WASHINGTON, Sept. 25 -- 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 House Select Committee on the Climate Crisis, introduced a resolution highlighting the findings of the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Special Report on the Ocean and the Cryosphere in a Changing Climate and recognizing the need for ocean-centric solutions to the climate crisis.   more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 25 -- Rep. Suzanne Bonamici, D-Oregon, issued the following news release: Today Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR) praised the House passage of legislation to provide cannabis and hemp businesses with access to financial services and products. The SAFE Banking Act would allow state-licensed cannabis and hemp businesses to use banking services and products. Currently, federal law prohibits financial institutions from offering services to cannabis businesses, forcing them to  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 24 -- Rep. Suzanne Bonamici, D-Oregon, issued the following news release: Today Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR) and Congressman Brett Guthrie (R-KY) introduced a bipartisan resolution to designate September 2019 as National Workforce Development Month. The resolution highlights the need for increased investments in workforce development programs, which support workers and help employers meet the demands of a global economy. Workforce development programs provide workers  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 27 -- 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 Peter DeFazio (D-OR) announced Boeing Chairman, President, and CEO Dennis Muilenburg will testify at a Full Committee hearing of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee on October 30, 2019. He will be accompanied by Chief Engineer of Boeing's Commercial Airp  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 26 -- The Government Accountability Office has issued a report on federal efforts to address marine debris. The report (GAO-19-653) is titled "Marine Debris: Interagency Committee Members Are Taking Action, but Additional Steps Could Enhance the Federal Response". The report was sent to Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Washington, ranking member of the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee, Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Connecticut, Sen. Cory A. Booker, D-New Jersey, Sen.   more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 25 -- The House Transportation and Infrastructure subcommittee on Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation issued the following testimony by Daniel Cox, civil engineering professor at Oregon State University, at a hearing entitled "Coast Guard and Port Infrastructure: Built to Last?": "Thank you for the opportunity to testify today on the importance of port infrastructure resilience within the United States Coast Guard. I am pleased to provide testimony today on the role univer  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 25 -- The House Judiciary Committee issued the following testimony by Dayton Mayor Nan Whaley at a hearing entitled "Protecting America from Assault Weapons": "On Saturday, August 4th at 1:00AM, Dayton's Oregon District was bustling like it usually is with a diverse group of friends and neighbors enjoying a night out. People hopped between bars and restaurants as last call approached. Others waited in line at a popular taco truck for a late night snack. "But that all changed   more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 26 -- Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Oregon, issued the following news release: Oregon's U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley today announced key provisions in the Senate Commerce, Justice and Science Appropriations Committee bill that will help rural communities across Oregon. "I'm in every county every year, and across rural and coastal Oregon I hear about ways we can create jobs and strengthen communities," Merkley said. "This bill reflects a lot of those insights, from strengthening the coast  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 26 -- Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Oregon, issued the following news release: Oregon's Senator Jeff Merkley and Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici today applauded the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Environment and Climate Change's unanimous vote to pass their Alan Reinstein Ban Asbestos Now Act of 2019. "It's outrageous that in the year 2019, asbestos is still allowed in the United States," said Merkley. "While the EPA fiddles, Americans are dying. More than 60 other nations h  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 24 -- Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, issued the following news release: * * * - New legislation would require the FDA to create design standards for vaping devices--like JUUL--to prevent consumers from modifying or adding substances * * * Oregon's Senator Jeff Merkley, joined by Senators Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), and Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), today introduced new legislation to set safety standards in the design of e-cigarette and va  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 24 -- Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Oregon, issued the following news release: * * * - New legislation would require the FDA to create design standards for vaping devices - like JUUL- to prevent consumers from modifying or adding substances * * * Oregon's Senator Jeff Merkley, joined by Senators Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), and Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), today introduced new legislation to set safety standards in the design of e-cigarette and vap  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 27 -- Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Oregon, issued the following news release: * * * - Trump Administration reportedly plans to set the 2020 cap at 18,000 refugees - the lowest level ever. * * * Oregon's Senator Jeff Merkley and Senator Edward J. Markey (D-MA) today led a group of Senators in opposing the Trump Administration's reported plans to slash the U.S.'s refugee cap to admit only 18,000 refugees in Fiscal Year 2020--a cap which, if not reversed, would represent the lowest le  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 26 -- Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Oregon, issued the following news release: Oregon's Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden today announced nearly $2 million in federal grant funding that will help Astoria Regional Airport and Grant County Regional Airport make critical infrastructure improvements, in order to continue safely serving Clatsop and Grant county residents and businesses. "Regional airports play a critical role in connecting our communities with economic opportunities and cri  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 26 -- Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Oregon, issued the following news release: Oregon's Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden today announced nearly $2 million in federal grant funding that will help Astoria Regional Airport and Grant County Regional Airport make critical infrastructure improvements, in order to continue safely serving Clatsop and Grant county residents and businesses. "Regional airports play a critical role in connecting our communities with economic opportunities   more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 24 -- Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Oregon, issued the following news release: Oregon's Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden joined 21 Senate Democrats in writing to Sonny Perdue, Secretary of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), expressing concerns over this summer's move by USDA's National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) to suspend the collection of honeybee data across the nation. While NASS recently reversed course under pressure, the decision-making that led up to tha  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 24 -- Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Oregon, issued the following news release: Oregon's Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden joined 21 Senate Democrats in writing to Sonny Perdue, Secretary of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), expressing concerns over this summer's move by USDA's National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) to suspend the collection of honeybee data across the nation. While NASS recently reversed course under pressure, the decision-making that led up to that s  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 26 -- Rep. Suzanne Bonamici, D-Oregon, issued the following news release: Today Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR)'s bill to ban asbestos, the Alan Reinstein Ban Asbestos Now Act of 2019, passed out of the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Environment and Climate Change. The bill would ban the mining, importation, use, and distribution of asbestos, which is a known carcinogen. "Today, on National Mesothelioma Awareness Day, the House Energy and Commerce Committee t  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 24 -- Rep. Suzanne Bonamici, D-Oregon, issued the following statement on the decision of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-California, to begin an impeachment inquiry: "I commend Speaker Pelosi for moving forward with an impeachment inquiry," said Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici. "The President admitted to asking a foreign government to investigate a political adversary. "He must be held accountable for this impeachable offense, along with his many other wrongdoings that have betr  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 27 -- Rep. Peter DeFazio, D-Oregon, issued the following news release: House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure Chairman Peter DeFazio (OR-04) this week summoned the General Services Administration (GSA) to a hearing to examine the lease for the Old Post Office Building which is owned by the federal government and leased to the Trump International Hotel in Washington, D.C. As both the President of the United States and the owner of the hotel, he is both the lessor   more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 25 -- Rep. Peter DeFazio, D-Oregon, issued the following statement in support of the House opening an impeachment inquiry: "This is a dark day for America's representative democracy. The president has admitted to soliciting assistance from a foreign leader to interfere with U.S. elections and aid his political campaign, which is a violation of the Constitution, a betrayal of the American people, and an impeachable offense. His grave actions threaten our national security and t  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 27 -- Rep. Peter DeFazio, D-Oregon, issued the following news release: U.S. Rep. Peter DeFazio, Chairman of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, today led the floor debate for Democrats on S.J.Res. 54, A Joint Resolution Terminating President Trump's Unlawful Emergency Declaration. The joint resolution would end the president's emergency declaration of February 15, established to work around the Constitution and Congress to fund an ineffective border wall.  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 26 -- Reps. Peter A. DeFazio, D-Oregon, chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, and Rick Larsen, D-Washington, chairman of the Subcommittee on Aviation, issued the following opening remarks at a hearing entitled "A Work in Progress: Implementation of the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2018": Chair DeFazio: "Thank you, Chair Larsen, for calling today's hearing on implementation of the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2018--a bipartisan bill that, barring anoth  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 27 -- Rep. Kurt Schrader, D-Oregon, issued the following statement on impeachment: "After reading the transcript of President Trump's conversation with the Ukrainian President; "* hearing President Trump acknowledge the conversation; "* understanding the illegal obstruction by the DNI for the Intelligence Committee to see the whistleblower report; "* hearing the concerns of intelligence committee members from both sides of the aisle after viewing the report; "* seeing the   more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 26 -- Rep. Greg Walden, R-Oregon, issued the following news release: Today, Representative Greg Walden (R-Hood River) announced that the Department of Transportation (DOT) will award a discretionary grant totaling $950,000 to the Grant County Regional Airport in John Day. The funding will help pay for the reconstruction of the airport's apron, which is where an aircraft parks, unloads, loads, refuels, and boards. This grant is a part of the FAA's FY2019 Airport Improvement P  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 25 -- Rep. Greg Walden, R-Oregon, ranking Republican member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, issued the following remarks at the Subcommittee on Health hearing entitled "Making Prescription Drugs More Affordable: Legislation to Negotiate a Better Deal for Americans": "There is no debate about the fact that Republicans and Democrats want to work together to lower drug costs for consumers. We also believe in innovation, and we believe in stopping bad actors. "Madame   more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 25 -- Rep. Greg Walden, R-Oregon, ranking Republican member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, issued the following remarks at the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations hearing entitled "Sounding the Alarm: The Public Health Threats of E-Cigarettes": "Electronic cigarettes, or e-cigarettes, the current outbreak of lung illnesses associated with e-cigarettes, and the youth vaping epidemic are a front-and-center health concern in the United States, and particular  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 26 -- Rep. Greg Walden, R-Oregon, ranking Republican member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, issued the following remarks at the Subcommittee on Environment and Climate Change markup of 15 bills: "Thank you, Mr. Chairman for recognizing me. As Mr. Shimkus mentioned, we have an aggressive and full agenda for today on several issues of importance to our members and this committee. "Today, we are considering a bill to close the book on environmental problems of the pa  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 27 -- Rep. Greg Walden, R-Oregon, ranking Republican member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, issued the following remarks at the Subcommittee on Communications and Technology hearing entitled "Legislating to Secure America's Wireless Future": "Mr. Chairman. I want to welcome our witnesses to this hearing. Your insight will be another important input in the process we began last Congress to secure our communications networks. "Our nation's telecommunications infrast  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 25 -- Rep. Greg Walden, R-Oregon, issued the following statement following the U.S. and Japan's announcement that they have a reached a partial trade deal where the deal is set to reduce Japanese tariffs on agriculture and industrial products and it is expected to have a significant benefit for Oregon wheat, wine, potatoes and beef: "This trade deal is welcome news for Oregon's farmers and ranchers. "During my townhalls in Sherman and Gilliam counties last month, trade and ac  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 27 -- Rep. Greg Walden, R-Oregon, issued the following statement on veteran suicide prevention: "One evening, an Oregon veteran was out at dinner with some of his good friends. They chatted with interest about "The Wall that Heals," a replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall that was scheduled to visit the town in a few days. He would never get to visit it. That night after dinner he died by suicide. "Another veteran from my district was out for a drive with his brother.  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 26 -- 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) announces a new member of the senior staff for the committee Republicans. "The Energy and Commerce Committee has a history of employing talented and dedicated professionals, and we continue that tradition today. I know Kate's breadth of experience in telecommunications poli  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 26 -- Rep. Greg Walden, R-Oregon, issued the following news release: Today, Representative Greg Walden (R-Hood River) delivered remarks at an Energy and Commerce Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee hearing, "Sounding the Alarm: The Public Health Threats of E-Cigarettes." Walden started off with the statistic that in the last few weeks, an unidentified lung illness has already killed seven people and sickened over 500 across at least 38 states. The investigation into thi  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 24 -- Rep. Greg Walden, R-Oregon, ranking Republican member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, issued the following news release: Today, Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ), Republican Leader Greg Walden (R-OR), Reps. Doris Matsui (D-CA), and Brett Guthrie (R-KY) introduced the Secure and Trusted Communications Networks Act (HR 4459), a bipartisan bill to help secure America's telecommunications supply chain. "America's wireless future de  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 25 -- 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) today slammed Speaker Pelosi's partisan drug plan and called on Democrats to focus on bipartisan solutions to lower drug costs for consumers. During the Health Subcommittee hearing, Walden said the Pelosi plan puts "politics over progress" and undermines bipartisan negotiati  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 25 -- Reps. Peter A. DeFazio, D-Oregon, chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, and Sean Patrick Maloney, D-New York, issued the following opening remarks at a hearing entitled "Coast Guard and Port Infrastructure: Built to Last?": Chair DeFazio: "Mr. Chairman, thank you for scheduling this afternoon's hearing to assess the Coast Guard's substantial backlog in deferred maintenance and repair for its infrastructure, and examine policies to ensure tha  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 25 -- Reps. Peter A. DeFazio, D-Oregon, chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, and Dina Titus, D-Nevada, chairman of the Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings and Emergency Management, issued the following opening remarks at a hearing entitled "Landlord and Tenant: The Trump Administration's Oversight of the Trump International Hotel Lease": Chair DeFazio: "I have been pursuing issues related to the leasing of the federally owned O  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 26 -- Rep. Greg Walden, R-Oregon, ranking Republican member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, issued the following joint statement with John Shimkus, R-Illinois, ranking Republican member of the Subcommittee on Environment and Climate Change, applauding the passage of the Nuclear Waste Policy Amendments Act (H.R. 2699) at the subcommittee markup of 15 environment bills: "Science and the law tell us that the solution to the country's nuclear waste problem is Yucca Mou  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 24 -- Rep. Greg Walden, R-Oregon, ranking Republican member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, issued the following joint statement with Rep. Fred Upton, R-Michigan, ranking Republican member of the Subcommittee on Energy, applauding the announcement of pipeline safety rules from the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration: "We welcome these important and long overdue pipeline safety rules addressing Congressional mandates from the Pipeline Safety Act o  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 24 -- Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Oregon, issued the following statement after House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced that the House will be forming a committee to begin impeachment proceedings against President Trump: "Beginning impeachment proceedings is not an action to be taken lightly. Unfortunately, the gravity and extent of President Trump's corrupt actions makes it absolutely clear that Congress must do so. "President Trump has repeatedly and flagrantly violated his oath of of  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 25 -- Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Oregon, issued the following statement after the House overwhelmingly passed the Secure and Fair Enforcement Banking Act on a bipartisan basis: Merkley authored the SAFE Banking Act to ensure that legal cannabis and hemp businesses in Oregon and across the country have access to banking services. Currently, because most banks are wary of serving businesses that are in conflict with federal law, many legal cannabis businesses are forced to operate in   more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 24 -- Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Oregon, issued the following floor remarks on the nomination of Daniel Jorjani as Interior Solicitor General: "There's a job opening at the Interior Department, and that can mean only one thing. Another Trump nominee who's already under investigation for misconduct - even before his official first day on the job. This time it's Daniel Jorjani, a long-serving Trump Interior official who's up for a powerful role as the department's Solicitor General. Alre  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 25 -- Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Oregon, a senior member of the Senate Intelligence Committee, issued the following statement in response to the summary of President Trump's call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky: "The summary of this call includes outrageous conduct by Donald Trump that represents a clear threat to American democracy and national security. "It remains the legal obligation of the Director of National Intelligence to turn over the full whistleblower's complai  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 25 -- Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Oregon, ranking Democratic member of the Senate Finance Committee, issued the following statement on the U.S.-Japan trade deal: "The digital trade principles that the United States and Japan agreed to today represent how important digital technology is to our modern economy. "These principles form the foundation of a free and open internet that promotes the speech and collaboration that democracies, entrepreneurs and innovators in the U.S. and around   more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 27 -- 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., today released the findings of his 18-month investigation into the NRA's relationship with Russia and potential violations of U.S. tax and sanctions laws. The report, The NRA and Russia: How a Tax-Exempt Organization Became a Foreign Asset, reveals: * New evidence that the 2015 delegation to Moscow w  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 25 -- Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Oregon, issued the following news release: Oregon's Senator Jeff Merkley announced today that the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, on which he serves, has passed his bipartisan Rescuing Animals With Rewards (RAWR) Act. The RAWR Act, co-led by Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME), would help save endangered animals by combatting wildlife trafficking and poaching. Specifically, the legislation would authorize the State Department to offer financial rewards fo  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 25 -- Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Oregon, issued the following news release: The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee today passed a comprehensive energy storage package that includes provisions from U.S. Senator Ron Wyden's Reducing the Cost of Energy Storage Act to promote the research and development of ways to lower the cost of energy storage technologies to make it possible for renewable energy to be used on a more reliable and affordable basis. The Committee also advance  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 25 -- Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Oregon, issued the following news release: * * * - America still imports nearly a million barrels a day, while we send 3 million barrels a day overseas * * * Senators Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) and Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), have reintroduced legislation to reinstate the ban on sending American crude oil abroad. "The math simply doesn't add up here. America shouldn't be both importing and exporting millions of barrels of oil a day, w  more