The Trump Administration Declared War on Portland, Oregon

Floor Speech

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Mr. BLUMENAUER. Mr. Speaker, I come to the floor today with a heavy heart. I see Donald Trump's administration declaring war on my hometown of Portland, Oregon.

After failing the American people in the coronavirus, in the face of 6 months of not just weak leadership, but virtually no leadership at all, there are tens of thousands of people dying unnecessarily.

It is hard to focus on the unprecedented assault on our environmental protections that they have unleashed, but now they are declaring war on America's cities, sending in an occupying force drawn from Homeland Security, particularly the Customs and Border Protection patrol, ostensibly to protect monuments and statues.

What about protecting the American people and their constitutional right to protest?

Don't attack our people with tear gas without warning, seriously injuring people exercising their right to protest, things that people can see on video with their own eyes; watching the gentleman hit with a projectile, requiring serious surgery, inflicting facial injuries; a person just asking what was going on having officers assault him, breaking his hand.

They can't be that inept. It must be purposeful, taking a very challenging situation in my hometown and making it worse.

But make no mistake. This isn't just about Portland, Oregon.

We watched what they did in Lafayette Park across from the White House, again assaulting innocent protestors in order to have a photo op for the President of the United States.

There are indications that they are moving to Chicago, Atlanta, Kansas City, Seattle. Who is going to be next?

Talking about the challenges that have been taken in Philadelphia with a reforming district attorney, Larry Krasner, and somehow holding him up as an example of breakdown in law and order and an assault on the American public. It is just crazy.

Portland, Oregon is not out of control. To be sure, there are some people who have strong feelings, and there are some who have done things that are inappropriate and unlawful. But that is the challenge of our local and State officials to manage it; not having somebody unwelcome, uninvited, and unprepared coming in to take this difficult situation and make it worse.

I deeply appreciate the congressional leadership, chairmen of the Armed Services Committee, Adam Smith, the Judiciary Committee, Jerry Nadler, Bennie Thompson, Homeland Security, who have decried this activity.

It is important that we deal with Trump's weaponizing law enforcement for his own agenda, not driven by people's needs, but by his poll numbers, and becoming an occupying force in our community and, sadly, I fear, elsewhere.

We need to move forward dealing with what they are doing. We want to pursue legislative initiatives, spending limitations, oversight hearings. This needs to be front and center. At a time when we have so much to deal with, people cannot ignore what is happening in Portland and what may be coming to their city.

With the administration becoming more hysterical in their charges leading up to the election and falling poll numbers, there is no community that is safe from this interference. We must do all we can to not just spotlight but push back.

Our democratic process and our constitutional rights are literally at risk, and you can see it in terms of what has been happening in Portland, Oregon.

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