Your Rights
My Fight
CONTRIBUTE TO THE CAMPAIGN!
In Oregon’s 2nd District, 70% of our children rely on Medicaid for their healthcare as do 35% of all adults. In spite of this, Cliff Bentz voted in favor of the Reconciliation Bill that, according to the Congressional Budget Office, will reduce federal healthcare spending by approximately $1.15 trillion over the next decade and will increase the number of uninsured individuals by 11.8 million by 2034.
My first priority in office will be fighting to save our rural hospitals and working with members of the Rural Health Caucus to find solutions for the current assault on our healthcare system.
Our country’s citizens are fighting an avalanche of attacks from the current administration.
Platform Priorities
Our current system of government is broken. It focuses more on supporting corporations and wealthy donors than on the needs of American citizens. I am running to represent Oregon’s 2nd District in Congress and to lead the movement for government reformation, refocusing our efforts on improving the lives of our citizens, not lining the pockets of the wealthy and powerful.
WHAT DOES GOVERNMENT REFORMATION MEAN?
A Constitutional Amendment to install term limits for Congress
I propose limiting both the House and the Senate to four terms. This allows Senators up to 24 years of service and Representatives up to 8 years. Get in, get the job done, then pass the baton on to the next generation. Limited terms would curb the long-term influence of Special Interest groups and allow elected officials to focus on their job rather than getting re-elected.
A Constitutional Amendment to reform the Supreme Court
We are seeing first-hand what happens when the Supreme Court has strong connections to a political party. And with life-long assignments, that political leaning can influence the court for decades. I propose installing term limits for Justices, increasing the number of Justices from 9 to 13 and changing the way Justices are nominated and confirmed.
Implement stringent campaign finance reform
The only way we will get big money influence out of our government is through stringent campaign finance reform. This begins by challenging the Supreme Court to overturn their 2010 decision in Citizens United vs the FEC which opened the floodgates for unlimited “Dark Money” to flood into our politics. This ruling allowed anonymous donors to funnel billions of dollars into Super PACs to elect officials who support their cause and run smear campaigns against their opponents. Reform must also include updating the STOCK Act to restrict stock trading by elected and appointed officials who have inside knowledge of legislation that could affect the stock market.
Dismantle the Electoral College and move to One Person, One Vote
The Electoral College has been in effect since the ratification of our Constitution. At the time it was created, there were many obstacles to electing the President and VP by popular vote. Those obstacles no longer exist, and it is time we allowed every person’s vote to count.
The 2nd District deserves a Representative who cares more about the needs of the people they serve than the approval of a President, wealthy donors or powerful lobbyists. As your Congresswoman, I will fight to improve the lives of ALL people in our district. People, not money or political pressure, will always be my guiding light.
Meet Patty
I was born and raised in the small rural town of Burley, Idaho. My parents were generational Republicans who taught me the importance of fiscal responsibility but, just as important, they taught me the need to care for our neighbors and the community. I passed those same values on to my two children and am proud to watch them continue to live those ideals. For nearly 40 years I have worked in business management, and I have learned the value of listening to others, gaining an understanding of their viewpoints and concerns and working together to create solutions. That is the same set of skills I will bring to the U.S. Congress as I work for bipartisan support on bills that will have a positive impact on our great state.