! 🇺🇸 Experiencing an issue with the VA or another federal agency? Don't hesitate to give us a call or submit a casework request through my website at the following link: https://chavez-deremer.house.gov/services/help-federal-agency | Thank you for reading my weekly newsletter. It's an honor to be your voice in the U.S. House of Representatives. Your thoughts, concerns, and comments are very important to me. Always feel free to get in touch by calling (202) 225-5711 or by visiting my website at chavez-deremer.house.gov. | Congresswoman Lori Chavez-DeRemer | Washington, D.C. Office 1722 Longworth House Office Building Washington, D.C. 20515 Phone: (202) 225-5711 | Oregon City Office 621 High Street Oregon City, OR 97045 Phone: (503) 387-8651 | Redmond District Office 2757 NW 7th Street Suite D Redmond, OR 97756 Phone: (971) 403-8940 | Follow me on social media! | |