Andrea Salinas on running for District 6, top issues, what’s going right

KOIN 6 News contacted candidates who are running for Oregon’s Sixth Congressional District in 2024, asking them to respond to these four questions:

• Why are you running for office?

• What is your prior government/civic experience?

• In your opinion, what are the top three issues facing the Fifth District and the state of Oregon?

• In your opinion, what is going right in the Fifth District and Oregon? How do you plan to build on it?

Andrea Salinas is running as a Democrat. Here are her responses:

Why are you running for office?

The people of Oregon’s 6th congressional district are working hard to make ends meet. Many
work more than one job and can’t seem to get ahead. They deserve a Representative who
understands the struggles they are facing. Cost of living has increased, health care isn’t
affordable or accessible, people don’t feel safe in their communities, and our fundamental rights
are under attack.

I am running for Congress because I believe in the American dream, that change can happen in
a single generation—but we have to work for it. Too many families have abandoned the idea
that if you work hard, you can create opportunities and achieve a good life for you and your
children.

I am running for my second term in Congress because my 19-year-old daughter, Amelia, and
her generation deserve better. I’ve dedicated my adult life to building a better future for all
Oregonians—no matter your race, faith, ethnicity, zip code, gender identity or sexual orientation.
I want the opportunity to continue to deliver for the people of this district, to level the playing field and give families the tools and freedoms they need to overcome the challenges of today and create the change for a better future.

What is your prior government/civic experience?

Before my swearing-in to Congress in 2023, I served for several years in Oregon’s State
Legislature, including as Majority Whip and Chair of the House Health Care Committee. I
delivered major policy wins that addressed the high prices of prescription drugs and offered paid family and medical leave to Oregon workers. Prior to that, I worked as an advocate for labor
unions, environmental groups, and reproductive rights organizations here in Oregon to protect
reproductive freedom, workplace fairness, and clean water and air. I was also staffed to three
members of Congress, including former Congresswoman Darlene Hooley.

Not many Members have served as staffers themselves. I know what happens behind the
scenes and how to move legislation. My work as a state representative, advocate, and member
of Congress–in addition to living in this community and having raised a family here–allow me to
bring diverse stakeholders to the table, to listen and understand what Oregonians care about
and then turn those collective concerns and solutions into legislative action.

In your opinion, what are the top three issues facing the 6th District and the state of Oregon?

First and foremost, we are experiencing a continued increase in the cost of living here in
Oregon. The price of housing, health care, utilities, food, gas and other everyday necessities are
continuing to increase, despite signs that our economy as a whole is on the right track. Each
one of these cost issues requires a different approach. Some of the food price hikes range from
breakouts of the avian flu (bird flu), to a decrease in wheat production in Ukraine, to
consolidation of grocery stores.

We need to increase oversight and hold corporations accountable for price gouging. It is
unacceptable that some companies continue to make record profits while working families
suffer. We also need to build on the progress Democrats made with the Inflation Reduction Act
and Bipartisan Infrastructure Law—but unfortunately, the current Republican majority has shown
no interest in doing that. In the meantime, I’m staying focused and working to pass legislation
that will help rein in costs. That includes passing a robust Farm Bill that will streamline our food
supply chain and lower prices at the grocery store, and investing in affordable clean energy to
help bring down household utility bills.

The mental health and addiction crisis—including the rise of fentanyl—is another pressing issue
that affects families, workforce, school attendance and our homelessness problem. As
Co-Chair of the bipartisan Mental Health Caucus, I’ve made this a top priority and have
introduced several bipartisan bills that would reduce the stigma around seeking care and
expand access to mental health providers and treatment. At the same time, I voted with
Republicans and Democrats to pass the HALT Fentanyl Act, and I support the Smart Border
Protection Act—two bills that will prevent fentanyl and other dangerous drugs from entering our
communities in the first place.

Lastly, we need to address the homelessness and housing affordability crisis in our state. We
simply don’t have enough affordable homes and people are finding it harder and harder to raise
a family in Oregon. That is why I support legislation to increase our housing stock, including the
recent bipartisan tax deal, which includes the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit, passed in the
House which would help build 200,000 new, affordable homes over the next few years. I’m
pushing for bills to create more manufactured housing. I also recently delivered federal funding
to help connect unhoused individuals with resources and get more folks off the streets and into
stable housing.

In your opinion, what is going right in the 6th District and Oregon? How do you plan to build on it?

The Sixth District is home to several key sectors that are critical to Oregon’s economy, especially our thriving agriculture, semiconductor, and supply chain manufacturing sectors. That is why I am so proud to serve on both the House Science, Space, and Technology and Agriculture Committees.

We made historic investments in semiconductor manufacturing under the CHIPS and Science
Act, and I have been working hard to ensure Oregon reaps the benefits of this transformative
law. I was proud that our region was designated a tech hub under this law, bringing in millions of dollars in federal funding and creating thousands of new, good-paying jobs in chip
manufacturing here at home. I also got a bipartisan bill passed unanimously out of Committee
that would expand investments in quantum research and development and create pathways for
students to find careers in the field, building our quantum workforce for the future. I will keep
working to make sure we cement Oregon’s position at the forefront of scientific innovation for
decades to come.

As we continue to craft a new Farm Bill, I am fighting to ensure Oregonians have a voice this
time around. I’m advocating for reforms to our crop insurance system to benefit small and
specialty crop farmers, increased investments in wildfire prevention and soil health, disaster
relief for farm workers, and other key priorities that are based on my many conversations and
roundtables with folks across the Sixth District. We also must ensure that our nutrition programs
continue to serve our food-insecure seniors, veterans, and children. We need a truly bipartisan
bill, and I will continue to reach across the aisle to get this legislation across the finish line and
finally level the playing field for Oregon’s rural communities

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KOIN.com.