December 2, 2025 | A Doctor in Congress: Maxine Dexter on her first 11 months & the health care standoff in Washington, D.C.

The future of Oregonians’ health care faces unprecedented uncertainty as Congress battles over insurance subsidies, access and funds for vital programs. In this Oregon Health Forum conversation, Congresswoman Maxine Dexter, a physician, joins Nick Budnick, editor-in-chief of The Lund Report, to give her prognosis of the turmoil in Washington, D.C. and what it means for Oregon.​

A Conversation Between

U.S. Rep. Maxine Dexter, M.D.

Representative, Oregon District 3

One year ago, Dr. Maxine Dexter was elected to represent Oregon’s 3rd Congressional District, which includes most of Multnomah County, Northeastern Clackamas County, and all of Hood River County.

A mother of two, Dexter serves on the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee, including the Subcommittees on Health and Disability Assistance, focusing on health care and benefits for veterans. She is also a member of the Congressional Doctors Caucus, the Mental Health Caucus and the Addiction, Treatment and Recovery Caucus, among others.

Raised in Washington state, Dexter obtained her MD from the University of Washington School of Medicine before moving to Portland. For more than 15 years she practiced as a lung and critical care physician at Kaiser Permanente. She also became the first woman to serve as chair of the board of directors of Northwest Permanente, P.C., a medical group comprising more than 1,300 physicians and other providers.

Starting in 2020, she was a state lawmaker representing the 33rd House District, covering parts of Northwest Portland and Washington County. In Salem, she chaired the House Housing and Homelessness Committee, spearheading efforts to prevent overdose deaths and boost funding to reduce homelessness.

AND

Nick Budnick

Editor-in-Chief, The Lund Report

​Budnick has served as editor-in-chief of The Lund Report, the nonprofit newsroom covering health care in Oregon and southwest Washington, for four years. Previously, he worked in newsrooms in California and Oregon, including Willamette Week, Portland Tribune, Bend Bulletin and the Oregonian/OregonLive. His work has been recognized by Investigative Reporters and Editors, Best of the West and a Sunshine Award from the national Society of Professional Journalists.

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