{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://bentz.house.gov/media/press-releases/as-oregon-s-economic-conditions-worsen-democrats-flounder", "As Oregon\u2019s Economic Conditions Worsen, Democrats Flounder", "2025-12-08", "2025", "2025-12", "Republican", "House", "OR", "Cliff Bentz", "B000668", "bentz.house.gov", "bentz", "https://bentz.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C.\u2013 State Representatives Lieber and Sanchez, both of whom represent parts of Portland, wrote earlier this week in the Oregonian newspaper that it's \u201cTrump\u2019s cuts\u201d (in the One Big Beautiful Bill) that are creating a \u201cbillion dollar problem for Oregon with no easy solutions\u201d.\n\nIn the same piece, they assert the importance of \u201cgrowing private sector jobs (to) stimulate our broader economy and provide good wages to hardworking Oregonians\u201d.\n\nWhat they intentionally fail to mention is that the Big Beautiful Bill, which every Democrat in Oregon's federal delegation voted against, protected Oregonians from a 20% federal tax increase which would have been effective just a few weeks from now. If the Democrats had had their way, this 20% tax increase would have been allowed to happen, small business would have been devastated, millions of jobs would have been lost and a recession may have occurred. Yet, not a peep about this in Lieber and Sanchez\u2019s editorial. Instead, they say, with a straight face, that the Big Beautiful Bill is horrible, and that it\u2019s actually Democrats who want to grow jobs and Oregon\u2019s economy.\n\nIt\u2019s bad enough that these two don\u2019t support the tax reductions for business and individuals in the Big Bill, but they then confound the reader by saying it\u2019s their intent to \u201cstimulate the broader economy and grow jobs\u201d. Just how is it that they are going to do this when they plan to raise your taxes and leave untouched the tangled mess of complicated, confusing, expensive, anti-business laws they have imposed upon Oregon\u2019s businesses?\n\nHaving ignored their complicity in creating economic stagnation, they go on to unabashedly assert that the reduction in federal funds flowing to Oregon will \u201champer economic activity and risk business closures at a time when we can least afford it\u201d. This statement, read in conjunction with their opposition to the tax cuts in the Big Bill, is that Oregonian\u2019s taxes should be higher and the federal government should send Oregonian\u2019s tax money back in the form of government spending, substituting government judgment in how money is spent for individual judgment. Their statements broadcast Democrat\u2019s belief that money should be taken from taxpayers and then used in ways politicians think best, often to hire indiscriminately at salaries totally disconnected from private sector rates for progressive purposes. But economics 101 teaches us that the federal and state governments are not jobs programs. Jobs that last and actually create value emerge from the private sector where employers are subject to the forces of competition, risk, profit, loss, and modest government intrusion.\n\nOregonians should call, text, or write Lieber and Sanchez, and tell them that they should reduce spending, reduce taxes, and repeal those laws which impose more paperwork, higher labor costs, and increased litigation risk on Oregon\u2019s business. Bringing Oregon Back will begin when those in power actually acknowledge that it\u2019s their laws and policies driving businesses out of Oregon. Your calls and texts to them carrying this message will help save our wonderful state.", 1, "2026-04-04T05:28:40Z", "2026-04-04T05:30:10Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://bentz.house.gov/media/press-releases/as-oregon-s-economic-conditions-worsen-democrats-flounder"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.6049668192863464, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}