{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "is_view": false, "human_description_en": "where party = \"Democrat\", state = \"OR\" and year = 2016 sorted by date descending", "rows": [["https://www.merkley.senate.gov/news/in-the-news/-democrats-are-already-building-a-case-against-trumps-pick-to-lead-treasury-department", "Democrats are already building a case against Trump’s pick to lead Treasury Department", "2016-12-30", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "OR", "Jeff Merkley", "M001176", "www.merkley.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Democrats are already building a case against Trump\u2019s pick to lead Treasury Department \r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nFriday, December 30, 2016\r\n\r\n\t\n\r\n\r\n\r\n  \r\n    By:\u00a0\r\n    Ylan Q. Mui \r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nPresident-elect Donald Trump\u2019s pick to lead the Treasury Department is likely to face a contentious confirmation battle centered on his purchase of a failed subprime mortgage lender that repeatedly has been accused of wrongful foreclosures.\r\nThe formal vetting process for Steven T. Mnuchin, who served as Trump\u2019s campaign finance chairman and worked at investment bank Goldman Sachs for nearly two decades, has not yet begun. A staffer at the Senate Finance Committee, which is handling the nomination, said it is waiting for his paperwork to be completed before starting the process. In the meantime, Democrats have already begun preparing a line of attack that accuses Mnuchin of preying on the middle-class workers that helped sweep Trump into the White House.\r\nAdam Green, co-founder of the Progressive Change Campaign Committee, said political action committee\u00a0plans to use paid advertisements and local organizing to pressure Republican lawmakers from states that suffered widespread foreclosures to oppose Mnuchin\u2019s confirmation. The AFL-CIO issued a\u00a0statementthis month slamming Mnuchin for profiting from the worst financial crisis in generations. And Senate Democrats \u2014 led by Oregon Sen. Jeff Merkley, Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders and Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren \u2014 set up a website calling him the \u201cForeclosure King\u201d and soliciting complaints from his bank\u2019s customers.\r\n\u00a0\u201cTrump\u2019s cabinet hearings are right around the corner in January and you better believe that by the time they're over, the American people will know that the Trump Administration is all about special interests and the super-rich at the expense of working people,\u201d Merkley posted on Facebook recently.\r\nMnuchin led a consortium of investors that purchased the troubled bank IndyMac from the federal government in 2009, acquiring a $13.9 billion portfolio of some of the nation\u2019s shoddiest loans for about $1.6 billion. Tara Bradshaw, a spokeswoman for Mnuchin, said about 178,000 loans were already in the foreclosure process when he took over the bank and renamed it OneWest. Bradshaw said he oversaw 101,000 mortgage modification offers, some of which forgave part of borrowers' principal balance.\u00a0Mnuchin sold OneWest to CIT Group in 2015 for more than double what he paid for it.\r\n\u201cSteven is proud of his record at OneWest. He was able to save three institutions that were in receivership, did tens of thousands of loan modifications, saving homes and jobs, and developed OneWest Bank into a regional banking franchise that in turn made loans to consumers and businesses that helped create jobs,\u201d Bradshaw said.\r\nTo avoid potential conflicts of interest, Mnuchin stepped down this month from his position on the board of directors of CIT as well as the board of Sears Holding. According to compensation research firm Equilar, Mnuchin owned about $100 million in CIT stock as of last month.\u00a0Bradshaw said he is also\u00a0working with attorneys to resolve\u00a0other outstanding conflicts. Government ethics experts said Mnuchin will likely have to divest at least some of his financial holdings.\r\nAfter Mnuchin visited Capitol Hill earlier this month, top Republicans on the finance committee praised his selection.\r\n\u201cThrough his private sector background, Steven will have to untangle the web of red tape found in our mammoth tax code and navigate a minefield of heavy-handed regulations that have stifled opportunity and growth,\u201d said Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah), chairman of the finance committee.\r\nThe finance committee has received three years of Mnuchin\u2019s tax returns and responses to a questionnaire but are awaiting his final financial disclosures and ethics forms, which must be reviewed by the White House Office of Government Ethics before they are sent to the committee. A Senate aide said that Mnuchin\u2019s vast private holdings could take more than a week to review, pushing back the scheduling of a confirmation hearing. Beyond the purchase of IndyMac, Mnuchin was an active private equity investor with stakes in retail companies and Hollywood film studios.\r\nOnly 51 votes are required in the Senate to confirm Trump\u2019s Cabinet nominees, after new rules passed by Democrats three years ago eliminated the need for a filibuster-proof majority of 60 votes. But Republicans have little margin for error, holding a narrow edge of 52 seats. A handful of defections could sink Trump\u2019s picks.\r\n\u201cThis is not a united Republican party,\u201d said Jeff Hauser, executive director of the Revolving Door Project, a liberal watchdog group that scrutinizes\u00a0executive-branch appointments.\r\nAmong the lawmakers Democrats hope to sway is Republican Sen. Dean Heller of Nevada, who is facing reelection in 2018 and has been mentioned as a possible gubernatorial candidate. Nevada was one of the hardest-hit states during the housing bust, and it still ranks third in the country in amount of foreclosures, according to RealtyTrac. Heller vocally opposed Trump during the election, even broaching the possibility that he would not vote for either major party candidate.\r\nMnuchin is not the only Cabinet nominee who could be in for a rocky confirmation hearing. Democrats have also sharply criticized\u00a0Trump\u2019s choice for secretary of state, ExxonMobil chief executive Rex Tillerson, and his pick to lead the Commerce Department, billionaire industrialist Wilbur Ross, among others.\r\nBut Green said that Mnuchin\u2019s nomination deserves particular scrutiny because he would lead the agency responsible for carrying out the economic agenda that was central to Trump\u2019s victory.\r\n\u201cMnuchin is the poster child for Trump betraying his own voters by turning our economy over to Wall Street and giant corporations at the expense of American working families,\u201d he said.\r\n\r\n \r\n           \r\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\tPrint\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tEmail\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t  \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTweet", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.merkley.senate.gov/news/in-the-news/senators-ask-trumps-epa-pick-to-disclose-his-connections-to-energy-industry", "Senators Ask Trump's EPA Pick To Disclose His Connections To Energy Industry", "2016-12-28", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "OR", "Jeff Merkley", "M001176", "www.merkley.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Senators Ask Trump's EPA Pick To Disclose His Connections To Energy Industry \r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nWednesday, December 28, 2016\r\n\r\n\t\n\r\n\r\n\r\n  \r\n    By:\u00a0\r\n    Brakkton Booker \r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nDemocratic senators on the Environment and Public Works Committee say Donald Trump's choice to lead the Environmental Protection Agency should reveal his connections with energy insiders before his confirmation hearings get underway.\r\nIn the letter dated Tuesday, the senators told Scott Pruitt, currently Oklahoma's attorney general, they were concerned about his close ties to energy lobbyists and wanted him to disclose lists of donors who contributed to a nonprofit organization that took funds from a network connected to the Koch brothers.\r\nPruitt is an outspoken critic of climate change and\u00a0has sued\u00a0the Obama administration over the EPA's Clean Power Plan. The letter was signed by five Democrats plus independent Bernie Sanders.\r\n\"We have been troubled that as Attorney General of Oklahoma you used, nearly verbatim, industry talking points in official correspondence your office sent to EPA concerning EPA's estimation of methane pollution in your state,\" said the letter, signed by Sens. Sheldon Whitehouse, Ed Markey, Jeff Merkley, Cory Booker, Ben Cardin and Sanders.\r\n\"What that conduct says about your ability to lead EPA in a manner that is not beholden to special or secret interests is a subject we expect will receive a full airing during your confirmation hearing,\" the letter continued.\r\nThe letter goes on to request details about meetings and emails related to the Rule of Law Defense Fund, which Pruitt help establish to collect large donations from big oil and gas companies including Devon Energy.\r\nSpecifically the senators are seeking \"a written explanation of the role you or any other person under your supervision has played\" in the fund's founding and operation, a list of all expenditures greater than $1,000 made to the fund, and a list of meeting times, dates, locations, attendees and agenda items of its fundraisers.\r\n\"Before the Senate votes to confirm you to run EPA, it is important to provide a full disclosure of your relationship with the energy industry so we can determine how that will influence your ability to run the agency.\"\r\nAs NPR has reported,\u00a0environmentalists are bracing\u00a0for Pruitt's confirmation and are worried that he may try to curb much of the agency's power. Earlier this month the Trump transition team sent a\u00a074-point questionnaire\u00a0to employees at the Department of Energy asking for a list of employees and contractors who attended conferences on climate change.\r\nThe department later\u00a0said it was refusing to provide the names\u00a0to the transition team.\r\nRead the full letter below:\r\n\r\n \r\n           \r\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\tPrint\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tEmail\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t  \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTweet", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.merkley.senate.gov/news/press-releases/wyden-merkley-defazio-praise-12-million-federal-grant-for-douglas-county-and-the-city-of-roseburg-to-assist-with-ucc-recovery", "Wyden, Merkley, DeFazio Praise $1.2 Million Federal Grant for Douglas County and the City of Roseburg to Assist with UCC Recovery", "2016-12-28", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "OR", "Jeff Merkley", "M001176", "www.merkley.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Wyden, Merkley, DeFazio Praise $1.2 Million Federal Grant for Douglas County and the City of Roseburg to Assist with UCC Recovery \n\t\n\t\n\tWednesday, December 28, 2016\n\t\n\tPORTLAND\u00a0\u2013 U.S. Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley and Rep. Peter DeFazio today welcomed a $1.2 million federal grant to Douglas County and the City of Roseburg that will help the community\u2019s recovery from the Oct. 1, 2015 campus shooting at Umpqua Community College.\u00a0\r\nThese funds will help county and city agencies continue their exemplary work to support victims and all those affected by the 2015 shooting.\r\n \r\n\u201cUmpqua Community College, Douglas County and Roseburg displayed remarkable resiliency in the face of unspeakable tragedy, and fully deserve this federal support for the ongoing work,\u201d Wyden said. \u201cI am pleased to have worked to secure this essential grant that helps cover the emotional and financial costs of this crisis. And I remain committed to supporting the college and the entire Roseburg community as they continue taking the steps that make all Oregonians proud.\u201d\r\n\u201cAll of Douglas County, the City of Roseburg and the UCC community experienced an unfathomable trauma last October, and the last thing they should have to worry about is the financial cost of this horrific attack,\u201d said Merkley. \u201cThis grant shows that our nation is committed to helping the entire community recover and heal, and I thank the Department of Justice for recognizing and supporting these important needs. Healing from an attack like this one is never a fast or an easy process, and I will continue standing by Douglas County, Roseburg and UCC\u2019s\u00a0side as they work to move forward in the years ahead.\u201d\r\n\u201cI\u2019m proud to have helped Douglas County and the City of Roseburg receive this much-needed grant,\u201d said DeFazio. \u201cIn a time of crisis, local support organizations stepped forward to help our community deal with truly terrible events. This grant will provide financial assistance for the incredible services they performed for the victims of last year\u2019s tragedy. I will continue to work to ensure that Roseburg, Douglas County, and UCC both have the resources necessary to move forward and heal.\u201d\r\n \r\nMerkley, Wyden and DeFazio had urged the Department of Justice to provide this assistance without delay in a letter (attached) sent earlier this month.\r\nThe $1.2 million antiterrorism and emergency assistance program grant from the federal Justice Department\u2019s Office for Victims of Crime to the state of Oregon is designed to reimburse organizations for supplemental victim-related costs from the UCC campus shooting.\r\nThe grant also provides funds to support crisis response and services to help victims, witnesses and first responders.\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n    \n    \n\t\n\t\n    \n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\n    \n\t\n     \n\t\n \n\t\n    \n    \n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t \n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t  \n    \n\t\n\t\n\t  \n          \n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\tPrint\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tEmail\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t  \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTweet", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.wyden.senate.gov/news/press-releases/wyden-merkley-defazio-praise-12-million-federal-grant-for-douglas-county-and-the-city-of-roseburg-to-assist-with-ucc-recovery", "Wyden, Merkley, DeFazio Praise $1.2 Million Federal Grant for Douglas County and the City of Roseburg to Assist with UCC Recovery", "2016-12-28", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "OR", "Ron Wyden", "W000779", "www.wyden.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Wednesday, December 28, 2016\n            \n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tPORTLAND\u00a0\u2013 U.S. Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley and Rep. Peter DeFazio today welcomed a $1.2 million federal grant to Douglas County and the City of Roseburg that will help the community\u2019s recovery from the Oct. 1, 2015 campus shooting at Umpqua Community College.\u00a0\r\nThese funds will help county and city agencies continue their exemplary work to support victims and all those affected by the 2015 shooting.\r\n\u201cUmpqua Community College, Douglas County and Roseburg displayed remarkable resiliency in the face of unspeakable tragedy, and fully deserve this federal support for the ongoing work,\u201d Wyden said. \u201cI am pleased to have worked to secure this essential grant that helps cover the emotional and financial costs of this crisis. And I remain committed to supporting the college and the entire Roseburg community as they continue taking the steps that make all Oregonians proud.\u201d\r\n\u201cAll of Douglas County, the City of Roseburg and the UCC community experienced an unfathomable trauma last October, and the last thing they should have to worry about is the financial cost of this horrific attack,\u201d said Merkley. \u201cThis grant shows that our nation is committed to helping the entire community recover and heal, and I thank the Department of Justice for recognizing and supporting these important needs. Healing from an attack like this one is never a fast or an easy process, and I will continue standing by Douglas County, Roseburg and UCC\u2019s\u00a0side as they work to move forward in the years ahead.\u201d \r\n\u201cI\u2019m proud to have helped Douglas County and the City of Roseburg receive this much-needed grant,\u201d said DeFazio. \u201cIn a time of crisis, local support organizations stepped forward to help our community deal with truly terrible events. This grant will provide financial assistance for the incredible services they performed for the victims of last year\u2019s tragedy. I will continue to work to ensure that Roseburg, Douglas County, and UCC both have the resources necessary to move forward and heal.\u201d\r\nMerkley, Wyden and DeFazio had urged the Department of Justice to provide this assistance without delay in a letter sent earlier this month.\r\nThe $1.2 million antiterrorism and emergency assistance program grant from the federal Justice Department\u2019s Office for Victims of Crime to the state of Oregon is designed to reimburse organizations for supplemental victim-related costs from the UCC campus shooting.\r\nThe grant also provides funds to support crisis response and services to help victims, witnesses and first responders.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://bonamici.house.gov/press-release/bonamici-statement-un-resolution-regarding-israeli-settlements", "Bonamici Statement on U.N. Resolution Regarding Israeli Settlements", "2016-12-23", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "OR", "Suzanne Bonamici", "B001278", "bonamici.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR) issued the following statement:\n\u201cEarlier this year, more than 390 of my colleagues and I called on President Obama to veto any one-sided United Nations Security Council resolution that could harm the peaceful negotiation of a two-state solution by the Israeli and Palestinian people. With recent reports that a vote on such a resolution is imminent, I am once again urging President Obama to veto any resolution that fails to advance the peace process.\u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://schrader.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=390699", "Schrader Statement on U.N. Security Council Resolution", "2016-12-23", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "OR", "Kurt Schrader", "S001180", "schrader.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Congressman Kurt Schrader released the following statement today on the delayed U.N. Security Council on a resolution regarding the Israeli-Palestinian dispute:\r\n\u00a0\r\n\u201cI urge President Obama to keep with long-standing U.S. policy and veto the UN Security Council resolution that singularly condemns Israel in the dispute with Palestine. Legitimate and lasting peace between Israel and Palestine requires bilateral negotiations, not a one-sided resolution placing blame on a single party. This resolution would further set back the delicate peace process. A veto of this resolution is also in line with this Administration's past positions on the matter. And so I urge the President to continue to reject unilateral resolutions and remain focused on a genuine and lasting peace.\u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.merkley.senate.gov/news/in-the-news/union-pacific-in-fiery-mosier-derailment-agrees-to-changes", "Union Pacific in fiery Mosier derailment agrees to changes", "2016-12-23", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "OR", "Jeff Merkley", "M001176", "www.merkley.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Union Pacific in fiery Mosier derailment agrees to changes \r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nFriday, December 23, 2016\r\n\r\n\t\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nThe nation's largest freight railroad has agreed to more thorough inspections and maintenance improvements after a fiery oil train derailment in Oregon and the discovery of more than 800 potential safety violations across its sprawling network.\r\nDetails on the agreement between the Federal Railroad Administration and Union Pacific were obtained by The Associated Press.\r\nSixteen tank cars from a Union Pacific train hauling crude through the Columbia River Gorge derailed in early June along a curve in the tracks near Mosier, Oregon. The accident sparked a massive fire that burned for 14 hours and prompted the evacuation of nearby areas.\r\nNo one was injured. But federal officials said the railroad wasn't following its own maintenance rules to ensure the track was safe. Better inspections would have caught a series of broken bolts that allowed the rails to move too far apart where the accident occurred, officials said.\r\nThe investigation into the accident is continuing.\r\nRepresentatives of Union Pacific Railroad did not have an immediate comment on the agreement.\r\nU.S. Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley issued a joint statement Friday morning supporting the agreement.\r\n\"While banning oil trains from the Columbia Gorge is the only way to completely eliminate future derailments, this agreement has the potential to significantly improve railroad safety - something we have been calling for since 2014,\" according to the statement.\r\n\"We will review the compliance agreement's details to ensure it helps protect communities near train tracks, and will closely monitor its enforcement to ensure the Trump administration upholds the agreement's requirements.\"\r\nThe more than 800 potential violations against Union Pacific were found as part of a two-year examination of tracks across the U.S. used to haul crude, federal officials said. Enforcement actions against the company have not been finalized and further details on the violations were not immediately available.\r\nFederal Railroad Administrator Sarah Feinberg said the agreement raises the bar on safety.\r\n\"This compliance agreement requires Union Pacific to go above and beyond existing regulations,\" she said.\r\nThe oil industry has become heavily reliant on trains in recent years because of limited pipeline capacity in the booming oil patch of the Northern Plains and the oil sands region of western Canada.\r\nOmaha, Nebraska-based Union Pacific operates more than 32,000 miles of track across 23 states.\r\nThe safety measures included in the agreement with the FRA will apply to all track used to haul oil and other hazardous liquids, passengers, explosives, radioactive materials and poisonous gases.\r\nThey include an inventory of all curves in the track that are three degrees or greater across that network and walking inspections every 120 days on tracks that have the type of bolts involved in the Mosier accident. Those inspections have to occur every 30 days in that part of the network that includes the Mosier area.\r\nPreviously, Union Pacific said it would voluntarily take some of the same steps within the Columbia River Gorge.\r\nAt least 27 oil trains have been involved in major derailments, fires or oil spills in the United States and Canada in the past decade, according to an AP analysis of accident records. The trains travel through more than 400 counties across the U.S. to reach refineries on the West, East and Gulf coasts, according to the AP analysis.\r\nA 2013 derailment killed 47 people when a runaway oil train from North Dakota jumped the tracks and exploded in Lac-Megantic, Quebec.\r\nDamage from that accident has been estimated at $1.2 billion or higher.\r\n\u00a0\r\n\r\n \r\n           \r\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\tPrint\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tEmail\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t  \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTweet", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.merkley.senate.gov/news/press-releases/wyden-merkley-welcome-federal-railroad-administrations-additional-safety-standards-for-union-pacific-railroad", "Wyden, Merkley Welcome Federal Railroad Administration’s Additional Safety Standards for Union Pacific Railroad", "2016-12-23", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "OR", "Jeff Merkley", "M001176", "www.merkley.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Wyden, Merkley Welcome Federal Railroad Administration\u2019s Additional Safety Standards for Union Pacific Railroad \n\t\n\t\n\tFriday, December 23, 2016\n\t\n\tWashington, D.C.\u00a0\u2013 Oregon\u2019s U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., today issued the following joint statement following the Federal Railroad Administration\u2019s announcement that it has reached an agreement with Union Pacific Railroad Co. that will require the railroad to meet higher safety standards. The agreement follows an oil train derailment near Mosier, Ore., earlier this year.\r\n \r\n\u201cWe welcome the Federal Railroad Administration\u2019s decision to hold Union Pacific to higher safety standards following the disastrous oil train derailment in\u00a0Mosier this year. While banning oil trains from the Columbia Gorge is the only way to completely eliminate future derailments, this agreement has the potential to significantly improve railroad safety \u2013 something we have been calling for since 2014.\r\n\u201cWe will review the compliance agreement\u2019s details to ensure it helps protect communities near train tracks, and will closely monitor its enforcement to ensure the Trump administration upholds the agreement\u2019s requirements. We also expect the FRA to complete its investigation of the Mosier accident and to make further changes to strengthen or add safety measures to the agreement if the investigation warrants them.\u201d\r\n \r\nIn June, Wyden and Merkley\u00a0called on the FRA\u00a0to halt crude oil traffic through the Columbia Gorge until the cause of the Mosier accident had been fully analyzed.\u00a0\r\nIn July, the senators introduced a bill to require the National Transportation Safety Board to investigate every major oil train derailment and clarify the Federal Rail Administration\u2019s authority to place moratoriums on oil train traffic when derailments occur. The bill, the\u00a0Mandate Oil Spill Inspections and Emergency Rules (MOSIER) Act, would also require the Department of Transportation to reduce the amount of volatile gases in the crude oil that trains transport.\r\nAdditionally, Wyden and Merkley introduced the Hazardous Materials Rail Transportation Safety Improvement Act\u00a0last year to reduce risks to communities near railroad tracks by speeding up the phase-out of older tank cars and encouraging companies to replace them with newer, safer cars. The bill would place a fee on the older tank cars and use the revenue raised by the fee to help communities and first responders be better prepared in the event of a rail accident. It would also establish a dedicated fund for clean-up costs of oil train accidents, advanced training for first responders, and grant money for states and cities to reroute rail tracks carrying large volumes of hazardous materials away from highly populated areas.\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n    \n    \n\t\n\t\n    \n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\n    \n\t\n     \n\t\n \n\t\n    \n    \n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t \n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t  \n    \n\t\n\t\n\t  \n          \n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\tPrint\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tEmail\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t  \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTweet", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.wyden.senate.gov/news/press-releases/wyden-merkley-welcome-federal-railroad-administrations-additional-safety-standards-for-union-pacific-railroad", "Wyden, Merkley Welcome Federal Railroad Administration\u2019s Additional Safety Standards for Union Pacific Railroad", "2016-12-23", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "OR", "Ron Wyden", "W000779", "www.wyden.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Friday, December 23, 2016\n            \n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWashington, D.C. \u2013 Oregon\u2019s U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., today issued the following joint statement following the Federal Railroad Administration\u2019s announcement that it has reached an agreement with Union Pacific Railroad Co. that will require the railroad to meet higher safety standards. The agreement follows an oil train derailment near Mosier, Ore., earlier this year.  \u00a0  \u201cWe welcome the Federal Railroad Administration\u2019s decision to hold Union Pacific to higher safety standards following the disastrous oil train derailment in Mosier this year. While banning oil trains from the Columbia Gorge is the only way to completely eliminate future derailments, this agreement has the potential to significantly improve railroad safety \u2013 something we have been calling for since 2014.\r\n  \u201cWe will review the compliance agreement\u2019s details to ensure it helps protect communities near train tracks, and will closely monitor its enforcement to ensure the Trump administration upholds the agreement\u2019s requirements. We also expect the FRA to complete its investigation of the Mosier accident and to make further changes to strengthen or add safety measures to the agreement if the investigation warrants them.\u201d\r\n  In June, Wyden and Merkley called on the FRA to halt crude oil traffic through the Columbia Gorge until the cause of the Mosier accident had been fully analyzed.\r\n  In July, the senators introduced a bill to require the National Transportation Safety Board to investigate every major oil train derailment and clarify the Federal Rail Administration\u2019s authority to place moratoriums on oil train traffic when derailments occur. The bill, the Mandate Oil Spill Inspections and Emergency Rules (MOSIER) Act, would also require the Department of Transportation to reduce the amount of volatile gases in the crude oil that trains transport.\r\n  Additionally, Wyden and Merkley introduced the Hazardous Materials Rail Transportation Safety Improvement Act last year to reduce risks to communities near railroad tracks by speeding up the phase-out of older tank cars and encouraging companies to replace them with newer, safer cars. The bill would place a fee on the older tank cars and use the revenue raised by the fee to help communities and first responders be better prepared in the event of a rail accident. It would also establish a dedicated fund for clean-up costs of oil train accidents, advanced training for first responders, and grant money for states and cities to reroute rail tracks carrying large volumes of hazardous materials away from highly populated areas.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.wyden.senate.gov/news/press-releases/wyden-slams-un-resolution-unfairly-targeting-israel", "Wyden Slams U.N. Resolution Unfairly Targeting Israel", "2016-12-23", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "OR", "Ron Wyden", "W000779", "www.wyden.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Friday, December 23, 2016\n            \n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWashington, D.C. \u2013 Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., today slammed a United Nations resolution that unjustly targets Israel, and expressed deep disappointment the White House chose not to veto the resolution. \"I am deeply disappointed that the administration set aside longstanding U.S. policy to allow such a one-sided resolution to pass,\u201d Wyden said. \"Actions like this will only take us further from the peace we all want to see.\"", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://bonamici.house.gov/press-release/bonamici-congratulates-clatsop-county-350000-federal-grant-high-quality-preschool", "Bonamici Congratulates Clatsop County on $350,000 Federal Grant for High-Quality Preschool", "2016-12-22", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "OR", "Suzanne Bonamici", "B001278", "bonamici.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "BEAVERTON, OR [12/22/16] \u2014 Today Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR) announced that Clatsop County was awarded a $350,000 two-year grant through the U.S. Department of Education\u2019s Preschool Development Grants Preschool Pay for Success program. This program helps communities develop innovative, cost-effective plans to increase access to high-quality early childhood education. Clatsop County is one of eight grant recipients across the country.\n\u201cYoung children benefit tremendously from high-quality preschool, but too often these programs are out of reach for low-income families, especially in rural areas,\u201d said Congresswoman Bonamici. \u201cI\u2019m very proud that Clatsop and Tillamook Counties will have this opportunity to explore ways to improve access to high-quality preschool in Northwest Oregon. Their work will help chart a new course for delivering affordable, high-quality pre-kindergarten programs in towns and cities across America. Students, families, and communities reap profound long-term benefits, including higher high school graduation rates, when children are able to gain the social and educational skills they need to enter kindergarten ready to learn.\u201d\n\u201cThe preschool feasibility grant will allow us to plan for how best to provide free preschool to up to 600 children in\u00a0Clatsop and Tillamook counties,\u201d said Dan Gaffney of Clatsop Kinder Ready. \u201cWe will reach out to parents, current preschool providers, elementary schools, local healthcare providers, and others to determine how best to engage children and their families in high-quality preschool. The program will be for children in low-income families and those who are learning English as a second language. Being rural counties we recognize the need for higher wages for Pre-K teachers, ongoing professional development, and transportation to help make sure children can attend preschool. This funding is a great opportunity to address the needs of our communities and enhance early childhood education on the Oregon coast.\u201d\nBonamici served on the select panel of House and Senate members that crafted the final version of the bipartisan Every Student Succeeds Act\u00a0(ESSA), and successfully advocated for the Preschool Development Grant program to be included in the new law. Bonamici also cosponsored the Strong Start for America\u2019s Children Act to expand access to pre-kindergarten programs for low-income families.\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.merkley.senate.gov/news/in-the-news/congress-awards-30m-in-grants", "Congress awards $30M in grants", "2016-12-22", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "OR", "Jeff Merkley", "M001176", "www.merkley.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Congress awards $30M in grants \r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nThursday, December 22, 2016\r\n\r\n\t\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nWASHINGTON, D.C. \u2014 The Federal Lands Access Program has awarded the Oregon Department of Transportation more than $30 million to improve access to federal lands in the Columbia River Gorge. The funding includes $29 million to complete a new portion of the Historic Columbia River Highway Trail and connect it at Mitchell Point Crossing; $2.6 million for the Columbia Gorge Express to improve access to Multnomah Falls; and $300,000 for the Historic Columbia River Highway Congestion Mitigation Plan.\r\n\u201cIt\u2019s no secret that one of Oregon\u2019s greatest assets is our unique natural beauty and emphasis on quality of life,\u201d said U.S. Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.).\r\n\u201cThis funding helps ensure that more and more Oregonians and visitors can continue to enjoy our state\u2019s natural beauty. I\u2019m thrilled that we are one step closer toward interconnectedness in our beautiful gorge region and will keep working to improve our recreational infrastructure to boost our job-creating recreation industry and quality of life.\u201d\r\nOne hundred years after the Columbia River Highway was dedicated in 1916, the Federal Lands Access Program granted $29 million to continue reconnecting abandoned or disconnected sections of the Historic Columbia River Highway for bicyclists and pedestrians to enjoy.\r\nWith the funds, ODOT will design and build a safe crossing through the formidable cliffs at Mitchell Point, just west of the city of Hood River.\r\n\u201cA lot of great ideas began in Oregon, and the Historic Columbia River Highway, America\u2019s first scenic highway, is one of them,\u201d added U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.).\r\n\u201cThe Historic Columbia River Highway connects visitors and locals alike to some of the world\u2019s most beautiful sights \u2013 found right here in the Gorge. These resources will help preserve this Oregon treasure, which supports outdoor recreation opportunities, local jobs and rural economies along the way.\u201d\r\nThe funding also helps complete the design, engineering and construction of the remainder of the trail between Viento State Park and Hood River. ODOT will partner with agencies such as Oregon Parks and Recreation, the U.S. Forest Service, Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area, and the Western Federal Lands Highway Division of the Federal Highway Administration. By working toward a complete reconnection of the 73-mile long Historic Columbia River Highway, this project brings the area one step closer to actualizing the vision outlined in the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area Act.\r\nThe grants include significant funding to expand the Columbia Gorge Express \u2014 the new transit service to Multnomah Falls, Oregon\u2019s most visited natural site. As the Historic Highway celebrated its centennial anniversary in 2016, the area saw increased tourism and increased traffic congestion. The traffic growth has compromised safety and degraded the area\u2019s natural and cultural resources, including spectacular scenery and waterfall views, that make the area unique.\r\nFollowing growing concerns about congestion, ODOT initiated a transit project called the Columbia Gorge Express to improve access to Multnomah Falls in time for the summer crowds. During summer 2016, the Columbia Gorge Express surpassed expectations by providing 30,000 trips to and from Multnomah Falls \u2014 highlighting the significant demand for transit service in the area. With these new grants, the Columbia Gorge Express will expand to serve Gateway Transit Center, Rooster Rock State Park and Multnomah Falls with larger buses and bus stop amenities.\r\nIn 2018, the Columbia River Express will run daily and add a stop in Hood River and additional destinations.\r\n\u00a0\r\n\r\n \r\n           \r\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\tPrint\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tEmail\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t  \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTweet", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.merkley.senate.gov/news/in-the-news/democrats-aim-to-launch-comeback-with-cabinet-showdown-", "Democrats aim to launch comeback with Cabinet showdown", "2016-12-22", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "OR", "Jeff Merkley", "M001176", "www.merkley.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Democrats aim to launch comeback with Cabinet showdown  \r\n\r\n     An opposition strategy for January confirmation hearings is emerging: To expose Trump's campaign platform as a 'scam.' \r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nThursday, December 22, 2016\r\n\r\n\t\n\r\n\r\n\r\n  \r\n    By:\u00a0\r\n    Burgess Everett \r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nSenate Democrats are approaching the January confirmation battle over Donald Trump\u2019s Cabinet as a chance to launch their political comeback and expose the president-elect as a fraud.\r\nLawmakers know they\u2019re unlikely, at best, to stop any of Trump\u2019s Cabinet picks from being installed. But they still see major opportunity in the confirmation hearings. The goal, according to lawmakers and aides: to depict Trump\u2019s chosen inner circle of billionaires and conservative hard-liners as directly at odds with the working-class Americans he vowed to help.\r\n\u201cHis campaign, based on his nominations, was a charade. [H]e sold the American public on a story that is a false story. It is a scam,\u201d said Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), who was recently promoted to chief deputy whip. \u201cHe said: \u2018I\u2019m for working people and for taking on Wall Street, I\u2019m for draining the swamp.\u2019 And his nominees say the exact opposite.\u201d\r\nSenate Democrats want to force Trump\u2019s picks to lay down markers on specific policies that can be used to build a case against the incumbent as his administration unfolds and the next election approaches, insiders said. More immediately, they want to begin to make the case to Trump voters that what they voted for is a far cry from what they\u2019ll be getting with the next president.\r\nDemocrats believe they have a target-rich environment. Trump\u2019s selections to run the Transportation Department and Small Business Administration, Elaine Chao and Linda McMahon, will probably move quickly. But the other selections, they say, have serious vulnerabilities to exploit \u2014 whether it\u2019s Rex Tillerson\u2019s ties to big oil and Russia, Steven Mnuchin\u2019s Wall Street career, Betsy DeVos\u2019 antipathy toward public schools or Tom Price\u2019s past support for overhauling Medicare.\r\n\u201cYou\u2019ve got a woman whose mission in life for the Department of Education is to privatize the public education system. You\u2019ve got this secretary of HHS designee whose mission has been to raise the eligibility age for Medicare,\u201d said Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), who will help oversee Ben Carson\u2019s confirmation as housing secretary on the Banking Committee. \u201cYou need a scorecard to keep up with the attack on American values.\u201d\r\nRepublicans predict the Democratic plan will flop.\r\n\u201cSenate Democrats spent the last eight years explaining the need for a president to have the team he nominates,\u201d said Don Stewart, a spokesman for Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell. \u201cSurely it wasn\u2019t simply partisan posturing.\u201d\r\nDemocrats need time and ammunition to execute their case. So they\u2019re laying the groundwork to draw out the confirmation process \u2014 not for the sake of delay, they say, but to train attention on each of the nominees.\r\nThey\u2019re planning to press for lengthy \u2014 in some cases multiday \u2014 committee hearings for most of Trump\u2019s nominees, followed by a floor debate. On Thursday, the top Democrats on 16 committees issued a \"statement of principles\" arguing that nominees should not receive committee votes until they've cleared an FBI background check, completed financial disclosure forms and provided other requested material.\r\n\u201cYou\u2019re talking at least a month-and-a-half, a couple of months to get [through] all the Cabinet nominees,\u201d Merkley said.\r\nRepublicans have other ideas. They want to mow through the confirmation process and move on to repealing Obamacare and reforming the tax code. If Democrats delay, a senior GOP aide said, \u201cwe will make them vote at 3 in the morning.\u201d\r\nAs for the ammunition, Democratic committee staffers and outside groups such as the Center for American Progress are digging into the records of Trump\u2019s Cabinet selections in search of embarrassing skeletons.\r\nAmerican Bridge is coordinating with Senate leaders and rank-and-file Democrats on opposition research, a task that most Senate staffers were not preparing to do before Trump\u2019s surprise win. The group is digging around on Tillerson, Mnuchin, DeVos, attorney general nominee Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.) and Environmental Protection Agency pick Scott Pruitt.\r\n\u201cTrump clearly hasn't vetted his nominees, so it's up to us to do the work and expose his Cabinet as a group of billionaires looking out for their own interests,\u201d said Kevin McAlister, a spokesman for American Bridge. \u201cOur goal is to help Senate Democrats keep Trump historically unpopular throughout his administration, starting with these nomination fights.\u201d\r\nDemocrats are also demanding new disclosures of all Cabinet nominees\u2019 tax records, to bolster their case that they and the president-elect are out to enrich themselves. Just three committees generally receive nominees' tax returns.\r\nTrump and Republicans are unlikely to acquiesce. But Democrats believe they already have enough to go after Cabinet selections like Mnuchin, whose record purchasing distressed loans, they say, is one of their strongest rebuttals to Trump\u2019s \u201cdrain the swamp\u201d rhetoric.\r\n\u201cMy view is, based on what I\u2019ve learned this far, is that he was profiting off predatory loans,\u201d said Sen. Ron Wyden of Oregon, the top Democrat on the Finance Committee. \u201cThis is something that we were told wasn\u2019t going to happen in the campaign.\u201d\r\nAnother established attack line is on DeVos, whom Democrats want to pay a years-old election fine of more than $5 million. DeVos has fought back, employing a spokesman who regularly blasts out refutations of any critical reporting about the prospective education secretary.\r\nDemocrats privately concede that Sessions is likely to win confirmation. But they want to make the vote as painful as possible for Republicans in states with large Hispanic populations, such as Dean Heller (Nev.) and Jeff Flake (Ariz.). Sessions has one of the most conservative records in the Senate on immigration.\r\n\u201cThat vote will be brutal,\u201d said a senior Democratic aide.\r\nSimilarly, Democrats want to make Republicans squirm when it comes time to vote on Tillerson, who has a personal relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin from his role atop ExxonMobil.\r\n\u201cIt was more than just a business relationship. There\u2019s a personal relationship there \u2026 we need to drill down on whether he will put U.S. interests ahead of personal friendship,\u201d said Sen. Ben Cardin of Maryland, the top Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.\r\nThe Trump transition team did not respond to a request for comment for this story. And not all Democrats are on board with the tactics.\r\nIncoming Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) has unleashed a blistering attack on Republicans for pushing changes to Medicare. That\u2019s been augmented by the nomination of Price, who has previously pushed for an overhaul to the entitlement program.\r\nBut Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) doesn't see the connection.\r\n\u201cI\u2019ve heard President-elect Trump say he\u2019s not for privatizing Social Security and he\u2019s not for privatizing Medicare,\u201d Manchin said. \u201cI would think Tom Price has mellowed out.\u201d\r\nThe elimination of the filibuster for Cabinet nominees is forcing Democrats now to adapt their strategy and end game. Before they could have zeroed in on one Cabinet selection to block, and then allowed select Democrats to vote against individual nominees based on their parochial political interests, while still allowing the picks to be confirmed.\r\nLacking that leverage, Democrats will be liberated to launch an all-out rhetorical assault on Trump and congressional Republicans. The result is expected to be a much more partisan and political confirmation process.\r\n\u201cWe\u2019ve never seen the kind of radical nominees that Trump has put up. And frankly, we\u2019ve never seen nominees with this little experience,\u201d said Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.). \u201cWe need some time to talk to the American public about what the consequences are.\u201d\r\nRepublicans argue that the GOP swallowed almost all of President Barack Obama\u2019s nominees within the first couple weeks and that Democrats\u2019 plans to mount a sustained attack on Trump\u2019s Cabinet belies Senate tradition.\r\nBut given the chamber\u2019s rules, Democrats could drag out the process well into February or possibly beyond.\r\n\u201cEvery one of these nominees has to be scrutinized closely and exactingly,\" said Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.). \"One by one.\"\r\n\u00a0\r\n\r\n \r\n           \r\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\tPrint\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tEmail\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t  \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTweet", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.merkley.senate.gov/news/in-the-news/senate-democrats-press-wells-fargo-board-for-answers-on-sales-practices", "Senate Democrats Press Wells Fargo Board For Answers on Sales Practices", "2016-12-22", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "OR", "Jeff Merkley", "M001176", "www.merkley.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Senate Democrats Press Wells Fargo Board For Answers on Sales Practices \r\n\r\n     Members of Senate Banking Committee sent letter to bank seeking more information \r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nThursday, December 22, 2016\r\n\r\n\t\n\r\n\r\n\r\n  \r\n    By:\u00a0\r\n    Emily Glazer \r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nDemocrats on the Senate Banking Committee demanded\u00a0Wells Fargo\u00a0& Co.\u2019s board respond to questions the bank has yet to answer related to its sales practices scandal, according to a letter reviewed by The Wall Street Journal.\r\nThe senators asked the board for more information about its continuing independent investigation of the alleged fraud that caused the bank to pay a\u00a0$185 million settlement\u00a0in September over opening as many as 2.1 million accounts using fictitious or unauthorized customer information.\r\nThe senators in this latest letter also asked the board for a timeline of when its members learned of the questionable sales tactics, actions the board took to\u00a0address the problemand reasons why it didn\u2019t investigate sooner, according to the letter. It asked for answers to its 10 questions by Jan. 7.\r\n\u201cContinued failure to answer questions\u2014especially basic questions\u2014about the causes and consequences of the fraud that Wells Fargo permitted for many years does nothing to restore the trust of Wells Fargo\u2019s customers and shareholders, many of whom are our constituents,\u201d according to the letter.\r\nWells\u00a0Fargo\u2019s\u00a0board\u00a0in late September announced its independent investigation alongside moves to rescind a collective $61 million in pay from now-former Chief Executive\u00a0John Stumpf\u00a0and former retail banking head\u00a0Carrie Tolstedt.\r\nThe\u00a0board\u2019s independent directors \u201cwill take such other actions as they collectively deem appropriate,\u201d according to a statement at the time. The bank neither admitted nor denied the allegations\u00a0in the settlement Sept. 8.\r\nThe 10 Democratic senators, led by ranking member Sen. Sherrod Brown (D., Ohio), submitted 58 questions to Wells Fargo management on Sept. 29 that they said weren't answered by Mr. Stumpf in two congressional hearings. The bank responded on Nov. 15,\u00a0but cited the board\u2019s continuing independent investigation as a reason it couldn\u2019t fully answer some questions.\r\nA bank spokeswoman at the time said Wells Fargo appreciates Congress\u2019s role and will continue to be responsive to lawmakers as the bank\u2019s board investigation progresses.\r\nA person familiar with the board said Thursday that it previously responded to earlier letters from some of the Democratic senators that included some of the same questions.\r\nA spokesman for the board reiterated Thursday that the board would make the findings of the investigation public upon its conclusion.\r\nIn addition to Sen. Brown, the latest letter was jointly submitted by Sens.\u00a0Jack Reed\u00a0(D., R.I.),\u00a0Bob Menendez\u00a0(D., N.J.),\u00a0Jon Tester\u00a0(D., Mont.),\u00a0Mark Warner\u00a0(D., Va.),\u00a0Jeff Merkley(D., Ore.),\u00a0Elizabeth Warren\u00a0(D., Mass.),\u00a0Heidi Heitkamp\u00a0(D., N.D.) and\u00a0Joe Donnelly\u00a0(D., Ind.).\r\nThey asked the board to identify\u00a0members of\u00a0the special committee who are leading the investigation and the criteria to select them, why the board didn\u2019t launch an independent investigation earlier, and the probe\u2019s scope.\r\nThe senators also sought details on how the board will provide \u201csufficient transparency into and details of\u201d the investigation to stakeholders and the public, among other questions relating to the sales practices issues.\r\n\r\n\r\n \r\n           \r\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\tPrint\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tEmail\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t  \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTweet", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.merkley.senate.gov/news/in-the-news/trump-alarms-arms-control-community-with-nuke-tweet", "Trump alarms arms-control community with nuke tweet", "2016-12-22", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "OR", "Jeff Merkley", "M001176", "www.merkley.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Trump alarms arms-control community with nuke tweet \r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nThursday, December 22, 2016\r\n\r\n\t\n\r\n\r\n\r\n  \r\n    By:\u00a0\r\n    Rebecca Kheel \r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nThe arms-control community is sounding the alarm on President-elect\u00a0Donald Trump\u00a0calling for the United States to \u201cgreatly strengthen and expand its nuclear capability.\u201d\r\n\u201cThis is a how arms races begin,\u201d warned Joe Cirincione, president of nuclear nonproliferation group the Ploughshares Fund.\r\nOn Thursday\u00a0afternoon, Trump tweeted that \u201cthe United States must greatly strengthen and expand its nuclear capability until such time as the world comes to its senses regarding nukes.\u201d\r\nA follow-up statement from spokesman Jason Miller said Trump \u201cwas referring to the threat of nuclear proliferation and the critical need to prevent it \u2014 particularly to and among terrorist organizations and unstable and rogue regimes.\r\n\u201cHe has also emphasized the need to improve and modernize our deterrent capability as a vital way to pursue peace through strength,\u201d Miller added.\r\nThe United States currently has about 7,000 nuclear warheads. The country is also in the midst of nuclear modernization efforts to replace the aging nuclear force, estimated to cost $1 trillion over 30 years.\r\nThe statement did not address what Trump meant by strengthen and expand.\r\nThe president-elect\u2019s message prompted a flurry of tweets from everyone from arms control advocates to Hollywood.\r\n\u201cTrump wants to expand our nuclear arsenal,\u201d tweeted actor George Takei. \u201cI think of my aunt and baby cousin, found burnt in a ditch in Hiroshima. These weapons must go.\u201d\u00a0\r\n\u201c.@realDonaldTrump\u00a0you are proposing a new nuclear arms race,\u201d the Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation tweeted. \u201cThe consequences of \u2018expanding nuke capability\u2019 could be global disaster.\u201d\r\n\u00a0\u201c.@realDonaldTrump, Reagan & even your friend Nixon knew better,\u201c tweeted Sen.\u00a0Jeff Merkley\u00a0(D-Ore.). \u201cNuke arms race = dangerous, expensive & bad for America. True then, true now.\u201d\r\nArms-control groups said it was unclear what Trump meant by expanding and strengthening nuclear capability, but listed several possible scenarios: building more nuclear-capable systems than planned under the current modernization efforts, having nuclear-capable systems carry the maximum number of warheads possible, creating bombs with more kilotons of nuclear power and increasing the number of warheads in the nuclear arsenal, among other possibilities.\r\nThough it remains unclear what prompted the tweet from Trump, the timing raised eyebrows for two reasons.\r\nFirst, it came a day after Trump met with the chief executives of Boeing and Lockheed Martin, two of the country\u2019s biggest nuclear weapons contractors. They are in competition, along with Northrop Grumman, to build the next generation of intercontinental ballistic missiles for the Air Force, a project expected to cost at least $85 billion.\r\nSecond, it came hours after Russian President Vladimir Putin made his own statement about strengthening his country\u2019s nuclear arsenal.\r\n\"We need to strengthen the strategic nuclear forces, for that we should develop missiles capable of penetrating any current and prospective missile defense systems,\" Putin said at a Russian Defense Ministry meeting, according to Russian news agency TASS.\r\nNeither Putin nor Trump have indicated the statements were coordinated or in response to one another, but arms control groups were alarmed that they came so close together.\r\n\u201cThe U.S. and Russia have about 95 percent of all nukes in the world,\u201d Cirincione said. \u201cEverybody else pales in comparison. If two big guys start taking about growing, that\u2019s a signal for every else to start their engines.\u201d\r\nStill, the Ploughshares Fund president said he thinks there could be a \u201cflipside\u201d to the leaders making similar comments around the same time.\r\nBoth Putin and Trump have indicated a desire to improve U.S.-Russia relations, and any agreement between the two countries would \u201calmost certainly\u201d include a reduction in nuclear weapons, he said.\r\n\u201cIf Trump follows Reagan\u2019s example, this could be the deal of his life,\u201d Cirincione said, referring to President Reagan\u2019s negotiations with Soviet Union leader Mikhail Gorbachev that led to the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces agreement and laid the groundwork for the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty.\r\n\u201cThis could be a statement of intent or it could also be preparing positions in advanced of negotiations,\u201d Cirincione added. \u201cLike everything else with Donald Trump, there are more unknowns than knowns.\u201d\r\nDerek Johnson, executive director of Global Zero, was more skeptical of an eventual agreement between the United States and Russia.\r\n\u201cIt\u2019s easy to imagine it not playing out that way, just based on how we\u2019ve seen Trump conduct himself,\u201d he said. \u201cHe\u2019s deeply unpredictable, and this is not a space you want unpredictability.\r\n\"The No. 1 message here is this cause for serious alarm,\" he added.\r\nJohnson interpreted Trump\u2019s tweet as a \u201crapid response\u201d to Putin.\r\nHe added that it validates the concerns people raised during the campaign about giving Trump access to nuclear weapons.\r\n\u201cI\u2019m struck by the literally hundreds of national security leaders and experts, most of them Republican, who warned that this guy cannot be trusted with nuclear weapons,\u201d he said. \u201cThis tweet suggests they were right.\u201d\r\nKelsey Davenport, director of nonproliferation policy at the Arms Control Association, said the United States\u2019 current modernization efforts are already \u201cunnecessary and unaffordable,\u201d and that expansion would make it worse.\r\n\u201cThis not a direction the United States needs to be going now,\u201d she said. \u201cThese comments coming from Putin are unsurprising based on Putin\u2019s actions over the last couple months. What is unfortunate is Donald Trump entering into this same vein.\u201d\r\nJohn Tierney, executive director at the Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation, said it\u2019s hard to discern nuclear policy from 140 characters, but called the tweet coupled with Putin\u2019s comments \u201cvery, very troubling.\u201d\r\nTierney said his group will be pressing the incoming administration for more clarity, as well as pressuring Congress to ask questions about the administration\u2019s nuclear policies during confirmation hearings.\r\n\u201cIt\u2019s time for Putin and Trump to come to their senses,\u201d he said.\r\n\u201cBetween Russia and the United States, that\u2019s 93 percent of the world\u2019s nuclear weapons. That\u2019s more than enough to deter each other and more than enough to destroy all of humanity.\u201d\r\n\r\n\r\n \r\n           \r\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\tPrint\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tEmail\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t  \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTweet", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.merkley.senate.gov/news/press-releases/wyden-merkley-push-for-oregon-counties-to-receive-federal-timber-payments", "Wyden, Merkley Push for Oregon Counties to Receive Federal Timber Payments", "2016-12-22", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "OR", "Jeff Merkley", "M001176", "www.merkley.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Wyden, Merkley Push for Oregon Counties to Receive Federal Timber Payments \n\t\n\t\n\tThursday, December 22, 2016\n\t\n\tWashington, D.C.\u00a0\u2013 U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley today urged federal officials to make much-needed federal timber sales payments as quickly as possible to Oregon counties in need of funding for schools, roads and law enforcement.\r\nIn letters (attached) to Interior Secretary Sally Jewell and Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, the senators noted that congressional failure to reauthorize Secure Rural Schools (SRS) funding puts a premium on ensuring the federal timber payments are sent in a timely fashion to Oregon counties.\r\nCounties no longer receiving an SRS payment as of Jan. 1 will instead receive payment under a federal act that provides them 25 percent of the federal timber sale revenue from national forestlands generated in each county, the senators wrote Vilsack. In 2015 when SRS was not reauthorized until after the 25-percent payments were made, the 25-percent payment was $50 million nationwide compared to about $300 million from SRS the previous year.\r\n \r\n\u201cWithout the certainty of SRS payments, schools, libraries and jails close, roads go unpaved and become unsafe, mental and physical health services are scaled back or even ended and fewer and fewer law enforcement officers patrol larger and larger areas,\u2019\u2019 Wyden and Merkley wrote. \u201cWe have talked to counties in Oregon experiencing these hardships, which will be made even worse if the remaining 25 percent payments are delayed.\u201d\r\n \r\nIn their letter to Jewell, the senators made a similar point urging that the 18 Oregon O & C counties receive their payments in a timely fashion under the 1937 O & C Lands Act and 1939 Coos Bay Wagon Road grant fund providing counties with 50 percent of the revenue from O & C federal timber sales. When SRS was not reauthorized in 2015, those counties received $18 million from those federal timber sales and an additional $19.9 million after SRS was reauthorized.\r\nWyden and Merkley are continuing to work on reauthorizing the SRS program, which has brought almost $4 billion since 2000 to Oregon\u2019s timber counties and schools all across the state.\r\nLast year\u2019s SRS funds were paid to the counties in March 2016 and include payments from the Bureau of Land Management and the Forest Service.\u00a0In Oregon, 33 counties received a total of $95 million in Secure Rural Schools payments earlier this year.\u00a0\r\nWyden co-authored the original SRS legislation in 2000 with then-Sen. Larry Craig, R-Idaho.\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n    \n    \n\t\n\t\n    \n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\n    \n\t\n     \n\t\n \n\t\n    \n    \n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t \n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t  \n    \n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n    \n    \n      \n    \n    \n    \n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n    \n\t\n\t  \n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\tPrint\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tEmail\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t  \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTweet", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.wyden.senate.gov/news/press-releases/wyden-merkley-push-for-oregon-counties-to-receive-federal-timber-payments", "Wyden, Merkley Push for Oregon Counties to Receive Federal Timber Payments", "2016-12-22", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "OR", "Ron Wyden", "W000779", "www.wyden.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Thursday, December 22, 2016\n            \n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWashington, D.C.\u00a0\u2013 U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley today urged federal officials to make much-needed federal timber sales payments as quickly as possible to Oregon counties in need of funding for schools, roads and law enforcement.\r\nIn letters to Interior Secretary Sally Jewell and Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, the senators noted that congressional failure to reauthorize Secure Rural Schools (SRS) funding puts a premium on ensuring the federal timber payments are sent in a timely fashion to Oregon counties.\r\nCounties no longer receiving an SRS payment as of Jan. 1 will instead receive payment under a federal act that provides them 25 percent of the federal timber sale revenue from national forestlands generated in each county, the senators wrote Vilsack. In 2015 when SRS was not reauthorized until after the 25-percent payments were made, the 25-percent payment was $50 million nationwide compared to about $300 million from SRS the previous year.\r\n\u201cWithout the certainty of SRS payments, schools, libraries and jails close, roads go unpaved and become unsafe, mental and physical health services are scaled back or even ended and fewer and fewer law enforcement officers patrol larger and larger areas,\u2019\u2019 Wyden and Merkley wrote. \u201cWe have talked to counties in Oregon experiencing these hardships, which will be made even worse if the remaining 25 percent payments are delayed.\u201d\r\nIn their letter to Jewell, the senators made a similar point urging that the 18 Oregon O & C counties receive their payments in a timely fashion under the 1937 O & C Lands Act and 1939 Coos Bay Wagon Road grant fund providing counties with 50 percent of the revenue from O & C federal timber sales. When SRS was not reauthorized in 2015, those counties received $18 million from those federal timber sales and an additional $19.9 million after SRS was reauthorized.\r\nWyden and Merkley are continuing to work on reauthorizing the SRS program, which has brought almost $4 billion since 2000 to Oregon\u2019s timber counties and schools all across the state.\r\nLast year\u2019s SRS funds were paid to the counties in March 2016 and include payments from the Bureau of Land Management and the Forest Service.\u00a0In Oregon, 33 counties received a total of $95 million in Secure Rural Schools payments earlier this year.\u00a0\r\nWyden co-authored the original SRS legislation in 2000 with then-Sen. Larry Craig, R-Idaho.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://defazio.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/rep-defazio-urges-president-elect-trump-to-endorse-drain-the-swamp-act", "Rep. DeFazio Urges President-elect Trump to Endorse DRAIN the SWAMP Act", "2016-12-21", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "OR", "Peter DeFazio", "D000191", "defazio.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON\u2014Rep. Peter DeFazio today sent a letter to President-elect Trump\u2019s transition team urging the incoming president to endorse the DRAIN the SWAMP Act, legislation that would codify a ban on political appointees from lobbying for five years after they leave his administration.\nThe DRAIN the SWAMP Act (Deter Revolving-Door Appointments in Our Nation; Stop Washington Appointees from becoming Manipulative Petitioners), H.R. 6476, would require a five-year ban, barring anyone who serves as a political appointee from lobbying for five years after they leave the Executive Branch. The bill would also permanently bar any individual appointed to the Trump Administration from lobbying on behalf of a foreign government.\n\u201cThe American people elected Mr. Trump with the expectation that he would bring a new way of doing business to Washington,\u2019\u201d Rep. DeFazio wrote in the letter. \u201cHis lobby ban is a good start, and I would like to assist in his efforts.\u00a0 I am certain that if the president-elect endorsed my bill it would send a strong message to Congress that he takes the ethical standards of his administration seriously.\u00a0 With the weight of his endorsement, the House and Senate could pass the bill and have it ready for his signature on his first day in office.\u201d\nAlthough the President-Elect\u2019s transition team announced an intended ban on appointees becoming lobbyists for five years after they leave the White House, there is no penalty for violating the provision unless it is codified by Congress.\nBy law, current Administration appointees are barred from lobbying for two years after they leave the Executive Branch, with a penalty of up to one year in prison and/or a fine of $50,000. Under Rep. DeFazio\u2019s bill, if either the five-year lobbying ban or lifetime ban on lobbying for foreign nations is violated, offenders face up to five years in prison and/or a fine of up to $50,000.\nRep. DeFazio introduced the DRAIN the SWAMP Act at the end of the 114th Congress, and plans to reintroduce the legislation when Congress reconvenes in January.\nTo read a copy of the letter, click here. To see Rep. DeFazio\u2019s floor speech on the DRAIN the SWAMP Act, click here.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.merkley.senate.gov/news/in-the-news/merkley-and-the-hounds", "Merkley and the hounds", "2016-12-21", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "OR", "Jeff Merkley", "M001176", "www.merkley.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Merkley and the hounds \r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nWednesday, December 21, 2016\r\n\r\n\t\n\r\n\r\n\r\n  \r\n    By:\u00a0\r\n    The Editorial Board \r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nJeff Merkley made headlines last April when he became the first U.S. senator to endorse Bernie Sanders for president. As April turned to May, it became apparent that the Oregon Democrat would be the only senator in Sanders\u2019 corner. Hillary Clinton\u2019s victory at the Democratic National Convention, and poll-fed confidence that Clinton would be elected president in November, led to speculation that Merkley might become an exile in his own caucus.\r\nBut in this year of confounded expectations, Merkley prepares to enter the 115th Congress in a stronger position than ever before. Merkley will become the chief deputy whip for the Democratic caucus in the Senate, succeeding retiring Sen. Barbara Boxer of California. As deputy whip Merkley will be a member of the minority leadership team, with newly chosen Minority Leader Chuck Schumer at its head.\r\nMerkley says that whips don\u2019t really do much \u2014 it\u2019s the opportunity to participate in the caucus leadership, which sets the agenda and plans strategy for the 48 Democratic senators, that really counts. But party whips can be important figures. The term was first used about 300 years ago in the British Parliament to describe the member responsible for keeping party members in line, from the \u201cwhippers-in\u201d who keep the hounds focused on the quarry in a fox hunt. If Schumer needs an enforcer, he\u2019ll call Merkley.\r\nOregon hasn\u2019t had a senator of either party in a caucus leadership position for a century or more, though a number of Merkley\u2019s predecessors \u2014 including Sens. Bob Packwood and Mark Hatfield \u2014 held powerful committee chairmanships. On the House side, Rep. Greg Walden, who represents Oregon\u2019s 2nd District, is a member of the Republican leadership team, currently serving as head of the National Republican Congressional Committee.\r\nDemocrats will remain in the minority in both chambers of Congress, but a minority in the Senate can block legislation and some presidential nominations through the exercise of the filibuster. A filibuster depends on maintaining party discipline, and it\u2019s Merkley who will be counting the votes and keeping the members in line.\r\nNone of this would matter much to Merkley\u2019s constituents or anyone else outside the Capitol if it weren\u2019t for the fact that congressional minorities eventually become majorities. If that should occur, Merkley\u2019s experience in Oregon provides some encouragement. In 2007, Merkley became the first Democratic speaker of the Oregon House in 16 years. He wielded his new powers in a decidedly non-partisan way, ensuring that Republicans were represented on committees and were allowed to introduce legislation. The result was a reduction in partisan rancor and recriminations of a kind that would be welcome at the national level.\r\nFor now, Merkley sounds more like a whip than a peacemaker. He is preparing for broad resistance to a Trump administration\u2019s agenda. He says that Donald Trump, by virtue of losing the popular vote, lacks a mandate for leadership. He says that Schumer will practice a brand of consultative retail politics \u2014 \u201che works the phone more extensively than anyone I\u2019ve seen in political life\u201d \u2014 that will offer a visible contrast to the style of his predecessor, Harry Reid. Merkley sounds set to keep the hounds on the fox\u2019s trail.\r\n\r\n\r\n \r\n           \r\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\tPrint\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tEmail\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t  \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTweet", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.merkley.senate.gov/news/press-releases/bipartisan-group-of-pacific-northwest-senators-announces-40-million-for-first-us-wave-energy-test-facility", "Bipartisan Group of Pacific Northwest Senators Announces $40 Million for First U.S. Wave Energy Test Facility", "2016-12-21", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "OR", "Jeff Merkley", "M001176", "www.merkley.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Bipartisan Group of Pacific Northwest Senators Announces $40 Million for First U.S. Wave Energy Test Facility \n\t\n\t\n\tWednesday, December 21, 2016\n\t\n\tWashington, D.C.\u00a0\u2013 U.S. Sens. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, and Patty Murray, D-Wash., today announced funding will be awarded to build the United States\u2019 first open-ocean, power grid-connected wave energy test facility at a site off the Oregon coast.\u00a0\r\nThe U.S. Department of Energy will provide up to $40 million to build the wave energy test site about six nautical miles off the coast of Newport, Ore. A partnership made up of Oregon State University, the University of Washington, the University of Alaska Fairbanks, and renewable energy innovators applied for the federal funding earlier this year. The senators, along with Sens. Dan Sullivan, R-Alaska and Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., urged the Energy Department to award the funding to the Newport site in an October letter.\u00a0\r\n \r\n\"This is great news for OSU and its partners and will launch a new level of local job creation and clean energy innovation,\u201d Wyden said. \u201cOregon will use this opportunity to build on its solid position nationally and internationally as a leader in renewable wave energy.\"\r\n\u201cThis is a huge success story for Oregon State University, and I thank the Department of Energy for helping us harness the enormous potential of wave energy off the Oregon coast,\u201d Merkley said. \u201cThis test facility will make Oregon the leader in bringing wave energy to the United States, which will create good-paying local jobs, and strengthen our coastal economies.\u201d\u00a0\r\n\"Given the important role that current and wave energy innovation can play in Alaska's energy future, it is great news that a consortium of universities, including the University of Alaska Fairbanks, has been awarded with this opportunity to test and develop marine hydrokinetic devices,\u201d Murkowski said. \u201cThis should help advance renewable energy technologies that hold great promise for our coastal communities.\"\r\n\u201cThis is an exciting step forward for the Pacific Northwest, which continues to be a leader in developing renewable energy sources,\u201d Murray said. \u201cThis investment has the potential to create jobs and move our country away from the devastating effects of fossil fuels, while also ensuring minimal impacts to the environment and existing uses.\u201d\r\n \r\nThe funding award will allow the universities to build infrastructure, such as open-water test berths and undersea cables, which private companies would then use to test their wave and tidal current energy innovations. Companies seeking to test their designs at the site will not have to undergo separate permitting and installation processes \u2013 lowering the cost and speeding up the process for developing new wave energy technologies, while bringing business and jobs to the area.\r\nThe Newport-based site will be the first open-water test facility for wave power connected directly to the power grid in the U.S.\r\nThe clean, renewable energy found in waves and tidal currents holds the potential to deliver up to one-third of our nation\u2019s electricity needs, according to the DOE.\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n    \n    \n\t\n\t\n    \n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\n    \n\t\n     \n\t\n \n\t\n    \n    \n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t \n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t  \n    \n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n    \n    \n      \n    \n    \n    \n      \n    \n    \n    \n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n    \n\t\n\t  \n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\tPrint\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tEmail\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t  \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTweet", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.wyden.senate.gov/news/press-releases/bipartisan-group-of-pacific-northwest-senators-announces-40-million-for-first-us-wave-energy-test-facility", "Bipartisan Group of Pacific Northwest Senators Announces $40 Million for First U.S. Wave Energy Test Facility", "2016-12-21", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "OR", "Ron Wyden", "W000779", "www.wyden.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Wednesday, December 21, 2016\n            \n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWashington, D.C.\u00a0\u2013 U.S. Sens. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, and Patty Murray, D-Wash., today announced funding will be awarded to build the United States\u2019 first open-ocean, power grid-connected wave energy test facility at a site off the Oregon coast.\r\nThe U.S. Department of Energy will provide up to $40 million to build the wave energy test site about six nautical miles off the coast of Newport, Ore. A partnership made up of Oregon State University, the University of Washington, the University of Alaska Fairbanks, and renewable energy innovators applied for the federal funding earlier this year. The senators, along with Sens. Dan Sullivan, R-Alaska and Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., urged the Energy Department to award the funding to the Newport site in an October letter.\r\n\"This is great news for OSU and its partners and will launch a new level of local job creation and clean energy innovation,\u201d Wyden said. \u201cOregon will use this opportunity to build on its solid position nationally and internationally as a leader in renewable wave energy.\"\r\n\u201cThis is a huge success story for Oregon State University, and I thank the Department of Energy for helping us harness the enormous potential of wave energy off the Oregon coast,\u201d Merkley said. \u201cThis test facility will make Oregon the leader in bringing wave energy to the United States, which will create good-paying local jobs, and strengthen our coastal economies.\u201d\r\n\"Given the important role that current and wave energy innovation can play in Alaska's energy future, it is great news that a consortium of universities, including the University of Alaska Fairbanks, has been awarded with this opportunity to test and develop marine hydrokinetic devices,\u201d Murkowski said. \u201cThis should help advance renewable energy technologies that hold great promise for our coastal communities.\"\r\n\u201cThis is an exciting step forward for the Pacific Northwest, which continues to be a leader in developing renewable energy sources,\u201d Murray said. \u201cThis investment has the potential to create jobs and move our country away from the devastating effects of fossil fuels, while also ensuring minimal impacts to the environment and existing uses.\u201d\r\nThe funding award will allow the universities to build infrastructure, such as open-water test berths and undersea cables, which private companies would then use to test their wave and tidal current energy innovations. Companies seeking to test their designs at the site will not have to undergo separate permitting and installation processes \u2013 lowering the cost and speeding up the process for developing new wave energy technologies, while bringing business and jobs to the area.\r\nThe Newport-based site will be the first open-water test facility for wave power connected directly to the power grid in the U.S.\r\nThe clean, renewable energy found in waves and tidal currents holds the potential to deliver up to one-third of our nation\u2019s electricity needs, according to the DOE.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.wyden.senate.gov/news/press-releases/wyden-praises-oregons-selection-in-demonstration-program-treating-mental-and-substance-use-disorders", "Wyden Praises Oregon\u2019s Selection in Demonstration Program Treating Mental and Substance Use Disorders", "2016-12-21", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "OR", "Ron Wyden", "W000779", "www.wyden.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Clinics to benefit in Baker, Columbia, Deschutes, Grant, Harney, Josephine, Klamath, Lane, Malheur, Multnomah, Wallowa, Wasco, Washington & Yamhill counties\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWednesday, December 21, 2016\n            \n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWashington \u2013 U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden praised today\u2019s selection of Oregon for participation in a federal community health clinic demonstration program as a well-deserved boost to high-quality care for people in all parts of the state with mental and substance use disorders.\u00a0\r\nOregon is one of eight states chosen by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services for the two-year Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic demonstration program. \r\n\u201cThis program will help rural and urban Oregonians receive quality treatment that\u2019s proven effective for mental health and substance use disorders,\u201d said Wyden, the ranking member of the Senate Finance Committee. \u201cAll of Oregon can look forward to seeing real gains from this comprehensive approach that blends behavioral health care with physical health care.\u201d\r\nOregon\u2019s demonstration program has 14 certified clinics in Baker, Columbia, Deschutes, Grant, Harney, Josephine, Klamath, Lane, Malheur, Multnomah, Wallowa, Wasco, Washington and Yamhill counties.\r\nCertified clinics will provide core services, use evidence-based practices and health information technology, report on quality measures, and coordinate care with primary care providers and hospitals in the community.\u00a0 Integrated services include peer-delivered services, cognitive behavioral therapy, motivational interviewing, recovery supports, and treatment for co-occurring mental and substance use disorders.\r\nParticipating Oregon clinics will be reimbursed at a fixed daily rate for all services provided to Oregon Health Plan beneficiaries.\u00a0Populations to be served include adults with serious mental illness, children with serious emotional disturbance, and those with long-term and serious substance use disorders, as well as others with mental illness and substance use disorders.\r\nStates have until July 1, 2017 to begin their two-year demonstration programs. Other states besides Oregon chosen for participation are Minnesota, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, Nevada, Oklahoma and Pennsylvania.\r\nFor more information, go to https://www.samhsa.gov/section-223", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.merkley.senate.gov/news/in-the-news/the-2016-progressive-honor-roll", "The 2016 Progressive Honor Roll", "2016-12-20", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "OR", "Jeff Merkley", "M001176", "www.merkley.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "The 2016 Progressive Honor Roll \r\n\r\n      Yes, it\u2019s been an awful year. But the untold story is that grassroots activists have actually frequently prevailed. \r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nTuesday, December 20, 2016\r\n\r\n\t\n\r\n\r\n\r\n  \r\n    By:\u00a0\r\n    John Nichols \r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nYes, the election results were generally awful. But the untold story of 2016 is that grassroots activists, bold campaigners, and the movements they embraced frequently prevailed\u2014and their successes showed progressives how to press forward even in the most frustrating and difficult of times. Our 2016 honor roll of the most valuable progressives is a chronicle of the fight that has already begun, and a road map for the resistance yet to come.\r\nMost Valuable Campaign\r\nBernie Sanders\r\n\u201cSo, are you guys ready for a radical idea?\u201d the Vermont senator asked as he kicked his 2016 presidential campaign into high gear. Sanders was speaking about creating \u201can economy that works for all of us, not just the 1 percent.\u201d But he could have been referring to the idea of a presidential bid by a seventysomething democratic socialist from a small state that began, as Sanders likes to point out, at just 3 percent in the polls. \u201cWe had no campaign organization and we had no money. And we were taking on the most powerful political organization in the United States of America,\u201d the senator recalled. Yet his rallies would soon fill the largest halls in the country, and he would go on to win more than 13 million votes, 23 primary and caucus contests, and more than 1,800 delegates. That wasn\u2019t enough to clinch the nomination, and Sanders is the first to admit that his campaign made strategic mistakes in its initial outreach to key Democratic constituencies and superdelegates. Yet he won overwhelming support from young people; he forged a coalition that energized Native Americans, Arab Americans, rural voters, and displaced and disappointed workers across the country; he opened up transformational debates about the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal and about pipelines and climate change; and his supporters played a crucial role in writing the most progressive platform in the modern history of the Democratic Party. Most important: Sanders encouraged his backers to build an organization, Our Revolution, to extend the energy of his progressive populist campaign beyond 2016.\r\nMost Valuable Struggle\r\nStand With Standing Rock\r\nBy the time most Americans had heard about the Dakota Access Pipeline project, it was close to completion. But the Standing Rock Sioux in North Dakota kept raising objections to the project\u2019s plans to tunnel under the Missouri River, which would threaten not just sacred lands but access to safe drinking water for the Sioux and for millions of people living downriver. Tribes from across the country and indigenous peoples from around the world recognized the importance of the struggle to prevent completion of the oil pipeline as planned. They were joined by Bill McKibben, 350.org, and other climate-change activists in standing up to the fossil-fuel industry. Against daunting odds, this intersectional movement delayed the project and, in early December, the US Army Corps of Engineers refused to issue the permits needed to complete it. The feds will now consider \u201calternative routes.\u201d Despite this major victory, the struggle is far from over, as Energy Transfer Partners, the pipeline\u2019s developer, has powerful allies in Congress and the incoming administration. Yet, as Naomi Klein says, the fight against the Dakota Access Pipeline has shown \u201cpeople everywhere that organizing and resistance are not futile.\u201d\r\nMost Valuable Strategy\r\nA Day Without Latinos and Immigrants\r\nAs Republican presidential candidates were outdoing one another giving voice to anti-immigrant bigotry last February, Wisconsin Republican legislators suddenly backed off a plan to penalize municipalities that respected the rights of immigrants in their interactions with police. The announcement that the scheme was \u201cnot a high priority for any of [the GOP] members\u201d came just hours after the \u201cDay Without Latinos and Immigrants\u201d protest, which saw 20,000 restaurant, grocery-store, warehouse, and dairy-farm workers leave their jobs to surround the Capitol. \u201cThe mass general strike was an undeniable statement of the essential and positive contributions that immigrants make to our economy and our society,\u201d said Christine Neumann-Ortiz, executive director of the activist group Voces de la Frontera. That statement was heard, loud and clear, by the state\u2019s Republican legislators, who finished the session without taking up the bill.\r\nMost Valuable Senator\r\nJeff Merkley\r\nWithin hours of Donald Trump\u2019s announcement that he would appoint Steve Bannon as his White House chief strategist, Merkley declared: \u201cThere should be no sugarcoating the truth here: Donald Trump just invited a white nationalist into the highest reaches of the government.\u201d Others may have reacted with shock at Trump\u2019s election, but the Democratic senator from Oregon was ready to fight. He ripped the Republican\u2019s cabinet picks and promised scrutiny and opposition. Along with close allies Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders (whose presidential candidacy the Oregonian had backed), Merkley was in the forefront of successful efforts to block the Trans-Pacific Partnership in 2016. Now he\u2019s objecting to Trump\u2019s empty sloganeering and cheap gimmickry when it comes to the serious work of renewing American manufacturing and investing in infrastructure. As a veteran legislator who served as speaker of the Oregon House of Representatives before defeating a Republican senator in 2008, Merkley has emerged as an essential opposition leader\u2014someone who knows how the Senate works and pulls no punches when it comes to taking on racism, sexism, economic inequality, climate change, and Trumpism.\r\nMost Valuable Senator-Elect\r\nKamala Harris\r\nCalifornia\u2019s attorney general celebrated her landslide election as the state\u2019s new US senator by visiting the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles. Choking back tears as she recounted stories of children who asked after Trump\u2019s election whether they would be deported, the daughter of immigrants from India and Jamaica declared, \u201cYou\u2019re not alone. We\u2019ve got your back.\u201d That\u2019s not just rhetoric; it\u2019s who Harris is. \u201cI grew up with a stroller\u2019s-eye view of the civil-rights movement,\u201d says the next senator from America\u2019s most populous state. \u201cOften I joke that as a child, I was surrounded by adults marching and shouting for this thing called justice.\u201d In the Senate, she\u2019ll be the one raising her voice for social and economic justice, and she will be heard.\r\nMost Valuable US House Caucus\r\nCongressional Progressive Caucus\r\nThe question of how Democrats in Congress plan to respond to Republican hegemony was answered immediately by the House of Representatives\u2019 most progressive activist group. \u201cWith every new staff announcement and cabinet appointment, Donald Trump makes it clear that his government is going to look exactly like his campaign: racist, Islamophobic, and totally unfit,\u201d declared Congressional Progressive Caucus co-chairs Ra\u00fal Grijalva and Keith Ellison and first vice chair Mark Pocan in a statement after the president-elect tapped Senator Jeff Sessions as his nominee for US attorney general. \u201cAs Democrats, we will never bow to intolerance and we will meet these appointments head-on by standing firmly on the side of victims and doing everything in our power to protect them and our democracy.\u201d The CPC is setting the right tone: Ellison and Pocan are leading the drive for a \u201cRight to Vote\u201d constitutional amendment that addresses voter suppression and the decay of the democratic process. And along with California Congresswoman Barbara Lee, they continue to challenge \u201ca disproved consensus that favors recklessly militaristic approaches to handling current international conflicts and has yet to reckon with the grave consequences of its errors.\u201d\r\nMost Valuable New Agenda-Setter\r\nJamie Raskin\r\nWhen newly elected House Democrats gathered in Washington, they chose Raskin to serve as their representative on the House Democratic Steering and Policy Committee, the influential body that sets the party\u2019s agenda. The move recognized Raskin\u2019s remarkable background as a constitutional-law professor with a history of national leadership on voting-rights and civil-rights issues, and as a Maryland state senator who helped lead successful efforts to abolish the death penalty, establish marriage equality, restore voting rights to former prisoners, pass the Dream Act, lower carbon emissions, and hike the minimum wage. Raskin knows the work will be harder in the Republican-controlled Congress, but he says he\u2019s determined to \u201cguarantee that the House Democratic agenda reflects the diverse voices of hard-working Americans who need government to be on the side of the people.\u201d\r\nMost Valuable Inside/Outside Strategist\r\nPramila Jayapal\r\nWhen permits for the Dakota Access Pipeline were denied, Washington State Senator Pramila Jayapal tweeted: \u201cYES! The people\u2019s victory! Moral Resistance works!\u201d Though her title as of January will be \u201cUS representative,\u201d the Seattle Democrat is a heart-and-soul advocate who knows how to link struggles in the streets to struggles inside the corridors of power. And she\u2019s good at it: As a veteran immigrant-rights and civil-liberties campaigner, Jayapal brings a wealth of grassroots experience to the House. Savvy Democrats will take her counsel as they seek to build a moral resistance to Trumpism.\r\nMost Valuable New State Official\r\nDavid Zuckerman\r\nWhile Democrats were struggling to figure out how to reconnect with rural Americans following 2016 election setbacks in most of the country, family farmer David Zuckerman was preparing to take office as Vermont\u2019s second-highest-ranking state official. Elected as lieutenant governor with the support of Democrats and the state\u2019s independent Progressive Party, Zuckerman campaigned on his record as a state legislator who led fights for sustainable development, GMO labeling, cannabis-law reform, and progressive tax policies that benefit working families in rural and urban areas. Elected on the same day that a Republican won Vermont\u2019s governorship, Zuckerman ran 20,000 votes ahead of the top of the Democratic ticket\u2014piling up votes in rural regions that don\u2019t always back the party.\r\nMost Valuable New State Legislator\r\nIlhan Omar\r\nDonald Trump made one of his last campaign stops in Minnesota, where he tried to win the state by stirring up fears of the large Somali-American community in the Twin Cities. Trump lost\u2014and on the same day, Minneapolis voters elected Ilhan Omar to the state\u2019s House of Representatives. Raising a clenched fist and pledging to struggle for unity and justice, the first Somali-American Muslim woman elected to public office in the United States declared: \u201cIt matters that I am a woman. It matters that I am a Somali-American woman. It matters that I am a Muslim and immigrant woman. It matters that our campaign won\u2026by creating a multicultural coalition.\u201d She is so very right.\r\nMost Valuable Mayor\r\nDr. Karen Weaver\r\nA clinical psychologist who defeated the incumbent mayor of Flint, Michigan, in November 2015, after a campaign in which she vowed to address that city\u2019s water crisis, Weaver declared a state of emergency upon taking office and began demanding accountability and aid. Complaining that \u201cthe people weren\u2019t put first; the health of the people was not put before profit and money,\u201d she urged visiting politicians\u2014from President Obama to Hillary Clinton to Michigan Governor Rick Snyder and Donald Trump\u2014to recognize the damage done to urban centers by corporations and government agencies that have neglected basic duties owed to humanity. Seeking access to clean water and infrastructure investments to replace the corroded pipes that leached lead into the city\u2019s tap water, this activist mayor declared: \u201cWe\u2019ve got to get this fixed.\u201d\r\nThe stakes are higher now than ever. Get The Nation in your inbox.\r\nTop of Form\r\nBottom of Form\r\nMost Valuable Activist\r\nLori Wallach\r\nThe media outlets that so badly bungled coverage of the 2016 campaign imagined that Donald Trump made the Trans-Pacific Partnership an issue. Wrong. Lori Wallach and the mass movements with which she has long been aligned made the TPP an issue well before Trump began to consider a presidential run. As the director of Public Citizen\u2019s Global Trade Watch, Wallach has for decades exposed and challenged race-to-the-bottom trade policies, and she has worked with labor, farm, environmental, and human-rights groups\u2014as well as congressional allies like Bernie Sanders\u2014to establish a fair-trade ethic that respects workers and the planet. \u201cAmericans have become aware that our trade agreements have been hijacked by corporate interests that use the free-trade brand to Trojan-horse into place special protections,\u201d the veteran of the 1999 \u201cBattle in Seattle\u201d against the World Trade Organization said during the 2016 campaign. That awareness wasn\u2019t forged by a \u201cbillionaire populist\u201d; it was forged by movement builders like Wallach.\r\nMost Valuable Activist Campaign\r\n#WeveSeenThisBefore\r\nThe hashtag on the \u201cJews Reject Trump\u201d signs was stark and haunting, and the Bend the Arc Jewish Action campaign made sure that it was seen outside Trump Tower, at the Republican National Convention, and at events across the country, where activists announced: \u201cWe have seen this kind of hate and political violence before. And we won\u2019t let it happen again.\u201d An offshoot of the movement\u2019s broader work on social justice, Bend the Arc Jewish Action developed the \u201cWe\u2019ve Seen This Before\u201d campaign in 2015 to sound the alarm \u201cabout Donald Trump\u2019s hateful anti-immigrant, anti-Muslim, anti-woman, and violent agenda.\u201d The campaign did not end on Election Day: In November, Bend the Arc Jewish Action CEO Stosh Cotler and Muslim Public Affairs Council president Salam al-Marayati circulated a joint letter urging Trump to withdraw his appointment of Steve Bannon, because \u201cHate has no place in the White House.\u201d\r\nMost Valuable Union\r\nNational Nurses United ?\r\nBold, loud, and fiercely committed to transformational change, National Nurses United has always campaigned for single-payer health care, adequate hospital staffing, and labor rights. But the union extended its reach in 2016, emerging as a key backer of the Sanders campaign and the People\u2019s Summit that sought to build on its momentum, as well as a California initiative to control prescription-drug prices; the national \u201cRobin Hood Tax\u201d campaign to fund social needs; efforts to combat climate change in communities across the United States; and the movement to block the Dakota Access Pipeline. NNU actually seeks out causes to join, urging Americans to \u201cTell Us Where It Hurts\u201d as part of its Nurses\u2019 Campaign to Heal America.\r\nMost Valuable Commentator\r\nVan Jones\r\nCNN commentator Van Jones came into his own during the 2016 campaign. Unlike the pundits who responded to every unsettling development by resorting to shallow talking points, Jones was informed and insightful in his approach. The veteran environmental and human-rights campaigner, who once served as President Obama\u2019s green-jobs adviser, argued that \u201ca bipartisan political consensus\u201d forged by elites in both parties had sold out working Americans. Yet Jones was never willing to settle for simplistic explanations regarding the response to that sellout. Jones recognized the \u201crebellion against the elites\u201d that defined much of the 2016 campaign, but he demanded that others recognize the racial component in what he described as the \u201cwhitelash against a changing country.\u201d With equal measures of intellect and humanity, Jones wrestled ably and honestly with what he referred to as \u201cthe messy truth\u201d of American politics in the 2016 election.\r\nMost Valuable Free-Press Campaigner\r\nAmy Goodman\r\nDemocracy Now!\u2019s Amy Goodman played a pivotal role in drawing attention to the Dakota Access Pipeline resistance\u2014so much so that, after she chronicled the brutal treatment of activists, she found herself charged by local authorities with participating in a \u201criot.\u201d Goodman wasn\u2019t the only journalist targeted by North Dakota prosecutors, but she was particularly outspoken and effective when it came to pushing back. The award-winning broadcaster returned to North Dakota to challenge the charge; after she prevailed in court, Goodman used the attention she was accorded to declare: \u201cI wasn\u2019t trespassing, I wasn\u2019t engaging in a riot\u2014I was doing my job as a journalist by covering a violent attack on Native American protesters.\u201d\r\nMost Valuable Radio Show\r\nLetters & Politics With Mitch Jeserich\r\nVeteran broadcaster Mitch Jeserich started a radio program called Letters From Washington to chronicle the first 100 days of the Obama administration. That program evolved into Letters & Politics, which airs daily on Berkeley\u2019s pioneering Pacifica station KPFA. Erudite and adventurous, Jeserich can jump from a discussion about how civilization has changed over a thousand years with historian Ian Mortimer, to an examination of Islamophobia with international human-rights campaigner Arsalan Iftikhar, to a review of Trump\u2019s conflicted cabinet picks with Pratap Chatterjee, the executive director of CorpWatch. This is talk radio that makes you smarter.\r\nMost Valuable National Electoral Reform\r\nNational Popular Vote Interstate Compact\r\nDespite assaults on voting rights and the very infrastructure of democracy, Hillary Clinton beat Trump by roughly 3 million votes. But Trump narrowly prevailed in enough swing states to claim an Electoral College win\u2014the second time in less than 20 years that a Democrat has lost to a Republican with fewer votes. California Senator Barbara Boxer is right: The Electoral College should be abolished. But the constitutional amendment Boxer proposes will be a hard sell in a GOP-controlled Congress. Luckily, there\u2019s another way to let the people choose their president: The bipartisan National Popular Vote Interstate Compact, proposed by the National Popular Vote campaign, would require states to \u201callocate their electoral votes to the candidate who wins the most popular votes in all fifty states and DC.\u201d The compact goes into effect after states with 270 electoral votes have signed on. So far, 10 states (and the District of Columbia) are in, and the movement is growing.\r\nMost Valuable State Electoral Reform\r\nRanked-Choice Voting\r\nOn November 8, Maine voters approved a ranked-choice (or instant-runoff) system to elect US senators, US representatives, the governor, and state legislators. Under the new plan, voters will rank candidates in order of preference, with the votes of losing candidates being reassigned to more viable preferences until a clear winner emerges\u2014no spoilers, no wasted votes. State Representative Diane Russell says this system \u201callows [Mainers] to vote their hopes.\u201d That freedom and flexibility will advance the promise of democracy, and the group FairVote is working to get other states to embrace that promise.\r\nMost Valuable Rappers and Rockers\r\nProphets of Rage\r\nFormed by members of Rage Against the Machine (Tom Morello, Tim Commerford, and Brad Wilk), Public Enemy (Chuck D and DJ Lord), and Cypress Hill (B-Real), this rap-rock supergroup has been described by Morello as \u201can elite task force of revolutionary musicians determined to confront this mountain of election-year bullshit, and confront it head-on with Marshall stacks blazing.\u201d They did just that in 2016, touring the country to rally opposition to corporate power and political reaction. Outside the Republican National Convention, the group performed a raucous set at an \u201cEnd Poverty Now\u201d rally and then marched the crowd through downtown Cleveland to a protest in the city\u2019s Public Square. Thundering against Trumpism, the Prophets promise to \u201cMake America Rage Again.\u201d\r\nMost Valuable Music Magazine\r\nUnder the Radar\r\nThe magazine that dubs itself \u201cthe solution to music pollution\u201d has in recent election years also been the solution to political pollution. Instead of interviewing politicians, Under the Radar publishes a fall \u201cProtest Issue\u201d in which prominent musicians are photographed \u201cholding protest signs of their own making.\u201d The point is to highlight issues and ideas that might be neglected during the quadrennial cacophony of presidential politicking. The fall 2016 issue rocked, with Amanda Palmer\u2019s cover-shot poster explaining that \u201cRadical Empathy Is the Only Way to Gender Equality.\u201d Inside, Thurston Moore\u2019s sign demanded \u201cFree Chelsea Manning,\u201d while Kristin Kontrol\u2019s declared \u201cBlack Lives Matter\u201d and Billy Bragg\u2019s proclaimed \u201cDeath to Cynicism.\u201d \u201cMy job is to take people who want to change the world and punch through their cynicism,\u201d Bragg told the magazine. That\u2019s precisely what Under the Radar\u2019s protest issue did.\r\nMost Valuable Movie\r\nSnowden\r\nOliver Stone\u2019s Snowden isn\u2019t the first great film about the NSA whistle-blower; that would be Laura Poitras\u2019s Oscar-winning documentary Citizenfour, the making of which Stone depicts in the film. But Snowden was a gripping return to form for the director, who, The New York Times noted, used the project to \u201ccircle back to the grand questions of power, war and secrecy that have propelled his most ambitious work.\u201d It was also a call to action: Linking art and activism, Stone used his promotional appearances for the film to urge President Obama to pardon Snowden. And as the film hit the theaters, the ACLU, Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International, and dozens of other groups stepped up their own campaigning on the issue, with ACLU executive director Anthony Romero explaining: \u201cCases like Edward Snowden\u2019s are precisely the reason the president\u2019s constitutional pardon power exists.\u201d\r\nJohn Nichols is The Nation\u2019s national-affairs correspondent.\u00a0He\u00a0is the co-author, with Robert W. McChesney, of People Get Ready: The Fight Against a Jobless Economy and a Citizenless Democracy, published in March 2016\u00a0by Nation Books.\r\n\r\n \r\n           \r\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\tPrint\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tEmail\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t  \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTweet", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.merkley.senate.gov/news/press-releases/merkley-applauds-offshore-oil-and-gas-drilling-ban-in-atlantic-and-arctic", "Merkley Applauds Offshore Oil and Gas Drilling Ban in Atlantic and Arctic", "2016-12-20", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "OR", "Jeff Merkley", "M001176", "www.merkley.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Merkley Applauds Offshore Oil and Gas Drilling Ban in Atlantic and Arctic \n\t\n\t\t Obama Implements Sections of Merkley's Keep It in the Ground Act \n\t\n\t\n\tTuesday, December 20, 2016\n\t\n\tOregon\u2019s Senator Jeff Merkley, the lead sponsor of both the Keep It in the Ground Act and the Stop Arctic Ocean Drilling Act, released the following statement after President Obama announced a permanent ban on offshore drilling in citizen-owned waters of the Arctic and Atlantic, including 3.8 million acres in the Atlantic Ocean off the East Coast and 115 million acres in the U.S. Arctic Ocean:\r\n \r\n\u201cDrilling in the Arctic and Atlantic poses a grave threat to our environment. The cold and remote Arctic ecosystems are extremely fragile. Drilling there is the height of irresponsibility and drilling in the Atlantic poses a huge risk of damage to important fisheries, estuaries, beaches and coastal businesses.\r\n\u201cTo prevent the most catastrophic effects of climate change, it is imperative that we continue the momentum to Keep It in the Ground. Today\u2019s announcement sends a powerful message to an incoming Administration bent on outsourcing its energy policy to the oil and gas industry: our public lands and waters should and must be managed for the public good, not for private profit.\u201d\r\n \r\nUnder section 12(a) of the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act, President Obama has authority to withdraw U.S. waters from future oil and gas leasing; future Presidents do not have the authority to undo the withdrawal.\r\nSenator Merkley has been a leading voice in the movement to combat drilling on our public lands and waters, continuously calling for the Arctic to be put off-limits to offshore drilling. Last year, Senator Merkley introduced the Keep It in the Ground Act to end all new leases for coal, oil, gas and tar sands extraction on federal public lands and waters.\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n    \n    \n\t\n\t\n    \n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\n    \n\t\n     \n\t\n \n\t\n    \n    \n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t \n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t  \n    \n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n    \n    \n      \n    \n    \n    \n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n    \n\t\n\t  \n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\tPrint\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tEmail\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t  \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTweet", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.merkley.senate.gov/news/in-the-news/oregon-sen-jeff-merkley-appointed-to-senate-democratic-leadership-going-into-2017", "Oregon Sen. Jeff Merkley appointed to Senate Democratic leadership going into 2017", "2016-12-19", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "OR", "Jeff Merkley", "M001176", "www.merkley.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Oregon Sen. Jeff Merkley appointed to Senate Democratic leadership going into 2017 \r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nMonday, December 19, 2016\r\n\r\n\t\n\r\n\r\n\r\n  \r\n    By:\u00a0\r\n    Hillary Borrud \r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nOregon Sen. Jeff Merkley will have a more powerful role in Congress next year, as chief deputy whip for the Senate Democratic caucus.\r\nParty whips and their deputies work to line up votes. Although Democrats will be in the minority in 2017, they still have the ability to push back against Republican priorities, for example by filibustering legislation or some of President-elect Donald Trump's nominees.\r\nMerkley was also appointed to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. His office announced the appointments in a press release on Monday.\r\nMerkley has\u00a0focused on issues dear to the left wing of the Democratic Party, and on Monday he highlighted his relationships with \"grassroots progressive groups.\"\u00a0\r\n\u00a0\"I am honored to join the leadership team and help carry the fight for good living wage jobs, a secure retirement, and opportunity for all Americans,\" Merkley said in a statement, listing issues Senate Democrats might hope will appeal to more voters going forward.\r\nMerkley's staff pointed out in the press release that as minority leader in the Oregon House in 2006, he \"engineered a Democratic takeover\" and became the state's first Democratic House speaker in 16 years.\r\nMerkley was first elected to the U.S. Senate in 2008, when he unseated Republican incumbent Gordon Smith. He\u00a0won re-election in 2014, against Republican Monica Wehby.\u00a0\r\n\r\n \r\n           \r\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\tPrint\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tEmail\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t  \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTweet", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.merkley.senate.gov/news/press-releases/merkley-tapped-for-leadership-post-will-join-senate-foreign-relations-committee", "Merkley Tapped for Leadership Post, Will Join Senate Foreign Relations Committee", "2016-12-19", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "OR", "Jeff Merkley", "M001176", "www.merkley.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Merkley Tapped for Leadership Post, Will Join Senate Foreign Relations Committee \n\t\n\t\n\tMonday, December 19, 2016\n\t\n\tWASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 Oregon\u2019s Senator Jeff Merkley announced today that he has been appointed Chief Deputy Whip of the Senate Democratic Caucus and will also join the Senate Foreign Relations Committee in the 115th Congress beginning in January.\r\nAs a member of the newly constituted Democratic leadership team, Merkley will bring strong relationships with grassroots progressive groups and a reputation for digging deep on policy. He also brings experience winning back a majority -- as minority leader in Oregon's House of Representatives, Merkley engineered a Democratic takeover in 2006, becoming Oregon's first Democratic Speaker of the House in 16 years.\r\nMerkley will also serve on the prestigious Senate Foreign Relations Committee, which plays a critical role in the development of the United States\u2019 foreign policy and has jurisdiction over diplomatic nominations including the Secretary of State.\r\n \r\n \u201cI am honored to join the leadership team and help carry the fight for good living wage jobs, a secure retirement, and opportunity for all Americans,\u201d said Merkley.\u00a0 \u201cNow, more than ever, billionaires and special interests are looking to stack the deck in their favor at the expense of the rest of us. \u00a0We have big battles in front of us, and I\u2019m ready to fight for our vision of a \u2018We the People\u2019 nation.\u00a0\r\n\u201cI\u2019m also looking forward to serving on the Foreign Relations Committee at a time of substantial international upheaval and national security concerns,\u201d Merkley continued.\u00a0 \u201cSome of the biggest challenges we face as Americans are international, like climate change, violent extremism, and globalization, and require global cooperation. We can\u2019t give all Americans the opportunities they deserve without a strong, thoughtful foreign policy.\u201d\r\n \r\nIn joining the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Merkley is returning to his foreign policy roots.\u00a0 Earlier in his career he worked in the Pentagon and then as an analyst of strategic nuclear arms programs for Congress.\u00a0 Later he ran the World Affairs Council in Oregon. Merkley has a master\u2019s degree in international economic development from the Woodrow Wilson School at Princeton University and has studied and worked abroad in a number of countries including Ghana, Mexico, and India.\r\nMerkley will continue to sit on the Senate\u2019s Appropriations, Budget, and Environment and Public Works Committees.\u00a0 While he will no longer serve on the Senate Banking Committee, Merkley will continue to be an outspoken voice for consumer protections and Wall Street reform.\r\n \r\n\u201cToo many Americans lost everything due to the unrestrained greed of Wall Street,\u201d said Merkley. \u201cTogether, we have worked to close the Wall Street casino, to create the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, and to eliminate predatory mortgages and other tricks and traps designed to exploit consumers. \u00a0I remain committed to fighting to prevent Wall Street from taking advantage of American families and small businesses.\u201d\r\n \n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n    \n    \n\t\n\t\n    \n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\n    \n\t\n     \n\t\n \n\t\n    \n    \n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t \n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t  \n    \n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n    \n    \n      \n    \n    \n    \n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n    \n\t\n\t  \n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\tPrint\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tEmail\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t  \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTweet", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.merkley.senate.gov/news/video/merkley-russian-hacking-is-an-attack-on-democracy", "Merkley: Russian Hacking is an Attack on Democracy", "2016-12-17", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "OR", "Jeff Merkley", "M001176", "www.merkley.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Oregon\u2019s Senator Jeff Merkley joins MSNBC\u2019s All in With Chris Hayes to discuss Russian interference in the 2016 election and the need for a full, bipartisan and independent investigation into Russia\u2019s hacking.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.merkley.senate.gov/news/in-the-news/merkley-wyden-hold-town-hall-at-south-medford-high-school", "Merkley, Wyden hold town hall at South Medford High School", "2016-12-16", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "OR", "Jeff Merkley", "M001176", "www.merkley.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Merkley, Wyden hold town hall at South Medford High School \r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nFriday, December 16, 2016\r\n\r\n\t\n\r\n\r\n\r\n  \r\n    By:\u00a0\r\n    Ryan Pfeil \r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nA few years ago, following the end of a federal government shutdown, Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) told reporters his next move: go dialogue with high school students about important issues in a town hall setting.\r\n\"We were told that we could have a week or so at home,\" Wyden said Friday. \"I came off the Senate floor, and some press folks said, 'What are you going to do?' And I said, 'I have been watching adults bicker and quarrel and behave badly for weeks now. I'm going to go home to Oregon. I'm going to go to the high schools and talk to adults who set a higher standard, who are really interested in solutions, and not bickering.\"\r\nThis decision was the start of a program called Listening to Oregon's Future, a supplement to regular town hall meetings Wyden and colleague Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) hold across the state. They've held dozens of the student sessions so far. On Friday, they took the program to South Medford High School, where students asked prepared questions on a variety of topics.\r\n\"I thought it was awesome. I've never been able to see a politician speak live before,\" said South junior Coi Holloway, president of the school's speech and debate team. \"I thought they answered the questions pretty well.\"\r\nMany of those questions concerned current events on the national stage, including the Dakota Access Pipeline, legislative support for career technical education training, and the Affordable Care Act. Both senators applauded the students' efforts.\r\n\"The questions were clear, they were substantive,\" Merkley said.\r\nHere are a sampling of issues students brought before Merkley and Wyden:\r\nRepeal of the Affordable Care Act\r\nWyden believes there will be an effort to repeal the ACA \"without offering a replacement.\"\r\n\"Of course, Americans were told the two were intertwined,\" Wyden said. \"We heard there was going to be repeal and replace, and it's starting to feel a little more like repeal and run.\"\r\nSuch an effort, he added, has the potential to result in skyrocketing premiums within the ACA exchanges and outside them.\r\n\"I think what we have to ask for, if you're going to get rid of the health care plan, you've got to put your replacement up front,\" Merkley said. \"Let's have the debate over what works and what doesn't.\"\r\nObama's response to Standing Rock\r\nEarlier this month, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers halted the Dakota Access Pipeline's final leg of construction beneath a reservoir on the Missouri River to address concerns by Standing Rock Sioux and Cheyenne River Sioux tribes the pipeline would contaminate their drinking water. The Army Corps has asked for a study of the current crossing and for a consideration of alternate routes. Hundreds of protesters camped out near the site for months to halt the project, sometimes encountering violent actions from police.\r\n\"I did lobby the (Obama) administration to take a stand on this,\" Merkley said. \"They took quite a while to get to that point, but they did get there, they made the decision, they made the right decision, and I hope the decision sticks.\"\r\nHow the senators will represent conservative parts of Oregon\r\n\"A lot of our counties are conservative,\" Merkley said. \"In fact, more than two-thirds of them are fully in the red zone.\"\r\nBoth Democratic senators said they try to do town hall-style meetings in every part of the state. Merkley said it's a good resource for learning about new issues they can assist with. In the past, those issues have included keeping dozens of rural post offices open and granting farmers the ability to transport their crops across the border to Washington state without having to use interstate commercial trucks.\r\n\"There are a lot of opportunities for us to knit the state together,\" Wyden said, using installation of broadband and utilization of telemedicine, or patients receiving diagnosis via video and telecommunications, as examples.\r\nCareer technical education legislation\r\nMerkley said more hands-on career technical education courses such as wood and metal shop can help open doors to a variety of career paths.\r\n\"The joy of learning to make things with your hands and see tools as a pathway to a career is something greatly needed in our economy,\" Merkley said.\r\nWyden, a ranking member of U.S. Senate Finance Committee, said the committee will be working toward new ways to promote CTE training courses.\r\n\r\n \r\n           \r\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\tPrint\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tEmail\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t  \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTweet", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.merkley.senate.gov/news/in-the-news/senate-democrats-seek-complaints-about-mnuchin-the-so-called-foreclosure-king", "Senate Democrats seek complaints about Mnuchin, the so-called ‘foreclosure king’", "2016-12-16", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "OR", "Jeff Merkley", "M001176", "www.merkley.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Senate Democrats seek complaints about Mnuchin, the so-called \u2018foreclosure king\u2019 \r\n\r\n     Warren, Sanders focus attacks on Trump\u2019s pick for Treasury \r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nFriday, December 16, 2016\r\n\r\n\t\n\r\n\r\n\r\n  \r\n    By:\u00a0\r\n    Robert Schroeder \r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nSenate Democrats are asking members of the public for complaints about Donald Trump\u2019s choice to lead the U.S. Treasury, in a move that reveals how much they plan to focus on his involvement with a failed subprime mortgage lender.\r\nDemocrats set up\u00a0a web site\u00a0on Friday regarding Steven Mnuchin and California-headquartered OneWest Bank, formerly known as IndyMac. Mnuchin and other investors bought IndyMac in 2009. CIT Group Inc.\u00a0CIT,\u00a0+2.05%\u00a0\u00a0 bought it in 2015.\r\nMnuchin\u2019s involvement with OneWest has already come under fire. Even before Trump formally tapped Mnuchin for the Treasury job, the California Reinvestment Coalition, an advocacy group, was blasting his expected selection and\u00a0said\u00a0the bank has foreclosed on more than 36,000 families in California alone. The group said it expected families \u201cwho lost their homes at the hands of OneWest\u201d will want to share their experiences with lawmakers.\r\nNow Democrats are asking for just that. The site asks Americans \u201cto share their personal stories of being impacted by the \u2018Foreclosure King\u2019 Steve Mnuchin.\u201d It was announced by Sens. Jeff Merkley of Oregon, Bernie Sanders of Vermont and Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts.\r\nMnuchin has defended the IndyMac deal, as has Trump himself.\r\nTrump nominated Mnuchin on Nov. 30, and his selection won praise from Sen. Orrin Hatch, the Utah Republican who heads the Senate Finance Committee. The panel will hold a confirmation for Mnuchin, whose nomination would also need to be approved by the full Senate.\r\nNext year, Republicans will control the Senate with 52 seats to Democrats\u2019 48. Mnuchin\u2019s confirmation is assured if all Republicans vote yes. Confirmation requires a simple majority.\r\nBut the former Goldman Sachs\u00a0GS,\u00a0+1.87%\u00a0\u00a0 banker and film producer can expect blistering criticism from the minority party.\r\n\u201cThis man has engaged in the worst kinds of practices on Wall Street and directly hurt thousands of working families,\u201d said Warren. \u201cAnd now, Donald Trump wants to literally hand him the keys to the Treasury where he can make big banks even richer at the expense of America\u2019s families.\u201d\r\n\r\n \r\n           \r\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\tPrint\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tEmail\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t  \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTweet", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.merkley.senate.gov/news/in-the-news/senate-dems-were-you-hurt-by-foreclosure-king-steve-mnuchin", "Senate Dems: Were You Hurt By 'Foreclosure King' Steve Mnuchin?", "2016-12-16", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "OR", "Jeff Merkley", "M001176", "www.merkley.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Senate Dems: Were You Hurt By 'Foreclosure King' Steve Mnuchin? \r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nFriday, December 16, 2016\r\n\r\n\t\n\r\n\r\n\r\n  \r\n    By:\u00a0\r\n    Lauren Fox\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nSenate Democrats are dubbing President-elect Donald Trump's pick for Secretary of Treasury Steven Mnuchin the \"Foreclosure King\" on a\u00a0new website\u00a0they've set up to solicit public complaints from people allegedly hurt by Mnuchin's past work in financial services.\r\nMnuchin\u2013 the former chief executive officer and chairman of OneWest Bank\u2013 was accused of aggressively foreclosing on homes during the financial crisis.\r\nSens. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and Jeff Merkely (D-OR) are leading the charge.\r\n\u201cAfter years peddling the kind of dangerous\u200e mortgage-backed securities that eventually blew up the economy, Mnuchin swooped in after the crash to take a second bite out of families by aggressively--and sometimes illegally--foreclosing on their homes,\u201d Warren said in a statement about the website. \u201cThis man has engaged in the worst kinds of practices on Wall Street and directly hurt thousands of working families \u2013 and now, Donald Trump wants to literally hand him the keys to the Treasury where he can make big banks even richer at the expense of America's families.\u201d\r\nDemocrats are hoping to collect even more stories about Mnuchin. Already, Democrats are reminding voters of the story of one elderly woman who was forced out of her home after a\u00a027-cent payment error.\r\nThe strategy is part of Democrats plan to play hardball with Trump's cabinet nominees. After a change in the Senate rules in 2013, Republicans will only need 51 votes to confirm Trump's nominees. That's likely to be an easy lift for the GOP, but Democrats aren't going to make the process comfortable.\r\nDemocrats have already said they plan to make Trump's pick for HHS Secretary Rep. Tom Price (R-GA) answer tough questions on his past plans to privatize Medicare.\r\n\r\n\r\n \r\n           \r\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\tPrint\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tEmail\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t  \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTweet", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.merkley.senate.gov/news/press-releases/led-by-merkley-warren-and-sanders-senate-democrats-roll-out-new-website-inviting-personal-stories-from-americans-hurt-by-foreclosure-king-steve-mnuchin", "Led by Merkley, Warren and Sanders, Senate Democrats Roll Out New Website Inviting Personal Stories from Americans Hurt by Foreclosure King Steve Mnuchin", "2016-12-16", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "OR", "Jeff Merkley", "M001176", "www.merkley.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Led by Merkley, Warren and Sanders, Senate Democrats Roll Out New Website Inviting Personal Stories from Americans Hurt by Foreclosure King Steve Mnuchin \n\t\n\t\n\tFriday, December 16, 2016\n\t\n\tWASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 Today, U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and Bernie Sanders (I-VT) announced that Senate Democrats have launched a new website inviting Americans to share their personal stories of being impacted by the foreclosure practices of Donald Trump\u2019s Treasury Secretary nominee, foreclosure king Steve Mnuchin.\r\n \r\n\u201cDonald Trump\u2019s choice of Mnuchin is not only a fundamental betrayal of his promise to stand up to Wall Street\u2014it is a punch in the gut to the thousands of American families who were thrown out of their homes by Mnuchin's bank,\u201d said Merkley. \u201cThe voices of these Americans should be heard loud and clear as the Senate examines his record and considers his nomination.\u201d\r\n\u201cAfter years peddling the kind of dangerous\u200e mortgage-backed securities that eventually blew up the economy, Mnuchin swooped in after the crash to take a second bite out of families by aggressively--and sometimes illegally--foreclosing on their homes,\u201d said Warren. \u201cThis man has engaged in the worst kinds of practices on Wall Street and directly hurt thousands of working families \u2013 and now, Donald Trump wants to literally hand him the keys to the Treasury where he can make big banks even richer at the expense of America's families.\u201d\r\n\u201cDuring the campaign, President-elect Donald Trump told the American people that he was going to change Washington by taking on Wall Street.\u00a0 But now that the election is over, Donald Trump\u2019s choice for Treasury Secretary is the same old, same old Wall Street insider who made a fortune during the financial crisis as millions lost their homes,\u201d said Sanders.\u00a0 \u201cIf confirmed, Steve\u00a0Mnuchin\u00a0would be the third Treasury Secretary to come from Goldman Sachs in the last 17 years.\u00a0 That is not the type of change that Donald Trump promised to bring to Washington \u2013 that is hypocrisy at its worst.\u00a0 The last thing we need is another Treasury Secretary from Goldman Sachs and another broken promise from Donald Trump.\u201d\r\n \r\nAs the CEO and owner of OneWest Bank, Mnuchin oversaw an operation that was called a \u201cforeclosure machine,\u201d repossessing the homes of tens of thousands of American families between 2009 and 2015 and intensifying the economic pain of the Great Recession. Despite the fact that there were programs available specifically to help banks like OneWest work with families to modify their mortgages and keep them in their homes, OneWest instead pursued an aggressive strategy of foreclosing on families to rack up profits. OneWest executed 39% of all foreclosures on federally-insured reverse mortgages from April 2009 through April 2016, despite servicing approximately 17% of the market.\r\nOneWest used illegal tactics like \u201crobo-signing\u201d\u2014falsifying key documents\u2014to create a wave of foreclosures that kicked more than 36,000 families out of their homes. In one case in Florida, OneWest foreclosed on a 90-year-old woman over a 27-cent payment error. In another case in Minnesota, a homeowner in a foreclosure dispute with OneWest came home in the middle of a blizzard to find that the locks on her house had been changed.\r\nView the new website here: https://democrats.senate.gov/foreclosureking.\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n    \n    \n\t\n\t\n    \n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\n    \n\t\n     \n\t\n \n\t\n    \n    \n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t \n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t  \n    \n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n    \n    \n      \n    \n    \n    \n      \n    \n    \n    \n      \n    \n    \n    \n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n    \n\t\n\t  \n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\tPrint\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tEmail\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t  \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTweet", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.wyden.senate.gov/news/press-releases/wyden-calls-for-immediate-declassification-and-public-release-of-intelligence-related-to-russian-interference-in-us-election", "Wyden Calls for Immediate Declassification and Public Release of Intelligence Related to Russian Interference in U.S. Election", "2016-12-16", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "OR", "Ron Wyden", "W000779", "www.wyden.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Friday, December 16, 2016\n            \n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWashington, D.C. \u2013 In response to statements by the executive branch that it may be weeks before new information is released to the public about Russian interference in the U.S. election, Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., said the American people cannot wait that long to get the facts.\r\n\u201cThis is a national crisis that must be fully explained to the American people right now,\u201d Wyden said.\u00a0 \u201cWhen a foreign nation interferes in our election, delays and closed-door investigations are not good enough. We cannot continue to sweep this under the rug or to wait until just before inauguration day before leveling with the public.\u201d\u00a0 \r\nThe Intelligence Community last declassified information about the Russian Government and the U.S. election on October 7, 2016.\u00a0 On November 30, 2016, Senator Wyden and other members of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence urged the President to declassify and release to the public specific information concerning the Russian Government and the U.S. election.\r\n\u201cAmerican democracy, and its independence from foreign interference, is at stake,\u201d Wyden said.\u00a0 \u201cHistory will not forgive those who kept the facts from the American people.\u201d\u00a0 \r\nImmediate declassification and public release is necessary for the following reasons:\r\n \r\nGiven intense and ongoing public interest in Russian Government interference in the U.S. election, it is critical that the public discussion be informed by facts and the best analysis of the Intelligence Community and the FBI.\u00a0 The longer reliable information is withheld from the American people, the more opportunity there is for misinformation to be disseminated without correction.\r\nTransparency demonstrates to our friends and allies, as well as to our adversaries, how a democracy deals with a threat like this and sends a message of strength and resilience.\r\nDeclassification and public release will allow for open congressional hearings in the weeks ahead.\u00a0 These hearings will allow for a full airing of the threat and its implications.\r\nTransparency about the threat from Russia is required if the public and its representatives in Congress are to assess the incoming administration, its policies and personnel, and consider the nominations of its top officials.\r\nTransparency about the threat posed by Russia is necessary if there is to be public support for a response.\u00a0 Even if that response is secret, policymakers need to know that it is consistent with and proportional to the public\u2019s understanding of the threat.\r\nDeclassification facilitates U.S. cooperation with allies who are rightly concerned about similar attacks on their democratic institutions.\r\nTransparency allows Americans \u2013 from political officials to everyday citizens \u2013 to protect themselves from these kinds of cyber intrusions.\r\nThe country cannot accept a one-time only public release just before inauguration day.\u00a0 Given the president-elect\u2019s dismissal of the Intelligence Community\u2019s assessments, and his transition team\u2019s attempts to discredit the IC, there is a real concern that the incoming administration will either withhold information from the public or release information that differs from IC assessments.\u00a0 These statements also raise concerns about the politicization of IC assessments and political pressure or retribution against analysts.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.merkley.senate.gov/news/in-the-news/senate-dems-seek-divestment-blind-trust-for-trumps-assets", "Senate Dems seek divestment blind trust for Trump's assets", "2016-12-15", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "OR", "Jeff Merkley", "M001176", "www.merkley.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Senate Dems seek divestment blind trust for Trump's assets \r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nThursday, December 15, 2016\r\n\r\n\t\n\r\n\r\n\r\n  \r\n    By:\u00a0\r\n    ELANA SCHOR \r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nFive Democratic senators on Thursday unveiled a bill they plan to release next month that would require Donald Trump to divest assets that risk a conflict of interest and place the proceeds in a blind trust as well as require his appointees to step aside from official decisions that could benefit him.\r\nThe legislation previewed by Sens. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Ben Cardin (D-Md.), Chris Coons (D-Del.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) and Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) also would symbolically deem any Trump violation of federal conflict-of-interest rules \"a high crime or misdemeanor under the impeachment clause of the U.S. Constitution,\" according to a summary released by its sponsors.\r\nAlthough its chances of advancing in the GOP-controlled Congress are close to zero, the bill represents the latest step by Democrats to escalate their ethics war with the president-elect.\r\nMore than 20 Senate Democrats on Tuesday\u00a0released\u00a0a letter urging Trump to heed the counsel of the nonpartisan Office of Government Ethics, which has\u00a0warned\u00a0the president-elect that his plans to transfer control of his vast holdings to his sons would not be enough to eliminate conflicts of interest. Senate Democrats also have\u00a0called on\u00a0top Trump nominees to release their tax returns as part of the vetting process before their confirmation votes.\r\nThe five Democrats' planned bill could become a vehicle for the minority to put political pressure on Republicans by forcing Trump's party to support his still-incomplete plan for separating his official duties in the White House from his sprawling business.\r\n\"The American people deserve to know that the president of the United States is working to do what's best for the country \u2014 not using his office to do what's best for himself and his businesses,\" Warren said in a statement on the measure.\r\nThe proposal's reference to impeachment could divide Democrats, however, with some moderates interested in exploring ways to work with Trump when possible. House Democrats\u00a0expanded\u00a0their own ethics case against Trump on Wednesday at a mock hearing that \u2014 like Thursday's bill \u2014 cites the emoluments clause of the Constitution, which bars officials from receiving payments from foreign governments or businesses they control.\r\n\r\n \r\n           \r\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\tPrint\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tEmail\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t  \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTweet", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.merkley.senate.gov/news/press-releases/merkley-wyden-announce-over-30-million-to-improve-access-to-federal-lands-in-the-gorge", "Merkley, Wyden Announce Over $30 Million to Improve Access to Federal Lands in the Gorge", "2016-12-15", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "OR", "Jeff Merkley", "M001176", "www.merkley.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Merkley, Wyden Announce Over $30 Million to Improve Access to Federal Lands in the Gorge \n\t\n\t\t Funding includes major investment in completion of Historic Columbia River Highway Trail \n\t\n\t\n\tThursday, December 15, 2016\n\t\n\tWashington, DC - Oregon\u2019s Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden announced today that the Federal Lands Access Program awarded the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) over $30 million to improve access to federal lands in the Gorge. This funding included $29 million to complete a new portion of the Historic Columbia River Highway Trail and connect it at Mitchell Point Crossing, $2.6 million for the Columbia Gorge Express to improve access to Multnomah Falls, and $300,000 for the Historic Columbia River Highway Congestion Mitigation Plan.\r\n \r\n\u201cIt\u2019s no secret that one of Oregon\u2019s greatest assets is our unique natural beauty and emphasis on quality of life,\u201d said Merkley. \u201cThis funding helps ensure that more and more Oregonians and visitors can continue to enjoy our state\u2019s natural beauty. I\u2019m thrilled that we are one step closer towards interconnectedness in our beautiful Gorge region and will keep working to improve our recreational infrastructure to boost our job-creating recreation industry and quality of life.\u201d\r\n\u201cA lot of great ideas began in Oregon and the Historic Columbia River Highway, America\u2019s first scenic highway, is one of them,\u201d Wyden said. \u201cThe Historic Columbia River Highway connects visitors and locals alike to some of the world\u2019s most beautiful sights \u2013 found right here in the Gorge. These resources will help preserve this Oregon treasure, which supports outdoor recreation opportunities, local jobs and rural economies along the way.\u201d\r\n \r\nOne hundred years after the Columbia River Highway was dedicated in 1916, the Federal Lands Access Program granted $29 million to continue reconnecting the abandoned or disconnected sections of the Historic Columbia River Highway for bicyclists and pedestrians to enjoy. Thanks to these grants, ODOT will design and build a safe crossing through the formidable cliffs at Mitchell Point, just west of the City of Hood River. The funding also helps complete the design, engineering and construction of the remainder of the trail between Viento State Park and the City of Hood River. In this work, ODOT will partner with agencies such as Oregon Parks and Recreation, the U.S. Forest Service, Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area, and the Western Federal Lands Highway Division of the Federal Highway Administration. By working towards a complete reconnection of the 73-mile long Historic Columbia River Highway, this project brings the area one step closer to actualizing the vision outlined in the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area Act.\r\nToday\u2019s grants also include significant funding to expand the Columbia Gorge Express\u2014the new and already highly successful transit service to Multnomah Falls, Oregon\u2019s most visited natural site. As the Historic Highway celebrated its centennial anniversary in 2016, the area saw increased tourism and increased traffic congestion. While the Historic Highway is a quick 30-minute drive from downtown Portland, the increased traffic congestion has compromised safety and degraded the natural and cultural resources, including spectacular scenery and waterfall views, that make the area unique.\r\nFollowing growing concerns about congestion, ODOT initiated a transit project called the Columbia Gorge express to improve access to Multnomah Falls just in time for the summer crowds. During summer 2016, the Columbia Gorge Express surpassed expectations by providing 30,000 trips to and from Multnomah Falls\u2014highlighting the significant demand for transit service in the area. Thanks to today\u2019s grants from the Federal Lands Access Program, the Columbia Gorge Express will expand to serve Gateway Transit Center, Rooster Rock State Park and Multnomah Falls with larger buses and bus stop amenities. In 2018, the Columbia River Express will run daily and add a stop in Hood River and additional destinations.\r\nAdditionally, the Federal Lands Access Program awarded ODOT $300,000 to work with stakeholders to develop additional strategies to address growing congestion within the area as part of the Historic Columbia River Highway Congestion Mitigation Plan. This funding will combine with Multnomah County\u2019s recent award of $75,000 through ODOT\u2019s Transportation Growth Management program.\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n    \n    \n\t\n\t\n    \n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\n    \n\t\n     \n\t\n \n\t\n    \n    \n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t \n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t  \n    \n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n    \n    \n      \n    \n    \n    \n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n    \n\t\n\t  \n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\tPrint\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tEmail\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t  \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTweet", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.wyden.senate.gov/news/press-releases/wyden-statement-on-president-elects-nominee-for-interior-secretary", "Wyden Statement on President-elect\u2019s Nominee for Interior Secretary", "2016-12-15", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "OR", "Ron Wyden", "W000779", "www.wyden.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Thursday, December 15, 2016\n            \n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWashington, D.C. \u2013 U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., today released the following statement on President-elect Donald Trump\u2019s decision to nominate Rep. Ryan Zinke, R-Mont., to lead the U.S. Department of the Interior:\r\n\u201cThe Secretary of the Interior is charged with protecting and properly managing our public lands, which belong to every American. I am encouraged by indications that Rep. Ryan Zinke recognizes the importance of keeping our public lands in public ownership, as well as his apparent support of making the Land and Water Conservation Fund permanent.\r\n\r\n\u201cI will be asking him about how he will ensure our public lands can continue to be a source of local job creation through outdoor recreation opportunities and clean, sustainable development of renewable energy sources. Any energy resources produced on federal lands must deliver a fair return to American taxpayers, and clearly just turning public lands over to fossil fuel industries is a nonstarter.\r\n\r\n\u201cThe Interior secretary also plays a role in responsibly managing forests in Oregon, which includes prioritizing wildfire prevention work, while safeguarding clean air and clean water and preserving habitats to allow all species to thrive. As a senior member of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, I will also be asking Rep. Zinke about how he plans to improve sustainable management of Oregon's forests and how he plans to put into action his support for ending fire borrowing.\u201d\r\nWyden is the former chair of and a senior Democrat on the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, where the Interior Secretary nomination hearing will be held.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.merkley.senate.gov/media-center/photos/good-morning-oregon-november-december-2016", "Good Morning Oregon November December 2016", "2016-12-14", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "OR", "Jeff Merkley", "M001176", "www.merkley.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Skip to primary navigation Skip to content\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t About\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tMeet Jeff \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tIssues \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tOregon Stories \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t News\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tPress Releases \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tIn the News \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tVideo & Audio \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tPhotos \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t Helping You\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tHelp with Federal Agencies \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tFor Veterans \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tFor Students \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tFlag Requests \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tVisit Washington DC \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t Connect\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tEmail Jeff \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tGet Jeff's Updates \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tJoin Jeff for Coffee \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tTown Halls \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tFollow Jeff \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tOffice Locations \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t \n\t\n \n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\n\n \n\r\t\r\t\r\t\r\t\r\t\r\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\r\t\r\t \n\r\r\t\r\t\r\t\r\t\r\t\r\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\r\t\r\t\r\t \n\t\n \n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t \n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t Good Morning Oregon November December 2016 \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t    \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t    \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t    \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t    \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t    \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t    \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t    \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t    \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t    \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t    \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t    \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t    \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t    \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t    \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t    \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t    \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t    \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t    \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t    \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t    \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t    \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t    \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t    \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t    \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t    \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t    \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t    \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t    \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t    \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t    \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t    \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t    \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t    \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t    \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t    \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\tPrint\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tEmail\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t  \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTweet\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t \n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t \n\t\t\n\t\n\n\t\n\n   \n   \t\t\n   \t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n   \t\t \n   \t\t\t\n   \t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tAbout\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tNews\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tHelping You\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tConnect\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tOffice Locations", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.merkley.senate.gov/news/in-the-news/democratic-senators-press-trumps-education-pick-betsy-devos-to-pay-years-old-53-million-fine", "Democratic senators press Trump’s education pick Betsy DeVos to pay years-old $5.3 million fine", "2016-12-14", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "OR", "Jeff Merkley", "M001176", "www.merkley.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Democratic senators press Trump\u2019s education pick Betsy DeVos to pay years-old $5.3 million fine \r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nWednesday, December 14, 2016\r\n\r\n\t\n\r\n\r\n\r\n  \r\n    By:\u00a0\r\n    Danielle Douglas-Gabriel\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nA group of Senate Democrats is urging President-elect Donald Trump\u2019s nominee for education secretary, Betsy DeVos,\u00a0to pay $5.3 million in fines imposed on her political action committee\u00a0for campaign finance violations in Ohio eight years ago.\r\n\u00a0\u201cAs secretary of education, Betsy DeVos would be responsible for overseeing the nation\u2019s student loan program, including ensuring that students repay their loans, so it\u2019s troubling that she has blatantly ignored her own PAC\u2019s debt to the people of Ohio,\u201d said Sen. Tom Udall (D-N.M.). \u201cWhen a student borrower defaults, it has serious ramifications that haunt that student for years \u2014 yet when DeVos\u2019s PAC defaulted on its fine for violating the law, they just walked away.\u201d\r\nUdall, along with Sens. Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) and Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), sent DeVos a letter this week requesting she\u00a0pay the millions of dollars in fines and late fees ahead of\u00a0her confirmation hearing before the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee.\r\nEd Patru, a spokesman for DeVos, said she was never a party to the lawsuit at the center of the fine. Furthermore, he said a trial court judge ruled that none of the officers or board members at All Children Matter could be held liable for the fine.\r\n\u201cThis suit was a politically driven effort to derail education reform in Ohio,\u201d Patru said in a statement. \u201cAnyone looking at today\u2019s developments understands it\u2019s a transparently political maneuver that doesn\u2019t in any way change the underlying facts of this case.\u201d\r\nThe debt stems from a 2008 case\u00a0the Ohio Elections Commission brought against All Children Matter, an organization DeVos headed\u00a0that lobbied for school-choice legislation. Two\u00a0years earlier, the PAC asked the commission whether it was allowed to contribute more than the $10,000 limit to an affiliate in Ohio. Even though the commission advised that such a move would be in violation of state\u00a0law, All Children Matter proceeded to provide $870,000 to the Ohio outfit.\r\nThe \u201cblatant disregard for the law,\u201d as Democratic lawmakers call it, led the state election commission to impose $2.6 million in fines, its largest penalty to date. The PAC fought the decision, but an Ohio court upheld the fine and imposed additional late fees. All Children Matter\u2019s PAC, however, ceased\u00a0operations and walked away from the debt.\r\n\u201cThat\u2019s not acceptable behavior from anyone, much less a Cabinet secretary for a President-elect who promised to \u2018drain the swamp\u2019 of insiders who game the system for special treatment,\u201d Udall said. \u201cI hope Ms. DeVos will have the good judgment to ensure her own PAC\u2019s fine is paid.\u201d\r\nAll Children Matter still exists, even though the PAC closed up shop. Yet according to 2015 tax filings, it has less than $300, not nearly enough to cover the millions of dollars owed.\r\nDeVos\u2019s supporters argue that the contribution\u00a0at the center of the commission lawsuit\u00a0is no longer illegal in a post-Citizens United world, making the case irrelevant. Yet the\u00a0Supreme Court\u2019s 2010 ruling\u00a0allowing corporations to spend unlimited money on advocacy for or against candidates had no bearing on a lawsuit that predates the decision by two years.\r\n\u201cThe United States Supreme Court\u2019s decision in the Citizens United case renders this case against a now defunct PAC moot,\u201d said Matt Frendewey of the American Federation for Children, a school-choice advocacy group DeVos once chaired. \u201cChoosing to ignore these facts demonstrates this is nothing more than an attempt to impugn Ms. DeVos\u2019 reputation as a nationally recognized education reformer.\u201d\r\nThe nomination of DeVos, a conservative who has pushed to expand taxpayer-funded vouchers for private and religious schools, has rankled liberal lawmakers and teachers unions. The nominee has no experience as an educator or education leader, but has spent millions of dollars lobbying for school choice proposals.\r\n\r\n \r\n           \r\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\tPrint\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tEmail\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t  \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTweet", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.merkley.senate.gov/news/in-the-news/lawmakers-welcome-va-clearing-red-tape-for-advanced-rns", "Lawmakers welcome VA clearing red tape for advanced RNs", "2016-12-14", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "OR", "Jeff Merkley", "M001176", "www.merkley.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Lawmakers welcome VA clearing red tape for advanced RNs \r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nWednesday, December 14, 2016\r\n\r\n\t\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nWASHINGTON - Sens. Jeff Merkley (D-OR) and Dick Durbin (D-IL), and Rep. Peter DeFazio (D-OR) welcomed news Wednesday that the Department of Veterans Affairs will implement one of the key proposals from the bipartisan Veterans Health Care Staffing Improvement Act, sponsored by Merkley and Sen. Mike Rounds (R-SD), helping to ensure veterans can get the care they need from Advanced Practice Registered Nurses.\r\nThe VA will now allow APRNs to practice to the full extent of their education, training, and certification. This will help enable the VA to find enough medical professionals to fill the need for health care services for veterans. This is particularly important for primary care services in rural areas, where veterans struggle to find access to medical care.\r\n\u00a0\u201cAfter a lifetime of service to our nation, veterans deserve nothing but the best medical support. But unfortunately, all too many of our wounded warriors face significant hurdles to accessing the health care they need to thrive upon their return to civilian life,\u201d Merkley said. \u201cIn order to support our veterans to the best of their ability, our medical professionals must be able to practice to the full extent of their education, training, and certification.\r\n\u201cWhen it comes to our veterans, there should be no holding back,\u201d he continued. \u201cI\u2019m thrilled that the VA heeded our call to improve VA health care staffing today and will continue to work with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to fight for our veterans who have fought for us.\u201d\r\n\u201cAllowing these highly-qualified registered nurses to put their training to practice will help address delays at VA hospitals and clinics across the country,\u201d said Durbin. \u201cI commend Secretary McDonald and Under Secretary Shulkin for taking steps to remove barriers to health care access by increasing the number of qualified medical professionals providing primary care to our nation\u2019s veterans, and hope the VA can extend full practice authority to CRNAs in the future as well.\u201d\r\n\u201cIt\u2019s maddening that our nation\u2019s veterans are forced to wait for care due to a shortage of medical personnel when trained APRNs are standing by, ready to help but blocked by needless bureaucracy,\u201d said DeFazio. \u201cThankfully, the VA has recognized the exceptional training and ability APRNs possess, and I urge them to quickly approve the ability of Nurse Anesthesiologists to practice at the same level as other APRNs.\r\n\u201cI\u2019m proud to have sponsored the House version of the Veterans Health Care Staffing Improvement Act and look forward to working with my colleagues in the Senate next Congress to continue to push the VA to address unnecessary personnel shortages that are hurting our veterans.\u201d\r\nWhile the members of Congress praised the step forward, they expressed disappointment that the VA had excluded Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNAs) from their final rule.\r\n\u201cWhile this is a major step forward in supporting our veterans, I would have liked to see the VA grant nurse anesthetists full authority to practice as well,\u201d Merkley said. \u201cI\u2019ll keep working with members of Congress on both sides of the aisle to ensure that CRNAs gain full practice authority so that they can provide our wounded warriors with care to the full extent of their abilities.\u201d\r\n\r\n \r\n           \r\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\tPrint\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tEmail\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t  \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTweet", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.merkley.senate.gov/news/press-releases/bipartisan-group-of-senators-presses-federal-regulator-for-clear-guidance-on-banking-services-for-vendors-working-with-legal-marijuana-businesses", "Bipartisan Group of Senators Presses Federal Regulator for Clear Guidance on Banking Services for Vendors Working with Legal Marijuana Businesses", "2016-12-14", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "OR", "Jeff Merkley", "M001176", "www.merkley.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Bipartisan Group of Senators Presses Federal Regulator for Clear Guidance on Banking Services for Vendors Working with Legal Marijuana Businesses \n\t\n\t\t Landlords, chemists, security companies and more have had their bank accounts frozen for doing business with legal marijuana businesses \n\t\n\t\n\tWednesday, December 14, 2016\n\t\n\tWASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 Today, a bipartisan group of Senators led by Oregon\u2019s Senator Jeff Merkley pressed a key federal regulator to take further action to ensure that vendors working with legal marijuana businesses in states that have legalized recreational or medicinal marijuana do not have their banking services taken away.\r\nIn states that have legalized recreational or medicinal marijuana, conflicting federal policies have led most financial institutions to deny banking services to legal marijuana businesses, creating huge logistical and safety problems for communities across the country. In some cases, banks have even revoked services to businesses\u2014for example, landlords and security companies\u2014that contract to offer their services to legal marijuana businesses. With eight states having voted to allow or expand some form of legal marijuana usage this November, the problem is only set to grow.\r\nIn a letter to the head of the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN), U.S. Senators Merkley, Ron Wyden (D-OR), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Patty Murray (D-WA), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Al Franken (D-MN), Angus King (I-ME), Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) and Cory Booker (D-NJ) wrote:\r\n \r\n\u201cMost banks and credit unions have either closed accounts or simply refused to offer services to indirect and ancillary businesses that service the marijuana industry. A large number of professionals have been unable to access the financial system because they are doing business with marijuana growers and dispensaries. This long list of professionals includes chemists who have had their checking accounts closed due to their role in testing marijuana for the presence of harmful materials like arsenic; the security industry, which marijuana businesses heavily rely on due to the massive amounts of cash they handle; and lawyers offering legal services to marijuana businesses, who have reported banks denying applications for bank accounts and credit cards.\r\n\u201cTo be clear, these legitimate, indirect businesses have been unable to open checking accounts and accept credit cards or checks. In some cases they have also lost access to existing accounts, such as retirement accounts, and have been forced to pay their employees, taxes, and bills in cash. Locking lawyers, landlords, plumbers, electricians, security companies, and the like out of the nation\u2019s banking and finance systems serves no one\u2019s interest.\u00a0\r\n\u201cForcing all these direct and indirect businesses to operate in cash not only creates a huge target for criminals, but also complicates the collection of state and federal taxes. \u2026 This business environment is an invitation to tax fraud, robberies, money laundering, and organized crime.\u201d\r\n \r\nThe Senators pressed FinCEN to issue updated guidance on this issue without delay. The full text of the letter follows below.\r\n\r\n \r\nDecember 14, 2016\r\nJamal El-Hindi\r\nActing Director\r\nFinancial Crimes Enforcement Network\r\nP.O. Box 39\r\nVienna, Virginia 22183\r\nDear Acting Director El-Hindi,\r\nAs you know, this past election saw eight states vote to allow or expand some form of legal marijuana use, bringing the grand total to 29 states and jurisdictions in the United States. Yet, in these states, the majority of legal marijuana businesses, and businesses that provide services to them, are all but barred from participating in the financial system. As a result, many legal businesses are forced to operate in cash, which jeopardizes community safety, limits economic growth, and greatly expands the opportunity for tax fraud. We urge you to issue further guidance to financial institutions on their ability to provide services, specifically to indirect businesses that do nothing more than provide services to the state-sanctioned marijuana industry.\r\nWe want to thank FinCEN and the Department of Justice for issuing guidance clarifying reporting requirements, enforcement priorities and providing clarity to state-legalized marijuana businesses and the financial services industry. However, the 2014 FinCEN guidance did not distinguish between state-sanctioned marijuana businesses and the indirect businesses that service the marijuana industry, leaving it up to individual financial institutions to determine how to classify and treat indirect businesses. Limitations on access to financial services have become increasingly problematic for legal businesses and will only present a larger problem as more states legalize marijuana, either for recreational or medical uses. Indeed, since FinCEN\u2019s 2014 guidance was released, less than 3% of the nation\u2019s 11,954 federally regulated banks and credit unions have chosen to serve the cannabis industry.\r\nMost banks and credit unions have either closed accounts or simply refused to offer services to indirect and ancillary businesses that service the marijuana industry. A large number of professionals have been unable to access the financial system because they are doing business with marijuana growers and dispensaries. This long list of professionals includes chemists who have had their checking accounts closed due to their role in testing marijuana for the presence of harmful materials like arsenic; the security industry, which marijuana businesses heavily rely on due to the massive amounts of cash they handle; and lawyers offering legal services to marijuana businesses, who have reported banks denying applications for bank accounts and credit cards.\u00a0\r\nTo be clear, these legitimate, indirect businesses have been unable to open checking accounts and accept credit cards or checks. In some cases they have also lost access to existing accounts, such as retirement accounts, and have been forced to pay their employees, taxes, and bills in cash. Locking lawyers, landlords, plumbers, electricians, security companies, and the like out of the nation\u2019s banking and finance systems serves no one\u2019s interest.\r\nForcing all these direct and indirect businesses to operate in cash not only creates a huge target for criminals, but also complicates the collection of state and federal taxes. The fledgling legal market for marijuana is around $7 billion, a figure that\u2019s dwarfed by the overall $50 billion US market, most of which remains illegal.[2] This business environment is an invitation to tax fraud, robberies, money laundering, and organized crime.\r\nWith tens of millions of Americans soon gaining legal access to marijuana under state laws, new guidance is necessary in order to allow banks to enhance the availability of financial services for indirect businesses that service the marijuana industry. This will not only bolster the safety of our communities, but it will also help to spur economic growth across the country. We urge FinCEN to issue such guidance without delay.\u00a0\r\n \n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n    \n    \n\t\n\t\n    \n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\n    \n\t\n     \n\t\n \n\t\n    \n    \n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t \n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t  \n    \n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n    \n    \n      \n    \n    \n    \n      \n    \n    \n    \n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n    \n\t\n\t  \n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\tPrint\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tEmail\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t  \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTweet", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.merkley.senate.gov/news/press-releases/va-applies-bipartisan-provision-to-enhance-va-medical-care", "VA Applies Bipartisan Provision to Enhance VA Medical Care", "2016-12-14", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "OR", "Jeff Merkley", "M001176", "www.merkley.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "VA Applies Bipartisan Provision to Enhance VA Medical Care \n\t\n\t\t New policy will improve staffing at Veterans Administration health clinics \n\t\n\t\n\tWednesday, December 14, 2016\n\t\n\tWASHINGTON, D.C. -- Oregon's Senator Jeff Merkley, U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL), and Rep. Peter DeFazio (D-OR) today welcomed the news that the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) will implement one of the key proposals from the bipartisan Veterans Health Care Staffing Improvement Act, sponsored by Merkley and Sen. Mike Rounds (R-SD), helping to ensure veterans can get the care they need from Advance Practice Registered Nurses.\r\nThe VA will now allow Advanced Practice Registered Nurses (APRN) to practice to the full extent of their education, training, and certification. This will help enable the VA to find enough medical professionals to fill the need for health care services for veterans. This is particularly important for primary care services in rural areas, where veterans struggle to find access to medical care.\r\n \r\n\u201cAfter a lifetime of service to our nation, veterans deserve nothing but the best medical support. But unfortunately, all too many of our wounded warriors face significant hurdles to accessing the health care they need to thrive upon their return to civilian life,\u201d said Senator Merkley. \u201cIn order to support our veterans to the best of their ability, our medical professionals must be able to practice to the full extent of their education, training, and certification.\r\n\u201cWhen it comes to our veterans, there should be no holding back,\u201d he continued. \u201cI\u2019m thrilled that the VA heeded our call to improve VA health care staffing today and will continue to work with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to fight for our veterans who have fought for us.\u201d\r\n\u201cAllowing these highly-qualified registered nurses to put their training to practice will help address delays at VA hospitals and clinics across the country,\u201d said Durbin. \u201cI commend Secretary McDonald and Under Secretary Shulkin for taking steps to remove barriers to health care access by increasing the number of qualified medical professionals providing primary care to our nation\u2019s veterans, and hope the VA can extend full practice authority to CRNAs in the future as well.\u201d\r\n\u201cIt\u2019s maddening that our nation\u2019s veterans are forced to wait for care due to a shortage of medical personnel when trained APRNs are standing by, ready to help but blocked by needless bureaucracy,\u201d said Rep. Peter DeFazio. \u201cThankfully, the VA has recognized the exceptional training and ability APRNs possess, and I urge them to quickly approve the ability of Nurse Anesthesiologists to practice at the same level as other APRNs. I\u2019m proud to have sponsored the House version of the Veterans Health Care Staffing Improvement Act and look forward to working with my colleagues in the Senate next Congress to continue to push the VA to address unnecessary personnel shortages that are hurting our veterans.\u201d\r\n \r\nThe Members of Congress praised the step forward, but expressed disappointment that the VA had excluded Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNAs) from their final rule.\r\n \r\n\u201cWhile this is a major step forward in supporting our veterans, I would have liked to see the VA grant nurse anesthetists full authority to practice as well. I\u2019ll keep working with members of Congress on both sides of the aisle to ensure that CRNAs gain full practice authority so that they can provide our wounded warriors with care to the full extent of their abilities,\u201d said Merkley.\r\n \n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n    \n    \n\t\n\t\n    \n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\n    \n\t\n     \n\t\n \n\t\n    \n    \n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t \n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t  \n    \n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n    \n    \n      \n    \n    \n    \n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n    \n\t\n\t  \n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\tPrint\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tEmail\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t  \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTweet", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.wyden.senate.gov/news/press-releases/bipartisan-group-of-senators-presses-federal-regulator-for-clear-guidance-on-banking-services-for-vendors-working-with-legal-marijuana-businesses", "Bipartisan Group of Senators Presses Federal Regulator for Clear Guidance on Banking Services for Vendors Working with Legal Marijuana Businesses", "2016-12-14", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "OR", "Ron Wyden", "W000779", "www.wyden.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Landlords, chemists, security companies and more have had their bank accounts frozen for doing business with legal marijuana businesses\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWednesday, December 14, 2016\n            \n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 Today, a bipartisan group of Senators led by Oregon\u2019s Senator Jeff Merkley pressed a key federal regulator to take further action to ensure that vendors working with legal marijuana businesses in states that have legalized recreational or medicinal marijuana do not have their banking services taken away.\r\nIn states that have legalized recreational or medicinal marijuana, conflicting federal policies have led most financial institutions to deny banking services to legal marijuana businesses, creating huge logistical and safety problems for communities across the country. In some cases, banks have even revoked services to businesses\u2014for example, landlords and security companies\u2014that contract to offer their services to legal marijuana businesses. With eight states having voted to allow or expand some form of legal marijuana usage this November, the problem is only set to grow.\r\nIn a letter to the head of the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN), U.S. Senators Merkley, Ron Wyden (D-OR), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Patty Murray (D-WA), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Al Franken (D-MN), Angus King (I-ME), Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) and Cory Booker (D-NJ) wrote:\r\n\u201cMost banks and credit unions have either closed accounts or simply refused to offer services to indirect and ancillary businesses that service the marijuana industry. A large number of professionals have been unable to access the financial system because they are doing business with marijuana growers and dispensaries. This long list of professionals includes chemists who have had their checking accounts closed due to their role in testing marijuana for the presence of harmful materials like arsenic; the security industry, which marijuana businesses heavily rely on due to the massive amounts of cash they handle; and lawyers offering legal services to marijuana businesses, who have reported banks denying applications for bank accounts and credit cards.\r\n\u201cTo be clear, these legitimate, indirect businesses have been unable to open checking accounts and accept credit cards or checks. In some cases they have also lost access to existing accounts, such as retirement accounts, and have been forced to pay their employees, taxes, and bills in cash. Locking lawyers, landlords, plumbers, electricians, security companies, and the like out of the nation\u2019s banking and finance systems serves no one\u2019s interest.\r\n\u201cForcing all these direct and indirect businesses to operate in cash not only creates a huge target for criminals, but also complicates the collection of state and federal taxes. \u2026 This business environment is an invitation to tax fraud, robberies, money laundering, and organized crime.\u201d\r\nThe Senators pressed FinCEN to issue updated guidance on this issue without delay. The full text of the letter follows below.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.wyden.senate.gov/news/press-releases/wyden-statement-on-president-elects-nominee-for-secretary-of-energy", "Wyden Statement on President-elect\u2019s Nominee for Secretary of Energy", "2016-12-14", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "OR", "Ron Wyden", "W000779", "www.wyden.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Wednesday, December 14, 2016\n            \n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWashington, D.C.\u00a0\u2013 U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., today released the following statement on President-elect Donald Trump\u2019s decision to nominate Texas Gov. Rick Perry to lead the U.S. Department of Energy:\r\n\u201cGov. Rick Perry campaigned on a promise to eliminate the department he is now being nominated to run. I will be asking Gov. Perry how he plans to continue fulfilling the Energy Department\u2019s crucial role in creating good-paying energy jobs \u2013 which include clean, renewable energy jobs \u2013 and how he will continue to pursue all types of energy production and development. \r\n\u201cThe person at the helm of the U.S. Department of Energy cannot simply shill for Big Oil and ignore the fact that part of protecting our country means facing head-on the very real challenge of climate change by working toward a low-carbon economy.\r\n\u201cI will also be asking him about how he plans to address the dangerous and decades-long challenge of cleaning up toxic nuclear waste at the Hanford Reservation Site in Washington State, while meeting the department\u2019s obligations to protect its workers and the citizens of the Pacific Northwest. Given that more than half of the Energy Department\u2019s budget is devoted to our nuclear arsenal and cleanup, it\u2019s important that the Secretary of Energy understands this highly technical area that is so vital to Americans\u2019 security.\u201d\r\nWyden is the former chair of and a senior Democrat on the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, where the Energy Secretary nomination hearing will be held.\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://blumenauer.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/blumenauer-statement-nominations-rex-tillerson-secretary-state-rick", "Blumenauer Statement on Nominations of Rex Tillerson as Secretary of State, Rick Perry as Secretary of Energy", "2016-12-13", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "OR", "Earl Blumenauer", "B000574", "blumenauer.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Portland, OR \u2013\u00a0Congressman Earl Blumenauer (OR-03) today condemned the nomination of ExxonMobil CEO Rex Tillerson as Secretary of State and expected nomination of former Governor of Texas Rick Perry as Secretary of Energy.\n\u00a0Blumenauer released the following statement on the nomination of Tillerson as Secretary of State:\n\u201cDonald Trump continues to stack his Cabinet with people out of touch with the American people. Rex Tillerson has a history of putting business interests above those of American families, and he has very questionable \u2018friends.\u2019 As Secretary of State, he would have huge conflicts of interest with his stakes in ExxonMobil. It\u2019s also not entirely clear where he stands on many key U.S. foreign policy issues. It\u2019s an outrageous choice, and we deserve better.\n\u201cIn light of the CIA assessment on Russian interference in our election in favor of Donald Trump, perhaps most concerning about this selection is Tillerson\u2019s ties to Vladimir Putin. The Senate should not confirm him until we have a full accounting of Russian interference in the election.\u201d\nBlumenauer released the following statement on the announcement that Perry will be nominated for Secretary of Energy:\n\u201cThis nomination is a farce \u2013 unless you consider a failed stint on \u2018Dancing with the Stars\u2019 a qualifier for being our nation\u2019s lead nuclear scientist. Rick Perry in the past has promised to dismantle the Department of Energy \u2013 though, he couldn\u2019t remember the agency\u2019s name. He favors big oil over renewable energy and is a Board Member for the company pushing for the Dakota Access Pipeline. There are several more reasons for concern. The Senate has a responsibility to the American people to vote no on this confirmation. \u201c\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.merkley.senate.gov/news/in-the-news/columbia-river-cleanup-bill-passes-congress", "Columbia River Cleanup Bill Passes Congress", "2016-12-13", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "OR", "Jeff Merkley", "M001176", "www.merkley.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Columbia River Cleanup Bill Passes Congress \r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nTuesday, December 13, 2016\r\n\r\n\t\n\r\n\r\n\r\n  \r\n    By:\u00a0\r\n    Courtney Flatt\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nCleaning up and monitoring toxics in the Columbia River Basin could now be a little easier. Congress recently passed a bill that would authorize the Environmental Protection Agency to start a voluntary grant program for environmental cleanup in the Columbia River\u00a0system.\r\nThe Columbia River Basin, which was named as a \u201clarge aquatic ecosystem\u201d in 2006, was the only system of that sort that didn\u2019t receive dedicated funding to reduce toxins. Others included Puget Sound, the Gulf of Mexico and the Great\u00a0Lakes.\r\nOregon Sen. Jeff Merkley praised the Columbia River Restoration Act in an emailed\u00a0statement.\r\n\u201cNobody wants to worry that the water they are drinking or fishing in or swimming in is tainted, but 8 million inhabitants of the Columbia River Basin have had their health, safety and environment endangered by toxins in the river. Now Congress is finally doing something about it,\u201d Merkley. said. \u201cThis bill will provide a much needed boost to the health and economy of our beloved Columbia\u00a0River.\u201d\r\nToxics in the river \u2014 like PCBs, mercury and pesticides \u2014 can build up in fish. That accumulation can then cause birth defects and other health issues for people who eat a lot of\u00a0fish.\r\nA number of programs could benefit from grant funding, including hazardous and pharmaceutical collections and better toxics\u00a0monitoring.\r\n\u201cThere is not any long-term monitoring done on most of the mainstem Columbia,\u201d said Debrah Marriott, executive director of the Lower Columbia Estuary Partnership, which worked to get the bill\u00a0passed.\r\nShe said a lot of the pollution in the Columbia River Basin stems from undefined sources, like stormwater and agricultural runoff, known as nonpoint source pollution. Marriott said a lot of smaller projects are underway in the basin \u2014 this grant will help expand\u00a0them.\r\n\u201cIt\u2019s like most things \u2014 one or two is good, but when we start accumulating the impact of those, we\u2019ll really start to see some improvements,\u201d Marriott\u00a0said.\r\nThe act had broad support from tribal, environmental and industry\u00a0groups.\r\nKristin Meira is the executive director of Pacific Northwest Waterways Association, an industry group that supports navigation, energy and trade. She said the act benefits people, the environment, fish and the\u00a0economy.\r\n\u201cWhen you have contaminated materials in the river, it makes it very difficult to maintain berth areas and have cost-effective plans for dredging and other activities in the river,\u201d Meira\u00a0said.\r\nThe act all a part of larger water infrastructure legislation, which also includes a provision to return Kennewick Man to Northwest tribes for a proper burial. The president is expected to sign the act into\u00a0law.\r\n\r\n \r\n           \r\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\tPrint\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tEmail\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t  \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTweet", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.merkley.senate.gov/news/in-the-news/merkley-denounces-nomination-of-putins-buddy-rex-tillerson-for-secretary-of-state", "Merkley denounces nomination of 'Putin's buddy' Rex Tillerson for secretary of state", "2016-12-13", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "OR", "Jeff Merkley", "M001176", "www.merkley.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Merkley denounces nomination of 'Putin's buddy' Rex Tillerson for secretary of state \r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nTuesday, December 13, 2016\r\n\r\n\t\n\r\n\r\n\r\n  \r\n    By:\u00a0\r\n    FOX 12 Staff\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nSALEM, OR (KPTV) -\r\nSen. Jeff Merkley of Oregon on Tuesday harshly criticized President-elect Donald Trump's\u00a0selection of ExxonMobil CEO Rex Tillerson\u00a0as nominee for secretary of state.\r\nIf approved, Tillerson would be the first secretary of state in modern history without previous government experience,\u00a0The Washington Post\u00a0reported.\r\n\u00a0\u201cDonald Trump told us he would drain the swamp -- he just didn't tell us he would drain it directly into his own cabinet,\" Merkley said in a statement.\r\nTrump\u00a0made his pick official on Tuesday, calling Tillerson \"one of the truly great business leaders of the world.\"\r\nMerkley said Tillerson's role as chief executive of one of the biggest energy companies in the world makes him ill-suited for a seat at the table in international climate talks.\r\n\u201cExxon Mobil is not just any oil company. It is the largest fossil fuel company in the world, one that is under investigation in multiple states for misleading investors and waging a public misinformation campaign to cast doubt on climate change while Exxon's own scientists knew for decades the stark reality of the climate threat. As Secretary of State, Tillerson would be able to approve the Keystone pipeline and would be responsible for helping lead the global response to the urgent threat of climate change. An oilman has no business running international climate policy.\"\r\nMerkley went on to criticize Tillerson for his close ties to Russia and its president, Vladimir Putin, who gave the ExxonMobil CEO a government award after the company struck a major deal with a Russian company.\r\n\u201cAdditionally, Tillerson's close ties to Putin and the fact that he personally received Russia's \u2018Order of Friendship\u2019 for the oil deals he cut in the country are deeply worrisome. Every American should be able to agree that America should forcefully respond to any foreign power\u2019s efforts to influence our elections. \u00a0So it is deeply disturbing that Donald Trump would respond to Russia\u2019s covert campaign to help elect Trump by appointing Vladimir Putin\u2019s buddy to direct American foreign policy. With Russia invading its neighbors, threatening our allies, fueling the crisis in Syria, and hacking our own institutions, we need a diplomat ready to stand up to Russia.\"\r\nThe Trump team has publicly ridiculed the CIA for its assessment that Russia hacked the email accounts of top Democrats in order to swing the election in Trump's favor. Trump\u00a0dismissed the idea\u00a0as \"ridiculous.\"\r\n\r\n \r\n           \r\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\tPrint\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tEmail\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t  \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTweet", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.merkley.senate.gov/news/press-releases/merkley-on-tillerson-trump-told-us-he-was-going-to-drain-the-swamp_--he-didnt-tell-us-he-would-drain-it-directly-into-his-own-cabinet", "Merkley on Tillerson: “Trump Told Us He Was Going to Drain the Swamp -- He Didn't Tell Us He Would Drain It Directly Into His Own Cabinet”", "2016-12-13", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "OR", "Jeff Merkley", "M001176", "www.merkley.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Merkley on Tillerson: \u201cTrump Told Us He Was Going to Drain the Swamp -- He Didn't Tell Us He Would Drain It Directly Into His Own Cabinet\u201d \n\t\n\t\n\tTuesday, December 13, 2016\n\t\n\tWASHINGTON, D.C. -- Oregon's Senator Jeff Merkley released the following statement after Donald Trump announced that he would nominate Rex Tillerson, the CEO of Exxon Mobil, to be Secretary of State:\r\n \r\n\u201cDonald Trump told us he would drain the swamp -- he just didn't tell us he would drain it directly into his own cabinet.\r\n\u201cExxon Mobil is not just any oil company. It is the largest fossil fuel company in the world, one that is under investigation in multiple states for misleading investors and waging a public misinformation campaign to cast doubt on climate change while Exxon's own scientists knew for decades the stark reality of the climate threat. As Secretary of State, Tillerson would be able to approve the Keystone pipeline and would be responsible for helping lead the global response to the urgent threat of climate change. An oilman has no business running international climate policy.\u00a0\r\n\u201cAdditionally, Tillerson's close ties to Putin and the fact that he personally received Russia's \u2018Order of Friendship\u2019 for the oil deals he cut in the country are deeply worrisome. Every American should be able to agree that America should forcefully respond to any foreign power\u2019s efforts to influence our elections.\u00a0 So it is deeply disturbing that Donald Trump would respond to Russia\u2019s covert campaign to help elect Trump by appointing Vladimir Putin\u2019s buddy to direct American foreign policy. With Russia invading its neighbors, threatening our allies, fueling the crisis in Syria, and hacking our own institutions, we need a diplomat ready to stand up to Russia.\u00a0\r\n\u201cGiven that we now have a serial labor law violator nominated to run the Department of Labor and someone who has sued the EPA tapped for that agency, maybe the Exxon CEO running international climate negotiations makes some perverse sense in Trumpworld. But it doesn\u2019t in reality.\u201d \u00a0 \u00a0\r\n \n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n    \n    \n\t\n\t\n    \n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\n    \n\t\n     \n\t\n \n\t\n    \n    \n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t \n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t  \n    \n\t\n\t\n\t  \n          \n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\tPrint\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tEmail\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t  \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTweet", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://bonamici.house.gov/press-release/bonamici-statement-russian-interference-election", "Bonamici Statement on Russian Interference in Election", "2016-12-12", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "OR", "Suzanne Bonamici", "B001278", "bonamici.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON, DC [12/12/16] \u2014 Today Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR) released the following statement after the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) concluded that Russia interfered in the U.S. election:\u201cThe clear consensus among U.S. intelligence agencies that Russia interfered with our election is deeply troubling. I support the President\u2019s demand for a full review of Russia\u2019s involvement in the 2016 election, and I join leaders from both parties who are calling for a bipartisan investigation into Russia\u2019s efforts to influence our presidential election. America\u2019s democracy is built upon free and fair elections. Any effort by a foreign nation to undermine our government is unacceptable and must be made known to the public.\u201cThe President-elect\u2019s dismissive response to the findings of the intelligence community is also very alarming. Labeling the CIA\u2019s assessment \u2018ridiculous\u2019 calls into question the future administration\u2019s willingness and capacity to protect our government from foreign interference. A full, transparent investigation will help the American people understand the extent of foreign intrusion and allow us to take measures to prevent interference in the future.\u201d\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://blumenauer.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/columbia-river-restoration-act-passes-house-and-senate", "Columbia River Restoration Act Passes in House and Senate", "2016-12-12", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "OR", "Earl Blumenauer", "B000574", "blumenauer.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Legislation was included in water infrastructure package\nWashington, DC\u00a0\u2013 Today, Oregon\u2019s Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden, Congressman Earl Blumenauer (OR-3), Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici (OR-1) and Congressman Peter DeFazio (OR-4) announced that the Columbia River Restoration Act has passed in the House and the Senate as part of the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA). The legislation will now be sent to the President\u2019s desk to be signed into law.\n\u201cNobody wants to worry that the water they are drinking or fishing in or swimming in is tainted, but 8 million inhabitants of the Columbia River Basin have had their health, safety and environment endangered by toxins in the river. Now Congress is finally doing something about it,\u201d said Merkley. \u201cThis bill will provide a much needed boost to the health and economy of our beloved Columbia River.\u00a0\n\u201cPacific Northwesterners count on the Columbia River as a vital economic resource and environmental treasure,\u201d Wyden said. \u201cPreserving and protecting the river is a must to ensure the river remains the clean and healthy lifeblood of our region.\u201d\n\u201cThis is a significant win for our efforts to reduce pollution and improve the water quality of the Columbia River,\u201d said Blumenauer. \u201cWe have a responsibility to protect this critical resource, and we\u2019ll keep pushing to help restore this iconic river system.\n\u201cThe Columbia River is a powerful economic force in Oregon,\u201d said Congresswoman Bonamici. \u201cThe river carries goods to market, serves as a valuable source of energy, and provides salmon to tribal populations and others.\u00a0We must reduce pollution and contamination of this critical resource. I am pleased the Columbia River Basin Restoration Act has passed Congress and is on its way to the President's desk.\n\u201cThe Columbia River is one of the most bountiful natural resources in Oregon, providing cultural, economic, and ecological benefits to many states,\u201d said Representative DeFazio, Ranking Member of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and a lead negotiator on the bill. \u201cRising levels of toxins in the Columbia River Basin threaten Oregon\u2019s salmon and the livelihood of tribal communities and other Oregonians. I was proud to play a major role in securing this new program that will fund Columbia River restoration projects to improve water quality and reduce pollution.\u201d\nThe legislation would authorize the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to establish a voluntary, competitive Columbia Basin grants program for projects that assist in eliminating or reducing pollution, cleaning up contaminated sites, improving water quality, monitoring the basin, and promoting citizen engagement.\nToxins are present throughout the Columbia Basin, and are harmful to humans, fish, and wildlife. These contaminants make their way into fish tissue and can be dangerous to humans if consumed. Some of these toxins are known to cause cancer and have been linked with neurological, developmental, and reproductive problems, including birth defects and learning disabilities.\nThe Columbia River is the largest river in the Pacific Northwest, and the only large aquatic ecosystem in the United States that currently receives no dedicated funding to clean up and monitor toxic chemicals. It is 1,243 miles long and its drainage basin extends into seven states. Approximately eight million people inhabit the Basin, including members of several Tribal nations and angling groups who frequently fish in its waters. Historically, the Columbia and its tributaries have constituted the largest salmon-producing river system in the world, with annual returns peaking at 16 million fish.\nThe Columbia River Restoration Act is supported by a diverse group of stakeholders including the Lower Columbia Estuary Partnership, Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission, Pacific Northwest Waterways Association, and Salmon-Safe.\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://blumenauer.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/congress-passes-provisions-help-rebuild-lost-housing-columbia-river", "Congress Passes Provisions to Help Rebuild Lost Housing for Columbia River Tribe", "2016-12-12", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "OR", "Earl Blumenauer", "B000574", "blumenauer.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington, DC\u00a0\u2013 Today, U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Patty Murray (D-WA) and Ron Wyden (D-OR), as well as Congressman Earl Blumenauer (OR-3), announced that provisions to help fulfill long-unmet housing obligations to tribes along the Columbia River have passed both the House and Senate as part of the Water Resources Development Act of 2016 (WRDA), now the Water Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation Act. The bill will now be sent to the President\u2019s desk to be signed into law.\n\u00a0Beginning in the 1930s, the construction of the three lower Columbia River dams displaced members of the four Columbia River Treaty tribes: Confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs Indian Reservation, Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation, Nez Perce Tribe, and Confederated Tribes and Bands of the Yakama Indian Nation of the Yakama Reservation. These Tribes have a treaty-protected right to fish along the Columbia River in their usual and accustomed places. The Senators and Congressman have been fighting to address the urgent need for adequate housing and infrastructure at tribal fishing access sites constructed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Army Corps) following construction of The Dalles, Bonneville, and John Day dams. The Army Corps designed the sites to be used primarily for daily, in-season fishing access and temporary camping; however, in many cases tribal members now use the areas as longer-term or even permanent residences. A Fact-Finding Review on Tribal Housing prepared by the Army Corps found that as many as 85 tribal families who lived on the banks of the Columbia River prior to construction of the Bonneville and The Dalles dams did not receive relocation assistance, despite the fact that several non-tribal communities inundated by dam construction did receive such assistance.\n\u00a0\u201cLeaving our tribes displaced without safe, reliable housing is simply wrong,\u201d said Merkley. \u201cEver since the construction of the Columbia River unjustly displaced these tribes starting over 75 years ago, the federal government has owed it to them to provide the housing and infrastructure that was promised. These provisions bring us one step closer to making good on our commitments.\u201d\n\u00a0\u201cThis is an incredibly important step toward repairing decades of injustice in the Pacific Northwest, but our work does not end here,\u201d said Murray. \u201cIn the coming months and years, we must continue the fight to ensure our country honors its promise to respect tribal treaty rights and uphold this region\u2019s rich legacy of salmon fishing.\u201d\n\u00a0\u201cToday, the Congress has made real progress toward starting to repair a long and painful history of injustice against Native American communities and their families,\u201d Wyden said. \u201cIt is only right to protect children and families from serious health and safety hazards along the Columbia River by providing safe and permanent housing for tribal communities that have been displaced.\u201d\n\u00a0\u201cI\u2019m proud we\u2019re on our way to righting this wrong,\u201d said Blumenauer. \u201cWe will not stop fighting until the federal government meets its basic responsibilities to improve the conditions of these sites and deal with unmet tribal housing needs.\u201d\u00a0\n\u00a0Specifically, the provisions that passed the Congress as part of WRDA today will help fulfill unmet housing obligations by:\n Authorizing the Army Corps to provide relocation assistance to Native families displaced by the construction of Bonneville Dam; and\n\tAuthorizing the Army Corps to conduct a study of Native families displaced by the\u00a0construction of John Day Dam and make recommendations to Congress with a plan to address unmet obligations for relocation assistance.\n ###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.merkley.senate.gov/news/in-the-news/congress-passes-columbia-river-restoration-act", "Congress passes Columbia River Restoration Act", "2016-12-12", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "OR", "Jeff Merkley", "M001176", "www.merkley.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Congress passes Columbia River Restoration Act \r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nMonday, December 12, 2016\r\n\r\n\t\n\r\n\r\n\r\n  \r\n    By:\u00a0\r\n    George Plaven\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nCongress has passed a bill authorizing the Environmental Protection Agency to establish a competitive, voluntary grant program for environmental cleanup work in the Columbia River.\r\nThe Columbia River Restoration Act was included as part of the federal Water Resources Development Act of 2016, which lawmakers approved Dec. 9.\r\nGrants could help pay for projects that improve water quality in the basin, reduce pollution or clean up contaminated sites. Oregon Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley, both Democrats, cheered the legislation, which was supported by a diverse group of environmental, tribal and industry groups.\r\n\u201cNobody wants to worry that the water they are drinking or fishing in or swimming in is tainted, but 8 million inhabitants of the Columbia River Basin have had their health, safety and environment endangered by toxins in the river,\u201d Merkley said. \u201cNow, Congress is finally doing something about it.\u201d\r\nThe Columbia River is the largest river in the Northwest, with a drainage basin roughly the size of France. It is historically the largest salmon-producing river system in the world, with annual returns peaking at around 16 million fish.\r\nHowever, the basin is the only large aquatic ecosystem in the U.S. that receives no dedicated funding to clean up and monitor toxic chemicals. The EPA has identified numerous toxins in the basin, including arsenic, lead, pesticides and flame retardants. High levels of pollutants can build up in the fatty tissue of fish and lamprey, which are consumed by people and can cause significant health problems and birth defects.\r\n\u201cPreserving and protecting the river is a must to ensure the river remains the clean and healthy lifeblood of our region,\u201d Wyden said.\r\nThe program does not add any new EPA regulations. The bill was supported by the Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission \u2014 representing the Umatilla, Yakama, Warm Springs and Nez Perce tribes \u2014 as well as the Pacific Northwest Waterways Association, Lower Columbia Estuary Partnership and Salmon-Safe.\r\nLocal tribes also praised another bill contained within the Water Resources Development that will ensure the return of the Kennewick Man, or Ancient One, for a proper burial.\r\n\u201cThanks to the support of almost the entire Pacific Northwest delegation, it now looks like the Ancient One will soon return home,\u201d said Aaron Ashley, member of the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation Board of Trustees and chairman of the CTUIR Cultural Resources Committee. \u201cWhen he does, we will both mourn and rejoice as he is finally laid to rest with our ancestors. After a very long time, this is a hopeful moment for our people.\u201d\r\nRemains of the Kennewick Man were discovered in 1996 on federal land near the Columbia River. In 2015, new genetic evidence determined the remains were closer to modern American Indians than any other population, according to a report by the Associated Press.\r\nThe Umatilla, Yakama, Nez Perce and Colville tribes, along with the Wanapum Band, will lay the Ancient One to rest at an undisclosed location. The remains must first be transferred from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to the Washington Department of Archaeology and Historic Preservation, which is handling repatriation.\r\n\r\n \r\n           \r\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\tPrint\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tEmail\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t  \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTweet", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.wyden.senate.gov/news/press-releases/wyden-calls-for-preservation-distribution-and-declassification-of-torture-report", "Wyden Calls for Preservation, Distribution and Declassification of Torture Report", "2016-12-12", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "OR", "Ron Wyden", "W000779", "www.wyden.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Naming the Report a Presidential Record Falls Far Short of What\u2019s Needed; Keeps Report Off-Limits from Policymakers and the Public for More Than a Decade\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tMonday, December 12, 2016\n            \n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWashington, D.C. \u2013 Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., today renewed his call for the president to preserve, distribute and declassify the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence\u2019s Study of the CIA\u2019s Detention and Interrogation Program. He said the president\u2019s decision to establish the study as a presidential record falls far short of what\u2019s necessary.\r\n\u201cWe\u2019re going to start on the very first day of the new session building a bipartisan coalition to get the study declassified. \u00a0The American people deserve the opportunity to read this history rather than see it locked away in a safe for twelve years. \u00a0When the president-elect has promised to bring back torture, it is also more critical than ever that the study be made available to cleared personnel throughout the federal government who are responsible for authorizing and implementing our country\u2019s detention and interrogation policies,\u201d Wyden said.\r\nWyden called on the president to establish the study as a federal record under the Federal Records Act and an agency record under the Freedom of Information Act, and to distribute the study among cleared personnel in the federal government. He also called on the president to direct that the study be declassified, with minimal redactions necessary to protect national security, so that it can be released to the public.\r\n\u201cPresident Obama has made his opposition to torture a central part of his legacy, from the Executive Order he signed shortly after he took office, to the speech he gave last Tuesday in which he spoke passionately about how our strength as a nation lies in upholding our values and adhering to the rule of law.\u00a0 But this legacy \u2013 and our legacy as a nation - rests in the balance,\u201d Wyden said.\r\nSenator Wyden also criticized the administration\u2019s efforts to prevent the study from being subject to the Freedom of Information Act.\r\n\u201cThis history belongs to the American people,\u201d said Wyden.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s also urgent. \u00a0As we\u2019ve already seen, burying the Study achieves nothing but to create an information vacuum that gets filled with uninformed and highly dangerous propaganda.\u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://blumenauer.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/blumenauer-statement-cia-assessment-russian-interference-2016-election", "Blumenauer Statement on CIA Assessment of Russian Interference in 2016 Election", "2016-12-10", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "OR", "Earl Blumenauer", "B000574", "blumenauer.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington, DC\u00a0\u2013 Congressman Earl Blumenauer (OR-03) released the following statement:\n\u201cForeign intervention in the U.S. election is something that\u00a0all\u00a0Americans \u2014 Republican, Democrat or non-affiliated voters \u2014 should be deeply concerned about.\n\u201cI echo Representatives Swalwell and Cumming's call for a bipartisan and independent commission to investigate foreign interference in the election. I\u2019m also calling on House and Senate leadership to hold investigative hearings on this issue. We need to figure out how this happened so that we can protect our democracy.\n\u201cDemocrats may be in the minority in Congress, but we represent the majority of Americans. The more noise we make, the better chance there is that this happens.\u201d\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.merkley.senate.gov/news/in-the-news/columbia-river-tribes-one-step-away-from-housing-at-bonneville-dam-after-us-senate-approves-bill", "Columbia River tribes one step away from housing at Bonneville Dam after U.S. Senate approves bill", "2016-12-10", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "OR", "Jeff Merkley", "M001176", "www.merkley.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Columbia River tribes one step away from housing at Bonneville Dam after U.S. Senate approves bill \r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nSaturday, December 10, 2016\r\n\r\n\t\n\r\n\r\n\r\n  \r\n    By:\u00a0\r\n     Molly Harbarger \r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n \r\n           \r\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\tPrint\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tEmail\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t  \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTweet", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.merkley.senate.gov/news/in-the-news/senators-wyden-and-merkley-urging-leadership-to-renew-srs-payments-to-counties", "Senators Wyden and Merkley Urging Leadership to Renew SRS Payments to Counties", "2016-12-10", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "OR", "Jeff Merkley", "M001176", "www.merkley.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Senators Wyden and Merkley Urging Leadership to Renew SRS Payments to Counties \r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nSaturday, December 10, 2016\r\n\r\n\t\n\r\n\r\n\r\n  \r\n    By:\u00a0\r\n    Chuck Benson\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nUS Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley have urged their colleagues to keep the government's promise to rural communities in Oregon, 40 other states and Puerto Rico by passing legislation that would provide vital funding for schools, law enforcement and essential road repairs.Since payments through the Secure Rural Schools (SRS) Act expired last year, Wyden and Merkley have been working to reauthorize the program to ensure that counties like Josephine will receive a payment next spring that gives them certainty for funding critical county services.But congressional leaders blocked their efforts, citing the contention that increased timber management could somehow replace the SRS payments. In doing so, they ignored estimates from the Forest Service concluding that logging on public lands would have to increase by 400% in order for timber revenues to match what counties have received in SRS investments.Wyden and Merkley recently sought to extend this vital program by including it in the end-of-the-year must-pass bill to fund the US government. But because of congressional leadership's inaction, the payments counties received last spring will be their last until leadership agrees to extend these crucial programs.Last year's SRS funds were paid to counties in March 2016 and included payments from the Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management. In Oregon, 33 counties received a total of $95 million in SRS payments this year. Over its lifetime, the program has brought almost $4 billion to Oregon's timber counties.\r\n\r\n \r\n           \r\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\tPrint\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tEmail\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t  \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTweet", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.merkley.senate.gov/news/press-releases/columbia-river-restoration-act-passes-in-house-and-senate", "Columbia River Restoration Act Passes in House and Senate", "2016-12-10", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "OR", "Jeff Merkley", "M001176", "www.merkley.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Columbia River Restoration Act Passes in House and Senate \n\t\n\t\t Legislation was included in water infrastructure package \n\t\n\t\n\tSaturday, December 10, 2016\n\t\n\tWASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 Today, Oregon\u2019s Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden, Congressman Earl Blumenauer (OR-3), Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici (OR-1) and Congressman Peter DeFazio (OR-4) announced that the Columbia River Restoration Act has passed in the House and the Senate as part of the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA). The legislation will now be sent to the President\u2019s desk to be signed into law.\r\n \r\n\u201cNobody wants to worry that the water they are drinking or fishing in or swimming in is tainted, but 8 million inhabitants of the Columbia River Basin have had their health, safety and environment endangered by toxins in the river. Now Congress is finally doing something about it,\u201d said Merkley. \u201cThis bill will provide a much needed boost to the health and economy of our beloved Columbia River.\u201d\r\n \r\n\u201cPacific Northwesterners count on the Columbia River as a vital economic resource and environmental treasure,\u201d Wyden said. \u201cPreserving and protecting the river is a must to ensure the river remains the clean and healthy lifeblood of our region.\u201d\r\n\u201cThis is a significant win for our efforts to reduce pollution and improve the water quality of the Columbia River,\u201d said Blumenauer. \u201cWe have a responsibility to protect this critical resource, and we\u2019ll keep pushing to help restore this iconic river system.\u201d\r\n\u201cThe Columbia River is a powerful economic force in Oregon,\u201d said Congresswoman Bonamici. \u201cThe river carries goods to market, serves as a valuable source of energy, and provides salmon to tribal populations and others.\u00a0We must reduce pollution and contamination of this critical resource. I am pleased the Columbia River Basin Restoration Act has passed Congress and is on its way to the President's desk.\u201d\r\n\u201cThe Columbia River is one of the most bountiful natural resources in Oregon, providing cultural, economic, and ecological benefits to many states,\u201d said Representative DeFazio, Ranking Member of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and a lead negotiator on the bill. \u201cRising levels of toxins in the Columbia River Basin threaten Oregon\u2019s salmon and the livelihood of tribal communities and other Oregonians. I was proud to play a major role in securing this new program that will fund Columbia River restoration projects to improve water quality and reduce pollution.\u201d\r\nThe legislation would authorize the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to establish a voluntary, competitive Columbia Basin grants program for projects that assist in eliminating or reducing pollution, cleaning up contaminated sites, improving water quality, monitoring the basin, and promoting citizen engagement.\r\nToxins are present throughout the Columbia Basin, and are harmful to humans, fish, and wildlife. These contaminants make their way into fish tissue and can be dangerous to humans if consumed. Some of these toxins are known to cause cancer and have been linked with neurological, developmental, and reproductive problems, including birth defects and learning disabilities.\r\nThe Columbia River is the largest river in the Pacific Northwest, and the only large aquatic ecosystem in the United States that currently receives no dedicated funding to clean up and monitor toxic chemicals. It is 1,243 miles long and its drainage basin extends into seven states. Approximately eight million people inhabit the Basin, including members of several Tribal nations and angling groups who frequently fish in its waters. Historically, the Columbia and its tributaries have constituted the largest salmon-producing river system in the world, with annual returns peaking at 16 million fish.\r\nThe Columbia River Restoration Act is supported by a diverse group of stakeholders including the Lower Columbia Estuary Partnership, Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission, Pacific Northwest Waterways Association, and Salmon-Safe.\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n    \n    \n\t\n\t\n    \n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\n    \n\t\n     \n\t\n \n\t\n    \n    \n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t \n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t  \n    \n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n    \n    \n      \n    \n    \n    \n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n    \n\t\n\t  \n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\tPrint\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tEmail\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t  \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTweet", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.merkley.senate.gov/news/press-releases/congress-passes-provisions-to-help-rebuild-lost-housing-for-columbia-river-tribes", "Congress Passes Provisions to Help Rebuild Lost Housing for Columbia River Tribes", "2016-12-10", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "OR", "Jeff Merkley", "M001176", "www.merkley.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Congress Passes Provisions to Help Rebuild Lost Housing for Columbia River Tribes \n\t\n\t\n\tSaturday, December 10, 2016\n\t\n\tWASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 Today, U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Patty Murray (D-WA) and Ron Wyden (D-OR), as well as Congressman Earl Blumenauer (OR-3), announced that provisions to help fulfill long-unmet housing obligations to tribes along the Columbia River have passed both the House and Senate as part of the Water Resources Development Act of 2016 (WRDA), now the Water Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation Act. The bill will now be sent to the President\u2019s desk to be signed into law.\r\nBeginning in the 1930s, the construction of the three lower Columbia River dams displaced members of the four Columbia River Treaty tribes: Confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs Indian Reservation, Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation, Nez Perce Tribe, and Confederated Tribes and Bands of the Yakama Indian Nation of the Yakama Reservation. These Tribes have a treaty-protected right to fish along the Columbia River in their usual and accustomed places. The Senators and Congressman have been fighting to address the urgent need for adequate housing and infrastructure at tribal fishing access sites constructed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Army Corps) following construction of The Dalles, Bonneville, and John Day dams. The Army Corps designed the sites to be used primarily for daily, in-season fishing access and temporary camping; however, in many cases tribal members now use the areas as longer-term or even permanent residences. A Fact-Finding Review on Tribal Housing prepared by the Army Corps found that as many as 85 tribal families who lived on the banks of the Columbia River prior to construction of the Bonneville and The Dalles dams did not receive relocation assistance, despite the fact that several non-tribal communities inundated by dam construction did receive such assistance.\r\n \r\n\u201cLeaving our tribes displaced without safe, reliable housing is simply wrong,\u201d said Merkley. \u201cEver since the construction of the Columbia River unjustly displaced these tribes starting over 75 years ago, the federal government has owed it to them to provide the housing and infrastructure that was promised. These provisions bring us one step closer to making good on our commitments.\u201d\r\n \r\n\u201cThis is an incredibly important step toward repairing decades of injustice in the Pacific Northwest, but our work does not end here,\u201d said Murray. \u201cIn the coming months and years, we must continue the fight to ensure our country honors its promise to respect tribal treaty rights and uphold this region\u2019s rich legacy of salmon fishing.\u201d\r\n\u201cToday, the Congress has made real progress toward starting to repair a long and painful history of injustice against Native American communities and their families,\u201d Wyden said. \u201cIt is only right to protect children and families from serious health and safety hazards along the Columbia River by providing safe and permanent housing for tribal communities that have been displaced.\u201d\r\n\u201cI\u2019m proud we\u2019re on our way to righting this wrong,\u201d said Blumenauer. \u201cWe will not stop fighting until the federal government meets its basic responsibilities to improve the conditions of these sites and deal with unmet tribal housing needs.\u201d\r\nSpecifically, the provisions that passed the Congress as part of WRDA today will help fulfill unmet housing obligations by:\r\n\u00b7 Authorizing the Army Corps to provide relocation assistance to Native families displaced by the construction of Bonneville Dam; and\r\n\u00b7 Authorizing the Army Corps to conduct a study of Native families displaced by the construction of John Day Dam and make recommendations to Congress with a plan to address unmet obligations for relocation assistance.\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n    \n    \n\t\n\t\n    \n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\n    \n\t\n     \n\t\n \n\t\n    \n    \n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t \n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t  \n    \n\t\n\t\n\t  \n          \n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\tPrint\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tEmail\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t  \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTweet", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.merkley.senate.gov/news/press-releases/job-creating-water-infrastructure-bill-passes-congress", "Job-Creating Water Infrastructure Bill Passes Congress", "2016-12-10", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "OR", "Jeff Merkley", "M001176", "www.merkley.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Job-Creating Water Infrastructure Bill Passes Congress \n\t\n\t\t Merkley, Wyden Championed Key Provisions for Oregon \n\t\n\t\n\tSaturday, December 10, 2016\n\t\n\tWashington, DC - Oregon\u2019s Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden announced today that the House and Senate have passed the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA), which includes key job creation and funding opportunities for Oregon communities. The legislation previously passed the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee in April and the Senate in September; it will now be signed into law by the President.\r\nIn particular, the Senators highlighted that the bill would make permanent a provision ensuring that small ports in Oregon and elsewhere receive funding from the Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund (HMTF). The bill also helps channel $20 million in funding for the Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (WIFIA), which Senator Merkley developed to help local communities finance safe drinking and wastewater infrastructure projects. The $20 million in initial funding could leverage over $200 million in low-interest loans for communities to finance safe drinking and wastewater infrastructure projects.\r\n \r\n\u201cWater infrastructure is absolutely essential to our health and economy alike. Senator Wyden and I have been fighting for these Oregon water infrastructure wins, and I\u2019m thrilled to see them included in the bill passed today,\u201d said Merkley. \u201cFrom keeping communities safe with modernized drinking water systems, to expanding economic opportunities and putting folks back to work with good-paying jobs, these projects will have a real impact across Oregon.\u201d\r\n \r\n\u201cSmall ports serve as economic linchpins up and down the Oregon Coast, providing a terrific trifecta of benefits \u2013 crucial access for commercial and recreational fishing, safe harbor for ocean science and research vessels, and the nation\u2019s gateway to the global economy,\u201d Wyden said. \u201cThat\u2019s why I am so glad this water bill includes stable, permanent funding for these ports that generate good-paying jobs and revenues for coastal communities.\u201d\r\nSenators Merkley and Wyden have consistently fought in the Senate to make sure that the HMTF is used for its intended purpose of maintaining ports rather than being raided to pay for other priorities, and that small ports in America receive a share of this funding. For small coastal communities in Oregon, access to funding for dredging is crucial to the economy. As a member of the Environment and Public Works Committee, Senator Merkley was able to pass a 10% set-aside for small ports in 2014; however, the set-aside was scheduled to expire in 2022. The legislation makes the 10% set-aside permanent.\r\nIn almost every town hall meeting that Senators Merkley and Wyden hold, in every corner of Oregon, they hear about the challenges that local communities are having finding funding to replace or upgrade aging water infrastructure. Clean drinking water and modern wastewater treatment systems are critical for public health and safety, strong local businesses, population growth, and clean rivers and aquifers. Incidents like the recent crisis in Flint, Michigan underscore the dangers that can result when the safety of our drinking water and state of our water infrastructure are not made a priority.\r\nAdditional provisions included in today\u2019s legislation that will deliver benefits to Oregon communities include:\r\n\u00b7\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Authorizing the Columbia River Restoration Act so that the EPA can set up a voluntary grant program to incentivize cleanup along the Columbia River.\r\n\u00b7\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Expanding water infrastructure financing options to local water irrigation districts, which will help Central Oregon irrigation districts implement water conservation projects to address the spotted frog challenge and assist local farmers and ranchers.\r\n\u00b7\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Working to provide adequate housing and resources for Tribes along the Columbia River by authorizing relocation assistance to Native families displaced by the construction of Bonneville Dam, and by authorizing a study of Native families displaced by the John Day Dam to determine if there is an unmet obligation for relocation assistance.\r\n\u00b7\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Providing Oregonians better access to the Giles French Park in Rufus, Oregon, by allowing the Army Corps of Engineers to let a non-Federal government entity collect users fees for recreation sites and facilities.\u00a0\r\n\u00b7\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Giving the Port of Cascade Locks greater economic development opportunities along its waterfront by clarifying an out-of-date easement.\r\n\u00b7\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Expanding water craft inspection stations to cover the entire Columbia River Basin to protect our lakes and waterways from invasive species, such as the zebra mussel.\r\nDespite fighting hard for Oregon priorities in the bill, Merkley and Wyden voted against it due to the last-minute addition of California drought provisions that threaten thousands of jobs at Oregon and West Coast fisheries.\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n    \n    \n\t\n\t\n    \n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\n    \n\t\n     \n\t\n \n\t\n    \n    \n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t \n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t  \n    \n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n    \n    \n      \n    \n    \n    \n      \n    \n    \n    \n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n    \n\t\n\t  \n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\tPrint\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tEmail\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t  \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTweet", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://blumenauer.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/blumenauer-efforts-trump-undermine-obama-climate-change-policy-will-not", "Blumenauer: Efforts by Trump to Undermine Obama Climate Change Policy Will Not be Tolerated", "2016-12-09", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "OR", "Earl Blumenauer", "B000574", "blumenauer.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington, DC\u00a0\u2013 Congressman Earl Blumenauer (OR-03) released the following statement on a questionnaire sent by the Donald Trump Transition Team to Department of Energy employees on their climate change work:\n\u201cThis questionnaire is deeply troubling and begs the question of whether or not it\u2019s intended to instill fear of retribution for those public servants who have done their duty in implementing the Obama Administration\u2019s policies to address climate change.\n\u201cIf Donald Trump engages in an anti-science, highly partisan witch hunt to drive out hard working analysts and scientists who understand the risks of climate change, I will fight and do everything I can to protect their rights and voices.\u00a0\n\u201cFrom this questionnaire, to the nomination of climate-denier Scott Pruitt as head of the EPA, and to the various statements made by Trump and his advisors, all signs indicate that the Trump Administration plans to undermine President Obama\u2019s critical work to combat climate change. This will not be tolerated. Climate change is the greatest challenge of our generation, and none of Trump\u2019s delusions will stop the seas from rising, and the earth from warming.\u201d\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.merkley.senate.gov/news/press-releases/merkley-decries-lack-of-secure-rural-schools-extension-in-continuing-resolution", "Merkley Decries Lack of Secure Rural Schools Extension in Continuing Resolution", "2016-12-09", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "OR", "Jeff Merkley", "M001176", "www.merkley.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Merkley Decries Lack of Secure Rural Schools Extension in Continuing Resolution \n\t\n\t\n\tFriday, December 9, 2016\n\t\n\tWASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 Oregon\u2019s Senator Jeff Merkley released the following statement regarding his \u2018no\u2019 vote on the continuing resolution tonight:\r\n \r\n\u201cWith tonight\u2019s congressional action\u2014or lack thereof\u2014a critical lifeline for rural Oregon will disappear. Since 2000, the Secure Rural Schools program has provided essential resources for rural Oregon counties to maintain schools, transportation and public safety. Without it, children\u2019s education will suffer, roads will crumble, and lives will be put in danger as patrols are cut back drastically.\r\n\u201cWe need a long-term solution for Oregon\u2019s timber counties, but we also need a bridge to get there. Congress\u2019s failure to extend the Secure Rural Schools program before the end of this year fails our rural communities. That\u2019s 100% unacceptable.\r\n\u201cUnfortunately, this is not the only area in which Congress abdicated its responsibilities with this bill. Instead of investing in a year-long funding bill, Congress punted and is instead running our government on autopilot until the end of April. A full year-long bill would have averted the threat of a shutdown in early 2017 and would have made critical investments for both urban and rural Oregon.\r\n\u201cCongress also failed to keep our promise to miners who are depending on the government to uphold the long-standing bargain on health insurance. With this bill, the miners will have no idea if they will be insured after April.\u00a0\r\n\u201cFinally, the Senate leadership has pre-emptively abandoned the Senate\u2019s responsibility to thoroughly debate the highly extraordinary request by President-elect Trump that Congress change long-standing laws that maintain civilian control of our military. This issue deserves a full and extensive debate in broad daylight. The bill to change those laws won\u2019t even be introduced until next year and yet Senate leadership slipped a provision into this legislation in the dead of night that stifles Senate debate on that future bill.\r\n\u201cFor all these reasons, I could not vote for the continuing resolution tonight.\u201d\r\n \n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n    \n    \n\t\n\t\n    \n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\n    \n\t\n     \n\t\n \n\t\n    \n    \n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t \n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t  \n    \n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n    \n    \n      \n    \n    \n    \n      \n    \n    \n    \n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n    \n\t\n\t  \n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\tPrint\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tEmail\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t  \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTweet", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.wyden.senate.gov/news/press-releases/wyden-statement-on-end-of-year-government-funding-bill", "Wyden Statement on End-of-Year Government Funding Bill", "2016-12-09", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "OR", "Ron Wyden", "W000779", "www.wyden.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Announces \u2018No\u2019 Vote After Congressional Leaders Fail to Include Protections for Vulnerable Americans and Families of Mine Workers\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tFriday, December 9, 2016\n            \n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWashington, D.C. \u2013 U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., today voted against the end-of-year, must-pass bill to fund the government because the bill leaves out essential reforms for vulnerable children in foster care and protections for the families of mine workers.\r\n\u201cRepublican leaders touted this as a clean extension of noncontroversial, already agreed-upon policies. Instead, Republicans are skipping town without extending tax policies that protect middle class homeowners and jobs and without reauthorizing aid for rural timber counties. They also leave behind some of the most vulnerable among us \u2013 children in foster care and certainty for the widows of miners and their families who would have been helped by widely supported bipartisan bills.\r\n\u201cFurthermore, I strongly oppose the exemption to allow recently retired military officers to serve as Secretary of Defense. Congress has only exempted one Secretary of Defense from the legal requirement for military officers to spend time out of uniform. \u00a0That one exemption happened in 1950, and it was controversial then too. That exemption explicitly recommended that no further exemptions should be given. \u00a0The fact is, a Congress full of World War II veterans recognized the importance of having a civilian lead the Pentagon, and I urge my colleagues to heed their example.\u201d\r\n\r\n\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://defazio.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/defazio-blasts-republican-leadership-for-jeopardizing-oregon-s-fishing", "DeFazio Blasts Republican Leadership for Jeopardizing Oregons Fishing Industry and Coastal Economy", "2016-12-08", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "OR", "Peter DeFazio", "D000191", "defazio.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Today, Ranking Member of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure Peter DeFazio (D-OR) blasted Republican leadership for sabotaging bipartisan legislation that would have created and sustained needed jobs and boosted economic growth in Oregon\u2019s coastal communities.\nFor months, DeFazio worked with a group of bipartisan negotiators to finalize the Water Resources Development Act of 2016 (WRDA), now called the Water Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation Act (WIIN), which authorizes funding for the Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) navigation, flood control, and environmental restoration projects. This legislation would have directly benefitted Oregon\u2019s ports. However, at the last minute, Republican leadership added a controversial California drought plan that will jeopardize Oregon\u2019s fishing industry. The House passed the WIIN Act 360-61\u2014DeFazio voted against the legislation.\n\u201cFor months, I worked with my Republican counterparts on a WRDA bill that would have strengthened coastal communities and our environment, and created and sustained thousands of jobs. Instead of passing that bipartisan bill, Republican leadership added a last-minute, 90-page poison pill that will allow California to divert scarce water from the Sacramento River Bay-Delta. Diverting water from this critical watershed risks a shutdown of the West Coast fishery, and thousands of good-paying jobs that depend on healthy fisheries. Despite the many victories that I was able to secure, including dedicated funding for small port dredging, I could not support this bill,\u201d said DeFazio.\nThis is the second time the Republican leadership have interfered with what had been a bipartisan agreement on this legislation.\u00a0 In September, Republican leaders stripped from the Water Resources Development Act of 2016 DeFazio\u2019s provision to ensure that funds collected in the Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund are only used for harbor maintenance\u2014not for unrelated government spending. The additional investment from this provision would have created and sustained needed jobs in Oregon\u2019s coastal communities, would have made conditions safer for our fishing and recreation industries, and would have provided a tremendous boost to our economic competiveness.\nPERMANENT FUNDING FOR SMALL PORTS\n\u201cI was able to secure a number of priorities that are victories for Oregon\u2019s coastal communities. I am happy that the legislation includes my provision to guarantee that small ports receive a minimum of $90 million annually and no less than 10 percent of the Corps\u2019 overall Operations and Maintenance funding each year for infrastructure needs. This measure will ensure that some of our most critical needs will be met in our ports and harbors\u2014no matter what size,\u201d said DeFazio.\nFor years, the Federal Government has neglected to invest in our nation\u2019s small ports and harbors. DeFazio has fought repeatedly during his time in Congress to secure federal funds to dredge small ports along Oregon\u2019s south coast.\u00a0 In 2014, he secured a provision that temporarily guaranteed funding for small, emerging ports.\u00a0 The legislation passed today makes that provision permanent.\nADDITIONAL HIGHLIGHTS\nDeFazio advocated for a number of additional provisions that are part of the final legislation, including:\n Funding to help the city of Flint, Michigan protect its citizens and children from the ongoing health risks resulting from lead contamination of its water system.\n\tA provision that directs the federal government to fund a study of the conditions of federal breakwaters and jetties that protect the nation\u2019s coastal ports. Like levees and dams before, the condition of the nation\u2019s water-related infrastructure is deteriorating. This federal study will provide necessary information detailing the true state of our jetties so Congress can take future steps to address the backlog of critical projects.\n\tA provision that increases federal transparency by requiring the Corps to make publicly available all data related to federal dredging contracts, including volumes, federal cost estimates, winning bid price, and other submitted bid offers.\n\tA provision to boost youth service and conservation corps programs, which give American youth the opportunity to volunteer or work at maintenance projects at Corps recreational facilities.\n  The authorization of federal funding for the Lower Willamette River Environmental Dredging and Ecosystem Restoration Project, which will restore ecosystem functions by reconnecting floodplain habitat to the river and improving fish and wildlife habitats.\n\tAuthorization of a new Columbia River Basin Program to help reduce toxic contamination and clean-up contaminated sites in the Columbia River Basin.\n\tAuthorization of a program to prevent the spread of aquatic invasive species in Oregon\u2019s waterways. Preventing the infestation of aquatic invasive species in new regions ultimately saves us higher costs down the road, since the Fish and Wildlife Service projects an infestation of zebra and quagga mussels in the Columbia River would cost hydro-electric facilities hundreds of millions of dollars (between $300-$500 million) annually.\n\tLanguage that guarantees rural Oregon irrigation districts are not penalized for taking federal loans that allow them to improve water quality. Recently, EPA informed Oregon DEQ that Irrigation Districts no longer qualify for a federal subsidy for projects that address nonpoint source pollution, like pollution from agriculture, irrigation, and natural runoff. This provision reinstates the subsidization in the form of principal forgiveness and will ensure these long-term efforts to improve water quality continue.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://defazio.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/rep-defazio-introduces-bill-to-enforce-president-elect-trump-s-promise", "Rep. DeFazio Introduces Bill to Enforce President-Elect Trumps Promise to  Drain the Swamp"", "2016-12-08", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "OR", "Peter DeFazio", "D000191", "defazio.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Rep. Peter DeFazio today introduced legislation that would codify a campaign promise made by President-Elect Trump to ban political appointees from profiting from their time in the Administration after they leave.\nThe DRAIN the SWAMP Act (Deter Revolving-Door Appointments in Our Nation; Stop Washington Appointees from becoming Manipulative Petitioners), H.R. 6476, would require a five-year ban, barring anyone who serves as a political appointee from lobbying for five years after they leave the Executive Branch. The bill would also permanently bar any individual appointed to the Trump Administration from lobbying on behalf of a foreign government.\n\u201cPresident-Elect Trump ran on the promise of \u2018Draining the Swamp,\u2019\u201d said Rep. Peter DeFazio. \u201cThe American people elected him with the expectation that he would bring a new way of doing business to Washington. I am introducing legislation to hold him and the thousands of political appointees accountable to those high standards.\u201d\nAlthough the President-Elect\u2019s transition team announced an intended ban on appointees becoming lobbyists for five years after they leave the White House, there is no penalty for violating the provision unless it is codified by Congress.\nBy law, current Administration appointees are barred from lobbying for two years after they leave the Executive Branch, with a penalty of up to one year in prison and/or a fine of $50,000. Under Rep. DeFazio\u2019s bill, if either the five-year lobbying ban or lifetime ban on lobbying for foreign nations is violated, offenders face up to five years in prison and/or a fine of up to $50,000.\nRep. DeFazio will send the legislation to President-Elect Trump so he has an opportunity to endorse the bill ahead of its re-introduction in the 115th Congress.\nTo watch Rep. DeFazio\u2019s floor speech on the DRAIN the SWAMP Act, click here.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.merkley.senate.gov/news/in-the-news/senate-democrats-gear-up-to-fight-trumps-dangerous-epa-nominee", "Senate Democrats gear up to fight Trump’s ‘dangerous’ EPA nominee", "2016-12-08", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "OR", "Jeff Merkley", "M001176", "www.merkley.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Senate Democrats gear up to fight Trump\u2019s \u2018dangerous\u2019 EPA nominee \r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nThursday, December 8, 2016\r\n\r\n\t\n\r\n\r\n\r\n  \r\n    By:\u00a0\r\n    Natasha Geiling\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nMoments after news broke that President-elect Donald Trump would be\u00a0appointing Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt?\u2014?a close friend of the fossil fuel industry and noted climate denier?\u2014?as EPA administrator, Democratic legislators in Congress began voicing their ardent disapproval.\r\n\u201cAt a time when climate change is the great environmental threat to the entire planet, it is sad and dangerous that Mr. Trump has nominated Scott Pruitt to lead the EPA,\u201d Sen. Bernie Sanders, (I-VT), a member of the Senate Environment and Public Works committee that will hold hearings on Pruitt\u2019s confirmation, said in a statement. \u201cMr. Pruitt\u2019s record is not only that of being a climate change denier, but also someone who has worked closely with the fossil fuel industry to make this country more dependent, not less, on fossil fuels. The American people must demand leaders who are willing to transform our energy system away from fossil fuels. I will vigorously oppose this nomination.\u201d\r\nOther staunch supporters of climate action on the Environment and Public Works committee issued similarly strongly-worded statements in opposition to Pruitt\u2019s nomination. Sen. Ed Markey (D-MA),\u00a0said that\u00a0\u201cdenying the science of climate change and carrying water for Big Oil and the fossil fuel industry make [Pruitt] unsuitable to lead the EPA,\u201d adding that, like Sanders, he would \u201cvigorously oppose Scott Pruitt\u2019s nomination.\u201d\r\nSen. Jeff Merkley (D-OR) called Pruitt \u201ca dangerous and unacceptable choice to lead the agency tasked with leading our climate efforts and protecting clean air and clean water for all Americans,\u201d noting Pruitt\u2019s history of climate denial and his penchant for suing the federal government to block environmental regulations like limits on mercury, arsenic, and carbon pollution. Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) also hit Pruitt for his climate denial, and added that \u201cScott Pruitt has chosen his fossil fuel donors over the health and well-being of the people he serves\u201d at every turn.\r\n\u201cI expect the American people will be shocked that President-elect Trump has chosen someone with such disdain for their health as they learn more about Pruitt during his confirmation hearings,\u201d Whitehouse said, previewing what is likely to be a rancorous confirmation process split cleanly among party lines.\r\nOther Senate Democrats took less outwardly combative positions, pledging to press Pruitt hard during confirmation hearings on his climate denial and deep ties to the fossil fuel industry.\r\n\u201cI believe strongly in the cabinet confirmation process?\u2014?including giving every nominee a fair and timely hearing. To that end, as a senior member of the Environment and Public Works Committee, I will listen to what Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt has to say about his vision for the EPA,\u201d Sen. Ben Cardin (D-MD), said in a statement. \u201cHowever I am concerned about this nomination. Mr. Pruitt has made a name for himself out of denying the very existence of climate change. Now President-elect Trump has selected him to lead the agency charged with addressing it. Mr. Pruitt has made a career out of suing the EPA. Now he wants to run the agency.\u201d\r\nOn the other side of the aisle, Republicans cheered Pruitt\u2019s nomination, casting him as a fresh leader who would work to reign in EPA overreach?\u2014?including rules like the Obama administration\u2019s Clean Power Plan, which seeks to limit carbon pollution from power plants in an effort to curb manmade climate change.\r\nSen. Roger Wicker (R-MS) tweeted his support for Pruitt on Wednesday evening.\r\nAnd Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) cheered Pruitt\u2019s nomination in a statement, calling him \u201cexactly the type of person we need to lead the EPA during this critical time.\u201d\r\n\u201cHe has been a driving force behind the legal battle against President Obama\u2019s environmental policies and far-reaching regulations,\u201d Capito added. \u201cI look forward to working with him to reverse policies that threaten affordable, reliable energy and jobs.\u201d\r\nSen. Jim Inhofe (R-OK), chairman of the Senate Environment and Public Works committee and perhaps the\u00a0most famous climate denier\u00a0in the U.S. Senate, also praised Pruitt\u2019s nomination.\r\n\u201cPruitt has fought back against unconstitutional and overzealous environmental regulations like Waters of the U.S. and the Clean Power Plan; he has proven that being a good steward of the environment does not mean burdening tax payers and businesses with red tape,\u201d Inhofe said. \u201cI am pleased with President-elect Trump\u2019s selection and I look forward to working with my fellow Oklahoman in his new capacity.\u201d\r\nGiven Pruitt\u2019s record of working hand-in-hand with the fossil fuel industry to fight environmental regulations?\u2014?a\u00a02014 New York Times investigation revealed\u00a0that he once sent a letter to the EPA challenging federal regulations that had been written by one of Oklahoma\u2019s biggest oil and gas companies?\u2014?his confirmation process seems sure to draw stiff opposition from Democratic legislators. It\u2019s likely to be a partisan mirror of current EPA administrator Gina McCarthy\u2019s confirmation process, which took a\u00a0record 136 days\u00a0and included more than 1,100 questions from the Environment and Public Works Committee (1,075 of which came from Republicans).\r\nIn the end, six Republican Senators voted to confirm McCarthy?\u2014?and Democrats aiming to stop Pruitt\u2019s nomination will again look to these more moderate legislators to help derail Pruitt\u2019s chances of leading the EPA.\r\nSpeaking on a press call convened by the League of Conservation voters, Sen. Brian Schatz (D-HI) called Pruitt\u2019s nomination a \u201clitmus test\u201d for every Senator that has claimed to believe in climate science.\r\n\u201cThis is a four alarm fire. We are going to do everything we can to stop his nomination and we are going to need broad-based bipartisan support for that,\u201d Schatz said.\r\nWhitehouse?\u2014?who has given\u00a0more than 150 speeches\u00a0on the floor of the Senate about climate change?\u2014?agreed with Schatz, and seemed optimistic that a handful of Republican Senators could be convinced to stand in opposition to a climate denier as head of the EPA.\r\n\u201cWe have a lot of Republican Senators who have supported climate change bills in the past, who have voted on Brian [Schatz\u2019s] and my climate amendments, and who need to be put on the spot about this one,\u201d Whitehouse said. \u201cIt\u2019s a true opportunity to move this issue forward and we should take full advantage.\u201d\r\n\r\n \r\n           \r\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\tPrint\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tEmail\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t  \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTweet", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.merkley.senate.gov/news/in-the-news/wyden-merkley-fight-to-save-lifeline-for-rural-communities", "Wyden, Merkley fight to save 'lifeline' for rural communities", "2016-12-08", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "OR", "Jeff Merkley", "M001176", "www.merkley.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Wyden, Merkley fight to save 'lifeline' for rural communities \r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nThursday, December 8, 2016\r\n\r\n\t\n\r\n\r\n\r\n  \r\n    By:\u00a0\r\n    KTVZ.COM news sources\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nWASHINGTON - Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., urged the Senate Thursday to keep the government\u2019s promise to rural communities in Oregon, 40 other states and Puerto Rico by passing legislation that would provide vital funding for schools, law enforcement and essential road repairs.\r\nSince payments through the Secure Rural Schools (SRS) Act expired last year, Wyden and Merkley have been working to reauthorize the program to ensure counties will receive a payment next spring that gives them certainty for funding critical county services in rural areas.\r\nBut congressional leaders blocked their efforts, citing the contention that increased timber management could somehow replace the SRS payments. In doing so, the senators said, they ignored estimates from the Forest Service concluding that logging on public lands would have to increase by 400 percent in order for timber revenues to match what counties have received in SRS investments.\r\n\u201cThe notion that these investments in rural communities could be killed and replaced with logging alone is disconnected from reality,\u201d Wyden said. \u201cI will continue to pursue a comprehensive, reality-based approach to get these counties the funding they have long relied on.\r\n\u201cThat comprehensive approach includes creating jobs in the woods through responsible forest management, including hazardous fuels reduction and sustainable biomass production, increasing outdoor recreation opportunities, boosting renewable energy jobs, and promoting our state\u2019s growing agricultural diversity, from raspberries to industrial hemp, all while protecting clean air and clean water for all Oregonians.\u201d\r\n\u201cWe need to honor the promise to these counties. We need to address the Secure Rural Schools program that provides a strong foundation and a strong commitment to the promise made to rural forested counties,\u201d said Merkley. \u201cWe need to act, and we need to act now.\u201d\r\nOver the last two years, the senators said Republican leaders have blocked numerous bipartisan bills and amendments to extend SRS, including their Secure Rural Schools and Payments in Lieu of Taxes Repair Act of 2015, as well as amendments to the 2015 national transportation bill, the 2016 National Defense Authorization Act, the North American Energy Security and Infrastructure Act of 2016, and the Elementary and Secondary Education Act.\r\nMore recently, Wyden and Merkley sought to extend this vital program by including it in the end-of-year, must-pass bill to fund the government, as well as on an energy conference bill that stalled in Congress this week. But because of congressional leadership\u2019s inaction, the payments counties received in the spring of 2016 will be their last until congressional leadership agrees to extend these crucial programs.\r\nLast year\u2019s SRS funds were paid to the counties in March 2016 and include payments from the Bureau of Land Management and the Forest Service. In Oregon, 33 counties received a total of $95 million in Secure Rural Schools payments this year. Over its lifetime, the program has brought almost $4 billion to Oregon\u2019s timber counties and schools all across the state.\r\nWyden co-authored the original SRS legislation in 2000 with then-Sen. Larry Craig, R-Idaho.\r\n\r\n \r\n           \r\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\tPrint\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tEmail\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t  \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTweet", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.merkley.senate.gov/news/press-releases/wyden-merkley-urge-senate-to-extend-critical-lifeline-for-rural-communities", "Wyden, Merkley Urge Senate to Extend Critical Lifeline for Rural Communities", "2016-12-08", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "OR", "Jeff Merkley", "M001176", "www.merkley.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Wyden, Merkley Urge Senate to Extend Critical Lifeline for Rural Communities \n\t\n\t\n\tThursday, December 8, 2016\n\t\n\tWashington, D.C.\u00a0\u2013 Today, Oregon\u2019s U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley urged the Senate to keep the government\u2019s promise to rural communities in Oregon, 40 other states and Puerto Rico by passing legislation that would provide vital funding for schools, law enforcement and essential road repairs.\r\nSince payments through the Secure Rural Schools (SRS) Act expired last year, Wyden and Merkley have been working to reauthorize the program to ensure counties will receive a payment next spring that gives them certainty for funding critical county services in rural areas.\u00a0\r\nBut congressional leaders blocked their efforts, citing the contention that increased timber management could somehow replace the SRS payments.\u00a0 In doing so they ignored estimates from the Forest Service concluding that logging on public lands would have to increase by 400 percent in order for timber revenues to match what counties have received in SRS investments.\r\n \r\n\u201cThe notion that these investments in rural communities could be killed and replaced with logging alone is disconnected from reality,\u201d Wyden said. \u201cI will continue to pursue a comprehensive, reality-based approach to get these counties the funding they have long relied on.\u00a0That comprehensive approach includes creating jobs in the woods through responsible forest management, including hazardous fuels reduction and sustainable biomass production, increasing outdoor recreation opportunities, boosting renewable energy jobs, and promoting our state\u2019s growing agricultural diversity, from raspberries to industrial hemp, all while protecting clean air and clean water for all Oregonians.\u201d\r\n\u201cWe need to honor the promise to these counties. We need to address the Secure Rural Schools program that provides a strong foundation and a strong commitment to the promise made to rural forested counties,\u201d said Merkley. \u201cWe need to act, and we need to act now.\u201d\r\n \r\nOver the last two years, Republican leaders have blocked the senators\u2019 numerous bipartisan bills and amendments to extend SRS, including their Secure Rural Schools and Payments in Lieu of Taxes Repair Act of 2015, as well as amendments to the 2015 national transportation bill, the 2016 National Defense Authorization Act, the North American Energy Security and Infrastructure Act of 2016, and the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. \u00a0\r\nMore recently, Wyden and Merkley sought to extend this vital program by including it in the end-of-year, must-pass bill to fund the government, as well as on an energy conference bill that stalled in Congress this week. But because of congressional leadership\u2019s inaction, the payments counties received in the spring of 2016 will be their last until congressional leadership agrees to extend these crucial programs.\r\nLast year\u2019s SRS funds were paid to the counties in March 2016 and include payments from the Bureau of Land Management and the Forest Service.\u00a0In Oregon, 33 counties received a total of $95 million in Secure Rural Schools payments this year.\u00a0Over its lifetime the program has brought almost $4 billion to Oregon\u2019s timber counties and schools all across the state.\r\nWyden co-authored the original SRS legislation in 2000 with then-Sen. Larry Craig, R-Idaho.\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n    \n    \n\t\n\t\n    \n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\n    \n\t\n     \n\t\n \n\t\n    \n    \n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t \n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t  \n    \n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n    \n    \n      \n    \n    \n    \n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n    \n\t\n\t  \n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\tPrint\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tEmail\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t  \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTweet", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.merkley.senate.gov/news/video/keeping-our-promise-to-rural-america", "Keeping Our Promise to Rural America", "2016-12-08", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "OR", "Jeff Merkley", "M001176", "www.merkley.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Oregon\u2019s Senator Jeff Merkley spoke on the Senate floor today to discuss the need to honor the contract the federal government made with Oregon\u2019s rural communities by extending the Secure Rural Schools (SRS) and Community Self-Determination Act.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.wyden.senate.gov/news/press-releases/senators-urge-president-elect-trump-to-live-up-to-campaign-promises-and-clarify-whether-he-opposes-cuts-to-medicare-and-medicaid", "Senators Urge President-Elect Trump to Live Up to Campaign Promises and Clarify Whether He Opposes Cuts to Medicare and Medicaid", "2016-12-08", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "OR", "Ron Wyden", "W000779", "www.wyden.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Thursday, December 8, 2016\n            \n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWashington, DC\u00a0- U.S. Senators Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Ranking Member of the Senate Finance Committee, and Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) andalong with 19 fellow senators, today sent a letter calling on President-Elect Donald Trump to remind him of his campaign promises to reject cuts to Medicare and Medicaid and to ask that he clarify whether he still intends to do so. The letter was signed by Senators Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.), Tom Udall (D-N.M.), Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), Gary Peters (D-Mich.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), Robert P. Casey (D-Pa.), Al Franken (D-Minn.), \u00a0Ben Cardin (D-Md.), Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), and Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii).\u00a0\r\n\"During your campaign for President of the United States, you differentiated yourself from your 16 primary opponents by noting that you were the only Republican who would protect Medicare and Medicaid,\" the senators wrote. \"After winning the election, you suddenly appear to be using language supporting policies that would gut the Medicare and Medicaid programs.\"\r\nThe letter continues, \"Over one hundred million Americans rely on these programs for health care. Low-income children and families and people with disabilities are the primary beneficiaries of Medicaid. \u00a0Millions of seniors and individuals with disabilities have earned and rely on their Medicare benefits. \u00a0Medicaid is the only assistance available to millions of low and middle-income families who have a loved one requiring nursing home care. \u00a0As you noted when you extolled their benefits on your campaign website, cutting these programs would be devastating.\"\r\nThe senators' letter draws attention to differences between the President-Elect's statements during the campaign, which were highlighted on his campaign website, and statements that are now posted on his transition website. These new policy positions contradict President-Elect Trump's promises as a candidate to protect Medicare and Medicaid, instead echoing Congressional Republicans' plans to cut these programs. The letter also notes that the President-Elect's nominee to head the Department of Health and Human Services, Tom Price, has been a \"leading architect\" of such plans.\r\nThe senators pressed President-Elect Trump to live up to his campaign promises and reject any cuts to Medicare and Medicaid. They wrote, \"We ask that you rapidly and publicly clarify in plain language for the American public that you continue to stand behind your campaign promises; that you will not raise the Medicare eligibility age; that you will not privatize, voucherize, or otherwise cut Medicare benefits; and that you will not put in place changes to Medicaid that force enrollees' coverage to be dropped and benefits to be cut or limited. \u00a0You promised Americans you would not cut Medicare or Medicaid-please tell Americans you will stand by your promise to them.\"\u00a0\r\nRead a PDF copy of the letter\u00a0here.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.wyden.senate.gov/news/press-releases/wyden-merkley-urge-senate-to-extend-critical-lifeline-for-rural-communities", "Wyden, Merkley Urge Senate to Extend Critical Lifeline for Rural Communities", "2016-12-08", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "OR", "Ron Wyden", "W000779", "www.wyden.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Thursday, December 8, 2016\n            \n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWashington, D.C.\u00a0\u2013 Today, Oregon\u2019s U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley urged the Senate to keep the government\u2019s promise to rural communities in Oregon, 40 other states and Puerto Rico by passing legislation that would provide vital funding for schools, law enforcement and essential road repairs.\r\nSince payments through the Secure Rural Schools (SRS) Act expired last year, Wyden and Merkley have been working to reauthorize the program to ensure counties will receive a payment next spring that gives them certainty for funding critical county services in rural areas.\u00a0\r\nBut congressional leaders blocked their efforts, citing the contention that increased timber management could somehow replace the SRS payments.\u00a0 In doing so they ignored estimates from the Forest Service concluding that logging on public lands would have to increase by 400 percent in order for timber revenues to match what counties have received in SRS investments.\r\n\u201cThe notion that these investments in rural communities could be killed and replaced with logging alone is disconnected from reality,\u201d Wyden said. \u201cI will continue to pursue a comprehensive, reality-based approach to get these counties the funding they have long relied on.\u00a0That comprehensive approach includes creating jobs in the woods through responsible forest management, including hazardous fuels reduction and sustainable biomass production, increasing outdoor recreation opportunities, boosting renewable energy jobs, and promoting our state\u2019s growing agricultural diversity, from raspberries to industrial hemp, all while protecting clean air and clean water for all Oregonians.\u201d\r\n\u201cWe need to honor the promise to these counties. We need to address the Secure Rural Schools program that provides a strong foundation and a strong commitment to the promise made to rural forested counties,\u201d said Merkley. \u201cWe need to act, and we need to act now.\u201d\r\nOver the last two years, Republican leaders have blocked the senators\u2019 numerous bipartisan bills and amendments to extend SRS, including their Secure Rural Schools and Payments in Lieu of Taxes Repair Act of 2015, as well as amendments to the 2015 national transportation bill, the 2016 National Defense Authorization Act, the North American Energy Security and Infrastructure Act of 2016, and the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. \u00a0\r\nMore recently, Wyden and Merkley sought to extend this vital program by including it in the end-of-year, must-pass bill to fund the government, as well as on an energy conference bill that stalled in Congress this week. But because of congressional leadership\u2019s inaction, the payments counties received in the spring of 2016 will be their last until congressional leadership agrees to extend these crucial programs.\r\nLast year\u2019s SRS funds were paid to the counties in March 2016 and include payments from the Bureau of Land Management and the Forest Service.\u00a0In Oregon, 33 counties received a total of $95 million in Secure Rural Schools payments this year.\u00a0Over its lifetime the program has brought almost $4 billion to Oregon\u2019s timber counties and schools all across the state.\r\nWyden co-authored the original SRS legislation in 2000 with then-Sen. Larry Craig, R-Idaho.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://bonamici.house.gov/press-release/bonamici-statement-nomination-scott-pruitt-epa-administrator", "Bonamici Statement on Nomination of Scott Pruitt as EPA Administrator", "2016-12-07", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "OR", "Suzanne Bonamici", "B001278", "bonamici.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON, DC [12/07/16] \u2014 Today Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR), the top Democrat on the House Science Committee\u2019s Environment Subcommittee, released the following statement after President-elect Donald Trump selected Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt as his nominee for Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency:\u201cScott Pruitt\u2019s close ties with fossil fuel companies are deeply concerning for a nominee who will direct the agency tasked with protecting the environment and combatting climate change. As Oklahoma\u2019s Attorney General, Mr. Pruitt led a legal battle against President Obama\u2019s Clean Power Plan, a plan that builds on the efforts of states like Oregon to create a unified, national approach to our biggest environmental challenge\u2014climate change. The Clean Power Plan represents an opportunity for American ingenuity that will allow us to benefit from the needed transition to a low-carbon economy. Many businesses in Oregon have stepped up and demonstrated their support to address climate change. Nike, Genentech, Intel, Lam Research, and Portland General Electric are among the more than 150 companies nationwide that have signed the American Business Act on Climate Pledge. Environmental protection, economic development, and job creation can go hand in hand, but instead of finding ways to invest in the development of renewable and sustainable resources, Mr. Pruitt continues to support fossil fuel industries.\u201cAs the top Democrat on the Science Committee\u2019s Environment Subcommittee, I take my responsibility seriously to protect the environment and address the effects of climate change. The EPA Administrator should be working to implement the historic Paris Agreement to reduce carbon emissions worldwide. Additionally, the EPA stands as a strong defense for the clean air, water, and planet we all need to live healthy, productive lives.\u201d\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.merkley.senate.gov/news/in-the-news/wyden-merkley-urge-trump-dont-cut-medicare-medicaid", "Wyden, Merkley urge Trump: Don't cut Medicare, Medicaid", "2016-12-07", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "OR", "Jeff Merkley", "M001176", "www.merkley.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Wyden, Merkley urge Trump: Don't cut Medicare, Medicaid \r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nWednesday, December 7, 2016\r\n\r\n\t\n\r\n\r\n\r\n  \r\n    By:\u00a0\r\n    Barney Lerten\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nA total of 21 Democrat U.S. senators, including Oregon\u2019s Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley, sent a letter Wednesday to President-elect Donald Trump to remind him of his campaign promises to reject cuts to Medicare and Medicaid and to ask that he clarify whether he still intends to do so.\r\nThe letter was signed by Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Ron Wyden (D-Ore.,) Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.), Tom Udall (D-N.M.), Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), Gary Peters (D-Mich.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), Robert P. Casey (D-Pa.), Al Franken (D-Minn.), Ben Cardin (D-Md.), Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), and Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii).\r\n\"During your campaign for President of the United States, you differentiated yourself from your 16 primary opponents by noting that you were the only Republican who would protect Medicare and Medicaid,\" the senators wrote. \"After winning the election, you suddenly appear to be using language supporting policies that would gut the Medicare and Medicaid programs.\"\r\nThe letter continues, \"Over one hundred million Americans rely on these programs for health care. Low-income children and families and people with disabilities are the primary beneficiaries of Medicaid. Millions of seniors and individuals with disabilities have earned and rely on their Medicare benefits. Medicaid is the only assistance available to millions of low and middle-income families who have a loved one requiring nursing home care. As you noted when you extolled their benefits on your campaign website, cutting these programs would be devastating.\"\r\nThe senators' letter draws attention to differences between the President-Elect's statements during the campaign, which were highlighted on his campaign website, and statements that are now posted on his transition website. These new policy positions contradict President-Elect Trump's promises as a candidate to protect Medicare and Medicaid, instead echoing Congressional Republicans' plans to cut these programs. The letter also notes that the President-Elect's nominee to head the Department of Health and Human Services, Tom Price, has been a \"leading architect\" of such plans.\r\nThe senators pressed President-Elect Trump to live up to his campaign promises and reject any cuts to Medicare and Medicaid.\r\nThey wrote, \"We ask that you rapidly and publicly clarify in plain language for the American public that you continue to stand behind your campaign promises; that you will not raise the Medicare eligibility age; that you will not privatize, voucherize, or otherwise cut Medicare benefits; and that you will not put in place changes to Medicaid that force enrollees' coverage to be dropped and benefits to be cut or limited. You promised Americans you would not cut Medicare or Medicaid -- please tell Americans you will stand by your promise to them.\"\r\n\r\n \r\n           \r\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\tPrint\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tEmail\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t  \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTweet", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.merkley.senate.gov/news/press-releases/merkley-statement-on-trumps-nomination-of-scott-pruitt-to-head-the-epa", "Merkley Statement on Trump’s Nomination of Scott Pruitt to Head the EPA", "2016-12-07", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "OR", "Jeff Merkley", "M001176", "www.merkley.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Merkley Statement on Trump\u2019s Nomination of Scott Pruitt to Head the EPA \n\t\n\t\t \u201cUnder Scott Pruitt, the Environmental Protection Agency would become the \u2018Polluter Protection Agency\u2019\u201d \n\t\n\t\n\tWednesday, December 7, 2016\n\t\n\tWASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 Oregon\u2019s Senator Jeff Merkley released the following statement regarding Donald Trump\u2019s nomination of Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt as Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA):\r\n \r\n\u201cOnce again, Donald Trump has picked a special-interest advocate to run an executive agency. Scott Pruitt has spent his career fighting to protect fossil fuel polluters rather than the public interest. As Oklahoma Attorney General, Pruitt was caught red-handed taking arguments virtually word-for-word from fossil fuel lobbyists and putting them on his official letterhead as the position of the State of Oklahoma. Under Scott Pruitt, the Environmental Protection Agency would become the \u2018Polluter Protection Agency.\u2019 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0\r\n\u201cPruitt has questioned the reality of climate change and sued the federal government to block action on the mercury, arsenic, and carbon pollution that poisons our communities and children.\u00a0Instead of protecting our families\u2019 right to clean air and water, Pruitt has demonstrated time and again that his main interest is protecting polluters. He is a dangerous and unacceptable choice to lead the agency tasked with leading our climate efforts and protecting clean air and clean water for all Americans.\u201d\r\n \n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n    \n    \n\t\n\t\n    \n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\n    \n\t\n     \n\t\n \n\t\n    \n    \n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t \n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t  \n    \n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n    \n    \n      \n    \n    \n    \n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n    \n\t\n\t  \n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\tPrint\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tEmail\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t  \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTweet", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.merkley.senate.gov/news/press-releases/senators-markey-and-merkley-lead-effort-calling-for-100-clean-and-renewable-energy-by-2050", "Senators Markey and Merkley Lead Effort Calling for 100% Clean and Renewable Energy by 2050", "2016-12-07", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "OR", "Jeff Merkley", "M001176", "www.merkley.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Senators Markey and Merkley Lead Effort Calling for 100% Clean and Renewable Energy by 2050 \n\t\n\t\t Transition to clean and renewable energy will help combat climate change, support continued job creation gains \n\t\n\t\n\tWednesday, December 7, 2016\n\t\n\tWashington (December 7, 2016) \u2013 Senators Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) and Jeff Merkley (D-Oreg.) today introduced a Senate resolution calling for generating 100 percent of the electricity consumed in the United States from clean and renewable energy resources by 2050. The resolution points to the enormous job creation potential of transitioning to renewable energy sources such as wind, solar and geothermal, particularly in communities with high rates of unemployment or underemployment. There are currently 310,000 individuals in the United States employed in the solar industry and 88,000 in the wind industry. The United States is projected to add more electric generating capacity from solar and wind than from any other source in 2016. More than half of all new electricity capacity added in the world in 2015 was renewable\r\n \r\n\u201cAs a technological giant, the United States must continue to lead the clean energy revolution,\u201d said Senator Markey. \u201cThe question is no longer if we can power our country with 100 percent renewable energy, it\u2019s when and how we will make the transition. Moving to 100 percent clean energy will power job creation that is good for all creation. We can and will meet this goal and now, more than ever, it is critical that we stand up and fight for our clean energy future. I thank Senator Merkley for his partnership introducing this resolution that sets out the bold goal of generating 100 percent renewable energy by the year 2050.\u201d\r\n\u201cToday\u2019s resolution sends a message loud and clear to our Senate colleagues: It\u2019s time to get serious about our climate efforts with big, bold and rapid moves to accelerate the clean energy economy,\u201d said Senator Merkley. \u201cTransitioning to clean and renewable energy is not only the right thing to do for clean air and a strong economy, it is what we must do to save our beautiful blue-green planet.\u201d\r\n \r\nA copy of the resolution can be found HERE. Full text can be found below.\r\nOther Senators supporting the resolution include Ben Cardin (D-Md.), Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii).\r\nRESOLUTION\u00a0\r\nSupporting a transition to 100 percent clean, renewable energy to help consumers, support the economy and national security of the United States, and avoid the worst impacts of climate change.\r\nWhereas, in December 2016, nearly 200 nations that are parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change adopted an historic international agreement to undertake ambitious efforts to combat climate change;\r\nWhereas transitioning to clean energy will help reduce carbon pollution in the United States, and combat climate change;\r\nWhereas transitioning to clean energy will help the United States meet its international commitments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions;\r\nWhereas transitioning to a clean energy economy will create millions of well-paying jobs in the United States, save consumers in the United States money, and boost economic growth;\r\nWhereas low-income communities, communities of color, and indigenous people in the United States are inordinately exposed to pollution from fossil fuels;\r\nWhereas distributed renewable energy and energy efficiency can provide access to local jobs in cities in the United States while cleaning up neighborhoods;\r\nWhereas, in 2005, the United States had fewer than 10,000 megawatts of installed wind and solar electric generating capacity;\r\nWhereas, in 2016, the United States has more than 100,000 megawatts of installed wind and solar electric generating capacity;\r\nWhereas, in 2016, the United States is projected to add more electric generating capacity from solar and wind than from any other source;\r\nWhereas, by the end of 2016, there are projected to be\u2014\r\n(1) 310,000 individuals in the United States employed in the solar industry; and\r\n(2) 88,000 individuals in the United States employed in the wind industry;\r\nWhereas, by 2020, there are projected to be nearly 600,000 individuals in the United States employed in the wind and solar industries;\r\nWhereas more than 1\u20442 of all new electricity capacity added in the world in 2015 was renewable; and\r\nWhereas according to the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, the United States has the technical potential to generate more than 100 times the quantity of electricity it consumes each year as of 2016 solely from wind, solar, and other renewable resources: Now, therefore, be it\r\nResolved, That the Senate\u2014\r\n(1) supports a national goal of phasing out fossil fuel emissions and, by 2050, generating 100 percent of the electricity consumed in the United States from clean energy resources, such as solar, wind, geothermal, and other renewable resources; and\r\n(2) supports policies to achieve that goal that will\u2014\r\n\u00a0\u00a0 (A) create jobs for all individuals, especially in communities with high rates of unemployment or underemployment, and build a sustainable economy; and\r\n\u00a0 (B) ensure universal access to clean energy for all homes and businesses in the United States, including for moderate- and low-income families.\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n    \n    \n\t\n\t\n    \n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\n    \n\t\n     \n\t\n \n\t\n    \n    \n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t \n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t  \n    \n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n    \n    \n      \n    \n    \n    \n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n    \n\t\n\t  \n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\tPrint\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tEmail\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t  \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTweet", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.merkley.senate.gov/news/press-releases/wyden-merkley-praise-passage-of-their-siletz-and-grand-ronde-land-bills", "Wyden, Merkley Praise Passage of Their Siletz and Grand Ronde Land Bills", "2016-12-07", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "OR", "Jeff Merkley", "M001176", "www.merkley.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Wyden, Merkley Praise Passage of Their Siletz and Grand Ronde Land Bills \n\t\n\t\n\tWednesday, December 7, 2016\n\t\n\tWashington, D.C. \u2013 Oregon Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley today praised the passage of their two bills that would streamline the Bureau of Indian Affairs process for putting land into trust for the Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians and the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde.\u00a0\r\nThis week\u2019s House approval of the two bills written by Wyden and Merkley follows Senate approval on July 14 and sends the legislation to the desk of President Obama.\r\n \r\n\u201cThese bills mark a significant step forward for tribal sovereignty and the right of the Siletz and Grand Ronde tribes to grow their own economies and build up their own communities,\u201d Wyden said. \u201cI\u2019m gratified to have worked with Senator Merkley to pass these two pieces of legislation that begin to honor long-ago promises made to the tribes.\u201d\u00a0\r\n\u201cToo often in our history, we have not kept our promises to tribes in Oregon and across the nation,\u201d Merkley said. \u201cThe passage of these bills is another milestone in the journey of righting these wrongs, and more fully empowering their sovereignty and self-determination.\u201d\r\n\u201cI'd like to thank Senators Wyden and Merkley, and Congressman Schrader, for their tireless work passing this legislation. The new law helps provide the Siletz Tribe a fair process to recover a small portion of our historic reservation,\u201d said Dolores Pigsley, Siletz Tribal Chairman.\r\n\"This legislation will enable the Tribe to more efficiently move the land it owns into reservation status, which is historically a very complex and time-consuming process,\" said Chairman Reyn Leno of The Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde. \"The Tribe would like to thank Senators Merkley and Wyden and the Oregon delegation for their support in advancing this important piece of legislation.\"\r\n \n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n    \n    \n\t\n\t\n    \n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\n    \n\t\n     \n\t\n \n\t\n    \n    \n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t \n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t  \n    \n\t\n\t\n\t  \n          \n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\tPrint\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tEmail\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t  \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTweet", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.wyden.senate.gov/news/press-releases/wyden-asks-congress-to-pass-historic-bipartisan-bicameral-child-welfare-reform-bill", "Wyden Asks Congress to Pass Historic Bipartisan, Bicameral Child Welfare Reform Bill", "2016-12-07", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "OR", "Ron Wyden", "W000779", "www.wyden.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Wyden Votes Against 21st Century Cures Act After Republican Leaders Ripped the Provision out of Final Package\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWednesday, December 7, 2016\n            \n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWashington, D.C.\u00a0\u2013 Senate Finance Committee Ranking Member Ron Wyden, D-Ore., today voted against the 21st Century Cures Act because Republican leaders stripped bipartisan, bicameral child welfare legislation out of the final bill.\r\nWyden then asked for unanimous consent that the Senate pass the Family First Prevention Services Act, which has the support of almost 500 child welfare organizations across the country, including the Children\u2019s Defense Fund, the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Catholic Bishops.\r\nThe Family First Prevention Services Act would help combat the opioid addiction crisis, keep more children safely in their homes and reduce overreliance on foster care group homes. Wyden and Senate Finance Chairman Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, along with Rep. Vern Buchanan, R-Fla., and House Ways and Means Committee Ranking Member Sander Levin, D-Mich., introduced the Family First Prevention Services Act in June. The bill passed the House of Representatives unanimously on June 21.\r\nSen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., objected to Wyden\u2019s request to pass the bill on the Senate floor.\r\n\u201cToday the Senate squandered an opportunity to pass legislation that would have offered new hope for hundreds of thousands of America\u2019s most vulnerable children and families. For close to three years, senators and Congress members have worked on bipartisan efforts to produce the Family First Prevention Services Act, so more kids can stay safely at home with their families and relatives. Nearly 500 health and public interest groups support this legislation. The House passed the Family First Prevention Services Act unanimously in June.\r\n\u201cThe Family First Prevention Services Act would implement the most significant improvements to the child welfare system in decades and provide real funding to fight the opioid and other drug epidemics. I am infuriated and heartbroken that Republican leaders struck this bipartisan provision to help the most vulnerable among us from the 21st Century Cures Act that passed today.\u201d\r\nThe bill\u2019s progress stalled last week after a small group of Republican senators voiced concern and Republican leaders struck the bill out of the final version of the 21st Century Cures Act before it was sent to the House floor for a vote.\r\nOn Monday, a group of former foster youth from across the country called on Congress to pass the bill at a press conference on Capitol Hill. The group was organized by FosterClub, the Children\u2019s Defense Fund, the American Academy of Pediatrics, Generations United, Voice for Adoption and the National Alliance of Children\u2019s Trust & Prevention Funds.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.wyden.senate.gov/news/press-releases/wyden-merkley-praise-passage-of-their-siletz-and-grand-ronde-land-bills", "Wyden, Merkley Praise Passage of Their Siletz and Grand Ronde Land Bills", "2016-12-07", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "OR", "Ron Wyden", "W000779", "www.wyden.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Wednesday, December 7, 2016\n            \n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWashington, D.C. \u2013 Oregon Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley today praised the passage of their two bills that would streamline the Bureau of Indian Affairs process for putting land into trust for the Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians and the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde.\u00a0\r\nThis week\u2019s House approval of the two bills written by Wyden and Merkley follows Senate approval on July 14 and sends the legislation to the desk of President Obama.\r\n\u201cThese bills mark a significant step forward for tribal sovereignty and the right of the Siletz and Grand Ronde tribes to grow their own economies and build up their own communities,\u201d Wyden said. \u201cI\u2019m gratified to have worked with Senator Merkley to pass these two pieces of legislation that begin to honor long-ago promises made to the tribes.\u201d\r\n\u201cToo often in our history, we have not kept our promises to tribes in Oregon and across the nation,\u201d Merkley said. \u201cThe passage of these bills is another milestone in the journey of righting these wrongs, and more fully empowering their sovereignty and self-determination.\u201d\r\n\u201cI'd like to thank Senators Wyden and Merkley, and Congressman Schrader, for their tireless work passing this legislation. The new law helps provide the Siletz Tribe a fair process to recover a small portion of our historic reservation,\u201d said Dolores Pigsley, Siletz Tribal Chairman.\r\n\"This legislation will enable the Tribe to more efficiently move the land it owns into reservation status, which is historically a very complex and time-consuming process,\" said Chairman Reyn Leno of The Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde. \"The Tribe would like to thank Senators Merkley and Wyden and the Oregon delegation for their support in advancing this important piece of legislation.\"\r\n\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.wyden.senate.gov/news/press-releases/wyden-statement-on-defense-authorization-bill", "Wyden Statement on Defense Authorization Bill", "2016-12-07", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "OR", "Ron Wyden", "W000779", "www.wyden.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Wednesday, December 7, 2016\n            \n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWashington, D.C. \u2013 Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., issued the following statement on his vote against the National Defense Authorization Act.\r\n\u201cThis bloated defense bill is exactly what Americans hate about politics as usual. It increases defense spending by billions at the same time Republicans insist we can\u2019t afford to pay to repair our roads and bridges, support Oregon\u2019s timber counties or fix wildfire funding. It breaks last year\u2019s bipartisan budget deal. And once again, this bill does far too little to restore fiscal accountability at the Pentagon and ensure the Defense Department is audit-ready by next year, or ever,\u201d Wyden said.\r\nI support fully funding the troops who keep our country safe, and ensuring that scandals like the one affecting National Guard bonuses don\u2019t happen again.\u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://schrader.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=390696", "Schrader Legislation to Benefit Siletz, Grand Ronde Tribes Passes the House", "2016-12-06", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "OR", "Kurt Schrader", "S001180", "schrader.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Today, the House of Representatives unanimously passed two bills introduced by Congressman Kurt Schrader and Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley that will streamline the fee-to-trust process for the Confederated Tribes of Siletz and the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde. The bills will provide considerable help to the two tribes in their continued efforts to restore land that was lost during federal policies of allotment and termination of tribal recognition in 1954.\u201cFor the past six years we\u2019ve been working tirelessly to get these bills passed which will provide considerable help to the Siletz and Grand Ronde tribes as they work to restore their historic lands,\u201d said Congressman Schrader. \u201cThe ability of the Tribes to reacquire the land they lost is critical to their self-determination efforts, which in turn will foster more immediate job creation for both Tribal members and the community at large. Streamlining this process will save the Tribes\u2019 time and money which can be better utilized serving its membership and the community. I congratulate both the Siletz and Grand Ronde on this hard fought victory.\u201dCurrently, the process for previously terminated tribes to take land into trust is lengthy, expensive and cumbersome. The legislation passed today will deem any property located within the Siletz or Grand Ronde\u2019s original reservation boundaries as \u201con-reservation\u201d for the purpose of processing acquisitions of property into trust through the Bureau of Indian Affairs process. Once taken into trust, the land can then be deemed part of the Tribe\u2019s reservation.Both the Confederated Tribes of the Siletz and Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde are represented by Congressman Kurt Schrader in Congress.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.merkley.senate.gov/news/in-the-news/a-democratic-senator-weighs-in-on-trumps-emerging-cabinet", "A Democratic Senator Weighs In On Trump's Emerging Cabinet", "2016-12-06", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "OR", "Jeff Merkley", "M001176", "www.merkley.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "A Democratic Senator Weighs In On Trump's Emerging Cabinet \r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nTuesday, December 6, 2016\r\n\r\n\t\n\r\n\r\n\r\n  \r\n    By:\u00a0\r\n    RACHEL MARTIN\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nAs Donald Trump's cabinet takes shape, Sen. Jeff Merkley, an Oregon Democrat, weighs in. He says he's \"deeply concerned\" about the choice of Ben Carson to leading Housing and Urban Development.\r\nRACHEL MARTIN, HOST:\r\nNow that President-elect Donald Trump has nominated some of his choices for cabinet positions, the Senate is going to start vetting them. And there are growing signs Senate Democrats are not planning to make that process an easy one for a number of Trump's picks. That includes yesterday's announcement of Dr. Ben Carson to head the Department of Housing and Urban Development. Among those speaking out is Senator Jeff Merkley of Oregon. He serves on the Senate Housing and Urban Affairs Committee. And he joins us in the studio now. Senator, thanks for coming in.\r\nJEFF MERKLEY: You're welcome. It's great to be with you.\r\nMARTIN: You say Dr. Ben Carson is not a good pick to lead HUD. Why not?\r\nMERKLEY: Well, it's very disappointing because the challenge we have in affordable housing is central to the quality of life of millions of Americans. And so you want someone to lead a very complex set of housing programs, who has a history in those programs, who understands them, who might be able to improve how they're administered.\r\nBut in this case, Ben Carson is somebody who has absolutely no background in this area, who has cast doubt on the need to address discrimination in housing, who didn't particularly address this during his presidential campaign and said, when it came to Health and Human Services, he didn't have the experience to run a large organization. And certainly this is a large organization in the housing world.\r\nMARTIN: We spoke with one of his close advisers and friends yesterday who said he wanted to clarify, saying, you know, Dr. Carson was - was reticent at first, but he said after being urged by Donald Trump to take the job, he decided that he would serve. And he has pointed directly to his experience growing up in inner city Detroit and later working as a doctor with patients from the inner city. He considers that preparation for the role. Can you see a scenario in which an outsider like Dr. Ben Carson can come into this big bureaucracy and make positive changes?\r\nMERKLEY: Well, certainly that's what we're going to have a hearing. And he'll have a chance to present his case, and I'll be very interested in what he has to say. But there is a lot that goes on in the housing world. Often, the housing programs get - become basically dedicated to for-profit developers. And we're going to have a for-profit developer who is our president. What about really dedicating the effort to low-income families who are not low income, as Ben Carson has indicated, because they don't work hard.\r\nThey're often working two or three jobs, trying to combine low-wage jobs that have conflicting schedules. They're working day and night. And the vacancy rates make it so rents are very, very high. I'm not sure that he really brings any insight to this challenge. From everything he has said so far, he thinks people are poor because it's their own - own fault, not the lack of living-wage jobs and - and affordable apartments or the ability to buy a home.\r\nMARTIN: He has suggested that he wants to see more of an effort by private citizens and charities, churches in particular, to play a larger role in meeting some of these needs. What are your thoughts on that?\r\nMERKLEY: Right now, we have an incredible crisis in housing across our country. In my home state of Oregon, you can go to a major city, and you can see tent cities springing up on highway cloverleafs and underpasses and parks. You can see that here in the nation's capital, here in Washington, D.C. You can see it across the country that - as we've lost living-wage jobs and as rents have gone up. This makes this a critical, critical area. It's not an area to say simply the market will take care of this. If the market would take care of it, we wouldn't have this problem of people being forced to live in tents on cloverleafs.\r\nMARTIN: There have been reports that Senate Democrats are considering giving Trump's cabinet appointments the, quote, \"Garland treatment,\" right, referring to how Senate Republicans have delayed President Obama's Supreme Court nominee, Merrick Garland. Might you slow-roll these nominations for - for political purposes?\r\nMERKLEY: Well, it certainly won't be the Merrick Garland treatment. He didn't get any hearing in committees, and we - everyone will get hearings. The Senate is controlled by the Republican majority. They have the ability to put these nominations on the floor quickly. They have the ability by simple majority to approve them. That is a change that we made in 2013 to stop the stonewalling, kind of the partisan attacks on - on the executive branch and the judiciary.\r\nAnd so we won't see that. But I think, in terms of a thorough vetting of, is a person qualified, that is our assignment under advice and consent in the Constitution - to determine, as Hamilton said, is an individual of fit quality or unfit quality. And that's - that's the question we should address.\r\nMARTIN: Senator Jeff Merkley from Oregon. Senator, thanks so much for coming in.\r\nMERKLEY: You're welcome.\r\n\r\n \r\n           \r\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\tPrint\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tEmail\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t  \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTweet", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.merkley.senate.gov/news/video/the-keys-of-our-government-cannot-be-returned-to-wall-street-profiteers", "The Keys of our Government Cannot Be Returned to Wall Street Profiteers", "2016-12-06", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "OR", "Jeff Merkley", "M001176", "www.merkley.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Oregon\u2019s Senator Jeff Merkley spoke on the Senate Floor today to highlight serious concerns with Trump\u2019s appointment for Treasury Secretary: former Goldman Sachs Executive and \u201cForeclosure Machine\u201d CEO Steve Mnuchin, who has said that one of his top priorities will be rolling back Wall Street reform.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.wyden.senate.gov/news/press-releases/wyden-merkley-call-on-government-accountability-office-to-study-impacts-of-genetically-modified-foods-on-hunger-pesticide-use-", "Wyden, Merkley Call on Government Accountability Office to Study Impacts of Genetically Modified Foods on Hunger, Pesticide Use", "2016-12-06", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "OR", "Ron Wyden", "W000779", "www.wyden.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Following New York Times Investigation into GMO Foods, Senators Ask if They are Adequately Addressing Food Needs \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tTuesday, December 6, 2016\n            \n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWashington, D.C.\u00a0\u2013 Oregon\u2019s U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley in a letter today called on the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to study whether genetically modified foods are reducing hunger and the use of pesticides in the United States and worldwide.\r\nThe senators asked the GAO to study the use of genetically modified (GMO) crops in the United States after a New York Times investigation raised questions about whether the use of GMO crops increased overall crop yields and decreased the use of chemical pesticides and herbicides, as advocates claimed they would.\u00a0\r\n\u201cWe are concerned about the findings of the NYT analysis, and ask that the GAO conduct its own study into the use of genetically modified crops in the United States, specifically whether the use of genetically modified crops has increased overall crop yields and whether the use of genetically modified crops has impacted the overall use of chemical pesticides and herbicides,\u201d the senators wrote in the letter.\r\nThe article references reports that found little evidence that GMO crops have increased yields any more than non-GMO crops. It also states that while the use of pesticides \u2013 the chemicals used to get rid of insects \u2013 in the U.S. has fallen, the use of herbicides \u2013 the chemicals used to get rid of weeds - has gone up.\r\nThe senators also wrote, \u201cThe goal to feed more of the world\u2019s hungry is a necessary and laudable goal.\u00a0 One that we have actively supported for our entire careers.\u00a0 But if that goal is not actually being met, and if we are putting ourselves and the environment at greater risk by using GMOs, then we should take a closer look at the appropriate use of GMO technology.\u201d\r\nA signed copy of today's letter is attached and available here.\r\nRead the New York Times story here.\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.merkley.senate.gov/news/in-the-news/sen-jeff-merkley-on-republicans-efforts-to-repeal-and-delay", "Sen. Jeff Merkley on Republicans' efforts to repeal and delay", "2016-12-05", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "OR", "Jeff Merkley", "M001176", "www.merkley.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Sen. Jeff Merkley on Republicans' efforts to repeal and delay \r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nMonday, December 5, 2016\r\n\r\n\t\n\r\n\r\n\r\n  \r\n    By:\u00a0\r\n    Elizabeth Hayes\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nSen.\u00a0Jeff Merkley, the junior Democrat from Oregon, takes a dim view of his Republican colleagues' strategy to immediately repeal the Affordable Care Act \u2014 but delay the effective date.\r\nRepublicans don't want the \"the millions hurt by repeal to be hurt before the next election, so they push it beyond that,\" Merkley said in a sit-down interview with the Business Journal at his Washington, D.C. Senate office.\r\n\"That way, they can fulfill their promise to their base, but not actually do it for several years, so they don\u2019t suffer a big backlash in the next election. When people are afraid of how citizens will react, it tells you millions of people will be hurt.\"\r\nPresident-elect\u00a0Donald Trump\u00a0repeatedly promised to repeal Obamacare, something Republicans in Congress tried dozens of times to no avail with\u00a0President Obama\u00a0in office. Now Republicans plan to proceed shortly after inauguration day, using budget reconciliation. That way, they could revoke parts of the health law with a simple majority, thus avoiding a Senate filibuster.\r\nMore than 20 million Americans have gained coverage under the ACA, mostly through the Medicaid expansion and the rest through the health exchanges. In Oregon, more than 400,000 people were added to the Medicaid roles, while another 135,000 signed up for commercial plans via the exchange. The uninsured rate dropped to about 5 percent from 14 percent before the ACA, making Oregon \u201cone of the most successful states in the country,\u201d Merkley noted.\r\nStill, the law has experienced major bumps, as private insurers have exited the health exchanges, in Oregon and around the country,\u00a0and rates have increased by double digits.\u00a0Premium tax credits, however, have insulated most consumers who buy their own insurance, including 95,000 Oregonians.\r\nMerkley worries that if Congress passes a repeal early next year but it doesn\u2019t take effect for three years, the uncertainty could lead to more insurers bailing out of the exchange. He also expressed concern about the future of Medicare. Rep. Tom Price, a Georgia Republican who is Trump\u2019s pick for secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, supports privatizing Medicare by converting it into a voucher program.\r\n\u201cSeniors of modest means soon wouldn\u2019t be able to afford what Medicare current provides. It would be breaking a promise. It\u2019s been a central promise of the working social contract in America, which is under assault,\u201d Merkley said.\r\nDuring his town hall meetings all over Oregon, constituents decried the ACA as a \u201cgovernment takeover\u201d of health care. But once he broke it down, they would voice support for various aspects of the law, including the exchange marketplace, consumer protection rules on pre-existing conditions and premium support, he said.\r\n\u201cThe families it helped tremendously are rural families that didn\u2019t have access to health care before,\u201d Merkley said. \u201cThis is traditional red territory, so it\u2019s not a program that benefited blue families but not red. It\u2019s been tremendously powerful in rural areas, including the funding for rural health clinics.\u201d\r\nMerkley, the only senator who backed Sen. Bernie Sanders\u2019 presidential bid, co-sponsored a resolution with the Vermont Independent and several Democratic senators that would have created a public option, or Medicare-like insurance plan.\r\nThat effort, which began in September, now looks to be dead in the water.\r\n\"A public option would be very helpful for driving down the cost of health care, but at this point, that's not shared by the majority of the House and Senate,\" Merkley said.\r\n\r\n\r\n \r\n           \r\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\tPrint\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tEmail\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t  \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTweet", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.merkley.senate.gov/news/press-releases/merkley-joins-senators-in-introducing-bill-to-give-wells-fargo-victims-their-day-in-court", "Merkley Joins Senators in Introducing Bill to Give Wells Fargo Victims Their Day in Court", "2016-12-05", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "OR", "Jeff Merkley", "M001176", "www.merkley.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Merkley Joins Senators in Introducing Bill to Give Wells Fargo Victims Their Day in Court \n\t\n\t\t Bill Would Prevent Wells Fargo from Using Forced Arbitration Clauses in Real Accounts to Block Customers from Suing over Fraudulent Ones \n\t\n\t\n\tMonday, December 5, 2016\n\t\n\tWASHINGTON, D.C. \u2014 Today, Oregon\u2019s Senator Jeff Merkley announced that he has joined 14 of his colleagues to introduce legislation, the Justice for Victims of Fraud Act of 2016, to give Wells Fargo customers who were victims of a fraudulent account scheme their day in court. Wells Fargo is using the forced arbitration clauses it tucked away in the fine print of contracts customers signed when they opened legitimate accounts to prevent the Wells Fargo customers with fraudulently-opened accounts who were harmed from joining together and taking Wells Fargo to court.\r\n \r\n\u201cWhat Wells Fargo did was outrageous,\u201d said Merkley. \u201cOpening millions of fraudulent accounts was a jaw-dropping betrayal of their customers\u2019 trust, and one that had a real cost for many consumers. Whether it\u2019s fraudulent fees or a falsely-damaged credit score, consumers should have every recourse when it comes to these violations\u2014especially since customers never actually agreed to these contracts for accounts that were created without their knowledge. Wells Fargo should not be able to hide behind fine print and technicalities to escape their day in court.\u201d\r\n \r\nForced arbitration clauses can prevent everyday consumers from taking companies to court for legal relief, and instead put victims of wrongdoing at a disadvantage by forcing their claims to go through an arbitration process. This arbitration process is often stacked against them, since the arbitration is typically provided by private firms who are paid by the companies accused of wrongdoing.\r\nThe Justice for Victims of Fraud Act of 2016 would work hand-in-hand with a\u00a0new oversight rule\u00a0that the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) put out in May to strengthen protections for consumers. Whereas the CFPB proposal would apply to new contracts going forward, this bill would allow victims of Wells Fargo\u2019s fraud to seek their day in court even if they signed contracts that included arbitration for their legitimate accounts in the past.\r\nThe bill is sponsored by U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) and cosponsored by U.S. Sens. Patrick Leahy (D-VT), Patty Murray (D-WA), Richard Durbin (D-IL), Jack Reed (D-RI), Robert Menendez (D-NJ), Robert Casey (D-PA), Jon Tester (D-MT), Mark Warner (D-VA), Al Franken (D-MN), Richard Blumenthal (CT), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), and Heidi Heitkamp (D-ND), in addition to Merkley.\r\nThe bill has been endorsed by The American Association for Justice, Consumers Union, the National Association of Consumer Advocates, the National Consumer Law Center (on behalf of its low income clients), Americans for Financial Reform, the Center for Responsible Lending, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), Media Voices for Children, Allied Progress, the Woodstock Institute, the Franciscan Action Network, the Economic Policy Institute Center, California Reinvestment Coalition, Consumers for Auto Reliability and Safety, National Consumers League, and Public Justice.\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n    \n    \n\t\n\t\n    \n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\n    \n\t\n     \n\t\n \n\t\n    \n    \n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t \n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t  \n    \n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n    \n    \n      \n    \n    \n    \n      \n    \n    \n    \n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n    \n\t\n\t  \n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\tPrint\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tEmail\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t  \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTweet", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.merkley.senate.gov/news/press-releases/merkley-statement-on-carson-hud-nomination", "Merkley Statement on Carson HUD Nomination", "2016-12-05", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "OR", "Jeff Merkley", "M001176", "www.merkley.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Merkley Statement on Carson HUD Nomination \n\t\n\t\n\tMonday, December 5, 2016\n\t\n\tWASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 Oregon\u2019s Senator Jeff Merkley released the following statement after President-Elect Donald Trump announced that he would nominate Dr. Ben Carson to be the next Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD):\r\n \r\n\u201cBen Carson has given me plenty of reasons to question his judgment, and I\u2019m curious to hear why he and the new Administration think he is qualified to be Secretary of Housing and Urban Development.\r\n\u201cCarson has previously taken himself out of the running for a cabinet position due to his lack of political experience. He has no professional experience in either government or housing policy. And his campaign website when he ran for President didn\u2019t even mention HUD.\r\n\u201cI am also deeply concerned that the incoming Administration has proposed someone who believes \u2018poverty is really more of a choice than anything else\u2019 to lead American urban development. We need policies coming out of HUD that reflect the needs of people struggling to find affordable housing in supercharged housing markets like Portland\u2019s. Telling people that their lack of means is their own problem is not a solution.\r\n\u201cIt looks like we will have plenty to discuss at Dr. Carson\u2019s hearing.\u201d\r\n \r\nMerkley sits on the Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee, which will consider Carson\u2019s nomination.\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n    \n    \n\t\n\t\n    \n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\n    \n\t\n     \n\t\n \n\t\n    \n    \n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t \n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t  \n    \n\t\n\t\n\t  \n          \n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\tPrint\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tEmail\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t  \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTweet", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://blumenauer.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/blumenauer-welcomes-decision-army-corps-deny-easements-dakota-access", "Blumenauer Welcomes Decision by Army Corps to Deny Easements for Dakota Access Pipeline", "2016-12-04", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "OR", "Earl Blumenauer", "B000574", "blumenauer.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington, DC\u00a0\u2013 Congressman Earl Blumenauer (OR-03) released the following statement:\n\u201cI'm encouraged by the Administration's decision today to not grant the easements needed for the Dakota Access Pipeline and to explore different routes.\n\u201cGiven the scale of the project and its environmental and other risks, this should have happened sooner. I was disappointed with the failure of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to properly engage and consult with tribal governments, and to fully examine the potential environmental impacts of the routing of the pipeline. I was also distressed at the actions by law enforcement and what appeared to me and many others as excessive and unnecessary force used against the protestors.\n\u201cFor many people, this protest has come to represent more than a decision over constructing a pipeline. It is a flashpoint after decades of mistreatment and misunderstanding. Re-routing the pipeline is a necessary first step in the right direction. Now we owe the parties here, and the generations to come, greater efforts to build relationships and more action toward righting the mistreatment and misunderstanding of the past.\u201d\nAs a member of the Congressional Native American Caucus, Blumenauer stood with the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe and called upon President Obama to engage in real, meaningful, government-to-government consultation and collaboration with tribal officials. He also joined with his colleagues in the House to urge the president to withdraw the permits for the pipeline, halt construction of the project in areas of federal jurisdiction, and conduct a comprehensive environmental review and transparent permitting process that includes public notice and participation.\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://bonamici.house.gov/press-release/bonamici-warns-policymakers-not-overstate-student-loan-costs-and-dismantle-protections", "Bonamici Warns Policymakers Not to Overstate Student Loan Costs and Dismantle Protections for Struggling Student Loan Borrowers", "2016-12-02", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "OR", "Suzanne Bonamici", "B001278", "bonamici.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Congresswoman Responds to Government Report, Calls for Improved Cost Estimates for Income-Driven Repayment Plans \nWASHINGTON, DC [12/02/16] \u2014 Today Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR), a member of the House Education Committee, released the following statement about the Government Accountability Office (GAO) report finding that the U.S. Department of Education\u2019s cost projections for income-driven repayment plans are unreliable.\u201cThe Government Accountability Office\u2019s recent report on the federal government\u2019s student loan program reveals that the Department of Education\u2019s cost estimates are based on shaky methodologies,\u201d said Congresswoman Bonamici. \u201cMore accurate projections would contemplate borrowers\u2019 income trajectories, consider the barriers to participating in income-driven repayment plans, and factor in the variation among the terms of repayment plans, all of which could shift estimates by billions of dollars.\u201dThe GAO\u2019s report notes that the Department\u2019s current cost estimates have doubled from previous projections, likely because of the increased participation in income-driven repayment plans. These plans permit student loan borrowers to make loan payments that are based on a percentage of their discretionary income. If borrowers have debt remaining after 20 or 25 years, it is forgiven. A separate program, the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program, forgives federal student loan debt after ten years of qualifying public service. The GAO\u2019s examination concluded that the Department\u2019s estimates may significantly exaggerate or undervalue actual costs.\u201cI am concerned that many of the news stories and responses from members of Congress have narrowly focused on the cost of the estimated loan principal that may be forgiven in income-driven repayment plans,\u201d Bonamici continued. \u201cThis limited focus overlooks the lower net costs of income-driven repayment plans, and it ignores the safety net these plans provide to people who, after decades, remain weighed down by student debt. Additionally, the Congressional Budget Office projections show that the federal student loan program overall will bring in roughly $80 billion over the next ten years. A sole focus on income-driven repayment ignores the fact that, overall, the program generates revenue.\u201cThe real story is that policymakers don\u2019t yet have the accurate information they need to make policy changes to income-driven repayment plans. I commend the Department of Education for accepting the GAO\u2019s recommendations, and I encourage the Department to work with the next administration to produce more dependable cost projections without delay.\u201cFar too many students across the country are struggling with student loan debt, and Congress needs to pursue reasonable reforms to student loan repayment. If policymakers are serious about addressing this issue, we must also take into consideration soaring college costs and institutions that offer degrees and credentials of dubious value in the marketplace. This debate should include potential changes to income-driven repayment plans that are necessary to shield vulnerable student loan borrowers from default while making income-driven repayment a sustainable option in the long run.\u201cBut acting without improved cost estimates is premature. It would be detrimental to students across the country \u2013 and could leave millions of indebted Americans out in the cold \u2013 if policymakers impose drastic reforms on repayment programs based on insufficient or inaccurate information.\"\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://blumenauer.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/blumenauer-calls-protection-dreame", "Blumenauer Calls for Protection of DREAMers", "2016-12-02", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "OR", "Earl Blumenauer", "B000574", "blumenauer.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington, DC\u00a0\u2013 Yesterday evening on the House floor, Congressman Earl Blumenauer (OR-03) called on Congress to do everything it can to protect DREAMers, those brought to the United States\u00a0as children and registered in the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program.\n\u201c\u2026 The notion of sending these young people back who \u2026 came here as children \u2013 they didn\u2019t have any choice. What four-year-old, three-year-old, two-year-old, or infant is making this perilous journey on their own? They were brought here. They were raised here. Many of these young people \u2026 have had amazing records of success. And, they took the United States government and its president at his word, and came forward and took a little bit of a risk because they wanted to be part of the fabric of this country,\u201d\u00a0Blumenauer said.\n\u201c\u2026 I think it would be a tragedy if we were to punish people who took the president at his word, who put confidence in this Congress to unwind this unfortunate situation. I think it\u2019s important that all of us add our voices, that we connect with the people at home who are desperate and apprehensive and vulnerable, and make sure the American public knows what\u2019s at stake. Because if we add our voices, our examples, and engage, there\u2019s no doubt in my mind that there will be enough public pressure to prevent a tragedy of immense proportions.\u201d\nBlumenauer is also part of a group of House members calling on President Obama to provide retroactive and prospective pardon of categorical civil immigration violations for these young people granted DACA status.\u00a0\u00a0For many DREAMers, this could clear a path to legal status.\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.merkley.senate.gov/news/in-the-news/sizing-up-the-governments-new-fintech-plan", "Sizing Up the Government’s New Fintech Plan", "2016-12-02", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "OR", "Jeff Merkley", "M001176", "www.merkley.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Sizing Up the Government\u2019s New Fintech Plan \r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nFriday, December 2, 2016\r\n\r\n\t\n\r\n\r\n\r\n  \r\n    By:\u00a0\r\n    PETER RUDEGEAIR AND TELIS DEMOS\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nA proposal from a top\u00a0U.S. banking regulator to allow financial-technology companies to apply\u00a0for bank charters drew a range of reactions on Friday from industry executives, policy makers, attorneys and advocacy groups. Here are a few of the early takes on the proposal:\r\nFavorable/Positive\r\n\u00b7 Ken Rees, chief executive of online lender Elevate Credit Inc., said that the new charter could enable innovation, but partnerships between a bank and a fintech company would still offer big opportunities to provide better financial services to consumers. \u201cI don\u2019t think fintech companies have to go it alone to get the advantages we want because banks do a lot of things really well and fintech companies do a lot of things really well [and] those things don\u2019t necessarily overlap.\u201d\r\n\u00b7 Marla Blow, chief executive of FS Card Inc., a startup that offers subprime credit cards via a partnership a bank, said that she would \u201cabsolutely be taking a long hard look\u201d at the new charters. Currently, only banks can issue debit cards that work with networks like Visa Inc. and Mastercard Inc. and pull money from checking accounts. Expanding that to fintech firms, she said, \u201cwould cause a lot of creative juices to start flowing. There are lots of possibilities for financial inclusion.\u201d\r\n\u00b7 Colin Walsh, CEO and co-founder of online banking startup Varo Money Inc., has said in the past that the firm would consider pursuing a bank charter. Of today\u2019s announcement, he said it was \u201cvery good news,\u201dand that \u201ca national bank charter is a major stamp of approval and consumer trust. It ushers in a whole new opportunity.\u201d Varo, which is building a mobile-banking app that uses artificial intelligence to offer financial advice, presently partners with a bank to provide deposit accounts. Varo is also seeking state lending licenses.\r\n\u00b7 Brian Peters, head of the Financial Innovation Now, an industry group representing big technology companies that offer some banking services. \u201cA surprisingly large number of players are very closely watching\u2026. A lot of people are calling this a historic announcement. It will all depend on the details.\u201d\r\nCautious/Negative\r\n\u00b7\u00a0Maria Vullo, the superintendent of New York\u2019s Department of Financial Services, said that her agency would defend states\u2019 ability to enforce consumer-protection laws, adding that it \u201copposes any effort to federalize what states have been doing \u2013 and doing well \u2013 for over a century.\u201d Ms. Vullo added that the OCC\u2019s proposal \u201cwould be irresponsible if it were to ignore the states\u2019 historical role and longstanding expertise in this arena.\u201d\r\n\u00b7\u00a0Michelle Sternthal, deputy director of policy and government affairs for small-business advocacy group Main Street Alliance, said preemption of state law by a new federal OCC charter could be harmful for small businesses. \u201cWhile the fintech industry has the potential to expand lending for small business owners, it is also a breeding ground for costly, and often predatory, lending practices,\u201d Ms. Sternthal said in a statement.\r\n\u00b7\u00a0Sen. Jeff Merkley of Oregon said permitting fintech companies to preempt state regulations the way that the OCC proposes could harm consumers. \u201cI am deeply concerned that the OCC\u2019s plan to offer a national charter will weaken consumer protection standards in online lending and allow FinTech firms to sink to the lowest common denominator rather than abiding by stronger state laws, such as Oregon\u2019s payday lending law,\u201d Sen. Merkley said in a statement.\r\n\u00b7\u00a0Camden Fine, president and chief executive of trade group Independent Community Bankers of America, said that the OCC\u2019s proposal would codify an uneven playing field where fintech companies faced less scrutiny than traditional banks. \u201cICBA has been deeply concerned that nonbank online lenders\u2019 lack of oversight has provided them with regulatory advantages\u2026 while putting consumers and the financial system at risk.\u201d\r\nOther\r\n\u00b7\u00a0Brian Korn, an attorney at Manatt, Phelps & Phillips LLP, said that online lenders that obtain one of these charters from the OCC would make contracts many have entered into with outside banks unnecessary. In so-called rent-a-charter deals, online lenders including LendingClub Corp and Prosper Marketplace Inc have outsourced the technical parts of making a loan to regulated banks, a setup that has been called into question by recent court decisions. Under the OCC proposal, though, an online lender \u201cdoesn\u2019t have to construct a mechanic to run a loan through a bank,\u201d Mr. Korn said.\r\n\r\n \r\n           \r\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\tPrint\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tEmail\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t  \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTweet", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.merkley.senate.gov/news/press-releases/merkley-expresses-concern-that-occ-fintech-charter-plan-will-allow-lenders-to-sink-to-the-lowest-common-denominator", "Merkley Expresses Concern that OCC FinTech Charter Plan Will Allow Lenders to “Sink to the Lowest Common Denominator”", "2016-12-02", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "OR", "Jeff Merkley", "M001176", "www.merkley.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Merkley Expresses Concern that OCC FinTech Charter Plan Will Allow Lenders to \u201cSink to the Lowest Common Denominator\u201d \n\t\n\t\n\tFriday, December 2, 2016\n\t\n\tWASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 Oregon's Senator Jeff Merkley released the following statement after the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) laid out plans to create a new national charter for financial technology, or \u201cFinTech,\u201d firms:\r\n \r\n\"The emerging FinTech market has the potential for great innovation and expansion of opportunity. However, without proper safeguards, it will become a breeding ground for predatory practices that gouge consumers and small business owners and undermine the vast majority of entrepreneurs trying to operate responsibly. I am deeply concerned that the OCC\u2019s plan to offer a national charter will weaken consumer protection standards in online lending and allow FinTech firms to sink to the lowest common denominator rather than abiding by stronger state laws, such as Oregon\u2019s payday lending law. Innovation and consumer protection need not be mutually exclusive, and I will continue working with the OCC to make sure that they pursue both with equal vigor.\"\r\n \n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n    \n    \n\t\n\t\n    \n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\n    \n\t\n     \n\t\n \n\t\n    \n    \n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t \n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t  \n    \n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n    \n    \n      \n    \n    \n    \n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n    \n\t\n\t  \n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\tPrint\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tEmail\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t  \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTweet", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.merkley.senate.gov/news/in-the-news/democrats-say-theyll-take-aim-at-trumps-treasury-pick", "Democrats say they’ll take aim at Trump’s Treasury pick", "2016-12-01", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "OR", "Jeff Merkley", "M001176", "www.merkley.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Democrats say they\u2019ll take aim at Trump\u2019s Treasury pick \r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nThursday, December 1, 2016\r\n\r\n\t\n\r\n\r\n\r\n  \r\n    By:\u00a0\r\n    Victoria McGrane\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nWASHINGTON \u2014 President-elect Donald Trump selected a former Goldman Sachs trader and Hollywood financier as secretary of the Treasury on Wednesday, handing Democrats a high-profile target to make the case that Trump is abandoning his populist campaign promises to clear out monied elites and make Washington work for the average Joe.\r\nTrump named Steven Mnuchin\u00a0, 53, who reportedly made much of his $40 million net worth in his 17 years at Goldman, as his pick for the top economic policy post in his incoming administration. If confirmed, Mnuchin would be placed at the forefront of major Trump plans such as an ambitious overhaul of the tax code and a $1 trillion infrastructure spending blitz.\r\nAs with his other Cabinet choices, the selection elevates one of Trump\u2019s early supporters to a plum government role. Mnuchin served as the national finance chairman for Trump\u2019s campaign, joining shortly after the president-elect clinched the Republican nomination in May.\r\n\u201cSteve Mnuchin is a world-class financier, banker, and businessman, and has played a key role in developing our plan to build a dynamic, booming economy that will create millions of jobs,\u201d Trump said.\r\nBottom of Form\r\nAlso Wednesday, Trump named billionaire investor Wilbur Ross, 79, an early financial backer of Trump\u2019s campaign, to be his secretary of commerce. The choices further boost the rich, white, and largely male makeup of Trump\u2019s emerging Cabinet.\r\nDemocrats and their allies signaled they will make Mnuchin\u2019s confirmation as turbulent as possible. Readying their line of attack, they seized on his role in the resurrection of a Southern California mortgage lending institution that failed during the 2008 financial crisis. As Mnuchin led the bank\u2019s revival, it was the focus of complaints by consumer watchdogs that it engaged in unfair foreclosures and discriminatory lending practices.\r\n\u201cGiven Mr. Mnuchin\u2019s history of profiting off the victims of predatory lending, I look forward to asking him how his Treasury Department would work for Americans who are still waiting for the economic recovery to show up in their communities,\u201d said Oregon Senator Ron Wyden, the top Democrat on the Senate Finance Committee, which will vet Mnuchin\u2019s nomination.\r\n\u201cWe need a Treasury secretary who will stand up to predatory lending, not one who practiced it,\u201d tweeted Senator Jeff Merkley of Oregon, a staunch Wall Street critic.\r\nSenator Elizabeth Warren was, not surprisingly, critical as well.\r\n\u201cHis bank was infamous for its aggressive tactics in dealing with families that had been tricked on mortgages,\u201d the Massachusetts Democrat said in an interview with the Globe, referring to OneWest Bank, which Mnuchin ran for six years. \u201cPeople like Steve Mnuchin turned millions of lives upside down, and now Donald Trump wants him to run the United States Treasury. That is outrageous.\u201d\r\nThe business community is also anticipating a fierce fight.\r\n\u201cWe expect this nomination to be one of the more difficult lifts in the Cabinet,\u201d predicted Isaac Boltansky, a Washington analyst with Compass Point Research & Trading, in a note to clients.\r\nMnuchin, responding to criticism that he doesn\u2019t have the right experience, said Wednesday, \u201cWhat I\u2019ve really been focused on is being a regional banker for the last eight years,\u201d an apparent reference to his time at the helm of OneWest and on the board of CIT Group, which bought OneWest last year.\r\n\u201cI know what it takes to make sure that we can make loans to small- and mid-market companies, and that\u2019s going to be our big focus, making sure we scale back regulation so we make sure the banks are lending,\u201d he said.\r\nIn 2009, Mnuchin and a team of fellow investors bought from the federal government the remains of IndyMac, a California-based lender that collapsed under the weight of shoddy home loans made during the housing bubble frenzy. The group renamed it OneWest, and Mnuchin became its chairman and chief executive. Under his watch, OneWest gained a reputation for moving quickly to foreclose on delinquent borrowers \u2014 carrying out foreclosures on 36,000 households in California alone, plus an unknown number around the country, according to the California Reinvestment Coalition, a housing advocacy group that has dubbed OneWest a \u201cforeclosure machine.\u201d\r\nLast year, Mnuchin and his fellow investors sold OneWest to CIT for $3.4 billion, more than double what they paid for IndyMac\u2019s assets in 2009. Trump cited that financial success in his statement announcing his Treasury pick. Mnuchin ran OneWest \u201cvery professionally. .\u00a0.\u00a0. That\u2019s the kind of people I want in my administration representing our country,\u201d Trump said. Mnuchin is now a member of CIT\u2019s board of directors.\r\nHigh-level Republicans showered Mnuchin with praise Wednesday. Orrin Hatch of Utah, the Republican chairman of the Senate Finance panel who will run the confirmation hearing, lauded the \u201cdepth and breadth of Steven\u2019s private sector experience.\u201d He predicted the former investment banker would help lead the Republican-controlled Congress to \u201crevamp the nation\u2019s outdated tax code to create a healthier economic environment for American businesses and families here at home.\u201d\r\nMnuchin said Wednesday that Trump\u2019s proposed sweeping tax rewrite would be his top priority. He made waves by saying that while the plan is to cut the overall tax rate for the richest Americans, it would be coupled with scaled back deductions so the highest earners would overall not get a tax break.\r\n\u201cThere will be no absolute tax cut for the upper class,\u201d Mnuchin said during an interview on CNBC. \u201cThere will be a big tax cut for the middle class.\u201d\r\nThanks to Senate rule changes ushered in by Democrats several years ago, Democrats aren\u2019t able to filibuster Trump\u2019s Cabinet picks, meaning a nominee can be approved with a simple majority vote. The Democrats would need a number of Republicans to turn against the nomination as well, a highly unlikely prospect.\r\nStill, Democrats see an opportunity to make a lot of noise in an effort to hurt Trump\u2019s standing with the voters who backed him and his populist message.\r\n\u201cDonald Trump is defining his own presidency with these appointments,\u201d Warren said, acknowledging Democrats have little hope of derailing the nomination. \u201cHe\u2019s making it clear what he ran on and what he plans to do are very different.\u2019\u2019\r\nCritics charge that OneWest reaped its profits at the expense of the type of working-class and middle-income Americans Trump said he would fight for in Washington. Housing advocates say the lender employed questionable foreclosure practices \u2014 for instance, not trying to help borrowers take advantage of government loan modification programs designed to help people keep their homes \u2014 and in at least some cases improperly kicked people out of their houses.\r\nThe backlash even got personal when in 2011 more than 100 protesters marched on Mnuchin\u2019s multimillion-dollar Bel Air mansion in the wake of a controversial Los Angeles-area foreclosure.\r\nA request for comment from Mnuchin directed to Trump\u2019s transition team was not returned. A spokesman for CIT did not respond to a request for comment.\r\nIn her interview with the Globe, Warren said OneWest was known for engaging in what is known as \u201cdual tracking,\u201d where the lender would pretend to negotiate with delinquent borrowers while quietly pursuing foreclosure proceedings at the same time, causing unwitting homeowners to lose their houses right when they thought things were getting better.\r\n\u201cThis is someone who has shown himself not to understand the plight of everyday Americans and has profited immensely on the backs of the suffering of working-class families,\u201d said Kevin Stein, deputy director of the California Reinvestment Coalition. His group recently filed a complaint, along with another consumer watchdog group, against CIT with the Department of Housing and Urban Development, accusing OneWest of discriminating against blacks and other minority groups, in some instances while it was still under Mnuchin\u2019s direction. CIT has denied the accusations.\r\n\r\n\r\n \r\n           \r\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\tPrint\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tEmail\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t  \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTweet", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.merkley.senate.gov/news/in-the-news/merkley-fights-to-keep-consumer-bureau-independent", "Merkley fights to keep consumer bureau independent", "2016-12-01", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "OR", "Jeff Merkley", "M001176", "www.merkley.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Merkley fights to keep consumer bureau independent \r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nThursday, December 1, 2016\r\n\r\n\t\n\r\n\r\n\r\n  \r\n    By:\u00a0\r\n    KTVZ.COM news sources\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nWASHINGTON - Senator Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., has joined an amicus brief of 20 current and former members of Congress supporting the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau\u2019s appeal of a judicial decision that threatens its independent structure.\r\nThe brief was filed this week in the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals.\r\nThe brief was led by Representative Maxine Waters (D-CA) and Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH), the top Democrats on the House Financial Services Committee and the Senate Banking Committee, respectively. In addition to Merkley, they were joined by Rep. Michael E. Capuano (D-MA), Rep. John Conyers, Jr. (D-MI), Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-MD), Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL), Rep. Keith Ellison (D-MN), former Rep. Barney Frank (D-MA), Rep. Alan Grayson (D-FL), Rep. Al Green (D-TX), Rep. Stephen F. Lynch (D-MA), Rep. Carolyn B. Maloney (D-NY), Sen. Bob Menendez (D-NJ), former Rep. Brad Miller (D-NC), Rep. Gwen Moore (D-WI), Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), Sen. Jack Reed (D-RI), Sen. Harry Reid (D-NV), Rep. Brad Sherman (D-CA) and Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA).\r\nAs a member of the Senate Banking Committee, Merkley worked closely with his colleagues to craft the CFPB\u2019s structure as part of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act. Merkley and his colleagues deliberately structured the CFPB as an independent agency headed by a Director, so that the agency would have the power, independence and efficiency to combat Wall Street abuses and not succumb to political sway of the day. Furthermore, under its current structure, the CFPB has returned more than $12 billion to consumers in just five years of existence.\r\nIn an earlier decision by a three-member panel of the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals, the Court struck down the Bureau\u2019s independent structure by throwing out the provision that allows Presidents to only fire the Bureau\u2019s Director for cause. This decision directly threatens the ability of the Bureau to stand up for consumers\u2019 rights independent of the political goals of the President of the United States. The amicus brief supports the CFPB\u2019s request for a new hearing en banc, or before the full D.C. Circuit Court.\r\n\u201cBy severing the for-cause removal provision, the panel decision fundamentally altered the CFPB\u2019s structure in a way that is at odds with Congress\u2019s design and will undermine the CFPB\u2019s ability to fulfill its important role under Dodd-Frank,\u201d the Members wrote in the brief\r\nThe brief also details the reasons that the October decision by a conservative panel of three judges is at odds with the text of the Constitution and Supreme Court precedent.\r\n\u201cThe panel\u2019s conclusion that the CFPB\u2019s structure is unconstitutional flatly contradicts all of these decisions, and it does so principally because it views multi-member commissions as superior to agencies led by a single director. The panel improperly elevated that policy judgment\u2014one properly made by Congress\u2014into a holding of constitutional law. That was plainly wrong, and consideration by the en banc court is thus warranted.\u201d\r\n\r\n \r\n           \r\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\tPrint\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tEmail\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t  \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTweet", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.merkley.senate.gov/news/press-releases/merkley-joins-amicus-brief-in-fight-to-protect-consumer-bureaus-independence", "Merkley Joins Amicus Brief in Fight to Protect Consumer Bureau’s Independence", "2016-12-01", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "OR", "Jeff Merkley", "M001176", "www.merkley.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Merkley Joins Amicus Brief in Fight to Protect Consumer Bureau\u2019s Independence \n\t\n\t\n\tThursday, December 1, 2016\n\t\n\tWASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 Oregon\u2019s Senator Jeff Merkley joined an amicus brief of 20 current and former Members of Congress supporting the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau\u2019s (CFPB) appeal of a judicial decision that threatens its independent structure. The brief was filed this week in the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals.\r\nThe brief was led by Representative Maxine Waters (D-CA) and Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH), the top Democrats on the House Financial Services Committee and the Senate Banking Committee, respectively. In addition to Merkley, they were joined by Rep. Michael E. Capuano (D-MA), Rep. John Conyers, Jr. (D-MI), Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-MD), Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL), Rep. Keith Ellison (D-MN), former Rep. Barney Frank (D-MA), Rep. Alan Grayson (D-FL), Rep. Al Green (D-TX), Rep. Stephen F. Lynch (D-MA), Rep. Carolyn B. Maloney (D-NY), Sen. Bob Menendez (D-NJ), former Rep. Brad Miller (D-NC), Rep. Gwen Moore (D-WI), Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), Sen. Jack Reed (D-RI), Sen. Harry Reid (D-NV), Rep. Brad Sherman (D-CA) and Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA).\r\nAs a member of the Senate Banking Committee, Merkley worked closely with his colleagues to craft the CFPB\u2019s structure as part of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act. Merkley and his colleagues deliberately structured the CFPB as an independent agency headed by a Director, so that the agency would have the power, independence and efficiency to combat Wall Street abuses and not succumb to political sway of the day. Furthermore, under its current structure, the CFPB has returned more than $12 billion to consumers in just five years of existence.\r\nIn an earlier decision by a three-member panel of the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals, the Court struck down the Bureau\u2019s independent structure by throwing out the provision that allows Presidents to only fire the Bureau\u2019s Director for cause. This decision directly threatens the ability of the Bureau to stand up for consumers\u2019 rights independent of the political goals of the President of the United States. The amicus brief supports the CFPB\u2019s request for a new hearing en banc, or before the full D.C. Circuit Court.\u00a0\r\n \r\n\u201cBy severing the for-cause removal provision, the panel decision fundamentally altered the CFPB\u2019s structure in a way that is at odds with Congress\u2019s design and will undermine the CFPB\u2019s ability to fulfill its important role under Dodd-Frank,\u201d the Members wrote in the\u00a0brief.\r\nThe brief also details the reasons that the October decision by a conservative panel of three judges is at odds with the text of the Constitution and Supreme Court precedent.\u00a0\r\n\u201cThe panel\u2019s conclusion that the CFPB\u2019s structure is unconstitutional flatly contradicts all of these decisions, and it does so principally because it views multi-member commissions as superior to agencies led by a single director. The panel improperly elevated that policy judgment\u2014one properly made by Congress\u2014into a holding of constitutional law. That was plainly wrong, and consideration by the en banc court is thus warranted.\u201d\r\n \n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n    \n    \n\t\n\t\n    \n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\n    \n\t\n     \n\t\n \n\t\n    \n    \n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t \n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t  \n    \n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n    \n    \n      \n    \n    \n    \n      \n    \n    \n    \n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n    \n\t\n\t  \n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\tPrint\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tEmail\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t  \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTweet", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.merkley.senate.gov/news/video/millions-of-americans-scrooged-this-holiday-season-without-overtime-pay", "Millions of Americans Scrooged This Holiday Season Without Overtime Pay", "2016-12-01", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "OR", "Jeff Merkley", "M001176", "www.merkley.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Oregon\u2019s Senator Jeff Merkley spoke on the Senate Floor today about the millions of Americans who should have gotten a raise today through the new overtime rule, which has been held up by Republican legal efforts.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.merkley.senate.gov/news/video/restoring-the-voting-rights-act-to-save-our-democracy", "Restoring the Voting Rights Act to Save Our Democracy", "2016-12-01", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "OR", "Jeff Merkley", "M001176", "www.merkley.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Oregon\u2019s Senator Jeff Merkley spoke on the Senate Floor today about the massive voter suppression efforts that made a real impact in cities and communities across our country during this election and the need to fully restore the Voting Rights Act to block these insidious efforts in future elections.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.wyden.senate.gov/news/press-releases/-wyden-merkley-call-on-justice-department-to-continue-rigorous-investigations-into-all-reported-hate-crimes-", "Wyden, Merkley Call on Justice Department to Continue Rigorous Investigations into All Reported Hate Crimes", "2016-12-01", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "OR", "Ron Wyden", "W000779", "www.wyden.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Thursday, December 1, 2016\n            \n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWashington, D.C.\u00a0\u2013 In a letter to the Department of Justice, Oregon\u2019s U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley called on the department to continue investigating all instances of reported hate crimes in the United States and to prosecute perpetrators of such crimes.\r\nWyden and Merkley specifically noted that reports of hate crimes against Muslims, Jews, African-Americans and LBGTQ individuals have risen nationwide over the last year, according to the Federal Bureau of Investigation.\r\nThe senators also mentioned a \u201cdisturbing level of animosity\u201d against minority groups throughout the recent election cycle.\r\n\u201cWe write to express our deep concern about the harassment and intimidation of people in Oregon and across this country based on their race, religion, ethnicity, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation and other personal characteristics. We urge you to continue to investigate all instances of such behavior and to hold perpetrators accountable for any illegal actions,\u201d Wyden and Merkley wrote.\r\nThe senators also wrote, \u201cWe will continue to fight for the rule of law in the U.S. Senate, regardless of who serves as Attorney General. We urge you to do all that you can to embolden the entire DOJ, particularly the FBI, to protect the public and ensure the fair administration of justice for all Americans.\u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://blumenauer.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/blumenauer-statement-afghan-siv-program-provisions-2017-ndaa-conferenced", "Blumenauer Statement on Afghan SIV Program Provisions in 2017 NDAA Conferenced Bill", "2016-11-30", "2016", "2016-11", "Democrat", "House", "OR", "Earl Blumenauer", "B000574", "blumenauer.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington, DC \u2013 Today, Congressman Earl Blumenauer (OR-03) released the following statement on the Afghan Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) provisions in the 2017 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) conference report:\n\u201cWe\u2019ve come a long way since we began this process earlier this year. Working with a bipartisan coalition in the House and Senate, we\u2019ve fought to keep intact a program critical to those brave Afghan men and women who risked their lives, and those of their families, by helping the US mission on the ground. I am encouraged that this program will be extended through 2020, and that additional visas will be authorized.\n\u201cOur work, however, is far from done to meet our obligations to these faithful allies. With an estimated backlog of nearly 10,000 applicants, and almost no visas left, we need more visas. We also need to ease these new eligibility requirements, so that all of those at risk because of their help can make it out of harm\u2019s way. We will continue to pursue any and every opportunity we have to fight for this program.\u201d\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.merkley.senate.gov/news/in-the-news/mnuchin-will-make-america-work-for-wall-street-sen-jeff-merkley-says", "Mnuchin will make America work for Wall Street, Sen. Jeff Merkley says", "2016-11-30", "2016", "2016-11", "Democrat", "House", "OR", "Jeff Merkley", "M001176", "www.merkley.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Mnuchin will make America work for Wall Street, Sen. Jeff Merkley says \r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nWednesday, November 30, 2016\r\n\r\n\t\n\r\n\r\n\r\n  \r\n    By:\u00a0\r\n    Christine Wang\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nSen. Jeff Merkley slammed Donald Trump 's selection of Steve Mnuchin for Treasury secretary on Wednesday.\r\n\"This man is an expert on how to make money in predatory lending and putting him in charge \u2014 it is absolutely the opposite of draining the swamp. It is filling the swamp with a swamp monster No. 1 who is an expert on how to take it to low-income families,\" Merkley said Wednesday on CNBC's \" Squawk Alley .\" \"It really is the opposite of what Trump said he was going to do.\"\r\nThe Trump transition team and Mnuchin did not immediately respond to CNBC's request for comment on Merkley's remarks.\r\nMnuchin, who was finance chairman for Trump's presidential campaign, is a Wall Street veteran , having spent 17 years at Goldman Sachs . His impending nomination seems at odds with Trump's populist campaign rhetoric for downtrodden blue-collar workers.\r\nSome are concerned that Mnuchin would roll back regulations that were drafted in the wake of the Great Recession, such as the Dodd-Frank Act. The former banking executive told CNBC on Wednesday morning that stripping parts of Dodd-Frank \" will be the No. 1 priority on the regulatory side .\" Such legislation was passed with the goal of protecting consumers and preventing another collapse of a major financial institution like Lehman Brothers.\r\n\"If you want somebody to dismantle the protections for consumers, he's just the guy to do it,\" said Merkley, D-Ore., who serves on the Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee.\r\nEarlier Wednesday, Trump transition spokesman Jason Miller said that the president-elect has assembled a \"Cabinet of winners\" and that Wilbur Ross and Mnuchin can fix the system because they understand it so well.\r\n\"There's nobody better to understand how the tax code works, to understand how our trade policies work, to understand just how American workers have been treated unfairly in recent years, and what's needed to go on that people who have actually helped to save companies and create jobs, like Wilbur Ross and Mnuchin,\" Miller said on a call with reporters.\r\nMiller also touted Mnuchin as a \"world-class financier,\" noting the former banker played a key role in developing Trump's tax reform plan.\r\n\r\n \r\n           \r\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\tPrint\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tEmail\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t  \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTweet", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.merkley.senate.gov/news/in-the-news/sen-jeff-merkley-says-donald-trump-will-fill-the-swamp-with-swamp-monsters", "Sen. Jeff Merkley Says Donald Trump Will \"Fill the Swamp With Swamp Monsters\"", "2016-11-30", "2016", "2016-11", "Democrat", "House", "OR", "Jeff Merkley", "M001176", "www.merkley.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Sen. Jeff Merkley Says Donald Trump Will \"Fill the Swamp With Swamp Monsters\" \r\n\r\n     Merkley's plan for Democrats taking back the White House? Fight for working-class Americans again. \r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nWednesday, November 30, 2016\r\n\r\n\t\n\r\n\r\n\r\n  \r\n    By:\u00a0\r\n    Nigel Jaquiss\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nU.S. Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) wasted no time in pushing back against President-elect Donald Trump.\r\nOn Nov. 17, Merkley\u00a0took to the Senate floor\u00a0to implore Trump to dump Stephen Bannon, the former Breitbart News chairman whom Trump named his chief strategist. \"Don't bring white supremacists or deeply prejudiced individuals into your administration,\" Merkley said to Trump in his floor speech.\r\nUnlike cabinet posts and the vacant seat on the U.S. Supreme Court, however, Bannon's appointment does not require Senate confirmation, so he's in. But Merkley says there's other things Democrats can do to protect Americans from Trump's plans.\r\nMerkley says Dems must regain the trust and confidence of working-class Americans.\u00a0\"The Trump administration claims it will fight for working Americans. I don't believe them for a moment. They will make the rich richer and those with power more powerful.\"\r\nDems can do that by fighting predatory financial practices, because Trump won't really \"drain the swamp\" in D.C. \"I think he's going to fill the swamp with swamp monsters from Wall Street. I think he's going to want to bring back teaser-rate mortgages and no-documentation loans.\"\r\nDemocrats have to distinguish themselves from Republicans on trade.\"Every trade agreement works against the U.S., and there's no mechanism for balancing after they're in effect. The agreements have no minimum-wage requirements for other countries and nothing to stop currency manipulation. We need to level the playing field.\"\r\nMerkley also thinks Democrats have to energize the party's base outside the Beltway.\u00a0\"Whether it's offshore drilling or renewing the issuance of coal leases on federal lands, we have to fight on issues where we can draw vivid examples of the potential damage. There has to be strong coordination with civil rights, labor and environmental groups.\"\r\nHe says Trump's win highlights the importance of communicating with voters.\u00a0\"I'm angry that we messed up this election. That's our fault. But I think there's already a fair amount of buyers' remorse out there. Voters are seeing a childish, immature person becoming president. It's scary as hell.\"\r\n\r\n \r\n           \r\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\tPrint\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tEmail\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t  \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTweet", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.merkley.senate.gov/news/in-the-news/wyden-and-merkley-ask-attorney-general-loretta-lynch-to-crack-down-on-hate-crimes", "Wyden and Merkley Ask Attorney General Loretta Lynch to Crack Down on Hate Crimes", "2016-11-30", "2016", "2016-11", "Democrat", "House", "OR", "Jeff Merkley", "M001176", "www.merkley.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Wyden and Merkley Ask Attorney General Loretta Lynch to Crack Down on Hate Crimes \r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nWednesday, November 30, 2016\r\n\r\n\t\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nOregon's two U.S. Senators, Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley, today wrote to Attorney General Loretta Lynch asking that her agency, the U.S. Department of Justice, address the reported increase in hate crimes and hate incidents.\r\nHere's an excerpt from their\u00a0letter:\r\n\r\n\r\n \r\n           \r\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\tPrint\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tEmail\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t  \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTweet", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.merkley.senate.gov/news/press-releases/merkley-applauds-epas-commitment-to-fuel-standards-that-save-money-and-cut-pollution", "Merkley Applauds EPA’s Commitment to Fuel Standards that Save Money and Cut Pollution", "2016-11-30", "2016", "2016-11", "Democrat", "House", "OR", "Jeff Merkley", "M001176", "www.merkley.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Merkley Applauds EPA\u2019s Commitment to Fuel Standards that Save Money and Cut Pollution \n\t\n\t\n\tWednesday, November 30, 2016\n\t\n\tWASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 Oregon\u2019s Senator Jeff Merkley released the following statement after the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposed to continue the carbon pollution standards for cars and light trucks through 2025:\r\n \r\n\u201cThe EPA\u2019s re-affirmation of the broadly supported fuel efficiency standards through 2025 is a common-sense win-win-win; these fuel economy standards are good for our consumers, economy and environment alike.\u00a0These fuel economy standards, which first took effect in 2012, were supported by a broad coalition of auto manufacturers as well as labor and environmental organizations.\u00a0The standards will make cars more fuel efficient over time, while providing auto manufacturers with much needed policy certainty.\u00a0Today\u2019s announcement re-affirms our commitment to make our auto sector more competitive, nearly double our fuel economy, dramatically cut carbon pollution, and save American drivers billions at the pump. For the sake of our health, economy and planet, these standards are something everyone can and should get behind.\u201d\r\n \n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n    \n    \n\t\n\t\n    \n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\n    \n\t\n     \n\t\n \n\t\n    \n    \n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t \n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t  \n    \n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n    \n    \n      \n    \n    \n    \n      \n    \n    \n    \n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n    \n\t\n\t  \n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\tPrint\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tEmail\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t  \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTweet", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.merkley.senate.gov/news/press-releases/merkley-slams-trumps-pick-of-mnuchin-for-treasury", "Merkley Slams Trump’s Pick of Mnuchin for Treasury", "2016-11-30", "2016", "2016-11", "Democrat", "House", "OR", "Jeff Merkley", "M001176", "www.merkley.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Merkley Slams Trump\u2019s Pick of Mnuchin for Treasury \n\t\n\t\n\tWednesday, November 30, 2016\n\t\n\tWASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 Oregon\u2019s Senator Jeff Merkley released the following statement after Donald Trump picked Steven Mnuchin, a former Goldman Sachs banker, as his nominee for Treasury Secretary:\r\n \r\n\u201cWhen Donald Trump promised change, I don\u2019t think voters thought he meant putting Wall Street back in charge of the economy. He talked a big talk about draining the swamp, but he\u2019s putting the ultimate insider in a key position to ensure that Wall Street can go back to ripping off working Americans.\r\n\u201cMnuchin is a former Goldman Sachs banker who led a financial institution that was called a \u2018foreclosure machine\u2019 and that is currently under investigation for racially discriminatory practices in California.\u00a0\r\n\u201cIf Donald Trump is looking for somebody to dismantle protections for consumers and small businesses, he\u2019s found a guy with the perfect resume. That might be great for Wall Street, but it\u2019s a disaster for the rest of us.\u00a0We need a Treasury Secretary who will stand up to predatory lending, not one who profits off it.\u201d\r\n \n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n    \n    \n\t\n\t\n    \n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\n    \n\t\n     \n\t\n \n\t\n    \n    \n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t \n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t  \n    \n\t\n\t\n\t  \n          \n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\tPrint\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tEmail\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t  \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTweet", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "truncated": false, "filtered_table_rows_count": 670, "expanded_columns": [], "expandable_columns": [], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "units": {}, "query": {"sql": "select url, title, date, year, month, party, chamber, state, member_name, bioguide_id, domain, scraper, source, date_source, text, has_text, collected_at, updated_at from releases where \"party\" = :p0 and \"state\" = :p1 and \"year\" = :p2 order by date desc limit 101", "params": {"p0": "Democrat", "p1": "OR", "p2": "2016"}}, "facet_results": {"party": {"name": "party", "type": "column", "hideable": false, "toggle_url": "/press/releases.json?party=Democrat&state=OR&year=2016", "results": [{"value": "Democrat", "label": "Democrat", "count": 670, "toggle_url": "http://dpwillis-congress-press-search.hf.space/press/releases.json?state=OR&year=2016", "selected": true}], "truncated": false}, "chamber": {"name": "chamber", "type": "column", "hideable": false, "toggle_url": "/press/releases.json?party=Democrat&state=OR&year=2016", "results": [{"value": "House", "label": "House", "count": 670, "toggle_url": "http://dpwillis-congress-press-search.hf.space/press/releases.json?party=Democrat&state=OR&year=2016&chamber=House", "selected": false}], "truncated": false}, "state": {"name": "state", "type": "column", "hideable": false, "toggle_url": "/press/releases.json?party=Democrat&state=OR&year=2016", "results": [{"value": "OR", "label": "OR", "count": 670, "toggle_url": "http://dpwillis-congress-press-search.hf.space/press/releases.json?party=Democrat&year=2016", "selected": true}], "truncated": false}, "year": {"name": "year", "type": "column", "hideable": false, "toggle_url": "/press/releases.json?party=Democrat&state=OR&year=2016", "results": [{"value": "2016", "label": "2016", "count": 670, "toggle_url": "http://dpwillis-congress-press-search.hf.space/press/releases.json?party=Democrat&state=OR", "selected": true}], "truncated": false}}, "suggested_facets": [], "next": "2016-11-30,https~3A~2F~2Fwww~2Emerkley~2Esenate~2Egov~2Fnews~2Fpress-releases~2Fmerkley-slams-trumps-pick-of-mnuchin-for-treasury", "next_url": "http://dpwillis-congress-press-search.hf.space/press/releases.json?party=Democrat&state=OR&year=2016&_next=2016-11-30%2Chttps~3A~2F~2Fwww~2Emerkley~2Esenate~2Egov~2Fnews~2Fpress-releases~2Fmerkley-slams-trumps-pick-of-mnuchin-for-treasury&_sort_desc=date", "private": false, "allow_execute_sql": true, "query_ms": 201.8965280149132, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}