WASHINGTON, Oct. 11 -- 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) reacted to news of the DC appeals court ruling that Mazars USA LLP, the accounting firm that prepared financial statements for President Trump, must comply with the congressional subpoena for the President's financial records: "Today's ruling is   more

WASHINGTON, Oct. 8 -- The Government Accountability Office has issued a report on how Internal Revenue Service identifies emerging abusive tax schemes involving tax-exempt entities. The report (GAO-19-491) is titled "Tax-Law Enforcement: IRS Could Better Leverage Existing Data to Identify Abusive Schemes Involving Tax-Exempt Entities". The report was sent to Sen. Charles E. Grassley, R-Iowa, chairman, and Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Oregon, ranking member of the Senate Finance Committee, on Sept. 5. Here  more

WASHINGTON, Oct. 11 -- The Government Accountability Office has issued a report on states' estimates of administrative costs to implement work requirements in approved Medicaid demonstrations. The report (GAO-20-149) is titled "Medicaid Demonstrations: Actions Needed to Address Weaknesses in Oversight of Costs to Administer Work Requirements". The report was sent to Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Oregon, ranking member of the Senate Finance Committee, and Rep. Frank Pallone Jr., D-New Jersey, ranking member  more

WASHINGTON, Oct. 11 -- The Government Accountability Office has issued a report on Medicare home health utilization and spending for disposable negative pressure wound therapy devices. The report (GAO-20-42) is titled "Medicare: Spending on Certain Disposable Wound Care Devices in Home Health". The report was sent to Sen. Charles E. Grassley, R-Iowa, chairman, Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Oregon, ranking member of the Senate Finance Committee, Rep. Frank Pallone Jr., D-New Jersey, chairman, Rep. Greg Wald  more

WASHINGTON, Oct. 9 -- The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee issued a report (H.Rpt. 116-221) on legislation (H.R. 3362) to amend title 49, U.S. Code, to require small hub airports to construct areas for nursing mothers. The report was advanced by Rep. Peter DeFazio, D-Oregon, on Oct. 4. Excerpts of the report follow: Purpose of Legislation The purpose of H.R. 3362 is to provide nursing mothers and parents with clean, private, accessible, and equipped spaces, not located in a r  more

WASHINGTON, Oct. 9 -- Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Oregon, issued the following news release: * * * - Senators' letter highlights concerns from senior advocates about access to Medicare plan information * * * Oregon's Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden announced today that they are urging the Trump administration to delay implementation of a Medicare enrollment website overhaul to address key problems with the new Medicare Plan Finder tool that would make it harder for seniors to compare insurance   more

GROTON, Connecticut, Oct. 7 -- Rep. Joe Courtney, D-Connecticut, issued the following remarks: Today, Congressman Joe Courtney (CT-02), Chairman of the House Armed Services Subcommittee on Seapower and Projection Forces, will participate in the christening ceremony for the future USS Oregon, the U.S. Navy's newest Virginia-class submarine which was constructed in part by the men and women of General Dynamics Electric Boat in Groton. The Congressman's opening remarks as prepared for delivery are  more

WASHINGTON, Oct. 11 -- Rep. Peter DeFazio, D-Oregon, issued the following news release: Rep. Peter DeFazio (OR-04) today introduced legislation that would end price gouging on prescription drugs and other health care products developed with taxpayer money. The legislation would require federal agencies and federally-funded non-profit organizations to secure affordable pricing agreements from drug manufacturers before granting exclusive rights to develop drugs, vaccines or other health care prod  more

WASHINGTON, Oct. 11 -- Rep. Peter A. DeFazio, D-Oregon, chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, issued the following statement after the Joint Authorities Technical Review released its report that assessed how the Federal Aviation Administration and Boeing handled the certification of the Boeing 737 MAX flight control system: The Committee is conducting its own investigation into the certification of the aircraft and will hold its fourth hearing on the matter on Octob  more

WASHINGTON, Oct. 8 -- Rep. Peter DeFazio, D-Oregon, issued the following statement in response to a letter from the White House declaring its obstruction of an impeachment inquiry in the House: "The president has admitted to an impeachable offense--soliciting assistance from a foreign leader to interfere with U.S. elections and aid his political campaign. He has violated his oath of office to protect and defend the Constitution and betrayed the American people. "Since he admitted his offense,   more

WASHINGTON, Oct. 8 -- Rep. Greg Walden, R-Oregon, issued the following news release: Saturday, Representative Greg Walden (R-Hood River) delivered the keynote speech at the christening of PCU Oregon in Groton, Connecticut. The vessel is the U.S. Navy's newest submarine and the third navy vessel to carry the state's name. The submarine was christened with water from Crater Lake and Wine from Oregon. Watch news coverage of the event and Walden's exclusive interview (https://youtu.be/i2y-PLJ74yM)   more

WASHINGTON, Oct. 11 -- Rep. Greg Walden, R-Oregon, issued the following news release: This week, Representative Greg Walden spent time in Central Oregon meeting with local veterans and community leaders. He also stopped in at local radio stations and the Bend Bulletin to discuss what he is working on in Washington. First, Walden met with the Redmond Band of Brothers. He shared his experience at the recent christening of the future U.S.S. Oregon and updated the crowd on what he is working on in  more

WASHINGTON, Oct. 11 -- Rep. Greg Walden, R-Oregon, issued the following news release: Greg Walden (R-OR), the Republican Leader of the Energy and Commerce Committee, penned a letter with Representative Brett Guthrie (R-KY) and Representative David McKinley (R-WV) pressing the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and top opioid distributors for an update on recommendations of the report (https://iq024.us.house.gov/IQ2/UX/Energy%20and%20Commerce%20Republican%20Leader%20Greg%20Walden%20(R-OR),%20  more

WASHINGTON, Oct. 10 -- Rep. Greg Walden, R-Oregon, ranking Republican member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, issued the following joint statement with Reps. John Shimkus, R-Illinois, ranking Republican member of the Subcommittee on Environment and Climate Change, and Fred Upton, R-Michigan, ranking Republican member of the Subcommittee on Energy, applauding the Environmental Protection Agency proposed rule to reduce lead in drinking water: "Bolstering the safety of our water systems  more

WASHINGTON, Oct. 8 -- Rep. Greg Walden, R-Oregon, ranking Republican member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, issued the following joint statement with Reps. John Shimkus, R-Illinois, ranking Republican member of the Subcommittee on Environment and Climate Change, and Fred Upton, R-Michigan, ranking Republican member of the Subcommittee on Energy, on the Water Infrastructure Funding Transfer Act, which was signed into law by President Trump: "This law will help ensure our state and lo  more

WASHINGTON, Oct. 10 -- Sens. Charles E. Grassley, R-Iowa, and Ron Wyden, D-Oregon, chairman and ranking member of the Senate Finance Committee, issued the following op-ed regarding the World Trade Organization, which was provided to CNN online: With the World Trade Organization Public Forum underway in Geneva, it is time for members to confront and address the problems that are eroding the WTO's credibility and effectiveness. These are problems that, if left unresolved, will endanger the WTO's   more

WASHINGTON, Oct. 9 -- Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Oregon, ranking Democratic member of the Senate Finance Committee, issued the following news: * * * - Wyden requests information from Braidy CEO Craig Bouchard * * * Continuing to investigate potential threats to national security from Rusal's proposed $200 million investment in a Braidy Atlas aluminum rolling mill, Senate Finance Committee Ranking Member Ron Wyden, D-Ore., has requested information (https://www.finance.senate.gov/download/100819-wyden  more

WASHINGTON, Oct. 8 -- Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Oregon, issued the following statement: * * * - Declassified FISC Opinion Details FBI Abuses of Warrantless Backdoor Searches, Reveals that the FBI Can Count How Often It Searches for Americans in Foreign Surveillance Database, Despite Claims To the Contrary * * * U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., a senior member of the Senate Intelligence Committee, issued the following statement in response to a newly declassified opinion by the Foreign Intelligence Su  more

WASHINGTON, Oct. 10 -- Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Oregon, ranking Democratic member of the Senate Finance Committee, issued the following statement on the review of the Free File program: "The report does not adequately address the problems in the Free File program. "For example, it does not recommend robust action to prevent companies from engaging in deceptive advertising practices, even though it acknowledges taxpayers were steered to paid sites. "While I believe we should move toward a public prog  more

WASHINGTON, Oct. 11 -- 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), and Chair of the Subcommittee on Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation Sean Patrick Maloney (D-NY), announced the Subcommittee will hold a hearing titled, "China's Maritime Silk Road Initiative: Implications for the Global Maritime Supply Chain  more

WASHINGTON, Oct. 11 -- Rep. Greg Walden, R-Oregon, ranking Republican member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, issued the following news release: Energy and Commerce Republican Leader Greg Walden (R-OR), Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee Republican Leader Brett Guthrie (R-KY), and Rep. David McKinley (R-WV) are pressing the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and top opioid distributors for an update on recommendations of the report (https://republicans-energycommerce.house.  more

WASHINGTON, Oct. 9 -- Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Oregon, issued the following news release: * * * - Bipartisan Bill Will Fight Years of Unnecessary Classification * * * U.S. Senators Ron Wyden, D-Ore., and Jerry Moran, R-Kan., today announced plans to address the expensive, unnecessary backlog to declassify documents that no longer need to be protected by government secrecy. Wyden, a senior member of the Senate Intelligence Committee, and Moran, a senior Appropriations Committee member, are planning  more

WASHINGTON, Oct. 7 -- Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Oregon, issued the following news release: U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., last week joined U.S. Sen. Kamala D. Harris, D-Calif., and colleagues in filing an amicus brief in a United States Supreme Court case that will determine access to courts for victims of racial discrimination. The Supreme Court will hear arguments in Comcast Corporation v. National Association of African American-Owned Media and Entertainment Studios Networks, Inc. on November 13,   more

WASHINGTON, Oct. 9 -- Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Oregon, issued the following news release: * * * - Senators' letter highlights concerns from senior advocates about access to Medicare plan information * * * Oregon's Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley announced today that they are urging the Trump administration to delay implementation of a Medicare enrollment website overhaul to address key problems with the new Medicare Plan Finder tool that would make it harder for seniors to compare insurance and  more

WASHINGTON, Oct. 10 -- Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Oregon, ranking Democratic member of the Senate Finance Committee, issued the following news: * * * - GAO Study Shows Minimal Oversight by CMS as Trump Administration Approves Medicaid Waivers that Hurt Vulnerable Americans, Create Needless Bureaucracy - Non-Partisan Report Comes As Appellate Court Prepares to Hear Oral Arguments on Legality of Kentucky and Arkansas Medicaid Work Requirements Case * * * Senate Finance Committee Ranking Member Ron Wyd  more