WASHINGTON, Aug. 6 -- Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Oregon, issued the following news release on Aug. 5: U.S. Sens. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., and Cory Booker, D-N.J., today introduced legislation to create thousands of living wage jobs in rural America as these communities continue to grapple with unique and devastating economic challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic. The 21st Century Conservation Corps Act builds on a recent Wyden bill and a recent Booker bill and supports rural economies by investing in job t  more

WASHINGTON, Aug. 6 -- Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Oregon, issued the following news release on Aug. 5: Oregon's U.S. Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley today introduced legislation to create thousands of living wage jobs in rural America as these communities continue to grapple with unique and devastating economic challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic. The 21st Century Conservation Corps Act builds on a recent Wyden bill and a recent Booker bill and supports rural economies by investing in job traini  more

WASHINGTON, Aug. 7 -- Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Oregon, issued the following news release on Aug. 6: U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., today pressed the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) and U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) on the agencies' sustained use of tear gas against peaceful protesters in Portland, Ore., following reports that a number of Oregonians have reported irregularities in their menstrual cycles after being tear gassed. In a letter, Wyden demanded Attorney General William Barr and   more

WASHINGTON, Aug. 8 -- Rep. Peter A. DeFazio, D-Oregon, chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, issued the following news release on Aug. 7: Today, Chair of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure Peter DeFazio (D-OR) and Chair of the Subcommittee on Aviation Rick Larsen (D-WA) released the following statements after the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) fulfilled their request for a copy of a 2019 survey of FAA employees about the agency's safety   more

WASHINGTON, Aug. 6 -- Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Oregon, issued the following news release on Aug. 5: Oregon's U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley, together with a working group of Senate Democrats, today is pushing Senate and House leadership to include the Force to Fight COVID-19 joint proposal in the upcoming COVID-19 relief package. The proposal includes a variety of health and social service workforce bills, including two bills led by Merkley--a bill that would establish a national contact tracing strateg  more

WASHINGTON, Aug. 7 -- Rep. Suzanne Bonamici, D-Oregon, issued the following news release on Aug. 6: Last night, the Congressional Progressive Caucus Center and Act.TV hosted Dispatch from the Frontlines: Standing Together to Demand Safe Schools, a tele-town hall viewed by more than 125,000 people, discussing how the federal government must respond to keep students and teachers safe if schools are reopened in the fall, while making sure that regardless, all students--regardless of where they liv  more

WASHINGTON, Aug. 5 -- Rep. Suzanne Bonamici, D-Oregon, issued the following news release on Aug. 4: Today Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR) spoke before the Oversight and Reform Committee's Subcommittee on Civil Rights and Civil Liberties Roundtable discussion titled "The Bill of Rights in the Balance: The Deployment of Federal Troops Against the American People." A panel of Oregonians--Senator Lew Frederick, protestor Mark Pettibone, veteran Christopher David, and ACLU Interim Legal Dire  more

WASHINGTON, Aug. 6 -- Rep. Suzanne Bonamici, D-Oregon, issued the following news release on Aug. 5: Today, Congresswomen Suzanne Bonamici (OR-1) and Katherine Clark (MA-5), Vice Chair of the House Democratic Caucus, joined with Reps. Rosa DeLauro (CT-3), Richard Neal (MA-1), Danny K. Davis (IL-7), Marcia L. Fudge (OH-11), Jahana Hayes (CT-5), Jimmy Panetta (CA-20) and 59 other members of Congress to call for the inclusion of both the Child Care is Essential Act and the Child Care for Economic R  more

WASHINGTON, Aug. 5 -- Rep. Suzanne Bonamici, D-Oregon, issued the following news release: Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici, Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley, and Representatives Peter DeFazio and Earl Blumenauer called on the U.S. Department of Education to rescind a rule that would take up to $11,310,291 from Oregon public schools and redirect it to private schools, calling it unlawful, unfair, illogical, and impossible. The Representatives and Senators responded to an interim final rule f  more

WASHINGTON, Aug. 8 -- Rep. Peter DeFazio, D-Oregon, issued the following news release on Aug. 7: Rep. Peter DeFazio (OR-04) today introduced the Crisis Assistance Helping Out On The Streets (CAHOOTS) Act, legislation that will reduce violence in mental health crisis response and strengthen community-based mental health resources. The bill is the House companion to legislation introduced by Senator Ron Wyden. "For decades, Eugene's White Bird Clinic's innovative CAHOOTS program has led the way  more

WASHINGTON, Aug. 4 -- Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler, R-Washington, issued the following news release: Today, Congresswoman Jaime Herrera Beutler sent a letter to newly-selected Interstate Bridge Replacement Project Administrator Greg Johnson pledging her support for an I-5 bridge project that meets Southwest Washington's needs and benefits the thousands of residents who commute and live on both sides of the Columbia River. "Replacing the bridge must be a cooperative effort between Washington stat  more

WASHINGTON, Aug. 5 -- Rep. Peter DeFazio, D-Oregon, issued the following news release: Rep. Peter A. DeFazio (OR-04) Tuesday led 130 other Members of Congress in sending a letter to Speaker Pelosi requesting strong support for the United States Postal Service in forthcoming COVID-19 relief legislation. "Now more than ever, the U.S. Postal Service is an essential agency to millions of Americans," said Rep. DeFazio. "However, it is currently under attack from Donald Trump because of the Preside  more

WASHINGTON, Aug. 5 -- Rep. Peter DeFazio, D-Oregon, issued the following news release on Aug. 5: Rep. Peter DeFazio today urged his constituents to complete the 2020 U.S. Census, as records indicate that more than one-third of Oregonians have yet to respond. Only 64 percent of residents in Oregon's 4th congressional district have completed the Census. "The Trump administration is moving up the deadline for you to complete the Census--you will have four weeks less to fill it out and turn it in  more

WASHINGTON, Aug. 7 -- Rep. Greg Walden, R-Oregon, ranking Republican member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, issued the following statement on Aug. 6: * * * Energy and Commerce Committee Republican Leader Greg Walden (R-OR) released the following statement following the Senate confirmation of Mark W. Menezes as Deputy Secretary of Energy at the Department of Energy (DOE). "Deputy Secretary Menezes is a well-known and respected professional. "His policy expertise and knowledge of   more

WASHINGTON, Aug. 7 -- Rep. Greg Walden, R-Oregon, ranking Republican member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, issued the following news release on Aug. 6: The four bipartisan leaders of the House Energy and Commerce Committee and the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee wrote to U.S. Department of Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross and Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Chairman Joseph Simons today urging them to work with their European counterparts to quickly issue interim   more

WASHINGTON, Aug. 4 -- Rep. Greg Walden, R-Oregon, ranking Republican member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, issued the following news release: Energy and Commerce Committee Republican Leader Greg Walden (R-OR), House Minority Whip Steve Scalise (R-LA), and Consumer Protection and Commerce Subcommittee Republican Leader Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) wrote to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo requesting a classified briefing on TikTok and other technology companies with alleged ties to t  more

WASHINGTON, Aug. 7 -- Rep. Greg Walden, R-Oregon, ranking Republican member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, issued the following news release: Energy and Commerce Committee Republican Leader Greg Walden (R-OR), Consumer Protection and Commerce Subcommittee Republican Leader Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA), and Energy and Commerce Republican Rep. Richard Hudson (R-NC) wrote to Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, eBay CEO Jamie Iannone, and Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg asking more than a dozen quest  more

WASHINGTON, Aug. 5 -- Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, issued the following statement on Aug. 4: * * * U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH) today released the following statement on the one-year anniversary of the shooting in Dayton's Oregon District that killed nine Ohioans and injured 27 more. After this horrific incident, Brown visited Dayton with Mayor Nan Whaley and demanded President Trump do the right thing and tell Majority Leader Mitch McConnell to let the Senate vote on the House-passed gun  more

WASHINGTON, Aug. 7 -- Rep. Peter A. DeFazio, D-Oregon, chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, issued the following news release on Aug. 6: Today, U.S. Senate Environment and Public Works Committee Ranking Member Tom Carper (D-Del.), House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure Chairman Peter DeFazio (D-Ore.), and House Committee on Natural Resources Chairman Raul M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.) led 54 of their Congressional colleagues in urging the White House Council   more

WASHINGTON, Aug. 7 -- Sen. Maggie Hassan, D-New Hampshire, issued the following news release on Aug. 6: U.S. Senator Maggie Hassan today questioned Chad Wolf, Acting Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), during an oversight hearing on the federal government's response to protests in Portland, Oregon. To watch the Senator's questioning, click here https://youtu.be/6KK5-ZRYlLk. "As DHS personnel work to protect federal buildings and their occupants, it is critical that they ta  more

WASHINGTON, Aug. 6 -- Sen. James Lankford, R-Oklahoma, issued the following news release on Aug. 6: Senator James Lankford (R-OK) today participated in a Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee hearing with Department of Homeland Security Acting Secretary Chad Wolf entitled, "Oversight of DHS Personnel Deployments to Recent Protests." Lankford asked Acting Secretary Wolf to thank members of his law enforcement teams on the ground in Portland, Oregon, and around the country for endu  more

WASHINGTON, Aug. 8 -- Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Oregon, issued the following news release: Oregon's U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley is pushing Senate leadership today to include ideas from his legislation, the Rebuilding Main Street Act, within the next relief package. The Rebuilding Main Street Act would incentivize and expand the use of the Work Share program, which allows businesses and nonprofits to bring employees back at reduced hours, while employees continue to receive unemployment insurance for t  more

WASHINGTON, Aug. 5 -- Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Oregon, issued the following news release on Aug. 4: Oregon's U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley today testified before a Senate Judiciary Subcommittee, emphasizing Oregonians' cry for justice and an end to systemic racism, and providing firsthand accounts of demonstrators' experiences in Portland after the Trump administration escalated tensions by sending unmarked federal forces into the city. Nkenge Harmon Johnson, President and CEO of the Urban League of P  more

WASHINGTON, Aug. 5 -- Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Oregon, issued the following news release: Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici, Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley, and Representatives Peter DeFazio and Earl Blumenauer called on the U.S. Department of Education to rescind a rule that would take up to $11,310,291 from Oregon public schools and redirect it to private schools, calling it unlawful, unfair, illogical, and impossible. The Representatives and Senators responded to an interim final rule from th  more

WASHINGTON, Aug. 8 -- Sen. Tom Udall, D-New Mexico, issued the following news release on Aug. 7: Today, U.S. Senator Tom Udall (D-N.M.) thanked Portland, Oregon native Alex Haddon for his work as an intern in his Washington, D.C., office this summer. During his tenure working virtually with Udall's D.C. office, Haddon worked closely with the legislative team. "U.S. Senate interns gain invaluable experience as they learn to navigate our nation's legislative process. I applaud all of our interns  more

WASHINGTON, Aug. 7 -- Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Oregon, issued the following news release on Aug. 6: Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., and Rep. Yvette D. Clarke, D-N.Y., today introduced legislation to allow trained experts to maintain and repair essential medical equipment during the COVID-19 pandemic, and temporarily suspend restrictions that are blocking needed repairs. The Critical Medical Infrastructure Right-to-Repair Act of 2020 would allow trained repair technicians to more easily access information and  more

WASHINGTON, Aug. 8 -- Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Oregon, issued the following news release on Aug. 7: U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden today requested that the United States Postal Service (USPS) Inspector General investigate all recent staffing and policy changes put in place under former Trump megadonor and current Postmaster General Louis DeJoy. The letter from Wyden and eight colleagues from the Senate and House comes as recent changes have slowed mail delivery, threatening the well-being of millions of America  more

WASHINGTON, Aug. 7 -- Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Oregon, issued the following news release on Aug. 6: U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden said today he is co-sponsoring legislation that would study the role of unemployment, hunger, lack of affordable housing, education and other social determinants in worsening health inequities for communities of color. As the Ranking Member of the Senate Finance Committee, Wyden has prioritized addressing systemic racism in the nation's health care system and the economy as a whole.  more

WASHINGTON, Aug. 7 -- Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Oregon, issued the following news release on Aug. 6: U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., today joined U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., and colleagues to introduce legislation to protect domestic violence survivors from gun violence by closing loopholes that allow domestic abusers to legally obtain weapons. In 2018, Oregon closed the "boyfriend loophole" by expanding the definition of intimate partner to include people who weren't married, didn't share   more

WASHINGTON, Aug. 8 -- Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Oregon, ranking Democratic member of the Senate Finance Committee, issued the following statement on Aug. 7: Senate Finance Committee Ranking Member Ron Wyden, D-Ore., today released the following statement in reaction to the July jobs report: "As expected, the explosion of the virus slowed economic recovery in July. The unemployment rate ticked down, but is still higher than at any point during the Great Recession. Black and Hispanic workers continue to  more

WASHINGTON, Aug. 5 -- Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Oregon, ranking Democratic member of the Senate Finance Committee, issued the following statement on Aug. 4: * * * Senate Finance Committee Ranking Member Ron Wyden, D-Ore., today released the following statement in reaction to reports that Donald Trump is considering executive actions to reinstate unemployment benefits and cut payroll taxes: "Donald Trump's happy talk didn't crush the virus or fix the economy, and he's flailing. That's why he's floatin  more

WASHINGTON, Aug. 7 -- Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Oregon, issued the following news release: U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., this week joined U.S. Sens. Tina Smith, D-Minn., Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., and colleagues in calling on Senate leadership to prioritize the inclusion of their plan for a $50 billion child care bailout in the next COVID-19 relief package. The Child Care is Essential Act would stabilize the child care system, keep providers in business, and ensure parents are able to go back to work   more

WASHINGTON, Aug. 8 -- Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Oregon, ranking Democratic member of the Senate Finance Committee, issued the following news on Aug. 7: Senate Finance Committee Ranking Member Ron Wyden, D-Ore., today introduced legislation to guarantee an affordable price for any COVID-19 vaccine whose development is funded by the federal government. "Taxpayers have invested billions to quickly develop a safe and effective vaccine - Pharma can't make Americans double-pay by charging a high price," Wyd  more

WASHINGTON, Aug. 8 -- Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Oregon, issued the following news release on Aug. 7: U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden today urged Senate leadership to help the outdoor economy in Oregon and nationwide by providing funds for outfitters and guides in the next COVID-19 package. Wyden noted that although the pandemic forced many outfitters and guides to suspend parts of their season, their businesses have largely been unable to have access to emergency funds in earlier coronavirus relief packages. "Th  more

WASHINGTON, Aug. 7 -- Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Oregon, ranking Democratic member of the Senate Finance Committee, issued the following statement on Aug. 6: * * * Senate Finance Committee Ranking Member Ron Wyden, D-Ore., today issued the following statement in reaction to New York Attorney General Letitia James' lawsuit against the National Rifle Association: "The New York attorney general's lawsuit builds on my investigation's findings that NRA officers have used the organization for personal gain.  more

WASHINGTON, Aug. 8 -- Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Oregon, issued the following news release on Aug. 7: U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., today urged the U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM) to renew J-1 visas for foreign journalists employed by public international broadcasters after reports indicated the agency was considering otherwise. In a letter to USAGM CEO Michael Pack, Wyden wrote, "The USAGM and its grantees employ foreign journalists to carry out the agency's mission to 'inform, engage and conn  more

WASHINGTON, Aug. 5 -- Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Oregon, issued the following news release: Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici,Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley, and Representatives Peter DeFazio and Earl Blumenauer called on the U.S. Department of Education to rescind a rule that would take up to $11,310,291 from Oregon public schools and redirect it to private schools, calling it unlawful, unfair, illogical, and impossible. The Representatives and Senators responded to an interim final rule from the U.  more

WASHINGTON, Aug. 5 -- Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Oregon, issued the following news release on Aug. 4: Oregon's U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley today continued his leadership at the intersection of privacy rights, racial justice, and emerging technologies by introducing the National Biometric Information Privacy Act of 2020, groundbreaking legislation that would prohibit private companies from collecting biometric data--including eye scans, voiceprints, faceprints, and fingerprints--without consumers and em  more

WASHINGTON, Aug. 6 -- Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Oregon, issued the following news release on Aug. 5: Oregon's U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley continued his leadership in tackling pharmaceutical companies' price gouging by teaming up with U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-MN) today to introduce legislation to ensure that any taxpayer-funded vaccine or treatment for coronavirus (COVID-19) proven to be safe and effective will be accessible, affordable, and available to all individuals. The Make Medications Afforda  more

WASHINGTON, Aug. 8 -- Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Oregon, issued the following news release on Aug. 7: Oregon's U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden today announced that over $7 million in TRIO grants are headed to 19 higher education institutions across Oregon to support first-generation, low-income students, and students with disabilities through the Student Support Services Program. Students who receive the grant will have access to tutoring, assistance in course selection, financial aid advice  more

WASHINGTON, Aug. 5 -- Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Oregon, issued the following news release on Aug. 4: Oregon's U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden today announced that the City of Echo, Oregon will receive $769,875 in federal grant funding to upgrade and improve the efficiency of the city's wastewater treatment plant. The funding is being allocated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Water & Waste Disposal Program. "Safe, reliable, and efficient water infrastructure is a must for the h  more

WASHINGTON, Aug. 5 -- Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Oregon, issued the following news release on Aug. 4: Oregon's U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden today announced that the City of Echo, Oregon will receive $769,875 in federal grant funding to upgrade and improve the efficiency of the city's wastewater treatment plant. The funding is being allocated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Water & Waste Disposal Program. "Safe, reliable, and efficient water infrastructure is a must for th  more

WASHINGTON, Aug. 7 -- Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Oregon, issued the following news release on Aug. 6: Oregon's U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden today introduced a Senate Resolution to recognize, commemorate, and celebrate the 55th anniversary of the enactment of the landmark Voting Rights Act of 1965. President Lyndon Johnson proposed the legislation just days after the civil rights march from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama, during which the late Representative John Lewis was savagely beaten by la  more

WASHINGTON, Aug. 5 -- Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Oregon, issued the following news release: Oregon's U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden, along with 28 of their Senate colleagues, are urging Senate leadership to reject the Trump administration push to condition education funds in the next coronavirus relief package on the reopening of elementary and secondary schools for in-person instruction. In a letter to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), App  more

WASHINGTON, Aug. 5 -- Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Oregon, issued the following news release: Oregon's U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden, along with 28 of their Senate colleagues, are urging Senate leadership to reject the Trump administration push to condition education funds in the next coronavirus relief package on the reopening of elementary and secondary schools for in-person instruction. In a letter to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY),   more

WASHINGTON, Aug. 6 -- Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Oregon, ranking Democratic member of the Senate Finance Committee, issued the following news on Aug. 5: Senate Finance Committee Ranking Member Ron Wyden, D-Ore., and Senator Catherine Cortez Masto, D-Nev., today proposed a new bill to help states adopt mobile crisis response teams that can be dispatched when a person is experiencing a mental health or substance use disorder (SUD) crisis instead of immediately involving law enforcement. "It's long past t  more

WASHINGTON, Aug. 6 -- Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Oregon, issued the following news release on Aug. 5: Senate Finance Committee Ranking Member Ron Wyden, D-Ore., and Senator Catherine Cortez Masto, D-Nev., today proposed a new bill to help states adopt mobile crisis response teams that can be dispatched when a person is experiencing a mental health or substance use disorder (SUD) crisis instead of immediately involving law enforcement. "It's long past time to re-imagine policing in ways that reduce viol  more

WASHINGTON, Aug. 5 -- 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 Senate Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., this week filed an amicus brief in the Second Circuit Court of Appeals with 23 Senate Democrats to support litigation that would overturn a Trump administration rule that would threaten access to health care for millions of American  more

WASHINGTON, Aug. 8 -- Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Oregon, issued the following news release: Oregon's U.S. Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley recently joined U.S. Sens. Kamala D. Harris, D-Calif., Cory Booker, D-N.J., and Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., to introduce the Environmental Justice for All Act to improve health equity and climate justice for all, particularly underserved communities and communities of color. As the nation reckons with systemic racism, the fight for clean air, clean water, and a healthy  more

WASHINGTON, Aug. 8 -- Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Oregon, issued the following news release: Oregon's U.S. Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley recently joined U.S. Sens. Kamala D. Harris, D-Calif., Cory Booker, D-N.J., and Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., to introduce the Environmental Justice for All Act to improve health equity and climate justice for all, particularly underserved communities and communities of color. As the nation reckons with systemic racism, the fight for clean air, clean water, and a heal  more

WASHINGTON, Aug. 7 -- Rep. William 'Lacy' Clay Jr., D-Missouri, issued the following statement: "While I welcome additional funding from the Department of Justice to help St. Louis fight violent crime, federal law enforcement officers must not infringe on the rights of non-violent citizens in my community as was seen repeatedly in Portland, Oregon. "Excessive force will not make St. Louis safer. "Changing the culture of policing and restoring the trust of the community with local law enforcem  more