PORTLAND, OR – Each year, Oregon’s U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley holds a town hall in every one of Oregon’s 36 counties. During the annual events, Merkley hears directly from Oregonians about the challenges – large and small – that they face and about their ideas for moving Oregon and the country forward. Merkley has released a new video reflecting on over 600 town hall meetings titled, “On the Road: Town Halls with Senator Jeff Merkley.”
Watch Merkley’s reflections on over 600 town hall meetings HERE
“I hold town halls in each county in Oregon every year because it’s so important for someone who represents the state to actually listen to people in every corner of the state,” says Senator Merkley in the video. “At the town halls, you get a real sense of what’s on people’s minds. And it’s a real chance to understand what people are hearing, what they’re thinking.”
During the video, Merkley reflects on the importance of elected leaders standing in front of their constituents to hear directly from them. Merkley outlines the importance of the “Oregon Way,” respectfully listening to those you may disagree with to allow everyone to lay out their perspectives in an effective manner. During the interview, Merkley shares moments from over 600 town halls that have stuck with him and celebrates some of the 560 community-initiated projects he has secured, totaling over $845 million in federal investments coming back to Oregon.
Watch the full video of Merkley’s reflection on the importance of hosting town hall meetings and the “Oregon Way” by clicking here. A transcription of the video is available below.
“On the Road: Town Halls with Senator Jeff Merkley”
Transcription
SENATOR JEFF MERKLEY: The joy of being in the forest. The joy of finding out what’s around the next bend. When we used to drive up and down Oregon when I was small, I would say, “Hey, can we pull over at this place and hike up to the top of that mountain?”
And the joy that I didn’t anticipate in serving as a Senator and having this plan to go to town halls was that I would get to drive throughout the entire landscape of Oregon, 300 miles from north to south, 400 miles from east to west. And just keep seeing these incredible parts of the state.
I hold town halls in each county in Oregon every year because it’s so important for someone who represents the state to actually listen to people in every corner of the state. The issues are different in every part. At the town halls, you get a real sense of what’s on people’s minds. And it’s a real chance to understand what people are hearing, what they’re thinking. And of course, every year the issues change.
Very few House or Senate members hold town halls. And they view a town hall as a problem. I have a very different view. I think it’s incumbent on elected officials to directly hear from folks. Yes, we get phone calls. Yes, we get letters. But it’s so much more powerful to actually stand in front of a group and say, “What are you all thinking?” And give everybody a chance to make their point.
I note that very few town halls are held across the country because we have become so divided. But then we’ve made it work in Oregon because we have the Oregon Way…
MERKLEY (at town hall): “…which is if somebody’s speaking and you profoundly disagree with them, in fact they infuriate you, still, please be very respectful. Let them express their point of view. And when it’s your turn, we’ll do the same. And that way everyone can lay out their viewpoints in an effective manner.”
AUDIENCE MEMBER to Merkley: “And we are very concerned about…”
MERKLEY: And so, it’s such a rare event to be able to go to town halls in blue and red counties and say, “Everyone come and make their point and let’s hear what you’re thinking about.” And all kinds of powerful things come up.
I think about the 100-year-old woman who is still teaching swimming classes at Roseburg at the YMCA. I think about the folks who have suffered from the fires and people came and talked about running for their lives, not knowing if they could get out of the reach of the fire.
But sometimes the stories are a celebration. For years, I’ve been working to help across the state community-initiated projects where the community says: “This is our top priority. We desperately need childcare. We definitely have a top priority as a mental health unit.” And we’ve had over 400 projects delivered, scattered all throughout the state. So, it’s important to pause and remember those moments as well.
And I often end my town halls by saying, “With all the weight that we feel, and the comments you’ve all made today reflect a lot of challenges. There’s one thing that’s still true and we live in the best paradise to be found on the planet, and that’s something we can always celebrate. And we can always restore our soul by hitting the road.”
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