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A Note From Jeff
This week, our hearts are with El Paso and Dayton as we mourn the most recent lives lost to mass shootings. As we set out to heal from these unthinkable tragedies, it’s clear that Americans are tired of divisive rhetoric, and want to discuss commonsense solutions to prevent future massacres. In our ‘We the People’ democracy, public will should determine our laws -- not rich and powerful special interests. I want you to know that I am committed to representing you and your voice on this issue in the U.S. Senate.
All my best,
Jeff
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As Fire Season Continues
On Wednesday, July 24, an old fire scar 1 mile south of Canyonville started to burn -- a fire that quickly grew to cover 13,119 acres. Today, over 1,000 brave firefighters are working hard to put out the flames and keep Oregonians safe.
As this year’s fire season continues, Jeff has been working hard to reduce the risk of catastrophic wildfires, and the smoke and economic losses that they cause. “Even areas not directly impacted by flames have been inundated with smoke, putting the health of our families, our recreation economy, and our crops at risk,” Jeff said. “If we don’t want these catastrophic fires to become a staple of western summers, we need to make critical investments without delay.”
That’s why Jeff introduced the Wildfire-Resilient Communities Act, which would create a $1 billion fund to help the Forest Service increase the pace and scale of wildfire reduction projects, and empower federal agencies to work with local communities to plan and prepare for fires. Jeff also persuaded Department of Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue to reverse a Trump administration proposal to close Civilian Conservation Center (CCC) Job Corps cites in Oregon -- which provide hundreds of thousands of hours of forest maintenance work. Students from the Wolf Creek CCC are helping to fight the Canyonville fire.
And, because he understands that the destruction of wildfires doesn’t stop at flames, Jeff introduced a package of bills that would help communities through the oppressive smoke that wildfires cause.
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Health Care is not a Privilege -- It's a Human Right
Millions of Americans gained access to health care coverage thanks to the Affordable Care Act (ACA), which prohibits insurance companies from turning people away just because they have a preexisting condition; allows young adults to stay on their parents’ health plans until they’re 26; and helps makes sure people aren’t charged more for coverage just because they’re women.
But frequent attempts to repeal and cripple the ACA have pushed up health care costs and left Oregonians anxious. “Every year, I hold a town hall in each of Oregon’s 36 counties. What I’ve heard from Oregonians -- from reddest of red counties to the bluest of blue -- are concerns about losing health care coverage due to cost or pre-existing conditions,” Jeff said. “We need to protect the gains of the ACA and move forward with the understanding every Oregonian has a right to health care.”
In response to a Trump administration-supported lawsuit to take away coverage for pre-existing conditions, and coverage altogether in many cases, Jeff introduced a Health Care Bill of Rights that lays out what Americans deserve to count on when it comes to their health care. The resolution would establish a wide variety of rights to health coverage, including the right to coverage of essential health benefits with no annual or lifetime limits, the right to keep coverage after getting sick, and the right to mental health and substance abuse coverage. The full resolution can be found here. Everyone should get affordable health care that is there when they need it, not just the healthy and wealthy. |
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Keeping Food on the Table for 66,000 Oregonians
One in seven Oregonians are food insecure, meaning they don’t have access to a sufficient quantity of affordable, nutritious foods. That’s why programs like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), also known as food stamps, are vital to the health and wellbeing of tens of thousands of recipients across our state -- most of whom are children.
Despite the fact that millions of families in America rely on the SNAP to put food on the table, the Trump administration recently proposed massive changes to eligibility requirements that would throw 3 million Americans -- including 66,000 Oregonians -- out of the program. Last week, Jeff led a delegation letter to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), which is responsible for overseeing SNAP, demanding the agency reverse course on the reckless decision.
“This proposal will literally take food off the tables of children, working families, seniors, and people with disabilities,” Jeff said. “In the wealthiest country on earth, we can afford to make sure that no child goes to bed hungry at night.” |
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Fighting for Living Wages, Benefits, and Workers' Rights
In July, Jeff was joined by AFL-CIO President Richard L. Trumka to unveil the Good Jobs for 21st Century Energy Act, landmark legislation to help ensure that new jobs created in the burgeoning clean and renewable energy industry offer workers the living wages, benefits and rights they deserve, by giving companies tax incentives to adhere to pro-worker criteria.
“As the son of a union mechanic, I know firsthand the power of a good job and a solid paycheck to provide for a family,” Jeff said. “As the world transitions to clean and renewable energy, America has a huge opportunity to lead that transition, and to create millions of jobs in the process. We need to make sure the jobs powering our economy for the next century are good-paying, family-wage jobs.” |
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