WASHINGTON, Feb. 6 -- The Education and Labor subcommittee on Civil Rights and Human Services issued the following opening statement on Feb. 5 by Chair Suzanne Bonamici, D-Oregon, at a hearing entitled "The Future of Work: Protecting Workers' Civil Rights in the Digital Age": Technology and automation have become entrenched in nearly every aspect of our society and culture. The intentions behind the use of technology may be noble, but our efforts to both assess and address the effects on our wo  more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 8 -- Rep. Peter DeFazio, D-Oregon, issued the following news release: Chair of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure Peter DeFazio (D-OR) sent a letter to the General Services Administration (GSA), with follow-up questions after Administrator Emily Murphy testified before the Committee on January 28th, 2020. In the letter, Chair DeFazio wrote: "While it is virtually unprecedented that the President of the United States is both the landlord and tenant of any   more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 6 -- Rep. Peter DeFazio, D-Oregon, issued the following news release: The House of Representatives passed decisively bipartisan legislation authored by Rep. Peter DeFazio that would provide the United States Postal Service (USPS) with much-needed financial relief by ending the agency's burdensome prefunding mandate on future retiree health benefits. The legislation passed by a vote of 309 to 106, with 87 Republicans voting in favor of the bill. "Americans and businesses aroun  more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 7 -- The Government Accountability Office has issued a report on aviation maintenance. The report (GAO-20-206) is entitled "Additional Coordination and Data Could Advance FAA Efforts to Promote a Robust, Diverse Workforce". The report was sent to Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Mississippi, chairman, Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Washington, ranking member of the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee, Rep. Peter DeFazio, D-Oregon, chairman, and Rep. Sam Graves, R-Missouri, rankin  more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 7 -- The Government Accountability Office has issued a report on federal real property. The report (GAO-20-135) is entitled "GSA Should Improve Accuracy, Completeness, and Usefulness of Public Data". The report was sent to Rep. Peter DeFazio, D-Oregon, chairman, Rep. Sam Graves, R-Missouri, ranking member of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee on Feb. 6, 2020. Here are excerpts of summaries associated with the report. What GAO Found: "The General Services Adm  more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 4 -- Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Oregon, ranking Democratic member of the Senate Finance Committee, issued the following news: * * * - Finance Committee Leaders Highlight How Legislation Takes on Cost of Life-Saving Diabetes Drugs * * * Senate Finance Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, and Ranking Member Ron Wyden, D-Ore., described how the committee's prescription drug pricing reform bill, passed by the committee with an overwhelming bipartisan vote in July and updated in Dec  more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 7 -- The House Natural Resources subcommittee for Indigenous Peoples of the U.S. issued the following testimony on Feb. 5 by Cheryle A. Kennedy, chairwoman of the Grand Ronde Tribal Council, at a hearing on a bill to amend the Grand Ronde Reservation Act (H.R. 4888): I am the Tribal Council Chairwoman of the Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde Community of Oregon ("Grand Ronde" or "Tribe"). The tribes and bands confederated on the Grand Ronde Reservation signed seven (7) tr  more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 8 -- Rep. Suzanne Bonamici, D-Oregon, issued the following news release on Feb. 6: * * * - Most Significant Workers' Rights Legislation in Decades Would Help More Workers Form and Join Unions, Stop Unlawful Interference * * * The House passed major legislation to strengthen workers' rights. Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR), Chair of the Education and Labor Committee's Civil Rights and Human Services Subcommittee, co-sponsored the legislation and spoke in favor of it on   more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 6 -- The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee issued a report (H.Rpt. 116-304) on the San Francisco Bay Restoration Act (H.R. 1132), which amends the Federal Water Pollution Control Act to establish a grant program to support the restoration of San Francisco Bay. The report was advanced by Rep. Peter DeFazio, D-Oregon, on Nov. 20. Excerpts of the report follow: Purpose of Legislation...3 Background and Need for Legislation...3 Hearings...4 Legislative History a  more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 7 -- Rep. Earl Blumenauer, D-Oregon, chairman of the House Ways and Means subcommittee on Trade, issued the following opening statement on Feb. 6 at a hearing on infrastructure for global competitiveness: The subject of today's hearing is one of critical importance to the United States. Infrastructure is, after all, the backbone of the American economy. For too long, we've allowed our nation's infrastructure to fall apart by not providing the investments needed to maintain an  more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 8 -- Rep. Earl Blumenauer, D-Oregon, issued the following statement, which was published in the Congressional Record on Feb. 7, entitled "Introduction of the Understanding and Studying American Civics Act of 2020": I am pleased to introduce the Understanding and Studying American (USA) Civics Act of 2020. Today, only 32 percent of Americans can name all three government branches. That means two-thirds of the people in the U.S. are not equipped with foundational knowledge neces  more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 4 -- Rep. Suzanne Bonamici, D-Oregon, issued the following news release on Feb. 3: Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR) announced that Serena Cruz, an advocate for health care accessibility and immigrant rights, will be joining her at the State of the Union on Tuesday. Cruz is the Executive Director of the Virginia Garcia Memorial Foundation and will be representing the Virginia Garcia Memorial Health Center as Bonamici's guest at the State of the Union. Bonamici has frequent  more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 6 -- Rep. Suzanne Bonamici, D-Oregon, issued the following statement on Feb. 5 regarding the Senate's acquittal of President Trump in its impeachment trial: The House of Representatives impeached Trump in December. Bonamici voted in support of both articles of impeachment: abuse of power and obstruction of Congress. "President Trump has failed the American people. "He repeatedly put his own self-interest before our country's national security and the needs of our communities.  more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 5 -- Rep. Peter DeFazio, D-Oregon, issued the following news release: * * * - DeFazio Emphasizes Need for Clean Water Protections Ahead of President Trump's Address * * * Following President Trump's rollback of critical clean water protections, Rep. Peter DeFazio (OR-04) invited Joe Moll, Executive Director of the McKenzie River Trust, to the State of the Union Address as his guest. "Access to clean water ought to be a right, not a privilege," said Rep. DeFazio (OR-04). "Th  more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 7 -- Rep. Peter DeFazio, D-Oregon, issued the following remarks on Feb. 6: The following are opening remarks, as prepared for delivery, from Chair of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure Peter DeFazio (D-OR) during today's hearing titled "Assessing the Transportation Needs of Tribes, Federal Land Management Agencies, and U.S. Territories." Thank you, Madam Chair, for holding this hearing today to examine the infrastructure needs of tribes, Federal Land Mana  more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 5 -- Rep. Peter A. DeFazio, D-Oregon, issued the following statement, which was published in the Congressional Record on Feb. 4, entitled "Opposition to the Temporary Reauthorization and Study of the Emergency Scheduling of Fentanyl Analogues Act (S. 3201)": on January 29, I voted against S. 3201, the Temporary Reauthorization and Study of the Emergency Scheduling of Fentanyl Analogues Act. Fentanyl, a deadly synthetic drug 50 times more powerful than heroin, is wreaking havoc  more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 5 -- Rep. Peter DeFazio, D-Oregon, issued the following statement on Feb. 4 in response to President Trump's State of the Union Address: "Tonight, we heard President Trump lay out his lopsided vision for America: An America where corporations and the very wealthiest can succeed while working families are left behind. He touted an agenda he calls "relentlessly pro-worker, pro-family, pro-growth, and pro-American," but nothing could be further from the truth: From forcing through  more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 7 -- Rep. Peter DeFazio, D-Oregon, issued the following news release on Feb. 6: The U.S. House of Representatives passed six bills from the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, including bipartisan legislation to reauthorize the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) National Estuary Program, and support restoration efforts in the Chesapeake Bay, the Great Lakes, and the Lake Pontchartrain Basin. "The Transportation and Infrastructure Committee has a long history o  more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 4 -- Rep. Greg Walden, R-Oregon, issued the following news release: Last week, Representative Greg Walden (R-Hood River) spoke with KATU's Evan Schreiber about the reactivation of his investigation into three of the largest opioid manufacturers. As Chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, Walden led the charge to combat the opioid epidemic. In 2018 he launched an investigation into opioid manufacturers. In January, Walden relaunched the investigation, demanding ans  more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 7 -- Rep. Greg Walden, R-Oregon, issued the following statement: Representative Greg Walden (R-Hood River) released the following statement after President Trump signed the Temporary Reauthorization and Study of the Emergency Scheduling of Fentanyl Analogues Act, which extends the Drug Enforcement Administration's (DEA) access to the tools necessary to combat fentanyl-related substances. "President Donald Trump is following through with his 'unyielding commitment' at the State  more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 8 -- Rep. Greg Walden, R-Oregon, issued the following statement on the flooding in Umatilla County: "My staff and I are monitoring the flooding in Umatilla County and other areas in northeast Oregon and are in touch with local officials. "I urge residents to please stay safe and follow directions from local officials. We will continue to monitor the situation. "My staff and I stand ready to help however we can during the recovery process. Please reach out to my La Grande of  more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 8 -- Rep. Greg Walden, R-Oregon, issued the following statement: Representative Greg Walden (R-Hood River) released a statement after the House unanimously passed the Puppies Assisting Wounded Servicemembers (PAWS) for Veterans Therapy Act. Walden co-sponsored the legislation that would enable the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to provide service dog training therapy to veterans in need. "The House's unanimous passage of the PAWS Act is welcome news for the many veterans  more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 6 -- Rep. Greg Walden, R-Oregon, issued the following statement after the Senate voted to acquit President Trump: "In December, I opposed both the House vote to impeach President Trump and the vote to send the articles of impeachment to the Senate. I felt that the justifiably high standards for overturning the outcome of an election had not been met. Nullifying the vote of the American people demands two things: a bipartisan and fair process to determine wrongdoing, and a crimi  more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 7 -- Rep. Greg Walden, R-Oregon, issued the following news release on Feb. 6: Yesterday, Representative Greg Walden (R-Hood River) shared concerns about e-cigarette use at a House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations hearing entitled, "Vaping in America: E-Cigarette Manufacturers' Impact on Public Health." Walden started the hearing off by emphasizing the major health concerns surrounding the use of electronic cigarettes, lung illnesses associated w  more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 7 -- Rep. Greg Walden, R-Oregon, issued the following news release: Following the State of the Union, Representative Greg Walden (R-Hood River) took to social media to share a video of his initial reaction to President Trump's State of the Union. In the video, Walden said: "Seldom have I seen a president do such a great job of putting human faces -- real human faces -- on the problems, challenges, and things to celebrate about America, as President Trump did tonight. Look, he   more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 7 -- Rep. Greg Walden, R-Oregon, issued the following op-ed published in the oregonian: Representative Greg Walden (R-Hood River) penned an op-ed in The Oregonian in response to the frightening increase of illicit stimulant use. While progress has been made to end the opioid crisis, the nation has seen a concerning increase in the use of deadly stimulants, with Oregon recently ranking second in the nation for methamphetamine use. It's hard to know what to say to comfort a fath  more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 6 -- Rep. Peter A. DeFazio, D-Oregon, chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, and Rep. Daniel Lipinski, D-Illinois, chair of the Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines and Hazardous Materials, issued the following opening remarks on Feb. 5 at a hearing entitled: "Tracking Toward Zero: Improving Grade Crossing Safety and Addressing Community Concerns": Chair DeFazio: Thank you, Chairman Lipinski and Ranking Member Crawford, for calling today's hearing t  more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 6 -- 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) and Health Subcommittee Republican Leader Michael C. Burgess, M.D. (R-TX) sent a letter to Energy and Commerce Chairman Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ) calling for a hearing on Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) new proposal to modernize Medicaid, the Healthy Adult Opp  more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 6 -- Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Oregon, issued the following statement on Feb. 5 regarding the conclusion of the impeachment trial of President Trump: "Today, is a dark, tragic day for our nation. Today, the United Stated Senate completed the first cover up in this institution's more than two hundred year history when the majority of my colleagues voted not to convict and remove Donald J. Trump from office. "As many of my Republican colleagues have admitted in recent days, the House  more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 4 -- In the Senate impeachment trial of President Trump, Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Oregon, sent a question to the Chief Justice for review by the Senate: The CHIEF JUSTICE. Thank you. The question is for the House managers from Senators Merkley, Schatz, and Carper: Yesterday, Alan Dershowitz stated that a President cannot be impeached for soliciting foreign interference in his re- election campaign if he thinks it's in the public interest. The President's Counsel stated the Presid  more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 6 -- Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Oregon, issued the following statement: Oregon's Senator Jeff Merkley announced that he will be introducing legislation next week that would require the Senate to consider evidence and hear from witnesses in future impeachment trials. Merkley released the following statement: "A trial without witnesses and documents is not a fair and full trial - it's a cover-up. Whether information from relevant witnesses and documents should be considered in the co  more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 5 -- Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Oregon, issued the following statement on Feb. 4 after the State of the Union Address: "This State of the Union took place under the shadow of an impeachment trial that has clearly become a cover-up. President Trump may have intended to use tonight's speech to divert Americans' attention from the cloud that hangs over his presidency, but no words can distract from the corruption of his attempts to pressure a foreign government to intervene in our elect  more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 7 -- Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Oregon, issued the following news release: Oregon's Senator Jeff Merkley demanded that the Trump administration reverse course on a proposed rule change that threatens to take away Oregon Health Plan benefits and coverage from one in five Oregonians who currently rely on the program. The new rule proposes significant funding cuts to providers and states. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) have admitted that the broad and complex prop  more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 7 -- Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Oregon, issued the following news release on Feb. 6: Oregon's Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden, with Representative Kurt Schrader (D-OR-05), announced that the Port of Newport has received $1.2 million in grant funding from the U.S. Department of Commerce for the construction of a new pier. The denigration of a decades-old wooden pier has forced the port to turn away new businesses and restrict pier access to halt further damage to the structure. "Th  more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 4 -- Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Oregon, issued the following news release: U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., demanded answers from U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) about the treatment of pregnant migrants, as there continue to be troubling reports alleging the mistreatment, abuse and neglect of pregnant women in U.S. detention facilities. "I continue to hear horrific reports about pregnant women subject to unsanitary conditions a  more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 3 -- In the Senate impeachment trial of President Trump, Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Oregon, sent a question to the Chief Justice for review by the Senate: The CHIEF JUSTICE. Thank you. The question from Senator Wyden for the House managers: The Intelligence Community is prohibited from requesting that a foreign entity target an American citizen when the Intelligence Community is itself prohibited from doing so. In 2017, during [Director] Mike Pompeo's confirmation hearing to be the Dir  more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 4 -- In the Senate impeachment trial of President Trump, Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Oregon, sent a question to the Chief Justice for review by the Senate: The CHIEF JUSTICE. Thank you. Senators Wyden, Menendez, and Brown ask the House managers: The President's counsel has argued that the President's actions are based on his desire to root out corruption. However, new reporting indicates that Attorney General Barr and former National Security Advisor Bolton shared concerns that the Pres  more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 7 -- The Senate Finance Committee issued the following statement on Feb. 6 by Ranking Member Ron Wyden, D-Oregon, to consider pending nominations of Kipp Kranbuhl, to be assistant secretary of the Treasury, Sarah C. Arbes, to be assistant secretary of Health and Human Services, and Jason J. Fichtner, to be member of the Social Security Advisory Board: This morning the Finance Committee meets to consider three nominations: Jason Fichtner is nominated to serve on the Social Secur  more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 6 -- Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Oregon, ranking Democratic member of the Senate Finance Committee, issued the following statement on the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration report on the Free File program: "The TIGTA report confirms recent reporting -- the Free File program is a mess. "The IRS has done a poor job promoting the program, which is why few eligible taxpayers even know it exists. Working folks end up shelling out money to for-profit companies for services tha  more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 6 -- Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Oregon, issued the following statement on Feb. 5 regarding the Senate's vote to acquit President Trump on two articles of impeachment: "Today I voted to remove Donald Trump, for his abuse of power and obstruction of Congress. His whole defense amounted to a fiction. The president was not fighting corruption in Ukraine, he was causing it. "There is no doubt in my mind that Donald Trump misused his office to extort a foreign nation to drum up sham investig  more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 5 -- Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Oregon, issued the following statement in response to President Trump's State of the Union Address: "If you want to see what Donald Trump would do with four more years, look back at his record of ignoring the problems typical families face over the last three. "Trump's key legislative accomplishment is a tax handout for multinational corporations, special interests and the wealthy, and he expects working families to praise him for it. With another term,  more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 8 -- Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Oregon, issued the following news release: * * * - Senator says Ag Department announcement fulfills key piece of his hemp legalization bill * * * U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden said the U.S. Agriculture Department announcement detailing two risk management programs protecting farmers' hemp crops from natural disasters takes a significant step to achieve a key piece of his hemp legalization bill. "Hemp farmers in Oregon and nationwide deserve the same certainty a  more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 7 -- Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Oregon, issued the following news release on Feb. 6: Oregon's Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden, with Representative Kurt Schrader (D-OR-05), announced that the Port of Newport has received $1.2 million in grant funding from the U.S. Department of Commerce for the construction of a new pier. The denigration of a decades-old wooden pier has forced the port to turn away new businesses and restrict pier access to halt further damage to the structure.   more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 4 -- Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Oregon, issued the following news release: When Congress gathers for the State of the Union address on Tuesday, Oregon's U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley will highlight the outrageous cost of drug prices in America. Merkley's guest will be Oregonian Myra Haq, who struggles to afford her treatment for Crohn's disease, even as her prescriptions cost one-third as much or less in Canada. "Every year, I hold a town hall in every Oregon county. No matter where I a  more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 7 -- Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Oregon, issued the following news release: U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., asked Secretary of State Bev Clarno to warn Oregon counties about the security risks posed by mobile voting apps and other forms of internet voting, in a letter. "We share a common goal of making it easier for Oregonians serving in the military or otherwise living overseas to vote. I look forward to working with you to explore ways to do so, including, if appropriate, introducing fed  more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 5 -- Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Oregon, issued the following news release: * * * - Legislation would establish 9-8-8 as a suicide prevention and mental health crisis hotline * * * U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden announced he is co-sponsoring bipartisan legislation that would designate 9-8-8 as a national suicide prevention and mental health crisis hotline. Amid deeply troubling statistics about suicide in Oregon and nationwide, Wyden has been a long-time advocate of setting aside a three-digit   more