WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Representative Val Hoyle (OR-04) delivered testimony in front of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Financial Services and General Government. She pressed them to take action under their authority to use Congress’ power of the purse and hold the Executive Branch accountable for holding back Congressionally appropriated funds.
Representative Hoyle detailed how the impacts of the sudden federal funding cuts in Oregon and across the country are impacting communities, including reduced staffing at Veterans hospitals, weakened ability to prepare for and mitigate wildfires, and stalled infrastructure projects.
“My constituents and the American people deserve to know why promised federal funding isn’t reaching them and why their neighbors are being indiscriminately fired. If the administration continues to ignore Congress’ will, then its budget should reflect that,” said Rep. Hoyle. “No person – Democrat or Republican – should have unchecked power that allows them to circumvent our entire system of civil service protections.”
Representative Hoyle also encouraged the subcommittee to increase funding for the Merit Systems Protection Board, Office of Special Counsel, and Federal Labor Relations Authority to handle wrongful termination requests and protect workers from politically motivated attacks.
Her in-person testimony can be watched here, and her full written testimony to the subcommittee can be found here.
Background
The House Appropriations Subcommittee on Financial Services and General Government is responsible for overseeing the Department of the Treasury (except International Affairs Technical Assistance, the Executive Office of the President (except National Space Council, Office of Science and Technology Policy, Office of the United States Trade Representative, and Council on Environmental Quality and Office of Environmental Quality), the Federal Labor Relations Authority , the Judiciary, the Office of Government Ethics, the Office of Personnel Management and Related Trust Funds, and the Office of Special Counsel, among others.
George Custer lives in Oakridge with his wife Sayre. George is a former smokejumper from his hometown of Cave Junction, a former captain in the U.S. Marine Corps. and ran a construction company in Southern California. George assumed the volunteer duties as the Editor of the Highway 58 Herald in 2022. He loves riding his Harley-Davidson motorcycle, building all things wood, and playing drums on the weekends in his office.
