Monique's Priorities

I am keenly aware of what it means to take the oath to defend our great nation and of the many sacrifices made by those who serve, and their families. I am proud to have served our country, alongside my brothers and sisters, for over 30 years in the U.S. Air Force and the Oregon National Guard. I will never forget or neglect our beloved veterans.

Every day there are veterans in our country struggling to navigate a bureaucratic VA system just to schedule a medical appointment or ensure their benefits arrive on time. I will fight every day in Congress to ensure our veteran benefits are protected and that veterans receive the benefits they have earned and, back home in Oregon, I will have a veteran on my congressional staff who is dedicated 100 percent to working with me to serve all of my veteran constituents.

In Congress, I will continue to stand up and fight for our current service members and veterans, and I will ensure we preserve their incredible legacies.

RELEVANT PRESS RELEASES:

Retired Colonel Monique DeSpain Blasts Congresswoman Val Hoyle For Putting Illegal Immigrants Above Our Veterans

National security, safe communities, and safe workplaces are a fundamental, non-negotiable function of government. No communities are safe without adequate law enforcement. We are a nation of laws, and laws are only effective when enforced. I support the rule of law and the men and women of law enforcement and other emergency responders. It is my goal to ensure they have the necessary authority and resources to do their job effectively, from Customs and Border Patrol to our local sheriffs, police, and district attorneys. Public officials who refuse to enforce our laws and hold criminals accountable must be held accountable themselves and swiftly replaced with officials who will. I will not support federal funding for soft-on-crime cities or cities that defund the police and leave Americans vulnerable.

Almost every family I know has been touched by the tragedy of substance abuse. In 2023, over 100,000 Americans were killed by either a one-time fentanyl poisoning or fentanyl addiction. I refuse to accept this as America’s new ‘normal.’ To ensure safe neighborhoods in Congressional District 4, we must secure our nation’s border and stop the relentless flow of fentanyl, P2P methamphetamines, and other deadly drugs into Oregon. By ending cartel control of our borders and stopping criminals from illegally entering our cities and other communities, we will stop the delivery and distribution of deadly drugs, human trafficking, and other abhorrent cartel activity that is fueling addiction, homelessness, and the crime wave overwhelming our communities. It’s common sense.

RELEVANT PRESS RELEASES:

Monique DeSpain Launches TV Ad in the OR-04 Congressional Race Focused on Public Safety

Monique DeSpain for Congress Announces Law Enforcement Endorsements in Race for OR-04

Monique DeSpain Condemns Hoyle’s Vote Against Violence Against Women by Illegal Aliens Act

DeSpain Scorches Val Hoyle for Vote Against Holding Criminal Illegal Immigrants Accountable

Guest Column: Why don’t we have a safe and prosperous Oregon?

There is no doubt we are in a housing crisis in Oregon and the entire nation. However, there is no one solution, no single “Housing First” model that will solve the spectrum of housing needs. The addicted and mentally ill homeless we all see in our city streets, parks, and other public spaces will not be saved by keys to a new home, condo or apartment provided by taxpaying Americans. Common sense dictates that our policies must have the objective of reining in and healing drug addiction and mental illness that leads to homelessness. One obvious step in the right direction is the prompt re-criminalizing of hard drug use, prohibiting drug use in public spaces, and criminalizing all forms of drug trafficking.

The current agenda of our elected officials in power and of many nonprofits ‘serving’ the homeless addicted is gravely inhumane and lacking compassion. We as a people should do all we can to lift our citizens out of the prison of addiction and mental illness - and law enforcement often must be a part of that healing process. All people have value and need hope and purpose to thrive. Recovery from addiction and illness is the only path to independent living and independent housing, and all programs in the homelessness, addiction, and mental health space must make recovery their mission and reject the current enablement programs.

We cannot continue to fund state and local governments that have decriminalized the use of drugs and hobbled law enforcement. Current policy has further deepened the growing dependent class in Oregon and throughout the country. We must take a balanced approach to funding programs that rehabilitate individuals and motivate them to reject the endless cycle of addiction, mental illness, and the resultant homelessness.

RELEVANT PRESS RELEASES:

Guest Column: Why don’t we have a safe and prosperous Oregon?

To truly address and resolve the affordable housing crisis, we must address the skyrocketing cost of living caused by extreme policies coming from Salem and Washington, D.C. At the same time, we must increase housing availability and affordability. I support ending prohibitive and inflationary policies that stifle new construction with excessive permitting costs, building regulations, city and county codes, bureaucratic red tape, and outdated land use restrictions imposed by the government itself. Do you know that the entire population of Oregon lives on approximately 7 percent of our State? These government-imposed restrictions, coupled with runaway inflation and interest rates, are pricing most working people out of the American Dream of home ownership. I want to be part of the common sense conservative majority in Congress that ensures the federal government does its part to lift housing restrictions.

My record on this issue is clear and concise- Oregon’s laws guarantee important health decisions are made between a woman and her doctor, not the government, and I pledge to protect Oregon’s laws in Congress. I oppose a federal ban on abortion and as a Mom, I fully support federal protection for both IVF treatments and contraception. Unlike Val Hoyle, I won’t be a puppet for party leaders, I’ll be an independent voice speaking up for Oregon and defending the rights of ALL Oregonians. Hear me set the record straight in our latest ad:

Oregon’s natural resource-based industries are our cornerstone to prosperity and livability in Congressional District 4. We need a strong, fearless advocate in Congress now more than ever. Our timber industry and coastal residents have seen 50 years of career politicians making empty promises. Once elected, I will be a staunch advocate for responsible forest management through co-stewardship of our forests with our native tribes, sustainable harvesting of timber, removal of fuel loads that cause massive wildfires, and requiring the Bureau of Land Management to rapidly extinguish fires or provide authorization to state, local, and private entities willing and able to protect our forests and communities from fire. As your Congresswoman, I will fight for our farmers and agricultural producers because I support independence and the right to flourish and thrive. I will prioritize our “Made In America” food supply and protect the right of farmers to farm and to provide consumers with affordable and healthy choices.

Additionally, I will be laser-focused on removing the federal barriers to the development of the Coos Bay International Port, which has the untapped potential to be a world-class economic gem serving the entire Pacific. As your Congresswoman I will do all I can to unleash the potential of our coastal communities by developing and supporting sustained infrastructure, addressing housing and childcare shortfalls, and attracting a skilled workforce.

RELEVANT PRESS RELEASES:

Monique DeSpain Endorsed By Citizens for Sensible Forest Management (CSFM)

See Monique’s Position on the Fix Our Forests Act

Since my corrupt, career politician opponent has been lying about my record on countless issues, including gay marriage, I feel compelled to set the record straight. I have always supported equal marriage rights and that includes the right to marry for gay couples. I am proud to have countless friends and supporters in the LGBTQ community and believe this issue has been settled by the Supreme Court.

Government education policies are failing our children, and Oregon ranks among the worst government education programs in America. Yet more money is being spent and extracted from the taxpayers every year only to produce steadily declining education results with our kids. Students are failing to achieve minimum proficiency in the core basics of reading, writing, and math which passes massive expense to families and employers and fails to prepare our young people for productive lives. To fix this, we must insist that parents, teachers and other key members of the education community have a seat at the table when it comes to our children’s education and development.

As a single working mother whose children went through public 4J schools in Eugene, I know the strain and expense on families who step up to fill the gaps left by our government school system.

As your Congresswoman, I will support federal legislation to pass a Parents’ Bill of Rights to ensure today’s one-size-fits-all approach to a curriculum run by education bureaucrats is replaced by one where parents have a primary and active role in the educational development of their children. Parental rights include full transparency regarding anything to do with a person’s child, guaranteed access to all curricula being taught to children, ensured access to school performance statistics, and school choice.

My goal in Congress is to legislate such that the American Dream is restored and achievable for all working Americans. I want that for my children, my grandchildren, and yours. Growing and strengthening the middle class is a top priority for me. Right now, the American middle class is struggling and shrinking. As your Congresswoman, I will emphasize sustainable domestic private sector job creation, particularly for small and medium-sized businesses and particularly in the trades. I will support policies that invest in American manufacturing and trade sector job creation because I want to lower the costs of goods and get Americans working proudly again. Achieving prosperity requires the government to lift its stifling regulations, reduce onerous permitting and taxation, and allow Americans to enjoy the fruits of their hard labor and inspire their reinvestment.

Crime is driving the cost of goods up for law-abiding people. I support channeling federal resources toward dramatically reducing property crime and theft that is causing product prices to increase, making insurance prohibitively expensive, and driving businesses out of communities. Inflation is crushing family budgets and the budgets of our elderly on fixed incomes. Most of us are able to afford less and less each year. This is not the American dream so many of us strive to build for ourselves and our families!

As your Congresswoman, I will work hard to end the radical tax and spend policies coming out of Washington, D.C. that do nothing more than encourage wasteful government spending, increase our national debt, fuel inflation, and make it almost impossible for most Americans to achieve the American Dream.

RELEVANT PRESS RELEASES:

Monique DeSpain Endorsed By Citizens for Sensible Forest Management (CSFM)

Monique DeSpain Endorsed By National Federation of Independent Businesses (NFIB)

Monique DeSpain Announces Opposition to Inflationary, Economically Destructive Measure 118

Monique DeSpain Scorches Val Hoyle Over No Vote To Fix Oregon’s Forests

Monique DeSpain Says Val Hoyle’s Failure to Oppose BOEM Wind Farm Leases Stunning

DeSpain Calls Out Val Hoyle For Failing Her Constituents as Offshore Wind Near Coos and Curry Counties Moves Forward

Guest Column: Why don’t we have a safe and prosperous Oregon?

As we all know from experiencing the storms and fires that hit our District, energy equals civilization, and energy is a serious local and national security issue. As your Congresswoman, I will fight against the persistent attack on energy choice for all Americans. The first-world nation we currently enjoy must continue to ensure access to an array of reliable and affordable energy options without the threat of arbitrary government bans, penalties, or prohibitive taxes. Consumers and business owners have the right to decide when to adopt alternative energy without excessive cost and without unwanted government intervention. To deliver on this, the government should pursue an “all of the above” energy strategy as it strives for scientifically based cleaner energy choices, protects our energy infrastructure, and ends reliance on sources of energy from hostile and unreliable nations.

RELEVANT PRESS RELEASES:

See Monique’s Position on the Fix Our Forests Act

Monique DeSpain Says Val Hoyle’s Failure to Oppose BOEM Wind Farm Leases Stunning

DeSpain Calls Out Val Hoyle For Failing Her Constituents as Offshore Wind Near Coos and Curry Counties Moves Forward

Monique speaks out on proposal to prohibit natural gas in new homes

Elected representatives of the American people have a legal and moral obligation to make all of their business of government, the business of the people, transparent and accountable to the people they serve. When elected, I commit to sharing all of my votes and my reasons behind them for all the public to see. I will ask the tough questions in relentless pursuit of the truthful, factual answers, followed by prompt and deliberate action. I will apply my experienced investigative eye, and my knowledge of the law, to expose wasteful spending. Much like my work as a military and private sector lawyer, I will fight to eliminate discrimination, corruption, and cronyism, expose conflicts of interest, and bring an end to the careers of pay-to-play career politicians, starting with our corrupt Congresswoman Val Hoyle. For more details, visit WhatsValHiding.com

RELEVANT PRESS RELEASES:

Monique DeSpain Reacts to News of FEC Complaint Filed Against Val Hoyle by Voter Alleging Unlawful Personal Use of Campaign Funds

Monique DeSpain Brings New Val Hoyle Lies About Her Pay-to-Play Scheme to the Attention of US DOJ in Letter to US Attorney for Oregon

Don’t Believe the Lies - Val Hoyle Is Under Federal Investigation for An Illegal Grant to La Mota Non-Profit That She Authorized, Supported, and Lobbied For

Monique DeSpain Calls on Val Hoyle to Resign Over Damning Text Messages with La Mota CEO

Breaking News in Hoyle Investigation: New Emails Reveal Val Hoyle Planned and Orchestrated Illegal La Mota Grant, Monique DeSpain Responds

Monique DeSpain Applauds News that Feds Expand Investigation into Hoyle’s BOLI Grant to La Mota

Monique DeSpain Announces WhatsValHiding.com Website Laying Out Details of Val Hoyle’s Corrupt Dealings with La Mota, Calls on US Attorney to Investigate

DeSpain Blasts Hoyle for Gross Neglect, Failed Leadership in 2nd BOLI Racial Discrimination Claim

As a 30-year retired Air Force Colonel with a top-secret security clearance, the importance of America’s national security, both domestically and abroad, remains a top priority for me. ‘Peace through strength’ is proven to be key to deterring conflict and attacks on America and our interests and is proven to secure and safeguard lasting peace and prosperity. Our military must be vigilant, ready, and able to fight and win 24/7. Readiness includes maintaining our high technology advantage over adversaries and preparing for new and developing 21st Century threats, which includes investments in cyber capabilities and defenses. While I acknowledge the right of allies to defend themselves from terrorists or hostile regimes who seek to invade them, I oppose blank checks for foreign assistance without accountability for all DoD expenditures and foreign aid. Americans are entitled to transparency and accountability of their government and entitled to know where and how their money is being spent.

RELEVANT PRESS RELEASES:

Monique DeSpain Urges House Republicans to Combine H.R. 2 Secure The Border Act with Senate Passed Foreign Aid Bill, Send Back to Schumer

I am an adherent to the U.S. Constitution, and therefore, I support and will continue to defend our individual right to self-protection and our right to keep and bear arms under the 2nd Amendment. I support reasonable measures to separate the mentally ill from weapons while respecting the Constitutional rights of law-abiding citizens.

Our election system, like any aspect of our government, must be secure, accurate, and transparent. It is absolutely essential to our democratic process of one person, one vote. This includes requiring a photo ID to vote, updated and accurate voter registration records, and vote tallying by controlled and certified machines and software that are made in America.

RELEVANT PRESS RELEASES:

Monique DeSpain Hammers Val Hoyle for Voting Against Bipartisan Bill to Prevent Illegal Immigrants from Voting In U.S. Elections This Fall

Monique DeSpain Skewers Val Hoyle for Desperate Border Letter to Biden and Her Census Vote

China is our foremost strategic adversary, and our government must remain vigilant and aggressive in maintaining strength and readiness every moment of every day. That is what China is doing. Our federal government needs bold astute leadership in every elected position to include all Congressional representatives. National security is a core function of our federal government. Having served as a senior leader in our military for 30 years, I understand the threat China poses to our nation, our freedom, and our prosperity. I vow to continue to put American interests first. Always. I will work to hold the Chinese Communist Party and its leadership accountable for their hostile invasive actions and end their technology theft, cyber warfare, trade exploitation, currency manipulation, institutional infiltration, and military aggression.

It is essential to peace on earth that America stands against terrorism and stands proudly and strongly with her allies, including Israel. America should and must defend herself against all enemies, and I support all nations in defending themselves against attacks on their people and their sovereign lands. When elected, I will ensure that Israel and her enemies never doubt that America will stand for Israel and against terrorism. This clear rejection of terrorism will also deter similar terrorist attacks on our homeland.

RELEVANT PRESS RELEASES:

DeSpain Denounces Hoyle for Refusal to Condemn Anti-Semitism, Calls on Her to Return Anti-Israel Donations