WASHINGTON, Dec. 21 -- Rep. Earl Blumenauer, D-Oregon, issued the following news release: Congressman Blumenauer released the following statement on the inclusion of his legislation to extend the Acute Hospital Care at Home Program in the omnibus. "I am delighted that our extension of the hospital-at-home program was included in the end-of-year funding package. "One of the few positive things we've seen in the years since the onset of the pandemic is the way we were able to cut administrative  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 22 -- Rep. Earl Blumenauer, D-Oregon, issued the following statement on Dec. 21, 2022: * * * Congressman Earl Blumenauer (D-OR), released the following statement on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's visit to Congress today: "President Zelensky's rousing speech was a highlight for this Congress, and for the American people who could see for themselves his strength and eloquence. I hope that some of the Republican skeptics will conclude that they should support the brav  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 22 -- Rep. Earl Blumenauer, D-Oregon, issued the following statement on Dec. 21, 2022: * * * Congressman Earl Blumenauer (D-OR), Chairman of the Ways and Means Trade Subcommittee, released the following statement on the Ways and Means Committee's decision to make Trump's tax returns publicly available in the House report: "For four years our committee has requested review of Trump's tax returns to make sure his Internal Revenue Service properly preformed the mandated presiden  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 24 -- Rep. Suzanne Bonamici, D-Oregon, issued the following news release on Dec. 23, 2022: Today Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici announced that all 15 of the Community Projects she recommended were included in the government funding bill passed by the House and Senate, sending more than $35 million for NW Oregon to President Joe Biden's desk. The Community Project Funding was passed as part of the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023 to fund the government for the next year.  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 23 -- Rep. Earl Blumenauer, D-Oregon, issued the following news release and letter on Dec. 22, 2022: Congressman Blumenauer (D-OR), Congressman Joyce (R-OH), Congresswoman Lee (D-CA), Congressman Brian Mast (R-FL), and Senator Warren (D-MA) led 24 Members of Congress in urging the Biden-Harris Administration to understand the need to deschedule marijuana. The letter comes after President Biden directed the Departments of Health and Human Services and Justice to begin a formal r  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 22 -- Rep. David Scott, D-Georgia, chairman of the House Agriculture Committee, issued the following statement on Dec. 21, 2022: * * * Below is a statement from House Agriculture Committee Chairman David Scott following the confirmation of Alexis Taylor to be Under Secretary of Agriculture for Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs: "Whether growing up on her family's farm, serving her country in the military, or her current role as Director of the Oregon Department of Agricu  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 23 -- Rep. Peter A. DeFazio, D-Oregon, chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, issued the following statement on Dec. 22, 2022: * * * Chair of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure Peter DeFazio (D-OR) released the following statement after Rep. Rick Larsen (D-WA) was selected as Ranking Member of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure for the 118th Congress: "After eight years of leading the Democratic members o  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 21 -- Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Oregon, issued the following news release: Oregon's U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley, Chairman of the Senate Interior Appropriations Subcommittee, announced a big win for Indian Country: the inclusion of his proposal to provide advance funding for the Indian Health Service (IHS) in the final fiscal year 2023 omnibus bill--guaranteeing health care services through the agency never stop during a lapse in government appropriations. "This is a big deal. Health   more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 20 -- Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Oregon, issued the following news release: Oregon's U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden announced Oregon State University (OSU) is receiving $1,727,359 from the National Science Foundation (NSF)'s CyberCorps(R) Scholarship for Service (SFS) to prepare highly qualified cybersecurity professionals to serve in federal, state, local, and tribal governments. "We must be prepared to take on the threat of cyber attacks on our critical infrastructure, as t  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 20 -- Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Oregon, issued the following news release: Oregon's U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden announced Oregon State University (OSU) is receiving $1,727,359 from the National Science Foundation (NSF)'s CyberCorps Scholarship for Service (SFS) to prepare highly qualified cybersecurity professionals to serve in federal, state, local, and tribal governments. "We must be prepared to take on the threat of cyber attacks on our critical infrastructure, as t  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 20 -- Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Oregon, issued the following news release: Oregon's U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) will be awarding the City of Detroit $150,000 to help the city repair its drinking water distribution infrastructure, which sustained extensive damage during and after the 2020 Labor Day fires. This grant will help provide potable water to the community and support the rebuilding of the city's water system,  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 20 -- 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. Department of Agriculture (USDA) will be awarding the City of Detroit $150,000 to help the city repair its drinking water distribution infrastructure, which sustained extensive damage during and after the 2020 Labor Day fires. This grant will help provide potable water to the community and support the rebuilding of the city's water syst  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 21 -- Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Oregon, issued the following news release: Oregon's U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden announced that Oregon Health and Science University (OHSU) is expected to receive $3.17 million over five years from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to study the effectiveness of different harm reduction strategies at preventing overdoses and ways to expand access to these services for diverse communities. "The impact of the opioid crisis across Orego  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 21 -- Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Oregon, issued the following news release: Oregon's U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden announced that Oregon Health and Science University (OHSU) is expected to receive $3.17 million over five years from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to study the effectiveness of different harm reduction strategies at preventing overdoses and ways to expand access to these services for diverse communities. "The impact of the opioid crisis across Oregon's  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 24 -- Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Oregon, issued the following news release on Dec. 23, 2022: Oregon's U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden today announce critical investments in housing, health care, mental health, education, and transportation services across the state as part of the year-end funding package. The legislation passed in the Senate and is expected to clear the House of Representatives this week before being signed into law by President Biden. "At a time when Orego  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 23 -- Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Oregon, issued the following news release on Dec. 22, 2022: Oregon's U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden today announce major investments in Oregon agriculture, rural housing, food assistance, and rural business priorities, which are included in Congress's fiscal year 2023 omnibus appropriations package. The legislation passed in the Senate and is expected to clear the House of Representatives this week before being signed into law by President B  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 23 -- Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Oregon, issued the following news release on Dec. 22, 2022: Oregon's U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden today announce Senate passage of major investments for Oregon's ports, waterways, and coastal, fishing, and tribal communities included in Congress's fiscal year 2023 omnibus appropriations package. The legislation passed in the Senate and is expected to clear the House of Representatives this week before being signed into law by President Bid  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 22 -- Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Oregon, issued the following news release on Dec. 21, 2022: Oregon's U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden today announced that they have secured major investments for wildfire suppression and forest health in the 2023 funding bill that is expected to pass both chambers of Congress and be signed into law by President Biden this week. The new funding comes on top of record investments in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and Inflation Reduction Act   more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 22 -- Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Oregon, issued the following news release on Dec. 21, 2022: Oregon's U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden today announced that they have secured major investments for wildfire suppression and forest health in the 2023 funding bill that is expected?to pass both chambers of Congress and be signed into law by President Biden this week.?The new funding comes on top of record investments in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and Inflation Reduction Act ear  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 22 -- Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Oregon, issued the following news release on Dec. 21, 2022: Oregon's U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden today announced they secured funding for essential community projects across Oregon in Congress's fiscal year 2023 omnibus appropriations package, which is expected to pass both chambers of Congress and be signed into law by President Biden this week. With the support of members of Oregon's congressional delegation in the House of Representat  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 23 -- Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Oregon, issued the following news release on Dec. 21, 2022: Oregon's U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden today announced they secured funding for essential community projects across Oregon in Congress's fiscal year 2023 omnibus appropriations package, which is expected to pass both chambers of Congress and be signed into law by President Biden this week. With the support of members of Oregon's congressional delegation in the House of Representative  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 20 -- Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Oregon, issued the following news release and letter: Oregon's U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden, sent a letter to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) Chairman Richard Glick, and FERC commissioners urging them to listen to the Oregon Attorney General and deny permits for TC Energy's Gas Transmission Northwest (GTN) Xpress project. "In order to reach a net-zero emissions economy by 2050, President Biden pledged to reduce greenhouse ga  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 20 -- Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Oregon, issued the following news release and letter: Oregon's U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden, sent a letter to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) Chairman Richard Glick, and FERC commissioners urging them to listen to the Oregon Attorney General and deny permits for TC Energy's Gas Transmission Northwest (GTN) Xpress project. "In order to reach a net-zero emissions economy by 2050, President Biden pledged to reduce greenhouse   more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 21 -- Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Oregon, issued the following news release on Dec. 20, 2022: Oregon's U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley, along with Senators Todd Young (R-IN), and Patrick Leahy (D-VT), today teamed up to introduce bipartisan legislation aimed at promoting a resolution to the ongoing Tibet-China conflict. The legislation reaffirms Tibetans' right to self-determination as a people and clarifies that current Chinese government refusal to engage in meaningful negotiations over t  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 21 -- Sen. Patrick J. Leahy, D-Vermont, issued the following news release on Dec. 20, 2022: Oregon's U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley, along with Senators Todd Young (R-IN), and Patrick Leahy (D-VT), today teamed up to introduce bipartisan legislation aimed at promoting a resolution to the ongoing Tibet-China conflict. The legislation reaffirms Tibetans' right to self-determination as a people and clarifies that current Chinese government refusal to engage in meaningful negotiations o  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 23 -- Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, issued the following news release on Dec. 22, 2022: Oregon's U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley and Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) today announced that their bipartisan Providing Urgent Maternal Protections (PUMP) for Nursing Mothers Act was passed with overwhelming bipartisan support as an amendment to Congress's fiscal year 2023 omnibus appropriations package, which is expected to pass both chambers of Congress and be signed into law by President Bi  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 23 -- Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Oregon, issued the following news release on Dec. 22, 2022: Oregon's U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley and Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) today announced that their bipartisan Providing Urgent Maternal Protections (PUMP) for Nursing Mothers Act was passed with overwhelming bipartisan support as an amendment to Congress's fiscal year 2023 omnibus appropriations package, which is expected to pass both chambers of Congress and be signed into law by President Bide  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 23 -- Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Oregon, issued the following statement on Dec. 22, 2022: * * * Amid ongoing Iranian protests that are the most sustained uprising against the draconian rule of the Islamic Republic of Iran in its history, Oregon's U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley--a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee--released the following statement: "The brave women of Iran fighting for their freedom are writing one of the most inspirational and pivotal stories of this year  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 24 -- 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 Chair of the Subcommittee on Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation Salud Carbajal (D-CA) released the following statements after President Biden signed the James M. Inhofe National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2023 into law, which incl  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 24 -- 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 Chair of the Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment Grace F. Napolitano (D-CA) applaud President Biden for signing clean water programs included in the National Defense Authorization Act of 2022 into law. The programs will help support rest  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 24 -- 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 Chair of the Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment Grace F. Napolitano (D-CA) released the following statements after President Biden signed the James M. Inhofe National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2023 into law, which includ  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 24 -- Rep. Kurt Schrader, D-Oregon, issued the following news release on Dec. 23, 2022: U.S. Congressman Kurt Schrader (OR-05) voted for the bipartisan, bicameral government funding package which includes $33,600,794 in Community Project Funding that he championed for Oregon's 5th District. "This bipartisan, bicameral government funding package will create good-paying jobs, grow opportunities for the middle class and small businesses, and provide a lifeline for working familie  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 21 -- Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Oregon, chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, issued the following news release on Dec. 20, 2022: Senate Finance Committee Chair Ron Wyden, D-Ore., today announced the bipartisan Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement (SECURE) 2.0 Act to bolster retirement savings, and Conservation Easement Program Integrity Act to shut down fraudulent tax shelters are included in the omnibus spending package. Importantly, SECURE 2.0 includes Wyden's  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 23 -- Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Oregon, chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, issued the following news release on Dec. 22, 2022: Senate Finance Committee Chair Ron Wyden, D-Ore., today welcomed Senate confirmation of Doug McKalip as the Chief Agricultural Negotiator within the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) and Rebecca Jones Gaston as Commissioner of the Administration on Children, Youth and Families within the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 21 -- Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Oregon, chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, issued the following statement on Dec. 20, 2022: * * * Senate Finance Committee Chair Ron Wyden, D-Ore., today issued a statement after omnibus bill text was released, including a major health care title. "These policies will strengthen the American health care system, particularly for kids and Americans struggling to access mental health care," Wyden said. "On mental health care, I'm proud that the bil  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 24 -- Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Oregon, chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, issued the following statement on Dec. 23, 2022: * * * Senate Finance Committee Chair Ron Wyden, D-Ore., issued the following statement in reaction to the 1-year extension of Trade Adjustment Assistance, which provides training, employment assistance, and income support for workers who have lost jobs because of trade, as part of the omnibus funding bill passed by Congress today: "You can't build a susta  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 22 -- Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Oregon, chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, issued the following statement on Dec. 21, 2022: * * * Senate Finance Committee Chair Ron Wyden, D-Ore., today issued the following statement in reaction to the Ways & Means Committee investigation of the Presidential Audit Program: "When Donald Trump became the first presidential nominee since Watergate to refuse to release his tax returns, I introduced the Presidential Tax Transparency Act. This legis  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 23 -- Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Oregon, chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, issued the following news release on Dec. 22, 2022, and letter: Senate Finance Committee Chair Ron Wyden, D-Ore., today questioned eight major automakers over reports that their supply chains may include materials sourced from the Xinjiang region of China, where forced labor is rampant. Importing goods made with forced labor violates federal trade laws. "Unless due diligence confirms that components are  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 24 -- Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Oregon, issued the following news release: Following Oregon's U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley's introduction of the End Hedge Fund Control of American Homes Act, state and local leaders in Oregon have enthusiastically responded in support of his bill. "The housing in our neighborhoods should be homes for people, not profit centers for Wall Street," said Senator Merkley. "It's time for Congress to put in place commonsense guardrails that ensure all families  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 21 -- Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Oregon, issued the following news release and letter on Dec. 20, 2022: U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., requested basic transparency about the frequency of government hacking and legal justifications for use of hacking methods, including the possible use of foreign malware, in a letter to FBI Director Chris Wray. Earlier this year, the New York Times reported that the FBI seriously considered using a controversial hacking tool made by the foreign spyware fi  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 21 -- Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Oregon, issued the following statement on Dec. 20, 2022: * * * U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., issued the following statement on the passage of the End Child Exploitation Act Monday evening, with new cybersecurity provisions to prevent child exploitation images and videos from being stolen and further spread online. "Senators Cortez Masto and Blackburn deserve tremendous credit for writing this important legislation and bird-dogging it across the finis  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 21 -- Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Oregon, issued the following statement on Dec. 20, 2022: * * * U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., issued the following statement on the SAFE Banking Act. "I am frustrated and disappointed that after coming so close to meaningful cannabis reform this Congress, the Republican Leader and a handful of Republican senators thwarted our efforts to improve public safety. "Because when you are forcing businesses to operate as cash only, it is a public safety issu  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 23 -- Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Oregon, issued the following news release on Dec. 22, 2022: U.S. Senators Ron Wyden (D-OR) and Roy Blunt (D-MO) today announced that their bipartisan Low Power Protection Act will soon become law, after it passed the House of Representatives on a voice vote. "The Low Power Protection Act is a bipartisan way to support diverse, locally oriented broadcasting that is so important to rural and remote communities in Oregon and across the country," Wyden sai  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 21 -- Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Oregon, issued the following news release on Dec. 20, 2022: U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley today announced the Communities in Action nonprofit has earned a $168,570 federal rural development grant to help low-income homeowners in Harney and Malheur counties make home repairs critical to health and safety. "Keeping up with essential home repairs can pose a significant challenge for low-income Oregonians, and this federal investment in Easter  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 21 -- Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Oregon, issued the following news release on Dec. 20, 2022: U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley today announced the Communities in Action nonprofit has earned a $168,570 federal rural development grant to help low-income homeowners in Harney and Malheur counties make home repairs critical to health and safety. "Keeping up with essential home repairs can pose a significant challenge for low-income Oregonians, and this federal investment in Eastern O  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 23 -- Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Oregon, issued the following news release on Dec. 22, 2022: U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley today announced that homeless veterans in the city of Salem as well as in Linn, Benton and Lane counties will receive a total of nearly $700,000 in federal vouchers to help them secure affordable housing and have access to support service from the Department of Veterans Affairs. * "Veterans who served our country fully deserve our support when they re  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 23 -- Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Oregon, issued the following news release on Dec. 22, 2022: U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley today announced that homeless veterans in the city of Salem as well as in Linn, Benton and Lane counties will receive a total of nearly $700,000 in federal vouchers to help them secure affordable housing and have access to support service from the Department of Veterans Affairs. "Veterans who served our country fully deserve our support when they return   more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 21 -- Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Oregon, issued the following news release and letter on Dec. 20, 2022: To ensure government agencies can use data for research while protecting Americans' privacy and security, U.S. Senators Ron Wyden, D-Ore., and Rob Portman, R-Ohio, today urged the National Science Foundation (NSF) to secure Americans' information within the National Secure Data Service (NSDS) platform using advanced encryption technology. "The NSDS platform will enable government age  more