WASHINGTON, June 20 -- Rep. Peter A. DeFazio, D-Oregon, chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, issued the following news release: After more than 24 hours of debate that included the consideration of 177 amendments, the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure approved the Investing in a New Vision for the Environment and Surface Transportation in America (INVEST in America) Act. The INVEST in America Act, the key piece of the House Democrats' infrastruct  more

WASHINGTON, June 19 -- Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Oregon, issued the following news release: After more than a month of inaction since the U.S. House of Representatives passed major legislation to address the ongoing health and economic crisis caused by the coronavirus, Oregon's U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley led a group of 19 senators in urging Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell to bring the Health and Economic Recovery Omnibus Emergency Solution (HEREOS) Act to the Senate floor for a debate and vote  more

WASHINGTON, June 20 -- Rep. Peter A. DeFazio, D-Oregon, chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, issued the following news release: Chair of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure Peter DeFazio (D-OR) and Congressman Tom Malinowski (D-NJ) responded to the U.S. Department of Transportation's (DOT) finalization of the rule to transport liquefied natural gas (LNG) by rail tank car. "Of all the ways the Trump administration seeks to put profits over peop  more

WASHINGTON, June 19 -- Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Oregon, issued the following statement on June 18 after the Supreme Court struck down President Trump's attempt to end the DACA program: "Today's decision reaffirms the important protections of the DACA program, and demonstrates for once and for all that President Trump and Stephen Miller's efforts to punish DREAMers and get rid of DACA were not just morally wrong but also legally wrong. DREAMers are members of virtually every community throughout our  more

WASHINGTON, June 19 -- Rep. Earl Blumenauer, D-Oregon, issued the following news release: Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-OR), a senior member of the House Ways and Means Committee, introduced bipartisan legislation that calls for $120 billion restaurant stabilization grant program designed to help independent restaurants deal with the long-term structural challenges facing the industry due to COVID-19 and ensure they can reemploy 11 million workers. H.R. 7197, The Real Economic Support That Acknowle  more

WASHINGTON, June 19 -- Rep. Suzanne Bonamici, D-Oregon, issued the following statement on June 18 regarding the Supreme Court's decision restoring the DACA program in the case of Homeland Security Department vs. Regents of the University of California: "The Supreme Court's decision today restores protections for young people that never should have been stripped away. The attempt by Donald Trump and his Administration in 2017 to terminate the DACA program left me anguished for the children and y  more

WASHINGTON, June 15 -- Rep. Suzanne Bonamici, D-Oregon, issued the following news release: Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR) called on the Oregon Health Authority to clarify recent guidance intended to allow COVID-19 testing for people who identify as belonging to a community of color even if they are asymptomatic. Bonamici said she was alarmed to read a story in the Oregonian about a Latinx couple in Washington County who was denied COVID-19 testing at two hospitals, reportedly because th  more

WASHINGTON, June 18 -- Rep. Peter A. DeFazio, D-Oregon, chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, issued the following opening remarks on June 17 during the markup of the Investing in a New Vision for the Environment and Surface Transportation in America Act: Today, the Committee meets to consider H.R. 2, the "Investing in a New Vision for the Environment and Surface Transportation in America (INVEST in America) Act." America's surface transportation infrastructure is  more

WASHINGTON, June 17 -- Rep. Greg Walden, R-Oregon, issued the following news release: Representative Greg Walden (R-Hood River) sent a letter to the Oregon Employment Department (OED) Interim Director David Gerstenfeld, urging action and answers on the growing number of unemployment cases in Oregon. Walden started the letter by emphasizing that over 486,700 Oregonians have been forced to file unemployment and lack of action from OED has left many Oregonians in despair. "The COVID-19 pandemic   more

WASHINGTON, June 19 -- Rep. Greg Walden, R-Oregon, issued the following op-ed published in the Washington Examiner: Representatives Greg Walden (R-OR), Doug LaMalfa (R-CA), and former Oregon State Senator Cliff Bentz published an op-ed in The Washington Examiner ahead of the Supreme Court of the United States' upcoming decision on whether or not to grant review of Baley v. United States (Baley), a case that involves bedrock principles of Western law, federalism, and the Fifth Amendment. Baley   more

WASHINGTON, June 20 -- Rep. Greg Walden, R-Oregon, ranking Republican member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, issued the following news release: U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee Republican Leader Greg Walden (R-OR) and Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee Chairman Roger Wicker (R-MS) released principles for a legislative framework to expand broadband access and digital opportunity and close the digital divide. This framework would serve as a foundation for l  more

WASHINGTON, June 20 -- Rep. Greg Walden, R-Oregon, ranking Republican member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, issued the following news release on June 18: Today, the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) released a report on the National Disaster Medical System (NDMS). The NDMS is made up of thousands of responders that support local response efforts to natural disasters, large events that could yield an emergency, or other emergency situations. NDMS is managed by the Office o  more

WASHINGTON, June 20 -- Rep. Greg Walden, R-Oregon, ranking Republican member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, issued the following remarks at a Health Subcommittee hearing entitled "Health Care Inequality: Confronting Racial and Ethnic Disparities in COVID-19 and the Health Care System" on June 19: The last few months have been an unprecedented and challenging time. Americans all over the country are raising their voices to raise long overdue awareness to the systematic challenges fa  more

WASHINGTON, June 17 -- Rep. Earl Blumenauer, D-Oregon, issued the following news release: Reps. Earl Blumenauer (OR-03), Matt Cartwright (PA-08), and Mike Levin (CA-49) led a group of 180 lawmakers to request economic relief for the clean energy industry, which has been severely hit by the COVID-19 crisis. The clean energy industry, which includes renewable energy, clean vehicles, energy efficiency, and energy storage, employed 3.4 million people before the pandemic, two thirds of whom worked   more

WASHINGTON, June 19 -- Rep. Greg Walden, R-Oregon, issued the following news release: Representatives Greg Walden (R-OR) and Ann Kuster (D-NH) introduced a bipartisan bill that would provide relief to small private rural water utilities and prevent increases in housing costs in rural communities where affordable housing is already a challenge. An identical bill was introduced in the Senate by Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH). Traditionally, when a housing development is built, the developer will   more

WASHINGTON, June 19 -- Sen. Patrick J. Leahy, D-Vermont, issued the following news release: After more than a month of inaction since the U.S. House of Representatives passed major legislation to address the ongoing health and economic crisis caused by the coronavirus, Oregon's U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) Wednesday led a group of 19 senators, including Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), in urging Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell to bring the Health and Economic Recovery Omnibus Emergen  more

WASHINGTON, June 18 -- Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Oregon, issued the following statement: Oregon's U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley released the following statement after President Trump signed the Uyghur Human Rights Policy Act into law, strengthening the United States' commitment to investigating and responding to the Chinese government's human rights abuses against Uyghur Muslims within China. Merkley is a cosponsor of the legislation, and, as a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, he succes  more

WASHINGTON, June 16 -- Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Oregon, issued the following statement on June 15 after the Supreme Court issued a ruling upholding the rights of LGBTQ Americans to be free from discrimination in the workplace: In 2013, Senator Merkley led the Senate in passing bipartisan legislation to ban employment discrimination against LGBTQ Americans, but unfortunately, the U.S. House of Representatives failed to take up that legislation. * * * "Today's ruling is an important victory for LGB  more

WASHINGTON, June 17 -- Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Oregon, issued the following news release: Oregon's U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley, along with 38 of his Senate colleagues, is urging congressional leadership to ensure that any upcoming coronavirus relief bill includes strong provisions to expand access to quality and affordable health care coverage in the wake of this public health crisis. In their letter, the senators called for a bipartisan effort to increase the federal government's share of Medicaid   more

WASHINGTON, June 17 -- Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Oregon, issued the following news release on June 16: Oregon's U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley, U.S. Senator Susan Collins (R-ME), U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), and U.S. Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ)--along with Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee Ranking Member Patty Murray (D-WA), Senate Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), and Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-NY)--are leading a call for Senate Major  more

WASHINGTON, June 17 -- Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Oregon, issued the following news release: U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden announced he is co-sponsoring legislation that would ensure whistleblower protections for people who expose misuse of government funds intended to combat the COVID-19 pandemic. "Whistleblowers play a key role in sounding the alarm whenever there's wrongdoing by scam artists and cheaters scheming to cover up their tracks," Wyden said. "This bill extends essential whistleblower protections to   more

WASHINGTON, June 17 -- Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Oregon, issued the following news release: U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden announced he is co-sponsoring legislation that would provide additional transparency and accountability to the federal government's COVID-19 small business relief efforts. "Oregon is overwhelmingly a small business state, and it's essential those small businesses powering our state's economy get the help they need to weather the financial storm touched off by coronavirus," said Wyden, rankin  more

WASHINGTON, June 20 -- Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Oregon, issued the following news release: U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden introduced legislation that would help nonprofits, state and local governments and federally recognized Tribes remain financially viable during the COVID-19 pandemic. "Nonprofit groups like food banks have been critical in helping their communities in Oregon and nationwide through the pandemic and economic crisis," Wyden said. "Many are struggling to maintain services as they have been force  more

WASHINGTON, June 18 -- Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Oregon, ranking Democratic member of the Senate Finance Committee, issued the following statement at a hearing on President Trump's 2020 trade policy agenda on June 17: This is our fourth annual hearing on the Trump trade agenda, which means it's the fourth time the committee will hear a familiar old routine about Trump getting tough on China and protecting American jobs everywhere - the president cracking down once and for all, big changes right around   more

WASHINGTON, June 18 -- Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Oregon, ranking Democratic member of the Senate Finance Committee, issued the following statement in response to reported revelations in ex-National Security Advisor John Bolton's book regarding President Trump's political interference on behalf of Turkey: "Reporting on John Bolton's book confirms that Donald Trump attempted to interfere in a criminal investigation into the largest sanctions violations scheme in U.S. history as a favor to Turkish Preside  more

WASHINGTON, June 16 -- Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Oregon, ranking Democratic member of the Senate Finance Committee, issued the following statement after the Food and Drug Administration announced it is withdrawing its emergency use authorization for hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine as a prevention and treatment for COVID-19: "The FDA withdrew an emergency use authorization that never should have been issued in the first place. By ignoring science and caving to political pressure from the White House,  more

WASHINGTON, June 19 -- Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Oregon, ranking Democratic member of the Senate Finance Committee, issued the following statement: Senate Finance Committee Ranking Member Ron Wyden, D-Ore., released the following statement in response to a troubling new report by the Office of Inspector General at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) finding that the Office of Refugee Resettlement's (ORR) incident reporting system for sexual abuse is ineffective: "ORR has a moral and stat  more

WASHINGTON, June 19 -- Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Oregon, ranking Democratic member of the Senate Finance Committee, issued the following news: Senate Finance Committee Ranking Member Ron Wyden, D-Ore., outlined several steps the committee should take this year to address systemic racism in the nation's health care system and the economy as a whole. "The Finance Committee must leverage its expansive jurisdiction and influence to dismantle the significant racial and ethnic disparities that are embedded   more

WASHINGTON, June 17 -- Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Oregon, issued the following news release: Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., asked Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe to explain what steps he is taking to improve the cybersecurity of some of the nation's most sensitive secrets, held by federal intelligence agencies, after Wyden obtained a damning CIA report on cybersecurity failures that led to "the largest data loss in CIA history." Wyden, a senior member of the Senate Intelligence Committee, obt  more

WASHINGTON, June 19 -- Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Oregon, issued the following statement on June 18 in response to the Supreme Court ruling on DACA: "Dreamers in Oregon and nationwide -- and all of us who stand with them -- just collectively breathed a sigh of relief. "These determined, inspiring, hard-working young people belong in America and deserve the protections promised to them by the U.S. government. "Today's victory is even more reason for Congress to permanently protect Dreamers from the th  more

WASHINGTON, June 20 -- Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Oregon, issued the following news release: U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden has joined with colleagues to request a Government Accountability Office (GAO) investigation into the use of federal law enforcement, National Guard, and military personnel in response to protests in Washington, D.C., following the killing of George Floyd. "The use of force against Americans on June 1 at Lafayette Square was abhorrent and shocking," Wyden and 13 senators wrote in a letter t  more

WASHINGTON, June 19 -- Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Oregon, issued the following news release: U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden today joined with colleagues in a letter raising serious concerns to the Trump administration about law enforcement tactics that may exacerbate the spread of COVID-19 and further worsen public health disparities as the nation continues battling this pandemic. "This is a critical moment for our nation. How our institutions respond will determine whether the coming weeks and months will lead t  more

WASHINGTON, June 18 -- Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Oregon, ranking Democratic member of the Senate Finance Committee, issued the following news: Senate Finance Committee Ranking Member Ron Wyden, D-Ore., and 11 Finance Committee colleagues pressed the IRS on its failure to audit high-income taxpayers who did not file tax returns. These taxpayers failed to pay an estimated $45.7 billion over three years. The letter was signed by U.S. Senators Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, Michael F. Bennet, D-Colo., Robert P. C  more

WASHINGTON, June 16 -- Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Oregon, issued the following news release: U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., urged Congress and state governments to act immediately to protect American elections and voters by expanding vote-by-mail and addressing COVID-19 related concerns ahead of the 2020 election this November. Wyden also highlighted the myriad issues that struck Georgia elections last week due to a lack of preparation by state officials and Republican obstruction in Congress and at t  more

WASHINGTON, June 19 -- The Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee issued the following information for a virtual hearing: "The Role of the Strategic National Stockpile in Pandemic Response" at 10 a.m. on June 24: Witnesses: * Julie L. Gerberding, M.D., Former Director (2002-2009) of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services * Daniel M. Gerstein, PH.D., Senior Policy Researcher, RAND Corporation * W. Gregory Burel,   more

WASHINGTON, June 19 -- Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, issued the following joint statement with Rep. Ron Wyden, D-Oregon, on the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development negotiations regarding taxation of the digital economy: "We strongly encourage OECD member countries to abandon plans for digital services taxes on U.S. businesses and to continue working toward an agreement on a more realistic timeline given the COVID-19 crisis. We support   more

WASHINGTON, June 18 -- Sen. Charles E. Grassley, R-Iowa, issued the following joint statement with Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Oregon, on the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development negotiations regarding taxation of the digital economy: "We strongly encourage OECD member countries to abandon plans for digital services taxes on U.S. businesses and to continue working toward an agreement on a more realistic timeline given the COVID-19 crisis. We support Treasury continuing to negotiate on t  more

WASHINGTON, June 19 -- Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Oregon, issued the following news release: Oregon's U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley and Senator Cory Gardner (R-CO) announced Senate passage of their bipartisan resolution reaffirming the importance of the Young Southeast Asian Leaders Initiative (YSEALI) to advancing the policy of the United States in the Indo-Pacific Region. "Southeast Asia is one of the most dynamic regions of the world, home to hundreds of millions of people who will be pivotal in addr  more

WASHINGTON, June 17 -- Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Oregon, issued the following news release: Oregon's U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden announced that Josephine County will receive a $2.3 million grant to help the county's public transit through the ongoing COVID-19 crisis. The funding is authorized by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, which Congress passed in March. "Transit continues to support essential workers and provide access to vital services as our communi  more

WASHINGTON, June 17 -- Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Oregon, issued the following news release: Oregon's U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden announced that Josephine County will receive a $2.3 million grant to help the county's public transit through the ongoing COVID-19 crisis. The funding is authorized by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, which Congress passed in March. "Transit continues to support essential workers and provide access to vital services as our comm  more

WASHINGTON, June 16 -- Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Oregon, issued the following news release: Oregon's U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden today announced that Chemeketa Community College will receive a federal grant of over $273,000 to help support a hands-on workforce training initiative preparing students for jobs in the nurseries industry. While learning through hands-on experience, students will also conduct research and share results with local industry leaders, benefitting Oregon's nurseri  more

WASHINGTON, June 16 -- Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Oregon, issued the following news release: Oregon's U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden announced that Chemeketa Community College will receive a federal grant of over $273,000 to help support a hands-on workforce training initiative preparing students for jobs in the nurseries industry. While learning through hands-on experience, students will also conduct research and share results with local industry leaders, benefitting Oregon's nurseries busine  more

WASHINGTON, June 16 -- Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Oregon, issued the following news release: Oregon's U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden announced nearly $2 million in grants to plan for development along new light rail corridors in the Portland metro area. Metro regional government received $1.2 million to plan for development along the proposed 12-mile Southwest Corridor Light Rail project, and TriMet received $700,000 to plan for development on the proposed 7.8-mile extension of the MAX Red  more

WASHINGTON, June 16 -- Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Oregon, issued the following news release: Oregon's U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden announced nearly $2 million in grants to plan for development along new light rail corridors in the Portland metro area. Metro regional government received $1.2 million to plan for development along the proposed 12-mile Southwest Corridor Light Rail project, and TriMet received $700,000 to plan for development on the proposed 7.8-mile extension of the MAX Red Li  more

WASHINGTON, June 17 -- Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Oregon, issued the following news release: Oregon's U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden, along with 19 of their colleagues, are requesting that Department of Justice Inspector General Michael Horowitz open an investigation into the conduct of Attorney General William Barr and the Department of Justice in directing the use of force against peaceful protestors around Lafayette Square on June 1, 2020. The senators also called on the Inspector General   more

WASHINGTON, June 17 -- Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Oregon, issued the following news release: Oregon's U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden, along with 19 of their colleagues, are requesting that Department of Justice Inspector General Michael Horowitz open an investigation into the conduct of Attorney General William Barr and the Department of Justice in directing the use of force against peaceful protestors around Lafayette Square on June 1, 2020. The senators also called on the Inspector Gener  more

WASHINGTON, June 19 -- Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Oregon, issued the following news release: U.S. Senators Ron Wyden, D-Ore., and Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., condemned a reported plan by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to annex parts of the West Bank, in violation of international law. "As steadfast supporters of a negotiated two-state solution, we are very concerned by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's stated intention to annex parts of the West Bank. "We oppose unilateral actions by ei  more

WASHINGTON, June 19 -- Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Oregon, issued the following news release: U.S. Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley announced that Salem Area Mass Transit District will receive more than $15.6 million to support operations and other costs during the COVID-19 crisis. The funding is authorized by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act that Congress passed in March. "Oregonians depending on mass transit need public transportation during COVID-19 and beyond for co  more

WASHINGTON, June 19 -- Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Oregon, issued the following news release: U.S. Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley announced that Salem Area Mass Transit District will receive more than $15.6 million to support operations and other costs during the COVID-19 crisis. The funding is authorized by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act that Congress passed in March. "Oregonians depending on mass transit need public transportation during COVID-19 and beyond for commu  more

WASHINGTON, June 18 -- Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Oregon, issued the following news release: U.S. Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley welcomed Senate passage of the Great American Outdoors Act to provide mandatory permanent and full funding for the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF). The legislation also addresses the significant maintenance backlog in national parks and on federal lands. The legislation now advances to the U.S. House of Representatives for consideration. "This watershed conserva  more

WASHINGTON, June 18 -- Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Oregon, issued the following news release: U.S. Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley welcomed Senate passage of the Great American Outdoors Act to provide mandatory permanent and full funding for the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF). The legislation also addresses the significant maintenance backlog in national parks and on federal lands. The legislation now advances to the U.S. House of Representatives for consideration. "This watershed conservatio  more

WASHINGTON, June 19 -- Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Oregon, issued the following news release: U.S. Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley announced that OHSU, NARA Indian Health Clinic in Portland and Northwest Human Services in Salem will receive $760,103 in federal funds to help provide telehealth services during the coronavirus pandemic. "Technology tools like telehealth are proven assets that provide essential help to Oregon's health care heroes and the Oregonians they care for," Wyden said. "Because   more

WASHINGTON, June 19 -- Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Oregon, issued the following news release: U.S. Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley announced that OHSU, NARA Indian Health Clinic in Portland and Northwest Human Services in Salem will receive $760,103 in federal funds to help provide telehealth services during the coronavirus pandemic. "Technology tools like telehealth are proven assets that provide essential help to Oregon's health care heroes and the Oregonians they care for," Wyden said. "Because tel  more

WASHINGTON, June 20 -- Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Oregon, issued the following news release: U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), ranking member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, and Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR), ranking member of the Senate Finance Committee, urged Secretary of the Treasury Steven Mnuchin and Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos to work together to ensure that all eligible students and their families receive their Economic Impact Payment, made available thro  more