WASHINGTON, Sept. 9 -- A coalition of 22 attorneys general has formally opposed a Proposed Rule issued by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) that seeks to ban abortion and abortion counseling from the medical benefits package provided to veterans and their dependents. The public comment letter, spearheaded by the attorneys general of California and Massachusetts, raises serious concerns about the implications of the rule, which aims to reinstate a full exclusion on these services that   more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 10 -- The Congressional Budget Office issued the following cost estimate for the Dalles Watershed Development Act (H.R. 655). * * * H.R. 655 would direct the Forest Service to convey 150 acres of federal land in the Mount Hood National Forest to the city of Dalles, Oregon, without consideration and subject to valid existing rights, if the city requests the land. Under the bill, the city would be required to pay all costs associated with a conveyance, and the land would need t  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 9 -- House Democratic Caucus issued the following news release: * * * Chairman Aguilar: Donald Trump and House Republicans have created a full-blown health care crisis in this country * WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Today, House Democratic Caucus Chair Pete Aguilar and Vice Chair Ted Lieu were joined by Representatives Ami Bera, M.D. and Maxine Dexter, M.D. for a press conference about the health care crisis Donald Trump and Republicans have created in this country. You can watch the  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 10 -- Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Oregon, ranking member of the Senate Finance Committee, issued the following news release: * * * Finance Democrats Call on Crapo to Hold Hearing on Personal Data Risk, Customer Service Chaos at Social Security Wyden and Committee Democrats to Crapo: "We have a responsibility to ensure SSA protects Americans' data and provides quality customer service to the over 72 million Americans who rely on these benefits." * Senate Finance Committee Ranking Mem  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 9 -- Rep. Maxine Dexter, D-Oregon, issued the following news release: * * * Following Damning Reporting, Dexter, Huffman, Neguse Lead Oversight Push to Safeguard Wildland Firefighters * Congresswoman Maxine Dexter, M.D. (OR-03), the Ranking Member of the House Natural Resources Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, alongside Jared Huffman (CA-02), the Ranking Member of the House Natural Resources Committee, and Joe Neguse (CO-02), the Ranking Member of the House Nat  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 9 -- Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Oregon, issued the following news release: * * * Merkley, Colleagues: Trump Administration Must Do More to Protect Wildland Firefighters from Dangerous Smoke Exposure * Washington, D.C. - Today, Oregon's U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley led U.S. Senators Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), Adam Schiff (D-CA), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Michael Bennet (D-CO), and Ron Wyden (D-OR) to demand the Trump Administration ensure federal wildland firefighters are adequately protecte  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 10 -- Rep. Jason Smith, R-Missouri, chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, issued the following news release: * * * Big, Beautiful Success Story: Taxpayers Getting A Tax Cut Is Making News President Trump's working class tax cuts are making news. Media reports - including from local outlets around the country - are showing how the tax cuts deliver for workers, families, small businesses, and farmers in all 50 states, according to a recent study. "Taxpayers in ever  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 9 -- The Small Business Administration's Office of Disaster Assistance issued the following news release: * * * SBA Offers Relief to Oregon Small Businesses and Private Nonprofits Affected by Drought * WASHINGTON -- The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) announced the availability of low interest federal disaster loans to small businesses and private nonprofit (PNP) organizations in Oregon to offset economic losses caused by drought beginning July 8. The declaration  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 9 -- Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Oregon, issued the following news release: * * * Wyden, Merkley, Dexter Announce More Than $2 Million for Wildfire and Watershed Resilience in Mt. Hood National Forest * Washington D.C.-- U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley with U.S. Rep. Maxine Dexter today announced more than $2 million in federal investments for fuels reduction work across private and public lands in Mt. Hood National Forest to reduce the risk of wildfire. "During another  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 9 -- Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Oregon, issued the following news release: * * * Wyden, Merkley, Dexter Announce More Than $2 Million for Wildfire and Watershed Resilience in Mt. Hood National Forest * Washington D.C.-- U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley with U.S. Rep. Maxine Dexter today announced more than $2 million in federal investments for fuels reduction work across private and public lands in Mt. Hood National Forest to reduce the risk of wildfire. "During another de  more