WASHINGTON, Nov. 16 -- Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Oregon, issued the following news release: Washington, D.C. - Congressman Jared Huffman (D-CA-02) and U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley (D-OR) today announced they will re-introduce the Sustainable International Financial Institutions Act of 2023, which would tackle the problem of international financial institutions helping to finance fossil fuel projects that are accelerating the climate crisis. This comes as the global community kicks off a major internat  more

WASHINGTON, Nov. 15 -- Rep. Nanette Barragan, D-California, issued the following news release on Nov. 14, 2023: Today, Congresswoman Nanette Barragan (CA-44), Oregon's U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley, and Representatives Jared Huffman (CA-02) and Jennifer McClellan (VA-04), along with over 60 of their colleagues, sent a bicameral letter to the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) urging the agency to update how it determines if new licenses for liquified natural gas (LNG) exports to non-free, U.S. trade c  more

WASHINGTON, Nov. 16 -- Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Oregon, chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, issued the following news release: U.S. Senators Ron Wyden, D-Ore., Bill Cassidy, R-La., Tim Kaine, D-Va., Thom Tillis, R-N.C., Mark Warner, D-Va., Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, and Tim Scott, R-S.C., called on U.S. Customs and Border Protection to ensure Chinese companies aren't evading U.S. laws against forced labor and costing American jobs, by stepping up oversight and enforcement pro  more

WASHINGTON, Nov. 15 -- Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Oregon, issued the following news release: WASHINGTON, D.C.--Today, Congressman Earl Blumenauer and Senator Ron Wyden, along with Senator Jeff Merkley, reintroduced the Wy'east Tribal Resources Restoration Act. The legislation directs the U.S. Forest Service to partner with the Confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs to develop a co-management plan for agreed-upon Treaty Resource Emphasis Zones. The legislation would establish one of the first placed-bas  more

WASHINGTON, Nov. 13 -- Rep. Suzanne Bonamici, D-Oregon, issued the following news release: Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici announced that Aashna Nanal, a senior at Westview High School, won the 2023 Congressional App Challenge for Oregon's First Congressional District. Her app, AP Course Picker, helps high school students navigate the selection of Advanced Placement (AP) courses. After gathering information about the user's interests, strengths, and goals through a series of questions, AP Cours  more

WASHINGTON, Nov. 14 -- Rep. Suzanne Bonamici, D-Oregon, issued the following news release: Washington, DC - In recognition of National Apprenticeship Week, Representatives Suzanne Bonamici (OR-1), Henry Cuellar, Ph.D. (TX-28), Donald Norcross (NJ-1), and Debbie Dingell (MI-6) introduced the Apprentice-Related Child Care (ARCC) Act. The bill would establish a child care stipend pilot program available to Americans enrolled in Registered Apprenticeships and Pre-Apprenticeship programs. The legis  more

WASHINGTON, Nov. 17 -- Rep. Suzanne Bonamici, D-Oregon, issued the following news release: Representatives Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR), Mark Takano (D-CA), Jamaal Bowman (D-NY), and Jahana Hayes (D-CT) led 23 colleagues in calling for language imposing so-called "parental rights" requirements on public schools run by the Department of Defense to be removed from the proposed National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2024 (FY24). "This section would impose burdensome, unnecessary, an  more

WASHINGTON, Nov. 14 -- Rep. Suzanne Bonamici, D-Oregon, issued the following news release: Washington, D.C. - Representatives Suzanne Bonamici, D-Ore., David Valadao, R-Calif., and Elissa Slotkin, D-Mich, along with Senate Finance Committee Chair Ron Wyden, D-Ore., and Ranking Member Mike Crapo, R-Idaho, introduced legislation today to help farmers fight through trade barriers and sell more fruits, vegetables and other specialty crops in foreign markets. The Specialty Crops Reporting on Oppor  more

WASHINGTON, Nov. 16 -- Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer, R-Oregon, issued the following news release: WASHINGTON, D.C. - Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer (OR-05) recently cosponsored H.R. 6224, the They're Fast, We're Furious Act led by Reps. Brittany Pettersen (CO-07) and Michelle Steel (CA-45). From Bend to Portland, illegal street racing has caused a number of deaths and endangered Oregonians across the state. This bipartisan proposal seeks to address reckless speeding and illegal street racing by establish  more

WASHINGTON, Nov. 14 -- Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer, R-Oregon, issued the following news release: WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer (OR-05) voted in favor of H.R. 6363, a stopgap resolution that would prevent a government shutdown on November 18 and provide other critical program extensions. The House passed the bill on a bipartisan vote of 336-95, and it now heads to the U.S. Senate for consideration. "Over the last several months, I've been focused on finding common ground to a  more

WASHINGTON, Nov. 15 -- Rep. Cliff Bentz, R-Oregon, chairman of the House Natural Resources Subcommittee on Water, Wildlife and Fisheries, issued the following statement on Nov. 14, 2023: * * * The Subcommittee on Water, Wildlife and Fisheries held a legislative hearing on four bills improving access to public waters, addressing maintenance needs of our aging irrigation infrastructure, reauthorizing important groundwater monitoring programs and ensuring federal power agencies will be able to up  more

WASHINGTON, Nov. 15 -- Rep. Cliff Bentz, R-Oregon, issued the following statement on Nov. 14, 2023: * * * Today, Congressman Cliff Bentz (OR-02) issued the following statement on the impeachment inquiry into Secretary Mayorkas. "There is no question that Secretary Mayorkas has failed to carry out his duties as cabinet secretary and has put the America people at serious and decades long risk. His implementation of the Biden border policies has resulted in the worst mass illegal migration into   more

WASHINGTON, Nov. 16 -- Rep. Val Hoyle, D-Oregon, issued the following statement on Nov. 14, 2023: * * * Today, U.S. Representative Val Hoyle (OR-04) shared the following statement following her vote in support of a Continuing Resolution to keep the federal government open through January and February 2024. "I voted in support of this Continuing Resolution (CR), which temporarily extends federal government funding to protect vital programs and benefits that Oregonians rely on, without making a  more

WASHINGTON, Nov. 14 -- Sen. Mike Crapo, R-Idaho, issued the following news release: Washington, D.C.--U.S. Senate Finance Committee Ranking Member Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) and Chair Ron Wyden (D-Oregon) introduced legislation today to help farmers fight through trade barriers and sell more fruits, vegetables and other specialty crops in foreign markets. Representatives David Valadao (R-California), Elissa Slotkin (R-Michigan) and Suzanne Bonamici (D-Oregon) will introduce the House companion legisl  more

WASHINGTON, Nov. 16 -- Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Oregon, issued the following news release: Washington, DC - Senators Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Ben Cardin (D-MD), Jeff Merkley (D-OR) and 38 additional senators today urged Senate Appropriations Committee Chair Patty Murray (D-WA) and Vice-Chair Susan Collins (R-ME) to reject controversial anti-environment policy provisions that House Republicans have slipped into several of their FY2024 appropriations bills. These policy "riders" typically do not af  more

WASHINGTON, Nov. 16 -- Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Virginia, issued the following news release: WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, U.S. Senator Tim Kaine joined Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and Ron Wyden (D-OR) in introducing the Lori Jackson-Nicolette Elias Domestic Violence Survivor Protection Act to protect domestic violence survivors from gun violence. The bill was named in honor of Lori Jackson of Connecticut and Nicolette Elias of Oregon, who tragically lost their lives to gun violence when they were   more

WASHINGTON, Nov. 15 -- Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Oregon, issued the following news release: Washington, D.C. - Today, Oregon's U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley, along with Senators Angus King (I-ME), John Fetterman (D-PA), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Tina Smith (D-MN), Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), sent a letter to the General Services Administration (GSA) urging the utilization of mass timber in federal building projects. The Senators are also inquiring the agency about its process on integrating  more

WASHINGTON, Nov. 14 -- Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Oregon, issued the following news release: Oregon's U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley, along with Representatives Jared Huffman (D-CA-02), Nanette Barragan (D-CA-44), and Jennifer McClellan (D-VA-04), sent a bicameral letter along with over 60 of their colleagues to the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) urging the agency to update how it determines if new licenses for liquefied natural gas (LNG) exports to non-free, U.S. trade countries are in the public intere  more

WASHINGTON, Nov. 13 -- Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Oregon, issued the following news release: Washington, D.C. - Oregon's U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley, along with Senator Whitehouse (D-RI) and Representative Jared Huffman (D-CA-02), are urging U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken to embrace strong action to combat plastic pollution at the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC)'s session on plastic pollution starting today in Nairobi. In a letter to the Secretary sent leading up to the summit, th  more

WASHINGTON, Nov. 16 -- Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Oregon, issued the following news release: Washington, D.C. - Oregon's U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden announced today the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is investing $31,768,530 million across seven Oregon projects and programs to reduce toxics in fish and water, address climate chaos, and help restore the health of the Columbia River Basin. The federal investments come from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law's historic $79 milli  more

WASHINGTON, Nov. 16 -- Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Oregon, issued the following news release: Washington, D.C. - Oregon's U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden announced today the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is investing $31,768,530 million across seven Oregon projects and programs to reduce toxics in fish and water, address climate chaos, and help restore the health of the Columbia River Basin. The federal investments come from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law's historic $79 million   more

WASHINGTON, Nov. 14 -- Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Oregon, issued the following news release: Oregon's U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden announced a total of $2,366,528 in U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) Program investments are heading to Clackamas, Douglas, Lane, Linn-Benton, Malheur, and Marion counties. "As the affordable housing crisis continues to impact Oregon families in every corner of the state, I am encouraged to see these counties   more

WASHINGTON, Nov. 17 -- Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Oregon, chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, issued the following news release on Nov. 16, 2023: Senate Finance Committee Chair Ron Wyden, D-Ore., along with Senators Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I. and Angus King, I-Maine, today led colleagues in introducing legislation to close the carried interest loophole and ensure hedge fund managers and private equity CEOs pay their fair share in taxes. "Our nation's tax code is riddled with loopholes that give a  more

WASHINGTON, Nov. 14 -- Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Oregon, chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, issued the following statement at a hearing on Oct. 25, 2023, entitled "Exploring Paid Leave: Policy, Practice, and Impact on the Workforce": * * * The Finance Committee meets this morning to talk about a pressing issue - paid leave. Why are we holding this hearing? Because low- and middle- income workers are falling through the cracks - people like construction workers, nurses, or cashiers who are tryi  more

WASHINGTON, Nov. 14 -- Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Oregon, chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, issued the following statement at a hearing on Nov. 9, 2023, entitled "Examining How the Tax Code Affects High-Income Individuals and Tax Planning Strategies": * * * This Congress the Senate Finance Committee has investigated a number of tax schemes that the very wealthy - with the help of armies of high-priced tax lawyers and accountants - use to pay virtually no federal tax for years on end. Today, we  more

WASHINGTON, Nov. 14 -- The Senate Finance Committee issued the following testimony by Peoria Gardens Inc. President Ben Verhoeven, involving a hearing on Oct. 25, 2023, entitled "Exploring Paid Leave: Policy, Practice, and Impact on the Workforce": * * * Good morning Chairman Wyden, Ranking Member Crapo and members of the Senate Committee on Finance: Hello there. I'm Ben Verhoeven. I'm a second generation farmer and nursery owner. I run a family owned greenhouse in rural Albany, Oregon. I'm p  more

WASHINGTON, Nov. 15 -- Sen. Mike Crapo, R-Idaho, ranking member of the Senate Finance Committee, issued the following news release on Nov. 14, 2023: U.S. Senate Finance Committee Ranking Member Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) and Chair Ron Wyden (D-Oregon) introduced legislation today to help farmers fight through trade barriers and sell more fruits, vegetables and other specialty crops in foreign markets. Representatives David Valadao (R-California), Elissa Slotkin (R-Michigan) and Suzanne Bonamici (D-Or  more

WASHINGTON, Nov. 15 -- Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Oregon, chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, issued the following news release on Nov. 14, 2023: Senate Finance Committee Chair Ron Wyden, D-Ore., and Ranking Member Mike Crapo, R-Idaho, introduced legislation today to help farmers fight through trade barriers and sell more fruits, vegetables and other specialty crops in foreign markets. Rep. Suzanne Bonamici, D-Ore., Rep. David Valadao, R-Calif., and Rep. Elissa Slotkin, D-Mich., will introduce the  more

WASHINGTON, Nov. 14 -- The Senate Judiciary Committee issued the following information for an executive business meeting at 10 a.m. on Nov. 16, 2023, at 216 Hart Senate Office Building: AGENDA I. Subpoena Authorization * Authorization for Subpoenas Relating to the Supreme Court Ethics Investigation II. Nominees * Mustafa Taher Kasubhai, to be United States District Judge for the District of Oregon * Eumi K. Lee, to be United States District Judge for the Northern District of California *   more

WASHINGTON, Nov. 13 -- Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Oregon, issued the following news release: WASHINGTON, D.C. - This week, Senator Peter Welch (D-Vt.) and Senators Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), and Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) sent a letter to U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Thomas Vilsack and U.S. Agency for International Development Administrator (USAID) Samantha Power t  more

WASHINGTON, Nov. 16 -- Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Oregon, issued the following news release: Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden along with Senate colleagues has sent a letter to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration requesting an update on the implementation of critical road safety provisions for Oregon and the country in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. "Last year, nearly 43,000 people died in motor vehicle crashes. While this number represents a slight decrease from 2021 -- the   more

WASHINGTON, Nov. 15 -- Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Oregon, issued the following news release: Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley today announced a nearly $400,000 federal grant to LeapFrog Designs in Bend to develop a nature-based treatment technology to reuse onsite non-potable graywater. Graywater is wastewater from sources like kitchen sinks, bathtubs, showers and washing machines that do not include human waste. "Smart and effective solutions to water shortages generated by   more

WASHINGTON, Nov. 15 -- Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Oregon, issued the following news release: Washington, D.C. -U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley today issued the following statement on the White House nomination of Multnomah County Circuit Court Judge Amy M. Baggio for a seat on the U.S. District Court in Oregon. "Judge Baggio's experience in our state both on the Multnomah County Circuit Court and as a public defender at the federal and local levels add up to an extremely qualified candidate  more

WASHINGTON, Nov. 15 -- Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Oregon, issued the following news release: Washington, D.C. -U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley today issued the following statement on the White House nomination of Multnomah County Circuit Court Judge Amy M. Baggio for a seat on the U.S. District Court in Oregon. "Judge Baggio's experience in our state both on the Multnomah County Circuit Court and as a public defender at the federal and local levels add up to an extremely qualified candidate fo  more

WASHINGTON, Nov. 17 -- Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Oregon, issued the following news release: Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley today announced that the South Coast Development Council, Inc. in Coos Bay has secured a $300,000 federal investment to nurture local tech-based start-ups. "This federal investment in the South Coast will generate jobs, innovation and economic activity that will ripple out for years to come," Wyden said. "I'm gratified that key business, education and   more