WASHINGTON, Sept. 10 -- Rep. Peter A. DeFazio, D-Oregon, chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, issued the following news release: After months of refusing to provide the committee with specific records related to President Trump's lease at the federally-owned Old Post Office, today Chair of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure Peter DeFazio (D-OR) and Chair of the Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings and Emergency Management Din  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 12 -- Rep. Peter A. DeFazio, D-Oregon, chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, issued the following news release: Today, Chair of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure ("Committee") Peter DeFazio (D-OR) and Chair of the Subcommittee on Aviation Rick Larsen (D-WA) wrote to Boeing CEO Dennis Muilenburg to formally request interviews with several Boeing employees. The Committee believes certain employees may be able to shed light on   more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 13 -- Rep. Peter A. DeFazio, D-Oregon, chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, issued the following news release: hair of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure Peter DeFazio (D-OR) and Congressman Tom Malinowski (D-NJ) introduced H.R. 4306, legislation requiring a comprehensive review into the transport of liquified natural gas (LNG) by rail tank car within the United States. On April 10, 2019, President Donald Trump issued an exe  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 11 -- The Government Accountability Office has issued a report on efforts the Federal Aviation Administration have implemented to improve terminal area safety. The report (GAO-19-639) is titled "Aviation Safety: Opportunities Exist for FAA to Improve Airport Terminal Area Safety Efforts". The report was sent to Rep. Peter DeFazio, D-Oregon, chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, Rep. Rick Larsen, D-Washington, chairman of the House Transportation an  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 13 -- The Government Accountability Office has issued a report on state and federal efforts to manage costs and improve care coordination for high-expenditure Medicaid beneficiaries. The report (GAO-19-569) is titled "Medicaid: Efforts to Identify, Predict, or Manage High-Expenditure Beneficiaries". The report was sent to Sen. Charles E. Grassley, R-Iowa, chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, Rep. Greg Walden, R-Oregon, Republican leader of the House Energy and Commerce Co  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 13 -- The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee issued a report (H.Rpt. 116-199) on legislation (H.R. 2726) to amend title 49, U.S. Code, to prohibit smoking on Amtrak trains. The report was advanced by Rep. Peter DeFazio, D-Oregon, on Sept. 9. Purpose of Legislation The purpose of H.R. 2726 is to prohibit smoking and the use of electronic cigarettes on Amtrak trains. Background and Need for Legislation In 1993, Amtrak first implemented an internal policy that p  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 11 -- The House Transportation and Infrastructure subcommittee on Highways and Transit issued the following testimony by Travis Brouwer, assistant director for public affairs at the Oregon Department of Transportation, at a hearing entitled "Pricing and Technology Strategies to Address Congestion on and Financing of America's Roads": "My name is Travis Brouwer and I am the Assistant Director for Public Affairs at the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT). I am here today   more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 10 -- The House Transportation and Infrastructure subcommittee on Highways and Transit issued the following hearing information: Pricing and technology strategies to address congestion on and financing of America's roads at 2167 Rayburn House Office Building at 10 a.m. on September 11: Witness list * Oliver Gilbert III, Mayor, City of Miami Gardens, Chairman, Miami-Dade Transportation Planning Organization * Travis Brouwer, Assistant Director for Public Affairs, Oregon Depar  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 11 -- Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Oregon, issued the following news release: * * * - Merkley, Blumenthal led 21 colleagues in a letter to health agencies about the public health crisis * * * Oregon's U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley and Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) today led 21 colleagues in demanding answers from the heads of health agencies on their actions to address the health impacts of e-cigarette products, as illnesses and even deaths are increasingly linked to vaping. Alrea  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 11 -- Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Oregon, issued the following news release: * * * - The funding for producers affected by wildfires and severe storms was appropriated in the bipartisan emergency relief bill signed into law in June * * * Oregon's U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden today announced that millions of dollars appropriated in the bipartisan disaster relief package this summer is now available for Oregon wine and hazelnut growers. "When disaster strikes, the communit  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 11 -- Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Oregon, issued the following news release: * * * - The funding for producers affected by wildfires and severe storms was appropriated in the bipartisan emergency relief bill signed into law in June * * * Oregon's U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden today announced that millions of dollars appropriated in the bipartisan disaster relief package this summer is now available for Oregon wine and hazelnut growers. "When disaster strikes, the commu  more

PORTLAND, Oregon, Sept. 12 -- Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Oregon, issued the following news release: * * * - The $150 million in grants are part of the bipartisan disaster relief package that passed this summer * * * Oregon's U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden today announced that $150 million is now available to help rural communities recover from substantial damages and losses caused by severe winter storms earlier this year, which closed roads and left countless families without power for wee  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 6 -- Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Oregon, issued the following news release: * * * - The federal funding will support prevention and treatment efforts in Oregon * * * Oregon's U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden today announced more than $7.8 million in federal grants that will support efforts to treat and prevent opioid addiction--one of Oregon's most pressing issues as communities across the state face an increase in opioid-related deaths. "I have heard heart-wrenching stor  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 11 -- Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler, R-Washington, issued the following news release: * * * - House Passes Bill to Permanently Remove From Consideration Acreage for Oil, Gas Leasing off Washington, Oregon shoreline * * * Congresswoman Jaime Herrera Beutler voted tonight in support of a bill to permanently block offshore oil drilling on the Washington and Oregon coasts. H.R. 1941, which passed the U.S. House 238-189, amends the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act to permanently r  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 13 -- Rep. Earl Blumenauer, D-Oregon, issued the following speech, which was published in the Congressional Record on Sept. 9, recognizing Malcolm S. Morris, chairman of the Millennium Water Alliance: I rise today in recognition of Malcolm S. Morris as he ends his long chairmanship of the Millennium Water Alliance, which he helped to found seventeen years ago. His career is marked by his astounding work for this country and for millions of the world's poorest people as a longt  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 11 -- Rep. Suzanne Bonamici, D-Oregon, issued the following news release: Today Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR), Co-Chair of the House Oceans Caucus and a Member of the Select Committee on the Climate Crisis, applauded the passage of two bipartisan bills to permanently safeguard our coasts from oil and gas drilling. "Our ocean sustains life on this planet, and to protect it we must end our reliance on fossil fuels and transition to a clean energy economy," said Congress  more

PORTLAND, Oregon, Sept. 13 -- Rep. Suzanne Bonamici, D-Oregon, issued the following news release: Today Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici (OR-01) convened a group of Oregonians to learn more about the challenges they have encountered with the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program, which promises to forgive the balance of student loans after borrowers complete 10 years of qualified public service and make 120 qualifying loan payments. In recent weeks, Bonamici has been circulating a survey about  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 11 -- Rep. Peter DeFazio, D-Oregon, issued the following news release: * * * - Lawmaker's Letter to Federal Watchdog Offices Highlight Bernhardt Conflicts of Interest with Jordan Cove Project * * * Peter DeFazio (OR-04) today sent a letter to oversight officials at the U.S. Department of the Interior demanding answers about the questionable activity of U.S. Secretary of the Interior David Bernhardt. DeFazio's letter to the department's Inspector General, Mark Lee Greenblatt  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 10 -- Rep. Peter DeFazio, D-Oregon, issued the following news release: * * * - Legislation Bans Key Imports and Halts Military and Security Assistance to Brazil Until Action is Taken to Combat Rainforest Wildfires * * * U.S. Rep. Peter DeFazio (OR-04) introduced legislation today to put pressure on Brazil to combat the record number of wildfires burning in the Amazon rainforest. "President Jair Bolsonaro believes he can act with impunity and accelerate the destruction of t  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 11 -- Rep. Peter DeFazio, D-Oregon, issued the following news release: * * * - Chairs DeFazio and Titus Request Key Records and Question Why the Agency is Taking Legal Guidance from Trump Hotel Attorney * * * After months of refusing to provide the committee with specific records related to President Trump's lease at the federally-owned Old Post Office, today Chair of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure Peter DeFazio (D-OR) and Chair of the Subcommittee  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 11 -- Rep. Peter A. DeFazio, D-Oregon, chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, and Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton, D-D.C., issued the following statements at a hearing entitled "Pricing and Technology Strategies to Address Congestion on and Financing of America's Roads": Chair DeFazio: "Thanks, Madam Chair. You both made points that Congress needs to pay attention to. The cost of congestion on an annual basis are about four times our Federal investment i  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 12 -- Rep. Peter DeFazio, D-Oregon, issued the following news release: * * * - The Five Worst Things the Trump Administration is Doing Right Now to Undermine Clean Water * * * Nearly fifty years after the passage of the Clean Water Act, the Trump EPA has quietly launched an unprecedented attack on the very policies and regulations that have helped hundreds of millions of Americans access clean water in communities across the country. A new report, commissioned by Chair Pete  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 12 -- Rep. Peter A. DeFazio, D-Oregon, chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, issued the following news release: New T&I Committee report highlights how Trump's EPA is quietly rolling back regulations and letting polluters call the shots. The Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment to hold a hearing on status of the Clean Water Act, with a representative from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to testify. Washington, DC- Nearly fif  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 10 -- Rep. Greg Walden, R-Oregon, issued the following news release: Today, Representative Greg Walden (R-Hood River) discussed the need to improve maternal health care during an Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health legislative hearing entitled "Improving Maternal Health: Legislation to Advance Prevention Efforts and Access to Care." Walden said, "The critical issue of maternal morbidity and mortality -- an issue that is literally a matter of life and death for all women  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 11 -- Rep. Greg Walden, R-Oregon, ranking Republican member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, issued the following opening remarks at the Subcommittee on Communications and Technology hearing entitled "Legislating to Connect America: Improving the Nation's Broadband Maps": Walden praises progress being made in this front in the RAY BAUM'S Act and under the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). However, Walden expresses that more needs to be done on mapping to help  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 10 -- Rep. Greg Walden, R-Oregon, ranking Republican member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, issued the following opening remarks at the Subcommittee on Health hearing entitled "Improving Maternal Health: Legislation to Advance Prevention Efforts and Access to Care": While Walden is eager to discuss efforts to understand and decrease maternal morbidity and mortality, this is a serious topic and one with a history of bipartisan action and a thorough process. Unfortun  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 11 -- Rep. Greg Walden, R-Oregon, ranking Republican member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, issued the following opening remarks at the Subcommittee on Environment and Climate Change hearing entitled "Protecting and Securing Chemical Facilities from Terrorist Attacks": "On this day that reminds us that our freedom should never be taken for granted and that we should never forget the sacrifices made or those that are necessary to keep us safe, I appreciate that you   more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 11 -- Rep. Greg Walden, R-Oregon, issued the following statement on completing 40 town halls in 2019: * * * - Has Held More Town Halls in 2019 than any Member of the Oregon Delegation * * * Walden has held more town halls per capita and at large than any other member of the Oregon Congressional Delegation this year and more than the majority of members of the House of Representatives. He has held 188 town halls since 2012 and 40 this year alone. Walden represents the Second  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 11 -- Rep. Greg Walden, R-Oregon, ranking Republican member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, issued the following statement in response to the tentative settlement reached by Purdue Pharma in a federal opioid lawsuit: "No amount of money can bring back the lives lost from this reckless and greedy enterprise." Background Last Congress, under then-Chairman Walden's leadership, the Energy and Commerce Committee pressed Purdue Pharma and other top opioid manufacturers  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 9 -- Reps. Greg Walden, R-Oregon, ranking Republican member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, and Fred Upton, R-Michigan, ranking Republican member of the Subcommittee on Energy, issued the following joint statement on House passage of four bipartisan energy bills: "This is what bipartisan progress for the environment and power generation looks like. "Advancing nuclear, reducing air pollution, improving energy efficiency, and hardening our grid are all real solution  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 11 -- Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Oregon, issued the following statement after the Food and Drug Administration announced that it is temporarily pulling all flavored e-cigarette products from the market: "This action is outrageously overdue. It's been clear for years that an epidemic of youth e-cigarette addiction was building; that companies were surgically targeting teens in their product and marketing strategies; and that the long-term health impacts of e-cigarette use were unknow  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 12 -- Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Oregon, issued the following news release: * * * - The Senate Appropriations Committee defense funding bill includes $8.5 million to train National Guard members to fight wildfires across the West * * * Oregon's U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley today announced that the Senate Appropriations Committee included $8.5 million in the Department of Defense appropriations bill to train National Guard Members to fight wildfires. The funding is a $1.5 million i  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 12 -- Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Oregon, issued the following news release: Oregon's Senator Jeff Merkley, who co-authored the Volcker Rule along with former Sen. Carl Levin (D-MI), today strongly urged federal financial regulators to reject a proposed rewrite of the landmark financial reform provision that would place gaping loopholes into the rule's protections. "Your agencies have been charged with enforcement of this rule in order to protect taxpayers from profit-driven proprie  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 9 -- Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Oregon, issued the following news release: U.S. Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley and U.S. Reps. Peter DeFazio, Earl Blumenauer and Suzanne Bonamici today expressed concerns over the recent decision of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to approve new uses and lift restrictions for sulfoxaflor, a pesticide recognized by the EPA as a danger to pollinators. In a letter to EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler, the lawmakers highlighted concerns from   more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 13 -- Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Oregon, issued the following statement, which was published in the Congressional Record on Sept. 11, on the Oregon Wildlands Act: Oregonians love and cherish their wild rivers, and I am pleased we were able to protect many of these Oregon treasures in the Oregon Wildlands Act, which Congress included as part of the John D. Dingell, Jr. Conservation, Management, and Recreation Act. The act adds 255 miles of new Wild and Scenic Rivers in Oregon. Some, bu  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 13 -- Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Oregon, issued the following statement, which was published in the Congressional Record on Sept. 10, recognizing Marian Wright Edelman, founder and president emerita of the Children's Defense Fund: I wish to recognize Marian Wright Edelman, founder and president emerita of the Children's Defense Fund, for her powerful advocacy for racial justice and on behalf of children, the poor, and all marginalized people. On September 18, the Coalition on Human Ne  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 10 -- Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Oregon, ranking Democratic member of the Senate Finance Committee, issued the following statement on the Senate confirmation of Elizabeth Darling to serve as Commissioner for Children, Youth and Families Division of the Health and Human Services Department: * * * - Wyden Voted 'No' on Nomination, Citing Concerns Over Trump Administration Efforts Supporting Taxpayer-funded Discrimination in Foster System * * * Wyden voted against the nomination, raisi  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 12 -- Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Oregon, ranking Democratic member of the Senate Finance Committee, issued the following news: * * * - Proposal would stop tricks and gaming to ensure wealthiest Americans pay their fair share * * * Senate Finance Committee Ranking Member Ron Wyden, D-Ore., today unveiled a proposal to fix the broken U.S. tax code and require millionaires and billionaires to pay their fair share by equalizing the tax treatment of wages and wealth. Revenue generated   more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 9 -- Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Oregon, issued the following news release: U.S. Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley and U.S. Reps. Peter DeFazio, Earl Blumenauer and Suzanne Bonamici today expressed concerns over the recent decision of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to approve new uses and lift restrictions for sulfoxaflor, a pesticide recognized by the EPA as a danger to pollinators. In a letter to EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler, the lawmakers highlighted concerns from beek  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 4 -- Sens. Jeff Merkley, D-Oregon, and Ron Wyden, D-Oregon, issued the following joint statement condemning the Trump administration's decision to divert funding from congressionally-approved military construction in Oregon and across the U.S. to fund the border wall: "This decision is both an abuse of presidential authority and a dereliction of duty. Trump's border wall is a cruel vanity project, and nothing more. "Americans should not foot the bill, and especially not at t  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 11 -- Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Oregon, issued the following news release: U.S. Senator Ron Wyden wrote this week to U.S. Department of Commerce Inspector General Peggy Gustafson demanding answers following recent reports of improper behavior at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association (NOAA), including one that Commerce Department officials threatened to fire NOAA employees for contradicting the president's false assertions about the projected path of Hurricane Dorian. In th  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 13 -- Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Oregon, issued the following news release: * * * - Over 80 Members of Congress are cosponsors, 10 organizations have endorsed the resolution * * * U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., reintroduced a resolution with Congressman Marc Veasey, D-Texas, this week to designate this month as "National Voting Rights Month." The resolution seeks to end voter suppression by bringing awareness to existing voter suppression laws, educating Americans on their rights   more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 11 -- Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Oregon, ranking Democratic member of the Senate Finance Committee, issued the following news: * * * - Bill would combat growing public health threat by taxing e-cigarettes like other tobacco products * * * To combat the growing public health threat posed by use of e-cigarettes among young people, Senate Finance Committee Ranking Member Ron Wyden, D-Ore., and 18 colleagues today introduced legislation to tax e-cigarettes the same as other tobacco prod  more