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Congressional Daily Record
This section is a tribute, commemoration, or district-facing statement. It mentions members such as Maxine Dexter.
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May 14, 2026
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Download official House Record PDFReturn to issue contextMs. Dexter of Oregon was recognized to address the House for 5 minutes.)
Ms. DEXTER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the far too short life and legacy of Cayle Tern, a community leader, a fierce advocate for immigrant and refugee families, and a beloved son of east county and of Oregon.
Laos, whose family spent years in a refugee camp before finding safety here.
That story became the foundation of his life's work: ensuring that other immigrant and refugee families had what his family did not, a voice in the decisions of their lives.
He brought that purpose to everything he touched. As civic engagement manager at APANO, he fought tirelessly for Asian-Pacific-American communities across Oregon. He served as president of the Iu-Mien Association of Oregon, board chair of the Asian Pacific Islander Community Coalition of Oregon, a member of the Immigrant and Refugee Community Organization Governance Board, and a board member of the Reynolds School District.
MINTeD, a nonprofit dedicated to uplifting Southeast Asian youth. His commitment was steadfast, and it was genuine.
Laotian and Southeast Asian community members across Oregon, Cayle immersed himself in the effort to protect his neighbors.
city of Portland, and many others to elevate the work we all need to be doing to protect our Laotian and Hmong immigrants in our community from ICE cruelty and lawlessness. He wanted his people to be informed, protected, and seen. That was Cayle.
through laughter, through shared meals and through the simple, powerful act of showing up. He made people feel welcomed and valued, and he understood that community is built through relationship as much as it is through policy.
To his wife, May, his children, and his family: Oregon grieves with you. We stand in firm support of you as you navigate this really treacherous and hard time.
Mr. Speaker, Cayle gave so much to so many, and his legacy lives on in every person he inspired to show up, to organize, and to lead with heart. His legacy calls us forward.
high gas prices
Ms. DEXTER. Mr. Speaker, inflation just jumped to its highest level in 3 years. Gas prices are at a 4-year high, with Oregonians paying an average of $5.35 a gallon. Working families are struggling. They are choosing between filling up their tank and putting food on the table. They are watching their costs go up while their paychecks stay the same.
must be our priority, yet the administration and Republicans are refusing to center the American people. Instead, they are allowing a reckless and unnecessary war in the Middle East to continue, driving up global oil prices, alienating our allies, and creating instability in energy markets and the world's economy.
this war. Today, the House has an opportunity to act. We will vote on a war powers resolution. At a time when Americans are asking us for relief, we should not be prolonging a war that makes their lives more expensive and less stable.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to prioritize caring for working families and to demand an end to the war in Iran.