A Democrat candidate in an Oregon swing district touted that she worked “on the border” in a recent debate and that she supports border security. However, her record reflects a different story.
The candidate, Janelle Bynum, is running for Oregon’s 5th congressional district, which is currently represented by Republican Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer.
In the recent debate, Bynum said: “I worked on the border for six years, I worked on the border…human trafficking is an issue. We know that drug trafficking is also an issue…in my time working there, we also know that the border is a function of our economy. We have to protect it, but we have to make sure there is the free flow of goods and services to make sure that our economy is strong. I worked there. I understand what borders are like. It’s not this free for all,” Bynum claimed, despite the fact that illegal border crossings spiked astronomically after President Joe Biden took office.
Bynum serves in the Oregon State Legislature, where she has signed off on several pieces of legislation pushing for open border policies. This includes promoting “sanctuary” policies to protect illegal aliens living in the states.
In 2021, Bynum voted in support of legislation that worsened the state’s sanctuary policy, according to the Center for Legislative Accountability. This bill was known as the “Sanctuary Promise Act."
In 2019, Bynum voted for legislation that prohibited courts from asking defendants about their immigration status “at any point during criminal proceedings,” per the Center for Legislative Accountability.
In 2022, Bynum voted for SB 1542, which “establishes a program that will award grants to organizations such that they may provide free legal services to illegal immigrants,” the Center for Legislative Accountability noted.
In addition, Bynum has voted for bills allowing driver’s licenses for illegal aliens, as well as voting in favor to make illegals eligible for Medicaid. Not to mention, she voted to remove the term “alien” to refer to illegals and replace it with “noncitizen.”
“Extreme politician Janelle Bynum’s claims are as phony as her voting record is extreme. While she claims the border is not a ‘free for all,’ Bynum’s been handing out taxpayer-funded freebies to illegal migrants like candy,” Ben Petersen, spokesperson for the National Republican Congressional Committee, told Townhall.