Bonamici Speaks Out Against Federal Abuse of Power at Portland Protests during Oversight Subcommittee Discussion with Oregonians
WASHINGTON, DC [08/04/2020] – Today Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR) spoke before the Oversight and Reform Committee's Subcommittee on Civil Rights and Civil Liberties Roundtable discussion titled "The Bill of Rights in the Balance: The Deployment of Federal Troops Against the American People."
A panel of Oregonians—Senator Lew Frederick, protestor Mark Pettibone, veteran Christopher David, and ACLU Interim Legal Director Kelly Simon—addressed the members and answered questions about the unconstitutional actions of federal agents at the Portland protests.
Video of the Congresswoman's remarks is available here.
"President Trump's federal siege of Portland endangered our community and set a terrifying precedent for what could happen in other cities nationwide," said Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici. "Protestors in Portland were rallying for Black Lives Matter and demanding justice in the wake of the murders of Breonna Taylor, George Floyd, and countless other Black people at the hands of law enforcement. The President would rather sow fear and violence than rise to the moment and lead the country to healing and reconciliation, and it is clear that he will not hesitate to use federal troops to attack Americans in the future."
The Congresswoman has called for the recently-deployed federal agents to leave Portland, investigations from DOJ and DHS inspectors general, the resignation of Chad Wolf, and she spoke out on behalf of civil rights and civil liberties many times during the federal deployment. She co-led legislation limiting the role of federal forces in protest response and requiring federal agents to be clearly identified. Her amendment to rein in federal agents was adopted during the appropriations process, and the Inspectors General of Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Justice launched investigations into the federal activities following her request.
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