Hundreds gather for Merkley, Bonamici town hall

Published 3:30 pm Sunday, February 23, 2025

Hundreds of people packed the bleachers of Clatsop Community College’s Patriot Hall Saturday to press U.S. Rep. Suzanne Bonamici and U.S. Sen. Jeff Merkley for answers amid growing uncertainty under the Trump administration.

Much of the hourlong town hall focused on iterations of the same question to the two lawmakers, both Democrats: What are you doing to push back?

Since taking office in January, President Donald Trump has signed a long list of executive orders resulting in mass layoffs for federal employees, cuts to federal programs and the elimination of positions meant to provide oversight of his administration. At the same time, he’s tasked Elon Musk — a billionaire whose companies have received billions of dollars in federal funding — with eliminating government inefficiencies and waste and given Musk unprecedented access to federal departments and databases.

“Over the years, I’ve looked at governments in other countries and watched the architecture of the Republic collapse because the separation of powers disintegrated,” Merkley said. “I never thought I would see it in the United States of America. It is happening right now.”

Local impacts

Merkley and Bonamici said they’re bracing for local impacts of the new administration.

One area of concern, they said, is health care. Trump recently endorsed a House budget resolution that proposes substantial cuts to Medicaid, with the goal of reducing federal spending by $880 billion over the next decade. According to the Oregon Health Authority, about 34% of Oregonians are enrolled in the Oregon Health Plan, the state’s version of Medicaid.

Another area of concern is housing: the senator and congresswoman referenced three planned affordable housing projects in Tillamook County that may not move forward under new federal cuts.

Merkley added that potential cuts to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration could impact research on important coastal issues like fisheries, changing ocean conditions and tsunamis, while Bonamici highlighted layoffs within the Bonneville Power Administration, which provides power to much of the Pacific Northwest. Former BPA officials have said the layoffs could threaten the self-funded agency’s ability to provide reliable electricity to the region.

At Saturday’s town hall meeting, Josie Kero, president of Clatsop Community College’s associated student government, shared student concerns over the future of federal financial aid and programs like TRIO, which help disadvantaged students transition to and graduate from college. Although federal aid forms are still available for students, the Trump administration has slashed millions of dollars in teacher grants associated with diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives and has indicated plans to dismantle the Department of Education.

As a senior member of the House Committee on Education and Workforce, Bonamici said education is one of her top priorities. The congresswoman recently introduced a resolution advocating for the protection of local public schools and condemning attempts to defund public education.

She added that she sees civil rights as a central part of the conversation — especially when it comes to defending programs like Title I and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.

“Without the federal dollars in the K-12 system, as well as the programs like TRIO, which are so important, and student aid, we would be closing the door of opportunity to many people,” Bonamici said. “The federal role in education is all about equity of opportunity.”

Veterans expressed concerns about the state of the Department of Defense and potential impacts on the Department of Veterans Affairs, including layoffs of workers staffing suicide crisis lines. One participant, who identified himself as a retired Air Force lieutenant colonel and a Vietnam veteran, asked how his representatives would protect military members who refused to obey unlawful orders.

“I don’t know the legal answer to your question in terms of the defenses one can bring,” Merkley said. “What I do know is I’m going to stand by anyone in the military who was told to do something unlawful, unconstitutional, and defend them, at least in the public space.”

Merkley and Bonamici also reaffirmed their support for Ukraine. Congress has approved billions of dollars in military assistance since Russia’s invasion of the country in 2022, but Trump has signaled that he may cut out Ukrainian leaders from discussions with Russia about ending the war and last week called Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy a “dictator.”

Pushing back

Merkley said he plans on using every tool he has as a senator to slow down, stop or reverse efforts toward an “unconstitutional takeover” of the country.

Still, some attendees questioned whether their elected officials were doing enough.

Democrats represent the minority in both the House and the Senate — a reality Bonamici said has limited their ability to influence policy. That makes it all the more important for people to raise their voices, she said.

“Being in the minority, we don’t have a lot of power,” Bonamici said. “It’s the people who have the power. When their representatives and senators start hearing from their constituents, that’s who they listen to.”

Bonamici encouraged people to keep sharing their stories with elected officials — whether they’re federal workers, veterans, students or other individuals impacted by changes under the new federal administration. She hopes those stories will help her colleagues on both sides of the aisle see what’s happening and start to push back.

“In the house, we just need three Republicans with a spine to say, ‘This is wrong,’” she said.

Merkley shared similar sentiments, calling on constituents to partner with their elected officials to turn up the heat on their Republican colleagues. He also encouraged people to join affinity groups like Indivisible Oregon, Planned Parenthood and the Sunrise Movement and find ways to stay engaged in community.

He said Saturday’s turnout — one so large it pushed capacity — is a snapshot of what that might look like.

“I’m so glad you all turned out,” Merkley said, “because democracy dies in the darkness and thrives when citizens are engaged.”