OR-5 Empty Chair Town Halls

After multiple requests for an in-person, unscripted Town Hall with Congresswoman Lori Chavez-DeRemer, constituents grew frustrated with her refusals and held THREE of their own!  The chair that should have been occupied by Chavez-DeRemer was, instead, occupied by a cardboard cutout of her while constituents asked questions and Indivisible leaders answered them based on public statements of votes that our Unrepresentative has made. 

All across district 5 constituents are holding town halls and crying out for Rep. Chavez-DeRemer to listen to their concerns about her extremist votes. A poll by KTVZ  TV shows that constituents overwhelmingly (75%) want Rep. Chavez-DeRemer to hold in-person and uncensored town halls. A broad range of people and organizations participated including climate activists, unions, gun safety groups, educators, veterans, faith groups, and seniors.

Below are some photos and video from the three well-attended events, plus a sampling of some of the questions that were asked.  

Oregon City (10-10-23)  Hosted by Indivisible Clackamas and the DeRemer Accountability Team

Question:  Rep Chavez-DeRemer, you voted to repeal important elements of the Biden administration’s long-awaited and desperately overdue climate legislation with HR 1. Why are you voting for policies that will undermine our children’s future on the planet? 

Question: The guy at the top of your party is facing 91 criminal charges, is a convicted sex offender, and is about to have his company banned in New York for massive fraud. Can you tell us how you are a law & order candidate?

Question: Rep. Chavez-DeRemer, you have said you will not cut Social Security, but In the MAGA Debt Default bill, nearly every Republican in the U.S. House, including you, voted to slash the already inadequate funding of the Social Security Administration (SSA). How can we trust what you say when you do the opposite? 

Question: Why won't you hold an in-person unscripted Town Hall? Are you unable to defend your questions and votes to your constituents? 

ABOVE:  Protestors gathered in the rain at Unrepresentative Chavez-DeRemer's Oregon City office (which was empty) before marching several blocks to the Empty Chair Town Hall. 


After repeated requests of their Representative, Lori Chavez-DeRemer, to hold an unscripted, in-person town hall, constituents got tired of her refusals and held their own Empty Chair Town Hall with a cardboard cutout of her, which offered about as many answers to questions as the Rep herself as answered in her first year in Congress. Here's a sample of what they wanted to know. 

Bend (10-11-23) - Hosted by Indivisible Sisters and Vocal Seniority

Question:  On May 22, 2022 you tweeted that “Oregon has EXTREME laws that allow abortions” and that you “would be in favor of passing legislation like the heartbeat bill,” essentially banning abortion. How can you say that you represent the Oregonians in District 5 when a clear majority support access to all reproductive healthcare?

Question:  Rep Chavez-DeRemer, you have  said “The Radical Left wants to take away our right to bear arms. … As a gun owner and longtime member of the NRA, I will always protect our 2nd amendment.”  You have refused to support safe gun storage legislation like Ethan’s Law or the Safe Guns, Safe Kids Act, which are even popular with gun owners.  How is securing weapons so children cannot get to them, a “Radical Left” idea? 

Albany on Zoom (10-13-23) - Hosted by Indivisible Albany and the DeRemer Accountability Team

Watch the recording from our Empty Chair Town Hall via Zoom as participants asked questions like these:

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