Oregon Physicians for Social Responsibility

Background

Oregon Physicians for Social Responsibility was founded in 1980 as a local chapter of the national Physicians for Social Responsibility network, which was founded in the 1960s as an organization mostly focused on opposition to nuclear testing. The group was originally centered in the Portland area and was initially known as Portland Physicians for Social Responsibility. Early efforts centered on the nuclear freeze campaign amid Cold War tensions, with members testifying against weapons buildup and promoting arms reduction treaties and organizing anti-nuclear protests, while promoting petitions and educational outreach on radiation risks. ^{4 5}

By the 1990s, activities broadened to environmental health, opposing nuclear power plants and advocating for toxic waste cleanup in the Pacific Northwest while also citing climate change as a “grave risk to human health.” In the 2000s, Oregon PSR launched the Campaign for Safe Food, scrutinizing genetically modified organisms and synthetic hormone use in agriculture. The 2010s marked a pivot toward climate advocacy, with the formation of the Healthy Climate Program in 2012 to address the effects of conventional fuels on vulnerable communities. ⁶

Activities

Oregon Physicians for Social Responsibility conducts lobbying, public testimony, and coalition work on a variety of left-of-center issues, and maintains a focus on nuclear disarmament, urging an end to weapons testing and stockpile modernization. The group also opposes oil and gas infrastructure, co-leading efforts such as Stand Up to Oil and Power Past Fracked Gas to block pipeline and export terminal projects. The group has also criticized natural gas utility expansions, claiming they also contribute to health disparities. ^{7 8 9}

Additional initiatives include supporting gun-control measures and environmental justice campaigns against waste incinerators and air pollution sources. The group participates in the Fossil Free for Health network and issues statements on federal policies, such as immigration enforcement tactics and military deployments. The organization endorses local clean energy funds and tracks child well-being metrics tied to pollution exposure. ^{10 11 12}

Oregon PSR endorses ballot measures and resolutions advancing left-wing health and environmental goals. In 2020, it backed Measure 108, which set campaign spending limits, and Measure 109, which legalized regulated marijuana sales. The group supported 2022’s Measure 111, which constitutionally established a right to health care, and opposed anti-disclosure initiatives. ^{13 14}

In 2024, the group joined 263 organizations that endorsed a U.S. Congressional resolution “to recognize that access to water, sanitation, electricity, heating, cooling, broadband communications, and public transportation as basic human rights.” ¹⁵

In July 2025, the group joined more than 500 left-of-center organizations in a letter condemning investigations by the U.S. House Homeland Security Committee and U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO) into left-of-center organizations receiving federal grants for a variety of programs on topics including labor and immigration. ¹⁶

Funding

Oregon Physicians for Social Responsibility reported $293,851 in revenue for 2023, mainly from contributions and grants, with expenses of $503,510. ¹⁷ Funders of the group include the Meyer Memorial Trust and Rogue Climate. ^{18 19}