Oregon leaders response to passage of Republican reconciliation bill
Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek issued a statement July 3 concerning the passage of the republican reconciliation bill in Congress.
Kotek's statement opened her statement with the following:
‘This budget was inked in greed, not human dignity,'
Kotek continued:
“Every single year Oregonians pay federal taxes, and those dollars come back to our state through vital services like health care, food assistance, and more. That is how the system should work. The Trump Administration and Republicans in Congress have broken that system.
“I have directed state agencies to immediately evaluate impacts of the budget bill to Oregon. One thing is certain: this budget takes our federal tax dollars and hands a giant tax break to billionaires at the expense of children, families, and communities.
“The money that helps Oregonians see a doctor or put dinner on the table for their family is now going into the pockets of those who need it the least. Last month, I convened rural health care and food security experts, as well as people who count on these critical programs, and their message was clear: these cuts will hurt rural Oregon the hardest.
“1 in 3 Oregonians rely on the Oregon Health Plan, the state’s Medicaid program. This includes 1 in 2 children across the state. 1 in 6 Oregonians rely on federal food assistance to feed themselves or their family. Every dollar stripped from these services and put towards the top 1% is a moral failure. This budget was inked in greed, not human dignity.
“I will use every single tool we have to fight for what Oregon holds dear. But I won’t pretend that our state budget resources can bear the weight of these cuts. Hard work and difficult decisions lie ahead.”
U.S. Representative Val Hoyle (OR-04) voted against Congressional Republicans’ budget reconciliation bill (H.R. 1).
Following the vote, Rep. Hoyle released the following statement:
“This bill is ruthless. It is the single largest wealth transfer in American history, ripping healthcare away from families, taking food away from hungry people, and handing billions to the wealthiest Americans. My Republican colleagues knew exactly what they were doing – and they did it anyway. This bill slams the door shut on working class families like mine in Oregon and across the country. I proudly voted no.”
Today’s vote was specifically on the Senate’s amended version of H.R. 1. Rep. Hoyle previously voted against the House’s version of H.R. 1.
U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Ranking Member of the Senate Budget Committee, issued the following statement after the House of Representatives passed the “One Big, Beautiful Bill.”
“After Senate Republicans refused to stand with working families, House Republicans followed their lead and passed this disastrous bill where families lose, and billionaires win,” said Ranking Member Jeff Merkley. “Trump campaigned on fighting for working families, but Congressional Republicans - at his behest - passed this bill that kicks 17 million people off their health insurance, will force millions of kids to go hungry, and explodes the national debt by $30 trillion over the next 30 years - pushing the cost of this bill onto future generations to ensure billionaires can pay less in taxes.
“This bill is the Great Betrayal of working families all across this country, and I will continue fighting to ensure families thrive and to demand the ultra-wealthy pay their fair share.”
President Trump is expected to sign the bill into law July 4.