QuickTake:

During the event at South Eugene High School, U.S. Rep. Val Hoyle, D-Ore., talked about the need to stand up to the Trump administration and Republicans on immigration, vote-by-mail and other issues.

U.S. Rep. Val Hoyle doesn’t want her constituents to sit down and stay quiet in the face of injustice.

Hoyle, D-Ore., is part of a Republican-controlled Congress in a tumultuous and fractured political time. Democratic members of Congress, governors and attorneys general are resisting President Donald Trump’s policies on multiple fronts. Those battles — in the courts and Congress — are seemingly endless: They include immigration enforcement and cuts to Medicaid and food assistance. 

Hoyle represents Oregon’s 4th Congressional District, a sprawling area that includes Lane, Benton, Coos, Curry and Lincoln counties, as well as northern Douglas County. Its southern tip borders California and the district runs along more than 250 miles of Oregon coastline.

On Wednesday, Aug. 20, Hoyle appeared before about 400 people at South Eugene High School to answer questions and to talk about her work.

During the hour-long event, Hoyle tackled questions about immigration, the direction of the Democratic Party, voting by mail and other topics. She encouraged her constituents to speak up and share their stories, especially in the face of fear, misinformation and misperceptions about how actions in Washington impact everyday people.

For example, Hoyle said Trump’s push to put National Guard members in Washington, D.C., was “fear-mongering.”

“This is working to get those of us who want to speak out to stop talking, to sit down, to be afraid,” Hoyle said. “And this may be the most dangerous time to speak up, but this is the only time to speak up, because there’s more of us than there are of them, and they want to create fear. This is about creating fear, and it’s scary, but that doesn’t mean we sit down.”

Voting by mail

In response to a question, Hoyle also criticized Trump’s recent announcement that he’s planning to put an end to voting by mail. Oregon was the first state to hold elections exclusively by mail and has done so for 25 years. State law, not federal mandates, determines elections, Hoyle said.

“He can’t do that because the states are in charge of time, place and manner of how we conduct our elections,” Hoyle said. “But what they have done a masterful job of is undermining the faith in our election system.”

Oregonians throughout all parts of her district like the vote-by-mail system, Hoyle said.

“They don’t want to stand in line in November in the rain,” she said.

Hoyle said she’s working on a visit to the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement center in her district to observe immigration hearings.

If the federal agency resists those efforts, Hoyle said she plans to join the lawsuit that other members of Congress have filed when the agency blocked their efforts to visit detention centers.

In response to a question about what the Democratic lawmakers will do to hold people accountable, Hoyle said it’s necessary to regain control of the House in the 2026 elections. 

A shift in House leadership would mean a change of the current GOP leadership for committees, including U.S. Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, the chair of the House Judiciary Committee. For Hoyle, that would be an improvement.

“Right now, trusting Jim Jordan to do anything but kiss Donald Trump’s ass is asking for too much,” Hoyle said. “It is stunning to watch Republicans who absolutely have no backbone, who ran on upholding the Constitution, that will not say ‘boo,’ because they’re afraid. They’re afraid to lose their next election.”

Protesters for Palestinians

At several points, protesters interrupted Hoyle and other speakers, demanding that she call the Gaza war between Israel and Hamas a “genocide.”

The war started after Palestinian Hamas-affiliated fighters attacked Israel Oct. 7, 2023. Hamas has been designated as a terrorist organization by the U.S. Department of State since 1997. But thousands of civilian casualties in the Gaza Strip and the lack of aid in the region have sparked criticism of Israel’s response. 

“Say the word,” several cried out at different points, interrupting others who had their number drawn so they could stand and ask Hoyle questions.

One of them asked Hoyle about the war. Hoyle, while not using the word “genocide” in her remarks, said she’s opposed actions during the conflict that have hurt Palestinian people. 

“I do believe what’s happening is ethnic cleansing,” Hoyle said. “I’ve said that on the floor of the House, I’ve talked about the starvation. We’ve signed letters. We’ve called them out.” 

Those answers left some in the audience unsatisfied. One of them was Jason Sydes of Eugene, who stood up, calling for Hoyle to “say the word.”

Another audience member who had been called upon to ask a question implored him to sit down. Hoyle was determined not to let Sydes take over.

“I will not respond to someone screaming at me,” Hoyle said. “I don’t give in to bullies.”

In a brief interview with Lookout Eugene-Springfield, Sydes said Hoyle said a lot of good things that he appreciates.

“However, it’s imperative that we all call it what it is, which is a genocide,” he said. “And she’s unwilling, obviously, to call it a genocide. It’s so easy to do. It’s like three syllables: genocide.”

Ben Botkin covers politics and policy in Lane County. He has worked as a journalist since 2003, most recently at the Oregon Capital Chronicle, where he covered justice, health and human services and documented regional efforts to combat fentanyl addiction. Botkin has worked in statehouses in Idaho, Nevada, Oklahoma and, of course, Oregon. When he's not working, you'll find him road tripping across the West, hiking or surfing along the Oregon Coast.