Janelle S. Bynum
U.S. Representative, OR, district 5
DemocraticHouse
Positions last updated Oct 12, 2026
- In Congress since
- 2025
- Years served
- 2
- Age
- 51
- Current term ends
- Jan 3, 2027
Source: Biographical Directory of the U.S. Congress (via the public congress-legislators dataset). Photo: official congressional portrait.
Where their record lies
Between the typical Democratic and typical Republican record
Leaning toward the Democratic record
Janelle S. Bynum's record sits 16% of the way from the typical Democratic record to the typical Republican record.
Built from 6 topics that divide the parties. It describes a record of votes and statements, not a person. How this is calculated.
Their record by topic
Further from the center means more agreement with the quiz statement
Each point averages how Janelle S. Bynum votes and what they say on that topic. A topic with no data is left out, not drawn as neutral. The sources are in the sections below.
Where they stand
Each topic is a statement from the quiz. "Agree" means their votes or words line up with it.
Health care
“The federal government should guarantee health coverage for every American.”
Votes: Strongly agree|Says: Strongly agree
Taxes & spending
“Lowering taxes matters more than expanding government services.”
Votes: Strongly disagree|Says: Neutral or unsure
Immigration
“Border security should be the top priority in immigration policy.”
Votes: Neutral or unsure|Says: Neutral or unsure
Climate & energy
“The federal government should require cuts to carbon emissions, even if energy costs rise.”
Votes: No data|Says: Neutral or unsure
Guns
“Federal law should require background checks on all gun sales, including private sales.”
Votes: No data|Says: Agree
Abortion
“Abortion law should be decided by each state, not the federal government.”
Votes: No data|Says: Strongly disagree
Education
“Public school funding should follow students to the school their family chooses, including private schools.”
Votes: Disagree|Says: Disagree
Foreign policy
“The U.S. should keep providing military aid to its allies abroad.”
Votes: Agree|Says: Agree
Votes on key bills
The final vote on each bill Scope tracks (not every vote they have cast). Newest first.
H.R. 1834: Extension of enhanced ACA health insurance subsidies (House vote, 2026)
Voted yesHouse vote, Jan 8, 2026 · Counts toward: Health care
S. 1071: National Defense Authorization Act for fiscal year 2026
Voted yesHouse vote, Dec 10, 2025 · Counts toward: Foreign policy
H.R. 1: 2025 budget law (the One Big Beautiful Bill Act): tax cuts, Medicaid and border spending
Voted noHouse vote, Jul 3, 2025 · Counts toward: Education, Health care, Taxes & spending, Immigration
S. 5: Laken Riley Act (2025)
Voted yesHouse vote, Jan 22, 2025 · Counts toward: Immigration
Source: House Clerk and Senate roll-call records via Congress.gov. For every vote they have cast, see GovTrack.
Words versus votes
Pro preview · free for nowNo topic where votes and statements point in opposite directions (5 topics compared).
A difference is a prompt to look closer, not proof of anything. Votes come from a short list of tracked bills; statements come from speeches, press releases and bills they put their name on. See the evidence for each topic. On 1 more topic one side is neutral, so there is nothing to contrast.
Campaign money
$3.8 million raised in the 2025-2026 cycle
For the 2025-2026 election cycle, through Jun 30, 2026. Who funds a campaign can shape who a member listens to, though it does not decide how they vote.
- Raised
- $3.8 million
- Spent
- $1.1 million
- Cash on hand
- $0
Where the money came from
- Small donors (under $200 each)13%
- Larger individual donors45%
- Political action committees (PACs)30%
- Other12%
Source: Federal Election Commission filings · see top donors on OpenSecrets.
What they work on
9 bills written, 257 signed onto. Top topic: Health
In the current Congress they have written 9 bills and signed on to 257 more. A bill someone writes shows what they want to change.
Topics of the bills they wrote
- Health2
- Taxation2
- Armed Forces and National Security1
- Economics and Public Finance1
- Education1
Most recent bills they wrote
- H.R. 10252: Launching with Healthcare Act (Sep 3, 2026)
- H.R. 4486: Microplastics Safety Act (Aug 24, 2026)
- H.R. 8041: Supporting VA Families Act (Apr 21, 2026)
- H.R. 7245: LIMBER Timber Act of 2026 (Jan 27, 2026)
- H.R. 7205: Application FEES Act (Jan 22, 2026)
Source: Sponsorship records from Congress.gov; each bill links to its page there.
Committees
1 committee: House Committee on Financial Services
Committees study and rewrite bills before the full chamber votes.
House Committee on Financial Services
Subcommittees: Capital Markets; Housing and Insurance
Source: Committee rosters from the congress-legislators dataset (built from the House and Senate committee pages, as of 2026-10-12). Each committee name links to its official page.
Career in Congress
2025 to present
- 2025 to presentU.S. House, OR, district 5Democrat
Contact and learn more
Office phone, website, message form and where to read more
Contact their office
- Official website
- Phone: 202-225-5711
- Washington office: 1508 Longworth House Office Building
- X (Twitter)
Read more about them
- Official biography (Congress) (Biographical Directory of the U.S. Congress)
- GovTrack (Votes, bills and ideology scores)
- OpenSecrets (Who funds them)
- Ballotpedia (Background and elections)
- Wikipedia (Encyclopedia article)
Source: Contact details from the member's official pages, via the congress-legislators dataset. Outside sites are not run by Scope.
The evidence, topic by topic
Every position links to the votes, quotes and bills it was built from
Health care
How they vote
Strongly agree (+2)
Calculated from 2 recorded vote(s) using the public issue-to-bill list.
Verified · Last updated Oct 12, 2026
Roll call on billRoll call on billWhat they say
Strongly agree (+2)
Based on 4 cosponsored bills related to this issue.
Verified · Last updated Oct 8, 2026
cosponsored bill: HR 4849: Protecting Health Care and Lowering Costs Act of 2025cosponsored bill: HR 247: Health Care Affordability Act of 2025cosponsored bill: HR 4406: State-Based Universal Health Care Act of 2025cosponsored bill: HR 3069: Medicare for All ActTaxes & spending
How they vote
Strongly disagree (-2)
Calculated from 1 recorded vote(s) using the public issue-to-bill list.
Verified · Last updated Oct 12, 2026
Roll call on billWhat they say
Neutral or unsure (0)
Based on 1 floor speech related to this issue.
Verified · Last updated Oct 8, 2026
floor speech: MEDICAID CUTS HURT EVERYDAY AMERICANS“who will lose critical care so billionaires can have more money in their pockets”
Immigration
How they vote
Neutral or unsure (0)
Calculated from 2 recorded vote(s) using the public issue-to-bill list.
Verified · Last updated Oct 12, 2026
Roll call on billRoll call on billWhat they say
Neutral or unsure (0)
Based on 2 cosponsored bills related to this issue.
Verified · Last updated Oct 8, 2026
cosponsored bill: HR 1061: Protecting Sensitive Locations Actcosponsored bill: HR 1569: CATCH Fentanyl ActClimate & energy
How they vote
No data
What they say
Neutral or unsure (0)
Based on 1 cosponsored bill related to this issue.
Verified · Last updated Oct 8, 2026
cosponsored bill: HCONRES 44: Recognizing a health and safety emergency disproportionately affecting the fundamental rights of children due to the Trump administration's directives that unleash fossilGuns
How they vote
No data
What they say
Agree (+1)
Based on 1 cosponsored bill related to this issue.
Verified · Last updated Oct 8, 2026
cosponsored bill: HR 18: Bipartisan Background Checks Act of 2025Abortion
How they vote
No data
What they say
Strongly disagree (-2)
Based on 3 cosponsored bills, 1 floor speech related to this issue.
Verified · Last updated Oct 8, 2026
cosponsored bill: HR 8734: To express the Sense of Congress with respect to safety of medication abortion and Federal preemption of State restrictions on dispensing medication abortion, and for other floor speech: TIME TO END THE DAMAGE OF THE DOBBS DECISIONcosponsored bill: HR 4099: Ensuring Women’s Right to Reproductive Freedom Actcosponsored bill: HR 12: Women’s Health Protection Act of 2025“We must protect and expand reproductive freedom for women everywhere.”
Education
How they vote
Disagree (-1)
Calculated from 1 recorded vote(s) using the public issue-to-bill list.
Verified · Last updated Oct 12, 2026
Roll call on billWhat they say
Disagree (-1)
Based on 2 cosponsored bills related to this issue.
Verified · Last updated Oct 8, 2026
cosponsored bill: HR 9289: Keep Public Funds in Public Schools Act of 2026cosponsored bill: HRES 94: Expressing support for the Nation's local public K-12 schools and condemning any actions that would defund public education or weaken or dismantle the Department of EducatioForeign policy
How they vote
Agree (+1)
Calculated from 1 recorded vote(s) using the public issue-to-bill list.
Verified · Last updated Oct 12, 2026
Roll call on billWhat they say
Agree (+1)
Based on 1 cosponsored bill related to this issue.
Verified · Last updated Oct 8, 2026
cosponsored bill: HR 1229: United States-Israel Defense Partnership Act of 2025Revision history
47 recorded changes
- Foreign policy (vote): 1 to 1Bulk approval: AI bill check reviewed and accepted · Oct 12, 2026
- Education (vote): -1 to -1Bulk approval: AI bill check reviewed and accepted · Oct 12, 2026
- Immigration (vote): 0 to 0Bulk approval: AI bill check reviewed and accepted · Oct 12, 2026
- Taxes & spending (vote): -2 to -2Bulk approval: AI bill check reviewed and accepted · Oct 12, 2026
- Health care (vote): 2 to 2Bulk approval: AI bill check reviewed and accepted · Oct 12, 2026
- Taxes & spending (vote): -2 to -2Status changed: verified to needs_review · Oct 12, 2026
- Health care (vote): 1 to 2Status changed: verified to needs_review · Oct 12, 2026
- Education (vote): -1 to -1Status changed: verified to needs_review · Oct 12, 2026
- Immigration (vote): 0 to 0Status changed: verified to needs_review · Oct 12, 2026
- Foreign policy (vote): 1 to 1Status changed: verified to needs_review · Oct 12, 2026
- Foreign policy (vote): 1 to 1Bulk approval: AI bill check reviewed and accepted · Oct 12, 2026
- Education (vote): -1 to -1Bulk approval: AI bill check reviewed and accepted · Oct 12, 2026
- Immigration (vote): 0 to 0Bulk approval: AI bill check reviewed and accepted · Oct 12, 2026
- Taxes & spending (vote): -2 to -2Bulk approval: AI bill check reviewed and accepted · Oct 12, 2026
- Health care (vote): 1 to 1Bulk approval: AI bill check reviewed and accepted · Oct 12, 2026
- Taxes & spending (vote): -2 to -2Status changed: verified to needs_review · Oct 12, 2026
- Education (vote): -1 to -1Status changed: verified to needs_review · Oct 12, 2026
- Immigration (vote): 0 to 0Status changed: verified to needs_review · Oct 12, 2026
- Health care (vote): created at 1Created · Oct 12, 2026
- Foreign policy (vote): created at 1Created · Oct 12, 2026
- Climate & energy (statement): 0 to 0Bulk approval (statements): Spot-checked a sample of the AI's readings · Oct 8, 2026
- Education (statement): -1 to -1Bulk approval (statements): Spot-checked a sample of the AI's readings · Oct 8, 2026
- Foreign policy (statement): 1 to 1Bulk approval (statements): Spot-checked a sample of the AI's readings · Oct 8, 2026
- Abortion (statement): -2 to -2Bulk approval (statements): Spot-checked a sample of the AI's readings · Oct 8, 2026
- Guns (statement): 1 to 1Bulk approval (statements): Spot-checked a sample of the AI's readings · Oct 8, 2026
- Health care (statement): 2 to 2Bulk approval (statements): Spot-checked a sample of the AI's readings · Oct 8, 2026
- Immigration (statement): 0 to 0Bulk approval (statements): Spot-checked a sample of the AI's readings · Oct 8, 2026
- Taxes & spending (statement): 0 to 0Bulk approval (statements): Spot-checked a sample of the AI's readings · Oct 8, 2026
- Taxes & spending (statement): created at 0Created · Oct 8, 2026
- Immigration (statement): created at 0Created · Oct 8, 2026
- Guns (statement): created at 1Created · Oct 8, 2026
- Education (statement): created at -1Created · Oct 8, 2026
- Climate & energy (statement): created at 0Created · Oct 8, 2026
- Foreign policy (statement): created at 1Created · Oct 8, 2026
- Health care (statement): created at 2Created · Oct 8, 2026
- Abortion (statement): created at -2Created · Oct 8, 2026
- Education (vote): -1 to -1Bulk approval: AI bill check reviewed and accepted · Oct 8, 2026
- Immigration (vote): 0 to 0Bulk approval: AI bill check reviewed and accepted · Oct 8, 2026
- Taxes & spending (vote): -2 to -2Bulk approval: AI bill check reviewed and accepted · Oct 8, 2026
- Education (vote): -2 to -1Status changed: needs_review to needs_review · Oct 8, 2026
- Education (vote): created at -2Created · Oct 8, 2026
- Taxes & spending (vote): -2 to -2Status changed: verified to needs_review · Oct 8, 2026
- Immigration (vote): 2 to 0Status changed: verified to needs_review · Oct 8, 2026
- Immigration (vote): 2 to 2Bulk approval: Done · Oct 8, 2026
- Taxes & spending (vote): -2 to -2Bulk approval: Done · Oct 8, 2026
- Immigration (vote): created at 2Created · Oct 7, 2026
- Taxes & spending (vote): created at -2Created · Oct 7, 2026
