Standing Strong against Extremism

It’s almost become a mantra: “The Democrats Aren’t Doing Anything.” Voters dismayed at the current US President’s dismantlement of democracy complain that their Democratic representatives in Congress and the state are not doing anything — or at least not enough — to resist. 

Sure, there have been national headline-grabbers since January 2025, including Cory Booker’s marathon filibuster in the US Senate, the AOC-Bernie “Fighting Oligarchy” Tour and Governor Gavin Newsom’s stand against ICE raids in Los Angeles (and his more recent defamation lawsuit). Still, discord within the national party has many Democrats dismayed, and it’s tough to see whether these high-profile resistance efforts are having any effect.

Meanwhile, what exactly is our Oregon Congressional delegation doing? And what about our state  electeds? How are they defying the Project 2025 agenda?

Turns out, they are doing a lot. In our supermajority state, and with significant voter support, these electeds are working mightily to resist some of the worst things coming out of the White House and Congress right now. It gives us hope as we move forward toward the all-important 2026 midterm elections.

Here are some highlights of what our Oregon reps are doing:

Oregon’s Congressional Delegation

Our two US Senators, Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden, have used their senior positions to fight the current administration’s dismantlement of rights and social programs. Merkley, in particular, has been relentless in his resistance to the Big Beautiful Bill (or what he now refers to as the “Big Beautiful Betrayal.” Our two Dem senators helped push for dozens of amendments to Trump’s budget, which will be devastating to so many Americans. While the Republican senators managed to pass the budget by one Vance vote, Dems’ resistance helped ease at least some of it. Merkley’s pushback to the plan to sell off public lands was successful, as he posted on social media: “Democrats successfully got the current GOP public lands sell-off proposal thrown OUT of Big Beautiful BETRAYAL!!”

Wyden, for his part, has been fighting back against tariffs, with an eye to the importance of international trade in Oregon and his role as the senior Democrat on the Senate finance committee. Wyden and Merkley, along with 20 other senators, have introduced legislation that would limit presidential power to deploy federal troops domestically.

US Representatives Maxine Dexter and Andrea Salinas were among the Oregon Democrats who walked out during President Trump’s joint address to Congress in March, sending a clear message of opposition to Trump’s “America is back” rhetoric. Dexter also traveled to El Salvador to demand answers on the illegal deportation of immigrants there, including Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a wrongfully deported Maryland man. Though she was blocked from entering the CECOT mega-prison, her trip added to the spotlight on the mass illegal deportations.

US Rep Suzanne Bonamici, usually a mild-mannered policy-focused politician, has been unusually outspoken since January, joining rallies outside of the US Dept. of Education, and vociferously advocating against cuts to the Job Corps program that boosts so many young Oregonians.

US Rep Janelle Bynum, our newest congressperson in District 5, which includes part of Multnomah County, is outspoken in her opposition to cuts to Medicaid, SNAP and Planned Parenthood, introducing several amendments that Republicans struck down over and over again. She, like her colleagues, is not letting these cuts go through without a fight

Oregon State Leaders

Attorney General Dan Rayfield has joined several multi-state lawsuits against the Trump administration. The lawsuits challenge the administration’s tariffs, federal worker firings and civil rights violations.  Indeed, Rayfield has become one of the most aggressive legal challengers to Trump’s policies, spearheading multiple high-profile lawsuits that have already delivered significant victories for the state. You can read the series of lawsuits and other actions on the state attorney general website.

Governor Tina Kotek has repeatedly reinforced Oregon’s status as a sanctuary state. Oregon’s sanctuary law, enacted in 1987, prevents state and local government agencies and police from assisting ICE in arresting undocumented immigrants.

And they are coordinated. Rayfield and Kotek join Secretary of State Tobias Read, Treasurer Elizabeth Steiner and Labor Commissioner Christina Stephenson — along with House Speaker Julie Fahey and Senate President Rob Wagner, in regular meetings to coordinate their response to Trump’s agenda.

Is There Anything We Can Do?

Multnomah County Dems can support these elected officials just by continuing to be vocal. Back in January, we posted this article offering Five Things You Can Do to make your voice heard. Sign up for the MultDems Action Alerts, so you always know what the most pressing issues are this week.

Every day, Oregon’s elected Dems are inundated with calls and emails from MAGA Republicans and others who want to trample on our rights. It’s crucial that our reps also hear from many of us when we support the work that they are doing. So, continue to call! Write! Email! Attend those town halls! It matters, and it works.

The photo of (l to r) Oregon US Congress members on the Capitol steps: Suzanne Bonamici, Janelle Bynum, Val Hoyle, Andrea Salinas and Maxine Dexter, is copied from Rep. Bonamici’s Instagram post, dated July 2, 2025.

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Beth Blenz-Clucas is a PCP and Assistant District Leader in House District 28, and a member of the MultDems Communications Committee.