January 19th, 2026

Ana Godinez spoke passionately about her concerns for the country during the town hall meeting Jan. 18 at LBCC. "It wasn't like this when I was growing up," she said.

‘Am I the only one that cries
​ to see our country the way it is’

Sweet Home woman tells emotional personal story during Merkley-Bynum town hall ​

2nd CHANCE Shelter in Albany was honored with an American flag that flew over the Capitol in Washington. From left are Rep. Janelle Bynum, CHANCE Executive Director Emma Deane, Shelter Director Jon Phelps and Sen. Jeff Merkley.

  Sen. Jeff Merkley and Rep. Janelle Bynum fielded questions about canceled federal grants, ICE, student loan repayment, housing affordability and the confusion and uncertainties of bad Trump Administration policies during their hourlong town hall Jan. 18 at Linn-Benton Community College. But it was Ana Lila Godinez of Sweet Home whose passionate story riveted the crowd at the Russell Tripp Performance Center.
  “Am I the only one that cries to see our country the way it is?” Godinez said through tears. “My parents came here legally from Mexico in the ‘60s. I’m a first generation Mexican (American). I’m so proud. I consider myself a patriot.” But she said it hurts to see how Donald Trump, “this man full of hate and racism” is getting everybody to fight against each other — "divide and conquer.”
  “If the United States fights each other, then we won’t be paying attention to all the stupidity and insanity that’s he’s causing in our world,” she said; “First, Venezuela, then Greenland. He’s getting away with it. … It wasn’t like this when I was growing up.”
  Godinez then talked about personal challenges she has faced. When her middle son was in Army boot camp a decade ago, his wife gave gave birth in Texas to a severely disabled baby girl who was given six weeks to live. The mother couldn’t take care of the baby, so Godinez brought the child to Doernbecher Children’s Hospital in Portland and later adopted her. The girl, who will turn 10 in March, requires constant care.
   Godinez, who does full-time caregiving for the child and has assistance from other caregivers, worries about her health care benefits.” I got a letter that they’re going to cut hours,” she said.
   Her youngest son, who had been one of the caregivers for seven years, committed suicide in 2024 at age 25. “He was gay, he felt he didn’t fit in, he felt our country was not a safe place for him. He’s gone, and he was the one who helped me with the baby this whole time,” she said. And her son who served in the Army has PTSD.
  “What’s going to happen with our health insurance? What’s going to happen to our world.” she said. “The world proceeds, but I feel the war’s coming here now. … This is not the America we were born in. This is not the America my parents came to.”
   America is not a melting pot but a “salad,” she said. “And everything works together. We have our own individuality, our own importance in that salad. … It’s everybody coming together, working together and 
​loving each other as God commands. Love your neighbor as yourself, not just because they’re white, black, gay, straight, bi or trans. He (Jesus) said love each other.”

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Rep. Janelle Bynum and Albany Mayor Alex Johnson listen as Sen. Jeff Merkley makes a point.

  Bynum thanked Godinez for "sharing her story and her truth. … I feel a kinship to your story. We’re actually pretty close in age (Godinez is 56, Bynum turns 51 Jan. 31). This country denied my family rights for years. My mother went to a segregated high school.  Valedictorian but no a place to go. And how you let that much talent go away is the same playbook that the president is playing today with DEI because the assumption is that you’re automatically less than and that you don’t deserve a fair shot even if you’re smart, bright and talented.”
  Bynum talked about the long flights from Washington, D.C. to Portland. "Sen. Merkley is really tall and he sits in coach with the rest of us," she said. "He’s a true champion of the people. He talks to everybody. He’s a great mentor. We get on that plane out of love and our defense for this country and the promises that it is supposed to keep for each each of us. Our country has not been perfect, but we strive to have a more perfect union. That’s the goal.”
   Looking toward Godinez, Merkley said: ‘Twenty million people are paying twice what they (previously) paid on the health care exchange. It really comes down to individual stories. You have presented such a powerful individual story about the carnage that occurs on the end of bad policies. … A good policy can help millions of people. A bad policy can hurt millions of people. What an honor for us to be able to fight for good policies. Right now we have so many bad policies hurting so many people.
  “Thank you for baring your heart and soul with us. It resonated throughout this room because we all have so many individual stories about what’s going wrong.”
                                               ***
   Albany Mayor Alex Johnson emceed the town hall, and LBCC President Lisa Avery gave welcoming remarks. Merkley spotlighted the work of 2nd CHANCE Shelter in Albany and presented Shelter Director Jon Phelps and CHANCE Executive Director Emma Deane with a flag that had been flown over the Capitol in Washington. It was Merkley’s 626th town hall since first taking office in January 2009.
  For videos from the town hall’s 47-minute question-and-answer period, click the links below.

Video: Merkley-Bynum TOWN HALL Q&A Part 1

Video: Merkley: Bynum Town Hall Q&A Part 2