Bentz & DeRemer Accountability Teams
Affectionately known as BAT (Bentz Accountability Team) and DRAT (DeRemer Accountability Team), these groups focus on holding Oregon's two MAGA Members of Congress accountable. Cliff Bentz, OR-2, and Lori Chavez DeRemer, OR-5, vote with the MAGA faction of the Republican Party at least 95% of the time, even though they both claim to be "moderate." They aren't moderate, and their votes and statements, as well as their refusal to speak out against the most extreme members of their party, prove it. BAT and DRAT are committed to tracking their votes, their donors, their stance on the issues, their committee work, and their public statements, or in many cases, failure to make public statements about issues that matter to Oregonians. We use social media campaigns and events to publicize what we learn, and we regularly contact Bentz's and DeRemer's offices to urge them to take various actions to promote the well-being of their constituents and our democracy. When they don't, we contact them again and let them know how disappointed we are with their actions or failure to act.
Be sure to check out our new Tell The Truth Lori research page. Both before and after she was elected to represent ORD5, Lori Chavez-DeRemer has tried to trick people into thinking that she is a “moderate, sensible” Republican.
Fact checking Lori is a full-time job! Here's just a few of the doozies she's told when she thought she could get away with it. Here's a list of her flip flops. And check out this article in the Capital Chronicle about Lori's flip-flops on Reproductive Rights. We can't let her hoodwink Oregonians.
Don’t be fooled!
Instead, compare what she says (or fails to say) with what she does, what she supports, what she votes for.
Lori votes with Marjorie Taylor Greene 90% of the time.
She is endorsed by the NRA and National Right to Life.
She has an F rating from Progressive Punch.
She is MAGA through and through
To find out about Lori's real positions on issues that matter and why she is a "MAGA and not a moderate," check out our new list of Lori's Mega-MAGA Votes.
Follow BAT & DRAT on Social Media
Rep Bentz and Rep DeRemer have been making some pretty disappointing choices, and we like to make sure their constituents know about it. Here are some recent examples of bad votes.
Both Cliff and Lori voted for HR 1, a horrible anti-climate bill that would further subsidize the fossil fuel industry and roll back the incredible progress made by the Biden Administration on popular climate-first solutions. Fortunately, the Senate won't pass this bill to fast-track mining and relax toxic waste standards.
Both Cliff and Lori voted for HR 5, misnamed the "Parents Bill of Rights," which opens the door for more extreme censorship of educational content, book banning, and ignites more divisiveness over sexual orientation and gender identity. Once again, this bill will not survive a more sensible Senate vote, but still....how embarrassing that an Oregon Rep voted for it.
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BAT/DRAT Monday Messages
You can also use our Monday Messages to post on social media or write a Letter to the Editor (LTE) of your local newspaper. Check out some of the LTE's our BAT/DRAT team members have submitted below.....
If you live in District 2 or 5, please consider signing up for the BAT / DRAT to get our Monday Messages. Each Monday, you will receive an email with some talking points about a particular hot topic for the week. You can use this messaging and research to send a postcard, make a phone call, or write an email to your Representative, Bentz or DeRemer. We know that when legislators receive multiple messages on the same topic, they are more likely to take notice and pay attention. Here are some recent examples of our Monday Messages:
LTEs - Letters to the Editor
Turn the Monday Messages, or any other topic you want voters to know about) into a Letter to the Editor of your local newspapers. New to writing LTEs? We're here to help with some tips and links to your local newspapers for submitting LTEs online. And check out some of the LTE's submitted below, calling out Bentz and DeRemer for their disservices to their constituents. If you write an LTE and it get's published, email us at or.bat.drat@gmail.com and let us know so we can share it far and wide!
Mary Chaffin
Sisters Nugget 8-2-23
Our Congresswoman, Lori Chavez-DeRemer, claims that “without opinions from constituents, [she] would not be able represent Oregon's 5th congressional district best.” Yet she has turned a deaf ear to repeated requests that she hold in-person, unscripted town halls throughout the District. In May, a group of constituents visited Chavez-DeRemer’s Redmond office to present a letter signed by 46 voters in CD5 asking for in-person, unscripted town halls. We received no response. Read More
Mary Chaffin
Bend Source Weeklly 8-10-23
Representative Lori Chavez-DeRemer tries to portray herself as a bipartisan moderate. She's not. Did you know that Chavez-DeRemer:
Is a climate-denying member of the Conservative Climate Caucus who believes that we have "the next couple hundred years" to deal with climate issues? She voted for H.R. 1 which would expand mining and fossil fuel production while repealing important elements of the Biden Administration's desperately overdue climate legislation. Read More
Joe Yetter
Hermiston Herald 5-24-23
Strike two, Rep. Cliff Bentz.
Twice now, you have voted to injure veterans. That's two strikes too many. How on Earth can you look any veteran in the eye? Ever?
You are the elected United States representative for Oregon’s 2nd Congressional District — more than 70% of Oregon’s land area. You represent the thousands of veterans living in this vast district, the families and friends who love them and every American citizen here who respects and honors their service. You did not serve in the military; you did manage to avoid serving during the Vietnam War era. Read More
Stephen Thiroux
Ashland News 4-21-23
The Sandy Hook mass shooting occurred over 10 years ago. This tragedy, where 20 innocent children, the school principal and psychologist and four teachers were slaughtered, is horrifying enough. That so little has been done in the way of meaningful gun safety legislation since the massacre occurred is an unforgivable burden that we all bear. As the lead crime scene investigator at Sandy Hook says, “We’re pretending things aren’t the way they are.” Read More
Gayle Stemler
Bend Source 5-11-23
I was extremely disappointed that our CD5 rep, Lori Chavez-DeRemer, voted to support MAGA legislation in regard to the debt ceiling. It is a reckless piece of legislation that would hurt, among many others: Veterans, Seniors, Hungry children, Lower-income people with serious health issues. Republicans are playing political games ... Read More
Mary Chaffin
Oregon Capital Chronicle 4-12-23
Oregon’s newly-redrawn Congressional District 5 has a new representative, Republican Lori Chavez-DeRemer, who has started to cultivate the image of a reasonable, moderate member of the Republican party. She is trying to reflect the “toss-up” character of the district, as Randy Stapilus said in a recent commentary. But anyone who closely follows both her statements and her actions can see that they are diametrically opposed.... Read More
Norm Cimon
LaGrande Observer 9-13-22
It was disappointing to find out that Congressman Bentz failed to vote for the Inflation Reduction Act. It’s inconceivable that a bill benefiting all of us in Eastern Oregon and rural residents across the country ... Read More
Debi Ferrer
Columbia Gorge News 8-31-22
After attending Cliff Bentz’s Town Hall in The Dalles Thursday, I am even more disturbed by his representation of CD2. I had the opportunity to ask him about his recent interview on Newsmax regarding the FBI search carried out (legally) at Trump’s Florida home.... Read More
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