Rep. Dexter talks policy, politics with HR City Council

“At the national level, there’s distinct polarization that is really leading to disrupting our ability to center on the people and, for me, Oregonians and how we serve them,” she said. “I hope we can start at the local levels, building relationships that are bipartisan and, certainly, center on the people that we serve.”

During the presentation, she addressed the need to rebuild the Hood River-White Salmon Bridge, saying, “That’s a failure of policymakers … what you’re highlighting here is deferred maintenance and deferred priorities, and hopefully I can help with that.” She also touched on healthcare, specifically potential Medicaid cuts, and lack of affordable housing, praising the Mariposa Village project.

Constituents — Democrat and Republican — are encouraged to contact her office directly with concerns by visiting dexter.house.gov. Both of her caseworkers are bilingual and official Spanish interpreters.

“Whether it’s immigration or Social Security or veterans’ benefits, there’s a lot of things that our office can help with,” she said. “Folks don’t think to reach out to their congressional member for things, but if they need a passport, or if their H-2 visa is not coming through, or whatever it is, we really are there to help.”

It was also an opportunity for council members to ask questions and voice concerns regarding the federal government.

“Thank you for fighting for the 1.4 million Oregonians that are on the Oregon Health Plan,” said Board Chair Gladys Rivera, referencing cuts to Medicaid. “It doesn’t matter what you believe in or who you believe in, but that we should all have access to these resources.”

“In my district, 59% of children are covered by the Oregon Health Plan,” Dexter said. “The fact that we are considering limiting coverage for up to a third of those kids is disastrous for communities.”

Councilor Ben Mitchell asked if there were opportunities for bipartisanship behind the scenes as opposed to what is said on camera.

“That’s not been my experience in Washington, D.C. — certainly it is with my freshman colleagues and that is pretty typical, that new member orientation,” she said. “It’s not as integrated, party-wise, as I would have liked, but we definitely built some of that trust.

“And then, being a doctor, I have also communicated directly with some of the physicians on the Republican side,” she continued. “Healthcare should not be a partisan issue.”

Newly-elected Hood River County District Attorney (DA) Matthew Ellis also presented; a story will appear in an upcoming edition.