WASHINGTON, May 7 -- Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Oregon, issued the following news release on May 6: Oregon's U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley and Senator Roger Wicker (R-MS), the co-chairs of the Senate Nursing Caucus, announced the introduction of a bipartisan Senate resolution designating May 6 to 12, 2020, as National Nurses Week. As nurses risk their lives treating now more than 1 million coronavirus patients across America in the midst of a global pandemic, the resolution honors the important contribu  more

WASHINGTON, May 9 -- 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) and Chair of the Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment Grace F. Napolitano (D-CA) introduced the Clean Water for All Act, which would prohibit the implementation of the Trump administration's Dirty Water Rule - the most draconian rollback of clea  more

WASHINGTON, May 7 -- The Government Accountability Office has issued a report (GAO-20-492) is entitled "Employment-Related Identity Fraud: Improved Collaboration and Other Actions Would Help IRS and SSA Address Risks". The report was sent to Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, chairman, and Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Oregon, ranking member of the Senate Finance Committee, on May 6, 2020. Here are excerpts of summaries associated with the report. What GAO Found: "Employment-related identity fraud occurs when  more

WASHINGTON, May 9 -- The Government Accountability Office has issued a report (GAO-20-531R) is entitled "Biomedical Research: HHS Has Not Yet Used New Authorities to Improve Recruitment and Retention of Scientists ". The report was sent to Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tennessee, chairman, Sen. Patty Murray, D-Washington, ranking member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, Rep. Frank Pallone Jr., D-New Jersey, chairman, and Rep. Greg Walden, R-Oregon, Republican leader of th  more

WASHINGTON, May 7 -- Rep. Suzanne Bonamici, D-Oregon, issued the following news release on May 6: Congresswoman Katherine Clark (MA-5), Vice Chair of the House Democratic Caucus, Congressmembers Jahana Hayes (CT-5), Jimmy Panetta (CA-20), Suzanne Bonamici (OR-1), Danny Davis (IL-7), and Tom Malinowski (NJ-7) called for a $100 billion investment to aid in the relief, recovery and revitalization of the child care sector in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. In a letter to Speaker Pelosi and Mi  more

WASHINGTON, May 5 -- Rep. Suzanne Bonamici, D-Oregon, issued the following news release: House Democrats sent a letter to the Director of the Department of Labor's Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) in strong opposition to the agency's recent guidance allowing new service, supply, and construction contracts related to coronavirus response to avoid federal affirmative action requirements. The letter was signed by Committee on Education and Labor Chairman Robert C. "Bobby" Sco  more

WASHINGTON, May 8 -- Rep. Suzanne Bonamici, D-Oregon, issued the following news release: Members of Oregon's Congressional Delegation -Representatives Suzanne Bonamici, Peter DeFazio, Earl Blumenauer, and Kurt Schrader, along with Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley- called on Congressional leadership to address the disproportionate barriers and outcomes that Latinx and immigrant communities face when trying to access health care services and economic relief during the COVID-19 coronavirus pand  more

WASHINGTON, May 7 -- Rep. Peter DeFazio, D-Oregon, issued the following news release: Rep. Peter DeFazio (OR-04) announced the Coquille Indian Tribe has received $350,000 in federal grant funding from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to assess the Ko'Kwel Wharf Property as a possible brownfield location. "The brownfields program has a proven record of success in transforming contaminated or otherwise unusable sites into a real positive for the environment and the community, and I am p  more

WASHINGTON, May 9 -- Rep. Peter DeFazio, D-Oregon, issued the following news release: Rep. Peter DeFazio (OR-04) called on House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy to provide long-term financial relief for students by including student debt cancellation in the next coronavirus relief package. "Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, borrowers--particularly low-income Americans, young people, and communities of color--were being crushed by student loan debt," said Rep. DeFazio.   more

WASHINGTON, May 9 -- Rep. Peter DeFazio, D-Oregon, issued the following news release: Chair of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure Peter DeFazio (D-OR) introduced the Clean Water for All Act, which would prohibit the implementation of the Trump administration's Dirty Water Rule - the most draconian rollback of clean water protections in the history of the Clean Water Act. In addition, the bill would require the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Army Co  more

WASHINGTON, May 7 -- Rep. Peter A. DeFazio, D-Oregon, chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, issued the following statement after Frontier Airlines started offering a charge for passengers trying to maintain distance on flights during the COVID-19 pandemic: "In our current moment of crisis, when everyone is being asked to do what they can to maintain proper social distancing to prevent the spread of COVID-19, I find it outrageous that an airline sees the imperative f  more

WASHINGTON, May 8 -- Rep. Peter DeFazio, D-Oregon, issued the following news release: Members of Oregon's Congressional Delegation -Representatives Suzanne Bonamici, Peter DeFazio, Earl Blumenauer, and Kurt Schrader, along with Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley- called on Congressional leadership to address the disproportionate barriers and outcomes that Latinx and immigrant communities face when trying to access health care services and economic relief during the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemi  more

WASHINGTON, May 9 -- Rep. Peter A. DeFazio, D-Oregon, chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, issued the following news release on May 8: Today, House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure Members participated in a virtual forum to hear from Maritime Administrator Admiral Mark H. Buzby (Ret.) about the maritime industry's response to the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as the steps being taken to protect workers on ships and at docks from infection, and operationa  more

WASHINGTON, May 8 -- Rep. Kurt Schrader, D-Oregon, issued the following news release: Rep. Schrader led a bipartisan letter to House of Representatives leadership urging them to include support for America's seafood industry in future Coronavirus relief legislation. "The seafood industry is critical to coastal communities across the country and in my home state of Oregon," said Rep. Schrader. "Our fishermen and processing plants have faced significant hardships due to the Coronavirus but have   more

WASHINGTON, May 7 -- Rep. Kurt Schrader, D-Oregon, issued the following news release: Congressman Kurt Schrader (D-OR) with the support of the bipartisan Congressional Ports Caucus led a letter to House of Representatives Leadership urging them to include funding for America's ports in the next COVID-19 relief package, CARES 2. "Our nation's ports serve as a crucial link between American's and the goods that they purchase for their families, said Rep. Schrader. "Unlike other sectors of the tra  more

WASHINGTON, May 8 -- Rep. Kurt Schrader, D-Oregon, issued the following news release: Rep. Schrader confirmed the release of tens of millions of dollars for Oregon's fisheries. Funds that Rep. Schrader advocated for in separate letters sent last month to the United States Department of Commerce and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association (NOAA). "The funds released today in response to my advocacy on behalf of Oregon's fisheries and tribes is unprecedented in the history of our state"  more

WASHINGTON, May 8 -- Rep. Kurt Schrader, D-Oregon, issued the following news release: Members of Oregon's Congressional Delegation -Representatives Suzanne Bonamici, Peter DeFazio, Earl Blumenauer, and Kurt Schrader, along with Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley- called on Congressional leadership to address the disproportionate barriers and outcomes that Latinx and immigrant communities face when trying to access health care services and economic relief during the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemi  more

WASHINGTON, May 9 -- Rep. Greg Walden, R-Oregon, issued the following news release: Representative Greg Walden (R-Hood River) released the following statement after the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), awarded over $2.4 million to 11 Community Health Centers (CHCs) in Oregon's Second District. The funding comes through the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) to help HRSA-funded health centers across Oregon expand COVID-19 testing. The health centers will be ab  more

WASHINGTON, May 6 -- Rep. Greg Walden, R-Oregon, issued the following news release: Congressman Greg Walden (R-Hood River) called on Governor Kate Brown and Oregon Legislative Leaders to share a portion of the funds Congress sent to states with local governments to help them deal with unexpected COVID-19-related costs. In a letter to the Governor, Walden made it clear that Congress fully intended for a portion of the $1.6 billion sent to the state of Oregon be shared with local governments to   more

WASHINGTON, May 7 -- Rep. Greg Walden, R-Oregon, issued the following statement after the Environmental Protection Agency announced $1.7 million in Brownfields grants to Oregon's Second District: Specifically, Baker Technical Institute in Baker City will receive $500,000, Harney County will receive $600,000, and The Dalles will receive $600,000. In 2018, Walden led the effort to reauthorize the Brownfields program. * * * "The funding is welcome news for Baker City, The Dalles and Harney Count  more

WASHINGTON, May 9 -- Rep. Greg Walden, R-Oregon, issued the following news release: Representative Greg Walden (R-Hood River) released an update on COVID-19 for May 8, 2020. The latest on the coronavirus: Oregon National Guard: The Oregon National Guard has 187 total people working under Title 32 orders, which allows the Governor to utilize National Guard troops but the federal government covers the cost. These guardsmen's primary duty remains getting PPE out to the various counties. This F  more

WASHINGTON, May 6 -- Rep. Greg Walden, R-Oregon, ranking Republican member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, issued the following news release on May 4: Energy and Commerce Committee members held a bipartisan teleconference forum with Admiral Brett P. Giroir, M.D., Assistant Secretary for Health at the Department of Health and Human Services, on the Administration's COVID-19 testing efforts. E&C Republican Leader Greg Walden (R-OR) and Chairman Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ) released a jo  more

WASHINGTON, May 2 -- Reps. Frank Pallone Jr., D-New Jersey, chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, and Greg Walden, R-Oregon, ranking member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, issued the following joint statement: Energy and Commerce Committee members held a bipartisan teleconference forum with National Institutes of Health (NIH) Director Francis Collins, M.D., Ph.D., on the ongoing response to the coronavirus pandemic. Chairman Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ) and Ranking Mem  more

WASHINGTON, May 6 -- Reps. Greg Walden, R-Oregon, ranking Republican member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, and Morgan Griffith, R-Virginia, issued the following joint statement after House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-California, laid out four strategies for reopening the House: "We are pleased to see Leader McCarthy lay out a framework to get the People's House back to doing the People's Business in a safe way. "During these unprecedented times, we must be mindful of any pre  more

WASHINGTON, May 7 -- Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Oregon, issued the following news release on May 6: Oregon's U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley, a member of the Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee, announced that the Senate's 2020 water resources legislation contains major victories for communities across Oregon. Merkley has spent months working with community leaders all over the state developing detailed proposals to address local challenges. As a member of the EPW Committee, Merkley was in  more

WASHINGTON, May 9 -- Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Oregon, issued the following statement on Labor Department released the national jobs report for the month of April, showing job losses across the nation: "These shocking numbers need to be an urgent wakeup call for President Trump and Senator McConnell. Behind every one of these job losses is a family that could be struggling at this very moment to decide between paying rent, keeping the lights on, or putting food on the table--to say nothing of planni  more

WASHINGTON, May 1 -- Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Oregon, issued the following news release: Oregon's U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley, along with nine of his colleagues in the Senate and the U.S. House of Representatives, is calling on the Trump administration to fill the gaps in COVID-19 demographic data and mobilize resources to the hardest-hit communities--including people of color, tribal nations, LGBTQ+ individuals, and low-income households. In a pair of letters to Vice President Mike Pence, head of t  more

WASHINGTON, May 6 -- Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Oregon, issued the following news release: Oregon's U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley and Representative Nanette Barragan (D-CA-44) led a group of 39 lawmakers in introducing new legislation to stop the Trump administration from taking coronavirus relief funding away from struggling businesses to bail out fossil fuel corporations. Even as health care workers on the frontlines of the pandemic ration Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and farmers and agricultur  more

WASHINGTON, May 7 -- 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., gain requested documents from the State Department on the full scope of the Department's policy in Ukraine, including the firing of former Ukrainian Prosecutor General Viktor Shokin, any effort to leverage trade negotiations with China to fabricate dirt on Vice President Joe Biden, and the activities of ot  more

WASHINGTON, May 6 -- Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Oregon, issued the following news release: U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., called for upcoming COVID-19 response legislation to include greater support for students who experience disabilities so school districts can continue providing those students a free and appropriate public education as required under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). "As we grapple with the impacts of COVID-19, and the resulting school closures, we must meet t  more

WASHINGTON, May 7 -- Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Oregon, issued the following news release: U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., is urging the Trump administration to take immediate steps to support federal employees and contractors during the COVID-19 crisis. In a bipartisan letter to Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Acting Director Russell T. Vought and Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Acting Director Michael J. Rigas, Wyden and 18 of his colleagues emphasized several actions that the administrati  more

WASHINGTON, May 7 -- Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Oregon, issued the following news release on May 6: U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden joined with a bipartisan group of colleagues to introduce legislation that would clarify the Small Business Administration's Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) so small businesses can deduct expenses paid with a forgiven PPP loan from their taxes. "Treasury's guidance barring deductions for expenses paid by PPP loans is a gut punch for businesses struggling to stay afloat," said Wyden,  more

WASHINGTON, May 8 -- Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Oregon, issued the following statement after the Justice Department said it will drop charges on ex-National Security Advisor Michael Flynn: "AG Barr has destroyed the credibility of the Justice Department to help someone who was working on behalf of a foreign government while serving as the National Security Advisor. "If Barr's Justice Department will drop charges against someone who twice pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI and who the White House publi  more

WASHINGTON, May 9 -- Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Oregon, ranking Democratic member of the Senate Finance Committee, issued the following statement in reaction to the jobs report from the Labor Department: "The unemployment rate is now higher than since the Great Depression, and Trump's decision to wave the white flag against the virus means the economy will remain in a ditch for years to come. "The Republican Party has learned nothing since Herbert Hoover. "Our continued response to this catastrophe m  more

WASHINGTON, May 7 -- Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Oregon, issued the following news release on May 6: Mr. President, I rise to oppose the confirmation of William Evanina because of his failure to protect whistleblowers. Leading whistleblower protection organizations support my opposition to Mr. Evanina's confirmation and I ask unanimous consent that their statements be included in the record. It is currently open season on whistleblowers under the Trump administration. Donald Trump and those around him h  more

WASHINGTON, May 7 -- Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Oregon, issued the following news release: As the COVID-19 pandemic strains the child welfare system, U.S. Senator Ron Wyden released draft legislation to provide $500 million in emergency funds for local child protective services and $1 million for community-based child abuse prevention programs. The Emergency Funding for Child Protection Act would provide swift, flexible funding to bolster the efforts of local child protective services and non-profits t  more

WASHINGTON, May 9 -- Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Oregon, issued the following news release: U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., announced that he will introduce legislation next week to allow more lending flexibility for credit unions to better serve their customers during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Access to Credit for Small Businesses Impacted by the COVID-19 Crisis Act builds on Wyden's work to help under-banked and under-served small businesses receive equal access to federal small business relief. "Our  more

WASHINGTON, May 8 -- Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Oregon, ranking Democratic member of the Senate Finance Committee, issued the following news: Ranking Member Ron Wyden, D-Ore., unveiled a proposal to tie unemployment insurance benefits to economic conditions and prevent Republican economic sabotage. "Donald Trump has given up on fighting the virus, making it more likely the economy could remain in a ditch with unemployment at historically high levels for months, if not years, to come," Wyden said. "Cong  more

WASHINGTON, May 8 -- Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Oregon, issued the following news release: U.S. Sens. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., Kamala Harris, D-Calif., and Cory Booker, D-N.J. urged Comcast to open all of its public Wi-Fi networks to the approximately 12 million American students who lack internet access at home, as schools rely on online education as a result of the COVID-19 crisis. In a letter to Comcast, the lawmakers wrote, "The COVID-19 pandemic ... [has] shuttered schools across the country, leaving te  more

WASHINGTON, May 7 -- Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Oregon, issued the following news release: U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden joined a bipartisan group of colleagues to urge the Trump administration to raise the Paycheck Protection Program's (PPP) non-payroll forgiveness cap from 25 percent to 50 percent. In a letter from Wyden and 18 other senators to U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and Small Business Administrator Jovita Carranza, the lawmakers noted that PPP loans allow loan proceeds used towards payroll, u  more

WASHINGTON, May 7 -- 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., and House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Frank Pallone Jr., D-N.J., called on the Trump administration to address the lack of financial relief for Medicaid providers fighting the COVID-19 pandemic. The two Committee leaders voiced concerns that, to date, roughly $70 billion has been distributed to  more

WASHINGTON, May 8 -- Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Oregon, issued the following news release: Members of Oregon's Congressional Delegation -Representatives Suzanne Bonamici, Peter DeFazio, Earl Blumenauer, and Kurt Schrader, along with Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley- called on Congressional leadership to address the disproportionate barriers and outcomes that Latinx and immigrant communities face when trying to access health care services and economic relief during the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic.   more

WASHINGTON, April 30 -- The Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs permanent subcommittee on Investigations issued the following testimony by Martin B. Gold, partner at Capitol Counsel LLC, at a hearing entitled "Roundtable - Continuity of Senate Operations and Remote Voting in Times of Crisis": My name is Martin Gold. Nearly a half century ago, I began working at the United States Senate for my mentor, Senator Mark O. Hatfield of Oregon. I served on his personal staff, and by his ap  more

WASHINGTON, May 7 -- Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Oregon, issued the following news release: Oregon's U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley and Senator Steve Daines (R-MT) are leading a bipartisan group of five senators in pushing Senate leadership to include $700 million in funding over two years for non-profit credit counseling services--critical services that would help consumers and small businesses with debt avoid bankruptcy amid the economic fallout of the pandemic--in upcoming coronavirus relief legislation  more

WASHINGTON, May 7 -- Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Oregon, issued the following news release: Oregon's U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley, along with Senators Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) and Jack Reed (D-RI), are leading a bipartisan group of 25 lawmakers in pushing to make sure urgently needed federal assistance is delivered to America's fishermen and seafood processors, who have been hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic. In their letter to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, th  more

WASHINGTON, May 8 -- Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Oregon, issued the following news release: Oregon's U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley and Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee Ranking Member Patty Murray (D-WA) are leading a group of 22 lawmakers in pushing the Trump administration to provide a detailed briefing to Congress and the American people regarding their strategy to produce and distribute a coronavirus vaccine as soon as one is available. "The production and distribution of a succe  more

WASHINGTON, May 8 -- Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Oregon, issued the following news release: Oregon's U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden announced nearly $16 million in assistance will go to Oregon fisheries, fishing businesses, fish processors, and more that have been impacted by coronavirus. The funding is Oregon's portion of the $300 million in fisheries assistance included in the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. "This is desperately needed federal support for Oregon'  more

WASHINGTON, May 9 -- Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Oregon, issued the following news release: Oregon's U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden announced that over $9 million in federal funding is being made available to 30 hospitals, health facilities, and county governments throughout Oregon to expand coronavirus testing capacity. "In our state and across America, coronavirus testing is still far too limited--a nightmare that is putting our families, neighbors, and frontline workers at greater risk,"  more

WASHINGTON, May 9 -- Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Oregon, issued the following news release: Oregon's U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden announced that over $9 million in federal funding is being made available to 30 hospitals, health facilities, and county governments throughout Oregon to expand coronavirus testing capacity. "In our state and across America, coronavirus testing is still far too limited--a nightmare that is putting our families, neighbors, and frontline workers at greater risk," sa  more

WASHINGTON, May 6 -- Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Oregon, issued the following news release: Oregon's U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden announced that over 350,000 children in Oregon will receive critical food assistance through the Pandemic Electronic Benefit Transfer (P-EBT) program in order to help fill the meal gap created by school closures. Even before the coronavirus crisis hit, over half a million people, including one in five children, in Oregon struggled with food insecurity. "Every   more

WASHINGTON, May 6 -- Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Oregon, issued the following news release: Oregon's U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden announced that over 350,000 children in Oregon will receive critical food assistance through the Pandemic Electronic Benefit Transfer (P-EBT) program in order to help fill the meal gap created by school closures. Even before the coronavirus crisis hit, over half a million people, including one in five children, in Oregon struggled with food insecurity. "Every chi  more

WASHINGTON, May 6 -- Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Oregon, issued the following news release on May 5: Oregon's U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden, along with 40 Senate Democrats, sent a letter to President Trump, calling on his administration to develop a comprehensive national strategic plan of action by May 24th to ensure states have enough testing capacity to begin safely re-opening. The first case of COVID-19 in the United States was diagnosed in Washington State on January 20, 2020. After 1  more

WASHINGTON, May 6 -- Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Oregon, issued the following news release on May 5: Oregon's U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden, along with 40 Senate Democrats, sent a letter to President Trump, calling on his administration to develop a comprehensive national strategic plan of action by May 24th to ensure states have enough testing capacity to begin safely re-opening. The first case of COVID-19 in the United States was diagnosed in Washington State on January 20, 2020. After 12 w  more

WASHINGTON, May 8 -- Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Oregon, issued the following news release: Oregon's U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden, along with a group of 27 senators, are urging Secretary of the Treasury Steven Mnuchin to reject politically motivated conditions on financial relief for the U.S. Postal Service (USPS), which is a critical lifeline for many Americans, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. The senators also expressed their strong opposition to the use of coronavirus as a pret  more

WASHINGTON, May 8 -- Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Oregon, issued the following news release: Oregon's U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden, along with a group of 27 senators, are urging Secretary of the Treasury Steven Mnuchin to reject politically motivated conditions on financial relief for the U.S. Postal Service (USPS), which is a critical lifeline for many Americans, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. The senators also expressed their strong opposition to the use of coronavirus as a pretext  more

WASHINGTON, May 5 -- Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Oregon, issued the following news release: Oregon's U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden, along with 22 of their colleagues in the Senate, are urging Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin to immediately disburse $8 billion in critical relief funds to eligible federally recognized Tribal governments. The funding, which was allocated by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, is critical to helping Tribal governments--just like th  more

WASHINGTON, May 5 -- Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Oregon, issued the following news release: Oregon's U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden, along with 22 of their colleagues in the Senate, are urging Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin to immediately disburse $8 billion in critical relief funds to eligible federally recognized Tribal governments. The funding, which was allocated by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, is critical to helping Tribal governments--just like their  more

WASHINGTON, May 8 -- Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Oregon, issued the following news release: Oregon's U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley and Senator Todd Young (R-IN)--the Ranking Member and Chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee's subcommittee on multilateral institutions, respectively--pressed the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights for a strategy to protect human rights around the globe during the COVID-19 pandemic. Merkley and Young were joined on a letter to the High Commissioner by   more

WASHINGTON, May 9 -- Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Oregon, ranking Democratic member of the Senate Finance Committee, issued the following news on May 8: Senate Finance Committee Ranking Member Ron Wyden, D-Ore., and U.S. Senators Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii, and Bob Casey, D-Pa. today announced legislation that would establish a new $10 billion Coronavirus Emergency Assistance Grant program to help low-income families and individuals experiencing significant financial hardship during the  more

WASHINGTON, May 7 -- 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., and Senate Aging Committee Ranking Member Bob Casey, D-Penn., called on the Trump administration to commit to a timeline and plan to release data on COVID-19 infections and deaths in nursing homes. Wyden and Casey asked for this commitment in phone call with Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS)   more

WASHINGTON, May 7 -- Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Oregon, issued the following news release: Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., Sen. Bob Casey, D-Penn., Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, and Rep. Anna Eshoo, D-Calif., introduced legislation to confront online child exploitation and reverse a decade of underfunding key enforcement and prevention efforts. The Invest in Child Safety Act would direct $5 billion in mandatory funding to investigate and target the pedophiles and abusers who cre  more

WASHINGTON, May 5 -- 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., Senate Finance Committee Chairman Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, and House Ways & Means Committee Chairman Richard E. Neal, D-Mass., requested that the Treasury Department reverse its current guidance and allow employers providing health insurance to furloughed workers to be eligible for the employee retention   more

WASHINGTON, May 7 -- Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Oregon, issued the following news release: Oregon's U.S. Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley called for the Trump administration to protect against scams targeting small businesses seeking relief from COVID-19. In a letter to Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Chairman Joseph Simons, Wyden and Merkley joined a group of their colleagues to express concern about the recent increase in scams targeting small businesses and request information on measures the FTC   more

WASHINGTON, May 7 -- Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Oregon, issued the following news release: Oregon's U.S. Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley called for the Trump administration to protect against scams targeting small businesses seeking relief from COVID-19. In a letter to Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Chairman Joseph Simons, Wyden and Merkley joined a group of their colleagues to express concern about the recent increase in scams targeting small businesses and request information on measures the FTC is   more

WASHINGTON, May 6 -- Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Oregon, issued the following news release: U.S. Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley, and U.S. Rep. Greg Walden urged the Army to complete its commitment to remediate the now-closed Umatilla Chemical Depot so the National Guard can use the site safely for training and wildfire work in Eastern Oregon. In a bipartisan letter today to Army Secretary Ryan McCarthy, the Oregon lawmakers wrote the Army is required to clean up the Ammunition Disposal Area (ADA) at t  more

WASHINGTON, May 5 -- Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Oregon, issued the following news release: U.S. Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley announced that 21 public housing authorities throughout Oregon will receive more than $5.7 million in grants to help with tenant-based rental assistance needs during the COVID-19 pandemic. "Oregonians battling the multiple economic challenges triggered by this public health crisis need to know there's support available when they're staying at home and fighting to keep a ro  more

WASHINGTON, May 5 -- Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Oregon, issued the following news release: U.S. Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley announced that 21 public housing authorities throughout Oregon will receive more than $5.7 million in grants to help with tenant-based rental assistance needs during the COVID-19 pandemic. "Oregonians battling the multiple economic challenges triggered by this public health crisis need to know there's support available when they're staying at home and fighting to keep a roof   more