Val Hoyle

Replacing: Peter DeFazio (D)[i]

WORK HISTORY: Oregon Bureau of Labor & Industries (Commissioner); University of Oregon (Policy Fellow); Oregon House of Representatives (State Representative, District 14 / Majority Leader); United Way of Lane County (Director); Burley Designs (Sales & Marketing); Cane Creek (Sales & Marketing); Office of Oregon State Senator Floyd Prozanski (Legislative Aide / Policy Analyst)[ii] [iii] [iv]

Education: BA, Emmanuel College[v]

Campaigned On: Reproductive Health; Climate & Environment; Inflation & Cost of Living; Housing & Homelessness; Working Families; Health Care; Education; Voting Rights; Supporting Small Businesses[vi]

On the Issues

REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS:

Hoyle has said “reproductive freedoms and access to abortion are at risk” following the decision to overturn Roe v. Wade. In Congress, she will vote to protect abortion rights and resist any attempt to “criminalize and limit a woman’s right to bodily autonomy.” Hoyle will also advocate for equal access to comprehensive sex education, abortion, and birth control.[vii]

ECONOMY, JOBS & TAXES:

Hoyle supports increasing the federal minimum wage to $15 an hour, eliminating the tipped minimum wage, and passing a comprehensive paid family and medical leave plan. She has also called for greater investment in workforce training and apprenticeship programs.[viii] Hoyle is committed to fighting inflation and addressing supply chain issues.[ix]

HEALTHCARE & SOCIAL SAFETY NET:

Hoyle supports passing a universal healthcare plan to ensure every American has access to affordable, quality care. Her healthcare priorities include allowing Medicaid and Medicare to negotiate with drug companies on prescription costs, lowering deductibles, and protecting the integrity of Medicare and Social Security.[x]                                                                                                                                                              

IMMIGRATION & BORDER SECURITY:

Hoyle has frequently criticized former President Trump’s immigration policies, including the border wall and the ban on Muslims entering the US.[xi] [xii] [xiii] In 2018, she wrote an op-ed calling on Oregon voters to reject Measure 105, often referred to as Oregon’s “sanctuary law,” which sought to repeal a 1987 bill that prohibited racial profiling.[xiv] [xv]

CRIME & PUBLIC SAFETY:

Following the murder of George Floyd, Hoyle encouraged protesters to demonstrate peacefully, asserting that order “must be restored and dignity given back to those who stand for justice.”[xvi]

GOVERNMENT INSTITUTIONS & ELECTION SECURITY:

Hoyle argues that “increased attacks on voting rights have surged across the country, undermining access to the ballot and the fundamental protections of the Voting Rights Act.” While serving in the Oregon House of Representatives, she helped lead the effort to pass the state’s automatic voter registration law to expand ballot access. In Congress, she will fight to pass the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act and the For the People Act.[xvii]

EDUCATION:

Hoyle supports canceling student debt, reforming the student loan industry, and instituting universal pre-K. In Congress, she will work to expand federal investment in public education at all levels, including funding to support free community college for all and continuing to fund Title I.[xviii] [xix]

CLIMATE CHANGE, ENERGY & ENVIRONMENT:

Hoyle has called climate change and environmental degradation an “immediate emergency.” While serving in the Oregon State House of Representatives, Hoyle helped expand the state’s Clean Fuels program to reduce carbon emissions, worked to move Oregon off coal power, and increased renewable energy standards for utilities. Her plan to address the climate crisis includes moving the US to a 100% clean electricity standard, implementing a “just transition” to renewable energy, and prohibiting new fossil fuel leasing on our federal public lands, among other initiatives.[xx]

BIG TECH & DATA PRIVACY:

Hoyle has advocated for holding social media companies accountable for their role in the spread of disinformation.[xxi] GUN SAFETY: Hoyle supports the Second Amendment and her district’s hunting and fishing traditions. However, in 2015, she was a chief sponsor of a gun safety bill requiring background checks on all firearm sales in Oregon.[xxii] She is endorsed by Moms Demand Action and has received an “F” rating fro