Oregon congresswoman pushes for public webinars, calls for interim director of employment department to clear backlog of insurance claims

PORTLAND, OR (KPTV) – Oregon Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici is calling on the interim director of the Oregon Employment Department to get Oregonians their benefits quickly by clearing the unemployment insurance claims backlog.

She is also calling on David Gerstenfled to increase transparency by holding public webinars within the week. Bonamici on Tuesday said hundreds of people have contacted her office in recent weeks to look for answers and help navigate unemployment benefits, as the state has backlog of nearly 40,000 unemployment insurance claims.