WASHINGTON, March 23 -- Rep. Earl Blumenauer, D-Oregon, issued the following news release on March 22, 2023: "We have a responsibility to make our streets safer for cyclists and pedestrians," said Congressman Blumenauer, founder and co-chair of the Congressional Bike Caucus. "Sarah's work took her to dangerous places around the world. Biking home in our nation's capitol should not have been one of them." "My constituent Sarah Langenkamp was a devoted mother, wife, daughter and friend whose mem  more

WASHINGTON, March 25 -- Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Washington, issued the following news release and letter: U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA) and U.S. Representative Kim Schrier, M.D. (D, WA-08) led a bipartisan delegation of Washington and Oregon lawmakers voicing support for a pioneering plan to build a regional clean hydrogen energy hub called the Pacific Northwest Hydrogen Association (PNWH2). In a letter to the United States Department of Energy, the delegation declared their "strong suppor  more

WASHINGTON, March 24 -- Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Oregon, issued the following news release: U.S. Senators Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Thom Tillis (R-NC), and Ed Markey (D-MA) and U.S. Representatives David Trone (D-MD-06), Michael Turner (R-OH-10), and Paul Tonko (D-NY-20) introduced the Due Process Continuity of Care Act. The bicameral bill amends Medicaid Inmate Exclusion Policy (MIEP) to ensure that pre-trial detainees are not kicked off Medicaid prior to ever being found gui  more

WASHINGTON, March 25 -- Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer, R-Oregon, issued the following news release on March 24, 2023: The U.S. House of Representatives passed the Parents Bill of Rights, which seeks to promote children's well-being and success by empowering parents and ensuring they have a seat at the table in their child's education. As a cosponsor of the proposal and as a member of the Education and the Workforce Committee, Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer (OR-05) delivered a speech on the House floor in  more

WASHINGTON, March 23 -- Rep. Andrea Salinas, D-Oregon, issued the following news release on March 22, 2023: Congresswoman Andrea Salinas (D-Tigard) was appointed to serve in Democratic Women's Caucus leadership. Salinas will take on the role of official liaison between the Democratic Women's Caucus and the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, where she also fills a leadership role as Freshman Representative. Read Salinas' full statement: "I'm deeply humbled by the opportunity to serve the Democratic  more

WASHINGTON, March 24 -- Rep. Andrea Salinas, D-Oregon, issued the following statement on March 24, 2023: * * * Congresswoman Andrea Salinas (D-Tigard) issued the following statement after the House voted to pass H.R. 5, a Republican-led bill that attacks on LGBTQI+ children and families: "Two weeks ago, Republicans on the Education and Workforce Committee passed a bill that would effectively ban all transgender and intersex kids from participating in sports. It was their first piece of legisl  more

WASHINGTON, March 20 -- Rep. Andrea Salinas, D-Oregon, issued the following news release on March 18, 2023: On Friday, March 17, 2023, the U.S. Department of Transportation announced that the Oregon Department of Aviation would receive a $720,000 grant for improvements to the Aurora State Airport. The grant is being funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which was signed into law by President Biden on November 15, 2021. "I'm glad that the Aurora State Airport will receive federal support  more

WASHINGTON, March 24 -- Sen. Mike Crapo, R-Idaho, issued the following news release on March 23, 2023, and letter: U.S. Senator Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) today joined Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee Jim Risch (R-Idaho), Chair of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Chair of the House Energy and Commerce Committee Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R, WA-05), and member of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce Kim Schrier, M.D. (D,   more

WASHINGTON, March 24 -- Sen. James Risch, R-Idaho, ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, issued the following news release: Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee Jim Risch (R-Idaho), Chair of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Chair of the House Energy and Commerce Committee Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R, WA-05), and member of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce Kim Schrier, M.D. (D, WA-08) were joined  more

WASHINGTON, March 24 -- Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers, R-Washington, issued the following news release and letter on March 23, 2023: Eastern Washington Congresswoman Cathy McMorris Rodgers (WA-05) joined every single member of Congress from Washington, Idaho, Oregon, and Montana in sending a letter to President Joe Biden asking him to help expedite a final agreement between the U.S. and Canada to modernize and strengthen the Columbia River Treaty. Excerpts from the letter: "The United States an  more

MEDFORD, Oregon, March 21 -- Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Oregon, issued the following news release: Oregon's U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley welcomed U.S. Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland to Oregon to tour historic investments the Department is making to bolster wildfire resilience, the outdoor recreation economy, and the Klamath Basin. Merkley serves as Chair of the Senate Interior Appropriations Subcommittee, overseeing the budget for the Department of the Interior (DOI), which includes the National  more

WASHINGTON, March 22 -- Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Oregon, issued the following news release: Oregon's U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley teamed up with Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Representative Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL-08) to introduce the Protecting Students from Worthless Degrees Act of 2023. This bill would help protect students from predatory for-profit college schemes by ending federal financial aid for unaccredited degree programs. The legislation would close a loophole by preventing for-profit c  more

WASHINGTON, March 22 -- Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi, D-Illinois, issued the following news release on March 21, 2023: Oregon's U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley teamed up with Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Representative Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL-08) to introduce the Protecting Students from Worthless Degrees Act of 2023. This bill would help protect students from predatory for-profit college schemes by ending federal financial aid for unaccredited degree programs. The legislation would close a loophole  more

WASHINGTON, March 24 -- Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Oregon, issued the following news release: Oregon's U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley and Alaska's U.S. Senator Dan Sullivan teamed up to announce a bipartisan resolution to bring awareness to the environmental, humanitarian, and economic issues facing the Mekong River. The Mekong River is vital for the livelihoods of 60 million people throughout Southeast Asia, and for those who live along the river there is increasing peril due to upstream dams, climate ch  more

WASHINGTON, March 23 -- Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Oregon, issued the following news release: Oregon's U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden announced today the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Forest Service (USFS) is investing $23.5 million in 10 project proposals in Oregon that will help make communities across the state more resilient to severe wildfires. The funding is part of the Community Wildfire Defense Grant Program, funded through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which makes $1 billion   more

WASHINGTON, March 23 -- Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Oregon, issued the following news release on March 22, 2023: Oregon's U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden announced today the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Forest Service (USFS) is investing $23.5 million in 10 project proposals in Oregon that will help make communities across the state more resilient to severe wildfires. The funding is part of the Community Wildfire Defense Grant Program, funded through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, wh  more

WASHINGTON, March 23 -- 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. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) will be awarding the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) $28,513,417 from the Wildlife Restoration fund for wildlife habitat restoration projects and research aimed to better manage wildlife species, and $9,229,182 from the Sport Fish Restoration (SFR) fund to support important fisheries, monito  more

WASHINGTON, March 23 -- 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. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) will be awarding the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) $28,513,417 from the Wildlife Restoration fund for wildlife habitat restoration projects and research aimed to better manage wildlife species, and $9,229,182 from the Sport Fish Restoration (SFR) fund to support important fisheries, mon  more

WASHINGTON, March 23 -- Rep. Earl Blumenauer, D-Oregon, issued the following news release on March 22, 2023: Congressional Bike Caucus Chairman Earl Blumenauer (OR-03), U.S. RepresentativesJimmy Panetta (CA-19), Mike Thompson (CA-04), and Adam Schiff (CA-30) reintroduced the Electric Bicycle Incentive Kickstart for the Environment (E-BIKE) Act to encourage the use of electric bicycles, or e-bikes, through a consumer tax credit. Senator Brian Schatz (D-HI) has introduced companion legislation in  more

WASHINGTON, March 23 -- Rep. Andrea Salinas, D-Oregon, issued the following news release on March 22, 2023: Congresswoman Andrea Salinas (OR-06) introduced her first piece of legislation, which amends the Grand Ronde Reservation Act to restore the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde's right to pursue land claims and compensation. The bill is co-led by Senator Merkley (D-Ore.), and cosponsored by U.S. Representatives Bonamici (OR-01), Blumenauer (OR-03), Hoyle (OR-04), and Chavez-DeRemer (OR-05),  more

WASHINGTON, March 23 -- Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Oregon, issued the following news release on March 22, 2023: Congresswoman Andrea Salinas (OR-06) introduced her first piece of legislation, which amends the Grand Ronde Reservation Act to restore the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde's right to pursue land claims and compensation. The bill is co-led by Senator Merkley (D-Ore.), and cosponsored by U.S. Representatives Bonamici (OR-01), Blumenauer (OR-03), Hoyle (OR-04), and Chavez-DeRemer (OR-05), a  more

WASHINGTON, March 24 -- Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Washington, issued the following news release and letter: Chair of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee Senator Jim Risch (R-ID), Chair of the House Energy and Commerce Committee Representative Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R, WA-05) and member of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce Kim Schrier, M.D. (D, WA-08), joined by every single me  more

WASHINGTON, March 24 -- Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Oregon, chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, issued the following news release: Senate Finance Committee Chair Ron Wyden, D-Ore., will convene a committee hearing on Thursday, March 30, 2023 titled "Pharmacy Benefit Managers and the Prescription Drug Supply Chain: Impact on Patients and Taxpayers." The hearing will take place at 10:00 a.m. in Room 215 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building. The witnesses at Thursday's hearing will be: * Robin Feld  more

WASHINGTON, March 22 -- Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Oregon, chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, issued the following statement on March 21, 2023: * * * Senate Finance Committee Chair Ron Wyden, D-Ore., today issued the following statement: "When the supply chains for semiconductors broke down early on in the pandemic, it became alarmingly clear that the U.S. needed to launch a revival of chip manufacturing here at home. "That's what I designed the tax incentives in the CHIPS Act to help accompl  more

WASHINGTON, March 22 -- Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Oregon, chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, issued the following news release on March 21, 2023: Senate Finance Committee Chair Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), and Senate Finance Committee members Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), Ben Cardin (D-Md.), and Todd Young (R-Ind.), today announced a new effort raising concerns about organ procurement organizations (OPOs) exploiting a loophole to falsely inflate their performance after the number of pancreata procured doubled  more

WASHINGTON, March 23 -- Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Oregon, chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, issued the following statement on March 22, 2023, at Finance Committee hearing on the HHS Budget Proposal: * * * The Finance Committee meets this morning with Secretary Becerra to discuss the year ahead for the Department of Health and Human Services. The President's budget comes down to a simple proposition: helping working families and the middle class get ahead and reducing the deficit are not mutu  more

WASHINGTON, March 24 -- Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Oregon, chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, issued the following statement on March 23, 2023, at Finance Committee hearing on President trade agenda: * * * This morning the Finance Committee is joined by Ambassador Tai to discuss the trade agenda for the year ahead. The Biden administration, from the get-go, had a difficult job to do with respect to trade. The Trump administration's chaotic approach turned some of our trade rivals into outright  more

WASHINGTON, March 23 -- Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Oregon, chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, issued the following statement on March 22, 2023: * * * Senate Finance Committee Chair Ron Wyden, D-Ore., today issued a statement today after the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) announced its intent to issue multiple contracts for the organ procurement and transplantation network (OPTN) contract, an important step towards breaking up a longstanding monopoly contract held by the Unit  more

WASHINGTON, March 23 -- Rep. Suzanne Bonamici, D-Oregon, issued the following news release on March 22, 2023: National and local organizations supporting parents, teachers, and civil rights are praising Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici's Bill of Rights for Students and Parents. The Bill of Rights for Students and Parents, H.Res. 219, is a comprehensive resolution that serves as a blueprint for public education rooted in evidence-based practices that support teaching, learning, and family engagem  more

WASHINGTON, March 23 -- Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Oregon, issued the following news release: U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Michael Bennet today introduced legislation that would expand access to mental and behavioral health care for Oregonians and all Americans on Medicare, Medicare Advantage, Medicare Part D, and Medicaid. "Mental health care should be affordable, reliable and accessible for everyone," said Wyden, who as Chair of the Senate Finance Committee overseeing Medicare and Medicaid, has intro  more

WASHINGTON, March 23 -- Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Oregon, issued the following news release and letter: U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., Sen. John Barrasso, R-Wyo., and 12 other bipartisan senators called on the Federal Communication Commission (FCC) to ensure rural and tribal communities in need receive their fair share of federal broadband grants, in a letter today. The members urged FCC to update the National Broadband Map each month, rather than every 6 months, so broadband grants will be awarded ba  more

WASHINGTON, March 23 -- Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Oregon, issued the following news release on March 22, 2023: U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley today announced that 11 Oregon farmers will received a combined $2.1 million in grants from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to expand their influence and market new products. The grant announcement comes out in honor this week of National Ag Day 2023. "Oregon's family farmers and ranchers have put Oregon on the map as an agriculture powerhous  more

WASHINGTON, March 23 -- Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Oregon, issued the following news release on March 22, 2023: U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley today announced that 11 Oregon farmers will received a combined $2.1 million in grants from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to expand their influence and market new products. The grant announcement comes out in honor this week of National Ag Day 2023. "Oregon's family farmers and ranchers have put Oregon on the map as an agriculture powerh  more