WASHINGTON, March 13 -- Rep. Peter DeFazio, D-Oregon, issued the following news release on March 12: Ahead of tax season, Rep. Peter DeFazio (OR-04) has introduced legislation that would help the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) collect underpaid taxes from the top earners in the United States, leveling the playing field for working families and creating a fairer U.S. tax system. "It's not enough that our tax code gives billionaires and giant corporations huge tax handouts--the agency responsibl  more

WASHINGTON, March 12 -- Rep. Peter A. DeFazio, D-Oregon, chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, issued the following news release: Chair of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure Peter DeFazio (D-OR) sent a letter to the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) opposing the Trump administration's proposed rule to fundamentally re-write the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) regulations. "I write in strong opposition to the Council on Environmen  more

WASHINGTON, March 14 -- Rep. Peter A. DeFazio, D-Oregon, chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, and Rep. Dina Titus, D-Nevada, issued the following statements after President Trump invoked the Stafford Act, which allows the Federal Emergency Management Agency to coordinate a national response to the coronavirus pandemic: The House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure has jurisdiction over FEMA. "This emergency declaration will finally bring FEMA to the tab  more

WASHINGTON, March 14 -- Rep. Greg Walden, R-Oregon, ranking Republican member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, issued the following news release: As COVID-19 continues, Energy and Commerce Committee Republican Leader Greg Walden (R-OR) and Communications and Technology Subcommittee Republican Leader Bob Latta (R-OH) praise the Federal Communications Commission (FCC)'s Keep Americans Connected pledge and the steps taken by individual private companies to make sure Americans have acces  more

WASHINGTON, March 14 -- Rep. Greg Walden, R-Oregon, ranking Republican member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, and Rep. John Shimkus, R-Illinois, issued the following joint statement on March 13 after the House passed a bipartisan bill by unanimous consent to extend the chemical facility anti-terrorism standards program: "CFATS is not your garden variety regulatory program - it has played a vital role since the September 11th terrorist attacks of keeping our high-risk chemical facili  more

WASHINGTON, March 13 -- Rep. Earl Blumenauer, D-Oregon, issued the following statement, which was published in the Congressional Record on March 11, entitled "Introduction of the Resilient Elections During Quarantines and Natural Disasters Act of 2020": The Novel Coronavirus ("COVID-19") has already infected more than 100,000 people worldwide and killed more than 4,000 people. Meanwhile, millions of Americans are anxious about their health, safety, and job security. Earlier today, the World Hea  more

WASHINGTON, March 12 -- Rep. Earl Blumenauer, D-Oregon, issued the following floor statement: Congressman Earl Blumenauer (OR-03), member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, opposed the reauthorization of the PATRIOT Act considered on the House floor. He released the following statement: "I have long opposed aggressive, sweeping surveillance powers authorized in Section 215 of the PATRIOT Act, which have time and again violated individuals' constitutional rights. For months, I worked alon  more

WASHINGTON, March 11 -- Rep. Suzanne Bonamici, D-Oregon, issued the following news release: Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici (OR-01) introduced legislation to improve the likelihood of healthy pregnancies and help women avoid unintended pregnancies. The Enhancing Questions to Understand Intentions for Pregnancy (EQUIP) Act empowers women to make informed care decisions with initiatives that facilitate important reproductive health conversations with their health care and social service providers  more

BEAVERTON, Oregon, March 9 -- Rep. Suzanne Bonamici, D-Oregon, issued the following statement after the total number of presumed cases of coronavirus in Oregon increased to 14 and Gov. Kate Brown declared an emergency to address the coronavirus: "I share the serious concerns of Oregonians about the ongoing spread of COVID-19 in our communities," said Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici. "The Governor's emergency declaration, which I support, will make more resources and personnel available for our r  more

WASHINGTON, March 12 -- Rep. Suzanne Bonamici, D-Oregon, issued the following news release on March 11: The House unanimously passed the Supporting Older Americans Act of 2020 (H.R. 4334), a bipartisan proposal that increases funding for vital programs that help aging Americans live independently and with dignity. The legislation - which passed the Senate last week - reauthorizes the Older Americans Act (OAA), the primary legislation that covers social and nutrition services for older Americans  more

WASHINGTON, March 11 -- Rep. Peter DeFazio, D-Oregon, issued the following statement on March 10: Chair of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure Peter DeFazio (D-OR) expressed his condolences to the families and friends of the victims of Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302. On March 10, 2019, 157 people died when their Boeing 737 MAX aircraft crashed shortly after taking off from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, killing everyone on board. This was the second crash of the new 737 MAX aircraft  more

WASHINGTON, March 11 -- Rep. Peter A. DeFazio, D-Oregon, chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, issued the following news release on March 10: After two Congressional delegation trips to Puerto Rico to examine disaster recovery and response efforts, House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-MD) and Chair of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure Peter DeFazio (D-OR) led a letter to Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Administrator Peter Gaynor urg  more

WASHINGTON, March 12 -- Rep. Jared Huffman, D-California, issued the following news release: Congressman Jared Huffman (D-San Rafael) announced that the 2020 Congressional Art Competition is open to all high school students in California's Second Congressional District, which spans from the Golden Gate Bridge to the Oregon border. The annual art contest is held by the U.S. Congress for high school students across the country. "I am excited to announce the kickoff of our 2020 Congressional Art   more

WASHINGTON, March 10 -- Rep. Kurt Schrader, D-Oregon, issued the following news release: Rep. Kurt Schrader (D-OR) introduced the bipartisan Veterinary Education and Training Minimizes Educational Debt (HR 6134) Act with Rep. Ted Yoho (R-FL). They are both veterinarians and co-chairs of the Veterinary Medicine Caucus. The VET MED Act will allow veterinary students serving in their internship or residency programs to be eligible for interest-free deferment on their student loans during their r  more

WASHINGTON, March 12 -- Rep. Peter A. DeFazio, D-Oregon, chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, issued the following joint statement with Dina Titus, D-Nevada, chairman of the Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings and Emergency Management, on hearing on the Foreign Exchange Management Act priorities: "Thank you Chair Titus, and thank you Administrator Gaynor for being here today. "As you know, this Committee is responsible for jurisdiction over all   more

WASHINGTON, March 12 -- Rep. Greg Walden, R-Oregon, issued the following news release: Representative Greg Walden (R-Hood River) announced that the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) awarded nearly $7.3 million to the state of Oregon to support response efforts to the 2019 Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19): "I applaud the CDC for providing this critical funding to the state of Oregon," said Walden. "This is welcome news for Oregonians and will help our state and local officials respond to the corona  more

WASHINGTON, March 11 -- Rep. Greg Walden, R-Oregon, ranking Republican member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, issued the following opening remarks on March 10 at a Communications and Technology Subcommittee markup titled, "Markup of Media Diversity and Public Safety Bills": Welcome to today's markup of nearly a dozen pieces of legislation seeking to promote Media Diversity and enhance public safety communications. While I intend to support a number of these measures today, I would   more

WASHINGTON, March 11 -- Rep. Greg Walden, R-Oregon, issued the following remarks: Representative Greg Walden (R-OR) joined GOP Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA), Rep. Bruce Westerman (R-AR), and other Members of Congress at a press conference on The Trillion Trees Act. The legislation would help decrease carbon emissions by ensuring the U.S. does its part in achieving the goal of one trillion trees planted globally by 2050. Below are Walden's Remarks as Prepared for Delivery: "In my district back   more

WASHINGTON, March 13 -- Rep. Greg Walden, R-Oregon, issued the following statement after postponing two upcoming town halls due to a change in the Congressional schedule: "I had planned to return to Oregon to hold town halls in Gilliam and Wheeler County on Friday, March 13. "However, in order for Congress to continue to work on our nation's response to the coronavirus outbreak, the Congressional schedule has changed. Due to this change, I will need to remain in Washington longer than planned  more

WASHINGTON, March 13 -- Rep. Greg Walden, R-Oregon, ranking Republican member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, issued the following statement praising the confirmation of James Danly, to serve as a commissioner with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission: "I was pleased to see James Danly confirmed as the newest commissioner; James knows the agency well, so he knows the importance of modernizing our nation's infrastructure to better deliver affordable and reliable energy to the Ame  more

WASHINGTON, March 12 -- Rep. Greg Walden, R-Oregon, ranking Republican member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, issued the following remarks at a Health subcommittee markup examining 13 health bills, including bipartisan proposals to promote health and increase the safety of medical products: "Thank you, Chairwoman Eshoo. At today's subcommittee markup we will advance 13 legislative proposals to improve health outcomes and improve the safety of and access to medical products. "Three   more

WASHINGTON, March 13 -- Rep. Greg Walden, R-Oregon, ranking Republican member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, issued the following remarks on March 12 at an Environment and Climate Change Subcommittee markup of two bills on the Chemical Facility Anti-Terrorism Standards program and hydrofluorocarbons: Thank you for yielding me this time to speak before we dive into the two bills scheduled for markup today: H.R. 6160 and H.R. 5544. On H.R. 6160, I appreciate that you have focused th  more

WASHINGTON, March 12 -- Rep. Greg Walden, R-Oregon, issued the following news release: Representative Greg Walden (R-Hood River), Republican Leader of the Energy and Commerce Committee, joined a bipartisan group of committee members in writing to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner Stephen M. Hahn, M.D. asking a series of questions and requesting a briefing on the potential impact the 2019 Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) could have on the supply of safe drugs and other medical prod  more

WASHINGTON, March 10 -- Rep. Greg Walden, R-Oregon, issued the following news release: On Friday, Representative Greg Walden (R-Hood River) visited Umatilla County to discuss with local officials both the region's recent flooding and the 2019 Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak. First, Walden held a meeting with local officials on the recent flooding in Umatilla County. At the meeting, Sheriff Terry Rowan gave participants a play-by-play of the flooding. After the discussion, Walden toured   more

WASHINGTON, March 11 -- Rep. Greg Walden, R-Oregon, ranking member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, and Rep. Bob Latta, R-Ohio, ranking member of the Subcommittee on Communications and Technology, issued the following joint statement on March 10 after the Senate passed the bipartisan Broadband Deployment Accuracy and Technological Availability Act (S.1822): "Access to high speed internet is vital in today's interconnected world, yet 19 million Americans - including one-fourth of the   more

WASHINGTON, March 13 -- Rep. Greg Walden, R-Oregon, ranking Republican member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, issued the following news release on March 12: Following President Trump signing the bipartisan Secure and Trusted Communications Networks Act (H.R. 4998) into law to help secure America's telecommunications supply chain, Energy and Commerce Committee Republican Leader Greg Walden (R-OR), Chairman Frank Pallone (D-NJ), Reps. Doris Matsui (D-CA), and Brett Guthrie (R-KY) rele  more

WASHINGTON, March 11 -- Rep. Greg Walden, R-Oregon, ranking Republican member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, issued the following news release: Bipartisan Energy and Commerce Committee leaders wrote to Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner Stephen M. Hahn, M.D. asking a series of questions and requesting a briefing on the potential impact the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) could have on the supply of safe drugs and other medical products in the United States. The letter wa  more

WASHINGTON, March 12 -- Rep. Earl Blumenauer, D-Oregon, issued the following news release: Reps. Earl Blumenauer (D-OR), Suzan DelBene (D-WA) and Jamie Raskin (D-MD) introduced the Resilient Elections During Quarantines and Natural Disasters Act of 2020. This legislation addresses the threat COVID-19 poses to 2020 elections by requiring states and localities to create and administer plans to operate their elections in the event of quarantines advised by public health and government officials. T  more

WASHINGTON, March 11 -- Rep. Earl Blumenauer, D-Oregon, issued the following news release: Representative Earl Blumenauer (OR-03), Mike Kelly (PA-16), Darin LaHood (IL-18), and Dan Kildee (MI-05) introduced the Revitalizing Economies, Housing, And Businesses (REHAB) Act of 2019, which would reinstate and improve a tax credit ("REHAB credit") for buildings that are more than 50 years old and within one-half of a mile of a public transportation center. The REHAB credit is intended to work in comm  more

WASHINGTON, March 12 -- Rep. Suzanne Bonamici, D-Oregon, issued the following news release: The leaders of the Subcommittee on Civil Rights and Human Services, Reps. Suzanne Bonamici (OR-01) and James Comer (KY-01), unveiled a bipartisan bill to protect students' access to school meal benefits during school closures related to COVID-19. As of March 10, 621 schools have been closed or are scheduled to close, affecting more than 430,000 students and jeopardizing access to a critical source of nut  more

WASHINGTON, March 11 -- Rep. Peter A. DeFazio, D-Oregon, chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, and Rep. Rick Larsen, D-Washington, chairman of the Subcommittee on Aviation, issued the following statements on March 10: Chair of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure Peter DeFazio (D-OR) and Chair of the Subcommittee on Aviation Rick Larsen (D-WA) expressed their condolences to the families and friends of the victims of Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302.  more

WASHINGTON, March 11 -- Rep. Peter A. DeFazio, D-Oregon, chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, and Rep. Frank Pallone Jr., D-New Jersey, chairman of the Energy and Commerce Committee, issued the following joint statement on March 10 urging water utility companies to avoid shutting off water service in the midst of the coronavirus outbreak: "Today we are asking water utility companies across the country to stop shutting off water service to residents and families for  more

WASHINGTON, March 5 -- Rep. Ted Deutch, D-Florida, issued the following news release: Congressman Ted Deutch (D-FL), Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR), and Congressman Don Young (R-AK) introduced bipartisan legislation to increase federal investments in marine energy. The Water Power Research and Development Act strengthens water power programs at the Department of Energy (DOE) and reauthorizes funding for research, development, demonstration, and commercialization of marine energy. Import  more

WASHINGTON, March 11 -- Rep. Frank Pallone Jr., D-New Jersey, chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, and Rep. Peter DeFazio, D-Oregon, chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, issued the following joint statement on March 10 urging water utility companies to avoid shutting off water service in the midst of the coronavirus outbreak: "Today we are asking water utility companies across the country to stop shutting off water service to residents and families   more

WASHINGTON, March 11 -- Rep. Greg Walden, R-Oregon, issued the following news release: Representative Greg Walden (R-OR) and Senators Jeff Merkley (D-OR) and Ron Wyden (D-OR) wrote to President Trump urging for an expedited review of the "presidential major disaster declaration" that Oregon Governor Kate Brown requested for three Oregon counties and a tribal nation that suffered severe damage from historic flooding in February. Officials estimate damages to public and individual property amount  more

WASHINGTON, March 11 -- Rep. Don Young, R-Alaska, issued the following news release: Congressman Don Young (R-AK), Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR), and Congressman Ted Deutch (D-FL) introduced bipartisan legislation to increase federal investments in marine energy. The Water Power Research and Development Act strengthens water power programs at the Department of Energy (DOE) and reauthorizes funding for research, development, demonstration, and commercialization of marine energy. Importa  more

WASHINGTON, March 10 -- Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Oregon, issued the following news release: Oregon's U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley announced the expansion of a pilot program that will allow Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) recipients in Oregon to use their benefits to purchase food online from Amazon and Walmart. The program is administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Food and Nutrition Service (FNS). Merkley serves as the top Democrat on the funding subcommittee tha  more

WASHINGTON, March 10 -- Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Oregon, issued the following statement: Oregon's U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley issued the following statement marking the one-year anniversary of the House's passage of H.R. 1, the For the People Act. Along with Sen. Tom Udall (D-NM), Merkley is the co-lead of the For the People Act in the U.S. Senate. "I grew up the son of a union mechanic, and I still live in the blue collar neighborhood I grew up in. Week in and week out, I hear from constituents, fr  more

WASHINGTON, March 14 -- Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Oregon, issued the following statement regarding President Trump's declaration of a coronavirus a national emergency: "Now that President Trump has heeded our callto make a presidential disaster declaration, communities throughout Oregon and across the country will be able to access much-needed financial assistance as we continue to address the spread of coronavirus. "As Oregon works to access these newly available funds, I will push the Trump admi  more

WASHINGTON, March 11 -- Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Oregon, issued the following news release on March 10: Oregon's U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley, along with 14 of his Senate colleagues, pressed the U.S. Bureau of Prisons (BOP) and the three largest private prison operators--GEO Group (GEO), CoreCivic, and Management and Training Corporation (MTC)--about whether they have sufficient policies and procedures in place to prepare for and manage a potential spread of the novel coronavirus in federal prisons.   more

WASHINGTON, March 14 -- Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Oregon, issued the following news release: * * * - White House has repeatedly allowed politics to overrule public health advice * * * Oregon's U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley, along with seven colleagues, pressed Vice President Mike Pence, head of the White House Coronavirus Task Force, to ensure that the federal response to the coronavirus outbreak is grounded in scientific fact and experts' recommendations--not in politics. The senators' letter come  more

WASHINGTON, March 13 -- Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Oregon, issued the following news release: Oregon's Senator Jeff Merkley joined Senators Ron Wyden (D-OR), Robert Menendez (D-NJ),Patty Murray (D-WA), Chris Coons (D-DE), and Bob Casey (D-PA) to introduce the Correct the Census Count Act--legislation to end the practice of "prison gerrymandering," which skews congressional and legislative districts by counting prisoners as residents of the location where they are incarcerated. The Correct the Census  more

WASHINGTON, March 14 -- Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Oregon, issued the following news release: Oregon's Senator Jeff Merkley, along with Senators Edward J. Markey (D-MA) and Bernie Sanders (I-VT), announced the introduction of legislation that would prohibit the Department of the Interior from slashing royalty rates for fossil fuel corporations, amid reports that the Trump administration is considering using the coronavirus to push massive ill-advised giveaways to the oil and gas industry. "In the fa  more

WASHINGTON, March 14 -- Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Oregon, issued the following news release: * * * - Legislation Would Expand Free Coronavirus Testing and Related Health Care Services to People on Private Insurance, in Medicare, Medicaid and the Uninsured * * * U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden - along with Sens. Tina Smith (D-Minn.) Gary Peters (D-Mich.), Democratic Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), and Patty Murray (D-Wash.) --led a number of their Democratic Senate colleagues in introducing legislation t  more

WASHINGTON, March 12 -- Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Oregon, issued the following news release: U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., introduced a bill to address the risks to American voters and elections posed by the coronavirus (COVID-19), and other outbreaks of infectious diseases or natural disasters. If 25 percent of states declare a state of emergency related to COVID-19, another infectious disease or natural disaster, the Resilient Elections During Quarantines and Natural Disasters Act of 2020 would re  more

WASHINGTON, March 13 -- The Senate Finance Committee issued the following statement on March 11 by Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Oregon, at a hearing on the nominations of Kipp Kranbuhl, to be an assistant secretary of the Treasury Department, Sarah C. Arbes, to be an assistant secretary of Health and Human Services Department, and Jason J. Fichtner, to be a member of the Social Security Advisory Board: I plan to support Ms. Arbes's nomination to serve as HHS assistant secretary for legislation. In that ro  more

WASHINGTON, March 11 -- Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Oregon, issued the following statement regarding the latest FISA extension bill under consideration in the House: "The FISA bill posted by the House Rules Committee includes provisions sought by reformers, but falls far short of the meaningful protections for Americans' rights that members from both parties have demanded. It codifies prohibitions on two collection activities that the government had already suspended: the massive and ineffective call det  more

WASHINGTON, March 11 -- Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Oregon, ranking Democratic member of the Senate Finance Committee, issued the following statement in reaction to President Trump floating a potential payroll tax cut: "The best way to prevent economic damage is to stop the spread of the virus. "President Trump isn't going to wriggle out of addressing this growing public health crisis with tax cuts. "A payroll tax cut can be an effective tool, but it's not the best answer in this case. "A payroll t  more

WASHINGTON, March 14 -- Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Oregon, ranking Democratic member of the Senate Finance Committee, issued the following statement: * * * - After Congress Gave Trump Authority to Expand Use of Telehealth to Protect Seniors, CMS Slow to Issue Guidance * * * Senate Finance Committee Ranking Member Ron Wyden, D-Ore., slammed the Trump administration for failing to utilize new authority to expand access to telehealth services in Medicare, a provision included in the coronavirus response  more

WASHINGTON, March 13 -- Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Oregon, issued the following statement on March 12 regarding the Senate confirmation of James P. Danly to be a member of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission: "The confirmation of Danly to the FERC creates a wholly unbalanced Commission and such an unbalanced and partisan Commission threatens the validity of its decisions by defying the commonsense meaning of a bipartisan commission. "I question the legitimacy of such a Commission in violation of   more

WASHINGTON, March 14 -- Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Oregon, issued the following news release: * * * - Lawmakers' letter to VP Pence cites unmet requests from state for personal protective equipment and additional lab tests * * * U.S. Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley joined with U.S. Reps. Earl Blumenauer, Peter DeFazio and Suzanne Bonamici in a letter to Vice President Pence seeking urgently needed COVID-19 aid for Oregon, including surgical masks, respirators, ventilators and more. The Oregon lawma  more

WASHINGTON, March 12 -- Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Oregon, issued the following news release on March 11: U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden and Senate Democratic Leaders announced a new targeted economic and community relief proposal to help communities and individuals deal with the impacts of the coronavirus outbreak. The proposal is based on input from Governors, policy experts and state and local officials about what is needed to help workers, their families and the communities they live in to manage the economic  more

WASHINGTON, March 14 -- Sen. Edward J. Markey, D-Massachusetts, issued the following news release: Oregon's Senator Jeff Merkley, along with Senators Edward J. Markey (D-MA) and Bernie Sanders (I-VT), announced the introduction of legislation that would prohibit the Department of the Interior from slashing royalty rates for fossil fuel corporations, amid reports that the Trump administration is considering using the coronavirus to push massive ill-advised giveaways to the oil and gas industry.   more

WASHINGTON, March 14 -- Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Oregon, issued the following news release: Oregon's U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley and Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) today pressed President Donald Trump to issue an immediate, nationwide moratorium on all foreclosures on and evictions from properties owned or insured by Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, the Federal Housing Administration (FHA), Veterans Affairs (VA), or the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Rural Housing Service (RHS), amid growing concerns of t  more

WASHINGTON, March 12 -- Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Oregon, issued the following news release: Oregon's Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden, along with dozens of their Senate colleagues, sent a letter to President Trump urging the president to immediately consider any coronavirus-related disaster declaration requests. Presidential disaster declarations would enable affected states to tap into the $42.6 billion currently available in the Disaster Relief Fund (DRF) in their efforts to mitigate the spread o  more

WASHINGTON, March 14 -- Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Oregon, issued the following news release: Oregon's U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden joined 17 of their Senate colleagues in sending a letter to the CEOs of eight major internet service providers (ISPs), calling on the companies to take steps to accommodate the unprecedented reliance America will likely have on internet-supported services--including telework, online education, telehealth, and remote support services--in the coming days. "As   more

WASHINGTON, March 11 -- Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Oregon, issued the following news release: * * * - The lawmakers are pushing the Trump administration for an expedited review of the governor's 'presidential major disaster declaration' request * * * Oregon's U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden, with Congressman Greg Walden (R-OR-5), are pushing the Trump administration for an expedited review of the "presidential major disaster declaration" that Oregon Governor Kate Brown requested for three Or  more

WASHINGTON, March 11 -- Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Oregon, issued the following news release: * * * - The lawmakers are pushing the Trump administration for an expedited review of the governor's 'presidential major disaster declaration' request * * * Oregon's U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden, with Congressman Greg Walden (R-OR-5), are pushing the Trump administration for an expedited review of the "presidential major disaster declaration" that Oregon Governor Kate Brown requested for three  more

WASHINGTON, March 11 -- Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Oregon, issued the following news release: * * * - Senators call for FCC transparency surrounding Rural Digital Opportunity Fund eligibility * * * Oregon's U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley denounced the Federal Communications Commission's (FCC) decision to move forward with a recently adopted rule that would limit the federal resources available to expand broadband in rural areas. The rule would make areas that have received state-run bro  more

WASHINGTON, March 11 -- Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Oregon, issued the following news release: * * * - Senators call for FCC transparency surrounding Rural Digital Opportunity Fund eligibility * * * Oregon's U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley denounced the Federal Communications Commission's (FCC) decision to move forward with a recently adopted rule that would limit the federal resources available to expand broadband in rural areas. The rule would make areas that have received state-run broadba  more

WASHINGTON, March 13 -- Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Oregon, issued the following news release: U.S. Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley this week joined a bipartisan group of their colleagues to introduce landmark legislation to permanently and fully fund the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) and address the nearly $12 billion maintenance backlog in our national parks and other land management agencies. Thanks to the broad bipartisan coalition supporting the Great American Outdoors Act, the bill   more

WASHINGTON, March 13 -- Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Oregon, issued the following news release: U.S. Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley this week joined a bipartisan group of their colleagues to introduce landmark legislation to permanently and fully fund the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) and address the nearly $12 billion maintenance backlog in our national parks and other land management agencies. Thanks to the broad bipartisan coalition supporting the Great American Outdoors Act the bill is e  more

WASHINGTON, March 14 -- Rep. Peter DeFazio, D-Oregon, issued the following news release: U.S. Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley joined with U.S. Reps. Earl Blumenauer, Peter DeFazio and Suzanne Bonamici in a letter to Vice President Pence seeking urgently needed COVID-19 aid for Oregon, including surgical masks, respirators, ventilators and more. The Oregon lawmakers' letter sent late Thursday noted that Governor Brown has declared a state of emergency in Oregon in response to COVID-19, and tha  more

WASHINGTON, March 13 -- Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Oregon, ranking Democratic member of the Senate Finance Committee, issued the following news: As part of Senate Democrats' response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, Senate Finance Committee Ranking Member Ron Wyden, D-Ore., Senate Homeland Security Committee Ranking Member Gary Peters, D-Mich., Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and 20 colleagues introduced legislation, the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance Act, to provide federally-f  more

WASHINGTON, March 14 -- Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Oregon, issued the following news release: * * * - Lawmakers' letter to VP Pence cites unmet requests from state for personal protective equipment and additional lab tests * * * U.S. Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley joined with U.S. Reps. Earl Blumenauer, Peter DeFazio and Suzanne Bonamici in a letter to Vice President Pence seeking urgently needed COVID-19 aid for Oregon, including surgical masks, respirators, ventilators and more. The Oregon la  more

WASHINGTON, March 14 -- Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Oregon, issued the following news release: * * * - Lawmakers' letter to VP Pence cites unmet requests from state for personal protective equipment and additional lab tests * * * U.S. Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley joined with U.S. Reps. Earl Blumenauer, Peter DeFazio and Suzanne Bonamici in a letter to Vice President Pence seeking urgently needed COVID-19 aid for Oregon, including surgical masks, respirators, ventilators and more. The Oregon la  more