When Oregon Rep. Val Hoyle addressed a crowd of about 200 people at Springfield High School on March 19, she asked, “How many people think the government is working really well right now?” 

Just two hands went up.

The stark discontent with the current state of affairs comes as the Trump administration fails to meet promises made before the election and cuts federal programs in the name of efficiency. Medicare, Social Security and the Department of Education are the most recent on the ongoing list of federal administrations that have had contracts eliminated and funding rescinded. Oregonians and others nationwide are beginning to ask their Democratic officials, “What’s the plan?” 

Hoyle hosted the town hall along with End Citizens United President Tiffany Muller and Springfield Mayor Sean VanGordon in the wake of growing constituent concern about efforts from the Trump administration and how they’ll affect Oregon. Hoyle’s event is one of many held by Oregon’s congressional delegation in recent months that have sparked high attendance. 

Throughout the evening, Hoyle answered questions from the audience about her presence in Congress and outlined how she will continue to oppose decisions from the top, namely President Trump and Elon Musk. Answering inquiries from Springfield High School students and other visitors, she touched on trans rights, immigration, layoffs of federal employees and more. KVAL streamed the entire town hall, which can be viewed on its YouTube channel.

“How are we going to stop them?” one participant asked, mirroring sentiments shared by attendees at recent town halls hosted by Sen. Jeff Merkley and Rep. Suzanne Bonamici in Rockaway Beach and Sen. Ron Wyden and Rep. Janelle Bynum in Oregon City.

“This is different than anything we’ve been through in the history of this country. What I do is I show up and speak up,” Hoyle said in response. She encouraged those who have been personally affected by decisions from Trump and Elon Musk to stay engaged, and to continue to have hard conversations with those with differing viewpoints. “Take care of yourself, it’s going to be a long haul,” she said. 

Hoyle acknowledged that “if we’re going to stand by our values and protect those people who are most vulnerable, that may mean that it’s going to get rough for a while” when responding to a question from a community college reporter about ensuring support for public education amid concerns about funding cuts to the Department of Education.  

“We know that the Trump administration is weaponizing federal aid,” Hoyle said. “Community colleges are one of the best investments in higher education, jobs and workforce training that we can make. So we will make that argument.” 

As more individuals witness the cuts made to national agencies through layoffs and the removal of benefits, there’s been a growing demand for Democrats to take action. Hoyle’s town hall took place as that demand for action has been reflected in the party’s approval ratings. 

Recent polls from NBC News and CNN have found favorability ratings for Democrats at record lows, around 27 percent to 29 percent. That same NBC News survey found that Trump and Musk had increased approval ratings in March from November 2024.

On Friday, March 14, the Senate passed a continuing resolution to fund the federal government through September, the end of this fiscal year. Democrats opposed the bill, critical of its vagueness — that it wasn’t specific enough about how the GOP would achieve the $13 billion in cuts outlined in the bill, potentially undermining spending already approved by Congress. 

The resolution passed to the surprise of some Democrats, with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer voting yes to avert a government shutdown that would have been eminent with funding expiring that night. 

Hoyle voted against the spending bill but affirms that despite differences in her party, she’ll continue to work across party lines, advocating for the same issues she campaigned on. “My colleagues, including a number of Democratic senators, handed over Congress’s power of the purse,” she said. “What I’m doing is making sure I’m talking to people and communicating about what’s actually happening.”

When asked about the internal division within the Democratic party, End Citizens United President Muller said the focus has to be on what the party has seen work in the past. “That is calling out the culture of corruption and cronyism that is happening on unprecedented levels every single day,” she said. End Citizens United is a democratic political action committee focused on campaign finance reform. 

Muller said she hopes that calling out harm can be a unifying message for Democrats, who seem to be grasping at straws to identify the next best step forward. 

Hoyle’s frustrations with Trump and Musk aren’t new, as she left the House’s DOGE Caucus in early February. Her participation in the caucus, similar to other Democratic representatives on DOGE subcommittees, was rooted in serving to protect working people and Americans’ earned benefits. However, it’s become “impossible” for Hoyle and other Democrats to do that work with Musk set on “burning down the government — and the law — to line his own pockets and rip off Americans across the country who depend on government services to live with dignity,” she said in a statement. 

Hoyle acknowledged that it’s easy to check out when things become overwhelming and polarizing. “Stay engaged, but don’t get dragged into the outrage. We have to go out and talk to each other again. That is critical and important,” she said.

She also encourages those affected by acts from the Department of Government Efficiency, Musk’s DOGE, whether terminated from a position or concerned about benefits such as Social Security and Medicaid, to reach out to her office. “That allows me to be effective in Congress in having something to fight back with,” Hoyle said. 

Hoyle plans to host another series of town halls in April, according to her chief of staff, Karmen Fore. The events will primarily focus on addressing concerns about social security and other concerns about impacts on Oregonians under the Trump administration. 
Upcoming town halls can be viewed on the website for the Democratic Party of Oregon, dpo.org/townhalls