WASHINGTON, Aug. 1 -- Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer, R-Oregon, issued the following news release: Reps. Lori Chavez-DeRemer (OR-05) and Greg Stanton (AZ-04) have introduced bipartisan legislation to ensure communities impacted by extreme heat receive timely federal assistance. The Heat Management Grant Assistance Act (H.R. 9092) would amend the Stafford Act to provide federal assistance for extreme heat events and create a special federal grant program for local communities to access needed resource  more

WASHINGTON, Aug. 2 -- Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Oregon, chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, issued the following statement on the tax cuts for children and families, and small businesses, on Aug. 1, 2024: * * * In a few minutes the Senate will vote on the Tax Relief for American Workers and Families Act. There's been a lot of discussion and debate this week. I'll make just a few final points. Republicans are talking a lot these days, trying to convince Americans that they're the ones who suppo  more

WASHINGTON, Aug. 1 -- Sen. Michael F. Bennet, D-Colorado, issued the following news release: Senators Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), and Jeff Merkley (D-Oregon) and U.S. Representatives Yadira Caraveo (D-Colo.) and Gabe Vasquez (D-N.M.) welcomed the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) announcement of $400 million to address drought through investments at the irrigation district scale in 12 states across the American West. "Family farmers, water users, and communities a  more

WASHINGTON, July 31 -- Rep. Suzanne Bonamici, D-Oregon, issued the following news release: DC [7/31/24] This week Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR) introduced legislation to help prevent borrowers from defaulting on their student loans. The Streamlining Income-driven, Manageable Payments on Loans for Education (SIMPLE) Act would automatically enroll struggling borrowers in income-driven repayment (IDR) plans to make repayment more affordable. IDR has been proven to help student loan borrow  more

WASHINGTON, July 30 -- Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Oregon, issued the following news release: This week, U.S. Senator Ben Cardin (D-Md.), Chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, along with Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), Jim Risch (R-Idaho.), Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), and Todd Young (R-Ind.) sent a bipartisan letter to Secretary of State Antony Blinken and USAID Administrator Samantha Power urging them to develop a proac  more

WASHINGTON, July 30 -- Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer, R-Oregon, issued the following news release: Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer (OR-05) has been named a 2024 Hero of Main Street by the National Retail Federation. The recognition is given to lawmakers who work to advance policies that help create a vibrant and healthy retail sector. Retail is the nation's largest private-sector employer, driving the U.S. economy and creating jobs in communities across the country. "I'm honored to be recognized as a 'Her  more

WASHINGTON, July 31 -- Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Oregon, issued the following news release: Legislation would keep school libraries open at schools that serve free summer meals (Rochester, N.Y.)--Today, Congressman Joe Morelle (D, NY-25) and Senator Jeff Merkley (D-OR) announced action to combat summer learning loss--which is especially prevalent in low-income communities. Their legislation, the Summer Meals and Learning Act, establishes a grant program to keep school libraries open that serve as s  more

WASHINGTON, Aug. 1 -- Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Oregon, chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, issued the following news release: * * * The Tax Relief for American Workers and Families Act was introduced by Chairman Wyden and Chairman Smith of the House Ways and Means Committee in January. The House passed the bill on January 31st with 357 votes in favor, including 188 Democrats. The first procedural vote on the bill will occur on Thursday, August 1st. By expanding the child tax credit, the bill w  more

WASHINGTON, July 29 -- Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Oregon, issued the following news release: Funding included in fiscal year 2025 government funding bills champion programs and projects to expand affordable housing and transportation options, support renewable energy and energy storage, grow economic development, and more. Oregon's U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley, as a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, announced he secured critical investments in Oregon transportation, affordable housing, ec  more

WASHINGTON, July 31 -- Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Oregon, issued the following news release: Oregon's U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley today introduced the Fighting Fibers Act of 2024 to address microfiber pollution from clothing. Scientists estimate millions of tons of microfibers enter the ocean every year--making textiles the largest known source of marine microplastic pollution. The Fighting Fibers Act focuses on one of the most significant sources of this pollution: our laundry. "We know microplastics  more

WASHINGTON, Aug. 1 -- Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Oregon, issued the following news release: Today, Oregon's U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley--along with Senators Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) and Ron Wyden (D-OR)--introduced the Recharge your Electric Car on the Highway to Alleviate Range Gaps Effectively (RECHARGE) Act. Currently, locations for electrical vehicle (EV) charging stations along interstate highways are limited by federal law that constrains commercial activity at federal highway rest areas. The REC  more

WASHINGTON, July 30 -- Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Oregon, issued the following news release: Oregon's U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden announced today that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is awarding the Lower Columbia Estuary Partnership (LCEP) $909,000 for the implementation of their Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan (CCMP). The CCMP aims to improve water quality, protect natural habitats, and support infrastructure for increased public use in the lower Columbia   more

WASHINGTON, July 29 -- Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Oregon, issued the following news release: Oregon's U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden announced today that the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is awarding $17,364,442 to the state under the Airport Improvement Program (AIP). "Oregon's airports connect communities across our state to the rest of the world--supporting local businesses, transporting goods, connecting travelers to world-class recreational opportunities, and providing essenti  more

WASHINGTON, July 29 -- Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Oregon, issued the following news release: Oregon's U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden announced that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is awarding $577,943 to the Confederated Tribes of Coos, Lower Umpqua and Siuslaw Indians (CTCLUSI) for programs to address environmental and public health concerns related to pollution. "Communities need accurate information on water and air quality to quickly identify and address any problems,"   more

WASHINGTON, July 31 -- Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Oregon, issued the following news release: Oregon's U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden today announced that the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) is awarding $2,916,635 to the Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde to support the construction of 8 housing units, increasing the number of housing units available to Tribal families. "Ensuring access to safe, affordable housing is critical to Tribal families, fostering communit  more

WASHINGTON, Aug. 2 -- Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Oregon, issued the following news release: USDA's New Water Savings Commodity Program Follows Call from Oregon, Colorado, New Mexico, California, Arizona, Nevada, & Montana Lawmakers in April Oregon's U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden welcomed the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) announcement of $400 million to address drought through investments at the irrigation district scale in 12 states across the American West. The Central Oregon I  more

WASHINGTON, July 31 -- Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Oregon, issued the following news release: Oregon's U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley delivered a speech this week on the Senate floor to call attention to the urgent United States Postal Service (USPS) issues impacting Oregonians. His speech focused on the first-hand stories of Oregonians who rely on the Postal Service for everything from the delivery of lifesaving medications to running their small businesses to staying connected with loved ones. "Postmast  more

WASHINGTON, Aug. 2 -- Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Oregon, issued the following news release: Oregon's entire Congressional delegation--U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden, alongside U.S. Representatives Earl Blumenauer, Suzanne Bonamici, Val Hoyle, Andrea Salinas, Lori Chavez-DeRemer, and Cliff Bentz--sent a letter to U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack urging approval of Oregon Governor Tina Kotek's request for a disaster declaration for Oregon counties facing devastating wildfires. The lawma  more

WASHINGTON, Aug. 2 -- Rep. Suzanne Bonamici, D-Oregon, issued the following news release: Oregon's entire Congressional delegation--U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden, alongside U.S. Representatives Earl Blumenauer, Suzanne Bonamici, Val Hoyle, Andrea Salinas, Lori Chavez-DeRemer, and Cliff Bentz--sent a letter to U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack urging approval of Oregon Governor Tina Kotek's request for a disaster declaration for Oregon counties facing devastating wildfires. The l  more

WASHINGTON, Aug. 2 -- Rep. Earl Blumenauer, D-Oregon, issued the following news release on Aug. 1, 2024: Today the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) unveiled new resources to assist agencies in accessing federal funding and technical assistance to support critical modernization efforts of legacy highways. Sometimes referred to as orphan highways or "stroads," legacy highways are former U.S. numbered highways that have outlived their useful life, putting pedestrians, cyclists, and their co  more

WASHINGTON, Aug. 3 -- Rep. Earl Blumenauer, D-Oregon, issued the following news release on Aug. 2, 2024: Today, Congressman Earl Blumenauer (D-OR) founder and co-chair of the Congressional Cannabis Caucus, released the following statement on the Department of Health and Human Services' (HHS) overdue report on federal barriers to researching marijuana. The report was mandated by Blumenauer's Medical Marijuana and Cannabidiol Research Expansion Act (MMCREA), which was signed into law in 2022. The  more

WASHINGTON, Aug. 1 -- Rep. Val Hoyle, D-Oregon, issued the following statement on July 31, 2024: * * * Today, U.S. Representative Val Hoyle (OR-04) released the following statement: "Today's decision by the Fed not to lower interest rates is wrong and does nothing to ease the financial burden put on working families. I joined my colleagues earlier this year in calling on the Fed to lower interest rates. Unnecessarily high interest rates punish working families, threatening the wages and jobs   more

WASHINGTON, Aug. 1 -- Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Oregon, chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, issued the following statement on supporting tax cuts for families and children, affordable housing and small businesses on July 31, 2024: * * * If I started the work day with the opportunity to help 16 million kids from low-income families ... make us more competitive with China ... build affordable housing for hundreds of thousands of Americans ... and pay for it all by cracking down on fraud ... I'd co  more

WASHINGTON, July 31 -- Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Oregon, chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, issued the following hearing statement on the local economic development tools, on July 30, 2024: * * * The Finance Committee meets this morning to discuss smart tax policies aimed at building up local economies. Right now, the U.S. economy is red hot. Inflation is down, wages are up, and the country is in a record streak of low unemployment. Manufacturing is booming. Factories are under construction all  more

WASHINGTON, Aug. 2 -- Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Oregon, chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, issued the following news release on Aug. 1, 2024: U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., and U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., today introduced bipartisan legislation to address the persistent shortage of health professionals. The bill, the Health Workforce Innovation Act, provides federal support for innovative, community-led partnerships to educate and train more health care workers, especially in rural   more

WASHINGTON, Aug. 2 -- Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Oregon, chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, issued the following statement on Aug. 1, 2024: * * * Senate Finance Committee Chair Ron Wyden, D-Ore., today issued the following statement after Senate Republicans blocked debate on the Tax Relief for American Workers and Families Act: "Sixteen million kids will be worse off and half a million will remain in poverty because Senate Republicans decided they'd rather wait around and hope Trump wins in Nov  more

WASHINGTON, Aug. 1 -- Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Oregon, issued the following news release: Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley today announced a federal investment of $4 million for wastewater infrastructure improvements in the City of Independence. "Continuing to improve Oregon's critical infrastructure, while also creating good-paying local jobs adds up to a big win in my book," Wyden said. "Oregonians deserve to raise their families in healthy environments while being able to make a living in th  more