Val T. Hoyle
Representative for Oregon · Democratic · United States
“Mr. Speaker, at the beginning of the 119th session, I was ready to work with anyone to root out waste, fraud, and abuse in the government. We are here to be good stewards of taxpayer dollars, and we should want our government to be efficient. That is not what happened.”
“They tried to end NIOSH and canceled $3.8 billion in NIH grants. They laid off 1,300 critical Federal workers from NOAA. If you want to talk about government overreach and small government, that is not what happened with DOGE. They gained access to personal data, like our Social Security numbers, our tax returns, and our health records.”
“Gabriel earned his wings as a helicopter pilot in 2008 and received several awards during his service, including the Defense Meritorious Service Medal. He knew he wanted to be a pilot at just 4 years old.”
“Gabriel earned his wings as a helicopter pilot in 2008 and received several awards during his service, including the Defense Meritorious Service Medal. He knew he wanted to be a pilot at just 4 years old.”
“People were fired without understanding what their jobs were. For instance, off the Oregon coast, they fired the people who knew how to operate the tsunami warning system. That isn't rooting out waste, fraud, and abuse.”
“Congressional Record, Volume 172 Issue 115 (Wednesday, July 15, 2026) [Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 115 (Wednesday, July 15, 2026)] [House] [Page H4530] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] {time} 1730 HONORING COMMANDER GABRIEL EDWARDS (Ms.”
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“I will work with anyone to make that happen. Instead, we gave a chainsaw to a trillionaire who made his money off of Federal grants, Federal research, and Federal projects, and we cut critical investments to make our government work better for the working people. On July Fourth, DOGE shut down. It doesn't intend to publish a final report because they would have to report a giant failure that cost taxpayers $10 billion. I say, good-bye, good riddance, and let's not do this again.”
“They tried to end NIOSH and canceled $3.8 billion in NIH grants. They laid off 1,300 critical Federal workers from NOAA. If you want to talk about government overreach and small government, that is not what happened with DOGE. They gained access to personal data, like our Social Security numbers, our tax returns, and our health records. Waste, fraud, and abuse still exist in the Federal Government. For instance, if we want to root out waste, fraud, and abuse, let's start with the Pentagon that failed the last eight audits. There is a ton of waste, fraud, and abuse. They have awarded more than $208 billion in contracts to companies that have been cited for repeated or willful violations. Why are we not addressing that? We should want government to be more efficient. We should want to root out waste, fraud, and abuse.”
“People were fired without understanding what their jobs were. For instance, off the Oregon coast, they fired the people who knew how to operate the tsunami warning system. That isn't rooting out waste, fraud, and abuse. They shut down promising innovations, like direct file, at the request of big businesses that stood to financially [[Page H4533]] benefit. That hurt low-income and working Americans who now have to pay to file their taxes. They slowed response time to complaints made to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, which had previously helped return $21 billion to Americans. They purged USAID by getting rid of 83 percent of USAID projects. Impact Counter estimates that 757,000 people died, mostly children. We lost the benefit of soft power that we had when we invested in this very effective program.”
“Mr. Speaker, at the beginning of the 119th session, I was ready to work with anyone to root out waste, fraud, and abuse in the government. We are here to be good stewards of taxpayer dollars, and we should want our government to be efficient. That is not what happened. We started with a bipartisan congressional effort, and then President Trump appointed Elon Musk, who stood there with a chainsaw, brought in a bunch of unqualified DOGE bros, who said that they were going to make $2 trillion in savings from the Federal budget, but made no meaningful impact in spending. They tortured and went after our public employees that cost the taxpayers $10 billion through the deferred resignation program. Mr. Speaker, 300,000 Federal workers were fired or urged to retire, including 100,000 veterans. This wasn't done in a strategic way.”
“Gabriel earned his wings as a helicopter pilot in 2008 and received several awards during his service, including the Defense Meritorious Service Medal. He knew he wanted to be a pilot at just 4 years old. This is how his wife, Rebecca, described him: ``Gabe has dedicated his life to serving his country with honor, courage, and commitment. He led with humility, integrity, and compassion, always putting his people before himself. To those who served alongside him, he was a respected leader and mentor.'' My thoughts are with Rebecca and their two children during this time. I am glad to know the Secretary of the Navy has directed that Edwards be posthumously promoted to the rank of captain. His heroism will never be forgotten, and I know all of us in Oregon and around the country thank him for his honorable service.”
“Congressional Record, Volume 172 Issue 115 (Wednesday, July 15, 2026) [Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 115 (Wednesday, July 15, 2026)] [House] [Page H4530] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] {time} 1730 HONORING COMMANDER GABRIEL EDWARDS (Ms. HOYLE of Oregon asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend her remarks.) Ms. HOYLE of Oregon. Mr. Speaker, today, I rise in honor of Commander Gabriel Edwards, from Oakland, Oregon, who died while serving as the commanding officer of Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron 5 in the Arabian Sea. After 4 days of searching over 14,000 square miles, the Navy declared him lost at sea during an emergency helicopter landing.”
“Gabriel earned his wings as a helicopter pilot in 2008 and received several awards during his service, including the Defense Meritorious Service Medal. He knew he wanted to be a pilot at just 4 years old. This is how his wife, Rebecca, described him: ``Gabe has dedicated his life to serving his country with honor, courage, and commitment. He led with humility, integrity, and compassion, always putting his people before himself. To those who served alongside him, he was a respected leader and mentor.'' My thoughts are with Rebecca and their two children during this time. I am glad to know the Secretary of the Navy has directed that Edwards be posthumously promoted to the rank of captain. His heroism will never be forgotten, and I know all of us in Oregon and around the country thank him for his honorable service.”
“Congressional Record, Volume 172 Issue 115 (Wednesday, July 15, 2026) [Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 115 (Wednesday, July 15, 2026)] [House] [Page H4530] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] {time} 1730 HONORING COMMANDER GABRIEL EDWARDS (Ms. HOYLE of Oregon asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend her remarks.) Ms. HOYLE of Oregon. Mr. Speaker, today, I rise in honor of Commander Gabriel Edwards, from Oakland, Oregon, who died while serving as the commanding officer of Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron 5 in the Arabian Sea. After 4 days of searching over 14,000 square miles, the Navy declared him lost at sea during an emergency helicopter landing.”
“It is the very foundation of American justice to ensure that the rights enshrined in our Constitution are guaranteed, as the Founders intended. Standing up for the Constitution is not partisan. It is patriotic. It is our duty, and we need to do it. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding me time.”
“The Due Process Clause in the Fifth Amendment and 14th Amendment demands that you cannot be deprived of life, liberty, or property without the due process of law. That means a fair hearing, a chance to be heard, and a chance to defend yourself in court. That is the standard. Mr. Speaker, our immigration system is broken, and I will work with anyone in a bipartisan way to fix it. Yet, that is not what is happening here. Weaponizing fears and frustrations as a justification for interning innocent people in a foreign prison is unacceptable and unconstitutional. Everyone deserves due process in court with evidence beyond a reasonable doubt. If we don't defend these rights now, who is next: our neighbor, our family, or us? Affording due process is not being soft on crime.”
“Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding. Mr. Speaker, when we took office, we swore an oath to support and defend the Constitution. It was a promise to the American people that we would uphold the law, protect their rights, and defend our democracy. Kilmar Abrego Garcia, who was living legally in the United States, was wrongfully disappeared to a horrific prison in El Salvador because of an administrative error. This week, U.S. citizens in Oklahoma were dragged out of their home while ICE agents, with no warrant for them, took their phones, laptops, and life savings, even though they weren't the suspects in question. One of the most basic rights guaranteed in our Constitution is the right to due process.”