U.S. Representative Lori Chavez-DeRemer is Tackling Some of the Major Issues Facing Electric Cooperatives & All Oregonians.
By Ted Case
It’s been a whirlwind 8 months in office for freshman U.S. Representative Lori Chavez-DeRemer. A hallmark of her brief tenure follows the blueprint that made her a successful mayor: Be accessible, accountable and willing to focus on the issues that really matter to her constituents.
It was this mentality that brought Chavez-DeRemer to La Pine during the August congressional recess.
She was in Central Oregon at the invitation of Midstate Electric Cooperative—one of 3 electric cooperatives that provide service in Oregon’s large and diverse 5th Congressional District.
Redmond-based Central Electric and Philomath-based Consumers Power Inc. also have members in the 5th District and face many of the same challenges.
The La Pine meeting, which included several Midstate board members and their leadership team, centered on many of the key issues Chavez-DeRemer has focused on since being sworn in this January: forest management, housing and access to affordable, reliable energy.
Midstate CEO Jim Anderson briefed the congresswoman on the challenges of a cooperative facing unprecedented growth.
“We used to be a sleepy little town,” he said. “Now, things are booming.”
This rapid growth, Anderson said, is threatened by the lack of infrastructure and assaults on the federal hydropower system that powers the region.
While touting that Oregon is the “greatest state,” Chavez-DeRemer acknowledged it is weighed down by a bevy of crises, including a housing shortage, homelessness and fentanyl—all issues for which she has introduced legislation during the 1st session of this Congress.
The group also discussed Oregon’s Measure 110, which decriminalized the possession of small amounts of illegal drugs. Chavez-DeRemer highlighted a letter she wrote to Governor Tina Kotek to repeal a measure she sees as ineffective.
“After enabling the trafficking and use of deadly drugs, the state failed to provide the accessible health care that was promised,” Chavez-DeRemer wrote.
Chavez-DeRemer noted that her committee assignments, such as the powerful House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, give her a strong platform to tackle some of Oregon’s most urgent issues.
In addition, her role on the House Agriculture Committee and its Forestry Subcommittee gives her an opportunity to address the threat of wildfires that Oregon electric co-ops face because of their heavily forested terrains.
In June, Chavez-DeRemer, who has a reputation as a coalition builder, brought Rep. Glenn “GT” Thompson, the chairman of the Agriculture Committee, to Albany for a well-attended listening session on the Farm Bill, which expires this year. This session gave committee leadership an opportunity to hear about the importance of proper forest management to all Oregonians.
At the conclusion of the La Pine meeting, a Midstate employee thanked Chavez-DeRemer for helping expedite a passport—an example of constituent service that is an underappreciated yet indispensable part of a congressional office.
“Helping people with these problems are my best days on the job,” Chavez-DeRemer said.
Then the congresswoman was back on the road.
More appointments beckoned, as well as returning to Washington, D.C., for a full slate of committee meetings, floor votes and the specter of a government shutdown.
The Midstate leaders appreciated the time they were able to spend with Chavez-DeRemer, someone who is new to Congress but is still willing to get in the middle of the fight for her constituents.
“She is refreshing and responsive in addressing the long-term needs of Midstate,” said Vic Russell, a longtime Midstate director.
Anderson agreed.
“The congresswoman is very knowledgeable on all issues that are not only important to cooperatives, but to all Oregonians,” he said.
