Bentz & the Big Beautiful: Part 1; U.S. Rep explains his position at TD Rotary

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Aug 25

Editor’s Note - We have broken down questions and Bentz’s responses into four different stories that we will release during the next three days: today’s story consists of his opening comments and the mounting pressure on local farmers and orchardists.

By Tom Peterson

The Dalles, Ore., Aug. 2025 — U.S. Rep. Cliff Bentz did not plan a town hall when he agreed to speak to The Dalles Rotary Club Wednesday, Aug. 20th., but the majority of his talk was in response to questions “carefully curated” by non-members who were allowed to speak at the rotary meeting, according to club rules.

Bentz (R-Ore.) opened the noon Rotary Club meeting in The Dalles on Wednesday by praising community service and laying out his travel agenda across eastern Oregon, emphasizing health care and economic impacts of recent legislation.

Bentz said he plans to visit about 10 counties in two weeks, focusing heavily on hospitals and local medical providers. “We’ll be reaching out in each community as best we can to try to establish a baseline and figure out what their challenges are when it comes to money,” he said.

The congressman also highlighted what he called the “big beautiful bill,” a reconciliation package he credited with extending Trump-era tax cuts, continuing a 20% income deduction for small businesses, and dedicating funds for border security, drone research, and timber harvests.

Without the small-business deduction, Bentz argued, “every small business in this town … would have seen the income upon which they’re taxed go up by 20%.” He described the measure as essential for avoiding recession and supporting local employers.

Bentz acknowledged controversy over the bill’s changes to Medicaid and SNAP, including new work requirements and reductions in Oregon’s hospital provider tax, but said his office is tracking impacts closely. “We want to keep this program, but we have to do a better job of operating it,” he said.

Farmers and Foreign Land Ownership

The Dalles, Ore., Aug. 20, 2025 — Local voter Dawn Rasmussen challenged Rep. Cliff Bentz at Wednesday’s Rotary Club meeting to defend family farmers facing mounting pressure from rising costs, immigration crackdowns and foreign investors.

“Farmers are barely hanging on by the skin of their teeth,” Rasmussen said. “If our family farms go belly up, who’s going to buy the land? We’ve got investors from other countries buying Oregon farmland. Is America for sale?”

Bentz said he shares concerns about foreign ownership, noting reports of a large land purchase in Oregon by a Chinese investor. He said Congress is examining restrictions but that defining which buyers to exclude — such as Canadians — complicates the issue.

He pointed to provisions in the reconciliation bill that he said directly aid producers, including higher wheat reference prices, expanded crop insurance, $10 billion in tax cuts for farmers and restored disaster relief. “I get it. I understand,” said Bentz, who leases his own 120-acre farm in Ontario “The question is how best to help, and I’m all in when it comes to trying to help.”