Rep. Janelle Bynum reflects on the legislative year and looks ahead to health care fight
BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) — After a busy year of bills, debates and votes in Washington, Representative Janelle Bynum is back home in Oregon for the holidays, and reflecting on what she calls some of her biggest wins for the state.
Bynum, who represents parts of Central Oregon, said she’s especially proud of the progress made on wildfire legislation and funding. “For Central Oregon, we’ve been pushing really hard on the wildfire bills,” she said, noting that her office has led efforts on three wildfire-related measures, “including making sure we have adequate staffing for our firemen.”
A bill she recently introduced addresses the growing problem of personal drone use during severe wildfires. In Oregon, and across the country, there have been several instances of this happening, including during Central Oregon's Flat Fire this summer, which delayed response efforts on the blaze that burned more than 23,000 acres and destroyed five homes and other structures near Sisters.
The bill would require the Federal Aviation Administration to conduct a study on the impact of drone incursions on wildfire suppression and explore available techniques to address unauthorized drone activity.
She said those achievements, along with bringing home tens of millions of dollars in federal funding, capped what she considers a productive year for her district. Bynum added that her team has worked hard to stay engaged with the community, holding 21 town halls and participating in more than 400 district events. “We had over $160 million in funding we got for the district, and we’ve returned over $800,000 to Oregonians through our casework,” she said. “So some really big wins.”
Looking to 2026: health care subsidies a top priority
As Congress looks ahead to the upcoming 2026 legislative session, Bynum said one of her top priorities will be restoring health care subsidies for Oregonians. Earlier this month, Congress passed a temporary funding bill that eliminated federal support for those using insurance through the Affordable Care Act, commonly known as Obamacare.
Republicans have argued that allowing enhanced Affordable Care Act subsidies to expire is part of a broader effort to reshape health care policy and reduce what they view as excessive federal spending on insurance companies. President Donald Trump says “the current unaffordable care act was created to make insurance companies rich” and insists “it is not the Republicans’ fault, it’s the Democrats’ fault.”
House GOP leaders have promoted their health agenda as a way to lower costs by expanding association health plans and giving small businesses and self‑employed workers more flexibility to band together to buy coverage, rather than continuing the pandemic‑era subsidy boosts.
The cut in subsidies means roughly 140,000 Oregonians will likely see their premiums spike, while about 35,000 could lose their coverage altogether, according to the Oregon Health Authority. The agency estimates affected individuals could pay between $127 and $456 more each month, depending on income level.
Bynum said the impact on families will be deeply felt. “What people have said is that they’re going to make choices,” she explained. “They’re going to make financial choices. And if the rates are too high, they’re going to go without. And I don’t think we want to go back in time.”
The congresswoman also discussed how the changes could impact rural residents and communities across Oregon. She said the expected rise in the number of uninsured people could ultimately cost the health care system more than continuing to subsidize their plans.
“When we lose people who have insurance, they go into the uninsured insurance pool,” Bynum said. “We have to spend extra dollars to care for them. They will put off health care, and then you will have doctors that don't have a robust enough practice that they can afford to stay open."
She added that hospitals would face similar challenges, “They will be forced to cover care that's uncompensated. They will lose beds, they will lose doctors and they will close facilities. It’s a simple math problem.”
Back home for the holidays
Until the next session begins, Bynum said she’s focusing on taking a break with friends and family. That includes a beloved family tradition she calls “the Bynum talent showcase — or, like, un-talent showcase,” she joked. “We’ll be doing dances, and my husband tells jokes and he’s the emcee. It’s always a fun time.”
KTVZ News has planned a sit-down, in-studio interview with Congressman Cliff Bentz next week.
