MEETING WITH OREGONIANS

Before heading back to D.C. next week for votes and committee meetings, it was great to wrap up a busy summer meeting with constituents across the 5th District!

MOSAIC MEDICAL

I enjoyed visiting Mosaic Medical in Bend, which serves over 27,000 patients – including through streetside medical care that reduces costs and needs for first responders, onsite public school health care centers, and over a dozen health centers. I appreciate their work to provide affordable and accessible health care throughout Central Oregon!

BEND CHAMBER

I had a great discussion with Central Oregon businesses regarding affordable housing, rising insurance costs, child care needs in the community, and how we can reduce regulations to help small businesses grow and thrive.

I was also honored to receive the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s Advocate for American Business Award! I’ll continue working to pass bipartisan legislation like the Child Care Investment Act to help our small businesses and their employees succeed.

CASA OF CENTRAL OREGON

It was great to visit CASA of Central Oregon to learn more about their efforts to support children in need. The personal stories shared by volunteers were powerful and moving – they know how important it is to be there for these children.

With a court appointed special advocate (CASA), children are more likely to find permanent housing, half as likely to re-enter foster care, and more likely to pass school courses. 394 children of the 454 in foster care had a CASA last year, with 182 total volunteers serving those children. I'm very grateful for their selflessness, dedication, and service to our communities!

BEND HOUSING PROJECT UPDATE

While in Central Oregon, I also met with the City of Bend to discuss the $5 million they are receiving through HUD’s PRO Housing grant program. I was proud to advocate for this funding, which will help Bend create a housing development fund to support construction of affordable homes.

WESTERN FIRE CHIEFS

I enjoyed meeting with Western Fire Chiefs to discuss public-private partnerships with emergency mobile communication equipment providers! I appreciate FirstNet & AT&T for working with local, state, and federal agencies to bring connections to the front lines for first responders. These units have deployed to 18 fires in Oregon this year and several other preplanned events to help support communications.

WILLAMETTE FALLS LOCKS

And last but definitely not least, yesterday I visited Willamette Falls Locks alongside USACE! We discussed the steps involved in transferring USACE authority to the newly designated Willamette Falls Locks Authority and what operations and maintenance will look like.

REMINDER: MY OFFICE IS CURRENTLY ACCEPTING U.S. SERVICE ACADEMY APPLICATIONS

🇺🇸 With students heading back to school, now is a good time to work on getting U.S. Service Academy applications submitted! My office is accepting them through November 1st. If you or someone you know would like to attend one of our prestigious academies, visit my website below to learn more. Best of luck and thank you for your interest in serving our country!

REPRESENTING OREGONIANS’ DIVERSE VIEWPOINTS

From the Willamette Valley to the high desert, Oregon’s 5th District is one of the most diverse places in the country — a diversity reflected in the views of the people of our district.

In Congress, I’ll continue to represent these diverse views and work to be Oregon’s independent voice.

CONTACT MY OFFICE IF YOU ARE HAVING ISSUES WITH THE FEDERAL BUREACRACY

From dealing with the IRS to securing VA benefits, my office has helped over 800 constituents get what they need from the federal government – and we have returned a total of over $4.5 million owed to Oregonians.

If you are having trouble navigating the federal bureaucracy, please submit a casework request here: https://chavez-deremer.house.gov/services/help-federal-agency

And you can check out a few things constituents have to say about our services below!

SUNDAY SCENERY

For this weekend's Sunday Scenery post, take a look at this amazing view of Elk Lake, submitted by Cheryl from Bend!

Thank you Cheryl for your submission – to submit your own visit: https://chavez-deremer.house.gov/sunday-scenery

ONE MORE THING!

In 2023, I’m proud to have had the second-highest bipartisan voting record in the U.S. House of Representatives. I never hesitate to stand up and do what's right for the 5th District and will continue working to be Oregon's independent voice!

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.

Sincerely,