Jama Blames Trump Policies for Weak Outlook as Oregon Lawmakers Brace for Tighter Budget
Oregon Senate Majority Leader Kayse Jama said the state’s latest revenue forecast shows slowing wages and rising household costs, blaming Trump-era tariffs and shutdown impacts.
Salem, OR. — Oregon Senate Majority Leader Kayse Jama said Wednesday that the state’s newly released economic and revenue forecast reflects “real-time impacts” of national policy shifts on working households, citing slowed wage growth and rising living costs.
The quarterly outlook, issued by the State of Oregon’s Chief Economist, shows continued economic expansion but with softer wage gains and persistent inflationary pressure in essential categories such as food and utilities. The report also notes greater uncertainty stemming from incomplete federal data caused by disruptions during the recent federal government shutdown.
In a statement, Jama argued that federal trade and tax policies are contributing to the strain on Oregon’s trade-dependent economy. “President Trump’s attacks on working families are playing out in real time with slowed wage growth coming up against rising prices for food and utilities,” he said. He also pointed to “spite-driven tariffs” he described as the highest in decades, saying they add disproportionate challenges for export-oriented states.
Jama added that Oregon Senate Democrats will focus on preserving core state services as they prepare for the 2025–27 biennium. “Today’s economic analysis shows us we’re right to be leading where national Republicans won’t: toward living-wage jobs, and an affordable cost of living for everyone, not just those at the top,” he said.
Legislative budget leaders are expected to use the forecast to revise revenue assumptions ahead of the upcoming session, with both parties acknowledging tighter margins than in previous years.
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I don’t think he knows where to place blame on the economic situation the state is in. He’s too biased to acknowledge that blame lies fully on the governor and his fellow law makers. They’ve made economic conditions worse through the years, by implementing wasteful spending on policies and programs, they’ve hiked up regulations and fees, driving out businesses, which also resulted in Oregon’s population decline. The Oregon state government is a socialist mess and needs to be gutted and replaced with sensible minds, dedicated to empowering the middle class.