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Incumbent Democratic Rep. Val Hoyle is running for reelection.
Courtesy of campaign
OPB asked candidates for Congressional races the same questions on key issues in the state. Answers are provided verbatim but responses were limited to 150 words. Read Republican Monique DeSpain and Green Party candidate Justin Filip’s responses.
To start, please give us your name and basic biographical details, including your current position or job, any elected offices you have held and any key facts you would like voters to know about you.
Name: Val Hoyle
Current Occupation: US Congresswoman
Occupational Background: Domestic and International Sales, Manufacturing Distribution
Prior Governmental Experience: Oregon Labor Commissioner; State Representative; Chair, Federal Export Council of Oregon
Educational Background: Emmanuel College, BA; Bunker Hill Community College
Why should you be elected to represent this district?
I’m running for re-election because hardworking Oregonians deserve someone who understands their struggles and will fight every day to lower costs, protect our personal freedoms, and create good-paying jobs in our district.
I grew up in a union family that taught me the value of hard work and the importance of making sure others have the same opportunities to succeed. That’s been my guiding principle throughout my 25-year career in the private sector, in the State Legislature, as Oregon’s Labor Commissioner and now as your Congresswoman. Over the past two years in Congress, I have worked to deliver for our district — securing millions of dollars to build more housing, invest in wildfire safety equipment, and repair aging infrastructure in our communities.
From Corvallis to Coos Bay, I’ve built a reputation of fighting for working people across Oregon’s 4th Congressional District. With your support, I’ll keep fighting for Oregonians in Congress.
What is the most pressing challenge facing your district? What is your proposed solution to that problem? Please be specific.
Housing. Far too many families are being priced out of our communities due to the growing housing crisis in Oregon. From workforce housing to high income housing we need to invest in building more homes and apartments to address the extreme shortage of housing at all levels. That is why I cosponsored the DASH Act with Senator Wyden, which would create tax credits to help grow the supply of housing and provide housing choice vouchers for families at risk of homelessness. Workforce housing in particular is critical to ensuring people have a safe place to live and businesses can hire employees who live in their community, and in my first term I secured $4 million in federal funding to build more workforce housing in North Bend. Finally, we need to expand healthcare, childcare, and nutritional assistance so more families and individuals can afford the cost of housing
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Who won the 2020 election?
President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris
Will you commit to certify the 2024 election results, regardless of the victor?
Yes. I am deeply concerned by the attempts to undermine our democracy. Free and fair elections are central to what makes this country so great and I will commit to certifying the results of the election, regardless of who wins.
Would you support a federal ban on abortion? Why or why not?
No. I am deeply committed to continue fighting in Congress to restore the national protections of Roe v. Wade and will oppose any national ban on abortions, contraceptives or IVF. Healthcare decisions should be between a patient and their medical provider, and the government has no business deciding how and when women have children. Leaving the regulation of abortion up to the states does nothing to protect abortion access from the same attacks that resulted in overturning the 50 years of protections under Roe vs Wade. Women in need of abortion care are dying in states with abortion bans and we must change that.
Intel has close connections with the Israeli government and the nation itself and is one of the largest employers in the state. What is your stance on the ongoing war in Gaza and Intel’s connections to the region?
The attacks on Israel on October 7th were horrific and Israel has the right to exist and defend itself. At the same, the scale of human suffering in Gaza is heartbreaking and I am deeply concerned by the threat of a larger regional conflict in the Middle East. I support the Biden-Harris administration’s efforts to reach a ceasefire as soon as possible that ensures the release of all hostages taken by Hamas and continued humanitarian aid for the families in Gaza. America must use its position to push for a permanent solution under which Palestinians and Israelis can both realize peace and self-determination.
I don’t have specific knowledge of how Intel makes decisions about its business in the region. I believe that a private company should be responsive to its customers and shareholders and should determine its own business decisions as long as it complies with state, national and international laws.
Related: Issues important to Oregon voters
Immigration is one of the most prominent issues in the Republican party’s national platform. How has immigration impacted your constituents directly or indirectly? Please be specific. Would you support the bipartisan immigration bill negotiated earlier this year if it returns? Why or why not?
Immigration reform and border security are two important but distinct issues. We have not had meaningful immigration reform in decades and it is critical that we update our laws to ensure we have the resources to efficiently process people who want to come to America legally. At the same time, we are seeing the devastating toll that fentanyl is having in our community and we need to address the flow of drugs into our country. Most of these drugs are being smuggled in through legal border entrances and it is critical that we give our border agents the resources they need to detect and stop drugs. That is why I support the DIGNIDAD Act (H.R.3599), a bipartisan border security bill which would both give border patrol agents the badly needed resources they deserve to do their jobs and reform our broken immigration system.
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The U.S. House of Representatives is fiercely divided and even if Democrats retake the House, it will likely be extremely close in terms of the majority. What is your track record of working with the other party – or people within your own party with whom you disagree – to pass meaningful legislation?
As a first term Congresswoman, I’ve been extremely effective at delivering for Oregon and was able to pass 5 bipartisan bills into law, from tribal rights and worker protections, to bringing transparency to the NEPA process.
Regardless of which party wins, I will continue looking for ways to work with my Republican colleagues when it means delivering for Oregon. In the Oregon legislature and in Congress, I have always found that when you take the time to actually talk with people from the other party and share the issues impacting your communities, it is easier to find common ground and reach bipartisan solutions. I am committed to working across the aisle to ensure our federal government serves the interests of Oregonians.