LA GRANDE — Oregon’s U.S. Rep. Cliff Bentz tried to make it through his usual routine Wednesday, Feb. 19, at his town hall in La Grande. But the crowd was not having it.

Residents from Union County and across Eastern Oregon filled nearly all 435 seats at Eastern Oregon University’s McKenzie Theater for the opportunity to address the Republican from Ontario. Even more people packed themselves into the side aisles and stood right outside the theater doors to listen in.

A vocal majority of the audience expressed frustration and anger with President Donald Trump’s executive orders, the firing of thousands of federal workers and the actions of the Elon Musk-led Department of Government Efficiency.

Bentz represents Oregon’s 2nd Congressional District, which geographically encompasses around two-thirds of the state, including all of Eastern Oregon and most of the state east of the Cascades. Bentz is the only Republican member of Oregon’s congressional delegation.

Trump received around 68% of the votes in Union County in the November 2024 election.

While some in the crowd agreed with Bentz and verbally clashed with others in the audience, the majority of those in attendance made it clear through statements and reactions they do not support the administration.

Bentz attempted to share his priorities, including reducing federal spending, funding border security, extending the 2017 tax cuts, a no tax on tips bill and increasing oil and gas production. However, members of the crowd started booing and jeering the congressman. People shouted “Move on,” “We can read” in reference to the slides projected with the information, and told the congressman to get to the Q&A section.

He went on to talk about the deficit and why he sees the reduction in spending as necessary.

The crowd again started shouting “tax Elon,” “tax the wealthy,” “tax the rich” and “tax the billionaires.”

The shouts and boos continued throughout the town hall.

“If you just came to yell, I can leave.” Bentz told the audience.

He pointed out that many of his colleagues are not even holding town halls.

“I’m here to try and speak with you,” he said. “You should be here to speak with me.”

Those in attendance who wanted to officially address Bentz were given a ticket when entering the theater. Tickets were drawn at random.

Over the course of the afternoon audience members kept coming back to two key issues — “Power of the Purse” and the downsizing of the federal government.

Congress is invested with the “power of the purse” meaning that it has the ability to tax and spend public money for the national government. Many members of the audience expressed their concern that Trump usurped this power from Congress.

Bentz responded that Trump is making sure government agencies are “doing what they are meant to be doing” and working to reduce spending. He added the president is trying to make sure the nation doesn’t “go broke.”

“I’m perfectly happy with our president doing his best to exercise his legal power,” Bentz said.

He also told the crowd there are lawsuits challenging the funding freeze and ultimately the courts will determine if the president has this power or not.

Another audience member asked why the decisions for government cuts and layoffs were not put in the hands of the people who know those departments best.

Bentz said there are a considerable number of challenges when it comes to downsizing the government. Those kinds of processes take time, he said, and the people who voted for Trump are tired of waiting.