Oregon Rep. Janelle Bynum plans 10 summer town halls as Democrats push back against Trump
U.S. Rep. Janelle Bynum, D-Oregon, speaks with constituents in Silverton. (Photo by Julia Shumway/Oregon Capital Chronicle)
The first-term Democratic congresswoman in Oregon's closest congressional district plans to hold seven in-person and three telephonic town halls over the next three months in a major change from her predecessor, whose lack of meetings inspired constituents to question a cardboard cutout.
Rep. Janelle Bynum, D-Oregon, plans to hold meetings in big cities and small towns through Clackamas, Deschutes, Linn, Marion and Multnomah counties as part of her 'Give 'Em Hell' tour. She described it as an effort to connect with constituents of Oregon's 5th Congressional District and fight back against the Trump administration.
'Donald Trump, Elon Musk, and the rest of this administration are making life more expensive, tanking our economy, and ripping away key programs that we rely on, all while dismantling the foundations of our country in the process,' Bynum said in a statement. 'We can't let that happen. I'm traveling across my district to turn up the heat on Donald Trump and Republicans — they will hear our stories and they will feel our outrage. Let's give 'em hell Oregon!'
Democrats nationwide have stepped up their use of town halls following Trump's return to the White House, but Oregonians have long been accustomed to frequent in-person town halls. Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley famously hold town halls in every county every year, and Wyden has won multiple awards from a grassroots national group for having more open meetings with constituents than any other U.S. senator.
But Bynum's predecessor, one-term Republican Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer, deviated from that practice. Instead of public meetings in the district, she held quarterly telephonic town halls, which she defended as a more efficient way to reach all constituents. Activists in the district organized a series of events where constituents asked questions to a cardboard cutout of Chavez-DeRemer and volunteers tried to answer them based on her public statements and their own research.
Bynum has held five town halls since taking office in January. Her full summer schedule, with details of most events to be announced:
May 10: Sisters with Merkley 5:30 p.m., Sisters High School, 1700 W. McKinney Butte Road, Sisters, OR 97759
May 27: Portland
June 2: Albany
June 10: telephonic
June 16: Lake Oswego
June 28: Redmond
July 16: telephonic
July 28: Molalla
Aug. 2: Silverton
Aug. 4: telephonic
Merkley has additional May 10 town halls scheduled in Crook and Jefferson counties, with details here. Other members of Oregon's congressional delegation haven't announced summer town halls yet, but Oregonians can find meetings as they're announced by Wyden, Democratic Reps. Suzanne Bonamici, Maxine Dexter and Val Hoyle and Republican Rep. Cliff Bentz on their congressional websites. Rep. Andrea Salinas, D-Oregon, shares town hall information on social media and constituent newsletters.
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