Bentz, Cliff

Cliff Bentz has represented Oregon's 2nd congressional district in the U.S. House since 2021, making him currently the sole Republican in Oregon's congressional delegation. Born in 1952, Bentz built a career as a lawyer specializing in agricultural, water, and real property law at a law firm in Ontario, Oregon, where he became partner in 1980. He also operates a 100-acre alfalfa farm. Before his election to Congress, Bentz served in the Oregon legislature for a decade, including time in the state House and Senate, where he was appointed to fill vacancies rather than elected to those initial positions.

In Congress, Bentz serves on the House Committee on Energy and Commerce and the House Committee on Natural Resources, with specific focus on water, wildlife, fisheries, and federal lands issues. His committee work reflects his longstanding expertise in water resources, developed through his earlier service on the Oregon Water Resources Commission from 1988 to 1996, where he served as chair. His legislative priorities align with his professional background and district interests, including bills addressing flood insurance, wilderness protection in Oregon, and gray wolf management in the Pacific Northwest.

Bentz's political career has been marked by strong positions on environmental regulation. In 2019 and subsequent years, he participated in Republican state senate boycotts in Oregon designed to block votes on climate change legislation, including a cap-and-trade proposal. This stance reflects the conservative approach to environmental policy that characterizes much of his legislative record at both state and federal levels.