Jeremy Van Tress

Van Tress was born in Anaheim, California. He served in the United States Army from 2009 to 2018. He earned a bachelor's degree from Brigham Young University-Hawaii in 2007, a master's degree from the University of Hawaii at Manoa in 2009, and a Ph.D. from Walden University in 2020. His career experience includes working as a clinical social worker. He is the president and founder of Smile Inside, Inc., a nonprofit organization that provides clinical social work services online to people living with ALS. In 2019, he was selected as a Pat Tillman Scholar.[1]

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

Dr. Jeremy Van Tress was born and raised in Orange County, California. At 19, Jeremy put his education and collegiate running career on hold to serve a two-year service mission in Chile. The formative experiences during his mission inspired Jeremy’s decision to become a social worker and eventually commission as an officer in the United States Army. After serving honorably for six years in the Joint Special Operations Command and the 82D Airborne Division, Jeremy separated from active military service to become a physician and provide medical care to vulnerable populations. In 2016, he experienced unexplained neurological symptoms later diagnosed as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) a rare progressive neurodegenerative disease likely caused by his military service. Jeremy was medically retired from the US Army Reserves in 2018. A first-generation college graduate, Jeremy holds bachelor’s, master’s, and Doctor of Philosophy degrees in social work from Brigham Young University-Hawaii; the University of Hawaii at Manoa; and Walden University, respectfully. Jeremy is a 2019 Pat Tillman Scholar and the Founder and President of Smile Inside, Inc., a nonprofit that provides counseling and advocacy to people living with ALS. Jeremy resides in Corvallis, Oregon with his college sweetheart, Courtney, and their six children.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

I am a proven and dependable leader who has given a lifetime of service to America and my community. I am a US Army veteran, a pioneer social worker, and the first person since Stephen Hawking to earn a doctoral degree after being diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). My record of service transcends partisan politics.I never intended to run for public office, but the state of our political process has compelled me to defend the constitution and the American way of life, just as I did in the Army. Our country’s legislative process is at a crossroads, and we cannot tolerate the dangerous political rhetoric any longer. I will work tirelessly on bipartisan solutions.As your representative, I will work for the people, not special interest groups and lobbyists. If elected, I will defend freedom and the Constitution, and I will work tirelessly to alleviate the homelessness, civil unrest, unemployment, and high-intensity forest fires that plague Oregon.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Defending liberty and our Constitutional rights, including our right to worship, speech, assembly, press, and bear arms.

Honoring the family unit and the sanctity of human life for the born and unborn. Empowering society by regulating big tech corporations with business models that contribute to addiction, widespread social problems, and civil unrest. Making healthcare more affordable, accessible, and protecting Medicare and Medicaid. Deregulating red tape in the FDA to maximize treatments for ALS and otherterminal and rare diseases.

Securing our borders to prevent family separations, human trafficking, and other national security threats while expanding legal immigration.

Growing a free economy where the taxes are low, debt is low, and when businesses operate with fewer government regulations. Corporate monopolies, however, work against a competitive capitalist economy.

Caring for our veterans who have given so much to our nation and who experience health and financial problems at greater rates than those who did not serve. Their selfless service deserves our respect and gratitude.

Protecting our environment and conserving our wildlife and recreation by creating an economy wherein the fossil fuel and alternative energy industries can compete without killing jobs.

Draining the swamp of corruption in the federal government and realigning the legislative branch to serve the needs of the people instead of lobbyists and special interest groups.

What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?

My leadership mission is to serve others in ways that keep people safe and prosperous and to empower families to thrive. I will strive to live my values as I impact my community and the world. I will be honest and take responsibility when I fall short.

Core Values

Faith-My faith shapes how I see the world and how I treat other people. I believe everyone is created equal and has value and that each person should be treated with dignity, respect, and civility regardless of their views and how they treat me. I have no room in my heart to hate other people. I respect the diversity of God’s children.

Family-My family is my most sacred treasure. I believe families are central to our nation’s future. Cohesive families are the backbone of a productive and civil society.

Empathy-I believe it’s necessary to listen and understand other perspectives to solve society’s most challenging problems.

Selfless Service-I believe that serving a cause greater than myself keeps me grounded in my values. By serving selflessly, I use my power in constructive ways.

Courage-I will carry out my mission and live my core values even when they may not be popular or may have negative consequences.

Integrity-I say what I mean, and I mean what I say. I won’t play politics or mince words. Lies are the seeds of corruption. My integrity and principles—not partisan politics—inform my decision-making. I will never use my constituents as pawns to gain power.

Duty-Just as when I served in the military, I have a duty to defend the constitution as written, not as I wish it to be, against America’s geopolitical adversaries, both foreign and domestic. I also have a duty to uphold the legislative process to amend the Constitution.

Liberty-In the spirit of the Declaration of Independence, I believe in having a limited government rather than government overreach. Our basic human rights for worship, speech, and to bear arms are essential to remaining free from tyranny and oppression.

What qualities do you possess that you believe would make you a successful officeholder?

I try hard to emulate my core values, including faith, my love for family, empathy, selfless service, courage, integrity, duty, and liberty. Living up to those qualities enables me to be the most effective, productive, and compassionate leader possible. Being a social worker has trained me how to be a fierce advocate who understands how to fight for what I believe in with passion and sound reasoning. My service in the Army and my church over the past 20 years instilled in me the importance of being selfless and committed to causes greater than myself. My experiences as a person living with ALS molded my grit and determination to adapt and succeed. I have a unique perspective to bring to Congress in that I went from being homeless in high school and a first-generation college graduate to becoming the first person since Stephen Hawking to earn a Doctor of Philosophy after being diagnosed with ALS. My unique life experiences have given me unshakable strength, resourcefulness, and intellect to understand and empathize with the most vulnerable people in society.

What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?

Members of the House of Representatives have five core responsibilities: lawmaking, representing the people, performing oversight, helping constituents, and educating the public.

What legacy would you like to leave?

Above all, I want to leave a legacy of selfless service that my wife, children, and supporters will be proud of. I want to leave Oregon and America with a legacy of freedom, prosperity, peace, and safety. I want all Americans to have the opportunity for life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness that I have enjoyed throughout my life.

What was your very first job? How long did you have it?

Although I have vivid memories of helping my father with construction jobs when I was as young as 10 years old, my first legal job was pushing carts at Target when I was 16 years old.

What is your favorite book? Why?

"The Screwtape Letters" - CS Lewis. It reminds me of who I would be without my faith in God.

If you could be any fictional character, who would you want to be?

Yoda from Star Wars

What was the last song that got stuck in your head?

"Riser" - Dierks Bently

What is something that has been a struggle in your life?

I have faced and overcome many struggles throughout my life- and I wouldn't change any of them. As a child and adolescent, I experienced abuse, homelessness, and food insecurity. I understand what it is like to be a first-generation college student trying to move up the economic ladder. I have felt what it is like to have my world shattered with a terminal, progressive, and unrelenting disease while trying to raise my family. Each of my challenges has molded me into the leader I am today, which will make me a better representative.

What qualities does the U.S. House of Representatives possess that makes it unique as an institution?

The U.S. House of Representatives is unique in that the number of representatives for each state is determined by the population. As such, the number of representatives for each state will change based on the demographics measured in each census. Additionally, U.S. Representatives serve for two-year terms, thereby making them accountable to the people in elections more frequently than their Senate counterparts.

Do you believe that it's beneficial for representatives to have previous experience in government or politics?

No, I think it's important that members of the House of Representatives be from a diverse array of backgrounds, both personally and professionally. While I think we need more people who served in the military and other service organizations, like AmeriCorps and the Peace Corps, to run for Congress, it's critically important that America's representatives have a wide variety of experience in the public and private sectors. I think the most crucial factors that qualify people to serve in Congress include having a high caliber of moral and ethical integrity, deep values, leadership, personal courage, and a desire for bipartisan solutions.

What do you perceive to be the United States' greatest challenges as a nation over the next decade?

The extent to which social media and the mainstream media bias contribute to widespread addiction, hate, impulsivity, compulsivity, and division in society will surely be one of our country's greatest challenges. America will experience some growing pains over the next decade in terms of how to live peacefully and humanely with the modern artificial intelligence that the big tech social media platforms have created. While these platforms have the potential for a lot of good, if we don’t put these corporations in check, bad actors will leverage them to dismantle governments, undermine democratic elections, empower and embolden autocratic power, crash worldwide economies, exacerbate criminal behavior, disrupt and polarize political systems, destroy relationships, and even change the basis of truth and reality as we know it. I think that kind of power and influence over the world must be regulated and put in check.

If you are not a current representative, are there certain committees that you would want to be a part of?

Armed Services, Veterans Affairs, Appropriations, Homeland Security, Transportation and Infrastructure, and Education and Labor.

Do you believe that two years is the right term length for representatives?

Yes, I do. Two-year terms give balance to the U. S. Senators who serve for 6 years. However, I believe term limits should also be considered to mitigate corruption and to ensure more people have opportunities to serve. Currently, most of our representatives end up serving entirely too long, which feeds into corruption and partisanship.

Is there a particular representative, past or present, whom you want to model yourself after?

Mike Gallagher

The Constitution says that all bills for raising revenue must originate in the House. What role would this power play in your priorities if elected?

While there are certainly moments when our representatives must be courageous and stand for their principles, there must also be bipartisanship in order to get things done. Sometimes, that means that the bills enacted won't always reflect all of my priorities exactly how I want. Above all, I must strive to act in a way that serves my constituents in the most representative way possible.

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