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In a July health care poll, Oregonians indicated more trust in their Salem legislators than Congress. Simultaneously, Congress now contemplates giving our state exactly the freedom needed to create our own health care plan.

This summer, Elway Research of Seattle (rated A+ by FiveThirtyEight.com) asked 402 Oregon voters if they would consider a state-administered universal health care plan that converted premiums and out-of-pocket payments into taxes.

The U.S. Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee advanced key legislation to address the growing global marine debris crisis late last week. The Save Our Seas 2.0 Act (S.1982/H.R.2969) – sponsored by Senator Dan Sullivan (R-AK) and Representative Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR) – would create a federal marine debris foundation, establish a "genius prize" to encourage the development of solutions to address plastics pollution, and launch a number of federal studies into marine debris.

Two lawmakers from Oregon are looking into how much people with diabetes pay for the insulin they need.

Sen. Jeff Merkley introduced the End Price Gouging for Insulin Act following a report prepared for fellow Democratic Rep. Suzanne Bonamici found that people in the region pay about $1,000 more a year on insulin than people in other countries — a "rip-off" according to Merkley.

A new rule in Oregon prohibits U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement from detaining people at state courthouses without a judicial arrest warrant.

The rule also protects people going to or from court proceedings from being stopped in nearby entryways, sidewalks and parking lots.

Some in Congress, including U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden, U.S. Sen. Jeff Merkley and U.S. Rep. Suzanne Bonamici of Oregon, want to codify an ICE policy that limits arrests at "sensitive locations" like schools and hospitals into federal law. They also want to expand it to include courthouses.

Sen. Jeff Merkley introduced legislation to end "exorbitant price hikes" on insulin.

The End Price Gouging for Insulin Act comes as a new report highlights the high cost of insulin in Northwest Oregon.

The report, produced for U.S. Rep. Suzanne Bonamici, found that Medicare beneficiaries in the region pay more than $1,000 more per year in out-of-pocket costs for some diabetes medications than people in Australia, the United Kingdom and Canada.

Over 80 members of the House of Representatives have now called on White House senior adviser Stephen Miller to resign after leaked emails published this week showed his affinity for white nationalism.

HuffPost contacted the office of every House member and asked whether Miller should resign. All told, over 80 representatives, all Democrats, have said he should.

A pair of Democratic lawmakers called on the National Academy of Sciences to review EPA's proposed science transparency rule over concerns it would inhibit the agency's ability to protect Americans' health and the environment by limiting the scope of research EPA could consider.