Cliff Bentz talks GOP power, criticizes analysis of Medicaid cuts in eastern Oregon speech

At his first public appearance since the bill became law on July 4, Oregon’s only Republican U.S. Representative Cliff Bentz did not spend much time talking about the possible effects of the recent GOP tax and spending cut law on energy, the environment, Medicaid, or the lives of his people in eastern Oregon.

Speaking at the 2025 Eastern Oregon Economic Summit at the Wildhorse Resort & Casino in Pendeleton on Friday, Bentz, who represents Oregon’s 2nd Congressional District, was expected to discuss environmental issues and resiliency. The yearly event, which is organized by the charity Eastern Oregon Women’s Coalition, aims to raise awareness of regional concerns and promote the area.

Bentz instead devoted a large portion of his 17-minute speech to talking about his frustrations with being in the minority party in the Oregon Legislature and Washington, D.C., prior to Republicans taking total control in 2025, as well as the advantages he sees in the consolidation of Republican power in Congress and the White House.

We could go on and on about how important it is that we all get along, how bipartisanship is fantastic, and so on. But in the end, he added, it all comes down to power, and it’s about observing how that power is used and handled, then determining whether those in command are large enough to accept responsibility.

Bentz made no mention of the environment. Parts of the GOP’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act make it easier and less expensive to mine, log, and drill for fossil fuels on federal lands. They also phase out tax incentives for renewable energy development on wind and solar projects, as well as credits for electric vehicles.

Bentz mentioned in passing that the measure would reduce federal support for the program by around $1 trillion over the following ten years. Up to 200,000 Oregonians may not have health insurance during that time, according to the Oregon Health Authority.

He remarked, “I want to suggest that a lot of what has been said about that bill’s Medicaid portion is incorrect.” I do want to say that I’m interested in seeing how this bill—or, as it is known, this great, huge, beautiful bill—develops.

Over 705,000 Oregonians, or roughly 16% of the state’s population, are represented by Bentz and disproportionately depend on Medicaid for health insurance.

Bentz said he has been speaking with Mehmet Oz, a former television personality who ran unsuccessfully for the U.S. Senate from Pennsylvania before Trump appointed him to head the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, but he acknowledged that protecting rural hospitals from Medicaid cuts will be difficult.

In March, Oz promised the Senate Finance Committee that, if permitted, he would travel to Malheur County within 60 days. The ranking Democrat on the committee, Senator Ron Wyden of Oregon, has invited Oz to come, and a Wyden representative confirmed Friday that Oz has not yet accepted.

Malheur County has the highest Medicaid enrollment rate of any Oregon county, with over half of its residents covered by the program. According to data from the Oregon Health Authority, the county is fully inside Bentz’s district, as are seven of the nine other Oregon counties where at least 40% of the population is enrolled in Medicaid.

Bentz stated, “He (Oz) promised me that he’ll help out if we have issues with our rural hospitals.”

Bentz also used his opportunity to criticize the media, talk about party figures and dynamics, and tell stories from his 2023 visit to the Pendleton Roundup.

Bentz revealed that he was able to persuade administration officials to overrule the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Department earlier this year in order to have a gray wolf killed in a portion of his district where he claimed it was preying on livestock. The Endangered Species Act provides protection for gray wolves.

Bentz claimed that Trump is persuasive and offers politicians bargains to win votes, and that it is uncommon for Republicans to vote against a policy that Trump or the administration wants passed.

He explained that when it comes down to it, which has been the case frequently since January, those who choose not to join our caucus will receive a call from the White House.

Bentz claimed that, like everyone else in this line of work, he had grown tired of the media and accused reporters of purposefully painting him and other political officials as villains.

Unfortunately, I believe that’s what the press must do in order to sell papers. Or, he added, there are no longer any papers, clicks, or anything. To put it simply, I’m making every effort to connect with the media.

On a road outside the Wildhorse Resort & Casino, perhaps a dozen Umatilla County Democrats demonstrated against the congressman prior to Bentz’s afternoon speech. When organizers learned that Bentz would be attending the event on Thursday, they hurried to organize a protest.

Among them were Katrina Dielman and Janelle Miller, two Pendleton nurses who were worried about the potential effects on rural hospitals of Bentz’s vote to reduce Medicaid funding.

Dielman, a nurse teacher at the Oregon Health & Science University campus in La Grande, stated, “We see, we understand, the impact on the local hospitals that’s coming down the pike.”

Together with other Umatilla Democrats, the two went to a town hall last week that was held by state senator Todd Nash, R-Enterprise. Although they disagreed with Nash’s position on several subjects, they said they were encouraged that he answered all of their questions and that he shared their support for a road to citizenship for foreign workers in the United States without permanent residency.

That’s where we have things in common, I thought. Dielman remarked, “I’m not sure if I have anything like that with Bentz.”

— Oregon Capital Chronicle’s Alex Baumhardt

Established in 2021, The Oregon Capital Chronicle is a nonprofit news outlet that specializes in Oregon politics, government, and policy.

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