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MICHAEL DUNNE: I'm Michael Dunne. If one had a dime for every shocking and Norm destroying headline coming out of the Trump administration this year, well, you'd probably be rich from pardoning the January 6 insurrectionist to deposing the leader of Venezuela to threatening to invade Greenland, to seemingly green lighting maximum violence for ice and other parts of the federal government, it's been, shall we say, a lot today on the show United States Representative Val Hoyle joins us to express her concern and outrage over what's happening in our state and the rest of the nation. Then we'll talk with a city of Eugene employee about how the Trump Department of Justice is investigating a local swim program, apparently because of one conservative outlet social media post. United States Representative Val Hoyle always great to talk to you. Thanks so much for carving out some time for us.
REP. VAL HOYLE: Of course. Thank you so much.
MICHAEL DUNNE: You know, before we even get into some specifics, I just wanted to ask you, when you were a freshman, could you imagine at that time, sort of the amount of chaos that we see coming out of the executive branch?
REP. VAL HOYLE: No, I couldn't, however, I was deeply concerned, especially going into the last election, because this is exactly what Steve Bannon said they were going to do. This is exactly what the Heritage Foundation and people that are now running the Trump administration put out in Project 2025 you know, when people show you who they are, believe them? And it literally was written down, yeah, yeah, people didn't believe it, right? It's hard to imagine, because we've always been able to rely on the rule of law. And now, according to Steve Miller, the rule of law is only applicable when the courts agree with this administration. And now it's we. In his quote, we live in a world, in the real world, that's governed by strength, that's governed by force, and that's governed by power, and those are the iron laws. So, you know, we always thought that the rule of law would prevail, but now we're living in the upside down, and the key thing is for us as communities, as civilians, as Democrats, as Republicans, as you know, wherever you are on the political spectrum, to not allow the it not allow what is happening to become the new norm. We have a constitution, and everyone should demand that we follow the Constitution, and that is not what this administration wants to do when it's inconvenient for them.
MICHAEL DUNNE: I know you've been very vocal about this and even just the other day, you put out a statement about what happened in Portland. So, I wanted to you know the microphone is yours. Talk about your statement and your feelings about the shootings that occurred in Portland by DHS, just days ago.
REP. VAL HOYLE: So, I think, you know, my statement initially was, you know, because my son is a paramedic in Portland, and, you know, it's, it's not an easy job. And so, of course, I I'm concerned with what we had seen in Minnesota, which by any estimation, was a use of force that was, you know, they murdered a woman. And I've spoken with police officers, I've spoken with people that have represented police officers, who said, I have never seen such a clear case of an excessive use of force, right? So we had that happen in minutes in Minneapolis, and then we had two people shot the next day in in Portland. Now taking a step back, I was very clear, what we need is we need to find out what the facts are, and when, right after the Minneapolis shooting, Christine own came out and said the woman was a terrorist and what her officers did was right, is a problem, because people the community needs to have trust with law enforcement. Management, and we have ICE agents that are hired that do not have the same kind of training and background to deal with civilian populations that are you know, local and state law enforcement do, and we know that this administration will not hold any bad actors accountable. And in fact, it seems like they're ratcheting things up. Now in Portland, I don't know what the facts are. I know that our Attorney General, Dan Rayfield, is working with the local FBI and local law enforcement on finding out the facts, and that's what the American people deserve, not a partisan explanation of what happened, but rather, what were the facts in this in this case, and whether or not these people, because it is alleged that they were involved in other crimes, whether or not they were everyone in this country deserves the right to do process, and so we have to find out more facts about the case. But the bottom line is across the country, and we are seeing ice act in a way that is against the law, is against the practice of trained law enforcement and is really dangerous, and as we're coming up to the next election cycle, we cannot allow this to become the new norm where ICE agents are not held accountable for their actions when they when they've broken The Law, when they've murdered people.
MICHAEL DUNNE: To paraphrase Mayor Wilson of Portland, you believe he has something along the lines of, you know, in in an ideal world, we all should be able to trust federal law enforcement officials to do their job and do the right thing, but we don't live in that world. I wanted to get your feelings about that, because it certainly seems like a lot of members of the public and certainly in Minneapolis, where it seems like the FBI took evidence away from local authorities, I wanted to get your read on what's happening.
REP. VAL HOYLE: the ice agent left the scene of the crime. Like, left the scene with his car, which was part of the crime scene, right? That is, you know, fundamentally, Christine Noem, as soon as she opened her mouth, made it clear that that this administration has no intention of investigating what the facts are. And, you know, in order for a population to actually respect law enforcement and their actions, you have to have trust, and the two ways to do that is work to build trust in the community or by use of force, which, again, then you have a population that isn't going to trust that police force or necessarily follow or believe what they say. And this administration is effectively saying that they believe they don't have to go by the rule of law, that they will go by the rule of force, and we have to do everything possible to hold them accountable to the rule of law. And I will say, and I've spoken with a number of local law enforcement across the country, the provocative manner in which ice is acting is putting local and state law enforcement in danger and also inciting, you know, inciting civil unrest within our civilian population, they are putting the civilian population in danger, because we have what's effectively a little trained force of people that are put out with guns, and this administration has said, go after anyone. It doesn't matter anyone that's in your way, there will be no consequences. And that's just fundamentally dangerous. And I agree with Mayor Wilson, we all have to have trust that the facts are the same facts, whether you're a Democrat or a Republican. And that's not what's happening right now.
MICHAEL DUNNE: In your statement, there was a line there about not giving up. I wanted to ask you about your counsel to Oregonians with regard to interaction with federal agents, but also the larger issue of peaceful protest. Right?
REP. VAL HOYLE: Peaceful protests like that is something that's important, and especially in Eugene in Oregon, is something that we value greatly, is our ability to speak up and speak out. People are showing up. But I know a lot of people who've said, I can't handle this. This is too stressful. You know, we're seeing the president become. More and more authoritarian a president that is supposed to represent all Americans that has decided he will only represent those people that follow what he says that's wrong, and they just want to check out, watch Netflix, not pay attention to the news. And we can't do that. This is not that time. I think I've said it before on your show, fascism rises slowly, then quickly. We're in the quickly part, and this is both the most dangerous time to stand up and it is the time when we can stop this from going forward. For me, I want to make sure that we've got some checks and balances, one that we have a free and fair election in 2026 and that with the house and maybe even the Senate, that we have a check and a balance on this administration by having Democrats in control at least of the house going into next year.
MICHAEL DUNNE: Are you seeing a bit of the tide turning? And I ask this this way, for example, there was a bit of a from the Democrat side, but just in general, law enforcement side, about a win stopping the president from mobilizing the National Guard into Portland and whatnot. Now I am wondering, you know, with some of your colleagues, perhaps on the other side of the aisle, the Republican side, are we seeing a bit of a tide shift with regard to where this has been heading?
REP. VAL HOYLE: Well, I don't know if I call it a tide shift, but there are cracks. Whether it's Marjorie Taylor Greene, I mean, Lauren Bobert just had her unanimous bill on Colorado water vetoed by the president because she dared to vote to say that the Epstein file should be released, and, you know, sexual predators who rape children should be held accountable. And he vetoed that bill, and then we weren't able to get a veto proof majority again, this was unanimous in the House and the Senate previously, because there are Republicans that are unwilling or are afraid to stand up against the president, but we are seeing people speaking out, and I've talked to Republicans as well who say, look, I believe in the Constitution, and I do not believe, whether it's a Democrat or Republican, that the President should be treating the Constitution as if it's, you know, a cafeteria style menu that they can follow when they want. This is a dangerous escalation that we're seeing, and we really, really need everyone to figure out, how do we take back the control and put into place, you know, a system of government that follows our Constitution and allows for people to speak up, but this is not the time to be quiet. This is not the time to hide. We are hearing from a lot of people in our office, and I would encourage people to reach out. Let us know what you're thinking. It is really helpful. You know whether it's you agree, you disagree, what not? We always want to hear from people, and again, if people are having issues with a federal agency, whether it's immigration, getting a passport, Social Security, your student loans, VA benefits, contact our office, because we still will work hard to help you with that representative.
MICHAEL DUNNE: If I could ask you just one last question, and I know it's early days, but you know, we saw seemingly unprecedented action over the weekend with regard to legal action taken by the DOJ to the chair of the Federal Reserve. I just wanted to get your thoughts quickly on that action.
REP. VAL HOYLE: That is so egregious, I never thought I would be the one standing Jerome Powell, we have a fundamental difference in I have a difference with him in terms of economic philosophy. But he stood up, he would not back down to the President, and the President going after Jerome Powell simply because he won't lower interest rates in the way the President wants. We need an independent fed right Federal Reserve. We need that to be independent so that, you know, people can have trust in our economy. And you know, I'm glad he stood up also. This should be warning bells. You know, across the country again, regardless of party, this isn't about being partisan. This is about calling out and overreach by the President. President who wants to be a dictator instead of the president working for the good of our country and making sure people can actually afford to pay their rent, to feed their kids, to, you know, put gas in their car and, you know, just, just be able to do well, that's not what's happening. Donald Trump, yes, that last night, put out in truth social that he says he's the President of Venezuela. He is not the president of Venezuela. And let me tell you something we heard 24/7 across every single media outlet and online about how Joe Biden was losing his mental faculties wasn't as sharp. Where is that? Now, where you have the president of the United States saying he's the President of Venezuela, getting up in the middle of meetings, ranting and Raven about all of his petty grievances, deciding that he's going to invade other countries. Now we have a president that literally is upsetting the world order, and I'm hearing crickets from Fox News and from many of my Republican colleagues, and that is just wrong.
MICHAEL DUNNE: She's United States representative, Val Hoyle. Representative. Thank you, as always, for coming on and talking with us.
REP. VAL HOYLE: All right, take care. Thanks, Michael, thank you.
MICHAEL DUNNE: We're going to talk now with someone at the city of Eugene and hear how the DOJ is looking into a simple swimming course for possible discrimination. Ian Campbell, the content and Community Engagement Manager with the city of Eugene. Ian, thanks so much for coming on and talking with us.
IAN CAMPBELL: Of course, thanks for having me.
MICHAEL DUNNE: Yeah, can you just generally tell us about, I believe it's called the BIPOC water safety and lifeguard cohort. You know? What is it and why was it developed?
IAN CAMPBELL: Sure, so we first offered the BIPOC water safety and lifeguard cohort in 2024 and we've continued to offer it ever every year since this class serves youth, ages 12 to 18, and is flexible based on each participant's goals in the water. So, at the start, our instructors connect individually with students to better understand what they're hoping to gain, and the classes really shaped around those goals. So, for some participants, the focus is workforce development. The students work on stroke technique, endurance and the prerequisite swim tests, any basic aquatic terminology to prepare them for either lifeguard certification or become a swim instructor. And they're also guided through how to apply for jobs, both in aquatics and how to register for Red Cross courses. But for other participants, they're really there just to build water safety skills and confidence. So, for them, the class looks more like a traditional swim lesson, focusing on basic skills, comfort in the water and personal safety. So, I guess across the board, the class really emphasized swimming skills, comfort and water safety, kind of meeting people where they are and helping them build skills that support both personal safety and long-term opportunities.
MICHAEL DUNNE: Okay, and then if you can sort of, why was it started? Where did members of the community say, hey, we need this. Because, you know, a lot of people in the BIPOC community maybe haven't traditionally had access to this type of training and education.
IAN CAMPBELL: Yeah, so it's, it is part of our youth empowerment program, which is really tasked with trying to figure out what the community needs. So, a lot of this did come from the community, but it was also us kind of looking at our community and identifying things that needed to be offered. I mean, the merit of offering this class is really grounded in public safety data and access. So, I mean, according to the CDC, drowning risks in the United States are not evenly distributed among race like American Indian and Alaska Native people experience drowning rates at twice the rate of white people, and black people experience rates at 1.5 times higher. And that's really pronounced in youth. I mean, the data will show that black youth, ages 10 to 14 are more than seven times more likely to drown, and black teens ages 15 to 19 are more than five times as likely. And those, those differences are not about interest or ability, but they're really linked to access. And so, you know, many youths from historically underrepresented communities face barriers to swimming lessons and aquatics programs, which include cost, limited access, and honestly, environments where they may not feel welcome or supported. So, this, this was really designed to address those barriers by providing additional support, mentorship and just a learning environment that helps youth build water safety skills.
MICHAEL DUNNE: Okay, I know you're aware that the Assistant Attorney General, made overtures about investigating this class as being potentially discriminatory, and I'm just, I'm curious what has, if anything, the DOJ said to you at the city of Eugene, with regard to this program?
IAN CAMPBELL: I don't have any updated information at this point indicating what the DOJ has, as has said to the city, so I don't, I don't want to speculate. What I can speak to is Eugene Rex, kind of long standing. Commitment to serving the entire community by offering high quality, accessible programming. I mean, our work is guided by public recreation and public health best practices, kind of expanding access, reducing barriers to participation, and people feel welcomed in our spaces. We feel this program fits within that broader approach and exists alongside many other opportunities that are open to everyone.
MICHAEL DUNNE: Yeah, and I know the complaint started with a conservative website identifying the program, and I believe on their post, they said something like, whites are not allowed. Can you explain how you know how you treat people who come to a program such as this or any program,
IAN CAMPBELL: For sure. So, I mean, while this program is intentionally designed to center and support BIPOC, youth participation is open, and no one is turned away based on identity or race. I mean, importantly, we do not screen or verify participants race or identity, and we have zero interest in doing so. Eugene rec, we offer a wide variety of aquatics programs, water safety classes and lifeguard training opportunities that honestly serve youth and community members of all backgrounds. And so, this cohort exists alongside those broader offerings, you know, not in place of and it's accompanied with a marketing strategy commonly practiced in public recreation and public health. You know, Eugene rec offers specialized programs designed for women. We do specialized programs for older adults and participants with disabilities through adaptive programming, alongside a wide range of general programming that's open to everyone.
MICHAEL DUNNE: Okay, I'm curious, except for this one post, are you aware of any complaints within the community about this program?
IAN CAMPBELL: The short answer is no. I mean, I'll say we've received a lot of calls from out of the area, and it's been really interesting talking with folks who've wanted to sign up for this class but are worried that their child might not be allowed to participate for one reason or another, but, but I've been really clear with them that, you know, while participation is open to everyone, the cohort is designed specifically for BIPOC youth for the reasons we've discussed here on your show. And I'd say, after a conversation, folks have been pretty receptive to that.
MICHAEL DUNNE: Well, Ian Campbell, who's the content and Community Engagement Manager with the city of Eugene, Ian, thanks so much for coming on and talking about this.
IAN CAMPBELL: Yeah, thanks for having me, Michael.
MICHAEL DUNNE: That's the show for today. All episodes of Oregon On The Record are available as a podcast at KLCC.org. Tomorrow on the show, you'll get an update on Governor Kotek’s transportation package that she now is reversing course on. I'm Michael Dunne, host of Oregon On The Record, thanks for listening.
