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To contact me, please click here: Rep.HaiPham@oregonlegislature.gov
Dear Friends and Neighbors,
I hope summertime has been treating you well, and that you’re finding time to relax, rejuvenate, and beat the heat.
I’m personally enjoying some quality time with my family, while also catching up on everything waiting for me after the legislative session. Though I’m no longer attending committee hearings and voting on bills all day, most of our work as legislators continues through the interim periods. It’s an opportunity to regroup, build new foundations and plan for what’s ahead. As always, I appreciate your engagement as we look towards the work to come!
On Friday, August 29th, the Legislature will convene for a special session to consider the Governor’s transportation funding package. The transportation package will be a much-needed fix for the $354 million budget gap at the Oregon Department of Transportation and will help modernize our transportation funding streams.
The Joint Interim Committee on Transportation Funding is scheduled to hold a public hearing on Monday, August 25th at 3 pm in Hearing Room F at the Oregon State Capitol. This will be an opportunity for you to voice or write your thoughts on the proposal. You can submit testimony or sign up to testify in-person or online here.
The transportation proposal is intended to address ODOT’s budget shortfall and prevent layoffs for nearly 500 operations staff and closure of 12 maintenance facilities across the state. These are essential crew and staff who clear brush to prevent wildfires, plow snow in the winter and respond to accidents on local roads and highways. They keep our roads safe, prevent accidents and save lives year-round.
A view of Mount Hood from the Tualatin Valley Highway. Photo courtesy of Metro.
In our district, the Tualatin Valley Highway has been named as one of the most dangerous corridors in the region for traffic crashes, especially for people walking, including those accessing transit. Metro reported that there were 21 fatalities on TV Hwy between 2017 and 2021, with 52% of those fatalities were people walking. About 29% of TV Hwy lacks sidewalks and about 32% of bike lanes are missing or substandard along the highway.
TV Hwy is a vital corridor that connects Forest Grove, Hillsboro, Aloha, and Beaverton. Roads like TV Hwy are key to getting families to the grocery store, school, doctors appointments, and it’s important to make roads safe for everyone.
I do want to thank everyone who has reached out to my office with both thoughtful feedback and concerns about the package. I believe that the transportation package will modernize our current structure and ensure everyone is paying their fair share into the system, like electric vehicles that are less reliant on gas and do not pay into the gas tax. As someone who strongly believes in fiscal responsibility, I am committed to ensuring that specific accountability measures like stricter oversight, audits, and strengthened reporting requirements are included in the package to make sure the agency is responsibly serving our state.
Representatives Pham and Chaichi and Senator Campos at their end of session town hall in Beaverton.
I was grateful to gather with Representative Farrah Chaichi (HD 35) and Senator Wlnsvey Campos (SD 18) for our Joint End of Session Town Hall last week!
We sat down to debrief the 2025 legislative session together and answer questions from the 70+ community members that joined us. We had a robust and fruitful discussion — common themes included transportation, local investments, and more.
Thank you to the Beaverton Library for hosting, and again to everyone who joined us. Stay tuned for the next opportunity to connect!
Over the 4th of July weekend, Congress passed the “Big Beautiful Bill”. In early analysis by a nonpartisan office of the bill, we expect over 100 provisions specific to taxes to impact Oregon in the near future. Another analysis by the Department of Administrative Services expects that Oregon could potentially lose up to $15 billion in federal funding from a range of programs like health insurance, food assistance and more.
Here’s a sampling of what the bill does in Oregon:
- Cuts and restricts Medicaid funding, putting health coverage at risk for many Oregonians. One in three Oregonians is enrolled in the Oregon Health Plan (our version of Medicaid). This includes over 50% of our children and disproportionately impacts our rural communities.
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Adds work requirements for Oregonians who rely on OHP and requires that they re-enroll every two years. This will add a significant administrative burden for both the state and for working Oregonians.
- Makes unprecedented cuts to SNAP, including benefits specific to immigrants and lower-income Americans. Nearly one in five Oregonians rely on food assistance, which is above the national average. SNAP also benefits many of our local grocers, who will have a much harder time without the funding.
- Increases interest rates and tightens borrowing caps on student loans. Also significantly reduces availability of Pell Grant and other need-based financial aid, which will harm our low-income and first-generation students.
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Eliminates numerous climate-centric initiatives, such as tax credits for electric vehicles and energy efficient home systems, as well as the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund.
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Anticipated cuts to state agencies over the next three bienniums (in millions).
You can read more about the analysis and reporting by OPB here: Trump’s ‘Big Beautiful Bill’ will slash $15 billion in federal money to Oregon, Kotek says. If you would like to learn more about HR 1, you can listen to last week’s OPB's Politics Now episode as they dive deep into the impacts of the bill.
At a time when many Americans are already struggling to make ends meet, these cuts will only make these burdens harder to bear. In Oregon, we’ve anticipated some of these harms and intervened where we can: for instance, protecting essential OHP funding and fighting back against unconstitutional federal actions. It’s clear that we’ll have our work cut out for us, but trust that we’re committed to protecting the rights and resources we hold dear here in Oregon.
Now that the legislative session has adjourned, I have much more time to spend in and around our community. Summer is always a great time for events, tours, new connections, and much more. I’ll hope to see more of you around!
Housing Bill Signing Ceremony in Hillsboro
Governor Kotek signs new housing bills into law at a community ceremony. Photo courtesy of Oregon Capital Chronicle.
Governor Kotek recently hosted a bill signing ceremony for five new laws addressing Oregon’s affordable housing shortage. I was honored to join her in celebrating the occasion alongside my colleagues Sen. Campos, Sen. Pham and Rep. Marsh, as well as many other community leaders.
This ceremony was particularly special to me and our district, as it was located at Century Commons in South Hillsboro. This is one of many affordable housing sites that will help make sustainable housing a reality for more Oregonians, and it’s a great example of what these new bills are aiming to achieve. Thank you to Governor Kotek and everyone who joined us!
In the Clinic
Rep. Pham in the operating room with Dr. Edward Pham (AKA Lil’ Bro).
If you didn’t know, I have been a pediatric dentist since long before my time in the legislature! These days my time in the clinic is limited, but I’m here whenever my schedule in Salem allows.
I’m back to work as of this month, busy serving our kids and keeping their smiles healthy. That being said, my office is still available as a resource for you, so don’t let that discourage you from reaching out!
Hillsboro Art Walks
Every first Tuesday, the city of Hillsboro hosts an art walk through Hillsboro’s cultural arts district downtown. Artists collaborate with local businesses to create accessible exhibits around town. You can explore at your own pace while watching live performances, looking at works by local artists, and more.
The next art walk is on September 2nd, from 5-8 PM. Visit the City of Hillsboro’s website for a map of participating venues and more information.
Beaverton Celebration Parade
This year’s Beaverton Celebration Parade will be on Saturday, September 6th at 10 AM!
Join the city of Beaverton in celebrating all our community has to offer. This year’s parade theme, Wild Wonders, is highlighting all the amazing animals and plant life that make our world unique.
The parade will begin by Griffith Park on SW Griffith Dr. Visit the City of Beaverton’s event page for more specifics.
Summer EBT (Apply by September 3rd)
Summer EBT helps families cover food costs when school meals aren’t as easy to access. If your child didn’t automatically receive summer EBT in May, they may still qualify — especially if they’re in a Head Start program that participates in the National School Lunch or School Breakfast Programs.
Check your eligibility and apply at sebt.oregon.gov or call 833-673-6328. Don’t miss the chance to get this extra help before the school year begins.
While we’re still away from Salem, the work goes on. It’s already been a busy summer so far, and every day is another opportunity to learn, grow, and make change in our community.
I’m looking forward to the work to come and hope that you’ll continue staying engaged. As always, I’m honored to serve as your State Representative and am always available as a resource to you.
Please reach out and connect at any time. You can connect with my legislative work by following me on Facebook, Instagram, or email my office at Rep.HaiPham@oregonlegislature.gov.
Thanks for reading,
 Representative Hai Pham
House District 36
Capitol Phone: 503-986-1436
Capitol Address: 900 Court St. NE, H-282, Salem, Oregon 97301
Email: Rep.HaiPham@oregonlegislature.gov
Website: https://www.oregonlegislature.gov/phamh
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