Wyden and Merkley choose town hall over State of the Union speech
WASHINGTON, D.C. (KTVZ) -- U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley announced they will not attend the State of the Union speech on Tuesday, February 24th. Instead, the Oregon Democrats will co-host a live online town hall that day to answer questions directly from constituents.
The virtual event, held in partnership with People's Town Hall, is intended to provide Oregonians with an opportunity to share ideas and viewpoints. Both senators stated they are choosing to boycott the presidential address to focus on direct dialogue with their residents.
Sen. Wyden criticized the president's conduct and legal record as reasons for his absence from the Capitol. "Sitting through Donald Trump's unhinged ramblings about his unconstitutional schemes does nothing to help Oregonians justifiably concerned about his attacks on the economy and the law as well as his desperate diversions from the Epstein investigation," Wyden said. "Rather than hearing a so-called State of the Union from a self-absorbed liar, I'll hear the truth from my fellow Oregonians in the best state of the union."
Sen. Merkley described the administration's impact on the economy and health care as a factor in his decision to skip the speech. "After a year in office, Trump has made America poorer and sicker," Merkley said. He accused the president of favoring the "rich and powerful" over working people. "Trump is putting up red tape for families and rolling out the red carpet for billionaires," Merkley said. "Every day of the week, I'll choose to boycott the wannabe dictator and connect with Oregonians."
The event is being organized by People's Town Hall, a series created by the founders of the Town Hall Project. Nathan Williams of People's Town Hall emphasized the importance of representative engagement. "Direct dialogue with our leaders is a cornerstone of our democracy and it's never been more important for our elected representatives to listen to the people they work for: their constituents," Williams said. He added that the organization is proud to host the conversation between the senators and Oregon residents.
Both Wyden and Merkley have a history of frequent constituent engagement within their home state. Each senator currently holds a town hall meeting in every one of Oregon's 36 counties on an annual basis.
The online town hall will begin at 2:30 p.m. PT (3:30 p.m. MT) on Tuesday, February 24th. The event will be broadcasted live on YouTube and Oregonians have the option to submit questions in advance. Click here to RSVP.
