In his first days as the new congressman for Oregon’s 2nd Congressional District, U.S. Rep. Cliff Bentz, R-Ontario, was thrown immediately into the deep end of the political pool.

Just hours into his new office, Bentz had to decide whether to challenge the Electoral College votes of two state, to impeach the President of the United States and to eject a QAnon-backed colleague from her committee assignments.

With Democrat Joe Biden now in the White House and Democrats surprising tactical victory to win control of the Senate, the bills have come fast and furious.

Bentz was a reliable Republican vote on almost every measure that came before the highly polarized House.

Bentz was among 30 Republicans who voted with all but one Democrat for the Farm Workforce Modernization Act, HR 1603a. The bill gives migrant farmworkers legal status to be in the United States, makes changes to the H-2A guest worker program and other immigration reforms.

The rural Republicans who backed the bill said the program was needed to ensure that labor crucial to agriculture wouldn’t get caught up in the crossfire over immigration roiling Congress, especially the Republican Party.

President Donald Trump had made immigration a top priority, attempting to build a wall on the Mexico border (and for awhile claiming Mexico would pay for it), while ending policies that encouraged cross-border trips for work or to live. Echoing the Trump position, a majority of Republicans opposed the bill as a backdoor to illegal immigration.

All four Oregon Democrats in the House joined Bentz in supporting the bill, which passed 274-174.

It was a momentary digression from the Republican agenda for Bentz. He voted against the Dreamers Act, which strengthened legal protections for people brought to the United States illegally as children. The bill passed 228-197. Nine Republicans voted yes, but Bentz was a no.

After the tumultuous early weeks of the current session, Bentz has sought to recast himself as more of a moderate. He voted with the majority of his colleagues to award the Congressional Gold Medal to Capitol police for their efforts during the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol by a mob of Trump supporters. 

The vote was  413-12, including the vast majority of the Republican caucus. But the dozen voting no were among those who pushed hardest at the unsubstantiated claim that Trump had won the election and showed support for sometimes violent rhetoric prior to the attack. They includes Majorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., who has expressed enthusiasm in the past for the QAnon conspiracy group.  “peaceful protesters,” and “the millions of Americans they represent,” U.S. Rep. Glenn Grothman, R-Wisc., who called the attackers “peaceful protestors” who represent “millions of Americans.” Rep. Louie Gohmert, R-Tx, said after the Capitol attack, “I don’t know why there aren’t more uprisings all over the country.”. Greene, Biggs, Gaetz, Goehmert. Five GOP not voting. “insurrection.” 194 Republicans voted yes, including Bentz

Voted No on Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act. Hr 1620 on March 17, passed 244-172 with 29 yes votes from GOP.

No on HR 1446.Enhanced Background Checks. Passed 219-210. March 11

No on HR 8 on March 11. Passed 227-203. BiPartisan background checks. 8 Republicans. 

HR 1319 on March 10. Senate reconcilliation. American Rescue Plan Act, 220-211 passed. Voted No. Party Line. 

(Nadler, VOCA) 

HR 842: Right to Organize. passed 225-206. Voted no. Five republicans. March 9 

HR 1: 220-210 passed. Voted no. March 3

HR 1280 George Floyd Justice in Policing, voted no. passed 220-212 march 3

HR 803: Colorado Wilderness Act passed 227-200 of Feb. 25. 8 Republicans voted yes

HR 5: Equality Act, 211-199. Nine Dems and 16 Reps not voting

HR 447 on Feb 5: No on national apprenticeship act, votes no. passed 247-173 with 28 GOP yes. 

First no: Rules of the House, HR 8, 214-204 party line vote. Jan 4.

Jan. 6: Motion, 138-282 (PA), Voted yes. Republicans: 138-64

Jan 6: Agreeing to the Motion, defeated 121-303. voted no (AZ). GOP: 121-83

No on removing Greene,   HR 72 on Feb. 4. passed 230-199. Eleven GOP vote yes. 

No on congressional budget, partyline, HCR 11, 218-211. voted no. feb 3

HR 339. Defense Secretary waiver. 326-78. Voted Yes. 121 GOP yes, 63 no and 27 not voting. Cheney, OC, Tlaib vote no. On Jan. 21

Roll Call 17: impeach DT for high crimes and misdeamors 232-197. Voted No. Ten GOP voted yes. 

Note: 17 Republicans who voted Yes on PA but No on AZ.

HR 21: Pence and Article 25. 223-205. voted no. Kinzinger is lone GOP yes. 

Votes to oust Stallwell

Bentz voted with Republicans in an unsuccessful bit to remove Rep. Eric Stallwell, D-Calif., from the House Intelligence Committee.

House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., introduced the motion to remove Stallwell over his involvement six years ago with Christine Fang, an alleged Chinese spy, who supported his first campaign and placed an intern in his office.

to remove U.S. Rep. 

Democrats scuttled the effort from House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy, 218-200, after he forced a vote. His resolution against Swalwell cited information, first reported by Axios, that the suspected spy, Christine Fang, came into contact with Swalwell’s campaign as he was first running for Congress in 2012. She also participated in fundraising for his 2014 campaign and helped place an intern in his office, the report said.

Federal investigators alerted Swalwell to their concerns — and briefed Congress — about Fang in 2015, at which point Swalwell says he cut off contact with her. Authorities have not charged him with any wrongdoing.

Schiff said that Republican leaders, including then-House Speaker John Boehner and the then-chairman of the intelligence panel, Republican Rep. Devin Nunes, were briefed on the situation at the time and “expressed no opposition to his continued service on the committee.”

Swalwell has been one of Trump’s sharpest critics, and served as a House impeachment manager during the former president’s second impeachment trial last month. 

“It’s only about payback right now because of my role in the impeachment proceedings, and holding the president accountable,” Swalwell said. “And I think people see through that.”

Bentz voted in favor of a resolution condemning the military coup in Burma. The resolution passed 398-14, with the small number of opponents, all Republicans, including QAnon conspiracy backer Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-GA. 

HR 243 – To prevent across-the-board direct spending cuts, and for other purposes . Passed 246-195 on March 19

This bill makes several budgetary and technical changes to provisions under Medicare, Medicaid, and the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, which provided additional relief to address the ongoing impact of COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019).

The bill exempts the budgetary effects of the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 and this bill from the Statutory Pay-As-You-Go Act of 2010 (PAYGO), and exempts this bill from the Senate PAYGO rule. The bill also continues to exempt Medicare from sequestration until December 31, 2021. (Sequestration is a process of automatic, usually across-the-board spending reductions under which budgetary resources are permanently cancelled to enforce specific budget policy goals.)

The bill also specifically

• excludes mixed-earner unemployment compensation from Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) eligibility determinations;
• applies certain modified payment limits to rural health clinics that temporarily enrolled in Medicare during the public health emergency or that applied to enroll by December 31, 2020; and
• preserves higher Medicaid disproportionate-share hospital payments for public hospitals in California under forthcoming payment methodology changes.

The House currently has a 219-211 Democratic majority. 

HR 1603 passed 247-174 and now goes to the Senate.

, with 30 Republicans joining all but one Democrat for it. It provides migrant farmworkers with legal status, changes the H-2A program for temporary agricultural workers, and does other things.

“We must recognize the important contributions of the migrant workers who sustain our agricultural industry, and who worked through the pandemic, often in unsafe conditions, to provide food to families across the country,” Bonamici said. “The Farm Workforce Modernization Act will give these essential workers the stability they need to provide for themselves and their families, strengthening our workforce and communities. I will continue pressing for comprehensive legislation that improves our immigration system.”

Oregon’s lone Republican in the congressional delegation, Rep. Cliff Bentz of Ontario, voted for HR 1603; he opposed HR 6.