Bynum to Bring Forest Ranger Fired by DOGE to Joint Address

Washington, DC - Today, Congresswoman Janelle Bynum (OR-05)announced that Liz Crandall, a former United States Forest Service Ranger from Bend, OR fired by DOGE, will be her guest for President Trump's Joint Address to Congress. Liz is one of at least 16 Deschutes National Forest employees to lose their jobs due to DOGE's cuts - a decision that undermines public safety and leaves our communities at higher risk of destruction during the next wildfire season.

"I came to Congress to fight for lower costs, better jobs, and an improved quality of life for the people of Oregon," said Rep. Bynum. "The DOGE staffing cuts accomplish none of the above. Our communities are vulnerable to wildfires and after the recent devastation we've seen across the country, the Trump Administration has responded by firing those who help keep us safe. Liz is a dedicated public servant and played a key role in public safety - her firing benefits no one. I urge the Administration to reverse this decision."

"I'm honored to be Rep. Bynum's guest and I look forward to hearing an explanation of how firing me and my colleagues helps anyone," said Crandall. "I served as a Field Ranger, keeping the public safe by supporting wildfire incident command, reporting wildfire incidents, extinguishing hundreds of abandoned campfires, keeping the public out of dangerous areas, and more. Now, my livelihood has been ripped away from me and I fear that the fire season will become worse and worse for our communities. I am asking for my reinstatement and for the guaranteed continued employment of all the public servants that keep us safe."

Rep. Bynum has been active in fighting to keep our communities safe. Last year, a record 1.9 million acres burned in wildfires across Oregon, indicating that large fires are becoming more frequent. To address that, last week Rep. Bynum led the entire Oregon House Democratic delegation in sending a letterto the Secretary of Agriculture and the Secretary of the Interior, urging both department heads to reconsider the ongoing hiring freeze and termination of employees at the United States Forest Service (USFS), National Park Service (NPS), and Bureau of Land Management (BLM).

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