{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "is_view": false, "human_description_en": "where state = \"OR\" and year = 2020 sorted by date descending", "rows": [["https://bonamici.house.gov/media/in-the-news/2020-year-disruptions-good-and-ill", "2020: A year of disruptions, for good and ill", "2020-12-31", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "House", "OR", "Suzanne Bonamici", "B001278", "bonamici.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "The Feb. 19 arrest sparked outrage, including from U.S. Rep. Suzanne Bonamici, a Beaverton Democrat whose House district includes all of Washington County. Bonamici has lobbied without success for Congress to pass a bill she has sponsored to keep ICE away from bus stops, schools, courthouses and other \"sensitive locations.\"", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://bonamici.house.gov/media/in-the-news/minority-group-leaders-discuss-covid-19-vaccine-equity-oregon", "Minority group leaders discuss COVID-19 vaccine equity in Oregon", "2020-12-31", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "House", "OR", "Suzanne Bonamici", "B001278", "bonamici.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "The livestream discussion lasted more than two hours, including recorded remarks from Oregon's US Sen. Ron Wyden and Rep. Suzanne Bonamici.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://bonamici.house.gov/media/in-the-news/increasing-pentagon-spending-when-people-are-going-hungry-madness", "Increasing Pentagon Spending When People Are Going Hungry Is Madness", "2020-12-30", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "House", "OR", "Suzanne Bonamici", "B001278", "bonamici.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "In addition to Khanna, the Democrats who cast no votes were: California's Mark DeSaulnier, Jimmy Gomez, Jared Huffman, and Barbara Lee; Hawaii's Tulsi Gabbard; Illinois's Chuy Garcia; Oregon's Earl Blumenauer and Suzanne Bonamici; Massachusetts's Joe Kennedy, Jim McGovern, and Ayanna Pressley; Michigan's Rashida Tlaib; Minnesota's Ilhan Omar; New York's Yvette Clarke, Adriano Espaillat, Grace Meng, and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez; Washington's Pramila Jayapal; and Wisconsin's Mark Pocan.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://bonamici.house.gov/media/in-the-news/community-invited-discuss-equitable-vaccine-distribution-experts-elected-officials", "Community Invited to Discuss Equitable Vaccine Distribution with Experts, Elected Officials", "2020-12-29", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "House", "OR", "Suzanne Bonamici", "B001278", "bonamici.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "The discussion features greetings from US Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici, and US Senator Ron Wyden. Speakers include: Susheela Jayapal, Multnomah County Commissioner; Patrick Allen, Oregon Health Authority Director; Pam Treece, Washington County Commissioner; and Jessica Guernsey, Multnomah County Health Department Public Health Director. Moderators for the discussion are Juwairyah Syed, Chair of the OIA STEM Program, and Ronault Polo Catalani, Creative Writer and Founder of New Portland Foundation.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://schrader.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=392831", "Schrader, McKinley Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Spur Innovation, Reduce Power Sector Emissions", "2020-12-28", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "OR", "Kurt Schrader", "S001180", "schrader.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON, D.C. U.S. Reps. David B. McKinley, P.E. (R-W.Va.) and Kurt Schrader (D-OR) today introduced theClean Energy Future through Innovation Act of 2020,a bipartisan proposal to accelerate the development and commercialization of clean energy technologies and establish clear and durable standards for their use in the electric power sector.\r\n            The legislation would make significant investments in energy innovation and infrastructure, including carbon capture, advanced nuclear, renewables, efficiency, and storage. After a decade of innovation, it establishes a technology-neutral clean energy standard that would reduce CO2 emissions 80% by 2050.\r\n            America needs energy policy that can endure, rather than one that changes after each election and judicial decision,said Rep. McKinley.No policy can succeed without certainty, and certainty requires bipartisan consensus. Our approach will reduce carbon emissions while ensuring affordable and resilient power generated from all sources. Furthermore, by positioning America as a leader in innovation it will allow us to export technology to the rest of the world and provide a global solution to this problem.\r\n            Climate change puts us all at risk, including the rural, coastal, and agricultural communities in my district,said Rep. Schrader.Americans are tired of the partisan fighting; they want and deserve a government that solves problems. We need a climate bill that can pass the Senate, be signed into law, and make a real differenceand the legislation that Rep. McKinley and I have introduced is it. We can keep fighting each other, but I'd rather tackle some problems. This bill will cut carbon emissions quickly, it will invest in a better energy system, and it will empower entrepreneurs and industry to create new technologies and new jobs.\r\n            The bill introduction comes after Reps. McKinley and Schrader released a discussion draft in September and solicited input from a broad array of stakeholders. They are continuing to receive feedback and will be refining the bill further, before reintroducing next year.\r\n            Background:\r\n            Earlier this year, Reps. McKinley and Schrader outlined their approach inan opinion piece in the USA Today's Hidden Common Ground Sectionurging a new, more pragmatic legislative approach.\r\n            The plan calls for a decade of public and private investments in clean energy innovation and infrastructure development, followed by new regulatory standards to ensure environmental and energy goals are met. Innovation alone isn't enough. We must clarify what federal law will (and will not) require, to provide a stable and predictable policy framework for investors and electric utilities in the decades ahead. Executive orders and administrative actions that prolong the political and legal battles won't solve this problem  but bipartisan legislation can.\r\n            Click to see the bill text here.\r\n            Click to see a section by section here.\r\n            \r\n            What They're Saying about the McKinley-Schrader Bill:\r\n            Representatives McKinley and Schrader should be applauded for recognizing that durable climate policy must come from Congress, and the approach must be bipartisan from the start. The business community is investing heavily in technologies that will reduce emissions and improve the environment, and we welcome good faith proposals like this to further these goals.\r\n            U.S. Chamber of Commerce\r\n            \r\n            I am very appreciative of Congressmen McKinley and Schrader for developing this legislation, because it fills a critical need at a critical time for our nation and the world. The rapid development and deployment of CCS technology on a worldwide scale is a must if we are going to do something that actually addresses global climate emissions, while preserving as many traditional energy jobs as possible. This bill will give our scientists and researchers the means to step on the accelerator in their efforts to get this technology to a point where it can be widely available. The UMWA is in full support, and we urge others in Congress who are developing legislation associated with addressing climate change to consider this bill a beacon for what can and must be done.\r\n            Cecil Roberts, President of the United Mine Workers of America\r\n            \r\n            The McKinley-Schrader proposal marks an important milestone along the road to developing climate legislation. It is a bipartisan effort that wisely addresses roles for both forward-looking energy innovation policy and for regulatory authority as needed. EnergyForward is committed to clean-energy transition and the technological breakthroughs needed to make it a reality. We look forward to working with Mr. McKinley and Mr. Schrader as they refine and advance the bill.\r\n            Scott Segal, director, EnergyForward and partner at Bracewell LLP.EnergyForwardis a coalition of utilities that includes Ameren, Duke, DTE Energy, Southern, Salt River Project and Vistra.\r\n            \r\n            Representatives McKinley and Schrader have developed a thoughtful and bipartisan approach to tackling a key element of our climate challenge. Investments focused on innovative technologies for clean energy coupled with the certainty of a clean energy standard, stand to move the power sector toward net zero emissions. Significant investments in technology and infrastructure would help rebuild and grow the U.S. economy, while its clean energy standard would help put us on pathway to carbon neutrality. Representatives McKinley and Shrader are to be commended for building a bipartisan bridge that is essential for the creation of durable climate policies.\r\n            Bob Perciasepe, President, Center for Climate and Energy Solutions\r\n            \r\n            American Electric Power (AEP) commends Representatives David McKinley and Kurt Schrader for proposing legislation that focuses on clean energy technology development, including an all-encompassing program for the demonstration and deployment of carbon capture, utilization and storage (CCUS), combined with a new federal regulatory framework that requires low- and zero-emitting generation. AEP is committed to a low- to no-carbon energy future and is focused on diversifying our resource portfolio, deploying technologies to reduce emissions, and modernizing the grid to help us get there. Preserving and enhancing our transmission and distribution system, in addition to technological advances, including energy storage and CCUS, will determine how quickly AEP can achieve zero emissions while continuing to provide reliable, affordable power for customers.\r\n             American Electric Power\r\n            \r\n            The scientific evidence is overwhelming that we must rapidly reduce our greenhouse gas emissions to net-zero. Effectively combatting the climate crisis will require significant deployment of both clean energy technologies and natural climate solutions, as well as a solid regulatory structure to provide a predictable framework for power producers to achieve emission reductions. We appreciate the leadership of Reps. McKinley and Schrader to develop this bipartisan, innovative approach to cutting energy sector climate pollution, and we look forward to working with them and other climate and energy leaders to create durable, equitable policy solutions that meet the urgency of the climate crisis.\r\n            Collin O'Mara, president and CEO of the National Wildlife Federation\r\n            \r\n            As one of our nation's largest energy providers, Duke Energy is committed to taking a leadership role in addressing the serious issue of climate change. Building on our significant progress of reducing CO2 emissions by 39% below 2005, we continue to work toward our ambitious goal of net zero carbon emissions by 2050. Doing so while maintaining affordability and reliability for our customers is critical, particularly as we work with our customers and communities through this challenging time.\r\n            Bipartisan efforts like this are critical in helping our industry deliver a clean energy future for all Americans. While Duke Energy understands and respects that there are different perspectives on how to achieve this future, we applaud Rep. McKinley and Rep. Schrader for their leadership on such a critical issue, and we remain committed to engaging in efforts that help develop a path forward.\r\n            Tom Craig, Vice President of Federal Government Affairs, Duke Energy\r\n            \r\n            ACEEE is supportive of the McKinley-Schrader effort as it seeks to advance innovation while providing a backstop that ensures that substantial greenhouse gas emissions reductions take place. We appreciate how this bill includes a number of energy efficiency provisions and look forward to working with the sponsors to build upon these provisions going forward.\r\n            Steve Nadel, Executive Director, American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy (ACEEE)\r\n            \r\n            The fastest path to an affordable, reliable, decarbonized electricity system will include nuclear energy alongside wind, solar, and energy storage. Therefore, any policy focused on reducing emissions must support the long-term operation of our nation's 94 nuclear power reactors by appropriately valuing the emissions-free attributes of nuclear energy.\r\n            Establishing technology-neutral policies and investing in low-carbon technology innovation would foster a level playing field for all clean energy generators, including nuclear energy. We are therefore grateful that Representatives McKinley and Schrader have developed draft legislation that would both support the nuclear reactors we operate today and accelerate the deployment of potentially game-changing new nuclear technologies to power a cleaner energy future.\r\n            Maria Korsnick, president and CEO, Nuclear Energy Institute\r\n            \r\n            Reps. McKinley (R-WV) and Schrader (D-OR)'s proposal is an encouraging step forward for federal energy and climate policy. Notably, the proposal combines immediate clean energy innovation programs with long-term national decarbonization targets for the power sector. We look forward to working with Congress to advance this important bipartisan effort.\r\n            Sasha Mackler, Bipartisan Policy Center Energy Project\r\n            \r\n            For more than a century, Southern Company has been building the future of energy and developing the full portfolio of energy resources, including carbon-free nuclear, advancedcarbon capture technologies, natural gas, renewables, energy efficiency and storage technology. We continue our industry-leading research and development, focusing on technologies that benefit customers and lower greenhouse gas emissions. Representatives McKinley and Schrader have come together with a pragmatic approach for investment in clean energy innovation and infrastructure development. We appreciate the opportunity to engage in stakeholder outreach and agree technology innovation is the solution to continued decarbonization for the economy.\r\n            Southern Company\r\n            \r\n            Below is an excerpt from ablog postfrom NRDC:\r\n            There's a new and noteworthy bipartisan partnership on Capitol Hill pushing for action on climate. In an op ed published in USA Today, Reps. David McKinley, Republican of West Virginia, and Kurt Schrader, Democrat of Oregon, write, We have to end the partisan battle over climate change by building a new framework that is fair to the workers, to communities, and to all American families while protecting our environment. Doing this, they write, will show the nation that Congress can still come together to meet the great challenges of our time.\r\n            This bipartisan collaboration is an important step. The concept they are proposing would advance clean energy in the power sector by combining a major federal investment in low carbon technologies with national standards that ensure we reduce the carbon pollution that is driving dangerous changes in our climate.\r\n            ###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://schrader.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=392832", "Rep. Schrader Issued the Following Statement", "2020-12-28", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "OR", "Kurt Schrader", "S001180", "schrader.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Rep. Schrader Issued the Following Statement  \r\n   \r\n    \r\n       \r\n      \r\n  \r\n    \r\n      f \r\n      t \r\n      #\r\n      e\r\n      \r\n      \r\n    \r\n    \r\n      \r\n        Washington,\r\n        December 28, 2020\r\n      \r\n       \r\n    \r\n  \r\n  \r\n  \r\n  \r\n  \r\n  \r\n  \r\n    \r\n      \r\n      \r\n      For Immediate Release\r\nDecember 28th, 2020 Contact:Larkin Parker, 202-225-5711\r\nWASHINGTON, D.C.  Congressman Kurt Schrader (OR-05) issued the followingstatement today:\r\nThis is an ineffective and poorly targeted approach to aiding Americans in distress. It is clearly a last-minute political maneuver by President Trump and extremists on both sides of the political spectrum who have been largely absent during months of hard negotiations. These funds would be better used for programs like PPP and unemployment insurance that directly benefit small businesses and hardworking families who have been negatively impacted by COVID-19.This is a gratuitous political gesture that threatens our children's future for short term political gain. I feel for all of those who are suffering today due to financial hardship and I look forward to continuing to work with my colleagues on a bipartisan, bicameral basis to find ways to provide relief during these difficult times.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.merkley.senate.gov/news/in-the-news/climate-emergency-oregon-sen-merkley-calls-for-national-declaration", "Climate Emergency: Oregon Sen. Merkley calls for national declaration", "2020-12-26", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "House", "OR", "Jeff Merkley", "M001176", "www.merkley.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Climate Emergency: Oregon Sen. Merkley calls for national declaration \r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nSaturday, December 26, 2020\r\n\r\n\t\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nOregon's U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley is urging the incoming Biden administration to declare a national climate emergency, he said would unlock powerful tools to address the climate crisis.\r\nMerkley outlined his recommendations in an op-ed published Dec. 21 by The Washington Post.\r\nToo many Americans are experiencing the wrath of climate-related disasters firsthand,\" Merkley wrote. \"These disasters are killing our citizens, bankrupting businesses, endangering our national security and threatening to leave our children a world of growing scarcity and conflict. The climate crisis is an emergency, and President-elect Joe Biden needs to treat it that way. That means using every tool available to him, including declaring a national climate emergency and using emergency powers to take unilateral executive action.\r\nAccording to Merkley, declaring climate chaos a national emergency under the National Emergency Act (NEA) would unlock powers that would allow the United States to take significant, concrete actions, regardless of congressional gridlock. Specifically, the declaration would allow the president to redirect spending to build out renewable energy systems, help put large-scale clean transportation solutions in place, and finance distributed energy projects to boost climate resiliency. Each of these steps would help safeguard communities across America and slash the harmful pollution that continues to drive the climate crisis.\r\nMerkley also explained in his op-ed that the Defense Protection Act (DPA) would help address the national security threats posed by our climate crisis and strengthen emergency preparedness in America by supporting the construction of resilient energy infrastructure and mobilizing domestic industry to ramp up the manufacturing of clean energy technologies. These are necessary steps to protect Americans from the coming deluge of violent storms and extreme weather events on the horizon, and can also spawn a robust clean energy industry can generate millions of high-quality American jobs vital to rejuvenating our post-COVID economy, according to Merkley.\r\nOver 500 environmental, health, faith, and labor groups have also called for a climate emergency declaration. Earlier this month at the summit marking the fifth anniversary of the Paris climate agreement, United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres called on every country to declare a climate emergency. The Paris Agreement is a legally binding international treaty on climate change.\r\nMerkley serves on the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee and is a member of the Senate Select Committee on the Climate Crisis and the Environmental Justice Caucus.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://bonamici.house.gov/media/in-the-news/year-review-student-loan-forgiveness-legislation", "Year In Review: Student Loan Forgiveness Legislation", "2020-12-24", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "House", "OR", "Suzanne Bonamici", "B001278", "bonamici.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Streamlining Income-driven, Manageable Payments on Loans for Education (SIMPLE) Act (H.R. 3833). Introduced by Rep. Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR-1) with 5 cosponsors on 7/18/2019, this bipartisan bill automates the updating of income information for borrowers in income-driven repayment plans.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.merkley.senate.gov/news/press-releases/merkley-wyden-announce-key-wins-for-everyone-who-relies-on-oregons-waterways-and-ports-2020", "Merkley, Wyden Announce Key Wins for Everyone who Relies on Oregon\u2019s Waterways and Ports", "2020-12-23", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "OR", "Jeff Merkley", "M001176", "www.merkley.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Merkley, Wyden Announce Key Wins for Everyone who Relies on Oregon's Waterways and Ports \n\t\n\t\t After last-minute legislative push, bill will increase funding to nearly all Oregon ports \n\t\n\t\n\tWednesday, December 23, 2020\n\t\n\tWASHINGTON, D.C.  Oregon's U.S. Senators Jeff Merkleywho serves on the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee and on the Senate Appropriations Committeeand Ron Wyden today announced that the full Senate has passed the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA), which includes a number of key provisions that will benefit Oregonians.\r\n \r\nAs we continue to work to beat back the coronavirus and rebuild our economies after this devastating year, we must focus on creating the strong foundation our communities need to be healthy and thrive, said Merkley, who authorizes these projects through his role on the Environment and Public Works Committee, and then funds them through his role on the Appropriations Committee. That's why I fought to ensure that this year's WRDA bill will help us safeguard Oregon's incredible waterways, and make key investments in the harbors and ports that our coastal economies rely on.\r\nMuch of Oregon's economy flows through our state's ports and harbors, and these investments help provide coastal communities a much-needed lifeline to survive the economic fallout of the pandemic, Wyden said. I'm gratified these resources are headed to Oregon waterways and will keep working to support these job-creating assets throughout our state.\r\n \r\nThe WRDA bill provides authorizations for studies and projects that upgrade infrastructure like jetties, levees, and breakwaters in Oregon's communities, such as West Linn and Coos Bay-North Bend, as well as critical funding for ports, such as the Port of Astoria, Port of Bandon, and Port Orford.\r\nThe bill unlocks the Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund (HMTF) by providing the authority to appropriate $2 billion in additional funds annually for harbor maintenance needs from its existing balance. Combined with a provision from the CARES Actwhich provided economic relief in response to the global pandemicthe bill provides for up to $4 billion in annual expenditures for port maintenance.\r\nMerkley and Wyden have consistently fought to make sure small ports in Oregon and throughout the country receive a share of HMTF funding for dredging and other critical projects. This year's WRDA bill includes language that allows, beginning in October 2022, up to $5 million of HMTF funding for Emerging Harborswhich includes most of Oregon'sto be available for up to 10 maintenance dredging projects in marinas or berthing areas in harbors located adjacent to, or accessible by, a federal navigation project. This will bolster small ports' access to funding for maintenance projects.\r\nIn keeping with experts' warnings that the destruction of waterway ecosystems could cripple local economies and threaten the health of countless species, the senators fought to ensure that the WRDA bill authorizes the Army Corps of Engineers to carry out efforts to restore salmon and steelhead habitat. The bill also authorizes a number of studies that will support Oregon's small ports and fish hatcheries.\r\nAdditionally, the bill provides authorization for the Corps to address and resolve silting and shoaling that impacts small ports, as well as flood control projects, algal bloom control measures, and construction of tribal housing along the Columbia River.\r\nNew provisions also require the Army Corps to include environmental justice considerations and disadvantaged communities' needs in its policies, as well as expanding consultation requirements with indigenous groups when the Corps is working close to tribal lands.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.wyden.senate.gov//news/press-releases/merkley-wyden-announce-key-wins-for-everyone-who-relies-on-oregons-waterways-and-ports", "Merkley, Wyden Announce Key Wins for Everyone who Relies on Oregon\u2019s Waterways and Ports", "2020-12-23", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "House", "OR", "Ron Wyden", "W000779", "www.wyden.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "December 23, 2020\n\t\t\t Merkley, Wyden Announce Key Wins for Everyone who Relies on Oregon's Waterways and Ports \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t \n\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\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\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n        \n\t\t\t\t After last-minute legislative push, bill will increase funding to nearly all Oregon ports\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t WASHINGTON, D.C.  Oregon's U.S. Senators Jeff Merkleywho serves on the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee and on the Senate Appropriations Committeeand Ron Wyden today announced that the full Senate has passed the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA), which includes a number of key provisions that will benefit Oregonians.\r\nAs we continue to work to beat back the coronavirus and rebuild our economies after this devastating year, we must focus on creating the strong foundation our communities need to be healthy and thrive, said Merkley, who authorizes these projects through his role on the Environment and Public Works Committee, and then funds them through his role on the Appropriations Committee. That's why I fought to ensure that this year's WRDA bill will help us safeguard Oregon's incredible waterways, and make key investments in the harbors and ports that our coastal economies rely on.\r\nMuch of Oregon's economy flows through our state's ports and harbors, and these investments help provide coastal communities a much-needed lifeline to survive the economic fallout of the pandemic, Wyden said. I'm gratified these resources are headed to Oregon waterways and will keep working to support these job-creating assets throughout our state.\r\nThe WRDA bill provides authorizations for studies and projects that upgrade infrastructure like jetties, levees, and breakwaters in Oregon's communities, such as West Linn and Coos Bay-North Bend, as well as critical funding for ports, such as the Port of Astoria, Port of Bandon, and Port Orford.\r\nThe bill unlocks the Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund (HMTF) by providing the authority to appropriate $2 billion in additional funds annually for harbor maintenance needs from its existing balance. Combined with a provision from the CARES Actwhich provided economic relief in response to the global pandemicthe bill provides for up to $4 billion in annual expenditures for port maintenance.\r\nMerkley and Wyden have consistently fought to make sure small ports in Oregon and throughout the country receive a share of HMTF funding for dredging and other critical projects. This year's WRDA bill includes language that allows, beginning in October 2022, up to $5 million of HMTF funding for Emerging Harborswhich includes most of Oregon'sto be available for up to 10 maintenance dredging projects in marinas or berthing areas in harbors located adjacent to, or accessible by, a federal navigation project. This will bolster small ports' access to funding for maintenance projects.\r\nIn keeping with experts' warnings that the destruction of waterway ecosystems could cripple local economies and threaten the health of countless species, the senators fought to ensure that the WRDA bill authorizes the Army Corps of Engineers to carry out efforts to restore salmon and steelhead habitat. The bill also authorizes a number of studies that will support Oregon's small ports and fish hatcheries.\r\nAdditionally, the bill provides authorization for the Corps to address and resolve silting and shoaling that impacts small ports, as well as flood control projects, algal bloom control measures, and construction of tribal housing along the Columbia River.\r\nNew provisions also require the Army Corps to include environmental justice considerations and disadvantaged communities' needs in its policies, as well as expanding consultation requirements with indigenous groups when the Corps is working close to tribal lands.\r\n\r\n###\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t  \n\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\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTweet\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t \n\t\n\t\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n    \n\t\n\t\n    \n    \n    \n    \t\n    \t\n\t    \t  \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tPrevious Article", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.merkley.senate.gov/news/press-releases/merkley-wyden-announce-investments-in-rural-communities-included-in-spending-bill-2020", "Merkley, Wyden Announce Investments in Rural Communities Included in Spending Bill", "2020-12-22", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "OR", "Jeff Merkley", "M001176", "www.merkley.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Merkley, Wyden Announce Investments in Rural Communities Included in Spending Bill \n\t\n\t\t Merkley co-authored agriculture spending bill included in the fiscal year 2021 omnibus bill passed by Congress \n\t\n\t\n\tTuesday, December 22, 2020\n\t\n\tWASHINGTON, D.C.  Oregon's U.S. Senators Jeff Merkleywho serves as the top Democrat on the Senate Appropriations subcommittee on agriculture and rural developmentand Ron Wyden today announced that the Senate has passed a fiscal year 2021 agriculture spending bill that will benefit Oregon's farms and families. The next step for the bill is to be signed into law by the president.\r\n \r\nIn every corner of our state, I've heard about the need for investments in our farms and rural industries, affordable housing, and good-paying jobsespecially as the coronavirus crisis' toll on our health and economy continues to deepen, said Merkley, who co-authored the agriculture appropriations bill. I fought hard to ensure that those insights, and the specific ideas and priorities Oregonians have shared with me, would make it into this bill, so we can strengthen the vitality of our communities and keep delivering the world-class agricultural products Oregon is known for.\r\nBuilding the strongest possible quality of life throughout Oregon requires robust investment to support signature job-creating state industries such as agriculture and fishing, while also ensuring rural residents have housing they can afford, Wyden said. I'm glad this bill helps to achieve all those goals that Oregonians have shared with me on Zoom calls, virtual town halls and socially distanced conversations during this most challenging year.\r\n \r\nMerkley is the only Oregon member of Congress from either chamber since Senator Mark Hatfield a generation ago to serve on the Appropriations Committee, considered to be one of the most powerful on Capitol Hill. He joined the committee in 2013 so that Oregon would have a strong voice in decisions about the investments our nation should be making.\r\nKey elements to benefit Oregonians in the spending bill are:\r\nWine Grape Smoke Exposure Research: This year's unprecedented wildfire season blanketed much of the state of Oregon with dense, hazardous smoke, which has significantly impacted Oregon's wine grape harvest. To better understand the challenges facing Oregon's wine growers, the bill includes $3.5 million for research into smoke-impacted grapes at Oregon State University (OSU) and other West Coast universities, building on $2 million secured the prior appropriations cycle.\r\nRural Housing: The bill includes $1.41 billion for rental assistance and $40 million for Rural Housing Service Vouchers, which will help address the urgent housing crisis facing Oregon's rural communities.\r\nRural Development: The bill protects funding for a number of USDA's Rural Development programs, including rural housing and business development programs that President Trump proposed eliminating. These programs make billions of dollars of investments in rural America every year.\r\nNational Scenic Area: The bill includes $2 million to help Oregon's rural communities promote economic development through the Oregon and Washington Investment Boards, rounding out a $10 million commitment that was authorized when the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area was created.\r\nSoil Health: The bill includes $1.5 million for the establishment of a Soil Carbon Research Center at OSU focused on research into current and future dryland production practices to increase profitability and yield, conserve soil, enhance soil water storage, and promote sequestration of carbon for soil health.\r\nWater Conservation and Habitat Restoration: The bill includes a $30 million for the Watershed and Flood Prevention Operations in Oregon. Funding is included for irrigation districts that need to improve water efficiency and conservation or otherwise improve fish and wildlife habitat. This program is providing critical funding for the collaborative processes underway across the state working to conserve water and keep Oregon's family farms in business while improving the habitats of endangered species. Construction has begun on several key projects to address water resource interests in Central Oregon, including in Tumalo Irrigation District and Central Oregon Irrigation District, and funding announced today will allow further expansion across the state, such as the East Fork Irrigation District project that has broken ground in Hood River.\r\nPacific Shellfish: The bill includes $3.5 million of federal funding for cutting-edge research to improve the productivity, sustainability, and health of the Pacific shellfish agricultural system. This research is critical to efforts to mitigate the impacts of climate chaos on the health and economies of Oregon's coastal communities.\r\nWestern Rangeland Livestock: The bill includes $3 million for the establishment of a Western Rangeland Precision Livestock center to develop precision-based nutrition strategies for rangeland-based livestock, as well as technology-based rangeland and livestock management strategies to optimize the health and productivity of Western rangeland-based livestock and the rangeland ecosystem. This funding will be split among land grant universities in Oregon, Montana, and Wisconsin.\r\nAgricultural Research: The Agricultural Research Service received an increase of $77 million in funding for cutting-edge research to improve the productivity, sustainability, and health of the nation's agricultural systems. In addition, Merkley was able to secure funding for key Oregon agriculture research programs, including funding for research on the Sudden Oak Death pathogen plaguing the south coast. Other research funding victories include research for alfalfa, barley, tree fruits, pear, wheat, hops, hemp, apple, shellfish, small fruits, seaweed, floriculture, nurseries, and rangeland ecology.\r\nMass Timber Products: The advanced wood products program at USDA received $3.5 million for work on mass timber products that would enhance Oregon State University's cutting-edge research.\r\nSummer EBT: The bill continues funding the Summer EBT program at $42 million. This program has provided much-needed nutrition for Oregon families during the summer months when schools are not in session.\r\nFood Corps: The bill provides an increase of $1 million for Food and Agriculture Service Learning. This program helps improve education resources for healthy eating especially among children.\r\nHemp: The bill provides $16.5 million to implement provisions in the 2018 Farm Bill allowing for the cultivation of commercial hemp, which can be used to make everything from cloth and rope to oil and soap. Hemp has already quickly become one of Oregon's leading cash crops, and many feel has the potential to bring in more than $1 billion in sales to Oregon in the coming years, but only with a fair and reasonable regulatory framework.\r\nIn addition, the explanatory statement highlights several concerns raised by Oregon hemp producers over the USDA's proposed testing and sampling regulations, and directs the USDA to ensure that the final rule for the Domestic Hemp Program is based on science and will ensure a fair and reasonable regulatory framework for commercial hemp producers. The bill also:\r\n \r\nExtends the 2014 hemp pilot program until January 1, 2022, providing hundreds of Oregon farmers clear operating guidelines as the USDA smooths out regulatory challenges;\r\nEncourages the USDA to study the usage and impact of energy and water in hemp cultivation and to make recommendations on best practices and standards;\r\nDirects the agency to establish and maintain a hemp germplasm repository for hemp breeding purposes;\r\nProvides $2 million for the agency to conduct regionally-driven research, development, and stakeholder engagement to improve understanding of how to effectively integrate hemp into existing agricultural cropping, processing, and marketing systems; and\r\nDirects the USDA to work with institutions under its jurisdiction to provide access to guaranteed loans for hemp producers and businesses.\r\n \r\nFood and Drug Administration (FDA): The bill provides $3.2 billion in discretionary funding for FDA. As FDA continues to be on the frontlines of addressing COVID-19, the bill ensures the agency continues to have adequate funding to respond to this urgent need.The bill also includes an additional $5 million for FDA to continue work on a regulatory pathway for CBD, a product derived from hemp.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.merkley.senate.gov/news/press-releases/merkley-wyden-announce-major-investments-in-oregon-communities-included-in-spending-package-2020", "Merkley, Wyden Announce Major Investments in Oregon Communities Included in Spending Package", "2020-12-22", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "OR", "Jeff Merkley", "M001176", "www.merkley.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Merkley, Wyden Announce Major Investments in Oregon Communities Included in Spending Package \n\t\n\t\t The fiscal year 2021 omnibus bill passed by Congress includes investments in natural resources, small ports, transportation, housing, and more \n\t\n\t\n\tTuesday, December 22, 2020\n\t\n\tWashington, D.C.  Oregon's U.S. Senators Jeff Merkleywho serves on the Senate Appropriations Committeeand Ron Wyden today announced a wide range of investments that will benefit Oregon and are included in the fiscal year 2021 spending bill that has passed the Senate. The next step is for the president to sign the bill into law.\r\nTaken together, the investments announced by the senators impact virtually all communities in every corner of the state, addressing some of Oregonians' biggest challenges. The provisions highlighted include only a fraction of those in the omnibus package that benefit Oregon, including health care, education, science and conservation, and more.\r\n \r\nThese bills include key investments to create jobs in the woods and reduce wildfire risk. They support stakeholders working on collaborative water solutions so family farms have the irrigation water they need to make it to the next generation. They will create new housing where it's desperately needed, help modernize infrastructure without burdening ratepayers, support port dredging on the coast, and keep small airports open for business, Merkley said. Government is supposed to be how all of usWe the Peoplecome together to solve problems and build a better future, and I'm trying to make sure Oregonians' voices and priorities are reflected in our investment decisions.\r\nOregonians in every nook and cranny of our state are hurting from the devastating blows delivered in 2020. I've heard their concerns throughout this challenging year over Zoom, virtual town halls and socially distant conversations, and I'm glad to report this bill will open doors for new jobs, housing, water solutions for small farms, and healthier and safer communities in our stateduring a time when we need it most, Wyden said. Our efforts won't stop here. The fight for a secure and healthy future for every Oregonian continues.\r\n \r\nMerkley is the only Oregon member of Congress from either chamber since Senator Mark Hatfield a generation ago to serve on the Appropriations Committee, considered to be one of the most powerful on Capitol Hill. He joined the committee in 2013 so that Oregon would have a strong voice in decisions about the investments our nation should be making.\r\nU.S. Department of Interior funding includes support for wildfire management, following another year of unprecedented blazes, as well as support for Land and Water Conservation Fund projects all across Oregon, through the Great American Outdoors Act:\r\n \r\nWildfire Management: In anticipation of the next fire season, the bill includes $3.74 billion for fire suppression at the Forest Service and Department of the Interior. The U.S. Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management received significant increases of an additional $25 million and $25.9 million, respectively, for hazardous fuels reductionwhich makes forests far more resilient to wildfiresbringing the total funding level to $689.9 million. Fiscal year 2020 was the first year that the bipartisan fire borrowing fix went into effect; this fiscal year, $2.35 billion of additional funds are available for fire suppression and other priorities within the Interior bill.\r\nForest Health Restoration and Collaboration: The bill provides $40 million for the Collaborative Forest Landscape Restoration Program (CFLRP). With the addition of the new CFLRP project in October, Oregon has three active CFLR projects: Northern Blues Collaborative Forest Landscape Restoration Program, Southern Blues Restoration Coalition Collaborative Landscape Restoration Project, Deschutes Collaborative Forest Project, and Lakeview Collaborative Landscape Restoration Project.\r\nKlamath Basin Water and Wildlife Conservation: In continued efforts toward a long-term solution in the Klamath Basin, the bill maintains the increase that Merkley secured last year, providing $6.5 million to support strategies to restore fish habitat and scale up ongoing efforts to restore healthy populations of shortnose and Lost River suckers. The bill also maintains the additional $5 million in funding that Merkley secured for habitat restoration in advance of the removal of Klamath River dams.\r\nPayment in Lieu of Taxes (PILT): The bill includes $515 million for the PILT program to fund vital services for rural communities, including public safety, social services, transportation and housing. This funding goes to Oregon counties that have large tracts of federal land, which doesn't pay property taxes. The investment approved by Congress is $73 million over the president's request.\r\nWater Infrastructure: Critical water infrastructure loan programs under the Water Infrastructure Financing Innovation Authority (WIFIA) Act received $65 million to leverage billions of dollars in investments, such as the new projects in Hillsboro and Portland. Merkley authored the WIFIA program in 2012, working to ensure public drinking water and wastewater infrastructure are well-maintainedcritical for public health and safety, strong local businesses, population growth, and clean rivers and aquifers. WIFIA was passed into law as part of the 2014 Water Resources Development Act.\r\nTribal Programs: The Indian Health Service, which provides health care to thousands of Oregon Tribal members, received $6.3 billion, $189 million more than fiscal year 2020. The Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) and Bureau of Indian Education received $3.4 billion, an increase of $174 million to the fiscal year 2020 level. The BIA funding includes $1.5 million for Columbia River Treaty sites, advancing the ongoing effort to improve tribal housing at the site.\r\nLand and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF): The bill provides $900 million, as required by the Great American Outdoors Act, which Merkley and Wyden helped pass into law this summer. For Oregon, that means projects will be funded at an estimated: $2.5 million for the Spence Mountain Forest Legacy project in Southern Oregon; $3.3 million for the Wasson Forest project in Siuslaw National Forest in Western Oregon; $2.18 million Crooked River Gorge in Ochoco National Forest in Central Oregon; and $1.1 million for the Elk Creek project in Wallowa Whitman National Forest in Eastern Oregon. For over 50 years the program has been the main source of funding for federal land and water acquisitions. Acquiring and protecting public lands not only provides environmental and recreational benefits, but also creates jobs in the tourism, recreation, timber, fishing, and other natural resource sectors.\r\nEarthquake Preparedness: The bill includes $85 million for the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) to support regional earthquake initiatives, including $25.7 million for the West Coast ShakeAlert early warning project. The bill also encourages the USGS to continue the development of a system for Cascadia that will help prepare for and mitigate the negative human and economic impacts of a major seismic event.\r\n \r\nThe Energy and Water bill includes vital funding for Oregon's small ports on the coast and irrigators across the state:\r\n \r\nSmall Ports and Army Corps Navigation: The program, which is vital to help Oregon ports pay for dredging and other necessary infrastructure projects, received $580 million for deep-draft harbor and channel improvements, $60 million for inland waterways, $41 million for navigation maintenance, and $65 million for small ports, which supports the small ports that are the lifeblood of Oregon's coastal economy.\r\nWater Conservation and Habitat Restoration: The WaterSmart program received a $21million increase, to $55 million, to fund projects that will help irrigation districts comply with the Endangered Species Act. The WaterSmart program has supported the collaborative process that is underway within Central Oregon to conserve water, improve habitat for endangered steelhead and the spotted frog, and keep Central Oregon family farms in business.\r\nExpanding Renewable Energy: The bill includes $110 milliona $10 million increasefor wind energy and $10 million for distributed wind. The bill also includes $150 million for water power research, which will support ongoing research at OSU, and $273.5 million for solar power programs.\r\n \r\nThe Transportation, Housing and Urban Development bill includes support for affordable housing and homelessness serviceswhich are of particular importance as the state grapples with the economic fallout of the coronavirus pandemic:\r\n \r\nCommunity Development Block Grants: The bill includes $3.5 billion for the Community Development Block Grant Program. This program funds vital housing rehabilitation, supportive services, public improvements and economic development projects in communities across Oregon and the nation while encouraging local investment.\r\nAffordable Housing: As rural and urban communities across Oregon continue to experience housing crises, the bill includes additional funding for affordable housing programs for some of Oregon's most vulnerable peoplelow-income families, seniors, and people with disabilities. Merkley led 37 of his colleagues, including Wyden, in a successful effort to provide an additional $895 million to support continuing rental assistance for 1.2 million low-income households. Funding for housing programs that benefit the elderly and people with disabilities were also preserved.\r\nRural Housing: The Self-Help Homeownership Opportunity Program (SHOP) and Rural Capacity Building Program received $10 million and $5 million, respectively. SHOP provides funds for non-profit sweat-equity homebuilders, such as Habitat for Humanity, to cover land purchases and infrastructure costs. The Rural Capacity funds are intended to build the capacity of rural low income housing non-profits by providing training, information, technical assistance, and financing.\r\nHomeless Assistance Grants: The bill includes $3 billion for Homeless Assistance Grants, a $179 million increase that will benefit organizations across Oregon. Within that appropriation, rapid rehousing programs for victims of domestic violence received $52 million; homeless youth programs received $82 million; and Emergency Solutions Grantsparticularly important to the Portland metro areareceived $290 million to support street outreach, emergency shelter, homelessness prevention, rapid re-housing assistance.\r\nHOME Investment Partnerships Program: The bill includes $1.35 billion for the program to provide states and localities with flexible resources to respond to their affordable housing challenges, including rental housing and paths to homeownership for low-income families.\r\nHUD-Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing: The program received $40 million to provide new rental assistance vouchers for homeless veterans, along with case management and clinical services. These vouchers have been critical to reducing veterans' homelessness by 49 percent since 2010.\r\nCapital Investment Grant Program: The bill includes nearly $2 billion for the program, which provides funding for major transit investments that support sustainable transportation and reduced congestion in cities like Portland, Eugene and Salem.\r\nBUILD Grants: Formerly known as TIGER, the program received a $1 billion investment for 2021. This critical transportation grants program has helped fund projects across Oregon such as the Hood River-White Salmon Interstate Bridge replacement project.\r\nEssential Air Service and Contract Towers: The bill includes $142 million for the Essential Air Service. The Essential Air Service program supports flights between the City of Pendleton and Portland International Airport, a vital connection to support economic development across Eastern Oregon. Additionally, the bill increases funding for FAA Contract Towers to $172.8 million. There are six contract towers across Oregon, and this funding ensures their continued operation.\r\n \r\nAdditionally, the omnibus package includes renewable energy and conservation provisions that the senators fought for:\r\n \r\nMarine Energy Research and Development Act: The package includes Wyden and Merkley's bill, which reauthorizes marine renewable energy programs at the Department of Energy (DOE). Those programs include the national marine renewable energy research, development and demonstration centers found around the country, including one operated by Oregon State University. The legislation also directs the DOE to research ways to build a stable marine energy supply chain in the United States, as well as ways to ensure marine energy development does not interfere with ocean navigation, fisheries and critical infrastructure such as undersea cables.\r\nWater for Conservation and Farming Act: The package also includes key elements of Wyden and Merkley's bill, including provisions to:\r\n\r\nCreate opportunities, through the Community Watershed Management Program, for disadvantaged communities, primarily in rural areas, to work with the Department of the Interior to plan conservation projects that improve drinking water quality and supply;\r\nEstablish an aquatic ecosystem restoration program at the Department of the Interior at $15 million annually for 5 years that will help fund projects to improve the health of fisheries, wildlife or aquatic habitat; and\r\nIncrease funding for the WaterSMART program by $150 million, and allow non-profit organizationsin addition to farmers and ranchersto access this additional money.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://blumenauer.house.gov/media-center/enewsletters/help-way-much-more-needed", "Help is on the way. Much more is needed.", "2020-12-22", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "House", "OR", "Earl Blumenauer", "B000574", "blumenauer.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Yesterday, Congress finally passed another bill to help the millions of families and small businesses who are struggling to make ends meet. After so many months of obstruction by Senate Republicans, I'm relieved that additional help is on the way to Oregonians.  \n\tThis long-overdue legislation is by no means perfect. But it will help people put food on the table, stay in their homes, and keep small businesses afloat until we can work with the Biden-Harris administration on further support. In the short-term, some of the things we secured include:\n A one-time $600 direct cash payment to adults with annual incomes up to $75,000, plus another $600 per child. A family of four could receive $2,400. However, this is still inadequate and I will continue to fight for larger, re-occurring payments.\n\tAn additional $300/week in increased unemployment benefits for those who have lost jobs. This is a start, but we need to enhance and extend this.\n\tAn extension of the CDC's eviction moratorium, along with $25 billion in funds that will help people make rent.\n\t$13 billion to help more families have food to eat throughout the crisis.\n\t$69 billion to speed-up distribution of the vaccine in Oregon and across the country.\n\t$325 billion to help small businesses stay open and keep people employed.\n I was able to secure some relief for local, independent restaurants, though much more is still needed to save our beloved neighborhood spots. We're still working to pass our RESTAURANTS Act, that already passed the House and has more than 50 co-sponsors in the Senate.  \n\tIn the meantime, we want to get information out about this bill quickly. My website will have new resources posted as they become available. And please remember, we are here to help. You can always call my office at (503) 231-2300.  \n\tAs we look ahead to the new year, I want to wish you and your family a safe and happy holiday season.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://bonamici.house.gov/media/in-the-news/oregonians-wait-see-if-trump-signs-relief-bill-and-if-it-includes-600-or-2000", "Oregonians wait to see if Trump signs relief bill and if it includes $600 or $2,000 checks", "2020-12-22", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "House", "OR", "Suzanne Bonamici", "B001278", "bonamici.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "\"Right now, people need relief, not political posturing. On Monday I will vote to increase the direct payments, and I hope that change passes. But no matter what happens, Trump must sign the bill and get help to our communities,\" said Rep. Suzanne Bonamici, D-Oregon, on Thursday.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://defazio.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/in-a-major-win-for-oregon-s-coastal-communities-rep-peter-defazio", "In a Major Win for Oregons Coastal Communities, Rep. Peter DeFazio Resolves Decades-Long Fight and Frees Up Billions of Dollars for Harbor Maintenance", "2020-12-22", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "OR", "Peter DeFazio", "D000191", "defazio.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Rep. Peter DeFazio, Chair of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, today released the following statement after passage of his bipartisan Water Resources Development Act of 2020, which includes his provision to ensure that Harbor Maintenance funds are actually used for harbor maintenance. This measure now heads to the President's desk to be signed into law.\nThis is a tremendous victory for Oregon's coastal communities. For decades, I have fought to unlock the Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund and ensure that funds already collected for harbor maintenance are fully utilized to keep our local ports dredged and jetties maintained. Finally, WRDA 2020 fulfils that goal.\nWith this fix, our ports and harbors will have the resources they so desperately need, all without raising taxes or adding a penny to the deficit. My bipartisan bill, approved by both the House and the Senate, will create and sustain jobs on the coast, make conditions safer for Oregon's commercial fishing and recreation industries, and boost our state and national economic competitiveness.\nBy unlocking the Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund, my legislation will ultimately provide up to $3 billion annually for port maintenance around the country and right here in Oregon. I also successfully pushed for a 50 percent increase in funding for small harbors, like the Port of Gold Beach and the Port of Siuslaw, and for a provision that allows harbor maintenance funds to be seamlessly spent on the maintenance of adjacent marinas. This funding will be put to immediate use paying for planned projects such as the Coos Bay North Jetty rehabilitation and maintenance dredging along the coast.\nTo learn more about how WRDA 2020 unlocks the Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund, click here.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://defazio.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/reps-defazio-gosar-nadler-s-bipartisan-legislation-to-curb-health", "Reps. DeFazio, Gosar, Nadlers Bipartisan Legislation to Curb Health Insurance Price Gouging and Promote Fair Competition Passes House and Senate", "2020-12-22", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "OR", "Peter DeFazio", "D000191", "defazio.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "The Competitive Health Insurance Reform Act, bipartisan legislation introduced by Reps. Peter DeFazio (OR-04), Paul Gosar (AZ-04) and House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler (NY-10) to rein in health insurance price-gouging and promote fair competition, unanimously passed the Senate last night and is expected to be signed into law today. The bill passed unanimously in the House in September.\nThe bill, H.R. 1418, would repeal an antiquated exemption that allows health insurance companies to operate beyond the reach of federal antitrust laws and collude to set health care costs, increase profits, and price gouge consumers.\nEven before the COVID-19 pandemic, nearly 1 in 4 Americansincluding insured Americanswere already skipping medical care and prescription drug doses because of high costs. Today, while affordable medical care is more important than ever, health insurance companies still have free rein to price-gouge consumers and reap massive profits on the backs of seniors, working families, and everyday Americans. That's obscene, said DeFazio. As long as this exemption is still on the books, health insurance companies legally can collude to drive up prices, limit competition, conspire to underpay doctors and hospitals, and overcharge consumers. Our bipartisan legislation will protect consumers and make sure the health insurance industry plays by the same rules as virtually every other industry in America.\nThis is a major win for working Americans, Nadler said. The Competitive Health Insurance Reform Act repeals a longstanding antitrust exemption for the health insurance industry under the McCarran-Ferguson Act. This exemption effectively shielded health insurance companies from antitrust scrutiny for some of the most egregious forms of anticompetitive conduct, such as price-fixing, bid-rigging, and market allocation. There is absolutely no justification for this broad antitrust exemption, and its repeal is long overdue. Repealing this anti-consumer exemption has long been a priority of the House Judiciary Committee and I am thrilled the repeal finally made it across the finish line this week. I thank my colleague, Chairman DeFazio, for his leadership on this important legislation, and I look forward to it being signed into law.\nThe McCarran-Ferguson Act, passed in 1945, exempts the business of insurance from the federal antitrust laws that protect and promote fair competition.\nThe Competitive Health Insurance Reform Act would repeal this antiquated exemption and give the Department of Justice and the Federal Trade Commission the authority to apply federal antitrust laws to anticompetitive behavior by health insurance companies. This would help rein in skyrocketing health care costs and ensure consumer protections are in place to guard against abuses and greed by the health insurance industry. This Act would not affect or interfere with the authority of each state to regulate the business of insurance.\nIn the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent economic downturn, several major U.S. health insurershave reported increased profits, totaling billions of dollars. This comes at the same time as the number of uninsured Americans continues to rise.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.wyden.senate.gov//news/press-releases/merkley-wyden-announce-investments-in-rural-communities-included-in-spending-bill", "Merkley, Wyden Announce Investments in Rural Communities Included in Spending Bill", "2020-12-22", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "House", "OR", "Ron Wyden", "W000779", "www.wyden.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "December 22, 2020\n\t\t\t Merkley, Wyden Announce Investments in Rural Communities Included in Spending Bill \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t \n\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\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\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n        \n\t\t\t\t Merkley co-authored agriculture spending bill included in the fiscal year 2021 omnibus bill passed by Congress\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t WASHINGTON, D.C.  Oregon's U.S. Senators Jeff Merkleywho serves as the top Democrat on the Senate Appropriations subcommittee on agriculture and rural developmentand Ron Wyden today announced that the Senate has passed a fiscal year 2021 agriculture spending bill that will benefit Oregon's farms and families. The next step for the bill is to be signed into law by the president.\r\nIn every corner of our state, I've heard about the need for investments in our farms and rural industries, affordable housing, and good-paying jobsespecially as the coronavirus crisis' toll on our health and economy continues to deepen, said Merkley, who co-authored the agriculture appropriations bill. I fought hard to ensure that those insights, and the specific ideas and priorities Oregonians have shared with me, would make it into this bill, so we can strengthen the vitality of our communities and keep delivering the world-class agricultural products Oregon is known for.\r\nBuilding the strongest possible quality of life throughout Oregon requires robust investment to support signature job-creating state industries such as agriculture and fishing, while also ensuring rural residents have housing they can afford, Wyden said. I'm glad this bill helps to achieve all those goals that Oregonians have shared with me on Zoom calls, virtual town halls and socially distanced conversations during this most challenging year.\r\nMerkley is the only Oregon member of Congress from either chamber since Senator Mark Hatfield a generation ago to serve on the Appropriations Committee, considered to be one of the most powerful on Capitol Hill. He joined the committee in 2013 so that Oregon would have a strong voice in decisions about the investments our nation should be making.\r\nKey elements to benefit Oregonians in the spending bill are: \r\nWine Grape Smoke Exposure Research: This year's unprecedented wildfire season blanketed much of the state of Oregon with dense, hazardous smoke, which has significantly impacted Oregon's wine grape harvest. To better understand the challenges facing Oregon's wine growers, the bill includes $3.5 million for research into smoke-impacted grapes at Oregon State University (OSU) and other West Coast universities, building on $2 million secured the prior appropriations cycle.\r\n\r\nRural Housing: The bill includes $1.41 billion for rental assistance and $40 million for Rural Housing Service Vouchers, which will help address the urgent housing crisis facing Oregon's rural communities.\r\nRural Development: The bill protects funding for a number of USDA's Rural Development programs, including rural housing and business development programs that President Trump proposed eliminating. These programs make billions of dollars of investments in rural America every year.\r\nNational Scenic Area: The bill includes $2 million to help Oregon's rural communities promote economic development through the Oregon and Washington Investment Boards, rounding out a $10 million commitment that was authorized when the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area was created.\r\nSoil Health: The bill includes $1.5 million for the establishment of a Soil Carbon Research Center at OSU focused on research into current and future dryland production practices to increase profitability and yield, conserve soil, enhance soil water storage, and promote sequestration of carbon for soil health.\r\nWater Conservation and Habitat Restoration: The bill includes a $30 million for the Watershed and Flood Prevention Operations in Oregon. Funding is included for irrigation districts that need to improve water efficiency and conservation or otherwise improve fish and wildlife habitat. This program is providing critical funding for the collaborative processes underway across the state working to conserve water and keep Oregon's family farms in business while improving the habitats of endangered species. Construction has begun on several key projects to address water resource interests in Central Oregon, including in Tumalo Irrigation District and Central Oregon Irrigation District, and funding announced today will allow further expansion across the state, such as the East Fork Irrigation District project that has broken ground in Hood River.\r\nPacific Shellfish: The bill includes $3.5 million of federal funding for cutting-edge research to improve the productivity, sustainability, and health of the Pacific shellfish agricultural system. This research is critical to efforts to mitigate the impacts of climate chaos on the health and economies of Oregon's coastal communities.\r\nWestern Rangeland Livestock: The bill includes $3 million for the establishment of a Western Rangeland Precision Livestock center to develop precision-based nutrition strategies for rangeland-based livestock, as well as technology-based rangeland and livestock management strategies to optimize the health and productivity of Western rangeland-based livestock and the rangeland ecosystem. This funding will be split among land grant universities in Oregon, Montana, and Wisconsin.\r\nAgricultural Research: The Agricultural Research Service received an increase of $77 million in funding for cutting-edge research to improve the productivity, sustainability, and health of the nation's agricultural systems. In addition, Merkley was able to secure funding for key Oregon agriculture research programs, including funding for research on the Sudden Oak Death pathogen plaguing the south coast. Other research funding victories include research for alfalfa, barley, tree fruits, pear, wheat, hops, hemp, apple, shellfish, small fruits, seaweed, floriculture, nurseries, and rangeland ecology.\r\nMass Timber Products: The advanced wood products program at USDA received $3.5 million for work on mass timber products that would enhance Oregon State University's cutting-edge research.\r\nSummer EBT: The bill continues funding the Summer EBT program at $42 million. This program has provided much-needed nutrition for Oregon families during the summer months when schools are not in session.\r\nFood Corps: The bill provides an increase of $1 million for Food and Agriculture Service Learning. This program helps improve education resources for healthy eating especially among children.\r\nHemp: The bill provides $16.5 million to implement provisions in the 2018 Farm Bill allowing for the cultivation of commercial hemp, which can be used to make everything from cloth and rope to oil and soap. Hemp has already quickly become one of Oregon's leading cash crops, and many feel has the potential to bring in more than $1 billion in sales to Oregon in the coming years, but only with a fair and reasonable regulatory framework.\r\nIn addition, the explanatory statement highlights several concerns raised by Oregon hemp producers over the USDA's proposed testing and sampling regulations, and directs the USDA to ensure that the final rule for the Domestic Hemp Program is based on science and will ensure a fair and reasonable regulatory framework for commercial hemp producers. The bill also:\r\n \r\nExtends the 2014 hemp pilot program until January 1, 2022, providing hundreds of Oregon farmers clear operating guidelines as the USDA smooths out regulatory challenges;\r\nEncourages the USDA to study the usage and impact of energy and water in hemp cultivation and to make recommendations on best practices and standards;\r\nDirects the agency to establish and maintain a hemp germplasm repository for hemp breeding purposes;\r\nProvides $2 million for the agency to conduct regionally-driven research, development, and stakeholder engagement to improve understanding of how to effectively integrate hemp into existing agricultural cropping, processing, and marketing systems; and\r\nDirects the USDA to work with institutions under its jurisdiction to provide access to guaranteed loans for hemp producers and businesses.\r\n \r\nFood and Drug Administration (FDA): The bill provides $3.2 billion in discretionary funding for FDA. As FDA continues to be on the frontlines of addressing COVID-19, the bill ensures the agency continues to have adequate funding to respond to this urgent need.The bill also includes an additional $5 million for FDA to continue work on a regulatory pathway for CBD, a product derived from hemp.\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.wyden.senate.gov//news/press-releases/merkley-wyden-announce-major-investments-in-oregon-communities-included-in-spending-package", "Merkley, Wyden Announce Major Investments in Oregon Communities Included in Spending Package", "2020-12-22", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "House", "OR", "Ron Wyden", "W000779", "www.wyden.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "December 22, 2020\n\t\t\t Merkley, Wyden Announce Major Investments in Oregon Communities Included in Spending Package \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t \n\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\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\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n        \n\t\t\t\t The fiscal year 2021 omnibus bill passed by Congress includes investments in natural resources, small ports, transportation, housing, and more\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t Washington, D.C.  Oregon's U.S. Senators Jeff Merkleywho serves on the Senate Appropriations Committeeand Ron Wyden today announced a wide range of investments that will benefit Oregon and are included in the fiscal year 2021 spending bill that has passed the Senate. The next step is for the president to sign the bill into law.\r\nTaken together, the investments announced by the senators impact virtually all communities in every corner of the state, addressing some of Oregonians' biggest challenges. The provisions highlighted include only a fraction of those in the omnibus package that benefit Oregon, including health care, education, science and conservation, and more.\r\nThese bills include key investments to create jobs in the woods and reduce wildfire risk. They support stakeholders working on collaborative water solutions so family farms have the irrigation water they need to make it to the next generation. They will create new housing where it's desperately needed, help modernize infrastructure without burdening ratepayers, support port dredging on the coast, and keep small airports open for business, Merkley said. Government is supposed to be how all of usWe the Peoplecome together to solve problems and build a better future, and I'm trying to make sure Oregonians' voices and priorities are reflected in our investment decisions.\r\nOregonians in every nook and cranny of our state are hurting from the devastating blows delivered in 2020. I've heard their concerns throughout this challenging year over Zoom, virtual town halls and socially distant conversations, and I'm glad to report this bill will open doors for new jobs, housing, water solutions for small farms, and healthier and safer communities in our stateduring a time when we need it most, Wyden said. Our efforts won't stop here. The fight for a secure and healthy future for every Oregonian continues.\r\nMerkley is the only Oregon member of Congress from either chamber since Senator Mark Hatfield a generation ago to serve on the Appropriations Committee, considered to be one of the most powerful on Capitol Hill. He joined the committee in 2013 so that Oregon would have a strong voice in decisions about the investments our nation should be making.\r\nU.S. Department of Interior funding includes support for wildfire management, following another year of unprecedented blazes, as well as support for Land and Water Conservation Fund projects all across Oregon, through the Great American Outdoors Act:\r\n \r\nWildfire Management: In anticipation of the next fire season, the bill includes $3.74 billion for fire suppression at the Forest Service and Department of the Interior. The U.S. Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management received significant increases of an additional $25 million and $25.9 million, respectively, for hazardous fuels reductionwhich makes forests far more resilient to wildfiresbringing the total funding level to $689.9 million. Fiscal year 2020 was the first year that the bipartisan fire borrowing fix went into effect; this fiscal year, $2.35 billion of additional funds are available for fire suppression and other priorities within the Interior bill.\r\nForest Health Restoration and Collaboration: The bill provides $40 million for the Collaborative Forest Landscape Restoration Program (CFLRP). With the addition of the new CFLRP project in October, Oregon has three active CFLR projects: Northern Blues Collaborative Forest Landscape Restoration Program, Southern Blues Restoration Coalition Collaborative Landscape Restoration Project, Deschutes Collaborative Forest Project, and Lakeview Collaborative Landscape Restoration Project.\r\nKlamath Basin Water and Wildlife Conservation: In continued efforts toward a long-term solution in the Klamath Basin, the bill maintains the increase that Merkley secured last year, providing $6.5 million to support strategies to restore fish habitat and scale up ongoing efforts to restore healthy populations of shortnose and Lost River suckers. The bill also maintains the additional $5 million in funding that Merkley secured for habitat restoration in advance of the removal of Klamath River dams.\r\nPayment in Lieu of Taxes (PILT): The bill includes $515 million for the PILT program to fund vital services for rural communities, including public safety, social services, transportation and housing. This funding goes to Oregon counties that have large tracts of federal land, which doesn't pay property taxes. The investment approved by Congress is $73 million over the president's request.\r\nWater Infrastructure: Critical water infrastructure loan programs under the Water Infrastructure Financing Innovation Authority (WIFIA) Act received $65 million to leverage billions of dollars in investments, such as the new projects in Hillsboro and Portland. Merkley authored the WIFIA program in 2012, working to ensure public drinking water and wastewater infrastructure are well-maintainedcritical for public health and safety, strong local businesses, population growth, and clean rivers and aquifers. WIFIA was passed into law as part of the 2014 Water Resources Development Act.\r\nTribal Programs: The Indian Health Service, which provides health care to thousands of Oregon Tribal members, received $6.3 billion, $189 million more than fiscal year 2020. The Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) and Bureau of Indian Education received $3.4 billion, an increase of $174 million to the fiscal year 2020 level. The BIA funding includes $1.5 million for Columbia River Treaty sites, advancing the ongoing effort to improve tribal housing at the site.\r\nLand and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF): The bill provides $900 million, as required by the Great American Outdoors Act, which Merkley and Wyden helped pass into law this summer. For Oregon, that means projects will be funded at an estimated: $2.5 million for the Spence Mountain Forest Legacy project in Southern Oregon; $3.3 million for the Wasson Forest project in Siuslaw National Forest in Western Oregon; $2.18 million Crooked River Gorge in Ochoco National Forest in Central Oregon; and $1.1 million for the Elk Creek project in Wallowa Whitman National Forest in Eastern Oregon. For over 50 years the program has been the main source of funding for federal land and water acquisitions. Acquiring and protecting public lands not only provides environmental and recreational benefits, but also creates jobs in the tourism, recreation, timber, fishing, and other natural resource sectors.\r\nEarthquake Preparedness: The bill includes $85 million for the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) to support regional earthquake initiatives, including $25.7 million for the West Coast ShakeAlert early warning project. The bill also encourages the USGS to continue the development of a system for Cascadia that will help prepare for and mitigate the negative human and economic impacts of a major seismic event.\r\n \r\nThe Energy and Water bill includes vital funding for Oregon's small ports on the coast and irrigators across the state:\r\n \r\nSmall Ports and Army Corps Navigation: The program, which is vital to help Oregon ports pay for dredging and other necessary infrastructure projects, received $580 million for deep-draft harbor and channel improvements, $60 million for inland waterways, $41 million for navigation maintenance, and $65 million for small ports, which supports the small ports that are the lifeblood of Oregon's coastal economy.\r\nWater Conservation and Habitat Restoration: The WaterSmart program received a $21million increase, to $55 million, to fund projects that will help irrigation districts comply with the Endangered Species Act. The WaterSmart program has supported the collaborative process that is underway within Central Oregon to conserve water, improve habitat for endangered steelhead and the spotted frog, and keep Central Oregon family farms in business.\r\nExpanding Renewable Energy: The bill includes $110 milliona $10 million increasefor wind energy and $10 million for distributed wind. The bill also includes $150 million for water power research, which will support ongoing research at OSU, and $273.5 million for solar power programs.\r\n \r\nThe Transportation, Housing and Urban Development bill includes support for affordable housing and homelessness serviceswhich are of particular importance as the state grapples with the economic fallout of the coronavirus pandemic:\r\n \r\nCommunity Development Block Grants: The bill includes $3.5 billion for the Community Development Block Grant Program. This program funds vital housing rehabilitation, supportive services, public improvements and economic development projects in communities across Oregon and the nation while encouraging local investment.\r\nAffordable Housing: As rural and urban communities across Oregon continue to experience housing crises, the bill includes additional funding for affordable housing programs for some of Oregon's most vulnerable peoplelow-income families, seniors, and people with disabilities. Merkley led 37 of his colleagues, including Wyden, in a successful effort to provide an additional $895 million to support continuing rental assistance for 1.2 million low-income households. Funding for housing programs that benefit the elderly and people with disabilities were also preserved.\r\nRural Housing: The Self-Help Homeownership Opportunity Program (SHOP) and Rural Capacity Building Program received $10 million and $5 million, respectively. SHOP provides funds for non-profit sweat-equity homebuilders, such as Habitat for Humanity, to cover land purchases and infrastructure costs. The Rural Capacity funds are intended to build the capacity of rural low income housing non-profits by providing training, information, technical assistance, and financing.\r\nHomeless Assistance Grants: The bill includes $3 billion for Homeless Assistance Grants, a $179 million increase that will benefit organizations across Oregon. Within that appropriation, rapid rehousing programs for victims of domestic violence received $52 million; homeless youth programs received $82 million; and Emergency Solutions Grantsparticularly important to the Portland metro areareceived $290 million to support street outreach, emergency shelter, homelessness prevention, rapid re-housing assistance.\r\nHOME Investment Partnerships Program: The bill includes $1.35 billion for the program to provide states and localities with flexible resources to respond to their affordable housing challenges, including rental housing and paths to homeownership for low-income families.\r\nHUD-Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing: The program received $40 million to provide new rental assistance vouchers for homeless veterans, along with case management and clinical services. These vouchers have been critical to reducing veterans' homelessness by 49 percent since 2010.\r\nCapital Investment Grant Program: The bill includes nearly $2 billion for the program, which provides funding for major transit investments that support sustainable transportation and reduced congestion in cities like Portland, Eugene and Salem.\r\nBUILD Grants: Formerly known as TIGER, the program received a $1 billion investment for 2021. This critical transportation grants program has helped fund projects across Oregon such as the Hood River-White Salmon Interstate Bridge replacement project.\r\nEssential Air Service and Contract Towers: The bill includes $142 million for the Essential Air Service. The Essential Air Service program supports flights between the City of Pendleton and Portland International Airport, a vital connection to support economic development across Eastern Oregon. Additionally, the bill increases funding for FAA Contract Towers to $172.8 million. There are six contract towers across Oregon, and this funding ensures their continued operation.\r\n \r\nAdditionally, the omnibus package includes renewable energy and conservation provisions that the senators fought for:\r\n \r\nMarine Energy Research and Development Act: The package includes Wyden and Merkley's bill, which reauthorizes marine renewable energy programs at the Department of Energy (DOE). Those programs include the national marine renewable energy research, development and demonstration centers found around the country, including one operated by Oregon State University. The legislation also directs the DOE to research ways to build a stable marine energy supply chain in the United States, as well as ways to ensure marine energy development does not interfere with ocean navigation, fisheries and critical infrastructure such as undersea cables.\r\nWater for Conservation and Farming Act: The package also includes key elements of Wyden and Merkley's bill, including provisions to:\r\n\r\nCreate opportunities, through the Community Watershed Management Program, for disadvantaged communities, primarily in rural areas, to work with the Department of the Interior to plan conservation projects that improve drinking water quality and supply;\r\nEstablish an aquatic ecosystem restoration program at the Department of the Interior at $15 million annually for 5 years that will help fund projects to improve the health of fisheries, wildlife or aquatic habitat; and\r\nIncrease funding for the WaterSMART program by $150 million, and allow non-profit organizationsin addition to farmers and ranchersto access this additional money.\r\n\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n###\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t  \n\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\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTweet\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t \n\t\n\t\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n    \n\t\n\t\n    \n    \n    \n    \t\n    \t\n\t    \t  \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tNext Article\n\t\t    \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tPrevious Article", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.wyden.senate.gov//news/press-releases/wyden-crapo-short-line-rail-efforts-included-in-end-of-year-package", "Wyden, Crapo Short Line Rail Efforts Included in End-of-year Package", "2020-12-22", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "House", "OR", "Ron Wyden", "W000779", "www.wyden.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "December 22, 2020\n\t\t\t Wyden, Crapo Short Line Rail Efforts Included in End-of-year Package \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWashington, D.C.--A long-term, bipartisan effort by U.S. Senators Ron Wyden (D-Oregon) and Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) to permanently extend a critical tax credit used to repair and upgrade short line railroads was included in the Fiscal Year (FY) 2021 omnibus package.\r\nShortline railroads play a critical role in creating good-paying jobs throughout Oregon, said Wyden. Permanently extending this tax incentive to rehabilitate and maintain these tracks, after years of effort, is critical to growing Oregon's economy, and ensuring small businesses have accessible transportation options to move their goods to market. I greatly appreciate Senator Crapo's longtime partnership on this issue, which is so important for both our states. \r\nAccess to affordable and reliable options for transporting goods to markets is an important part of Idaho small businesses' success and ability to grow and innovate, said Crapo. All over the country, short line railroads act almost like arteries, connecting freight from rural areas to the heart of our major transportation lines, and they have proven quite instrumental at moving Idaho goods to customers worldwide as part of the COVID-19 pandemic response. Witnessing first-hand the economic expansion efforts this industry has brought to Idaho and the nation has been incredible. I have been a longtime champion of the short line rail tax credit, and its permanent extension is excellent news for supporting critical infrastructure. I thank Senator Wyden for his partnership on this effort.\r\nMaking the short line railroad rehabilitation tax credit (45G) permanent is a tremendous victory for the thousands of agricultural, energy, and manufacturing customers throughout Idaho, Oregon, and the entire country that rely on short line service, said Chuck Baker, President of American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association. Making the credit permanent after 15 years of on-again off-again extensions will create certainty and further incentive investment into expensive and hard-to-maintain short line infrastructure, allowing short lines to connect customers in small town and rural America to markets in the domestic and global economies and to move goods in an efficient, safe, and environmentally friendly way.\r\nThe 45G tax credit provides short line and regional railroads a tax credit for railroad track maintenance expenses, up to $3,500 per mile of track owned or leased by the railroad. The short line railroads ensure that small manufacturers' products can get to markets in an efficient and cost-effective manner. The incentive is credited with a number of rail expansion projects benefiting communities across Idaho and Oregon, and the permanent extension will allow communities to repair, maintain and upgrade additional short line railroads nationwide. Congress has acted periodically since 2006 to extend the credit, often retroactively. Earlier this Congress, Wyden and Crapo introduced S. 203, the Building Rail Access for Customers and the Economy (BRACE) Act to make the extension permanent. The BRACE Act had an additional 61 bipartisan co-sponsors in the Senate, and the House of Representatives companion legislation had garnered 303 bipartisan co-sponsors.\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t  \n\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\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTweet\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t \n\t\n\t\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n    \n\t\n\t\n    \n    \n    \n    \t\n    \t\n\t    \t  \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tNext Article\n\t\t    \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tPrevious Article", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://schrader.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=392830", "Rep. Schrader Votes for Bipartisan COVID-19 Relief and 2021 Spending Bill", "2020-12-21", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "OR", "Kurt Schrader", "S001180", "schrader.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "For Immediate Release\r\nDecember 21, 2020\r\nContact:Larkin Parker, 202-225-5711\r\n\r\nRep. Schrader Votes for Bipartisan COVID-19 Relief and 2021 Spending Bill\r\n\r\nWASHINGTON, D.C.  Today, the House of Representatives passed the bipartisan, bicameral Problem Solvers Caucus negotiated COVID-19 relief package. Rep. Schrader was the founding Democratic member of the Caucus eight years ago. In addition to COVID-19 relief, the package includes fiscal year 2021 appropriations. This robust package has a multitude of provisions that have been key policy priorities for Rep. Schrader. Most notably, putting an end to the harmful and predatory practice of surprise medical billing.\r\n\r\nAs COVID cases skyrocket nationwide, Americans are struggling, said Rep. Schrader. Countless families are on the brink of foreclosure and eviction as Christmas fast approaches. It is getting more and more difficult for small businesses to keep their lights on and make payroll. This package will deliver targeted COVID-19 aid for small businesses and families in addition to fully funding the government for 2021. Additionally, I am proud to have been an advocate for Oregonians who have been victims of surprise medical billing and worked this entire Congress to bring Republicans and Democrats on my Energy and Commerce Committee together to find a solution. This package is a huge win for the American people, and I am proud to have been a part of it. Thank you to House and Senate leadership for making sure the holidays are a little bit brighter for Oregon families this year.\r\n\r\nThis bill has many far-reaching benefits for families and communities across Oregon. It includes:\r\n  \r\n Targeted COVID-19 relief: Hundreds of millions in PPP loans for the smallest businesses who need them most, an additional round of economic impact payments, support for live event venues and expanded unemployment insurance\r\n\r\n Improved broadband access for rural communities: $730 million in the expansion of broadband service to provide economic development opportunities and improved education and healthcare services\r\n\r\n Eliminates surprise medical billing:If you have done your diligence and think you're going to an in-network provider for your health care treatment, you will no longer receive a surprise bill for when part of your care ended up being out of network.And, in the case of an air ambulance ride, you can only be charged the cost share dictated by your insurance provider, regardless of whether they are in network\r\n\r\n Water Resources Development Act: unlocks billions in the harbor maintenance trust fund, provides a path for the Federal government to transfer authority of the Willamette falls locks, and will fairly allocate water resources in the Willamette River Basin\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.merkley.senate.gov/news/press-releases/following-trump-teams-unprecedented-corruption-merkley-warren-markey-urge-incoming-biden-administration-to-set-new-high-ethical-standard-2020", "Following Trump Team\u2019s Unprecedented Corruption, Merkley, Warren, Markey Urge Incoming Biden Administration to Set New, High Ethical Standard", "2020-12-21", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "OR", "Jeff Merkley", "M001176", "www.merkley.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Following Trump Team's Unprecedented Corruption, Merkley, Warren, Markey Urge Incoming Biden Administration to Set New, High Ethical Standard \n\t\n\t\n\tMonday, December 21, 2020\n\t\n\tWASHINGTON, D.C.  In the wake of the Trump administration's widespread corruption, self-dealing, and law-breaking, U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley,Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), and Edward J. Markey (D-MA)a group of senators who have long championed strong federal ethics standards and the For the People Actare urging the incoming Biden administration to champion critical anti-corruption reforms.\r\n \r\nThe American people have endured four years of the most corrupt president and administration in modern memory. The Trump administration has allowed lobbyists and special interest to run federal agencies, even when they have been openly hostile to the agencies' missions, the lawmakers wrote. It has allowed senior officials to maintain unacceptable personal and financial conflicts of interest, and allowed foreign governments to try to curry favor, as President Trump and senior White House staff abused the presidency to enrich themselves. And it has shunned basic transparency, allowing lobbyists and special interests to subvert government for their financial aims and objections. Simply put, President Trump built a government that worked for himself, his friends, and special and corporate interests, rather than for the people, critically eroding Americans' faith in government.\r\nThat is why we are tremendously encouraged by your commitment to set a new, high ethical standard for the Biden-Harris administration, and by your embrace of the sacred charge to restore Americans' faith in government. More importantly, we strongly support your commitment to demonstrate with your actionsnot just your wordsthat public servants in the Biden-Harris administration will serve all Americans, not just themselves or narrow special interests, the lawmakers continued.\r\n \r\nSpecific recommendations from the senators include padlocking the revolving door between special interests and the government, by taking steps including a total ban on lobbyists employed by corporations from serving in the administration, especially at the agencies they lobbied prior to their appointment. They also recommend implementing safeguards like requiring the disclosure of all materials that lobbyists provide behind closed doors to administration officials. The lawmakers also pushed for the elimination of personal and financial conflicts of interest, by requiring all senior administration officials to divest from all individual stock and conflicted financial holdings, and instituting a new standard of transparency, by disclosing White House and federal agency visitor lists and making all officials' ethics agreements public and easily searchable, among other steps.\r\nThe full text of the senators' letter is available here and follows below.\r\n\r\n###\r\n\r\nDear President-elect Biden:\r\nWe write to support executive actions you may take to enact your plan to guarantee our government works for the people, starting on day one of the Biden-Harris administration. As U.S. senators who strongly support strengthening federal ethics standards, and who have championed the For the People Act[1] in the U.S. Senate, a comprehensive package of legislative reforms that would end special interest corruption of our politics and make government work for the people, we are deeply heartened by your commitment to restore executive branch ethics through executive action, and we submit for your consideration the following recommendations to enact your commitment to expand onthe Obama-Biden Administration ethics pledge.[2]\r\nThe American people have endured four years of the most corrupt president and administration in modern memory. The Trump administration has allowed lobbyists and special interest to run federal agencies, even when they have been openly hostile to the agencies' missions. It has allowed senior officials to maintain unacceptable personal and financial conflicts of interest, and allowed foreign governments to try to curry favor, as President Trump and senior White House staff abused the presidency to enrich themselves. And it has shunned basic transparency, allowing lobbyists and special interests to subvert government for their financial aims and objections. Simply put, President Trump built a government that worked for himself, his friends, and special and corporate interests, rather than for the people, critically eroding Americans' faith in government.\r\n That is why we are tremendously encouraged by your commitment to set a new, high ethical standard for the Biden-Harris administration, and by your embrace of the sacred charge to restore Americans' faith in government. More importantly, we strongly support your commitment to demonstrate with your actions  not just your words  that public servants in the Biden-Harris administration will serve all Americans, not just themselves or narrow special interests. We are grateful that, in order to enact this commitment, you have pledged to, On day oneissue an ethics pledge, building and improving on the Obama-Biden Administration's pledge, to ensure that every member of his administration focuses day-in and day-out on the best outcomes for the American people, and nothing else.[3] We strongly support this commitment and recommend the following policies to consider as you draft this executive order and pledge.\r\n \r\nPadlock the revolving door between special interests and government. We support your commitment to ensure every member of the Biden-Harris administration focuses day-in and day-out on the best outcomes for the American people.[4] We believe the best way to achieve this goal is to stop special interests from profiting off of the public service of government officials and to padlock the revolving door between corporate, special interest and our government. The Obama-Biden ethics pledge took unprecedented steps to close and lock the revolving door between special interests and government by banning lobbyist from seeking employment at executive agencies they lobbied immediately prior to their appointment; by restricting what former lobbyists could work on and ensuring that all officials had to temporarily recuse from particular matters involving former employers or clients; and by restricting executive branch officials from leaving government to lobby the administration. We recommend building upon these strong standards by enacting a total ban on lobbyists employed by corporations from serving in the administration, especially at executive agencies they lobbied, and prohibiting all incoming officials from accepting Gary Cohn-like golden parachutes for federal service.[5] We also recommend expanding the Obama-Biden recusal standard prohibiting senior officials from participating personally and substantially in any particular matter in which a former employer or former client has a financial interest.Finally, we recommend reinstating the Obama-Biden revolving door bans on officials leaving government and consider expanding them by requiring such officials to commit to not accept employment at, or compensation from, any company or special interest that lobbied them, their office, or their agency while they were in the administration, for the remainder of the Administration.\r\n \r\n \r\nReduce the improper influence of lobbyists and special interests. In addition to closing the revolving door, we recommend additional policies for you to consider in your day one executive order and ethics pledge to enact your plan to address the improper influence of lobbyists.[6] We recommend requiring more extensive public reporting of all lobbying activity aimed at the Biden-Harris administration, including the disclosure of all materials that lobbyists currently provide behind closed doors to Trump administration officials. We agree that the American public has a right to know when lobbyists meet with executive branch officials and what they share in the course of those meetings. The Biden-Harris administration could also consider requiring all executive branch agencies release monthly disclosures regarding all contacts with registered lobbyists, including the date, the name of the official the lobbyist met with, the issue upon which they lobbied, and any documents transmitted to the official during the lobbying contact, with appropriate national security safeguards. This structure would mirror with the Obama-Biden administration's restrictions on lobbying activity related to relief under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009,[7] which restricted all recovery act lobbying activity to public, written submissions and prohibited closed door meetings and phone calls between government officials and companies seeking emergency relief. As the federal government continues to deliver COVID-19 pandemic and economic relief, now is the ideal time to reinstate this Obama-Biden standard regarding emergency relief lobbying. Finally, we recommend building upon the current administration's ban on officials leaving government to engage in any activity on behalf of any foreign entity which would require registration under the Foreign Agents Registration Act,[8] and advancing your commitment to prohibit foreign governments' use of Washington lobbyists by prohibiting meetings between any Biden-Harris administration officials and any lobbyists working for foreign governments or foreign state owned enterprises, especially those engaged in gross human rights violations. We agree with and support your position that if a foreign government wants to share its views with the United States or to influence its decision-making, it should do so through regular diplomatic channels.[9]\r\n \r\n \r\nEliminate Personal and Financial Conflicts of Interest. Given the outright grift of the past four years, we strongly support your commitment to ensure every member of the Biden-Harris administration eliminate any improper or inappropriate influence from personal, financial, and other interests, as well as your commitment that no member of the Biden Administration will be influenced by personal financial holdings.[10] We sincerely appreciate the ethical example you have set personally by committing to hold only non-conflicted assets like Treasury bonds, annuities, mutual funds, large cap mutual fund retirement accounts, and private residential real estate.[11] In order to eliminate both the appearance and the potential for personal and financial conflicts of interest throughout the Biden-Harris administration, we recommend requiring all senior administration officials, including agency leadership and White House officials, follow your example and divest from all individual stock and conflicted financial holdings. Officials should place such investments qualified blind trusts, widely held investment funds,[12] and other non-conflicted assets approved by federal ethics officials. We additionally recommend officials pledge not to trade any individual stock (besides divestment) for the duration of their time in public service, and if such officials are beneficiaries of a discretionary trust, to disclose all of the trust's holdings, which would enact your commitment to eliminate the trust loophole in existing financial disclosure law.[13] Finally, we recommend ending the Trump administration's troubling practice of exploiting loopholes to allow senior advisors to skirt federal ethics law[14] by requiring senior government advisors to comply with federal disclosure and conflicts of interest rules that other federal officials must follow.\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\nInstitute a new standard of transparency. We appreciate your deep understanding that in order to rebuild Americans' trust in government, the Biden-Harris administration will need to embrace an unprecedented level of transparency. As such, we support your commitments to disclose any regulatory text submitted by any outside entity and to develop and disclose any access policy that governs requests for appointments.[15] We recommend sharing this information in a central location and including this policy in your ethics executive order. We additionally support your commitments to ensure an extra layer of review and scrutiny whenever policy proposals or recommendations come from a conflicted source, and to require senior executive branch officials develop and disclose to the public any policies that their office has instituted on when to accept or prioritize appointments.[16] As you work to include these commitments in your ethics executive order, we also recommend including your commitment to return to the Obama-Biden administration practice of disclosing visitor lists to the White House, federal agencies, and regularly traveled places (like Camp David) .[17] Finally, we recommend immediately making public and easily searchable all officials' ethics agreements or agreement amendments, as well as waivers to any provisions in your ethics pledge, which should include a public justification for why the waiver is in the national interest.\r\n \r\nThese recommendations represent just a handful of ways to ensure that the incoming Biden-Harris administration fulfills your good government commitments and continues to earn and rebuild the trust of the American people. We look forward to working with you and your administration to advance legislation in Congress to restore the promise of American democracy by making it easier, not harder, to vote; ending the dominance of big money in politics; and ensuring that public officials work for the public interest. But in the meantime, we also look forward to working with you to do everything you can through executive action, without Congress, to help make the executive branch of our government work for the people. \r\nSincerely,\r\n    \r\n\r\n[1] S. 949, 116th Congress\r\n\r\n\r\n[2] https://joebiden.com/governmentreform/\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n[4] https://joebiden.com/governmentreform/\r\n\r\n\r\n[5] https://money.cnn.com/2017/01/26/investing/gary-cohn-goldman-sachs-exit-trump/\r\n\r\n\r\n[6] https://joebiden.com/governmentreform/\r\n\r\n\r\n[7] https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2009/03/25/E9-6754/ensuring-responsible-spending-of-recovery-act-funds\r\n\r\n\r\n[8] https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/executive-order-ethics-commitments-executive-branch-appointees/\r\n\r\n\r\n[9] https://joebiden.com/governmentreform/\r\n\r\n\r\n[10] https://joebiden.com/governmentreform/\r\n\r\n\r\n[11] https://joebiden.com/governmentreform/\r\n\r\n\r\n[12] described in section 102(f)(8) of the Ethics in Government Act\r\n\r\n\r\n[13] https://joebiden.com/governmentreform/\r\n\r\n\r\n[14] https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/15/us/politics/vaccine-Slaoui-coronavirus-trump.html\r\n\r\n\r\n[15] https://joebiden.com/governmentreform/\r\n\r\n\r\n[16] https://joebiden.com/governmentreform/\r\n\r\n\r\n[17] https://joebiden.com/governmentreform/", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.merkley.senate.gov/news/press-releases/merkley-colleagues-push-22-financial-services-companies-to-prioritize-american-health-safety-economic-security-by-not-insuring-arctic-drilling-2020", "Merkley, Colleagues Push 22 Financial Services Companies to Prioritize American Health, Safety, Economic Security by Not Insuring Arctic Drilling", "2020-12-21", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "OR", "Jeff Merkley", "M001176", "www.merkley.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Merkley, Colleagues Push 22 Financial Services Companies to Prioritize American Health, Safety, Economic Security by Not Insuring Arctic Drilling  \n\t\n\t\n\tMonday, December 21, 2020\n\t\n\tWASHINGTON, D.C.  Oregon's U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley teamed up with U.S. Senators Patrick Leahy (D-VT), Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Cory Booker (D-NJ), and Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) to press executives of 22 financial services companies to not insure any oil and gas developments in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, citing significant financial risk, catastrophic damage to one of the world's most delicate ecosystems, and the acceleration of climate chaos.\r\nThe senators' letterswhich were sent to AIG, Allianz, Aviva, AXIS, Chubb, CNA, Generali, Liberty Mutual, Lloyd's, Markel, Munich Re, QBE, RLI, SCOR, Sompo, Swiss Re, Talanx, The Hartford, Tokio Marine, Travelers, WR Berkley, and Zurich Cantonal Bankfollow a series of efforts by the Trump administration to auction off Arctic Refuge oil and gas leases in the coming weeks before the Biden administration is sworn in.\r\n \r\nThe Arctic is on the frontline of climate crisis, warming at three times the rate of the rest of the world. Fossil fuel extraction in these areas risks exacerbating climate chaos and irreparably damaging the local environment, the lawmakers wrote.\r\n \r\nIn addition to highlighting the detrimental impacts of boosting the use of fossil fuels on the future of our planet, the senators emphasized the financial risks of investing in Arctic oil extractionrisks that have led 27 major financial institutions, including five major American banks, to decide not to invest in Arctic oil and gas development projects.\r\n \r\nOil and gas development in the Arctic is increasingly financially risky. Arctic drilling operations would face extreme and treacherous conditions with severely limited access to respond to an oil spill or an accident. The environmental, social, and governance factors linked with these developments will likely expose your company to unnecessary reputation, legal, and financial risk, they continued.\r\n \r\nIn light of their grave concerns, the senators requested that the companies not insure the exploration, production, or transportation of oil and gas in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge; implement a formal policy prohibiting new insurance products or the extension of existing insurance productssuch as surety bonds, commercial multiple peril insurance, and reinsuranceto cover Arctic oil and gas projects; and rule out investments in companies involved in Arctic Refuge development. The lawmakers requested that these new policies and announcements be made publicly, and that the executives inform the lawmakers of the actions they take regarding the requests by December 31.\r\nThe full text of the letter is available here and follows below.\r\n###\r\n\r\n\r\nAs you may be aware, the Trump Administration recently finalized plans to sell oil leases in the Coastal Plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in the final days of their administration. Any companies interested in leasing in the Arctic Refuge will be looking for new insurance coverage for their planned developments. Exploring drilling in the Arctic Refuge is financially risky given the historic low of oil prices and the transition away from fossil fuels happening around the world.\r\n\r\nWe ask that you put the health and safety of the planet and the people dependent upon the Arctic Refuge first and not insure any oil and gas developments in the Arctic Refuge.\r\n\r\nThe Arctic National Wildlife Refuge is one of the world's most delicate ecosystems. It is a sacred space to the Gwich'in people and has supported the lives and livelihoods of Indigenous populations and subsistence hunters for thousands of years. It is also home to endangered species such as bowhead whales, polar bears, and ringed seals and it supports critically important fisheries and migratory birds. The Arctic is on the frontline of climate crisis, warming at three times the rate of the rest of the world. Fossil fuel extraction in these areas risks exacerbating climate chaos and irreparably damaging the local environment.\r\n\r\nOil and gas development in the Arctic is increasingly financially risky. Arctic drilling operations would face extreme and treacherous conditions with severely limited access to respond to an oil spill or an accident. The environmental, social, and governance factors linked with these developments will likely expose your company to unnecessary reputation, legal, and financial risk. In light of this financial risk 27 major financial institutions,[1] including five major American banks, have already decided not to invest in oil and gas development in the Arctic.\r\n\r\nIn addition, this development is fraught with legal challenges. There are four active lawsuits challenging the Arctic Refuge leasing program including multiple complaints filed by several tribal communities who depend on the Arctic Refuge and its natural resources to sustain their communities, cultures, and ways of life.\r\n\r\nWe ask that your company:\r\n\r\n \r\nNot insure the exploration, production, or transportation of oil and gas in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge;\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\nImplement a formal policy prohibiting new insurance products or the extension of existing insurance contracts to cover the exploration, production, or transportation of oil and gas in the Arctic Refuge, including surety bonds, commercial multiple peril insurance, and reinsurance;\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\nRule out investments in companies involved in Arctic Refuge development and those that do not have policies prohibiting their own involvement in the Arctic Refuge; and\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\nMake these new policies and announcements open to the public.\r\n \r\n\r\nWe request that you consider the policy changes listed above regarding oil and gas development for the protection of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and the health and safety of the communities it serves. Please respond to inform us about the actions you take regarding our requests by December 31st. Thank you for your attention to this important matter.\r\n\r\nSincerely,\r\n\r\n    \r\n\r\n[1] https://www.banktrack.org/campaign/banks_and_arctic_oil_and_gas", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://blumenauer.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/house-vote-today-new-covid-19-relief-proposal", "House to Vote Today on New COVID-19 Relief Proposal", "2020-12-21", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "OR", "Earl Blumenauer", "B000574", "blumenauer.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON, D.C.The U.S. House of Representatives will votetodayon a new $900 billion COVID-19 relief package. The legislation would boost unemployment benefits by an additional $300 a week, provide $600 direct cash payments to most Americans, allocate $300 billion in aid for small businesses, and provide much-needed funding for schools, transportation,rental assistance, hospitals,and vaccine distribution in Oregon and across the country.\nWhile Republicans in the Senate blocked the inclusion of a revitalization fund for independent restaurants, U.S. Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-OR) secured several changes to the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) to improve the program for the nation's 500,000 independent restaurants that were largely left out of the first tranche of funding.\nThe bipartisan popularity of the RESTAURANTS Act underscored how inadequate the original PPP provisions were for meeting the unique needs of independent restaurants, the area of the economy hardest hit by the pandemic and that suffered the greatest number of job losses. This wide support for our bill, which passed the House and has more than fifty co-sponsors in the Senate, helped us secure some changes to address shortcomings in PPP, Blumenauer said. These changes include a larger loan amount available for hard-hit restaurants, expansions to forgivable expenses for restaurant-specific expenditures like supplier costs and perishable goods, PPE, and outdoor seating, and a simplified forgiveness process for smaller loans. But these changes are by no means adequate for the needs of our independent restaurants.\nBlumenauer stressed that hisRESTAURANTS Actis still urgently needed to keep the majority of local, independent restaurants from going out of business.\nFor more than six months, we worked tirelessly to secure relief for independent restaurants, only to have Republicans slam the door on these small businesses and their workers in the final stage of negotiations. Make no mistake, modest changes to PPP will help, but they won't remedy enough deficiencies in the program to meet the desperate needs facing local restaurants, Blumenauer added. These half a millionrestaurants,diners, coffee shops, and bars employ eleven million Americans and are the cornerstone of communities large and small. It is as irresponsible as it is heartless that Republicans rejected targeted aid. We need to immediately take this up with the new Congress and the Biden administration to deal with the serious shortcomings of the bill and save our restaurants.\nFull text of the COVID-19 relief bill that will be voted ontodayby the U.S. House of Representatives can be foundhere.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://bonamici.house.gov/media/press-releases/bonamici-helps-secure-relief-unemployment-benefits-cash-assistance-oregonians", "Bonamici Helps Secure Relief, Unemployment Benefits, Cash Assistance for Oregonians", "2020-12-21", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "House", "OR", "Suzanne Bonamici", "B001278", "bonamici.house.gov", "bonamici", "https://bonamici.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, DC [12/21/20] \u2013Today Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici helped the House pass bipartisan legislation to provide needed relief during the COVID-19 pandemic.\n\n\"The pandemic has raged for nearly a year, threatening the health of Oregonians and pushing many working families to the brink of financial collapse,\" said Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici. \"The heartbreaking loss of life and economic damage inflicted by COVID-19 demand bold action from Congress. I've long fought for additional economic relief that meets the scale and scope of this crisis. Although I am grateful that this package will put some money directly into the hands of Oregonians and help stave off some of the worst effects of the pandemic, I acknowledge that there is still more to be done.\n\n\"Fortunately many frontline health care workers in Oregon and across the country have already received vaccinations, but we know it's going to take a massive effort to make vaccines available to all. This relief package will accelerate the distribution of vaccines, improve testing, and help overcome the barriers faced by communities of color.\n\n\"The bill passed today also includes a critical extension of unemployment insurance for nearly 72,000 Oregonians, and a $300 per week enhancement of the benefits, which will help provide a lifeline to so many people who are out of work. Additionally, the bill provides a new round of $600 direct payments for individuals and families, including many families who were previously denied assistance because of the immigration status of a household member. This is much less than the ongoing, direct cash assistance to Oregon families I've been advocating for throughout the pandemic, and it is infuriating that we could not convince Senate Republicans to provide more direct relief to people in such dire need.\n\n\"This new relief package also expands support for small businesses, which are the lifeblood of our communities and our economy. There are provisions to help independent venues, the arts, nonprofit organizations, and more. Unfortunately, many small, independent restaurants are closing daily. This bill takes some steps to help them, but not enough, and I won't let up in my fight to secure the additional aid they need.\n\n\"Importantly, this bill includes relief funding for schools and institutions of higher education that will help them better meet the needs of their students during the pandemic, including funding that can help schools prepare to reopen to students. We also know that our economy will not recover until parents, and particularly mothers, can access affordable child care. I am glad that this legislation includes $10 billion in child care assistance, but without more we will not see an economic recovery.\n\n\"Food insecurity has been increasing across Oregon and the country, and this bill increases SNAP benefits and provides funding for child nutrition programs to help make sure families and children do not go hungry. The bill will also help keep families in their homes by extending the moratorium on evictions and providing rental assistance.\n\n\"This relief package will make a meaningful difference to our communities, but it is not nearly enough to fully account for the damage from the COVID-19 pandemic. It is reprehensible that for months Senate Republicans fought our efforts to get this urgent relief to our communities and the people who need it. I will continue fighting for more aid to help our families, workers, and businesses stay safe, recover, and rebuild.\"\n\nThe House also passed the Congresswoman's Water Power Research and Development Act, bipartisan legislation to increase investments in marine energy, as part of the end of year relief and spending package. More information can be found here.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-06-28T00:42:23Z"], ["https://bonamici.house.gov/media/press-releases/bonamici-young-deutch-bill-strengthen-marine-energy-passes-house", "Bonamici, Young, Deutch Bill to Strengthen Marine Energy Passes House", "2020-12-21", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "House", "OR", "Suzanne Bonamici", "B001278", "bonamici.house.gov", "bonamici", "https://bonamici.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, DC [12/21/20] \u2013Today the House passed bipartisan legislation to increase federal investments in marine energy led by Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR), Congressman Don Young (R-AK), and Congressman Ted Deutch (D-FL).\n\nThe Water Power Research and Development Act strengthens water power programs at the Department of Energy (DOE) and provides funding for research, development, demonstration, and commercialization of marine energy. The legislation passed the House as part of a funding and COVID relief package. It will authorize $186.6 million for the DOE Water Power Technologies Office over the next four years, including $137.4 million for federal investments in marine energy.\n\n\"Our ocean holds tremendous potential to mitigate the climate crisis, but for too long the power of waves, tides, and currents has been an untapped clean energy resource,\" said Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici. \"We must expedite our transition to a 100 percent clean energy economy, and scaling up the development of marine energy technologies can help sustainably power our homes, buildings, and communities, and also create good-paying jobs. I am thrilled that our Water Power Research and Development Act will be signed into law because it will accelerate innovative research and development, including the efforts of Oregon State University and the Pacific Marine Energy Center. I appreciate the support and collaboration of Rep. Don Young and Rep. Ted Deutch in moving this bill forward.\"\n\n\"Hydropower is crucially important to Alaska, and I am very proud that the Water Power Research and Development Act has made it into the final omnibus package. I have long supported harnessing Alaska's vast hydropower capabilities. I was very proud to support projects such as the Terror Lake Hydroelectric Plant and the Swan Lake Hydroelectric Project. Both of these ventures are generating energy, and sustaining good-paying jobs in our communities,\" said Congressman Don Young. \"As a nation, we need to get serious about helping renewables compete on a level playing field. Hydropower represents enormous potential for the State of Alaska, and we should be empowered to pursue it. As we look to diversify America's energy portfolio, it is my great hope that our legislation will assist with the development of hydropower projects across our country. I want to thank my colleagues on both sides of their aisle for supporting this critical effort, and I am especially grateful to Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici and Congressman Ted Deutch for their partnership on this bill.\"\n\n\"Reducing the increasing impacts of climate change requires that our nation move toward renewable sources of energy,\" said Congressman Ted Deutch. \"Harnessing marine and hydrokinetic power from ocean currents, waves, tides, and other sources can reduce our dependence on fossil fuels and decrease carbon emissions. This bill will invest in research, development, and deployment of marine and hydrokinetic power that is currently being conducted by research centers, such as Florida Atlantic University. This is an investment in the energy of the future and one that I strongly support.\"\n\nImportantly, the bill authorizes funding for existing and new National Marine Energy Centers, including the Pacific Marine Energy Center \u2013 operated by Oregon State University, the University of Washington, and the University of Alaska Fairbanks \u2013 and Florida Atlantic University's Southeast National Marine Renewable Energy Center.\n\n\"The Pacific Marine Energy Center at Oregon State University is working at the forefront to advance science, facilitate innovation, and develop the future workforce for what will become a multi-billion dollar marine energy sector,\" said Bryson Robertson, Co-Director of the Pacific Marine Energy Center at Oregon State University. \"Enactment of the Water Power Research and Development Act sends an important and clear signal that the US remains committed to pursuing a commercially viable domestic marine energy sector that can reliably contribute toward a carbon-free energy portfolio. This is an exciting time for this emerging field.\"", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-06-28T00:42:23Z"], ["https://defazio.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/rep-peter-defazio-votes-in-support-of-additional-covid-19-relief", "Rep. Peter DeFazio Votes in Support of Additional COVID-19 Relief", "2020-12-21", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "OR", "Peter DeFazio", "D000191", "defazio.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Rep. Peter DeFazio (OR-04) today voted in support of legislation to provide additional COVID-19 relief to struggling working families and small businesses.\n\nThis bill will provide a critical lifeline to millions of Americans, but we need to do more, said Rep. DeFazio. Much more needs to be done in the new Congress to secure additional relief for working families, small businesses and frontline workers, provide a comprehensive plan to develop and distribute the COVID-19 vaccine, and finally get our country back on track. Over the last ten months, more than 300,000 Americans have been killed by COVID-19 and more than 17 million Americans have been infected with the virus. Too many businesses have been shuttered and too many jobs have been permanently lost. Our nation has been mired in a massive public health and economic crisis, and yet congressional Republicans, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and President Trump showed absolutely no urgency in providing relief to struggling families. Despite repeated efforts to pass relief legislation for the last nine months, they instead chose to keep their heads in the sand until the eleventh hour, while millions of Americans were pushed into poverty. This deal is by no means perfect, and it is not the bill I would have written, but it will provide desperately-needed relief to millions.\nThe legislation includes:\n Funding for additional stimulus payments of up to $600 for individuals and $1,200 for married couples;\n\t$285 billion for the Small Business Administration (SBA) for a second round of the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) for small businesses hardest-hit by the economic impacts of COVID-19;\n\t$300/week in enhanced unemployment payments as well as an extension of all pandemic unemployment insurance programs by 11 weeks, including Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA);\n\tOver $19 billion to bolster manufacturing and procurement of COVID-19 vaccines and therapeutics, as well as $9 billion to support federal, state, local, tribal, and territorial health departments in COVID-19 vaccine distribution and administration;\n\t$25 billion to support testing, contact tracing, and provide additional relief to healthcare providers;\n\tA temporary increase in individual monthly Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) by 15 percent for four months and increased support for the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC);\n\t$25 billion in rental assistance for those struggling to pay rent as well as an extension of the eviction moratorium;\n\t$82 billion for education, including $54 billion for K-12 education and $20 billion for higher education grants;\n\t$10 billion in childcare grants and $7 billion for broadband grants and investments to support internet access in rural and underserved $10 billion for the United States Postal Service; and\n\tAn extension of student loan forbearance until April 1, 2021.\n As Chair of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, DeFazio negotiated the following provisions into the bill:\n $15 billion to extend the Payroll Support Program for aviation employees through March 31, 2021, a workers-first program that puts tens of thousands of workers back on the payroll with benefits, while prohibiting the use of funds for stock buybacks or executive compensation.\n\t$2 billion for FEMA's Disaster Relief Fund, as well as some assistance for individuals and households to cover funeral expenses for COVID-19 deaths.\n\tThe Aircraft Certification, Safety and Accountability Act, bipartisan legislation to strengthen the Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) aircraft certification process in the wake of the Boeing 737 MAX tragedies.\n\tThe Protecting Our Infrastructure of Pipelines Enhancing Safety (PIPES) Act of 2020, bipartisan legislation to help ensure that the millions of miles of pipelines in the U.S. are safe, reliable, and environmentally-sound; also includes provisions to require leak detection and repair programs to reduce methane pollution, as well as resolves the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration's bureaucratic inability to protect coastal waters and the Great Lakes as previously mandated by Congress.\n\tThe Water Resources Development Act of 2020, legislation essential to our country's ports, harbors, and inland waterways, as well as to ecosystem restoration and flood mitigation; the WRDA Act of 2020 also finally unlocks the Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund, freeing up to billions of dollars of already-collected fees to be used for operations and maintenance of the country's ports. DeFazio also successfully pushed for a 50 percent increase in funding for small harbors, like the Port of Gold Beach and the Port of Siuslaw, and for a provision that allows harbor maintenance funds to be seamlessly spent on the maintenance of adjacent marinas. This funding will be put to immediate use paying for planned projects such as the Coos Bay North Jetty rehabilitation and maintenance dredging along the coast.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://defazio.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/transportation-infrastructure-chair-defazio-secures-key-victories-in", "Transportation & Infrastructure Chair DeFazio Secures Key Victories in Omnibus and COVID Relief Legislation", "2020-12-21", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "OR", "Peter DeFazio", "D000191", "defazio.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Chair of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure Peter DeFazio (D-OR) secured key victories in the COVID-19 relief and annual federal budget bill that passed the House of Representatives tonight, including disaster relief funding for states responding to the COVID crisis, legislation to distribute already-collected funds to the country's ports for maintenance and operations, landmark legislation to improve the FAA's aircraft certification process in the wake of the Boeing 737 MAX tragedies, an extension of the highly-successful Payroll Support Program for aviation employees, and pipeline safety legislation.\nWhile I am relieved that Congress finally passed legislation to provide urgently-needed relief for the American people, we still have much more to do, Chair DeFazio said. Tragically, political partisanship and gridlock in Washington have delayed relief for families and communities that are hurting right now amid this public health and economic crisis. I'm proud that I was able to work closely with my counterparts in the Senate to ensure this legislation included provisions that will make a tremendous difference for Oregon, including a provision to finally unlock the Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund and ensure our nation's ports are properly maintained while protecting millions of jobs. The bill also includes my bipartisan FAA certification legislation that will protect the flying public. There is still much to be done, and I look forward to getting to work with the Biden-Harris administration in the new year.\n  \n\tAs Chair, DeFazio secured a number of key provisions in the legislation, including:\n \nThe Water Resources Development Act of 2020, legislation essential to our country's ports, harbors, and inland waterways, as well as to ecosystem restoration and flood mitigation; the WRDA Act of 2020 finally unlocks the Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund, freeing up to billions of dollars of already-collected fees to be used for operations and maintenance of the country's ports. DeFazio also successfully pushed for a 50 percent increase in funding for small harbors, like the Port of Gold Beach and the Port of Siuslaw, and for a provision that allows harbor maintenance funds to be seamlessly spent on the maintenance of adjacent marinas as well as jetties. This funding will be put to immediate use paying for planned projects such as the Coos Bay North Jetty rehabilitation and maintenance dredging along the coast.\n\t\n$2 billion for FEMA's Disaster Relief Fund, as well as some assistance for individuals and households to cover funeral expenses for COVID-19 deaths.\n\t\n$15 billion to extend the Payroll Support Program for aviation employees through March 31, 2021, a workers-first program that puts tens of thousands of workers back on the payroll with benefits, while prohibiting the use of funds for stock buybacks or executive compensation. Requires mandatory recall of involuntarily furloughed workers and backpay for those workers to the date of the bill's passage.\n\t\n$1 billion in payroll pass-through grants for workers for airline contractors, with mandatory recalls of involuntarily furloughed workers and back pay for those workers to the date of the bill's passage.\n\t\nThe Aircraft Certification, Safety, and Accountability Act, bipartisan legislation to strengthen the Federal Aviation Administration's aircraft certification process in the wake of the Boeing 737 MAX tragedies. DeFazio led an 18-month investigation into the Boeing 737 MAX and developed the legislation from its findings.\n\t\nThe Protecting Our Infrastructure of Pipelines Enhancing Safety (PIPES) Act of 2020, bipartisan legislation to help ensure that the millions of miles of pipelines in the U.S. are safe, reliable, and environmentally-sound; also includes provisions to require leak detection and repair programs to reduce methane pollution, as well as resolve the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration's bureaucratic inability to protect coastal waters and the Great Lakes as previously mandated by Congress.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.merkley.senate.gov/news/press-releases/merkley-announces-deal-on-long-overdue-coronavirus-relief-bill", "Merkley Announces Deal on Long-Overdue Coronavirus Relief Bill", "2020-12-20", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "OR", "Jeff Merkley", "M001176", "www.merkley.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Merkley Announces Deal on Long-Overdue Coronavirus Relief Bill \n\t\n\t\t The senator noted that it falls far short of Americans' need, vows to continue pushing for additional relief \n\t\n\t\n\tSunday, December 20, 2020\n\t\n\tWASHINGTON, D.C.  Oregon's U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley today announced a long-overdue deal for a coronavirus relief bill, which will provide Americans with desperately needed resources as they struggle through the third, deadliest wave of the global pandemic. Merkley also noted that at $900 billion, the relief falls far short of actual need, and is just a shadow of the comprehensive relief bill that the U.S. House of Representatives passed in May.\r\n \r\nThis deal is certainly better than nothing at all, given the great need across our nation, Merkley said. But let's be clear: This is a stopgap measure, and much more is needed to get American families and businesses back on their feet, and the economy back in gear.\r\nAfter spending $2 trillion in 2017 for tax cuts benefiting the richest Americans, Republicans are now shorting hard-working Americans and small businesses in desperate need. These negotiations should have been treated with urgency. I'm going to continue pushing to make sure the federal government does better, working quickly and with compassion to make sure families have the resources they need to get through this crisis, and then to thrive. The key is to rebuild the economy from families and Main Street up, not Wall Street down. We'll have a lot more work to do once President Biden is in the White House.\r\n \r\nThe bill includes an additional $300 for enhanced federal jobless benefits through the spring; $600 per person of one-time stimulus payments for qualifying families; vital food and rental assistance for families; additional relief to support small businesses, schools and other organizations; funding to distribute the coronavirus vaccines; and extended the deadline for the Coronavirus Relief Fund. After an impasse in negotiations around the Federal Reserve's emergency lending authority, the bill also includes compromise language that keeps intact the Fed's tools to respond to emergencies.\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.wyden.senate.gov//news/press-releases/wyden-covid-relief-bill-contains-multiple-wins-for-oregon-families-and-small-business", "Wyden: COVID Relief Bill Contains Multiple Wins for Oregon Families and Small Business", "2020-12-20", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "House", "OR", "Ron Wyden", "W000779", "www.wyden.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "December 20, 2020\n\t\t\t Wyden: COVID Relief Bill Contains Multiple Wins for Oregon Families and Small Business \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t \n\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\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\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n        \n\t\t\t\t Senator cites gains in top priorities he pressed for in relief package to help Oregonians with broadband, improved access to capital for women and minority-owned businesses\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t Washington, D.C. U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden said tonght that the COVID relief bill contains significant Oregon wins for top priorities he fought to include for families and small business -- broadband assistance, help for renters, improved access to capital for women and minority-owned businesses, and more.\r\nThose gains, he said, come in addition to the relief package's provisions Wyden negotiated on unemployment insurance for Oregonians who are out of work through no fault of their own, health policy and tax incentives made permanent for craft beverage producers.\r\nOregon families and small businesses face a holiday season like few others in American history more than nine months into this public health crisis and its devastating economic impact, said Wyden, Ranking Member of the Senate Finance Committee. I'm glad this package will provide relief on multiple fronts statewide and will keep pressing in the new year to get Oregon communities all the help that's needed to weather this crisis.\r\nWyden highlighted these following additional provisions in the package:\r\n \r\nBased on Wyden's Emergency Broadband Connections Act, $3.2 billion will be provided to keep working families connected to the internet. It provides $50 a month for broadband access to anyone laid off or furloughed during the pandemic  critical assistance for Americans needing broadband connections to get new jobs, and to have access to school, health care and other government services.\r\nEstablishment of the first-ever emergency federal rental assistance program to be distributed by state and local governments. These funds will be targeted to families in Oregon and nationwide affected by COVID and struggling to make the rent and may have past due rent compounding on itself. It also includes an extension of the existing CDC eviction moratorium through January 31, 2021.\r\nDedicated Paycheck Protection Program set-asides for very small businesses and lending through community-based lenders like Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs) and Minority Depository Institutions (MDIs); $9 billion in emergency U.S. Treasury capital investments in CDFIs and MDIs to support lending in low-income and underserved communities, including persistent poverty counties, that may be disproportionately hurt by the economic effects of the COVID19 pandemic.\r\nExpansion of the Employee Retention Tax Credit, and ensuring congressional intent is followed and small businesses are able to deduct expenses covered by the Paycheck Protection Program.\r\n \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t  \n\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\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTweet\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t \n\t\n\t\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n    \n\t\n\t\n    \n    \n    \n    \t\n    \t\n\t    \t  \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tNext Article\n\t\t    \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tPrevious Article", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.wyden.senate.gov//news/press-releases/wyden-statement-on-the-broadband-provisions-in-covid-relief-package", "Wyden Statement on the Broadband Provisions in COVID Relief Package", "2020-12-20", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "House", "OR", "Ron Wyden", "W000779", "www.wyden.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "December 20, 2020\n\t\t\t Wyden Statement on the Broadband Provisions in COVID Relief Package \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tSenator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., released the following statement on the broadband provisions in the COVID relief package, which include hisEmergency Broadband Connections Act, providing $3.2 billion to keep working families connected to the internet. It provides a $50 a month emergency broadband benefit for anyone laid off or furloughed during the pandemic:\r\nBroadband connections are essential for Americans seeking to get new jobs, and to access school, health care and other government services. Ensuring working families can stay online will pay massive dividends for kids' education, helping people find jobs and jump starting the economic recovery next year.\r\n\r\nThe provision mirrors sections of the HEROES Act, which passed the House of Representatives in May.Wyden also applauded the inclusion of $1 billion in grants for Tribal broadband programs and $300 million for broadband infrastructure grants.\r\n###\r\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t  \n\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\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTweet\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t \n\t\n\t\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n    \n\t\n\t\n    \n    \n    \n    \t\n    \t\n\t    \t  \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tNext Article\n\t\t    \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tPrevious Article", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.merkley.senate.gov/news/press-releases/merkley-welcomes-appointment-of-environmental-justice-champions-to-key-positions", "Merkley Welcomes Appointment of Environmental Justice Champions to Key Positions", "2020-12-19", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "OR", "Jeff Merkley", "M001176", "www.merkley.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Merkley Welcomes Appointment of Environmental Justice Champions to Key Positions \n\t\n\t\n\tSaturday, December 19, 2020\n\t\n\tWASHINGTON, D.C.  Oregon's U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley, who serves on both the Senate Special Committee on the Climate Crisis and Senate Environment and Public Works Committee and is a member of the Senate Environmental Justice Caucus, today issued a statement following President-elect Joe Biden's announcement that he will appoint Representative Deb Haaland, Brenda Mallory, Michael Regan, and Gina McCarthy to key environmental positions:\r\n \r\nOur families and our economy are already experiencing climate chaos' wrathfrom apocalyptic wildfires ravaging the western United States, torecord-breaking storms battering our Gulf Coast communities, tomore frequent heat waves. And things will only get worse if we don't begin to rapidly reverse the harm that the Trump administration has done to clean air and water, public lands, and environmental justice.\r\nRepresentative Deb Haaland is a historic choice for Secretary of the Department of the Interior, and I applaud the President-elect for taking the long-overdue step of nominating an Indigenous leader as head of the agency overseeing programs that directly affect Indian Country. I know she'll be committed to protecting our public lands and addressing climate chaos. Brenda Mallory, nominated to be head of the White House Council on Environmental Quality, has a track record of fighting for environmental justice, and the government experience to effectively ensure it is reflected in policy initiatives. Michael Regan, nominated to serve as Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, has experience holding big polluters accountable, and I look forward to working with him to return the agency to its fundamental duty: protecting our communities from harmful pollution. And Gina McCarthy, the incoming White House climate coordinator, is widely recognized as one of the premiere advocates of combatting climate chaos, both through her time in public service and in her recent role aschief executive of the Natural Resources Defense Council.\r\nJoe Biden's decision to pick these experienced leaders with proven track records for these positions shows that the President-elect takes climate chaos seriously as the national emergency that it is. I look forward to supporting their nominations, working with them to restore critical protections for our environment, and tackling the climate crisis head on.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.merkley.senate.gov/news/press-releases/merkley-sasse-unveil-urgently-needed-legislation-to-crack-down-on-online-sexual-exploitation", "Merkley, Sasse Unveil Urgently Needed Legislation to Crack Down on Online Sexual Exploitation", "2020-12-18", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "OR", "Jeff Merkley", "M001176", "www.merkley.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Merkley, Sasse Unveil Urgently Needed Legislation to Crack Down on Online Sexual Exploitation \n\t\n\t\n\tFriday, December 18, 2020\n\t\n\tWASHINGTON, D.C.  Oregon's U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley and U.S. Senator Ben Sasse (R-NE) today introduced the Stop Internet Sexual Exploitation Act, groundbreaking legislation that would require all online platforms that host pornography to put in place critical safeguards to protect Americans from sexual exploitation online.\r\nThe introduction follows disturbing reports of how videos and photos are uploaded to websites like Pornhub without the consent of individuals who appear in themhaunting and traumatizing victims.\r\nThe posting of intimate photos and videos without participants' consent is a massive invasion of privacy that drives shame, humiliation, and potentially suicide, said Merkley. While some online platforms have recently announced steps to change some practices, much more needs to be done. We must ensure that not another single life of a child, man, or woman is destroyed by these sites.\r\nHuman dignity matters. A decent society has an obligation to fight sexual exploitation and human trafficking. For years, Pornhub and its parent company Mindgeek monetized rape, abuse, and child exploitation. While these suit-wearing traffickers got rich, their victims have lived with the pain and fear. That has to end now. Our bill is aimed squarely at the monsters who profit from rape. Washington ought to be able to come together to combat human trafficking and make this right, said Sasse.\r\nThe Stop Internet Sexual Exploitation Act would require platforms hosting pornography to verify the identity of users who upload videos, and require a signed consent form from every individual appearing in the video. The legislation would also prohibit video downloads, and would create a private right of action against an uploader who posts a pornographic image without the consent of an individual in the image.\r\nPlatforms would be required to create an expedited system in which victims can get videos deleted off websites. That system includes required deletion within two hours of a request and a 24-hour hotline on which individuals can make their request. Platforms would also be required to provide a notice on their website with information on how an individual can request the removal of a video, and to use software to block the re-upload of any removed videos.\r\nThe legislation would direct the Federal Trade Commission to enforce violations, and instruct the Department of Justice to create a database of individuals who have indicated that they do not consent to the posting of videos in which they appear. Platforms would then be required to check the database before new content could be uploaded, and any failure to do so would result in a civil penalty to the platform, with proceeds going toward services for victims.\r\nFull text of the legislation is available here.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.merkley.senate.gov/news/press-releases/merkley-thune-introduce-bipartisan-legislation-to-support-americas-small-food-processors", "Merkley, Thune Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Support America\u2019s Small Food Processors", "2020-12-18", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "OR", "Jeff Merkley", "M001176", "www.merkley.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Merkley, Thune Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Support America's Small Food Processors \n\t\n\t\n\tFriday, December 18, 2020\n\t\n\tWASHINGTON, D.C.  Oregon's U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley and U.S. Senator John Thune (R-S.D.) today introduced the Strengthening Local Processing Act, bipartisan legislation that would provide much-needed federal support to America's small meat and poultry processors and help strengthen and streamline their operations. The legislation would give small food processors more access to information that is critical to food safety planning, allow more inspector-approved meat products to be sold across state lines, and funnel federal dollars toward training, education, and technical assistance grants. Sens. Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Angus King (I-Maine) are original co-sponsors of this legislation.\r\n \r\nDedicated workers across our food supply chains in every corner of our country work hard to ensure that when we go to our local grocery stores, there will be plenty of food on the shelves for our families, said Merkley. But nowas the coronavirus pandemic continues to upend every aspect of our economyour food processors, especially small plants that have been hit particularly hard, need help. This bipartisan bill would help provide these plants with valuable support, while also strengthening our food safety inspections and cutting red tape.\r\nThe pandemic has created significant challenges to our nation's food supply chain, especially when it comes to meat processing capacity, said Thune. South Dakota's producers work hard to raise high-quality livestock, and we need to invest in expanding processing capacity to help meet consumer demand for their products. I'm proud to introduce this bipartisan legislation to support small meatpackers and to create additional marketing options for livestock producers.\r\nThe supply chain disruptions and restaurant closures caused by the COVID-19 pandemic have placed increasing financial pressure on Maine's rural farming communities, including our small farms that raise livestock, said Collins. This bipartisan bill would provide some relief by clearing unnecessary, bureaucratic hurdles, which would ensure that the livestock raised in Maine can also be processed right here in our state by local, family-owned food processors and butchers.\r\nMaine's small family farms and meat and poultry processors are key building blocks of communities across our state, providing healthy, locally raised meat for their neighbors and making important contributions to the local economy, said King. I'm proud to work with Senators Thune and Merkley to empower small processors to do their jobs and grow their businesses. It's our hope that this legislation will act as a helping hand in these difficult times by directing resources and investments to where they can do much good and bolster local economies around the country.\r\n \r\nThe Strengthening Local Processing Act would require the Food Safety Inspection Service to establish a searchable database of peer-reviewed, publicly available studies to establish and maintain Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) plans. This step would help small food processors develop their own HACCP plans and help expedite the HACCP approval process.\r\nTo incentivize more states to establish meat and poultry inspection programswhich small food processors need to approve their productsthe legislation would increase the federal government's cost-share for the programs from 50 percent to 65 percent. The bill would also allow state-inspected meat facilities to operate as federal inspection facilities, allowing more small and local processors to ship their products to other states and countries.\r\nLastly, the Strengthening Local Processing Act would create a grant program to support small plants by providing reimbursement grants to help cover costs associated with meeting state or federal inspection guidelines, expanding infrastructure to establish or increase harvest and processing capacity, and adapting to the COVID-19 pandemic and future market needs.\r\nTo meet education and training needs in the processing industry, the bill would also establish training grants to support and train small plant operators, small plant employees, and the next generation of meat processors and butchers. And $10 million would be authorized in discretionary funding for higher education training and processor career training.\r\n \r\nThe National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition thanks Senator Merkley and Senator Thune for introducing the Strengthening Local Processing Act. Small plants play a critical role in ensuring farmers and ranchers are able to process their products, especially during the increase in demand for more local and regional meat and poultry during the COVID-19 pandemic. This bill is a strong step towards ensuring scale-appropriate regulations and support for small plants that maintain and pursue federal and state inspection, said Kelly Nuckolls, Policy Specialist, National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition.\r\nThe programs created and increased in this bill are absolutely necessary for the safe processing and distribution of meat in our nation. As we have seen in the past year, relying on large consolidated meat processing facilities to dominate our domestic markets leave consumers at dangerous risk of losing access to safe, clean meat from the local ranchers who produce it. It is importantto support and expand small and mid-scale harvest and processing, in order to maintain the safe pipeline for ranchers to access local markets, and for consumers to access local meat. We are in danger of losing many of the small plants in our country, as they have been dwarfed by a few giants, who have worked to control the markets, building monopolies and controllingprices. When those giant plants could not adequately protect employees from the Covid-19 virus, consumers were left with empty shelves and empty pantries, with far-too-limited options for accessing local producers. Supporting the reinvigorationof local meat processing provides more food security for both the community of consumers as well as the ranchers and their communities. This bill would help to rebuild and increase that capacity, Ben Meyer,co-owner at Revel Meat Company, based in Canby, Ore.\r\nBased on NMPAN's 12 years of research, education, and providing technical assistance related to the viability of small and mid-scale meat processors, our organization finds that the provisions of the proposed \"Strengthening Local Processing Act\" are thoughtfully designed and will address persistent challenges that our processor members frequently share with us. We think it gets at some of the core and complex challenges in the sector that many otherbillshave not addressed. We believe it can make a positive impact,said Rebecca Thistlethwaite, Director of the Niche Meat Processors Assistance Network, part of Oregon State University.\r\n \r\nA summary of the Strengthening Local Processing Act can be found here. Full text of the legislation is available here.\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://bonamici.house.gov/media/press-releases/bipartisan-save-our-seas-20-act-signed-law", "Bipartisan Save Our Seas 2.0 Act Signed into Law", "2020-12-18", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "House", "OR", "Suzanne Bonamici", "B001278", "bonamici.house.gov", "bonamici", "https://bonamici.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C.\u2014U.S. Senators Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), and Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), and Representatives Suzanne Bonamici (D-Ore.) and Don Young (R-Alaska), today welcomed the signing of the Save Our Seas (SOS) 2.0 Act, the most comprehensive legislation ever passed by Congress to address the plastic debris crisis threatening coastal ecosystems and communities, and harming marine life.\n\n\"Across the globe, our widespread use of plastics is polluting our ocean and exacerbating the climate crisis,\" said Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici. \"Save Our Seas 2.0 is an important step to strengthen the NOAA Marine Debris Program and invest in infrastructure to prevent the mismanagement of plastic waste, and I am glad it was signed into law. I will continue working with my fellow House and Senate Oceans Caucus colleagues to advance comprehensive action to minimize the production of new plastics, remove waste, reduce pollution, and protect the health of our ocean.\"\n\n\"After two years of collaboration, hard work and advocacy, I am incredibly excited to announce that the Save Our Seas 2.0 Act is now the law of the land,\" said Senator Sullivan. \"This historic accomplishment is the result of so many people who love our oceans: members of Congress who span the country and political spectrum, members of the administration, stakeholders in industry and environmental groups, and everyday citizens. SOS 2.0 will improve America's ability to clean up waste, advance international cooperation with nations responsible for the majority of trash entering the oceans, and explore innovative ways to manage and even reuse plastic waste. This bill will be particularly important for Alaska, a state that disproportionately experiences the impact of ocean debris with our thousands of miles of coastline. I commend President Trump for signing SOS 2.0 into law, and I also thank my colleagues\u2014Sheldon Whitehouse, Bob Menendez, Suzanne Bonamici, Don Young, and all of the other cosponsors\u2014for being such strong partners and champions for our oceans, fisheries, wildlife and coastal communities.\"\n\n\"Save Our Seas 2.0 is officially law\u2014another milestone in our effort to clean up marine debris and ocean plastic pollution across the globe,\" said Senator Whitehouse, who co-founded the bipartisan Senate Oceans Caucus to find common ground in responding to issues facing the oceans and coasts. \"I'm grateful for the bipartisan partnership of Senators Sullivan and Menendez on this issue. We're already hard at work expanding on the laws we've passed to tackle the scourge of plastic waste washing up on shores from coast to coast.\"\n\n\"I am thrilled to witness this monumental legislation be signed into law to bolster U.S. leadership and global engagement in confronting the plastic waste and marine debris crisis,\" SenatorMenendez said. \"Pollution in our world's oceans is a global problem with dramatic and enduring implications for our livelihoods and well-being. As a landmark bipartisan environmental victory, SOS 2.0 represents a stepping stone toward greater collaboration and progress in our efforts to preserve a most vital resource that sustains life today and will provide for generations to come.\"\n\n\"This is a great day for our oceans, marine ecosystems, and the countless communities they support. Our state is home to more coastline than any other, and Alaskans know that healthy oceans are essential to our economy and way of life,\" said Congressman Don Young. \"Serving as House Oceans Caucus Co-Chair has allowed me to stand up and fight for Alaska's waters, and I am very proud of what we were able to accomplish in both the House and Senate. Save Our Seas 2.0 builds on our successes in combating marine debris by bolstering plastics research and providing funding crucial for infrastructure improvements. Countless Alaskan families earn a living on the water; clean oceans are not just an environmental issue, but an economic one as well. I am sincerely grateful to my friend and Oceans Caucus Co-Chair, Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici, for fighting alongside me to get this bill across the finish line and signed into law. Our Senator, Dan Sullivan, has been an unwavering leader on this issue, and I am especially grateful for his efforts in the Senate to get this done. There is still work ahead of us in the 117th Congress. I will continue fighting to ensure that our marine ecosystems stay healthy and productive for generations to come.\"\n\nThe Save Our Seas 2.0 Act is composed of three main pieces:\n\n1) Strengthening the United States' domestic marine debris response capability with a Marine Debris Foundation, a genius prize for innovation, and new research to tackle the issue.\n\n2) Enhancing global engagement to combat marine debris, including formalizing U.S. policy on international cooperation, enhancing federal agency outreach to other countries, and exploring the potential for a new international agreement on the challenge.\n\n3) Improving domestic infrastructure to prevent marine debris through new grants for and studies of waste management and mitigation.\n\nSOS 2.0 builds on the success of the Save Our Seas Act, introduced by Senators Sullivan and Whitehouse in the Senate, and Representatives Bonamici and Young in the House, and signed into law by President Trump in October 2018.\n\n# # #", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-06-28T00:42:23Z"], ["http://www.merkley.senate.gov/news/press-releases/as-coronavirus-surges-merkley-underwood-propose-agenda-to-support-nurses-fighting-on-the-frontlines-2020", "As Coronavirus Surges, Merkley, Underwood Propose Agenda to Support Nurses Fighting on the Frontlines", "2020-12-17", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "OR", "Jeff Merkley", "M001176", "www.merkley.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "As Coronavirus Surges, Merkley, Underwood Propose Agenda to Support Nurses Fighting on the Frontlines \n\t\n\t\t Outlines key priorities for future COVID-19 relief legislation, President-elect Biden, and Congress \n\t\n\t\n\tThursday, December 17, 2020\n\t\n\tWASHINGTON, D.C.  Oregon's U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley teamed up with Representative Lauren Underwood (D-IL-14) today to unveil an agenda to direct urgently needed support and investments to America's nursing workforce.\r\n \r\nAs the husband of a nurse, I've seen up close the sacrifices our nurses make day after day to provide exceptional care and comfort to our communities, said Senator Merkley. They've been on the absolute front lines of this pandemictragically, often without the full support, resources, and PPE they need. Now more than ever, we must do everything we can to support and invest in these amazing health professionals. The health and well-being of our communities depends on it.\r\nApplauding the nurses who have valiantly served on the frontlines of the COVID-19 pandemic is not enough: we must ensure that our nation's nurses have the support they need during this public health emergency and beyond, said Congresswoman Lauren Underwood. As a registered nurse, I'm proud to partner with Senator Merkley to advance the Agenda for Nurses Fighting COVID-19, which would provide nurses battling this pandemic with the personal protective equipment, mental health care, and workplace protections they deserve, while also investing in the nursing workforce of the future.\r\n \r\nWith more than 4 million registered nurses in the United States, nurses make up the single largest component of the health care workforce. Not only have America's nurses formed a critical platoon in America's battle against the coronavirus crisis, they have long played an integral role in providing high-quality care to children and families, and in addressing maternal health and addiction crises.\r\nThe value of their contributions to our public health will only become more critical as the nation continues to grapple with the pandemic and sets out to tackle serious, entrenched health care disparities. According to Gallup, 85 percent of Americans rate the honesty and ethical standards of nurses as high or very highranking them as the most honest and ethical professionals in the country for the 18th year in a row.\r\nThe lawmakers' agenda outlines a blueprint to deliver critical support to America's nurses, by identifying priority items for future coronavirus relief legislation, and key recommendations for President-elect Biden, his administration, and Congress. Those steps are as follows:\r\nFor future COVID-19 relief legislation:\r\n \r\nProvide hazard pay to nurses and frontline health care workers during the pandemic.\r\nEnsure that nurses and frontline health care workers who are exposed to COVID-19 are prioritized for testing and treatment, to maintain a healthy workforce.\r\nExpand paid leave to all workers, including nurses and health care workers, so they are not forced to use paid time off or forgo wages to quarantine from exposure to COVID-19, a COVID-19 diagnosis, or from post-vaccination symptoms caused by receiving a COVID-19 vaccine.\r\nProvide resources to support the mental health of nurses responding to the pandemic.\r\nInclude funding to ensure child care coverage for all who need it, including nurses.\r\n \r\nFor President-elect Biden and his administration:\r\n \r\nExercise the full authority and powers under the Defense Production Act to ramp up production of respirators and other critical PPE.\r\nThrough the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, provide scientific rationale for any changes to testing or PPE guidance.\r\nThrough the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, and relevant federal agencies, develop reporting requirements to better track PPE levels at health care facilities.\r\nThrough the Food and Drug Administration, research the effectiveness of various decontamination methods for the reuse of PPE by nurses and health care professionals.\r\nThrough the Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), issue an Emergency Temporary Standard (ETS) requiring employers to develop and implement a comprehensive plan to protect workers, including nurses.\r\nInclude nurses at every step of the COVID-19 response process, in all possible conversations, and among all future taskforces, commissions, committees, councils, and federal boards.\r\n \r\nFor Congress:\r\n \r\nRemove barriers to nursing education and ensure nursing career pathways are accessible to students who are first-generation, and from underserved or underrepresented communities, including rural and frontier communities.\r\nRetire federal barriers that prevent Advanced Practice Registered Nurses (APRNs) from practicing to the full extent of their education and training.\r\nImprove and expand federal student loan forgiveness, scholarships, and incentives for nurse educators.\r\nContinue to support and bolster the Title VIII Nursing Workforce Development Programs.\r\nRebuild America's public health infrastructure which has faced devastating budget cuts.\r\nPass the Future Advancement of Academic Nursing (FAAN) Act (S.4396/H.R.7945) to modernize nursing education and recruit a diverse nursing workforce.\r\n \r\nThe lawmakers' agenda has been endorsed by the American Nurses Association, American Association of Colleges of Nursing, Oncology Nursing Society, and the Oregon Nurses Association\r\n \r\nCombating the COVID-19 pandemic will take the full strength of the country, including nurses, faculty, and students who have already been on the frontlines and are needed again to educate the public, distribute and administer vaccines, ensure health care for all, and meet the next public health challenge,\" said Dr. Susan Bakewell-Sachs, Chair of AACN's Board of Directors and Dean at the Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) School of Nursing. \"I applaud my Senator, Jeff Merkley, and Congresswoman Lauren Underwood for putting forth this comprehensive framework and recognizing the foundational role that nursing education plays in preparing current and future frontline healthcare providers.\r\nSupporting and enhancing nursing education pathways is critical to preparing the nursing workforce to tackle COVID-19 and the future public health needs of our nation, said Dr. Deborah Trautman, AACN President and Chief Executive Officer. We look forward to working with Senator Jeff Merkley and Congresswoman Lauren Underwood to meet these healthcare challenges and support nurses, faculty, and students as they continue to care for patients in all communities, including rural and underserved areas,\r\nNurses are proud to be on the frontlines caring for our patients and our community during their time of need. These critical COVID-19 protections will allow nurses and health care workers to focus on keeping our patients safe and healthy and ensuring everyone in our community receives the care they deserve. We thank Senator Merkley and Rep. Underwood for their continued advocacy to protect and support nurses and patients during and after this pandemic, said Oregon Nurses Association President, Lynda Pond RN.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://walden.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/greg-walden-nominates-fourteen-oregon-students-acceptance-us-service", "Greg Walden Nominates Fourteen Oregon Students for Acceptance to U.S. Service Academies", "2020-12-16", "2020", "2020-12", "Republican", "Senate", "OR", "Greg Walden", "W000791", "walden.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Representative Greg Walden (R-Hood River) announced today that he has nominated fourteen Oregon students for acceptance to the prestigious United States service academies. Walden's Service Academy Nomination Board -- retired and active-duty military officers who interview potential candidates for the service academies -- recommended each student based on their academic performance, extracurricular involvement, and character. \"I am honored to nominate these outstanding young Oregonians to America's service academies,\"Walden said.\"These future leaders have put forth years of hard work, dedication, and commitment to character and these nominations are well deserved. By pursuing a higher education at one of our country's select service academies, these students have shown a desire to lead by example, grow intellectually, and serve the United States in uniform. I look forward to seeing what the future holds for these hardworking individuals, I am confident that each nominee will have tremendous success in this admirable endeavor and that their futures will be bright. \"I want to also thank my Service Academy Nomination Board for recommending these young, courageous leaders. Their experience serving our country in uniform is invaluable to the nomination process and speaks to the caliber of the students they interviewed and recommended for nominations this year. Without their guidance and understanding of what it takes to succeed at the U.S. service academies, these nominations would not be possible,\"said Walden. Serving on Walden's Service Academy Nomination Board are: Retired U.S. Navy Rear Admiral Paula Brown, U.S. Air Force Colonel Jeff Edwards, Retired U.S. Navy Captain Bud Hart, Retired U.S. Marine Corps Lieutenant Colonel Rich Halstead and Oregon Army National Guard Lieutenant Colonel Travis Lee. The service academies include the United States Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colorado; the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York; the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland; and the United States Merchant Marine Academy at Kings Point, New York. Final selection for admission to the service academies will be determined by officials at each respective academy this spring. The 2021 Academy Nominees from Oregon's Second District are as follows:\nDeschutes County\n Abby Bridges, daughter of Greg and Lisa Bridges of Bend, attending Mountain View High School and Surabaya Intercultural School  nominated to the United States Merchant Marine Academy, the United States Naval Academy and the United States Military Academy.\n\tGharret Brockman, son of Chuck and Toni Brockman of Bend, attending Bend Senior High School  nominated to the United States Air Force Academy and the United States Naval Academy.\n\tSamuel Conklin, son of William and Kelly Conklin of Bend, attending flight school with Bend Aircraft Mechanics  nominated to the Unites States Military Academy and the United States Air Force Academy.\n\tBrendon Dearing, son of Douglas and Michelle Dearing of Bend, attending Oregon State University  nominated to the United States Air Force and the United States Naval Academy.\n\tKainoa Dickson, son of Jonathan and Whitney Dickson of Redmond, attending Redmond High School  nominated to the United States Naval Academy, the United States Air Force Academy and the United States Military Academy.\n\tBrady Pfeiffer, son of Bradley and Holly Pfeiffer of Bend, attending Mountain View High School  nominated to the United States Air Force Academy.\n\tMary Root, daughter of Darren Root and Peggy Houge of Sisters, attending Sisters High School  nominated to the United States Naval Academy.\n\tElias Tollefson, son of Kevin and Carol Tollefson of Redmond, attending Redmond Proficiency Academy  nominated to the United States Naval Academy.\n Grant County\n Xuanling Jin, daughter of Chin Kim and Zhen Ji Wen of Long Creek, attending Long Creek High School  nominated to the United States Air Force Academy.\n Jackson County\n Jared Dole, son of Ted and Brenda Dole of Eagle Point, attending Eagle Point High School  nominated to the United States Air Force Academy.\n\tMartin Folgate, son of Christopher and Julie Folgate of White City, attending Baker Early College  nominated to the United States Naval Academy.\n\tAndrea Gilliland, daughter of Drew and Colette Gilliland of Central Point, attending the United States Air Force Academy Preparatory School  nominated to the United States Air Force Academy.\n Klamath County\n Timothy Orr, son of Tony and Dana Orr of Klamath Falls, attending Henley High School  nominated to the United States Air Force Academy.\n\tColten Wright, son of Heath and Heather Wright of Merrill, attending Lost River Jr/Sr High School  nominated to the United States Naval Academy and the United States Air Force Academy.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.wyden.senate.gov//news/press-releases/wyden-presses-for-relief-for-foster-youth-facing-unique-covid-19-challenges", "Wyden Presses for Relief for Foster Youth Facing Unique COVID-19 Challenges", "2020-12-16", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "House", "OR", "Ron Wyden", "W000779", "www.wyden.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "December 16, 2020\n\t\t\t Wyden Presses for Relief for Foster Youth Facing Unique COVID-19 Challenges \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWashington, D.C.  U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., today urged the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to provide relief for young people in the foster care system as they continue to face a number of unique challenges due to the COVID-19 crisis.\r\nIn a letter to Assistant Secretary Lynn Johnson, Wyden and 11 other senators asked that HHS work with states to extend relief to foster families and implement temporary and long-term changes to help foster youth weather this crisis and secure a better future.\r\nAlmost all families in the United States have had to make significant adjustments in their daily lives due to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, for the children and young adults in our nation's foster care system, periods of change and adjustment are not new, the senators wrote.Foster youth have survived a lifetime of uncertainty before and after entering foster care. The serious health challenges and economic downturn brought by the COVID-19 pandemic have merely exacerbated existing challenges faced by the approximately 424,000 children in the foster care system and the more than 20,400 young adults whoage out'of foster care each year.\r\nAs of December10, 2020,over 70million applications for unemployment benefits had been filed since March 21, 2020. Given this high unemployment ratethe highest we have seen in the U.S. in recent memorywe are increasingly concerned about the potentially dire consequences foster youth may face during the economic recession brought on by the pandemic,they continued.Even before the public health emergency, only about half of youth aging out of the foster care system each year were anticipated to have some form of gainful employment by the age of 24. We believe that if temporary changes are made to strengthen support and resources for foster youth, they will be better equipped to pursue their goals and become active members of our nation's workforce.\r\nIn their letter, the senators expressed particular concern about the impact of the digital divide on foster youth, who often lack the proper equipment and internet services needed to participate in virtual learning. Specifically, the senators noted findings from a report indicating that only 21 percent of foster youth have regular access to a computer, with that number dipping as low as five percent for foster youth in rural settings.\r\nSpecifically, the senators asked HHS to:\r\n \r\nContinue to encourage states that have not previously exercised the title IV-E program option to extend foster care programs and extend Chafee Foster Care Program for Successful Transition to Adulthood Program (Chafee Program) services until age 23;\r\nDirect guidance to states regarding additional payments to foster care families and providers as part of states' response to COVID-19;\r\nProvide a temporary moratorium on work and study requirements for foster youth during the pandemic;\r\nAllow title IV-B funds to be used to provide internet and other technology to vulnerable foster youth and families; and\r\nWork with states to address the impact of the digital divide on foster youth.\r\n \r\nIn addition to Wyden, other senators signing the letter, led by U.S. Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., are U.S. Sens. Angus King, I-Maine, Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., Tim Kaine, D-Va., Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., Maggie Hassan, D-N.H., Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., and Cory Booker, D-N.J.\r\nA copy of the letter is available here.\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t  \n\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\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTweet\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t \n\t\n\t\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n    \n\t\n\t\n    \n    \n    \n    \t\n    \t\n\t    \t  \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tNext Article\n\t\t    \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tPrevious Article", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.merkley.senate.gov/news/press-releases/wyden-merkley-senators-press-trump-administration-on-decision-not-to-pre-order-more-doses-of-pfizer-covid-19-vaccine-need-for-transparent-plan-going-forward-2020", "Wyden, Merkley, Senators Press Trump Administration On Decision Not to Pre-Order More Doses of Pfizer COVID-19 Vaccine, Need for Transparent Plan Going Forward", "2020-12-14", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "OR", "Jeff Merkley", "M001176", "www.merkley.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Wyden, Merkley, Senators Press Trump Administration On Decision Not to Pre-Order More Doses of Pfizer COVID-19 Vaccine, Need for Transparent Plan Going Forward \n\t\n\t\t Reporting revealed the Trump Administration turned down an option this summer to pre-order additional doses Pfizer's vaccine \n\t\n\t\n\tMonday, December 14, 2020\n\t\n\tWashington, D.C. U.S. Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkleytoday asked top Operation Warp Speed officials aboutrecent reportsthat earlier this year the Trump Administration declined to buy additional doses of Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine when given the opportunity.\r\nThe letter from Wyden, Merkley and 16 other senators to Dr. Moncef Slaoui, Chief Advisor of Operation Warp Speed, and General Gustave Perna, Chief Operating Office of Operation Warp Speed, expresses concern about the Trump Administration's lack of planning and transparency, and presses for more information about the Administration's preparations to purchase vaccines.\r\n \r\nWe write to you about reports the United States Government declined to exercise its option to purchase additional doses of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine earlier this year,the senators wrote.We are concerned the failure to secure an adequate supply of vaccines will needlessly prolong the COVID-19 pandemic in this country, causing further loss of life and economic devastation. We fear this is yet another instance in which the Trump Administration's failure to develop a comprehensive national vaccines plan in a timely manner could jeopardize efforts to get people vaccinated and ultimately end this pandemic.\r\nThe letter continued,To earn public confidence, demonstrate accountability, and ensure the incoming Biden Administration has the information it needs to hit the ground running in getting our COVID-19 response on track, the Administration must be more transparent about its preparations, as well as how much funding is available, and is needed, to purchase, distribute, and administer sufficient vaccine to end this pandemic.\r\n \r\nThe letter led by Wyden, ranking member of the Senate Finance Committee, and Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), ranking member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee was signed by Merkley as well as Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Robert Menendez (D-NJ), Maggie Hassan (D-NH), Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Gary Peters (D-MI), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chris Murphy (D-CT), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), and Brian Schatz (D-HI).\r\nThe entire letter ishere.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://blumenauer.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/blumenauer-slams-inadequate-covid-19-relief-proposal", "Blumenauer Slams Inadequate COVID-19 Relief Proposal", "2020-12-14", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "OR", "Earl Blumenauer", "B000574", "blumenauer.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Today, a group ofsenators revealed the details of a new$908 billionCOVID-19relief package. Following is a statement from U.S. Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-OR), author and primary sponsor of the RESTAURANTS Act and a proponent of direct cash assistance, on the Senate's failure to adequately addresstheurgent needs of families and small businesses:\nTheSenate'snewCOVID-19reliefbillcompletely failsto provideadequateaidfor working families throughdirect cash paymentsandglosses overtargeted relief for independent restaurants  the industryhithardest by this pandemic.\nNovember'sjobsreport was a stark reminder that the worst of this economic crisis could still be ahead of us.Millions of people remain out of work, and for the first time since April,the restaurant industry actually lost jobsa trendthatissure to worsenas we enter the winter months.\nGetting direct cash toworkersand smallbusinessesismoreimportantnow, than ever.We know that the earlier $1,200 payments helped families pay for groceries, utilities, housing, and other essentials. Another round of payments will not only help the millions of people who've lost jobs or had hours cut,but also lift up the economy at a make-or-break moment.\nTime is also running out for local, independent restaurants. ThePaycheck Protection Programwas ashort-termlifeline formillionsof operations to keep them afloatandmove forward,butit wasn'tdesignedforrestaurants, whoneed atailoredlong-term solution.Restaurants don't need more debt,they don't need a short-term solution, andtheycertainlydon't needCongressto doubledown on a failed approach.They need direct cash grants, as outlined in my RESTAURANTS Act,to have any fighting chanceof staying in business.\nThe Senate needs to stop paying lip service tothese urgent needsand actuallyprovide relief.Willful ignoranceisunacceptable. Without delay, we need to come together on a deal that addresses therealneeds of our people and small businesses.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.wyden.senate.gov//news/press-releases/wyden-merkley-senators-press-trump-administration-on-decision-not-to-pre-order-more-doses-of-pfizer-covid-19-vaccine-need-for-transparent-plan-going-forward-", "Wyden, Merkley, Senators Press Trump Administration On Decision Not to Pre-Order More Doses of Pfizer COVID-19 Vaccine, Need for Transparent Plan Going Forward", "2020-12-14", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "House", "OR", "Ron Wyden", "W000779", "www.wyden.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "December 14, 2020\n\t\t\t Wyden, Merkley, Senators Press Trump Administration On Decision Not to Pre-Order More Doses of Pfizer COVID-19 Vaccine, Need for Transparent Plan Going Forward  \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t \n\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\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\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n        \n\t\t\t\t Reporting revealed the Trump Administration turned down an option this summer to pre-order additional doses Pfizer's vaccine\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t Washington, D.C.  U.S. Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley today asked top Operation Warp Speed officials about recent reports that earlier this year the Trump Administration declined to buy additional doses of Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine when given the opportunity.\r\nThe letter from Wyden, Merkley and 16 other senators to Dr. Moncef Slaoui, Chief Advisor of Operation Warp Speed, and General Gustave Perna, Chief Operating Office of Operation Warp Speed, expresses concern about the Trump Administration's lack of planning and transparency, and presses for more information about the Administration's preparations to purchase vaccines.\r\nWe write to you about reports the United States Government declined to exercise its option to purchase additional doses of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine earlier this year, the senators wrote. We are concerned the failure to secure an adequate supply of vaccines will needlessly prolong the COVID-19 pandemic in this country, causing further loss of life and economic devastation. We fear this is yet another instance in which the Trump Administration's failure to develop a comprehensive national vaccines plan in a timely manner could jeopardize efforts to get people vaccinated and ultimately end this pandemic. \r\nThe letter continued, To earn public confidence, demonstrate accountability, and ensure the incoming Biden Administration has the information it needs to hit the ground running in getting our COVID-19 response on track, the Administration must be more transparent about its preparations, as well as how much funding is available, and is needed, to purchase, distribute, and administer sufficient vaccine to end this pandemic.\r\nThe letter led by Wyden, ranking member of the Senate Finance Committee, and Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), ranking member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee was signed by Merkley as well as Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Robert Menendez (D-NJ), Maggie Hassan (D-NH), Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Gary Peters (D-MI), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chris Murphy (D-CT), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), and Brian Schatz (D-HI).\r\nThe entire letter is here.\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t  \n\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\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTweet\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t \n\t\n\t\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n    \n\t\n\t\n    \n    \n    \n    \t\n    \t\n\t    \t  \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tNext Article\n\t\t    \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tPrevious Article", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.merkley.senate.gov/news/press-releases/merkley-western-senators-push-senate-leadership-to-provide-housing-assistance-to-communities-impacted-by-2020-wildfires-2020", "Merkley, Western Senators Push Senate Leadership To Provide Housing Assistance To Communities Impacted by 2020 Wildfires", "2020-12-11", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "OR", "Jeff Merkley", "M001176", "www.merkley.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Merkley, Western Senators Push Senate Leadership To Provide Housing Assistance To Communities Impacted by 2020 Wildfires \n\t\n\t\n\tFriday, December 11, 2020\n\t\n\tWASHINGTON, D.C.  Oregon's U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden, along with U.S. Senators Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Patty Murray (D-WA), and Maria Cantwell (D-WA), are pushing Senate leaders to deliver critical housing assistance to Americans struggling to find reliable shelter in the wake of catastrophic wildfire damage in western states. This year alone, fires in the west burned over 5.8 million acres, claimed over 30 lives, and forcing tens of thousands of people to flee their homes.\r\n \r\nThe current wildfires will further exacerbate an already critical affordable housing shortage impacting western states. Oregon, California, and Washington are short over 1.2 million affordable rental housing units, and have an average of 75% of extremely low income renter households dealing with severe cost burden,the senators wrote to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer, and Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Richard Shelby and Vice Chairman Patrick Leahy.\r\nState resources and funding were already seriously strained by the COVID-19 pandemic, and are now completely depleted by weeks of fighting some of the most dangerous and widespread fires on record. With nowhere else to turn, western states are looking to the Senate to deliver critical housing relief,the lawmakers continued.\r\n \r\nThe senators' request includes $15 billion for Community Development Block Grants, $3 billion for the National Housing Trust Fund, $2 billion in Emergency Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) Funding, and $1 billion for the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Rural Development and Rural Housing Service. The letter also included specific program guidance to ensure the funds would put much-needed housing assistance funding in the hands of people significantly impacted by fire; help incentivize and prioritize affordable housing rebuilding; ramp up lending capacity in fire impacted states; and help repair and rebuild housing, community facilities, and infrastructure projects.\r\nThe full text of the letter is availablehereand follows below.\r\n\r\n###\r\n\r\nDear Leader McConnell, Minority Leader Schumer, Chairman Shelby, and Vice Chairman Leahy,\r\n\r\nWe write to request that the Senate immediately consider and pass urgent federal housing assistance for residents of Oregon, Washington, and California impacted by historically destructive and dangerous wildfires. While FEMA has delivered substantial emergency relief to our home states, the scale of natural disasters in western states demands additional resources that can only be delivered through disaster supplemental legislation.\r\n\r\nSince August dozens of large fires in Oregon, Washington, and California have burned over 5 million acres, displacing tens of thousands of people and resulting in dozens of fatalities. Air travel was temporarily suspended in several locations due to poor visibility, schools were forced to close, and many of our constituents have been forced to stay indoors due to extremely hazardous air quality conditions. Many of these homes and business are uninsured, leaving these victims even more vulnerable in the recovery process.\r\n\r\nThe current wildfires will further exacerbate an already critical affordable housing shortage impacting western states. Oregon, California, and Washington are short over 1.2 million affordable rental housing units, and have an average of 75% of extremely low income renter households dealing with severe cost burden.\r\n\r\nState resources and funding were already seriously strained by the COVID-19 pandemic, and are now completely depleted by weeks of fighting some of the most dangerous and widespread fires on record. With nowhere else to turn, western states are looking to the Senate to deliver critical housing relief. We strongly encourage you to consider including the following specific funding levels and programs as you work to negotiate an appropriate disaster supplemental response package in the near future.\r\n\r\n \r\n$15 billion for Community Development Block Grant  Disaster Recovery\r\nTo ensure that funds reach victims quickly, HUD should use the same process by which CDBG  COVID Relief (CDBG-CV) funds were recently allocated and disbursed.\r\nCDBG grantees should be allowed to immediately use CDBG-CV funds to assist people significantly impacted by fire.\r\nCurrent CDBG grantees should be allowed to pledge CDBG and CDBG-DR estimated allocations as collateral for funding through HUD's Section 108 Loan Guarantee Program, and borrow up to 10 times their estimated annual allocation.\r\nCDBG-DR funds should be able to pay of land acquisition loans executed as a direct result of fire recovery efforts.\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n$3 billion for the National Housing Trust Fund\r\n$3 billion for wildfire impacted states will help incentive and prioritize affordable housing rebuilding, including private owners of manufactured housing parks who might otherwise sell to an investor to build luxury housing.\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n$2 billion Emergency Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) Funding\r\nCDFI funding can quickly ramp up lending capacity in fire impacted states through the preexisting CDFI lending network.\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n$1 billion for USDA Rural Development and Rural Housing Service\r\nFunds should be directed towards repairing and rebuilding housing, community facilities, and infrastructure projects.\r\nExpand USDA's Section 502 Manufactured Housing Loan Pilot program to any fire impacted state, and modify lending rules to cover new manufactured homes on land owned by nonprofits and housing authorities.\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nWe thank you for your consideration, and look forward to working with you on this matter of importance to our states.\r\n\r\nSincerely,", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.wyden.senate.gov//news/press-releases/merkley-wyden-western-senators-push-senate-leadership-to-provide-housing-assistance-to-communities-impacted-by-2020-wildfires-", "Merkley, Wyden, Western Senators Push Senate Leadership To Provide Housing Assistance To Communities Impacted by 2020 Wildfires", "2020-12-11", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "House", "OR", "Ron Wyden", "W000779", "www.wyden.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "December 11, 2020\n\t\t\t Merkley, Wyden, Western Senators Push Senate Leadership To Provide Housing Assistance To Communities Impacted by 2020 Wildfires  \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\r\nWASHINGTON, D.C.  Oregon's U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden teamed up with with U.S. Senators Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Patty Murray (D-WA), and Maria Cantwell (D-WA) to push Senate leaders to deliver critical housing assistance to Americans struggling to find reliable shelter in the wake of catastrophic wildfire damage in western states. This year alone, fires in the west burned over 5.8 million acres, claimed over 30 lives, and forcing tens of thousands of people to flee their homes.\r\nThe current wildfires will further exacerbate an already critical affordable housing shortage impacting western states. Oregon, California, and Washington are short over 1.2 million affordable rental housing units, and have an average of 75% of extremely low income renter households dealing with severe cost burden, the senators wrote to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer, and Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Richard Shelby and Vice Chairman Patrick Leahy.\r\n\r\nState resources and funding were already seriously strained by the COVID-19 pandemic, and are now completely depleted by weeks of fighting some of the most dangerous and widespread fires on record. With nowhere else to turn, western states are looking to the Senate to deliver critical housing relief, the lawmakers continued.\r\n\r\nThe senators' request includes $15 billion for Community Development Block Grants, $3 billion for the National Housing Trust Fund, $2 billion in Emergency Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) Funding, and $1 billion for the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Rural Development and Rural Housing Service. The letter also included specific program guidance to ensure the funds would put much-needed housing assistance funding in the hands of people significantly impacted by fire; help incentivize and prioritize affordable housing rebuilding; ramp up lending capacity in fire impacted states; and help repair and rebuild housing, community facilities, and infrastructure projects.\r\n\r\nThe full text of the letter is available here and follows below.\r\n\r\n###\r\n\r\nDear Leader McConnell, Minority Leader Schumer, Chairman Shelby, and Vice Chairman Leahy,\r\n\r\nWe write to request that the Senate immediately consider and pass urgent federal housing assistance for residents of Oregon, Washington, and California impacted by historically destructive and dangerous wildfires. While FEMA has delivered substantial emergency relief to our home states, the scale of natural disasters in western states demands additional resources that can only be delivered through disaster supplemental legislation.\r\n\r\nSince August dozens of large fires in Oregon, Washington, and California have burned over 5 million acres, displacing tens of thousands of people and resulting in dozens of fatalities. Air travel was temporarily suspended in several locations due to poor visibility, schools were forced to close, and many of our constituents have been forced to stay indoors due to extremely hazardous air quality conditions. Many of these homes and business are uninsured, leaving these victims even more vulnerable in the recovery process.\r\n\r\nThe current wildfires will further exacerbate an already critical affordable housing shortage impacting western states. Oregon, California, and Washington are short over 1.2 million affordable rental housing units, and have an average of 75% of extremely low income renter households dealing with severe cost burden.\r\n\r\nState resources and funding were already seriously strained by the COVID-19 pandemic, and are now completely depleted by weeks of fighting some of the most dangerous and widespread fires on record. With nowhere else to turn, western states are looking to the Senate to deliver critical housing relief. We strongly encourage you to consider including the following specific funding levels and programs as you work to negotiate an appropriate disaster supplemental response package in the near future.\r\n\r\n \r\n$15 billion for Community Development Block Grant  Disaster Recovery\r\nTo ensure that funds reach victims quickly, HUD should use the same process by which CDBG  COVID Relief (CDBG-CV) funds were recently allocated and disbursed.\r\nCDBG grantees should be allowed to immediately use CDBG-CV funds to assist people significantly impacted by fire.\r\nCurrent CDBG grantees should be allowed to pledge CDBG and CDBG-DR estimated allocations as collateral for funding through HUD's Section 108 Loan Guarantee Program, and borrow up to 10 times their estimated annual allocation.\r\nCDBG-DR funds should be able to pay of land acquisition loans executed as a direct result of fire recovery efforts.\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n$3 billion for the National Housing Trust Fund\r\n$3 billion for wildfire impacted states will help incentive and prioritize affordable housing rebuilding, including private owners of manufactured housing parks who might otherwise sell to an investor to build luxury housing.\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n$2 billion Emergency Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) Funding\r\nCDFI funding can quickly ramp up lending capacity in fire impacted states through the preexisting CDFI lending network.\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n$1 billion for USDA Rural Development and Rural Housing Service\r\nFunds should be directed towards repairing and rebuilding housing, community facilities, and infrastructure projects.\r\nExpand USDA's Section 502 Manufactured Housing Loan Pilot program to any fire impacted state, and modify lending rules to cover new manufactured homes on land owned by nonprofits and housing authorities.\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nWe thank you for your consideration, and look forward to working with you on this matter of importance to our states.\r\n\r\nSincerely,\r\n\r\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t  \n\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\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTweet\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t \n\t\n\t\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n    \n\t\n\t\n    \n    \n    \n    \t\n    \t\n\t    \t  \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tNext Article\n\t\t    \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tPrevious Article", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.wyden.senate.gov//news/press-releases/wyden-votes-no-on-defense-policy-bill-12-11-2020", "Wyden Votes No on Defense Policy Bill", "2020-12-11", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "House", "OR", "Ron Wyden", "W000779", "www.wyden.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "December 11, 2020\n\t\t\t Wyden Votes No on Defense Policy Bill \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWashington, D.C. U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., today issued the following statement after voting against the conference report on the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA):\r\nI want to be clear that I support plenty of provisions in this NDAA. I evenintroducedor negotiated some of the language to improve the bill  like anti-money laundering provisions and amendments to push the Pentagon toward encrypting its computers and require the Army to provide a plan to finish cleaning up the former Umatilla Army Depot.\r\nThe conference report will also set in motion a three-year process to remove Confederate names from military assets. I would have preferred a shorter timeline, but I am glad that Congress will be taking this overdue step to ensure that military bases do not honor traitors who fought to defend the horrific institution of slavery.\r\nBecause of the time and effort that Senate Armed Services Committee Ranking Member Jack Reed and other individuals put into this package, this year's NDAA contains some invaluable provisions of which the American people should be deeply proud. I thank Senator Reed for his tireless work.\r\nBut I cannot in good conscience authorize $740 billion in military spendingincluding roughly $70 billion to continue the forever warswhile Senate Republicans are offering mere crumbs to help folks stay safe from a raging pandemic and help small businesses stay afloat during this unprecedented time.\r\nThis bill also does nothing to prevent Donald Trump or any future president from sending federal agents to occupy American cities and treating peaceful protestors like foreign enemies, just as Trump did in Portland this summer.\r\nI regret that these and other flaws mean that I must continue to oppose this NDAA.\r\n###\r\n\r\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t  \n\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\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTweet\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t \n\t\n\t\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n    \n\t\n\t\n    \n    \n    \n    \t\n    \t\n\t    \t  \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tNext Article\n\t\t    \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tPrevious Article", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.merkley.senate.gov/news/press-releases/photo-release-merkley-discusses-restoring-american-leadership-on-international-stage-with-un-ambassador-and-secretary-of-state-nominees-linda-thomas-greenfield-and-antony-blinken-2020", "PHOTO RELEASE: Merkley Discusses Restoring American Leadership on International Stage with UN Ambassador and Secretary of State Nominees Linda Thomas-Greenfield and Antony Blinken", "2020-12-10", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "OR", "Jeff Merkley", "M001176", "www.merkley.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "PHOTO RELEASE: Merkley Discusses Restoring American Leadership on International Stage with UN Ambassador and Secretary of State Nominees Linda Thomas-Greenfield and Antony Blinken \n\t\n\t\n\tThursday, December 10, 2020\n\t\n\tWASHINGTON, D.C.  Oregon's U.S. Senator Jeff Merkleythe top Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee's subcommittee overseeing multilateral institutions, and a member of the bicameral Congressional-Executive Commission on China (CCEC)released the following statement today after meetingvirtuallywith President-elect Biden's nominees to be the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations (UN), Linda Thomas-Greenfield, and Secretary of State, Antony Blinken:\r\n \r\nI appreciate having had the chance to speak with Linda Thomas-Greenfield and Antony Blinken this week about a number of pressing diplomatic issues around the world ahead of their confirmation hearings in the new year.\r\nParticularly after the challenges of this year and the Trump administration's abdication of American leadership on the international stage, America's incoming foreign policy leaders will have their work cut out for them. From restoring American climate cooperation and taking a forceful stance against human rights violationsincluding in China and Burmato reducing nuclear dangers and combating wildlife trafficking,we need public servants with extensive foreign policy experience and proven talent for diplomacy to build international partnerships capable of tackling urgent issues for America and the world.\r\nBased on our meetings and their distinguished diplomatic careers, I have every confidence that Linda Thomas-Greenfield and Antony Blinken exemplify each of these attributes. Throughout her 35 year career in public service, Linda Thomas-Greenfield has shown an unwavering commitment to strengthening America's alliances, supporting our values, investing in people, and advancing pathbreaking work in promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion. And during Antony Blinken's careerwhich has included service on President Clinton's National Security Council staff, with the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and in President Obama's State Departmenthe has demonstrated the same ability to navigate complicated dynamics, protect the values Americans hold dear, and advance our nation's foreign policy objectives.\r\nThe confirmation of these qualified nominees would match the high standard of professionalism that America's dedicated Foreign Service Officers and State Department professionals strive for. I look forward to continuing to work with them throughout their respective confirmation processes and beyond.\r\n \r\nHigh-resolution photos of Sen. Merkley's meetings with Thomas-Greenfield and Blinken can be downloaded here.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.wyden.senate.gov//news/press-releases/wyden-casey-release-new-report-showing-nursing-home-rates-of-death-and-infection-are-rising-rapidly", "Wyden, Casey Release New Report Showing Nursing Home Rates of Death and Infection are Rising Rapidly", "2020-12-10", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "House", "OR", "Ron Wyden", "W000779", "www.wyden.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "December 10, 2020\n\t\t\t Wyden, Casey Release New Report Showing Nursing Home Rates of Death and Infection are Rising Rapidly \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWashington, D.C.  As the nation enters what experts predict will be the most severe months of the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of COVID-19 deaths and infections among residents and workers in nursing homes is rapidly rising.\r\nToday, U.S. Senators Ron Wyden (D-OR), Ranking Member of the Finance Committee, and Bob Casey (D-PA), Ranking Member of the Special Committee on Aging, are releasing a report that shows that the already dire situation in nursing homes is worsening.\r\n \r\nIn November, more than 15 nursing home residents died from COVID-19 per hour, with 19 residents dying each hour during the week of November 22, 2020, the most recent week reported. \r\n \r\n \r\nThe number of weekly COVID-19 deaths among nursing home residents has increased 133 percent since Labor Day, and 96 percent among nursing home workers during the same period.\r\n \r\n \r\nWorkforce shortages have increased since Labor Day: In November, one in six nursing homes nationwide reported that they do not have a sufficient workforce.\r\n \r\nThese new findings serve as a warning for what is to come if Congress does not come together to alleviate the COVID-19 crisis in nursing homes.\r\nIt's with great sadness that we are once again giving a grim update on the toll that COVID-19 is continuing to take on nursing homes. It's abundantly clear that inaction has contributed to the loss of more than 104,000 mothers, fathers, grandparents, friends and neighbors who lived and worked in nursing homes and long-term care facilities across the country, said Senators Wyden and Casey. Experts are predicting that we are heading into the most severe months of the COVID-19 pandemic, marred by climbing caseloads and increasing stress on our Nation's health care system. We are once again calling on our colleagues to work with us to pass a comprehensive COVID relief bill to bring urgently needed help to nursing homes, residents and workers.\r\nSince the beginning of this public health crisis, Senators Wyden and Casey have been sounding the alarm that the Trump Administration has not done enough to stop the virus and its devastating effects on nursing homes and long-term care facilities. In addition to calling for increased transparency and data on COVID-19 in nursing homes, they also released two reports: The Cost of Inaction: 11 Deaths an Hour and COVID-19 in Nursing Homes: How the Trump Administration Failed Residents and Workers.\r\nBoth reports provided a series of recommendations outlining the urgent actions that are needed to address the crisis in nursing homes. These include ensuring comprehensive data collection, providing states and nursing homes with funding, supplying adequate PPE and testing, investing in home and community-based services, supporting nursing home workers with premium pay, overtime and other essential benefits and upholding resident rights and resuming visitation safely.\r\nRead the report here. \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t  \n\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\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTweet\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t \n\t\n\t\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n    \n\t\n\t\n    \n    \n    \n    \t\n    \t\n\t    \t  \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tNext Article\n\t\t    \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tPrevious Article", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.wyden.senate.gov//news/press-releases/wyden-portman-introduce-open-courts-act-to-reform-federal-court-record-system-to-ensure-easy-and-free-use-for-all-americans", "Wyden, Portman Introduce Open Courts Act to Reform Federal Court Record System to Ensure Easy & Free Use For All Americans", "2020-12-10", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "House", "OR", "Ron Wyden", "W000779", "www.wyden.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "December 10, 2020\n\t\t\t Wyden, Portman Introduce Open Courts Act to Reform Federal Court Record System to Ensure Easy & Free Use For All Americans \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWASHINGTON, DC  U.S. Senators Ron Wyden (D-OR) and Rob Portman (R-OH) have introduced the Open Courts Act to reform the federal government's Public Access to Court Electronic Records (PACER), a database of federal judicial filings.\r\nThis consensus legislation builds off the Electronic Court Records Reform Act that Wyden and Portman introduced in 2019. The PACER system is outdated and charges exorbitant fees to users. This bill will reform PACER to solve these problems and ensure easy and free public access to federal government court records. Representatives Doug Collins (R-GA) and Hank Johnson (D-GA) are leading the legislation in the House of Representatives.\r\nFor far too long, unnecessary paywalls have kept the American people from freely accessing public court records. The Open Courts Act will deliver a long-overdue upgrade to PACER, totaling a savings of more than a hundred million dollars a year in operating costs. Federal courts will then be able to remove burdensome paywalls and provide the public, including researchers and journalists, with free access to public court documents,Wyden said.\r\nPACER was intended to create a level playing field for small-time litigants, small business, civil society, journalists, and citizens who care about transparency in government, said Senator Portman. However, with its frustrating interface and fees, PACER has done the opposite. The American people should have easy access to the court records of their country, and this bipartisan, consensus legislation will fix the problem once and for all by putting in place a free, streamlined system with an emphasis on security, accessibility, affordability, and performance. \r\nNOTE: This legislation will resolve three issues with the PACER system: \r\n \r\nPACER aggregates 319 million legal documents across 94 district courts and 13 appellate circuits, but it has no uniform way of filing, tracking, and saving case information.\r\nPACER charges 10 cents for each search, and with its cumbersome search function, users can easily squander resources on incorrect searches. Moreover, once a document is found, it costs an additional 10 cents per page to download or print.\r\nThe E-Government Act, enacted in 2002, permits the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts to impose fees on PACER, but only to the extent necessary to make the documents available to the public. Yet, even at 10 cents a search/page, PACER brings in $146 million in revenue annually. This figure vastly exceeds the amount it takes to operate a website and the money has been found to be used for purposes not directly related to the public access of records.\r\n \r\nThe Open Courts Act would modernize the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts' underlying record system and eliminate the PACER paywall that forces the public to pay more than $140 million annually to access court records. The new system will provide a stable, secure, easily searchable site to file and read court records and monitor docket activity. All public court records on the site will be available free of charge.\r\n\r\n###\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t  \n\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\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTweet\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t \n\t\n\t\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n    \n\t\n\t\n    \n    \n    \n    \t\n    \t\n\t    \t  \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tNext Article\n\t\t    \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tPrevious Article", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.merkley.senate.gov/news/press-releases/merkley-lowenthal-clark-urge-president-elect-biden-to-implement-comprehensive-approach-to-tackle-plastic-crisis-2020", "Merkley, Lowenthal, Clark Urge President-Elect Biden to Implement Comprehensive Approach to Tackle Plastic Crisis", "2020-12-09", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "OR", "Jeff Merkley", "M001176", "www.merkley.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Merkley, Lowenthal, Clark Urge President-Elect Biden to Implement Comprehensive Approach to Tackle Plastic Crisis  \n\t\n\t\t Plan could transform economy, bolster domestic infrastructure, and create jobs \n\t\n\t\n\tWednesday, December 9, 2020\n\t\n\tWASHINGTON, D.C.  Oregon's U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley teamed up with Representatives Alan Lowenthal (D-CA-47) and Katherine Clark (D-MA-5) to urge President-elect Biden to adopt a comprehensive plan that would address the ramifications of plastic pollution on Americans' health and our environmentboth of which disproportionately impact communities of colorwhile also boosting the domestic manufacturing of sustainable alternatives and creating new jobs.\r\nThe proposed strategy, the Presidential Plastics Action Plan, is the culmination of over 400 environmental and health organizations' work to identify crucial actions President-elect Biden could take to bypass congressional gridlock and prioritize communities that have historically been the hardest-hit by the impacts of the accelerating climate crisis: communities of color, Indigenous communities, and low-income Americans.\r\n \r\nPlastic pollution is everywhere  from visible trash in our streets, sidewalks, parking lots, rivers, and waterways to nearly invisible plastic dust raining down in our landscapes and national parks.[1] And it doesn't go away  plastics break down into small pieces known as microplastics that make their way into the air we breathe, the food we eat, and the water we drink, the lawmakers wrote.\r\n \r\nAdditionally, the lawmakers emphasized that the economic fallout of the coronavirus crisis, coupled with America's cry for long-overdue racial justice, make action on plastics all the more urgent.\r\n \r\nWe need only look at the disproportionate impacts that plastic production and pollution have on some of our poorest communities to understand how racial and environmental justice are inextricably linked. Plastic production and processing facilities, much like landfills, oil refineries, and other sources of industrial pollution, are overwhelmingly constructed in low-income communities of color thatalready bear the brunt of environmental and economic burdens, they continued.\r\n \r\nSpecifically, the plan includes:\r\n \r\nUsing the purchasing power of the federal government to eliminate single-use plastic items and replace them with reusable products;\r\nSuspending and denying permits for new or expanded plastic production facilities, associated infrastructure projects, and exports;\r\nMaking corporate polluters pay and rejecting false solutions;\r\nAdvancing environmental justice in petrochemical regions;\r\nUpdating existing federal regulations to curtail pollution from plastic facilities by using best available science and technology;\r\nStopping federal subsidies to plastic producers;\r\nJoining international efforts to establish binding commitments to reduce plastic use and eliminate single-use plastics; and\r\nReducing and mitigating the impacts of discarded and lost fishing gear.\r\n \r\nMerkley, Lowenthal, and Clark have led the charge for plastic pollution reduction policy, and plan to complement the efforts outlined in the plan by reintroducing the Break Free From Plastic Pollution Act in the new Congress.\r\nThe full text of the lawmakers' letter is available here, and follows below.\r\n###\r\nDecember 8, 2020\r\nDear President-Elect Biden,\r\nThe world faces an indisputable plastic pollution crisis.The rampant production of unnecessary single-use plastic products is driving climate change through increased greenhouse gas emissions that harm local environmental justice communities, both where plastic is made and where plastic is often discarded with commensurate toxic air and water pollution. We urge you and your Administration to tackle this issue comprehensively with significant measures that can be taken independently from Congressional action.\r\nPlastic pollution is everywhere  from visible trash in our streets, sidewalks, parking lots, rivers, and waterways to nearly invisible plastic dust raining down in our landscapes and national parks.[1] And it doesn't go away  plastics break down into small pieces known as microplastics that make their way into the air we breathe, the food we eat, and the water we drink.\r\nThe rise in single-use plastics has come with a tremendous environmental cost. An estimated 17.6 billion pounds of plastic enters the marine environment every year  roughly equivalent to dumping a garbage truck full of plastic into the oceans every minute.[2]The United States generates the most plastic waste of any country in the world.A recent study found that despite the United States only accounting for 4% of the global population in 2016, the U.S. generated 17% of all plastic waste and ranks third among countries contributing to coastal plastic pollution.\r\nState and local governments across the country are in the throes of an economic crisis, as revenues for important services diminish and costs continue to increase. This includes recycling collection, an industry with exorbitant costs and few commensurate benefits even before the COVID-19 pandemic.\r\nWe have also watched mass protests and movements across the country calling for sweeping changes on racial justice.We need only look at the disproportionate impacts that plastic production and pollution have on some of our poorest communities to understand how racial and environmental justice are inextricably linked. Plastic production and processing facilities, much like landfills, oil refineries, and other sources of industrial pollution, are overwhelmingly constructed in low-income communities of color thatalready bear the brunt of environmental and economic burdens.\r\nThese same communities are on the front lines of the climate crisis, which is made worse by the manufacturing of additional virgin plastics. The greenhouse gas emissions linked to this production are estimated to reach 1.3 billion tons by 2030, equivalent to 300 coal-fired power plants.\r\nFor years, industry advocates and producers have focused exclusively on downstream solutions, like recycling.The result has been more plastics produced without consideration of their environmental impacts and mounting piles of waste left for local governments to clean up at their time and expense.According to a recently released report by the Pew Center, Breaking the Plastic Wave, a strategy focused solely on recycling would still result in 18 million metric tons of plastic flowing into the ocean each year by 2040 at the cost of $140 billion more than business as usual between 2021 and 2040.[4] We cannot recycle our way out of this problem.\r\nA multi-pronged approach that focuses on limiting plastic and packaging production and a transition to a truly circular economy is the only solution.It will require reducing unnecessary plastic and packaging, finding sustainable substitutes, promoting reusable items, improving recycling practices, and expanding waste collection services.These actions can transform our economy, bolster domestic infrastructure, and create U.S. jobs.\r\nYour Administration can play a critical role in addressing this crisis. Internationally, the State Department and the U.S. Trade Representative should proactively engage with the global community on climate change and plastic pollution issues. At home, the Environmental Protection Agency, Department of Energy, Department of Commerce, Department of the Interior, and the Department of Health and Human Services will all need to be proactive in addressing plastic pollution issues within their jurisdictions.\r\nIn the coming weeks, a major group of over 400 environmental and health organizations will unveil their proposal for a Presidential Plastics Action Plan. They have identified eight crucial actions that you as President will be able to take separate from Congress. These actions will immediately set the nation on a pathway to a plastic-pollution-free future, securing a healthier future for our country and our planet.\r\nEach of the described actions will require you as President to prioritize support for communities that historically have been harmed first and worst: communities of color, Indigenous communities, and impoverished communities. These actions will provide an opportunity to drive job growth in a new green economy, providing unionized jobs with family-sustaining wages in communities that need it the most, and fighting past and future environmental injustices.\r\nThe presidential plan includes:\r\n \r\nUsing the purchasing power of the federal government to eliminate single-use plastic items and replace them with reusable products;\r\nSuspending and denying permits for new or expanded plastic production facilities, associated infrastructure projects, and exports;\r\nMaking corporate polluters pay and reject false solutions;\r\nAdvancing environmental justice in petrochemical regions;\r\nUpdating existing federal regulations to curtail pollution from plastic facilities by using best available science and technology;\r\nStop subsidizing plastic producers;\r\nJoining international efforts to establish binding commitments to reduce plastic use and eliminate single-use plastics; and\r\nReducing and mitigating the impacts of discarded and lost fishing gear.\r\n \r\nWe will compliment these efforts in the 117th Congress by reintroducing the Break Free From Plastic Pollution Act, comprehensive legislation that would make producers responsible for their pollution by requiring them to design, manage, and finance waste and recycling programs. Additionally, this legislation would phase out unnecessary single-use plastic products, create a nationwide beverage container refund program, and establish minimum recycled content standards.\r\nWe would be happy to share details of the plan or connect you with relevant stakeholders as you begin your transition so that you can effectively and immediately address the crisis of plastic pollution.\r\nSincerely,", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.merkley.senate.gov/news/press-releases/merkley-wyden-colleagues-urge-help-for-working-class-in-covid-19-relief-proposal-2020", "Merkley, Wyden, Colleagues Urge Help for Working Class in COVID-19 Relief Proposal", "2020-12-09", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "OR", "Jeff Merkley", "M001176", "www.merkley.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Merkley, Wyden, Colleagues Urge Help for Working Class in COVID-19 Relief Proposal \n\t\n\t\n\tWednesday, December 9, 2020\n\t\n\tWASHINGTON, D.C.  Oregon's U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden joined four of their colleagues in urgingtheir fellow senatorsto recognize the enormity of the economic and public-health crisis posed by the pandemic, by ensuring that any COVID-19 relief proposal includes $1,200 in direct payments to adults and $500 to their children, and rejecting any provisions that give liability shields to corporations that threaten the health and safety of their workers and customers.\r\n \r\nIn a letter to theSenate Democratic Caucus, the senators note that COVID-19 is infecting nearly 200,000 Americans and killing 2,000 Americans daily, and argue that a bipartisan proposal under negotiation does not go anywhere near far enough, as America experiences the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression. Only $348 billion in new money is currently allocated in that proposal, the Senators point out, even though the Trump Administration and a bipartisan coalition in the House supported over $1.8 trillion in COVID-19 relief that also included another $1,200 direct payment.\r\nIt would be unacceptable to take a major step backwards from those previous efforts by passing legislation that only included $348 billion in new money,the senators wrote. \r\nThe lawmakers further expressed their opposition to a get-out-of-jail free card to companies that put the lives of their workers and customers at risk currently under consideration in a bipartisan COVID-19 relief measure, and cited concerns from labor groups that granting immunity would make the country less safe at the exact moment when the COVID-19 pandemic is entering a new, dangerous phase.\r\n \r\nThe letter's signatories also registered their agreement with President-elect Biden that a $1,200 direct payment should be included in this proposal, as over half of American workers live paycheck to paycheck and one in four are either unemployed or make less than $20,000 a year, while millions more face eviction and hunger.\r\nMerkley and Wyden were joined in sending the letter by U.S. Senators Bernard Sanders (I-VT), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), and Edward J. Markey (D-MA).\r\nThe full text of the letter is available here and follows below.\r\n###\r\nDecember 8, 2020\r\n\r\nDear Colleague:\r\nAs you know, the COVID-19 pandemic is surging throughout the country and is now causing more pain and havoc than at any time since it began. Last week, an average of almost 200,000 Americans a day were diagnosed with COVID-19 and, tragically, over 2,000 people are now dying every single day.\r\nFurther, as a result of the pandemic, we are now experiencing the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression. Over half of our workers are living paycheck to paycheck and one out of four workers are either unemployed or make less than $20,000 a year. In addition, 92 million Americans are uninsured or under-insured, tens of millions of people face eviction and hunger in America is exploding.\r\nWe very much appreciate the hard work that has gone into the current $908 billion proposal being drafted by a number of Democratic and Republican Senators. But, simply stated, given the horrific extent ofthe current crisis and the desperation that working families all over this country are experiencing, this proposal does not go anywhere near far enough. In truth, rather than the $3.4 trillion which we Democrats called for in the HEROES Act, this bill only allocates $348 billion in new money according to one of the lead Republican negotiators. The remaining $560 billion are funds transferred from the CARES Act that have not yet been obligated.\r\nUnlike the CARES Act, which we passed in March, this proposal only provides a $300 supplement for unemployed workers rather than $600 a week. Further, unlike the $1,200 direct payment for every working class individual and $500 for each child, it provides absolutely no direct payment.\r\nMoreover, this proposal does nothing to address the health care crisis impacting tens of millions of Americans who cannot afford medical care and has totally inadequate financial assistance for the most vulnerable.\r\nFurther, despite long-time Democratic opposition, it is our understanding that this proposal may provide 100 percent legal immunity to corporations whose irresponsibility has led to the deaths of hundreds of workers. It would continue to provide a get-out-of-jail free card to companies that put the lives of their workers and customers at risk. In fact, the result of this proposal is that, through this liability provision, corporations will be encouraged to avoid implementing the common sense safety standards needed to protect workers and consumers - and make a bad situation worse. We agree with the AFL-CIO and the 141 organizations who oppose providing this kind of immunity to corporations. According to a letter these groups sent to Senators on December 4th: Granting immunity would make the country less safe at the exact moment when the COVID-19 pandemic is entering a new, dangerous phase.\r\nLast March, with unanimous support in Congress, President Trump signed the $2 trillion CARES Act into law that provided a $600 a week supplement in unemployment benefits and a $1,200 direct payment to every working class adult, $500 per child and significant help for small businesses, states and cities. In October, as part of the negotiating process, the Trump Administration and a bi-partisan coalition in the House supported over $1.8 trillion in COVID-relief that also included another $1,200 direct payment.\r\nGiven the enormity of the crisis today, it would be unacceptable to take a major step backwards from those previous efforts by passing legislation that only included $348 billion in new money. The American people need help and they need help now. We agree with President-elect Biden that a $1,200 direct payment should be included in this proposal. We also feel strongly that we should not provide immunity to corporations who endanger the health and lives of their employees. Please join us in demanding that any new COVID-relief proposal includes a $1,200 direct payment to adults and $500 to their children. Further, please work with us to make certain that there is no language in this bill to give a liability shield to corporations who threaten the health and safety of workers and customers.\r\n\r\n Sincerely,", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://blumenauer.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/house-approves-blumenauer-s-medical-marijuana-research-act", "House Approves Blumenauers Medical Marijuana Research Act", "2020-12-09", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "OR", "Earl Blumenauer", "B000574", "blumenauer.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Today, the U.S. House of Representatives approved the Medical Marijuana Research Act, bipartisan legislation introduced by U.S. Reps. Earl Blumenauer (D-OR) and Andy Harris (R-MD) to address burdensome impediments to legitimate medical research.\nAlthough 99 percent of Americans now live in a state with some form of legalized marijuana, current federal law greatly limits researchers' ability to study the health benefits of cannabis. Current barriers include the overly burdensome registration process, redundant protocol reviews, lack of adequate research material, and unnecessarily onerous security requirements.\nThe cannabis laws in this country are broken, especially those that deal with research. It's illegal everywhere in America to drive under the influence of alcohol, cannabis, or any other substance. But we do not have a good test for impairment because we can't study it  This is insane and we need to change it, Blumenauer said today on the House floor. At a time when there are four million registered medical cannabis patients, and many more likely self-medicate, when there are 91 percent of Americans supporting medical cannabis, it's time to change the system. Our bill will do precisely that.\nWhile the United States leads the world in biomedical research, research on cannabis lags far behind. A 2017 National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine report found that research on the health effects of cannabis and cannabinoids has been limited in the United States, leaving patients, health care professionals, and policy makers without the evidence they need to make sound decisions regarding the use of cannabis and cannabinoids.\nThe Medical Marijuana Research Actwill address these limitations by:\n Providing a pathway for researchers to study the cannabis products consumers are using from state-legal programs.\n\tStreamlining the burdensome and often duplicative license process for researchers seeking to conductmarijuanaresearch, while still maintaining all necessary safeguards against misuse and abuse.\n\tAddressing the woefully inadequate, both in quantity and quality, supply of medical-grademarijuanaavailable for use in such research.\n\tRequiring a report by the secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services on the status and results of new research onmarijuana benefits.\n This was the second vote held by the U.S. House of Representatives in the past week on Blumenauer's federal cannabis reform priorities, following the passage of the Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement (MORE) Act on Friday, December 4.\nThe full text of the Medical Marijuana Research Act can be found here.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://bonamici.house.gov/media/media/statements/bonamici-statement-fifth-anniversary-paris-climate-agreement", "Bonamici Statement on Fifth Anniversary of Paris Climate Agreement", "2020-12-09", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "OR", "Suzanne Bonamici", "B001278", "bonamici.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "The climate crisis threatens our communities, our economy, and our planet. And curbing greenhouse gas emissions hasnever been more urgent. Under the leadership of President-elect Joe Biden, the United States will renew its pledge to the Paris Agreement and mobilize the ambitious climate action required toaddress this existential threat.\n\nGlobal climate leadership begins at home, and I am committed to working with my colleagues and the Biden-Harris Administration to implement bold, science-based policies to transition to a 100 percent clean energy economy, create good-paying jobs, support a just transition, and build more resilient communities. Despite efforts by the Trump Administration toundermineand disrespect climate science, we never backed down. The House passed the Climate Action Now Act to keep the U.S. in the ParisAgreement, andIstoodwith Speaker Pelosi at COP25 in Madridtodemonstrateour support for global climate actionwhen the Administration failed to represent our country on the global stage.States, local governments, Tribes, and businesses continued to advance climate solutionsin absence of national leadership.\n\nWe must protect our air, water, and treasured wild places from toxic pollution. I look forward to working with the Biden Administration and my colleagues to implement our comprehensive Climate Action Plan to reach net-zero emissions no later than mid-century and net-negative thereafter. Together we can build back better, create good-paying jobs, andsafeguardthe health of our communities and our planet.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://bonamici.house.gov/media/press-releases/reps-chu-and-bonamici-praise-reports-nomination-katherine-tai-us-trade", "Reps. Chu and Bonamici Praise Reports of Nomination of Katherine Tai for US Trade Representative", "2020-12-09", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "House", "OR", "Suzanne Bonamici", "B001278", "bonamici.house.gov", "bonamici", "https://bonamici.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, DC \u2013 Following reports that Katherine Tai, Chief Trade Counsel for the House Ways and Means Committee, has been nominated by President-elect Joe Biden to serve as United States Trade Representative, Reps. Judy Chu (CA-27), a member of the House Ways and Means Committee and Chair of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC), and Rep. Suzanne Bonamici (OR-01), a member of the USMCA Working Group, issued the following statements praising the nomination:\n\n\"Katherine Tai is immensely qualified to be our next trade ambassador,\" said Rep. Bonamici. \"Her diplomatic skills and subject matter expertise have earned her the respect of Congress, labor and environmental leaders, and the trade community at large. President-elect Biden will be well served by her representing the American people in global negotiations as U.S. Trade Representative.\"\n\n\"While still not confirmed, I'm thrilled to hear reports that Katherine Tai will be nominated to be our next US Trade Representative,\" said Rep. Chu. \"From our work together on Ways and Means, I have seen firsthand Ms. Tai's skill and experience with trade deals and have been impressed by her work on the United States-Mexico-Canada (USMCA) Agreement, as well as her vast knowledge of the current and coming trade challenges. Through her work as Chief Counsel for China Trade Enforcement at USTR, Ms. Tai has also demonstrated her commitment to enforcing trade deals that work for the United States. That's why Rep. Suzanne Bonamici and I led a letter to President-Elect Biden with 10 women members urging the nomination of Katherine Tai.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-06-28T00:42:23Z"], ["https://walden.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/walden-delivers-farewell-address-house-floor", "Walden Delivers Farewell Address on House Floor", "2020-12-09", "2020", "2020-12", "Republican", "Senate", "OR", "Greg Walden", "W000791", "walden.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Click here for part one and click here for part two of Rep. Walden's remarks.\n  Washington, D.C.-- Energy and Commerce Committee Republican Leader Greg Walden (R-OR) delivered farewell remarks on the House Floor. Walden will retire from over 30 years of public service, including 22 in Congress, at the end of the 116th Congress. Walden served in the Oregon House of Representatives for six years, from 1989 to 1995, which included serving as the House Majority Leader during both 1991 and 1993 sessions. He then served in the Oregon Senate in 1995 to 1997. Walden was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1998. U.S. Rep. Greg Walden represents the people of Oregon's Second Congressional District, which includes 20 counties in central, southern, and eastern Oregon. Walden served as Chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee in the 115th Congress and currently serves as the Republican Leader of the Energy and Commerce Committee. \nClick HERE for part one and HERE for part two of Rep. Walden's remarks on the House Floor.\nAs Prepared for Delivery M. Speaker. As 2020 comes to a thankful close, so does my 22 years of public service in this incredible crucible of democracy: the U.S. House.  I thank my wife, Mylene, and son, Anthony, for always supporting me during my three decades of state and federal service. I will never fully understand all they sacrificed so I could fulfill my duty in office, but I know it was a lot.  I also want to thank my terrific staff over the years, and especially those who helped me build and lead such successful organizations, including my personal office chiefs of staff Brian MacDonald and Lorissa Bounds; my executive directors at the NRCC, Liesl Hickey and Rob Simms; and my staff directors at the Energy and Commerce Committee, the late Ray Baum, Mike Bloomquist and Ryan Long.  And I want to thank the thousands of volunteers and supporters of my many campaigns over the years. We did it together and we did it for the right reasons: to leave our state and country better than we found it.  I also want to thank some important mentors in my life starting with my parents who grew up during the Great Depression and taught me the importance of giving back to the community, working hard, always being honest and not judgmental. I want to thank those along the way who gave me career opportunities, including the folks at KTVF/KFRB Fairbanks who put a 17-year-old kid in charge of producing and directing the 11pm nightly TV news. To Roger Martin, Vic Atiyeh, Gary Wilhelms, and Denny Smith, I learned so much from working for each of you. And to Speaker Larry Campbell, time and again you showed Oregon how principled leadership produces results. It was great sport serving alongside you as Majority Leader of the Oregon House. I want to thank the church, school, and scout leaders who influenced my life in such a positive way, with a special shout out to the late Earl Fowler, my high school vice principal and student body officer advisor whose counsel when I was student body president at Hood River Valley High School in 1973-74 was as valuable then as it is now. I remember he once intoned: When there is a leadership vacuum, fill it. He expected us to step up and lead. I am indeed thankful for the opportunity the people of Oregon have given me to represent them here in Congress. It's a responsibility I've always taken seriously as I faithfully tried to do my best to represent them. After all, this is their office, not mine. I was simply entrusted to use the powers bestowed upon it for their benefit, something I never forgot. It's part of why I've returned home nearly every weekend and will soon complete my 644th roundtrip when Congress adjourns for the year. My team and I put special emphasis on taking care of the men and women who wearor have wornour nation's uniform and defended America's freedom. We helped thousands of Oregon veterans and their families receive the benefits they earned and deserved. We worked to strengthen the mission at Kingsley Air Field and open veterans' clinics throughout the district. We are so blessed to have these brave men and women risk their lives so we can enjoy ours. America owes them a debt we can never fully repay. Having grown up on a cherry orchard outside of The Dalles, I always had great admiration for those who farm and ranch and feed us. I worked hard to protect their way of life, defending farmers and ranchers from bad policy proposals. I defended their water rights. I protected their land, starting with saving Steens Mountain. Moreover, I supported ag research and water conservation efforts throughout the district. And while we made much progress on both fronts, my one regret is that we could never find the key to unlocking a durable and fair solution to the water crisis in the Klamath Basin that could pass in Congress.  We did make progress to improve forest management, even though I'm disappointed Congress has dragged its feet in enacting much more reform to make our federal forests healthier and more resilient to climate change. It was 17 years ago last week that President Bush signed the Healthy Forest Restoration Act into law. Hopefully, in the next Congress you all will heed the guidance of our Yale Forestry grad and colleague Bruce Westerman, and modernize how we manage this great American resource before it all goes up in smoke. Having spent six years as chair of the Telecommunications Subcommittee, I'm proud of the bipartisan work we did to open up spectrum for advanced communications, enact First Net for our first responders, and expand access to high speed internetalthough much work remains to fully connect Americans. With the RAY BAUM's Act we even reauthorized and modernized the FCC, which hadn't been done in decades. As Chairman of the Energy and Commerce Committee, we took on the deadly epidemic of drug overdose and combined more than 60, bipartisan, legislative initiates into the Support Act, which while focused on the opioid crisis, provides support for our communities to help all with addiction. We modernized our mental health laws, stepped up medical research, and fully funded the Children's Health Insurance Program for a decadesomething that has never been done before. We also modernized the FDA and its approval processes for medicines and medical devices. Thank goodness we made these changes which have already proved their value during this pandemic. We also unleashed a cleaner energy revolution in America that created thousands of new jobs and reduced America's carbon emissions, too. Energy innovation holds the process to a stronger economy and a healthier environment. As you can tell, I'm passionate about good public policy and using the resources we have among ourselves in the Congress to get good things done for the American people. It wasn't easy to decide to voluntarily leave this wonderful institution, but I'd long ago decided I didn't want to get voted out or carried out. I was confident I'd win re-election and my health is good, so I leave on my own terms, feeling good about that which I've helped improve in the lives of those who entrusted me election-after-election. I'm a big fan of Theodore Roosevelt. His writings have also had an impact on my life. Just as my high school advisor encouraged us to fill leadership vacuums, so did Roosevelt laud those who climbed into the arena. So, I close with President Roosevelt's words: It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat. God bless you, my colleagues, family and friends, and may God Bless this great country of ours. I yield back.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.wyden.senate.gov//news/press-releases/merkley-wyden-colleagues-urge-help-for-working-class-in-covid-19-relief-proposal", "Merkley, Wyden, Colleagues Urge Help for Working Class in COVID-19 Relief Proposal", "2020-12-09", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "House", "OR", "Ron Wyden", "W000779", "www.wyden.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "December 09, 2020\n\t\t\t Merkley, Wyden, Colleagues Urge Help for Working Class in COVID-19 Relief Proposal \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWASHINGTON, D.C.  Oregon's U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden joined four of their colleagues in urgingtheir fellow senatorsto recognize the enormity of the economic and public-health crisis posed by the pandemic, by ensuring that any COVID-19 relief proposal includes $1,200 in direct payments to adults and $500 to their children, and rejecting any provisions that give liability shields to corporations that threaten the health and safety of their workers and customers.\r\nIn a letter to theSenate Democratic Caucus, the senators note that COVID-19 is infecting nearly 200,000 Americans and killing 2,000 Americans daily, and argue that a bipartisan proposal under negotiation does not go anywhere near far enough, as America experiences the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression. Only $348 billion in new money is currently allocated in that proposal, the Senators point out, even though the Trump Administration and a bipartisan coalition in the House supported over $1.8 trillion in COVID-19 relief that also included another $1,200 direct payment.\r\nIt would be unacceptable to take a major step backwards from those previous efforts by passing legislation that only included $348 billion in new money,the senators wrote. \r\nThe lawmakers further expressed their opposition to a get-out-of-jail free card to companies that put the lives of their workers and customers at risk currently under consideration in a bipartisan COVID-19 relief measure, and cited concerns from labor groups that granting immunity would make the country less safe at the exact moment when the COVID-19 pandemic is entering a new, dangerous phase.\r\nThe letter's signatories also registered their agreement with President-elect Biden that a $1,200 direct payment should be included in this proposal, as over half of American workers live paycheck to paycheck and one in four are either unemployed or make less than $20,000 a year, while millions more face eviction and hunger.\r\nMerkley and Wyden were joined in sending the letter by U.S. Senators Bernard Sanders (I-VT), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), and Edward J. Markey (D-MA).\r\nThe full text of the letter is available here and follows below.\r\n###\r\nDecember 8, 2020\r\n\r\nDear Colleague:\r\nAs you know, the COVID-19 pandemic is surging throughout the country and is now causing more pain and havoc than at any time since it began. Last week, an average of almost 200,000 Americans a day were diagnosed with COVID-19 and, tragically, over 2,000 people are now dying every single day.\r\nFurther, as a result of the pandemic, we are now experiencing the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression. Over half of our workers are living paycheck to paycheck and one out of four workers are either unemployed or make less than $20,000 a year. In addition, 92 million Americans are uninsured or under-insured, tens of millions of people face eviction and hunger in America is exploding.\r\nWe very much appreciate the hard work that has gone into the current $908 billion proposal being drafted by a number of Democratic and Republican Senators. But, simply stated, given the horrific extent ofthe current crisis and the desperation that working families all over this country are experiencing, this proposal does not go anywhere near far enough. In truth, rather than the $3.4 trillion which we Democrats called for in the HEROES Act, this bill only allocates $348 billion in new money according to one of the lead Republican negotiators. The remaining $560 billion are funds transferred from the CARES Act that have not yet been obligated.\r\nUnlike the CARES Act, which we passed in March, this proposal only provides a $300 supplement for unemployed workers rather than $600 a week. Further, unlike the $1,200 direct payment for every working class individual and $500 for each child, it provides absolutely no direct payment.\r\nMoreover, this proposal does nothing to address the health care crisis impacting tens of millions of Americans who cannot afford medical care and has totally inadequate financial assistance for the most vulnerable.\r\nFurther, despite long-time Democratic opposition, it is our understanding that this proposal may provide 100 percent legal immunity to corporations whose irresponsibility has led to the deaths of hundreds of workers. It would continue to provide a get-out-of-jail free card to companies that put the lives of their workers and customers at risk. In fact, the result of this proposal is that, through this liability provision, corporations will be encouraged to avoid implementing the common sense safety standards needed to protect workers and consumers - and make a bad situation worse. We agree with the AFL-CIO and the 141 organizations who oppose providing this kind of immunity to corporations. According to a letter these groups sent to Senators on December 4th: Granting immunity would make the country less safe at the exact moment when the COVID-19 pandemic is entering a new, dangerous phase.\r\nLast March, with unanimous support in Congress, President Trump signed the $2 trillion CARES Act into law that provided a $600 a week supplement in unemployment benefits and a $1,200 direct payment to every working class adult, $500 per child and significant help for small businesses, states and cities. In October, as part of the negotiating process, the Trump Administration and a bi-partisan coalition in the House supported over $1.8 trillion in COVID-relief that also included another $1,200 direct payment. \r\nGiven the enormity of the crisis today, it would be unacceptable to take a major step backwards from those previous efforts by passing legislation that only included $348 billion in new money. The American people need help and they need help now. We agree with President-elect Biden that a $1,200 direct payment should be included in this proposal. We also feel strongly that we should not provide immunity to corporations who endanger the health and lives of their employees. Please join us in demanding that any new COVID-relief proposal includes a $1,200 direct payment to adults and $500 to their children. Further, please work with us to make certain that there is no language in this bill to give a liability shield to corporations who threaten the health and safety of workers and customers.\r\n\r\n Sincerely,", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.wyden.senate.gov//news/press-releases/wyden-colleagues-press-fbi-and-dhs-for-information-on-qanon-threat-posed-to-america-and-abroad", "Wyden, Colleagues Press FBI and DHS for Information on QAnon Threat Posed to America and Abroad", "2020-12-09", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "House", "OR", "Ron Wyden", "W000779", "www.wyden.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "December 09, 2020\n\t\t\t Wyden, Colleagues Press FBI and DHS for Information on QAnon Threat Posed to America and Abroad \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t \n\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\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\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n        \n\t\t\t\t Letter seeks answers on how QAnon operations peddle dangerous conspiracy theories\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t Washington, D.C.  U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., today joined his colleagues in requesting from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and Department of Homeland Security (DHS) a written assessment to Congress on the threat posed by QAnon in the United States and abroad. The senators also requested information on the role of foreign influence operations in the inception and amplification of QAnon conspiracy theories.\r\nIn a letter to FBI Director Christopher Wray and Principal Deputy General Counsel at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Joseph Maher, the senators wrote, QAnon conspiracy theories have inspired acts of domestic extremism and violence, sought to undermine democratic institutions, and contributed to hatred in the United States and overseas. There is also reporting indicating that foreign influence operations have contributed to the dissemination of QAnon conspiracy theories.\r\nQAnon has been active in attacking America's democratic institutions by disseminating false and dangerous conspiracy theories, includingabout the November 2020 presidential election. Recent reports also indicate that foreign influence operations have contributed to theamplification of QAnon conspiracy theories resulting in dangerous misinformation campaigns.\r\n[W]e request that you provide to Congress a written assessment of the threat posed by QAnon, in the United States and abroad, and on the role of foreign influence operations in the inception and amplification of QAnon conspiracy theories. We further request that this assessment be made public, with any classified matters provided separately to Congress through appropriate channels, the senators concluded.\r\nThe letter, led by U.S. Sens. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and Martin Heinrich, D-N.M., was also signed by Sens. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., Dick Durbin, D-Ill., Jack Reed, D-R.I., Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., Tammy Baldwin, D-Wisc., Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., Ed Markey, D-Mass., Gary Peters, D-Mich., and Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill.\r\nA PDF of the letter is here.\r\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t  \n\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\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTweet\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t \n\t\n\t\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n    \n\t\n\t\n    \n    \n    \n    \t\n    \t\n\t    \t  \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tNext Article\n\t\t    \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tPrevious Article", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://schrader.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=392829", "Rep. Schrader Votes for Bipartisan, Bicameral National Defense Authorization Act Conference Report", "2020-12-08", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "OR", "Kurt Schrader", "S001180", "schrader.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "For Immediate Release\r\nDecember 8, 2020\r\nContact:Larkin Parker, 202-225-5711\r\n\r\nRep. Schrader Votes for Bipartisan, BicameralNational Defense Authorization ActConference Report\r\n\r\nWASHINGTON, D.C.  Today, the House of Representatives voted to pass the bipartisanconference report for the Fiscal Year 2021National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). This bill includes pay raises for servicemembers, needed upgrades for military housing, mandates benefits for Vietnam-eraveterans exposed to Agent Orange and makes improvements to sexual assault and prevention programs. This year's NDAA also includes Rep. Schrader'samendment to provide much needed federal financial rights information to service members receiving Basic Allowance for Housing.\r\n\r\nWhile this is not a perfect bill and leaves out key provisions from the original bill that are desperately needed, it has some big wins for our servicemen and women, their families and veterans back home in Oregon, saidRep. Schrader.It includes a 3 percent pay raise for our brave servicemembers, improves their on-base housing and extends paid parental leave to all federal employees and makes improvements to childcare for federal workers. This year's NDAA finally mandates benefits for Vietnam era veterans who have been exposed to Agent Orange and are struggling with myriad health issues. Additionally, I am pleased that myamendmentwas included in this year's package. However, I am extremely disappointed that language to repeal the horribly outdated Authorization for Use of Military Forcewereeliminated from the final version of the bill. After nearly two decades of war in the Middle East, it is high time for Congress to reassert our role in this incredibly important national conversation. I am hopeful that under Chairman Smith's leadership that provisions to repealtheseoutdatedAUMFswill be included in next year's bill.\r\n\r\nBuilding off language included last year to protect service member financial well-being, Congressman Schrader introduced a new amendment that was included in this year's conference report. This amendment will require service members who start to receive Basic Allowance for Housing to get a rundown of their financial rights under federal law. It was crafted after Arming service members with knowledge of their rights under federal law will go a long way to halting exploitation of our fighting men and women by financial institutions. The provision was originally known as the HOMES Act which was introduced following an investigative report in the Oregonian newspaper, which profiled Marine veteran Jacob McGreevy who lost his home while on his third of four tours of duty.\r\n\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.merkley.senate.gov/news/in-the-news/democratic-senators-push-for-1200-direct-payments-in-new-coronavirus-relief-package", "Democratic senators push for $1,200 direct payments in new coronavirus relief package", "2020-12-08", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "OR", "Jeff Merkley", "M001176", "www.merkley.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Democratic senators push for $1,200 direct payments in new coronavirus relief package \r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nTuesday, December 8, 2020\r\n\r\n\t\n\r\n\r\n\r\n  \r\n    By:\r\n    Alexander Bolton\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nA group of Democratic senators led by Sens.Bernie Sanders(I-Vt.) andElizabeth Warren(D-Mass.) are pressing colleagues to include $1,200 direct payments in a new COVID-19 relief package and say a $908 billion compromise proposal endorsed by moderates doesn't go far enough.\r\nPlease join us in demanding that any new COVID-relief proposal includes a $1,200 direct payment to adults and $500 to their children, the senators wrote in a Dear Colleague letter dated Dec. 8.\r\nSens.Jeff Merkley(D-Ore.),Ron Wyden(D-Ore.),Ed Markey(D-Mass.) andKirsten Gillibrand(D-N.Y.) also signed the letter.\r\nThe senators said the $908 billion relief bill spearheaded by moderates such as Sens.Joe Manchin(D-W.Va.),Susan Collins(R-Maine),Mark Warner(D-Va.) andMitt Romney(R-Utah) doesn't provide enough relief.\r\nSimply stated, given the horrific extent of the current crisis and the desperation that working families all over this country are experiencing, this proposal does not go anywhere near far enough, they wrote.\r\nIn truth, rather than the $3.4 trillion which we Democrats called for in the HEROES Act, this bill only allocates $348 billion in new money, they wrote. The remaining $560 billion are funds transferred from the CARES Act that have not yet been obligated.\r\nThe group of Democrats point out in their letter that the compromise proposal only provides a $300 supplement for unemployed workers rather than $600 a week.\r\nUnlike the $1,200 direct payment for every working class individual and $500 for each child, it provides absolutely no direct payment, they wrote.\r\nThey also criticized the moderates' plan for doing nothing to address the health care crisis impacting tens of millions of Americans who cannot afford medical care and said it has totally inadequate financial assistance for the most vulnerable.\r\nGiven the enormity of the crisis today, it would be unacceptable to take a major step backwards from those previous efforts by passing legislation that only included $348 billion in new money, they wrote.\r\nSanders told reporters earlier Tuesday that he is pressing Senate Minority LeaderCharles Schumer(D-N.Y.) to support a larger relief package that includes $1,200 direct payments to individuals and $500 for each child.\r\nYou're going to hear from us very, very shortly, he said. You're going to see a  letter going out from a number of us to try to rally the Democratic caucus to stand tall, adding that he had already spoken to Schumer about the issue.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.merkley.senate.gov/news/press-releases/wyden-merkley-call-for-wildfire-relief-funds-to-be-included-in-next-covid-19-relief-package-2020", "Wyden, Merkley Call for Wildfire Relief Funds to be Included in Next COVID-19 Relief Package", "2020-12-08", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "OR", "Jeff Merkley", "M001176", "www.merkley.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Wyden, Merkley Call for Wildfire Relief Funds to be Included in Next COVID-19 Relief Package \n\t\n\t\n\tTuesday, December 8, 2020\n\t\n\tWashington, D.C. U.S. Sens. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., and colleagues todaysent a letter toHouse and Senate leadership requesting that funds for wildfire risk mitigation and recovery efforts be included in the next COVID-19 relief package.\r\n \r\nEntire communities in Oregon and across the West were leveled to ash in the wake of this year's wildfire season--lives lost and homes and small businesses destroyed, and all on top of a life-threatening global pandemic,Wyden said.With the blow 2020 delivered to these communities, Congress has a responsibility to provide for their recovery and invest in preventing future devastation.\r\nIn September, I drove over 600 miles across our state to meet with Oregonians who suffered tremendous loss, and to get an up close look at the damage from this year's unprecedented wildfires, said Merkley. What I saw and heard was heartbreakingreports of lives lost, homes destroyed, and entire towns leveled. As we continue down the long road to recovery, I'm going to keep doing everything I can to help our communities get back on their feet, and to reduce the risk of this type of massive destruction from ever happening again.\r\n \r\nSpecifically, the letter calls for:\r\n \r\nLocal economic relief to assist cash-strapped cities and towns originally excluded from the CARES Act in order to ensure firefighters and first responders can remain on payroll and have access to needed staff and resources;\r\nInvestments in fire risk mitigation, such as establishing a 21st Century CivilianConservation Corps to restore forest health and making investments in vital Forest Service programs that assist with forest management, such as the Collaborative Forest Landscape Restoration Program;\r\nFederal support for fire response efforts, including investments in FEMA's Staffing For Adequate Fire And Emergency Response (SAFER) Grants, increased funds for late-season interagency hotshot crews, and increased pay and benefits for federal wildfire personnel; and\r\nInvestments in fire recovery efforts to support the work being done by local, state, and federal officials to revitalize the environmental health, water quality, and economy of communities impacted by wildfires.\r\n \r\nRead the letter here.\r\nThe letter led by Wyden and U.S. Congressman JoeNeguse (D-CO) was signed by U.S. Sens.Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif.,Maria Cantwell, D-Wash.,Kyrsten Sinema, D-Ariz.,Catherine Cortez Masto, D-Nev., Jacky Rosen, D-Nev.,Tom Udall, D-N.M.,Michael Bennet, D-Colo., Martin Heinrich, D-N.M., Patty Murray, D-Wash.,Jon Tester, D-Mont., and Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., and U.S. Reps.Earl Blumenauer, D-Ore., Suzanne Bonamici, D-Ore., Salud Carbajal, D-Calif.Suzan DelBene, D-Wash.,Ral Grijalva, D-Ariz.,Jared Huffman, D-Calif.,Ro Khanna, D-Calif.,Ann Kirkpatrick, D-Ariz.,Barbara Lee, D-Calif., Jerry McNerney, D-Calif.,Grace Napolitano, D-Calif.,Tom O'Halleran, D-Ariz.,Jimmy Panetta, D-Calif., Katie Porter, D-Calif., Lucille Roybal-Allard, D-Calif.,Brad Sherman, D-Calif.,and Mike Thompson, D-Calif.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.merkley.senate.gov/news/press-releases/wyden-merkley-urge-feds-to-begin-expedited-review-of-klamath-dam-removal-plan-2020", "Wyden, Merkley Urge Feds to Begin Expedited Review of Klamath Dam Removal Plan", "2020-12-08", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "OR", "Jeff Merkley", "M001176", "www.merkley.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Wyden, Merkley Urge Feds to Begin Expedited Review of Klamath Dam Removal Plan \n\t\n\t\t Letter: Timely removal of these dams is critical to tribes in the Klamath Basin, West Coast fishing and recreation communities, and farmers and ranchers in Southern Oregon and Northern California. \n\t\n\t\n\tTuesday, December 8, 2020\n\t\n\tWashington, D.C.  U.S. Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley today wrote federal regulators to urge consideration of an amended application for the Lower Klamath Project and begin environmental reviews as soon as possible of the plan's four proposed dam removals.\r\nThe Oregon senators' letter to Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) Secretary Kimberly D. Bose comes in the wake of the Nov. 17 announcement by Oregon and California agreeing to become co-licensees with the Klamath River Renewal Corporation (KRRC) in the dam removal project.\r\nWyden and Merkley wrote in a letter with two other lawmakers that the KRRC has a plan, schedule and resources in place to implement the settlement, and has the financial capacity to take over the Lower Klamath Project and subsequently remove the dams.\r\n \r\nAdditionally, KRRC's amended application demonstrates that there is a sufficient body of environmental documentation to allow for expedited environmental review, they wrote. Removal of the Lower Klamath Project is necessary for the health and vitality of the Klamath River System broadly, which for decades has had fish passage blocked, experienced repeated harmful algal blooms, and seen conflicts between various stakeholder groups.\r\nTimely removal of these dams is critical to tribes in the Klamath Basin, West Coast fishing and recreation communities, and farmers and ranchers in Southern Oregon and Northern California, Wyden and Merkley wrote.\r\n \r\nIn addition to Wyden and Merkley, others signing the letter are U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) and U.S. Rep. Jared Huffman (D-CA).\r\nThe entire letter is below.\r\nDear Secretary Bose:\r\nWe write to support the amended surrender application for the Lower Klamath Project, submitted by PacifiCorp and the Klamath River Renewal Corporation (KRRC) on November 17, 2020. In keeping with the request from PacifiCorp and KRRC, we also ask that the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) expedite its consideration of this amended surrender application and begin environmental reviews as soon as possible, so that the four lowermost Klamath River Dams can be removed.\r\nWhile we continue to believe FERC erred in denying outright license transfer from PacifiCorp to KRRC, the states of Oregon and California have agreed to become co-licensees with KRRC, removing PacifiCorp from the license upon FERC's approval of the amended surrender application. According to the amended surrender application, KRRC has a plan, schedule and resources in place to implement the settlement, and has the financial capacity to take over the Lower Klamath Project and subsequently remove the dams. Additionally, KRRC's amended application demonstrates that there is a sufficient body of environmental documentation to allow for expedited environmental review.\r\nRemoval of the Lower Klamath Project is necessary for the health and vitality of the Klamath River System broadly, which for decades has had fish passage blocked, experienced repeated harmful algal blooms, and seen conflicts between various stakeholder groups. Timely removal of these dams is critical to tribes in the Klamath Basin, West Coast fishing and recreation communities, and farmers and ranchers in Southern Oregon and Northern California.\r\nWe thank you for your consideration of our request and for your timely consideration of the amended surrender application for the Lower Klamath Project.\r\nSincerely,", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://blumenauer.house.gov/media-center/enewsletters/fighting-you", "Fighting for you", "2020-12-08", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "OR", "Earl Blumenauer", "B000574", "blumenauer.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "As the end of the year approaches, there's a lot of discussion aboutwhatabadly-needed COVID relief package will look like. It's unacceptable that Republicans in the Senateare only just now coming to the table, afterdraggingtheir feet for solong. Millions of people continue to faceareal crisis. Without swift action from Congress, 19 million people risk being kicked out of their homes as eviction protections expire on December 31. An estimated 12 million people will lose their extended unemployment benefits on December 26.\n\t\n\t\tCongress mustsupportindividuals and small businesses  not large corporate interests  as quickly and efficiently as possible. Even while the Senate is working to have the smallest possible relief package, we continue to urge broader consideration.\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t \n\t\t\t\t\tWe keep gaining nationwide traction on myRESTAURANTS Actto provide cash grants to small, neighborhood restaurants, bars,and cafestohelpmore than 11 million restaurant employees and preserve the vitalityof our communities.\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\tCash grants to rescue independent live entertainment venues in Oregon and across the country that need help making it through the pandemic.\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t \n\t\t\n\t\t\tWhile the need for rapid relief is urgent, we are also laying the foundation for what the Biden administration would request for another package when they are in charge.The scaled-down agreement with the Senate is not the last word, it's just the next step. We will continue to advocate for relief packages that provide a strong safety net for all those who are struggling. As a reminder, my staff and I are here to help you. Please visit my website at blumenauer.house.gov orcall my officeat (503) 231-2300.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://blumenauer.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/chairman-blumenauer-files-legislation-update-key-trade-program", "Chairman Blumenauer Files Legislation to Update Key Trade Program", "2020-12-08", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "OR", "Earl Blumenauer", "B000574", "blumenauer.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON, D.C.  U.S. Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-R), Chairman of the Ways and Means Subcommittee on Trade, introduced new legislation to extend and strengthen key provisions of the Generalized System of Preference (GSP), the nation's largest and oldest trade preference program that fosters economic development in some of the poorest countries in the world.   \n\t  \n\tThe program, which is set to expire on December 31, allows developing countries to share in the benefits of international trade, while also requiring those countries to meet basic eligibility criteria that help improve the terms of trade and ensure that those economic benefits are more equitably shared. Legislation introduced Monday by Blumenauer would prevent the expiration of the program while updating the program's standards for the first time in many years, thus ensuring maximum effectiveness and fairness moving forward.  \n\t  \n\tU.S. trade policies are a direct reflection of our values and signal to the world what we, as a nation, hold important, Blumenauer said. By putting a stronger emphasis on human rights, environmental protections, and support for women and worker rights, we have a unique opportunity to modernize this critical international development program, strengthen our trade relationships, and recommit ourselves to stronger standards abroad and here at home.   \n\t  \n\tBlumenauer's legislation to update GSP includes a number of key provisions, including:\n \nAdd human rights, rule of law, good governance, and anti-corruption criteria. \n\tInclude an environmental criterion that would create parity with the existing labor criterion in GSP.\n\tRequire a survey of laws related to women and worker rights to allow Congress to better understand ways to support women's full economic participation globally. \n\tRequire a review of the GSP rules of origin and utilization rates of beneficiary countries to make sure that the most economically vulnerable countries are able to fully take advantage of the program.\n\tRequire a periodic assessment of each GSP beneficiary country's compliance with the statutory eligibility criteria to help incentivize economic reform in developing countries.\n \n  To read the full text of the bill, click here.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://defazio.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/defazio-led-bipartisan-water-resources-development-act-passes-house-of", "DeFazio-led Bipartisan Water Resources Development Act Passes House of Representatives", "2020-12-08", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "OR", "Peter DeFazio", "D000191", "defazio.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Today, the bipartisan Water Resources Development Act of 2020 (WRDA 2020), legislation led by Chair of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure Peter DeFazio, unanimously passed the House.\nThis legislation provides for improvements to Oregon and the nation's ports, inland waterways, locks, dams, flood protection, ecosystem restoration, and other water resources infrastructure.\nI am pleased that today the House once again passed a bipartisan WRDA bill,said Chair DeFazio.One of my top priorities in Congress has been strengthening the small ports and harbors that are the lifeblood of Oregon's coastal communities. By increasing funding for small harbors, WRDA 2020 makes sure that maintenance dredging and other projects like the Coos Bay North Jetty repair project are well-funded, ensuring the safety of our mariners and preserving the viability of our ports. Additionally, this bill takes serious action to protect and restore the habitat of endangered salmon and steelhead by directly investing in habitat restoration, protecting water in the Willamette Basin exclusively for conservation purposes, and finding ways to restore salmon access to pristine spawning territory above Cougar and Detroit Dams. This important legislation will help unleash the full potential of our nation's ports and harbors, protect our communities and environment, sustain U.S. jobs, and provide critical authorizations and improvements to Corps projects.\nWRDA 2020 includes numerous provisions that benefit southwestern Oregon including:\n Increasing by 50% funding to small harbors, like the Port of Gold Beach and Port of Siuslaw, and allowing harbor maintenance funds to be used for the dredging of adjacent marinas and the repair of breakwaters and jetties;\n\tDirecting the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to provide further information on design solutions for the Port of Port Orford Breakwater, which has contributed to shoaling at the port;\n\tExpediting a study of siltation at the Port of Bandon to improve navigation and safety;\n\tAuthorizing a new program for ecosystem restoration to benefit salmon and steelhead and giving these projects equal priority to other ecosystem restoration projects;\n\tExpediting the completion of the 42nd Street Levee project in Springfield;\n\tStudying the removal of power generation at Detroit and Cougar Dams to reduce costs to public power agencies and potentially open miles of pristine salmon habitat upstream of the dams;\n\tAllocating water stored in the Willamette Basin dams to meet the needs of agriculture, municipal, and conservation uses for the next 50 years; and\n\tTransferring ownership of the Leaburg Fish Hatchery on the McKenzie River to the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife.\n As Chair, DeFazio successfully negotiated a provision that ensures the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will expedite much-needed repairs to the Port of Coos Bay North Jetty system, a critical waterway in southwest Oregon.\nFull bill text, a section-by-section, and a fact sheet can be found here, here, and here. For video of Chair DeFazio's floor speech on WRDA 2020, click here.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.wyden.senate.gov//news/press-releases/wyden-merkley-urge-feds-to-begin-expedited-review-of-klamath-dam-removal-plan", "Wyden, Merkley Urge Feds to Begin Expedited Review of Klamath Dam Removal Plan", "2020-12-08", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "House", "OR", "Ron Wyden", "W000779", "www.wyden.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "December 08, 2020\n\t\t\t Wyden, Merkley Urge Feds to Begin Expedited Review of Klamath Dam Removal Plan \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t \n\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\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\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n        \n\t\t\t\t Letter: Timely removal of these dams is critical to tribes in the Klamath Basin, West Coast fishing and recreation communities, and farmers and ranchers in Southern Oregon and Northern California.\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t Washington, D.C.  U.S. Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley today wrote federal regulators to urge consideration of an amended application for the Lower Klamath Project and begin environmental reviews as soon as possible of the plan's four proposed dam removals.\r\nThe Oregon senators' letter to Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) Secretary Kimberly D. Bose comes in the wake of the Nov. 17 announcement by Oregon and California agreeing to become co-licensees with the Klamath River Renewal Corporation (KRRC) in the dam removal project.\r\nWyden and Merkley wrote in a letter with two other lawmakers that the KRRC has a plan, schedule and resources in place to implement the settlement, and has the financial capacity to take over the Lower Klamath Project and subsequently remove the dams.\r\nAdditionally, KRRC's amended application demonstrates that there is a sufficient body of environmental documentation to allow for expedited environmental review, they wrote. Removal of the Lower Klamath Project is necessary for the health and vitality of the Klamath River System broadly, which for decades has had fish passage blocked, experienced repeated harmful algal blooms, and seen conflicts between various stakeholder groups. \r\nTimely removal of these dams is critical to tribes in the Klamath Basin, West Coast fishing and recreation communities, and farmers and ranchers in Southern Oregon and Northern California, Wyden and Merkley wrote.\r\nIn addition to Wyden and Merkley, others signing the letter are U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) and U.S. Rep. Jared Huffman (D-CA).\r\nThe entire letter is below.\r\nKimberly D. Bose, Secretary\r\nFederal Energy Regulatory Commission\r\n888 First Street, N.E.\r\nWashington, DC 20426\r\n\r\nDear Secretary Bose:\r\n\r\nWe write to support the amended surrender application for the Lower Klamath Project, submitted by PacifiCorp and the Klamath River Renewal Corporation (KRRC) on November 17, 2020. In keeping with the request from PacifiCorp and KRRC, we also ask that the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) expedite its consideration of this amended surrender application and begin environmental reviews as soon as possible, so that the four lowermost Klamath River Dams can be removed.\r\nWhile we continue to believe FERC erred in denying outright license transfer from PacifiCorp to KRRC, the states of Oregon and California have agreed to become co-licensees with KRRC, removing PacifiCorp from the license upon FERC's approval of the amended surrender application. According to the amended surrender application, KRRC has a plan, schedule and resources in place to implement the settlement, and has the financial capacity to take over the Lower Klamath Project and subsequently remove the dams. Additionally, KRRC's amended application demonstrates that there is a sufficient body of environmental documentation to allow for expedited environmental review.\r\nRemoval of the Lower Klamath Project is necessary for the health and vitality of the Klamath River System broadly, which for decades has had fish passage blocked, experienced repeated harmful algal blooms, and seen conflicts between various stakeholder groups. Timely removal of these dams is critical to tribes in the Klamath Basin, West Coast fishing and recreation communities, and farmers and ranchers in Southern Oregon and Northern California.\r\nWe thank you for your consideration of our request and for your timely consideration of the amended surrender application for the Lower Klamath Project.\r\n\r\n\r\nSincerely,\r\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t  \n\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\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTweet\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t \n\t\n\t\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n    \n\t\n\t\n    \n    \n    \n    \t\n    \t\n\t    \t  \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tNext Article\n\t\t    \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tPrevious Article", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.wyden.senate.gov//news/press-releases/wyden-neguse-lead-call-for-wildfire-relief-funds-to-be-included-in-next-covid-19-relief-package", "Wyden, Neguse Lead Call for Wildfire Relief Funds to be Included in Next COVID-19 Relief Package", "2020-12-08", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "House", "OR", "Ron Wyden", "W000779", "www.wyden.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "December 08, 2020\n\t\t\t Wyden, Neguse Lead Call for Wildfire Relief Funds to be Included in Next COVID-19 Relief Package \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWashington, D.C. U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., and U.S. Rep.Joe Neguse, D-Colo.,todayled their colleagues in sending a letter toHouse and Senate leadership requesting that funds for wildfire risk mitigation and recovery efforts be included in the next COVID-19 relief package.\r\nEntire communities in Oregon and across the West were leveled to ash in the wake of this year's wildfire seasonlives lost and homes and small businesses destroyed, and all on top of a life-threatening global pandemic,Wyden said.With the blow 2020 delivered to these communities, Congress has a responsibility to provide for their recovery and invest in preventing future devastation.\r\nA record 2020 wildfire season has forced thousands of evacuations, threatened air and water quality, and destroyed homes and businesses. Communities that have been fighting the public health and economic impacts of COVID-19 are now also beginning the long journey of recovering from catastrophic wildfire,saidNeguse.Congress has the power to not only help these communities recover, but also to make major federal investments in sustainable forest management to ensure they are better prepared for the next season. After a devastating wildfire season in Colorado, it is critical that we ensure our firefighters and communities are protected from future tragedies of this magnitude, and fully equipped for the long road of recovery.\r\nSpecifically, the letter calls for:\r\n \r\nLocal economic relief to assist cash-strapped cities and towns originally excluded from the CARES Act in order to ensure firefighters and first responders can remain on payroll and have access to needed staff and resources;\r\nInvestments in fire risk mitigation, such as establishing a 21st Century CivilianConservation Corps to restore forest health and making investments in vital Forest Service programs that assist with forest management, such as the Collaborative Forest Landscape Restoration Program;\r\nFederal support for fire response efforts, including investments in FEMA's Staffing For Adequate Fire And Emergency Response (SAFER) Grants, increased funds for late-season interagency hotshot crews, and increased pay and benefits for federal wildfire personnel; and\r\nInvestments in fire recovery efforts to support the work being done by local, state, and federal officials to revitalize the environmental health, water quality, and economy of communities impacted by wildfires.\r\n \r\nRead the letter here.\r\nThe letter led by Wyden and Neguse was signed by U.S. Sens.Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif.,Maria Cantwell, D-Wash.,Kyrsten Sinema, D-Ariz.,Catherine Cortez Masto, D-Nev., Jacky Rosen, D-Nev.,Tom Udall, D-N.M.,Michael Bennet, D-Colo., Martin Heinrich, D-N.M., Patty Murray, D-Wash.,Jon Tester, D-Mont., and Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., and U.S. Reps.Earl Blumenauer, D-Ore., Suzanne Bonamici, D-Ore., Salud Carbajal, D-Calif.Suzan DelBene, D-Wash.,Ral Grijalva, D-Ariz.,Jared Huffman, D-Calif.,Ro Khanna, D-Calif.,Ann Kirkpatrick, D-Ariz.,Barbara Lee, D-Calif., Jerry McNerney, D-Calif.,Grace Napolitano, D-Calif.,Tom O'Halleran, D-Ariz.,Jimmy Panetta, D-Calif., Katie Porter, D-Calif., Lucille Roybal-Allard, D-Calif.,Brad Sherman, D-Calif.,and Mike Thompson, D-Calif.\r\n\r\n###\r\n\r\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t  \n\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\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTweet\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t \n\t\n\t\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n    \n\t\n\t\n    \n    \n    \n    \t\n    \t\n\t    \t  \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tNext Article\n\t\t    \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tPrevious Article", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://schrader.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=392828", "Oregon Delegation Leads Letter to U.S. Army Concerning COVID-19 Protocol for Oregon National Guardsmen", "2020-12-07", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "OR", "Kurt Schrader", "S001180", "schrader.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "For Immediate Release\r\nDecember 7, 2020\r\nContact: Larkin Parker, 202-225-5711\r\nHank Stern (Wyden)503-326-7539\r\nSara Hottman (Merkley)503-326-3386\r\nBeth Schoenbach (DeFazio)202-591-6277\r\nDanielle Cohen (Blumenauer) 202-805-4737\r\nMolly Jenkins (Walden)202-744-7974\r\nNatalie Crofts (Bonamici) 202-754-1649\r\n\r\nOregon Delegation Leads Letter to U.S. Army Concerning COVID-19 Protocol for Oregon National Guardsmen\r\nWASHINGTON, D.C.  Today, with the support of the Oregon Congressional delegation, Rep. Schrader led a letter to Secretary McCarthy of the U.S. Army on behalf of members of Oregon's 41stInfantry Brigade.\r\nRep. Schrader was alerted by family members of Oregonian soldiers who recently returned from Kosovo andare currently atFt. Bliss for demobilization that at least 10 soldiers have tested positive for COVID-19 and dozens more are showing concerning symptoms.\r\nWe must ensure that our brave servicemen and women who put their lives on the line to protect us, are being protected themselves, wrote the delegation. Their safety and the safety of their families is of critical importance and we look forward to a swift response from Secretary McCarthy regarding sufficient PPE, testing kits and adequate quarantine protocol for demobilizing soldiers.\r\n\r\nSecretary Ryan D. McCarthy\r\nU.S. Department of the Army\r\n1600 Army Pentagon\r\nWashington, DC 20310-1600\r\n\r\nDear Secretary McCarthy,\r\nDecember 3, 2020\r\nWe are writing on behalf of members of Oregon's 41st Infantry Brigade who recently returned from Kosovo to Ft. Bliss for demobilization before returning home to Oregon. Our offices have learned that among the recently returned members, at least 10 soldiers have tested positive for coronavirus with dozens more showing symptoms consistent with coronavirus. Our concern for the health and wellbeing of the soldiers and their families is of the utmost priority as they reintegrate back into their communities, and to that end, we have questions as to their care at Ft. Bliss:\r\n \r\n    What is the Department of the Army testing and quarantine protocol for these soldiers upon returning stateside and having positive cases in their unit, including protocol and plan for living quarters during observation and quarantine?\r\n    Does the Department of the Army have sufficient test kits, PPE, and personnel to test, trace, monitor and treat each soldier currently demobilizing with Oregon's 41st Infantry Brigade at Ft. Bliss? If not, what is the plan to address shortages and is there assistance needed to do so? If not, what is the plan to address shortages and is there assistance needed to do so?\r\n \r\nThank you for your prompt attention to our questions and we are looking forward to your expedient response\r\nSincerely,\r\nKURT SCHRADER Member of Congress\r\nJEFFREY A. MERKLEY U.S. Senator\r\nRON WYDEN U.S. Senator\r\nPETER DeFAZIO Member of Congress\r\nEARL BLUMENAUER Member of Congress\r\nGREG WALDEN Member of Congress\r\nSUZANNE BONAMICI Member of Congress\r\n\r\n\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.merkley.senate.gov/news/in-the-news/wyden-merkley-urge-including-county-payments-in-year-end-federal-funding", "Wyden, Merkley urge including county payments in year-end federal funding", "2020-12-07", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "OR", "Jeff Merkley", "M001176", "www.merkley.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Wyden, Merkley urge including county payments in year-end federal funding \r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nMonday, December 7, 2020\r\n\r\n\t\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nSens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., said Monday that the COVID-19 pandemic is one more reason that payments to counties under the Secure Rural Schools and Payment in Lieu of Taxes programs should be prioritized in a year-ending appropriations bill.\r\nIn order to assist these rural counties' response to the current public health crisis, as well as to invest in infrastructure, schools, and law enforcement, Congress must include a reauthorization of SRS,Wyden and Merkley wrote in a letter with a bipartisan group of 25 senators to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy.\r\nWyden, Merkley and Senators Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) and Jim Risch (R-Idaho) have led the effort to ensure federal payments for counties by reauthorizing the Secure Rural Schools program through S. 430, which has received approval in committee but not yet passed the full Congress.\r\nThe time is now for Congress to help rural Oregon communities facing the unprecedented economic and public health challenges of the coronavirus crisis as well as the aftermath of this year's devastating fires,Wyden said.Our bipartisan request is a must to help these communities in our state and nationwide continue to provide essential services such as roads, schools and public health programs while Congress develops a long-term permanent solution to support a strong quality-of-life for rural America.\r\nOur rural towns and counties are already suffering from lost revenue due to the coronavirus crisis. Failing to fully fund SRS and PILT could mean first responders and teachers losing their jobs, which would be terrible for everyone,Merkley said. For communities with large tracts of public lands, these funds are a lifeline for critical services ranging from schools to roads to public safety. It is critically important for Congress to reauthorize the federal support that counties need so urgently right now.\r\nNearly two-thirds of Idaho's lands are federally owned, which severely limits the tax base for counties to pay for essential services such as roads, law enforcement and schools,Crapo said. Both PILT and SRS serve as a lifeline to Idaho's counties, and the ongoing global pandemic has stretched our local budgets even thinner. While I continue to work on a long-term solution for the SRS program, it is crucial that Congress reauthorize SRS and continue to fully fund PILT to ensure a predictable funding source for Idaho counties and school districts encompassed by federal land.\r\nIdaho's rural counties need certainty. This year, the annual fight to secure county payments for communities with federal lands is even more significant given the extraordinary challenges posed by this pandemic,Risch said.The federal government has a moral obligation to these communities, and Congress must fund PILT and SRS.\r\nCo-signers on the letter include Senators Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), Joe Manchin (D-West Virginia), Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska), Michael Bennet (D-Colorado), Kevin Cramer (R-North Dakota), Jon Tester (D-Montana), Roger Wicker (R-Mississippi), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nevada), Steve Daines (R-Montana), Martin Heinrich (D-New Mexico), Mitt Romney (R-Utah), Tina Smith (D-Minnesota), Mike Lee (R-Utah), Jacky Rosen (D-Nevada), John Boozman (R-Arkansas), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Patty Murray (D-Washington), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minnesota), Maria Cantwell (D-Washington), Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont), Mark Kelly (D-Arizona), Kristen Sinema (D-Arizona) and Jeanne Shaheen (D-New Hampshire).\r\nA copy of the entire letter isHERE.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.merkley.senate.gov/news/press-releases/wyden-merkley-urge-inclusion-of-county-payments-in-end-of-year-federal-funding-efforts-2020", "Wyden, Merkley Urge Inclusion of County Payments in End-of-Year Federal Funding Efforts", "2020-12-07", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "OR", "Jeff Merkley", "M001176", "www.merkley.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Wyden, Merkley Urge Inclusion of County Payments in End-of-Year Federal Funding Efforts \n\t\n\t\t Letter led by Wyden, Merkley, Crapo, Risch ties county payments to COVID crisis \n\t\n\t\n\tMonday, December 7, 2020\n\t\n\tWashington, D.C. U.S. Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley saidtoday that the COVID-19 pandemic is one more reason that payments to counties under the Secure Rural Schools (SRS) and Payment in Lieu of Taxes (PILT) programs should be prioritized in a year-ending appropriations bill.\r\n \r\nIn order to assist these rural counties' response to the current public health crisis, as well as to invest in infrastructure, schools, and law enforcement, Congress must include a reauthorization of SRS,Wyden and Merkley wrote in a letter with abipartisan group of 25 senatorsto Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy.\r\n \r\nWyden, Merkley and Senators Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) and Jim Risch (R-Idaho) have led the effort to ensure federal payments for counties by reauthorizing the Secure Rural Schools program through S. 430, which has received approval in committee but not yet passed the full Congress.\r\n \r\nThe time is now for Congress to help rural Oregon communities facing the unprecedented economic and public health challenges of the coronavirus crisis as well as the aftermath of this year's devastating fires,Wydensaid.Our bipartisan request is a must to help these communities in our state and nationwide continue to provide essential services such as roads, schools and public health programs while Congress develops a long-term permanent solution to support a strong quality-of-life for rural America.\r\nOur rural towns and counties are already suffering from lost revenue due to the coronavirus crisis. Failing to fully fund SRS and PILT could mean first responders and teachers losing their jobs, which would be terrible for everyone,Merkleysaid. For communities with large tracts of public lands, these funds are a lifeline for critical services ranging from schools to roads to public safety. It is critically important for Congress to reauthorize the federal support that counties need so urgently right now.\r\nNearly two-thirds of Idaho's lands are federally owned, which severely limits the tax base for counties to pay for essential services such as roads, law enforcement and schools,Crapo said. Both PILT and SRS serve as a lifeline to Idaho's counties, and the ongoing global pandemic has stretched our local budgets even thinner. While I continue to work on a long-term solution for the SRS program, it is crucial that Congress reauthorize SRS and continue to fully fund PILT to ensure a predictable funding source for Idaho counties and school districts encompassed by federal land.\r\nIdaho's rural counties need certainty. This year, the annual fight to secure county payments for communities with federal lands is even more significant given the extraordinary challenges posed by this pandemic,Rischsaid.The federal government has a moral obligation to these communities, and Congress must fund PILT and SRS.\r\n \r\nCo-signers on the letter include Senators Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), Joe Manchin (D-West Virginia), Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska), Michael Bennet (D-Colorado), Kevin Cramer (R-North Dakota), Jon Tester (D-Montana), Roger Wicker (R-Mississippi), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nevada), Steve Daines (R-Montana), Martin Heinrich (D-New Mexico), Mitt Romney (R-Utah), Tina Smith (D-Minnesota), Mike Lee (R-Utah), Jacky Rosen (D-Nevada), John Boozman (R-Arkansas), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Patty Murray (D-Washington), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minnesota), Maria Cantwell (D-Washington), Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont), Mark Kelly (D-Arizona), Kristen Sinema (D-Arizona) and Jeanne Shaheen (D-New Hampshire).\r\nA copy of the entire letter isHERE.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://blumenauer.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/blumenauer-reacts-new-report-detailing-vast-economic-benefits-more-act", "Blumenauer Reacts to New Report Detailing Vast Economic Benefits to MORE Act", "2020-12-07", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "OR", "Earl Blumenauer", "B000574", "blumenauer.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Following a historic vote in the U.S. House of Representatives to end the federal prohibition on cannabis last week, the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office, or CBO, released a new report today detailing vast economic benefits to the legislation.\nAmong other things, the agency found that the Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement (MORE) Act would increase revenues by about $13.7 billion, cut federal prison spending by $1 billion, and reduce time served in federal prison among existing and future inmates by 73,000 person-years.\nU.S. Rep. Blumenauer (D-OR), co-chair of the Congressional Cannabis Caucus and a key sponsor of the MORE Act, lauded these findings today on the House floor.\nIt was sad that my Republican colleagues were unable to understand why we voted to reform our failed prohibition of cannabis. They don't care about honoring the will of the people and they are unable to grasp the enormity of the racial injustice and damage by selective enforcement against young Black and Brown Americans, Blumenauer said. But the CBO score may have some other reasons for them. It shows that the MORE Act would reduce 73,000 person-years of prison time. It would increase revenues by $13.7 billion. It would provide $3 billion for job training and legal aid to people harmed by the war on drugs. While doing all of this, it would reduce the deficit by $7.344 billion.\nIf the MORE Act becomes law, the CBO report also estimates that from 2021  2030, the U.S. Department of Justice would spend $3 billion from the MORE Act's Opportunity Trust Fund to provide job training, legal aid, and other services to people harmed by the War on Drugs. During this same period, the legislation would lead to $2.7 billion in Small Business Association funding for state and local grants to make loans to cannabis businesses and help governments develop cannabis-licensing rules.\nEven if you don't care about reducing the damage to Black and Brown Americans, or honoring the will of the people, the economics make it clear, Blumenauer continued. Once again, the people are right, and the people deserve strong Congressional support.\nThe report released today by the CBO can be found here.\nFull text of the MORE Act can be found here.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://bonamici.house.gov/media/press-releases/oregon-delegation-leads-letter-us-army-concerning-covid-19-protocol-oregon", "Oregon Delegation Leads Letter to U.S. Army Concerning COVID-19 Protocol for Oregon National Guardsmen", "2020-12-07", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "House", "OR", "Suzanne Bonamici", "B001278", "bonamici.house.gov", "bonamici", "https://bonamici.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 Today the Oregon Congressional delegation sent a letter to Secretary McCarthy of the U.S. Army on behalf of members of Oregon's 41st Infantry Brigade.\n\nRep. Schrader was alerted by family members of Oregonian soldiers who recently returned from Kosovo and are currently at Ft. Bliss for demobilization that at least 10 soldiers have tested positive for COVID-19 and dozens more are showing concerning symptoms.\n\n\"We must ensure that our brave servicemen and women who put their lives on the line to protect us, are being protected themselves,\" wrote the delegation. \"Their safety and the safety of their families is of critical importance and we look forward to a swift response from Secretary McCarthy regarding sufficient PPE, testing kits and adequate quarantine protocol for demobilizing soldiers.\"\n\nSecretary Ryan D. McCarthy\n\nU.S. Department of the Army\n\n1600 Army Pentagon\n\nWashington, DC 20310-1600\n\nDear Secretary McCarthy,\n\nDecember 3, 2020\n\nWe are writing on behalf of members of Oregon's 41st Infantry Brigade who recently returned from Kosovo to Ft. Bliss for demobilization before returning home to Oregon. Our offices have learned that among the recently returned members, at least 10 soldiers have tested positive for coronavirus with dozens more showing symptoms consistent with coronavirus. Our concern for the health and wellbeing of the soldiers and their families is of the utmost priority as they reintegrate back into their communities, and to that end, we have questions as to their care at Ft. Bliss:\n\nWhat is the Department of the Army testing and quarantine protocol for these soldiers upon returning stateside and having positive cases in their unit, including protocol and plan for living quarters during observation and quarantine?\n\nDoes the Department of the Army have sufficient test kits, PPE, and personnel to test, trace, monitor and treat each soldier currently demobilizing with Oregon's 41st Infantry Brigade at Ft. Bliss? If not, what is the plan to address shortages and is there assistance needed to do so? If not, what is the plan to address shortages and is there assistance needed to do so?\n\nThank you for your prompt attention to our questions and we are looking forward to your expedient response.\n\nSincerely,\n\nKURT SCHRADER Member of Congress\n\nJEFFREY A. MERKLEY U.S. Senator\n\nRON WYDEN U.S. Senator\n\nPETER DeFAZIO Member of Congress\n\nEARL BLUMENAUER Member of Congress\n\nGREG WALDEN Member of Congress\n\nSUZANNE BONAMICI Member of Congress", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-06-28T00:42:23Z"], ["https://www.wyden.senate.gov//news/press-releases/wyden-merkley-urge-inclusion-of-county-payments-in-end-of-year-federal-funding-efforts", "Wyden, Merkley Urge Inclusion of County Payments in End-of-Year Federal Funding Efforts", "2020-12-07", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "House", "OR", "Ron Wyden", "W000779", "www.wyden.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "December 07, 2020\n\t\t\t Wyden, Merkley Urge Inclusion of County Payments in End-of-Year Federal Funding Efforts \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t \n\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\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\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n        \n\t\t\t\t Letter led by Wyden, Merkley, Crapo, Risch ties county payments to COVID crisis\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t Washington, D.C.  U.S. Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley said today that the COVID-19 pandemic is one more reason that payments to counties under the Secure Rural Schools (SRS) and Payment in Lieu of Taxes (PILT) programs should be prioritized in a year-ending appropriations bill.\r\nIn order to assist these rural counties' response to the current public health crisis, as well as to invest in infrastructure, schools, and law enforcement, Congress must include a reauthorization of SRS, Wyden and Merkley wrote in a letter with a bipartisan group of 25 senators to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy.\r\nWyden, Merkley and Senators Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) and Jim Risch (R-Idaho) have led the effort to ensure federal payments for counties by reauthorizing the Secure Rural Schools program through S. 430, which has received approval in committee but not yet passed the full Congress.\r\nThe time is now for Congress to help rural Oregon communities facing the unprecedented economic and public health challenges of the coronavirus crisis as well as the aftermath of this year's devastating fires, Wydensaid. Our bipartisan request is a must to help these communities in our state and nationwide continue to provide essential services such as roads, schools and public health programs while Congress develops a long-term permanent solution to support a strong quality-of-life for rural America.\r\nOur rural towns and counties are already suffering from lost revenue due to the coronavirus crisis. Failing to fully fund SRS and PILT could mean first responders and teachers losing their jobs, which would be terrible for everyone,Merkley said. For communities with large tracts of public lands, these funds are a lifeline for critical services ranging from schools to roads to public safety. It is critically important for Congress to reauthorize the federal support that counties need so urgently right now.\r\nNearly two-thirds of Idaho's lands are federally owned, which severely limits the tax base for counties to pay for essential services such as roads, law enforcement and schools, Crapo said. Both PILT and SRS serve as a lifeline to Idaho's counties, and the ongoing global pandemic has stretched our local budgets even thinner. While I continue to work on a long-term solution for the SRS program, it is crucial that Congress reauthorize SRS and continue to fully fund PILT to ensure a predictable funding source for Idaho counties and school districts encompassed by federal land.\r\nIdaho's rural counties need certainty. This year, the annual fight to secure county payments for communities with federal lands is even more significant given the extraordinary challenges posed by this pandemic, Rischsaid. The federal government has a moral obligation to these communities, and Congress must fund PILT and SRS.\r\nCo-signers on the letter include Senators Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), Joe Manchin (D-West Virginia), Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska), Michael Bennet (D-Colorado), Kevin Cramer (R-North Dakota), Jon Tester (D-Montana), Roger Wicker (R-Mississippi), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nevada), Steve Daines (R-Montana), Martin Heinrich (D-New Mexico), Mitt Romney (R-Utah), Tina Smith (D-Minnesota), Mike Lee (R-Utah), Jacky Rosen (D-Nevada), John Boozman (R-Arkansas), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Patty Murray (D-Washington), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minnesota), Maria Cantwell (D-Washington), Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont), Mark Kelly (D-Arizona), Kristen Sinema (D-Arizona) and Jeanne Shaheen (D-New Hampshire).\r\nA copy of the entire letter is HERE.\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t  \n\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\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTweet\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t \n\t\n\t\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n    \n\t\n\t\n    \n    \n    \n    \t\n    \t\n\t    \t  \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tNext Article\n\t\t    \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tPrevious Article", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.merkley.senate.gov/news/in-the-news/democratic-lawmakers-introduce-a-resolution-to-amend-the-13th-amendment-to-end-forced-prison-labor", "Democratic lawmakers introduce a resolution to amend the 13th Amendment to end forced prison labor", "2020-12-04", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "OR", "Jeff Merkley", "M001176", "www.merkley.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Democratic lawmakers introduce a resolution to amend the 13th Amendment to end forced prison labor \r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nFriday, December 4, 2020\r\n\r\n\t\n\r\n\r\n\r\n  \r\n    By:\r\n    Scottie Andrew\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nCongressional Democrats want to amend a section of the 13th Amendment, which abolished slavery, to end what they refer to as another form of slavery --forced prison labor.\r\nSen. Jeff Merkley of Oregon and Rep. William Lacy Clay of Missouri introduced a joint resolution this week that would remove the13th Amendment's\"punishment clause,\" or language that excepted convicted prisoners from the ban on slavery and involuntary servitude.\r\n\"Our 'Abolition Amendment' seeks to finish the job that President Lincoln started by ending the punishment clause in the 13th Amendment to eliminate the dehumanizing and discriminatory forced labor of prisoners for profit that has been used to drive the over-incarceration of African Americans since the end of the Civil War,\" Clay said in astatement.\r\nWhen it was ratified in 1865, the 13th Amendment made slavery illegal -- \"except as punishment for a crime of which one has been convicted,\" the amendment'stextreads.\r\nThe \"Abolition Amendment\" would strike that clause from the 13th Amendment and end forced labor among prisoners, the congressmen said. Work programs for prisoners would continue on a voluntary basis.\r\nAvi Soifer, a professor and former Dean of the University of Hawaii at Manoa's Richardson School of Law, told CNN that it's unlikely that efforts to amend the constitutional amendment will succeed.\r\nIt may be more beneficial to institute \"partial remedies,\" he said, like thefederal statute that outlaws voluntary and involuntary peonage, a type of servitude by which people who owe debts work until those debts are paid.\r\n\"It thus could have immediate relevance in efforts to address the terrible ways that we now treat prisoners and those jailed because they are unable to make bail,\" said Soifer, a 13th Amendment expert.\r\nCongressmen call the 13th amendment's prison labor loophole 'racist'\r\nMerkley and Clay,in their release, call the \"punishment clause\" in the 13th Amendment \"indisputably racist in origin and in impact.\"\r\nBecause the South relied on slave labor for its economy in the 19th century, that line in the amendment was used as a loophole to continue the forced labor of Black Americans who were imprisoned, according to the non-profitEqual Justice Initiative, which works to end mass incarceration.\r\nThe \"punishment clause\" led to higher rates of arrests among Black Americans throughout the Jim Crow era to the War on Drugs in the 1980s, the congressmen said in the release, by effectively creating a \"financial incentive for mass incarceration\" -- renting forced labor of disproportionately Black prisoners.\r\nPrison labor is a lucrative industry.NPR reported in Julythat as of the last federal count in 2005, over 1.5 million prisoners were working. UNICOR, a federal prison labor program, generates over $500 million in revenue every year, NPR reported.\r\nBut the practice exploits prison laborers, its opponents say. Many states, mostly in the South, don't pay inmates for working regular prison jobs, according to thePrison Policy institute, and the high end of their wages for regular prison jobs rarely exceed $1.\r\nSens. Bernie Sanders and Ed Markey, among others, have cosponsored the amendment, which has earned the support of social justice organizations like Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International and Color of Change.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.merkley.senate.gov/news/in-the-news/how-lawmakers-want-to-end-forced-prison-labor-and-finally-abolish-slavery", "How Lawmakers Want To End Forced Prison Labor & \u201cFinally Abolish Slavery\u201d", "2020-12-04", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "OR", "Jeff Merkley", "M001176", "www.merkley.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "How Lawmakers Want To End Forced Prison Labor & Finally Abolish Slavery \r\n\r\n     Democrats want to amend the Punishment Clause of the 13th Amendment, which they say has continued to drive the over-incarceration of Black Americans throughout the Jim Crow era. \r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nFriday, December 4, 2020\r\n\r\n\t\n\r\n\r\n\r\n  \r\n    By:\r\n    Johanna Silver\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nCongressional Democrats are aiming to end forced prison labor in the U.S. by modifying a section of the 13th Amendment  a move lawmakers say would finally abolish slavery.\r\nSen. Jeff Merkley (D-OR) and outgoing Rep. Lacy Clay (D-MO) introduced a joint resolution on Wednesday called the Abolition Amendment, which would remove the Punishment Clause of the 13th Amendment, which was ratified in 1865.\r\nLanguage in the amendment banned slavery and involuntary servitude,exceptas a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted.\r\nThe resolution states that the clause continued to drive the over-incarceration of Black Americans throughout the Jim Crow era, and gave way to systems and campaigns that disproportionately impact communities of color such as the War on Drugs.\r\nAccording to Bureau of Justice Statistics cited in Merkley'ssummary of the resolution, 900,000 people are engaged in forced labor in the United States. The summary also states that 97% of incarcerated people, who disproportionately belong to low-income communities or are of color, never had a trial, but were instead coerced into plea deals for non-violent offenses. Defendants in these circumstances are regularly coerced intodiscriminatory plea dealsbecause they can't afford bail, according to the Equal Justice Initiative. What's more, some states do not pay prisoners for their labor, and in most other states,wages are less than $1 per hour.\r\nIt is long past time that Congress excise this language from the US Constitution which should begin to put an end the abusive practices derived from it, Laura Pitter, deputy director of the U.S. program at Human Rights Watch,said of the proposed amendment.\r\nMerkley and Clay's resolution follows a summer of nationwide protests over systemic racism and police brutality against Black individuals.\r\nThe resolution had 17 co-sponsors, including Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT), a former presidential candidate, as well as Sen. Deb Haaland (D-NM), a reported potential nominee for President-elect Joe Biden's Cabinet. More than a dozen human rights and social justice organizations, including The Sentencing Project and Color of Change, have supported the amendment.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.merkley.senate.gov/news/in-the-news/senators-wyden-and-merkley-americas-fishing-industry-needs-helpand-now", "Senators Wyden and Merkley: \u201cAmerica\u2019s fishing industry needs help\u2026.and NOW!\u201d", "2020-12-04", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "OR", "Jeff Merkley", "M001176", "www.merkley.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Senators Wyden and Merkley: America's fishing industry needs help.and NOW! \r\n\r\n     Merkley, Reed Lead Push For U.S. Department of Agriculture to Provide Seafood Industry With Much Needed Support \r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nFriday, December 4, 2020\r\n\r\n\t\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nOregon's U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley and U.S. Senator Jack Reed (D-RI) today requested that the Government Accountability Office conduct a study to explore ways to ensure that American fisheries receive the expanded economic support they desperately need, by increasing the volume and variety of seafood products the federal government purchases through the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Commodity Procurement Program (CPP).\r\nThe seafood industry is critical to local and regional economies across the country and is largely sustained by the sale of fresh product. Notably, more than 68 percent of the $102.2 billion that consumers paid for U.S. fishery products in 2017 was spent at food service establishments. Because of the coronavirus, this market evaporated, and the supply chain for fishermen and seafood processors was decimated,the lawmakers wrote in their letter to Comptroller General Gene Dodaro.\r\nBecause of its established pathways for purchasing and distributing surplus food, USDA is the only federal agency capable of providing the necessary real-time assistance due to demand-side disruptions. As such, USDA has an important role to play in supporting the seafood industry, including fishermen and processors,the lawmakers continued.\r\nThe lawmakers also highlighted that historically, USDA food purchasing contracts have been awarded to just a handful of processors in a few select statesleaving many processors, and the families who rely on them, without assistance. Among them, seafood processors have had the least access to supportas outlined in a Congressional Research Service analysis, the agency has spent over $1.2 billion on meat products, compared to just $153 million worth of a limited number of seafood products through the Section 32 program.\r\nMerkleywho serves as the top Democrat on the Appropriations Subcommittee that funds the USDAplans to use the results of the requested GAO study to determine how to more effectively use federal purchasing power to support the fishing and seafood industries in the future through increases in the volume and variety of seafood products purchased.\r\nToday's letter is part of an ongoing push by Merkley and Reed to secure more support for fisheries amid the coronavirus pandemic, which previously included abipartisan lettersigned by more than two dozen lawmakers of both parties.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.merkley.senate.gov/news/press-releases/merkley-reed-lead-push-for-us-department-of-agriculture-to-provide-seafood-industry-with-much-needed-support-2020", "Merkley, Reed Lead Push For U.S. Department of Agriculture to Provide Seafood Industry With Much Needed Support", "2020-12-04", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "OR", "Jeff Merkley", "M001176", "www.merkley.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Merkley, Reed Lead Push For U.S. Department of Agriculture to Provide Seafood Industry With Much Needed Support \n\t\n\t\t The ongoing coronavirus crisis has decimated fisheries \n\t\n\t\n\tFriday, December 4, 2020\n\t\n\tWASHINGTON, D.C.  Oregon's U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley and U.S. Senator Jack Reed (D-RI) today requested that the Government Accountability Office conduct a study to explore ways to ensure that American fisheries receive the expanded economic support they desperately need, by increasing the volume and variety of seafood products the federal government purchases through the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Commodity Procurement Program (CPP).\r\n \r\nThe seafood industry is critical to local and regional economies across the country and is largely sustained by the sale of fresh product. Notably, more than 68 percent of the $102.2 billion that consumers paid for U.S. fishery products in 2017 was spent at food service establishments. Because of the coronavirus, this market evaporated, and the supply chain for fishermen and seafood processors was decimated, the lawmakers wrote in their letter to Comptroller General Gene Dodaro.\r\nBecause of its established pathways for purchasing and distributing surplus food, USDA is the only federal agency capable of providing the necessary real-time assistance due to demand-side disruptions. As such, USDA has an important role to play in supporting the seafood industry, including fishermen and processors, the lawmakers continued.\r\n \r\nThe lawmakers also highlighted that historically, USDA food purchasing contracts have been awarded to just a handful of processors in a few select statesleaving many processors, and the families who rely on them, without assistance. Among them, seafood processors have had the least access to supportas outlined in a Congressional Research Service analysis, the agency has spent over $1.2 billion on meat products, compared to just $153 million worth of a limited number of seafood products through the Section 32 program.\r\nMerkleywho serves as the top Democrat on the Appropriations Subcommittee that funds the USDAplans to use the results of the requested GAO study to determine how to more effectively use federal purchasing power to support the fishing and seafood industries in the future through increases in the volume and variety of seafood products purchased.\r\nToday's letter is part of an ongoing push by Merkley and Reed to secure more support for fisheries amid the coronavirus pandemic, which previously included a bipartisan letter signed by more than two dozen lawmakers of both parties.\r\nThe full text of the letter is available here and follows below.\r\n###\r\nDear Mr. Dodaro:\r\nWe write regarding the scope of food purchases conducted by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) through the Commodity Procurement Program (CPP). The impact of the coronavirus on the seafood industry has drawn attention to the small amount and limited variety of seafood purchases conducted by USDA and the need for expanded relief for the industry.\r\nThe seafood industry is critical to local and regional economies across the country and is largely sustained by the sale of fresh product. Notably, more than 68 percent of the $102.2 billion that consumers paid for U.S. fishery products in 2017 was spent at food service establishments. Because of the coronavirus, this market evaporated, and the supply chain for fishermen and seafood processors was decimated. As a result, a bipartisan group of Senators and U.S. Representatives has taken an interest in expanding CPP to purchase additional seafood products.\r\nThe National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) within the Department of Commerce supports the U.S. seafood industry in various ways, including by maintaining data on the industry and providing retrospective disaster relief. However, NOAA's role in disaster assistance is limited to supply-side issues stemming from a natural or man-made disaster or the unexpected collapse of one or more fish stocks. Moreover, NOAA has no dedicated funding for such assistance.\r\nUDSA's Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) purchases a variety of domestically produced and processed commodity food products under the CPP through a competitive process among approved vendors. These purchases made by AMS support American agriculture by encouraging the consumption of domestic foods. USDA delivers these food products to schools, food banks, and households across the country. Because of its established pathways for purchasing and distributing surplus food, USDA is the only federal agency capable of providing the necessary real-time assistance due to demand-side disruptions. As such, USDA has an important role to play in supporting the seafood industry, including fishermen and processors.\r\nFor example, Section 32 of the Agricultural Adjustment Act of 1935 authorizes USDA to support prices of commodities in surplus by purchasing them in the marketplace. Under the Section 32 program, one of several components of CPP, AMS has historically purchased salmon, pollock, and tuna, but these purchases have been uneven across regions and product sectors and are at an insufficient total volume to support an industry as large and diverse as seafood. According to an analysis conducted by the Congressional Research Service regarding past USDA seafood purchases, USDA purchased $153 million worth of salmon, tuna, pollock, and catfish, compared to over $1.2 billion in meat products. Furthermore, these contracts were awarded to just a handful of processors in a few select states.\r\nIn light of the above, we request that GAO evaluate AMS's food purchasing programs, addressing the following questions, with a particular focus on how USDA could increase the volume and variety of seafood products it purchases, including, but not limited to, Section 32 program and National School Lunch Program:\r\n1) How does AMS determine the types of seafood products it purchases for the various food programs, and what criteria does it use in making its decisions? Please include information on historic demand for seafood within the program and how USDA projects demand for seafood products over time.\r\n2) What factors, if any, may limit AMS's purchases of seafood products for food programs, and what actions, if any, could AMS take to increase the amount and varieties of seafood it purchases? Please include an evaluation of AMS's process for determining desirable product forms and the potential for the use of pilots and/or trials to introduce new seafood products.\r\n3) To what extent, if at all, does AMS collaborate with NOAA when making seafood purchasing decisions?\r\n4) What outreach does USDA conduct to industry participants and program stakeholders, particularly smaller processors, when developing its purchasing requests and what action, if any, could AMS take to improve that outreach?", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://blumenauer.house.gov/media-center/enewsletters/big-step-forward-cannabis-reform", "Big step forward on cannabis reform", "2020-12-04", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "OR", "Earl Blumenauer", "B000574", "blumenauer.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "The House justheld a historicvoteto end the federal prohibition of cannabis.\nThis is what people have been demanding for years. National supportfor legalizing cannabisrecently hit an all-time high, with more than two-thirds of American adults in favoroflegalization.\nBut reformingnationalcannabispolicyis not only the popular thing to do. It's themoral thing.Through the federal policy of cannabis criminalization, Congress has failed the American people.\nWe've failed parents whose babies are tortured by extreme seizure disorders but can't access medical cannabis, the only thing thatprovides relief.\nWe've failed veterans with wounds seen and unseen, whoare even more vulnerable than other citizens to the opioid crisis that is gripping the nation. They are being forced outside of the VA system to seek a recommendation for medical cannabis.\nWe've failed our children, who have easier access to cannabis thanthey do a six-pack of beer because no neighborhood drug dealer checks I.D. or worries about losing their license in a regulated system.\nWe've failed the $17 billion industry that doesn't have access to financial services. This is an invitationto money laundering, theft, and tax evasion.\nAnd we've failed hundreds of thousandsof young Blackand Brown men, who have had their lives destroyed because of selective enforcement of cannabis laws. It's wrong that 600,000 people a year are still being arrested or cited for something that the overwhelming majority of Americans now think should be legal.\nThe legislationapproved by the Housetodayis an opportunity to strike a blow against the failed war on drugs.We are one step closer torestorative justice, opportunity and equity.\nIf you'd like to read more about the MORE Act, you canclick hereto read an op-ed I wrote on CNN with my Cannabis Caucus co-chair Rep. Barbara Lee.\nOur work does not stop here. Next, we'll make our case to the U.S. Senate and hope to end the failed prohibition of cannabis once and for all.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://blumenauer.house.gov/media-center/enewsletters/big-step-forward-cannabis-reform-0", "Big step forward on cannabis reform", "2020-12-04", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "OR", "Earl Blumenauer", "B000574", "blumenauer.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "The House justheld a historicvoteto end the federal prohibition of cannabis.\nThis is what people have been demanding for years. National supportfor legalizing cannabisrecently hit an all-time high, with more than two-thirds of American adults in favoroflegalization.\nBut reformingnationalcannabispolicyis not only the popular thing to do. It's themoral thing.Through the federal policy of cannabis criminalization, Congress has failed the American people.\nWe've failed parents whose babies are tortured by extreme seizure disorders but can't access medical cannabis, the only thing thatprovides relief.\nWe've failed veterans with wounds seen and unseen, whoare even more vulnerable than other citizens to the opioid crisis that is gripping the nation. They are being forced outside of the VA system to seek a recommendation for medical cannabis.\nWe've failed our children, who have easier access to cannabis thanthey do a six-pack of beer because no neighborhood drug dealer checks I.D. or worries about losing their license in a regulated system.\nWe've failed the $17 billion industry that doesn't have access to financial services. This is an invitationto money laundering, theft, and tax evasion.\nAnd we've failed hundreds of thousandsof young Blackand Brown men, who have had their lives destroyed because of selective enforcement of cannabis laws. It's wrong that 600,000 people a year are still being arrested or cited for something that the overwhelming majority of Americans now think should be legal.\nThe legislationapproved by the Housetodayis an opportunity to strike a blow against the failed war on drugs.We are one step closer torestorative justice, opportunity and equity.\nIf you'd like to read more about the MORE Act, you canclick hereto read an op-ed I wrote on CNN with my Cannabis Caucus co-chair Rep. Barbara Lee.\nOur work does not stop here. Next, we'll make our case to the U.S. Senate and hope to end the failed prohibition of cannabis once and for all.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://blumenauer.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/house-passes-historic-cannabis-reform-legislation", "House Passes Historic Cannabis Reform Legislation", "2020-12-04", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "OR", "Earl Blumenauer", "B000574", "blumenauer.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Today, the U.S. House of Representatives passedthe Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement (MORE) Act, legislation supported by U.S. Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-OR) toend the federal prohibition of cannabisand ensure restorative justice for those impacted byit.\nAlthoughcannabis willsoonbe legalin 15 statesfor adult use andin 36 statesfor medical use,itremains criminalized at the federal level,destroyinghundreds of thousandsof lives and wastingbillionsof dollarsontheselective enforcement ofan outdated and harmful system.Today's historic vote the bill passed the House 228  164  markedthe first timea full chamber of Congress voted toend thisprohibition.\n\"I have worked on this issue for 47 years, Blumenauer, co-chair of the Congressional CannabisCaucus,said on the House floor on Friday, prior to the final vote.We're here because we have failed three generations of Black and Brown young people, whose lives can be ruined, or lost, by selective enforcement of these laws. This legislation will end that disaster. It's time for Congress to step up and do its part. We need to catch up with the rest of the American people.\nThe continued enforcement of cannabis prohibition laws results in over 600,000 arrests annually, disproportionately impactingpeople of color who are almost four times more likely to be arrested for cannabis possession than their white counterparts, despite equal rates of use across populations.Too often, cases of low-level cannabis possession escalate to police violence. Formany, the selective enforcement of cannabis prohibitionbecomesamatter of life and death.\nPeople of color have also been historically targeted by discriminatoryprosecution andsentencing practices.Black men receivedrug sentences that are 13.1 percent longer than sentences imposed for white men.Latinosarenearly 6.5 times more likely to receive afederal sentence for cannabis possession than non-Hispanicwhites.Once released, peopleof coloroftencontinue to be robbed of their dignity, ashaving afelony convictioncan impacttheability to get an education, secure gainful employment,or vote.\nThe MORE Act centers racial justicebydecriminalizingmarijuana at the federal level and enacting other policies, including:\n Expungement and resentencing:Requiresfederal courts to expunge marijuana arrests andconvictions andresentence those still in custody or under court supervision for a marijuana offense, pursuant to a judicial review process.\n\tImmigration reform:In 2013, simple cannabis possession was the fourth most common cause of deportation for any offense and the most common cause of deportation for drug law violations. The MORE Act ensures that marijuana is no longer considered a controlled substance for purposes of the immigration lawsand does so retroactively.\n\tNon-discrimination protections:Provides non-discrimination protections for marijuana use or possession and for prior convictions for a marijuana offense.\n\tJuvenile protection:Ensures that all benefits in the law are available to juveniles arrested and convicted.\n The MORE Act also centers economic justiceby ensuring that people of color are not shut out of the emerging regulated cannabis marketplace and reinvesting in communities most impacted by prohibition.\nLegal cannabis sales totaled $9.5 billion in 2017 and are projected to reach $23 billion by 2022. However,fewer than one-fifth of cannabis business owners identify as minorities and only approximatelyfourpercent areBlack.One reason for thisgapisthehistorically disproportionate arrest and conviction rates that make it particularly difficult for people of color to enter the legal cannabis marketplace.\nIn order to address inequalities in the legal cannabis marketplace and ensure equal participation in the industry, the MORE Act supports:\n Restorative Justice Programs:Authorizes the assessment of afive percentexcise tax on sales of marijuana and marijuana products to fund programslikereentry services and substance use treatment.\n\tEquitable Business Access:Fund programsto open up opportunities for loans to small businesses owned and controlled by socially and economically disadvantaged individuals, and for states to implement equitable cannabis licensing programs.The MORE Act also requires the Bureau of Labor Statistics to collect data on the demographics of the industry to ensure equitable participation.\n\tSmall Business Support: Currently, federal law severely limits access to loans and capital for cannabis businesses, disproportionately impacting minority small business owners. The MORE Act would open Small Business Administration resources for legitimate cannabis-related businesses and service providers.\n The full text ofthe legislation (H.R.3884)is availablehere.\nVideo of Blumenauer speaking on the House floor earlier today about the MORE Act can be found here.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://defazio.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/reps-peter-defazio-russ-felcher-kurt-schrader-and-cathy-mcmorris-rodgers", "Reps. Peter DeFazio, Russ Felcher, Kurt Schrader, and Cathy McMorris Rodgers Lead Bipartisan Letter Urging Reauthorization of Secure Rural Schools and Robust Funding for Payment in Lieu of Taxes", "2020-12-04", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "OR", "Peter DeFazio", "D000191", "defazio.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Reps. Peter DeFazio (OR-04), Russ Fulcher (ID-01), Kurt Schrader (OR-05), and Cathy McMorris Rodgers (WA-05) today led a bipartisan letter to congressional leadership urging reauthorization of the Secure Rural Schools (SRS) program and robust funding for the Payments in Lieu of Taxes (PILT) program in the appropriations process.\nIn the letter, the members write, SRS and PILT serve as a lifeline to rural America's local governments and now, in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, the budgets of these rural counties have taken a hit.These two programs fund roads, schools, law enforcement, and essential county services, such as public health programs. With additional demands on their resources as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, rural communities and counties are stretched thinner than ever. In order to assist these rural counties' response to the current public health crisis, as well as to invest in infrastructure, schools, and law enforcement, Congress must advance a reauthorization of SRS.Further, we urge you to maintain robust funding for PILT as you continue funding negotiations for the remainder of the fiscal year.\nSRS has been a critical lifeline to over 775 counties in more than 40 states by helping fund over 4,400 schools, road maintenance, law enforcement, and search and rescue operations on federal lands. Historically, the federal government shared with county governments 25 percent of timber sales from federal forestlands and 50 percent of revenues from certain lands managed by the Bureau of Land Management. Due to declining timber sales and county revenues, Congress first passed SRS in 2000 to provide a measure of compensation for counties containing federal timberland.\nA PDF version of the letter can be found here", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.wyden.senate.gov//news/press-releases/wyden-applauds-house-passage-of-cannabis-legalization-legislation", "Wyden Applauds House Passage of Cannabis Legalization Legislation", "2020-12-04", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "House", "OR", "Ron Wyden", "W000779", "www.wyden.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "December 04, 2020\n\t\t\t Wyden Applauds House Passage of Cannabis Legalization Legislation \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tSenator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., today applaudedHouse passage of the MORE Act, legislation to legalize cannabis at the federal level and includes Wyden's proposal, developed in partnership with Rep. Earl Blumenauer, D-Ore.,to establish clear rules of the road to responsibly tax and regulate cannabis.\r\nWyden released the following statement:\r\nToday commonsense and justice prevailed, and the federal governmentis closer than ever to closing the chapter on failed cannabis prohibition  a prohibition that has needlessly destroyed lives, stifled researchand treated job-generating legalsmall businesses like criminal organizations.This moment has been culminating since Oregon became the first state to decriminalize cannabis in the 1970s, andI want to commend my goodfriend and fellow Oregonian Rep.Earl Blumenauer forhis steadfastdedicationto bring our cannabis policies out of yesteryear.\r\n\"Weare onthe brink of history, with a vast majority of Americans behind our efforts.Now,we needto get Mitch McConnell to heed their call to legalize cannabis.Today we celebratevictory in the House, and then get right back to the fight for justice in the Senate.\"\r\n###\r\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t  \n\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\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTweet\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t \n\t\n\t\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n    \n\t\n\t\n    \n    \n    \n    \t\n    \t\n\t    \t  \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tNext Article\n\t\t    \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tPrevious Article", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.wyden.senate.gov//news/press-releases/wyden-calls-for-virtual-exam-software-companies-to-improve-equity-accessibility-and-privacy-for-students", "Wyden Calls For Virtual Exam Software Companies to Improve Equity, Accessibility & Privacy For Students", "2020-12-04", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "House", "OR", "Ron Wyden", "W000779", "www.wyden.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "December 04, 2020\n\t\t\t Wyden Calls For Virtual Exam Software Companies to Improve Equity, Accessibility & Privacy For Students \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t \n\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\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\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n        \n\t\t\t\t Letter follows reports that students of color and students with disabilities have reported major issues in using the software of leading online testing platforms\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t Washington, D.C. U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden is pressing three of the largest virtual testing companies used by schools and testing administrators amid the COVID-19 pandemic to address alarming equity, accessibility, and privacy issues faced by students using the platforms.\r\nRecent reports indicate students, particularly students of color and those with disabilities, have had severe issues using the software, been locked out of tests, or wrongly accused of cheating. For example, students of color and students wearing religious clothing like headscarves reported the software failed to recognize their facial features and they were temporarily barred from access.\r\nStudents have run head on into the shortcomings of these technologiesshortcomings that fall heavily on vulnerable communities and perpetuate discriminatory biases, Wyden and five other senators wrote in a Dec. 3 letter to virtual testing company ExamSoft. Similar letters were sent to virtual testing companies Proctorio and ProctorU. \r\nIt is critical that bias, including racial and gender disparities, be addressed expeditiously to ensure that our students of color are not facing additional barriers in their fields, the senators wrote. \r\nThe senators raised major concerns about the companies' accommodations for students with disabilities, for example those with facial tic disorders or muscle reflexes, who may be flagged by the software as suspicious or cheating, and virtual proctors unprepared to accommodate students with disabilities.\r\nThe senators also expressed alarm over the safety and privacy of students who are being recorded and observed by virtual proctors, are required to install intrusive software on their personal computers, and provide extensive personal information about their homes and health to the companies, writing:\r\nIn addition to Wyden, other senators signing the letter led by Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) are Sens. Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Tina Smith (D-MN), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), and Cory Booker (D-NJ).\r\nA copy of the full letter to ExamSoft is here.\r\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t  \n\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\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTweet\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t \n\t\n\t\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n    \n\t\n\t\n    \n    \n    \n    \t\n    \t\n\t    \t  \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tNext Article\n\t\t    \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tPrevious Article", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.merkley.senate.gov/news/press-releases/merkley-sounds-the-alarm-over-forced-removal-of-rohingya-refugees-from-mainland-bangladesh-to-remote-island-2020", "Merkley Sounds the Alarm Over Forced Removal of Rohingya Refugees from Mainland Bangladesh to Remote Island", "2020-12-03", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "OR", "Jeff Merkley", "M001176", "www.merkley.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Merkley Sounds the Alarm Over Forced Removal of Rohingya Refugees from Mainland Bangladesh to Remote Island \n\t\n\t\n\tThursday, December 3, 2020\n\t\n\tWASHINGTON, D.C.  Oregon's U.S. Senator Jeff Merkleya member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committeeissued the following statement today regarding reports that the government of Bangladesh has set plans in motion to forcibly move thousands of vulnerable Rohingya refugees to Bhashan Char, an uninhabited and potentially unsafe island in the Bay of Bengal:\r\n \r\nFor years, the Rohingya have suffered horrendous atrocities and scores of human rights violations in their native Burma. Now, we're receiving disturbing and unacceptable reports that Bangladesh will forcibly removethousands ofthese refugeeswho are fleeing genocideto a potentially dangerous, isolated detention center. Not only is Bashan Char flood-prone and smack in the middle of the path of intense cyclones, it isalso ina remote location that will further complicate internationalefforts toprovide much-needed humanitarian assistance tothe refugees.\r\nThe Rohingya have experienced unspeakable violence and displacement already, and the international community will be better able to meet theircompellinghumanitarian needs if they remain on Bangladesh's mainland rather than on a remote island. Wemust join withthe United Nations andotherpartners around the world to provide this persecuted group withmuch-needed assistance and support and todemand, together, the immediate halt ofthe dangerous relocation of these refugees.\r\n \r\nSenator Merkley has long advocated for the Rohingyaand led the first congressional fact-finding mission to Burma to meet refugees and investigate the roots of the crisis in 2017. Merkley has also called forthe safe repatriation of refugees to Burma, and hasdemanded that the Trump administration condemn the Rohingya genocide and provide much-needed support to the Rohingya community, among other steps.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://blumenauer.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/house-vote-historic-cannabis-reform-legislation", "House to Vote on Historic Cannabis Reform Legislation", "2020-12-03", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "OR", "Earl Blumenauer", "B000574", "blumenauer.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Tomorrow, the U.S. House of Representatives will voteonthe Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement (MORE) Act, legislation supported by U.S. Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-OR) toend the federal prohibition of cannabisand ensure restorative justice for those impacted byit.\nAlthoughcannabis willsoonbe legalin 15 statesfor adult use andin 36 statesfor medical use,itremains criminalized at the federal level,destroyinghundreds of thousandsof lives and wastingbillionsof dollarsontheselective enforcement ofan outdated and harmful system.The historic voteonFridaymarksthe first timea full chamber of Congress will vote toend thisprohibition.\n\"I have been waiting for this historic moment for a long time. It is happening today because it has been demanded by the voters, by facts, and by the momentum behind this issue. This is an opportunity to strike a blow against the failed war on drugs, that has literally destroyed hundreds of thousands of young Black lives, Blumenauer, co-chair of the Congressional CannabisCaucus,said on the House floor.We are still arresting or citing 600,000 people a year for something that the majority of Americans now think should be legal. That's why the voters in this country took it into their own hands. That is why today, 99 percent of the American population has some access to legalized cannabis. The MORE Act will help us set up a system moving forward.\nThe continued enforcement of cannabis prohibition laws results in over 600,000 arrests annually, disproportionately impactingpeople of color who are almost four times more likely to be arrested for cannabis possession than their white counterparts, despite equal rates of use across populations.Too often, cases of low-level cannabis possession escalate to police violence. Formany, the selective enforcement of cannabis prohibitionbecomesamatter of life and death.  \nPeople of color have also been historically targeted by discriminatoryprosecution andsentencing practices.Black men receivedrug sentences that are 13.1 percent longer than sentences imposed for white men.Latinosarenearly 6.5 times more likely to receive afederal sentence for cannabis possession than non-Hispanicwhites.Once released, peopleof coloroftencontinue to be robbed of their dignity, ashaving afelony convictioncan impacttheability to get an education, secure gainful employment,or vote.\nThe MORE Act centers racial justicebydecriminalizingmarijuana at the federal level and enacting other policies, including:\n Expungement and resentencing:Requiresfederal courts to expunge marijuana arrests andconvictions andresentence those still in custody or under court supervision for a marijuana offense, pursuant to a judicial review process.\n\tImmigration reform:In 2013, simple cannabis possession was the fourth most common cause of deportation for any offense and the most common cause of deportation for drug law violations. The MORE Act ensures that marijuana is no longer considered a controlled substance for purposes of the immigration lawsand does so retroactively.\n\tNon-discrimination protections:Provides non-discrimination protections for marijuana use or possession and for prior convictions for a marijuana offense.\n\tJuvenile protection:Ensures that all benefits in the law are available to juveniles arrested and convicted.\n The MORE Act also centers economic justiceby ensuring that people of color are not shut out of the emerging regulated cannabis marketplace and reinvesting in communities most impacted by prohibition.\nLegal cannabis sales totaled $9.5 billion in 2017 and are projected to reach $23 billion by 2022. However,fewer than one-fifth of cannabis business owners identify as minorities and only approximatelyfourpercent areBlack.One reason for thisgapisthehistorically disproportionate arrest and conviction rates that make it particularly difficult for people of color to enter the legal cannabis marketplace.\nIn order to address inequalities in the legal cannabis marketplace and ensure equal participation in the industry, the MORE Act supports:\n Restorative Justice Programs:Authorizes the assessment of afive percentexcise tax on sales of marijuana and marijuana products to fund programslikereentry services and substance use treatment.\n\tEquitable Business Access:Fund programsto open up opportunities for loans to small businesses owned and controlled by socially and economically disadvantaged individuals, and for states to implement equitable cannabis licensing programs.The MORE Act also requires the Bureau of Labor Statistics to collect data on the demographics of the industry to ensure equitable participation.\n\tSmall Business Support: Currently, federal law severely limits access to loans and capital for cannabis businesses, disproportionately impacting minority small business owners. The MORE Act would open Small Business Administration resources for legitimate cannabis-related businesses and service providers.\n A full vote on the MORE Act is expectedFriday,December 4.\nThe full text ofthe legislation (H.R.3884)is availablehere.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://bonamici.house.gov/media/press-releases/house-passes-legislation-championed-reps-bonamici-young-improve-ocean-data", "House Passes Legislation Championed by Reps. Bonamici, Young to Improve Ocean Data Collection and Information Sharing", "2020-12-03", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "House", "OR", "Suzanne Bonamici", "B001278", "bonamici.house.gov", "bonamici", "https://bonamici.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "Washington, D.C. \u2013 Today Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR-01) and Congressman Don Young (R-AK-At Large), Co-Chairs of the Bipartisan House Oceans Caucus, applauded passage of the Coordinated Ocean Observations and Research Act \u2014 legislation they championed in the House to improve data collection and information sharing between the federal agencies and coastal observation partners dedicated to monitoring oceans, coasts, and the Great Lakes.\n\n\"The ocean covers more than 70 percent of the planet, but despite our intrinsic connection to our ocean we know very little about what is beneath its surface,\" said Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici. \"Coastal communities rely on accurate ocean data and monitoring for information about ocean acidification, harmful algal blooms and hypoxia, sea level rise, flooding, navigation, and port security. In the Pacific Northwest, we are fortunate to have the Northwest Association of Networked Ocean Observing Systems leading the way. I was pleased to work with my House Oceans Caucus Co-Chair, Congressman Don Young, to support these important ocean observation efforts.\"\n\n\"This is a great day for our oceans and the health of our marine ecosystems for generations to come. This is not just an environmental issue, but an economic one too. Our integrated Ocean Observation System helps make maritime commerce possible,\" said Congressman Don Young. \"Equipping our fishermen and ship captains with the best possible data is essential to making our waters safer and more navigable. Accurate data collection is also critical to maritime search and rescue operations, fisheries' health, and the mitigation of coastal hazards. I am very grateful to my Oceans Caucus Co-Chair, Suzanne Bonamici, for her continued partnership on this and countless other Caucus priorities. Our work is not done. In the 117th Congress and beyond, I look forward to continuing to move future Oceans Caucus priorities across the finish line. The health of our waters depends on it.\"\n\nThe bill, which includes the technical changes implemented by the U.S. Senate, would reauthorize the Integrated Coastal and Ocean Observation System Act through Fiscal Year 2024. The eleven regional association networks of the Integrated Ocean Observing System (IOOS) work with regional partners to develop, operate, and maintain more than 300 observing assets that collect oceanographic and coastal data, including information about rising sea levels, coastal flooding, harmful algal blooms, and hypoxia. It now heads to the President's desk to be signed into law.\n\nThe bipartisan House Oceans Caucus is committed to taking action to protect the health and future of our oceans. This Congress, the Caucus is focused on environmental stressors (including ocean acidification, harmful algal blooms, and hypoxia); marine debris; ocean data and monitoring; coastal resiliency; and illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-06-28T00:42:23Z"], ["https://walden.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/greg-walden-honors-congressman-robert-smith-house-floor", "Greg Walden Honors Congressman Robert Smith on House Floor", "2020-12-03", "2020", "2020-12", "Republican", "Senate", "OR", "Greg Walden", "W000791", "walden.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Clickhereor on the image above to watch Rep. Walden's remarks.\nToday, Representative Greg Walden (R-OR) spoke on the House Floor to honor the life and legacy of former Oregon Congressman, Chairman Robert Bob' Freeman Smith. Walden was joined on the House Floor by Representative Frank Lucas (R-OK) who served under then-Chairman Smith on the Agriculture Committee. Clickhereto watch Rep. Walden's remarks on the House Floor. Below are Rep. Walden's remarks as prepared for delivery: I rise today to commemorate and honor the life and legacy of former Congressman Bob Smith. An Oregon native  born in Portland and raised in Burns he had a deep understanding of what it meant to be an Oregonian andknew the needs of the surrounding communities. Bob went to Willamette University in Salem,Oregon and received a degree in Agriculture.He would go on to put that degree to work on the ranch. In 1960,Bob's career as a public servant began when he was elected to the Oregon House of Representatives. He served in the state House until 1972.He also was the Speaker of the Oregon House during the 1969 session and the 1971 session.He then served in the stateSenate from 1973 to 1982. All together he ran in 31 elections and won every single one. In the State House,Bob helped pass anumber ofland usebills. He workedhardto provide incentives for ranchers in Eastern Oregon to invest their money in state land and make it better  because at that time there was lots of state land that was in need of proper management. By incentivizing ranchers to take care of the land he helped improve that land for future generations  something ranchers in eastern Oregon still benefit from today. Bob helped lower taxes  especially property taxes. In the state Senate he continued his efforts to lower taxes  which included refunding over $700 million to Oregon's taxpayers. He alsohelped create the state'skickerlaw, which continues to return money to taxpayers. Bob went ontoserve here - in the House of Representatives -for14years,first from 1983 to 1995 and then again from 1997 to 1999. In Congress, he continued to be a champion ofimproving the management of ourpublic lands and naturalresources. He fought hard against a legislative proposal in the early 1990s for a nationalconservation area forSteensMountain.\nBobisalsoknown for his work to gain $19 million in funding for the highway interchangeon the northend of Medford, helping smooth the flow of traffic from I-5 and Highway 62.In 2007, the interchange was named after Bob in appreciation of his efforts. For those of us that fly out of Central Oregon's Redmond Airport  we should be grateful to Bobas well.He ensured that FAA constructeda flight tower at the airport to improve safetyand facilitate the commercial air traffic options we have today. There were two other airports ahead of Redmond,but he convincedappropriators to direct the FAA to construct and operate the RDM tower ahead of the others. Of course, Bob also fought for the health ofourforests and worked to improve forest management to help prevent wildfires. He retired from Congress in 1995 but returned in 1997 after then-Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich called him and urged him toreturn.When he returned in 1997,he became Chairman of the House Agriculture Committee. As theChairman of the House Agriculture Committee, he delivered resources for Oregon and the nation'sfarmers and ranchersandcontinued todefendagainst economic hardships that threatened rural communities. Bob always looked out for the farmers and ranchers across America,but especially those in Eastern Oregon. He was known to always fight for ranchers'grazing rights  working tirelessly with the Bureau of Land Management and Forest Service to protect those rights. In all the public offices Bob held,heworked tirelessly to fight for the needs ofrural Oregon.But Bob was more than a public servant, he was arancherandabusinessmanfirst, and most importantly a friend to all that were lucky enough to know him. Andthanks to Bob, most of Washington D.C. knew abouthis hometown,Burns, Oregon - he never missed an opportunity to teach someone his Burns,Oregon song, or to pointthe rural townout on a globe. He was a strong advocate for protecting property rights, public lands,and natural resources. Our nation, our state, and specifically Oregon's Second Districtarebetter placesbecause of Bob. Bobwas both a good friendand mentor. Following in Bob'sfootsteps in Congressand representing thegreat people of Oregon's 2nddistricthasbeen a true honor. He will be remembered not just for his legislativeachievements,but for thehardworking,good-naturedman he was.Mylene and I will keep Bob and his family in our prayers.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://schrader.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=392827", "Rep. Schrader Champions Bipartisan, Bicameral Emergency COVID Relief Package", "2020-12-02", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "OR", "Kurt Schrader", "S001180", "schrader.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "For Immediate Release\r\nDecember 3, 2020\r\nContact: Larkin Parker, 202-225-5711\r\n\r\nRep. Schrader Champions Bipartisan, Bicameral  Emergency COVID Relief Package\r\nWASHINGTON, D.C.  Today, Representative Schrader joined the House Problem Solvers Caucus and a bipartisan group of Senators to announce a four-month bipartisan, bicameral COVID-19 emergency relief framework that will help American students, families, small businesses, workers, and health care providers weather this ongoing crisis. The Problem Solvers Caucus, of which Representative Schrader is a founder, helped develop and craft the bicameral package.\r\nAs COVID cases skyrocket nationwide, Americans are struggling. It is getting more and more difficult for small businesses to keep their lights on and workers employed, said Rep. Schrader. Folks need relief now and it's time to put party aside and do what is right. This package is a bipartisan, bicameral solution, supported by House and Senate leadership and President-Elect Biden. It is the only one of its kind. I urge leaders of the House and Senate to put this package on the floor now and get aid into the hands of the American people.\r\nThe framework allocates $908 billion in total aid, including both new funding and the reallocation of previously appropriated CARES Act funding. The framework targets resources to the following key categories:\r\n \r\n    State, Local, and Tribal Governments- $160 billion\r\n    Additional Unemployment Insurance (UI)- $180 billion\r\n    Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) including restaurants, stages, and deductibility- $288 billion\r\n    CDFI/MDI Community Lender Support- $12 billion\r\n    Transportation (Airlines, Airports, Buses, Transit and Amtrak)- $45 billion\r\n    Vaccine Development and Distribution and Testing and Tracing- $16 billion\r\n    Healthcare Provider Relief Fund- $35 billion\r\n    Education Funding- $82 billion\r\n    Student Loans- $4 billion\r\n    Housing Assistance (Rental)- $25 billion\r\n    Nutrition/Agriculture- $26 billion\r\n    U.S. Postal Service- $10 billion\r\n    Child Care- $10 billion\r\n    Dedicated Broadband Funding- $10 billion\r\n    Opioid Funding- $5 billion\r\n \r\n\r\n\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.merkley.senate.gov/news/in-the-news/us-lawmakers-unveil-anti-slavery-constitutional-amendment", "US lawmakers unveil anti-slavery constitutional amendment", "2020-12-02", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "OR", "Jeff Merkley", "M001176", "www.merkley.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "US lawmakers unveil anti-slavery constitutional amendment \r\n\r\n     Democrats in the House and Senate are to introduce a joint resolution Wednesday aimed at amending the 13th Amendment's ban on chattel enslavement. \r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nWednesday, December 2, 2020\r\n\r\n\t\n\r\n\r\n\r\n  \r\n    By:\r\n    Aaron Morrison\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nNational lawmakers introduced a joint resolution Wednesday aimed at striking language from the U.S. Constitution that enshrines a form of slavery in America's foundational documents.\r\nThe resolution, spearheaded and supported by Democratic members of the House and Senate, would amend the 13th Amendment's ban on chattel enslavement to expressly prohibit involuntary servitude as a punishment for crime. As ratified, the original amendment has permitted exploitation of labor by convicted felons for over 155 years since the abolition of slavery.\r\nThe 13th Amendment continued the process of a white power class gravely mistreating Black Americans, creating generations of poverty, the breakup of families and this wave of mass incarceration that we still wrestle with today, Sen. Jeff Merkley of Oregon told The Associated Press ahead of the resolution's introduction.\r\nA House version is led by outgoing Rep. William Lacy Clay, of St. Louis, who said the amendment seeks to finish the job that President (Abraham) Lincoln started.\r\nIt would eliminate the dehumanizing and discriminatory forced labor of prisoners for profit that has been used to drive the over-incarceration of African Americans since the end of the Civil War, Clay said.\r\nIn the Senate, the resolution has Sens. Bernie Sanders of Vermont, Ed Markey of Massachusetts and Chris Van Hollen of Maryland signed on as co-sponsors. This change to the 13th Amendment will finally, fully rid our nation of a form of legalized slavery, Van Hollen said in an emailed statement.\r\nConstitutional amendments are rare and require approval by two-thirds of the House and Senate, as well as ratification by three-quarters of state legislatures. Should the proposal fail to move out of committee in the remaining weeks of the current Congress, Merkley said he hoped to revive it next year.\r\nThe effort has been endorsed by more than a dozen human rights and social justice organizations, including The Sentencing Project, the Anti-Recidivism Coalition and Color of Change.\r\nIt is long past time that Congress excise this language from the U.S. Constitution which should begin to put an end to the abusive practices derived from it, said Laura Pitter, deputy director of the U.S. program at Human Rights Watch, which also endorsed the amendment.\r\nThe proposed amendment comes nearly one month after voters in Nebraska and Utah approved initiatives amending their state constitutions to remove language that allows slavery and involuntary servitude as criminal punishments. In 2018, Colorado was among the first U.S. states to remove such language by ballot measure.\r\nAlthough nearly half of state constitutions do not mention human bondage or prison labor as punishment, just over 20 states still include such clauses in governing documents that date back to the 19th century abolition of slavery.\r\nIn Merkley's Oregon, voters in 2002 approved the elimination of constitutional language that prohibited Black Americans from living in the state unless they were enslaved.\r\nHe said the movement toward a federal amendment is kind of saying to the world, let's not forget this big piece of injustice that's sitting squarely in the middle of our Constitution, as we wrestle with criminal justice reform.\r\nMany Americans will recognize modern-day prison labor as chain gangs deployed from prison facilities for agricultural and infrastructure work. The prevalence of prison labor has been largely accepted as a means for promoting rehabilitation, teaching trade skills and reducing idleness among prisoners.\r\nBut the practice has a much darker history. Following the abolition of slavery, Southern states that lost the literal backbone of their economies began criminalizing formerly enslaved Black men and women for offenses as petty as vagrancy or having unkempt children.\r\nThis allowed legal re-enslavement of African Americans, who were no longer seen as sympathetic victims of inhumane bondage, said Michele Goodwin, a constitutional law professor at the University of California, Irvine.\r\nThese people became criminals, and it became very difficult for many abolitionists to use the same kinds of emotional messaging about the humanity of these individuals, Goodwin said.\r\nToday, incarcerated workers, many of them making pennies on the dollar, work in plants, manufacturing clothing, assembling furniture and even battling wildfires across the U.S., much of it to the benefit of large corporations, governments and communities where they've historically been unwelcome upon release.\r\nResearchers have estimated the minimum annual value of prison labor commodities at $2 billion, derived largely through a system of convict leasing that leaves these workers without the legal protections and benefits that Americans are otherwise entitled to.\r\nAnd while prison work is largely optional for the 2.2 million individuals incarcerated in the U.S., it's a grave mistake to disassociate their labor from the original intent of the penal system, Goodwin said.\r\nYour freedom has been taken away  that's the punishment that society has assigned, she said. The punishment is not that you do slave work, that is unpaid labor or barely paid labor.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.merkley.senate.gov/news/in-the-news/us-sen-jeff-merkleys-bills-include-keeping-pilt-funds-alive", "U.S. Sen. Jeff Merkley\u2019s bills include keeping PILT funds alive", "2020-12-02", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "OR", "Jeff Merkley", "M001176", "www.merkley.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "U.S. Sen. Jeff Merkley's bills include keeping PILT funds alive \r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nWednesday, December 2, 2020\r\n\r\n\t\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nU.S. Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Oregon, used his membership on the Senate Appropriations Committee to secure funding for programs that will benefit Oregon, including another round of Payments in Lieu of Taxes.\r\n\r\n\r\nThese bills include key investments to create jobs in the woods and reduce wildfire risk, Merkley stated in his news release. They support stakeholders working on collaborative water solutions so family farms have the irrigation water they need to make it to the next generation.\r\n\r\nMerkley's billl includes $515 million for the PILT program to help counties that have large tracts of federal land for which property taxes are not paid. PILT payments account for more than $2 million annually to Malheur County's General Fund.\r\n\r\n\r\nOther programs included in Merkley's legislation includes Community Development Block Grants, affordable housing, rural housing, homeless assistance grants, HUD-Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing and BUILD Grants that fund infrastructure projects.\r\n\r\n\r\nFinal passage of these bills are dependent on negotiations with the House, Merkley said.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.merkley.senate.gov/news/press-releases/merkley-clay-propose-constitutional-amendment-to-close-slavery-loophole-in-13th-amendment-2020", "Merkley, Clay Propose Constitutional Amendment to Close Slavery Loophole in 13th Amendment", "2020-12-02", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "OR", "Jeff Merkley", "M001176", "www.merkley.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Merkley, Clay Propose Constitutional Amendment to Close Slavery Loophole in 13th Amendment \n\t\n\t\t Indisputably racist exception permitting slavery as punishment for crime has fueled systemic racism in criminal justice for 150 years  \n\t\n\t\n\tWednesday, December 2, 2020\n\t\n\tWASHINGTON, D.C.  Oregon's U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley and Representative William Lacy Clay (D-MO-1) today introduced the Abolition Amendment, which would strike the Punishment Clause' of the 13th Amendment in order to finally abolish slavery in the United States.\r\nThe 13th Amendment abolished mostbut not allslavery, permitting slavery or involuntary servitude as a punishment for crime. The Abolition Amendment would finally finish the job started by the Civil War, Emancipation Proclamation, and 13th Amendment and end the morally reprehensible practice of slavery and forced labor in America, and send a clear message: in this country, no person will be stripped of their basic humanity and forced to toil for someone else's profit.\r\n \r\nAmerica was founded on beautiful principles of equality and justice and horrific realities of slavery and white supremacy, and if we are ever going to fully deliver on the principles we have to directly confront the realities, said Senator Merkley. The exception to the 13th Amendment's ban on slavery corrupted criminal justice into a tool of racist control of Black Americans and other people of color, and we see that legacy every day in police encounters, courtrooms, and prisons throughout our country. Slavery is incompatible with justice. No slavery, no exceptions.\r\nOur Abolition Amendment seeks to finish the job that President Lincoln started by ending the punishment clause in the 13th Amendment to eliminate the dehumanizing and discriminatory forced labor of prisoners for profit that has been used to drive the over-incarceration of African Americans since the end of the Civil War.No American should ever be subject to involuntary servitude, even if they are incarcerated, said Congressman Clay.\r\nAs we take on the long and difficult challenge of rooting out systemic racism in our nation, ending the slavery loophole in the 13th Amendment is critical step in that challenge. Slavery is our nation's original sin and this loophole has been exploited for far too long to criminalize Black and Brown Americans. I am proud to cosponsor the Abolition Amendment that pushes us as a nation to address our failures and create a path towards true justice for all Americans, said Senator Markey.\r\nSystemic racism, in all its ugly forms, must be rooted out and eliminated from American institutions. Thischange to the 13th Amendment will finally fully rid our nation of a form of legalized slavery and prevent the shameful use of forced labor in our prison systems. This is a long overdue step on our road to a more just and equal country for all, said Senator Van Hollen.\r\n \r\nFollowing the ratification of the 13th Amendment, including the Punishment Clause, in 1865, Southern jurisdictions arrested Black Americans in large numbers for minor crimes, like loitering or vagrancy, codified in new Black Codes,' which were only applied to Black Americans. The Punishment Clause was then used by sheriffs to lease out imprisoned individuals to work landowners' fields, which in some cases included the very same plantations where they had been enslaved. The practice grew in prevalence and scope to the point that, by 1898, 73% of Alabama's state revenue came from renting out the forced labor of Black Americans.\r\nThe Punishment Clause's facilitating and incentivizing of minor crime convictions continued to drive the over-incarceration of Black Americans throughout the Jim Crow era. Ultimately, by creating a financial incentive for mass incarceration, it also continued to fan the flames of the War on Drugs and the proliferation of three strike' laws, severe plea deals, and harsh mandatory minimum policies, which have had a disproportionate impact on communities of color in America for generations.\r\nThose policies have driven an $80 billion detention industry and a rate of American incarceration that is nothing short of a crisis, with 2.3 million prisoners20% of the world's incarcerated populationresiding in the United States.\r\n \r\nThis change is long overdue. The punishment clause in the 13th amendment is a legacy of slavery that has allowed people incarcerated, disproportionately Black and brown, to be exploited for decades. It is long past time that Congress excise this language from the US Constitution which should begin to put an end the abusive practices derived from it, said Deputy Director of the US Program at Human Rights Watch Laura Pitter.\r\nWhile the U.S. government condemns other countries for permitting and even encouraging forced labor, our own system of prison labor often contradicts our values - and our own laws against labor trafficking. We are grateful to Senator Merkley and Representative Lacy Clay for taking this step toward ending forced labor and labor trafficking in the U.S. prison system, said Polaris CEO Catherine Chen.\r\nThe systematic exploitation of incarcerated people is immoral. Incarceration is not a justification for inhumane compensation. This relic of slavery strips people of their dignity and harms their chances of successful rehabilitation and re-entry. Enough is enough. I'm proud to support Senator Merkley in his goal to put an end to forced labor and end the slavery loophole once and for all, said Dream Corps CEO Nisha Anand.\r\nSince the founding, Americans have worked to make our union ever more perfect, bending the arc of our Constitution further toward progress. This Amendmentprohibiting the enslavement and involuntary servitude of persons convicted of crimesis a painfully overdue continuation of the effort to make us more equal, more inclusive, and more free. We simply cannot allow any exception to the prohibition against slavery and involuntary servitude to persist in our nation's governing charter, said Constitutional Accountability Center President Elizabeth Wydra.\r\nWe want to thank Sen. Merkley and Rep. Clay for their leadership on this important racial justice issue, and for shining a light on something that is not just about a symbol or a vestige of the past, but something that reverberates and has consequences today, said Clint Odom, Senior Vice President for Policy and Advocacy, National Urban League. \r\nMany Nebraskans were unaware our state constitution still contained language that permitted slavery and involuntary servitude, but when given the opportunity to make a meaningful change, to take a step towards righting a wrong, we did  because we understood this isn't a partisan issue but a moral one, said Vote for Eliminating Slavery in Nebraska Treasurer Melina Cohen.\r\n \r\nThe Abolition Amendment is supported by The Sentencing Project, Polaris, the Abolish Slavery National Network, the Constitutional Accountability Center, Amnesty International, the Anti-Recidivism Coalition, Human Rights Watch, Color of Change, the Justice Round Table Coalition, Indivisible, Democracy For America, International CURE, Dream Corps, and Alliance of Families for Justice.\r\nMerkley and Clay were joined in the introduction by U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Edward J. Markey (D-MA), and Bernard Sanders (I-VT), and by U.S. Representatives Cedric Richmond (D-LA-2), Katherine Clark (D-MA-5), Andr Carson (D-IN-7), Danny K. Davis (D-IL-7), Marc Veasey (D-TX-33), Alcee Hastings (D-FL-20), Ral Grijalva (D-AZ-3), Sylvia Garcia (D-TX-29), Frederica Wilson (D-FL-24), Nanette DiazBarragn (D-CA-44), David Trone (D-MD-6), Abigail Spanberger (D-VA-7), Deb Haaland (D-NM-1), and Gwen Moore (D-WI-4).\r\nThe full text of the legislation is available here. A summary can be found here.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.wyden.senate.gov//news/press-releases/wyden-warren-markey-schatz-secure-dhs-ig-investigation-of-cbp-phone-location-data-surveillance-program", "Wyden, Warren, Markey, Schatz Secure DHS IG Investigation of CBP Phone Location Data Surveillance Program", "2020-12-02", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "House", "OR", "Ron Wyden", "W000779", "www.wyden.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "December 02, 2020\n\t\t\t Wyden, Warren, Markey, Schatz Secure DHS IG Investigation of CBP Phone Location Data Surveillance Program \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWashington, D.C.  U.S. Sens. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., Edward J. Markey, D-Mass., and Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii, today announced that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) will launch an inspector general investigation into Customs and Border Protection's (CBP) warrantless tracking of phones in the United States following an inquiry from the senators earlier this year.\r\nIf federal agencies are tracking American citizens without warrants, the public deserves answers and accountability, Wyden said. I won't accept anything less than a thorough and swift inspector general investigation that sheds light on CBP's phone location data surveillance program.\r\nCBP is not above the law and refused to answer questions about purchasing people's mobile location history without a warrant -- including from shady data brokers like Venntel. I'm glad that the Inspector General agreed to our request to investigate this potentially unconstitutional abuse of power by the CBP because we must protect the public's Fourth amendment rights to be free from warrantless searches, Senator Warren said.\r\nAmericans are increasingly concerned that they cannot travel, move, or go about their daily lives without being tracked. Information about where we are and where we have been is highly sensitive, and it's time for answers about exactly how the Department of Homeland Security is accessing this type of data. I am proud to partner with Senator Wyden on this effort to uncover and stop any inappropriate or unlawful surveillance that may be taking place. The right to privacy must not become a thing of the past, Markey said.\r\nAs revealed by public contracts, CBP has paid a government contractor named Venntel nearly half a million dollars for access to a commercial database containing location data mined from applications on millions of Americans' mobile phones. CBP officials also confirmed the agency's warrantless tracking of phones in the United States using Venntel's product in a September 16, 2020 call with Senate staff.\r\nIn 2018, the Supreme Court held in Carpenter v. United States that the collection of significant quantities of historical location data from Americans' cell phones is a search under the Fourth Amendment and therefore requires a warrant.\r\nIn September 2020, Wyden and Warren successfully pressed for an inspector general investigation into the Internal Revenue Service's use of Venntel's commercial location tracking service without a court order.\r\nA copy of DHS' letter opening its inspector general investigation is available here.\r\nA copy of the senators' October 2020 letter is available here. U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, also joined the senators in sending the October 2020 request.\r\n###\r\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t  \n\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\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTweet\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t \n\t\n\t\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n    \n\t\n\t\n    \n    \n    \n    \t\n    \t\n\t    \t  \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tNext Article\n\t\t    \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tPrevious Article", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.merkley.senate.gov/news/press-releases/merkley-wyden-announce-nearly-15-million-in-funding-to-improve-health-care-on-coquille-tribes-kilkich-reservation-2020", "Merkley, Wyden Announce Nearly $1.5 Million in Funding to Improve Health Care on Coquille Tribe\u2019s Kilkich Reservation", "2020-12-01", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "OR", "Jeff Merkley", "M001176", "www.merkley.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Merkley, Wyden Announce Nearly $1.5 Million in Funding to Improve Health Care on Coquille Tribe's Kilkich Reservation \n\t\n\t\n\tTuesday, December 1, 2020\n\t\n\tWASHINGTON, D.C.  Oregon's U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden today announced that $1.49 million in funding is headed to the Coquille Indian Tribe in North Bend to purchase equipment and medical supplies needed to help the community meet the mounting challenges of the coronavirus crisis.\r\nThe fundswhich are being allocatedthroughtheCoronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Actthat Congress passed in Marchare being directed to the Ko-Kwel Wellness Center, which is currently under construction on the tribe's Kilkich Reservation.\r\n \r\nTribal communities have been among the hardest bit by the coronavirus crisisso it's especially important that medical facilities and workers serving these communities have the supplies and equipment they need to do their jobs,said Merkley. I'm pleased that this funding is headed to the Coquille's Kilkich Reservation, and will continue to do all that I can to fight for the resources tribes need to stay healthy during, and long after, this pandemic.\r\nThe economic and public health devastation from COVID-19 makes these key medical resources for the Coquille Indian Tribe both timely and essential, Wyden said. I'm gratified the Coquille has secured these funds to help its wellness center, and I'll continue battling for all Tribes in Oregon to receive the support they need now to face the pandemic and to prepare in the longer term for all their communities' health care needs.\r\n\"We are so happy to be the recipient of this EDA grant in support of the construction of our new Ko-Kwel Wellness Center. This funding will ultimately let us further expand our resources for better health-care services, and to prepare, prevent and respond to the coronavirus in our community, said Coquille Tribal Chairman Brenda Meade.\r\n \r\nThe federal grant will be combined with a match of $75,000 in local funding, and is expected to create 18 new jobs and generate $11.8 million in private investment.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.merkley.senate.gov/news/press-releases/wyden-merkley-introduce-bill-to-ensure-more-wildfire-resilient-power-grid", "Wyden, Merkley Introduce Bill to Ensure More Wildfire Resilient Power Grid", "2020-12-01", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "OR", "Jeff Merkley", "M001176", "www.merkley.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Wyden, Merkley Introduce Bill to Ensure More Wildfire Resilient Power Grid \n\t\n\t\n\tTuesday, December 1, 2020\n\t\n\tWashington, D.C.U.S. Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley today introduced new legislation to incentivize utility companies to do more to reduce wildfire risks as aging powerinfrastructureignite wildfires in Oregon andacross the West.\r\nWyden and Merkley's Wildfire Resilient Power Grid Act of 2020 wouldensure power companies do their part to reduce the risk of wildfires through power system upgradessuch as the undergrounding of power lines, fire safety equipment installation and proper vegetation management.\r\n \r\n\"First and foremost, this is a public safety issue.Fire after fireignited this summer because theaging powergrid could not withstand a major windstorm during the season's hottest and driest days,\"Wyden said.\"Many utility companies are already working to improve the resiliency of their power grid, but the sheer costs of these investments must not come at the expense of rural utility customers.Congressmust do all thatitcan to stop the catastrophic wildfires decimating the West, and that meansimproving rural infrastructure.By partnering with utilities around the country, we can increase wildfire mitigation efforts at a modest costa fire prevention investment that will pay dividends by saving lives, homes and businesses.\"\r\nWhen this year's unprecedented wildfire event hit, I drove hundreds of miles across our state to see the damage firsthand and to hear directly from impacted communities, so that I could go back to D.C. and work for the solutions they need, said Merkley. What I saw was apocalypticand we have to do everything we can to reduce the risk of this happening again. That means we have to work with our power companies to get critical upgrades and safety investments into place as quickly as possible.\r\n \r\nThe Wildfire Resilient Power Grid Act of 2020:\r\n \r\nEstablishes a $1 billion-per-year matching grant program for power companies through the Department of Energy to reduce the risk of power linesand grid infrastructurecausing wildfires.\r\nGives special priority to smaller, rural electric companies to ensure mitigation efforts are targeted to forested rural areas.\r\nPromotes proven methods for reducing wildfire risks, including undergrounding of lines, installing fast-tripping protection systems, and constructing weather monitoring stations to respond to electrical system fire risks.\r\nProvides for hardening of overhead power lines and installation of fault location equipment where undergrounding of power lines is not a favorable option.\r\nEnsures fuels management activities of power companies are carried out in accordance with Federal, State, and local laws and regulations.\r\nRequires power companies to have skin in the game by making the program a 1-to-1 matching grant, with an exception for smaller utilities where the matching requirement is one third of the grant.\r\nDelivers accountability on the part of utilities and the Department of Energy by generating a report every two years on efforts conducted under the grant program.\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\nPortland General Electric President and CEOMaria Pope:We appreciate Senator Wyden's and Senator Merkley's leadership in proposing legislation to provide federal funding that will help protect Oregon from devastating wildfires. When passed, this will help make Oregon's electric system safer, faster, without increasing customer prices. That is especially important given the economy and hotter, drier summers and longer wildfire seasons that Oregon will continue to face.\r\n\r\nLane County Commission Chair Heather Butch: In a matter of hours, the entire Lane County community of Blue River was reduced to ashes by the Holiday Farm Fire. Since the moment I first toured that devastation I've been committed to building it back better. I applaud Senators Wyden and Merkley for drafting the Wildfire Resilient Power Grid Act, as it could well provide the path towards meeting this important goal. Moreover, the resultant programs will better protect rural communities from the increasing dangers of wildfires through a number of preventative measures that would otherwise be difficult to implement.\r\n\r\nLinn County Commissioner Roger Nyquist:This legislation is a smart strategic investment for the future safety of our residents as well as the economic vitality of our community.\r\n\r\nMarion County Commissioner Kevin Cameron:After experiencing a traumatic evacuation during the Beachie Creek and Lion's Head wild fires, I understand the need to strengthen the utility Infrastructure. The improvements resulting from Senator Wyden and Merkley's bill will reduce disasters in the future, but improve everyday reliability for our citizens who live, work and protect the environment in potential wildfire areas.\r\n\r\nEdison Electric InstitutePresidentTom Kuhn:EEI thanks Senator Wyden and Senator Merkley for their leadership in introducing the Wildfire Resilient Power Grid Act. This bill will help support and accelerate projects already planned and underway to enhance energy grid resiliency and mitigate the risk of wildfire damage to power lines. Electric companies across the country are committed to working with our government partners and other stakeholders on preparation and mitigation efforts that combat the wildfire threat and on the rapid deployment of technology solutions that address wildfire risks, while still maintaining the safe, reliable, and affordable energy we all need.\r\n\r\nOregon Rural Electric Cooperative AssociationExecutive DirectorTed Case:Oregon's electric cooperatives support the Wildfire Resilient Power Grid Act and appreciate Senator Wyden's and Senator Merkley's leadership and innovative approach to wildfire mitigation, particularly for small, rural utilities. This legislation includes targeted assistance that will help us to continue to provide affordable, reliable and safe electricity to over 500,000 Oregonians.\r\n\r\nSustainable NorthwestDirector of Government Affairs & Program StrategyDylan Kruse:\"In recent years, the West has seen too many wildfires originate due to poorly maintained or damaged electric utility transmission and distribution infrastructure. This legislation plays an important role to ensure that power lines do not contribute to wildfire starts, while providing safe and reliable power to communities during wildfire events. Utilities must live up to their legal requirements to maintain their infrastructure, but this bill provides welcome resources to expedite and prioritize risk reduction, while preventing cost increases for ratepayers.\"\r\n\r\nOregon WildWilderness Program ManagerErik Fernandez:\"2020 taught Oregon the lesson that California learned in the Paradise Fire. Addressing the risk of unnaturally caused powerline fires is an increasingly important critical task. I appreciate Senator Ron Wyden's efforts to protect our homes and communities from powerline fires.\"", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.merkley.senate.gov/news/press-releases/merkley-announces-critical-investments-in-every-corner-of-oregon-through-senate-appropriations-bills-2020", "Merkley Announces Critical Investments in Every Corner of Oregon through Senate Appropriations Bills", "2020-11-30", "2020", "2020-11", "Democrat", "Senate", "OR", "Jeff Merkley", "M001176", "www.merkley.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Merkley Announces Critical Investments in Every Corner of Oregon through Senate Appropriations Bills  \n\t\n\t\t Senate spending roadmap includes key provisions for Oregon's forests, housing, coastal and rural communities \n\t\n\t\n\tMonday, November 30, 2020\n\t\n\tWashington, D.C.  Oregon's U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley today announced that he has used his seat on the prestigious Senate Appropriations Committee to secure investments that will help create jobs, support affordable housing, and improve infrastructure in communities across Oregon in the committee's spending bills. These bills are the basis for negotiations with the House, as Congress works to fund the government for fiscal year 2021.\r\n \r\nEvery year I do a town hall in every county of Oregon so I can hear firsthand what all of our communities need to thrive, and then I bring that input to Congress to push investments and strategies that can make a real difference in people's lives, Merkley said. These bills include key investments to create jobs in the woods and reduce wildfire risk. They support stakeholders working on collaborative water solutions so family farms have the irrigation water they need to make it to the next generation. They will create new housing where it's desperately needed, help modernize infrastructure without burdening ratepayers, support port dredging on the coast, and keep small airports open for business. Government is supposed to be how all of usWe the Peoplecome together to solve problems and build a better future, and I'm trying to make sure Oregonians' voices and priorities are reflected in our investment decisions.\r\n \r\nMerkley is the only Oregon member of Congress from either chamber since Senator Mark Hatfield to serve on the Appropriations Committee, considered to be one of the most powerful on Capitol Hill. He joined the committee in 2013 so that Oregon would have a strong voice in decisions about the investments our nation should be making.\r\nThe U.S. Department of Interior Appropriations bill includes funding to support wildfire management, following another year of unprecedented blazes, as well as providing funding to support efforts to address the water crisis in the Klamath Basin:\r\n \r\nForest Health Restoration and Collaboration: The bill provides $40 million for the Collaborative Forest Landscape Restoration Program (CFLRP). With the addition of the new CFLRP project in October, Oregon has three active CFLR projects: Northern Blues Collaborative Forest Landscape Restoration Program, Southern Blues Restoration Coalition Collaborative Landscape Restoration Project, Deschutes Collaborative Forest Project, and Lakeview Collaborative Landscape Restoration Project.\r\nWildfire Management: In anticipation of the next fire season, the bill includes $1.34 billion for fire suppression at the Forest Service and Department of the Interior. Fiscal year 2020 was the first year that the bipartisan fire borrowing fix went into effect; this fiscal year, $2.35 billion of additional funds are available for fire suppression and other priorities within the Interior bill.\r\nKlamath Basin Water and Wildlife Conservation: In continued efforts toward a long-term solution in the Klamath Basin, the bill maintains the increase that Merkley secured last year, providing $6.5 million to support strategies to restore fish habitat and scale up ongoing efforts to restore healthy populations of shortnose and Lost River sucker fish. The bill also maintains the additional $5 million in funding that Merkley secured for habitat restoration in advance of the removal of Klamath River dams.\r\nPayment in Lieu of Taxes (PILT): The bill includes $515 million for the PILT program to fund vital services for rural communities, including public safety, social services, transportation and housing. This funding goes to Oregon counties that have large tracts of federal land, which doesn't pay property taxes. The investment approved by Congress is $73 million over the president's request.\r\nWater Infrastructure: Critical water infrastructure loan programs under the Water Infrastructure Financing Innovation Authority (WIFIA) Act received $60 million to leverage billions of dollars in investments, such as the new projects in Hillsboro and Portland. Merkley authored the WIFIA program in 2012, working to ensure public drinking water and wastewater infrastructure are well-maintainedcritical for public health and safety, strong local businesses, population growth, and clean rivers and aquifers. WIFIA was passed into law as part of the 2014 Water Resources Development Act.\r\nTribal Programs: The Indian Health Service, which provides health care to thousands of Oregon Tribal members, received $6.21 billion, $163 million more than fiscal year 2020. The Bureau of Indian Affairs and Bureau of Indian Education received $3.34 billion, an increase of $117 million to the fiscal year 2020 level.\r\nLand and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF): The bill provides $900 million, as required by the Great American Outdoors Act, which Merkley helped pass into law this summer; the funding is enough to fund all pending LWCF projects in Oregon. For over 50 years the program has been the main source of funding for federal land and water acquisitions. Acquiring and protecting public lands not only provides environmental and recreational benefits, but also creates jobs in the tourism, recreation, timber, fishing, and other natural resource sectors.\r\nEarthquake Preparedness: The bill includes $85 million for the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) to support regional earthquake initiatives, including $25.7 million for the West Coast ShakeAlert early warning project. The bill also encourages the USGS to continue the development of a system for Cascadia that will help prepare for and mitigate the negative human and economic impacts of a major seismic event.\r\n \r\nThe Energy and Water appropriations bill includes vital funding for Oregon's small ports on the coast and irrigators across the state:\r\n \r\nSmall Ports and Army Corps Navigation: The program, which is vital to help Oregon ports pay for dredging and other necessary infrastructure projects, received $591 million for deep-draft harbor and channel improvements, $70 million for inland waterways, $44.6 million for navigation maintenance, and $65 million for small ports, which supports the small ports that are the lifeblood of Oregon's coastal economy.\r\nWater Conservation and Habitat Restoration: The WaterSmart program received a $26 million increase, to $60 million, to fund projects that will help irrigation districts comply with the Endangered Species Act. The WaterSmart program has supported the collaborative process that is underway within Central Oregon to conserve water, improve habitat for endangered steelhead and the spotted frog, and keep Central Oregon family farms in business.\r\nExpanding Renewable Energy: The bill includes $115 milliona $15 million increasefor wind energy and $10 million for distributed wind. The bill also includes a $148 million for water power research, which will support ongoing research at OSU, and $233.8 million for solar power programs.\r\n \r\nThe Transportation, Housing and Urban Development appropriations bill includes support for affordable housing and homelessness serviceswhich are of particular importance as the state grapples with the economic fallout of the coronavirus pandemic:\r\n \r\nCommunity Development Block Grants: Merkley successfully advocated for $3.455 billion for the Community Development Block Grant Program. This program funds vital housing rehabilitation, supportive services, public improvements and economic development projects in communities across Oregon and the nation while encouraging local investment.\r\nAffordable Housing: As rural and urban communities across Oregon continue to experience housing crises, Merkley successfully advocated to increase for affordable housing programs for some of Oregon's most vulnerable peoplelow-income families, seniors, and people with disabilities. Merkley led 37 of his colleagues in a successful effort to provide an additional $833 million to support continuing rental assistance for 1.2 million low-income households. The senator also protected funding for housing programs that benefit the elderly and people with disabilities.\r\nRural Housing: The Self-Help Homeownership Opportunity Program (SHOP) and Rural Capacity Building Program received $10 million and $5 million, respectively. SHOP provides funds for non-profit sweat-equity homebuilders, such as Habitat for Humanity, to cover land purchases and infrastructure costs. The Rural Capacity funds are intended to build the capacity of rural low income housing non-profits by providing training, information, technical assistance, and financing.\r\nHomeless Assistance Grants: Merkley secured $2.95 billion for Homeless Assistance Grants, a $174 million increase that will benefit organizations across Oregon. Within that appropriation, rapid rehousing programs for victims of domestic violence received $50 million; homeless youth programs received $80 million; and Emergency Solutions Grantsparticularly important to the Portland metro areareceived $290 million to support street outreach, emergency shelter, homelessness prevention, rapid re-housing assistance.\r\nHOME Investment Partnerships Program: The bill includes $1.375 billion for the program to provide states and localities with flexible resources to respond to their affordable housing challenges, including rental housing and paths to homeownership for low-income families.\r\nHUD-Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing: The program received $40 million to provide rental assistance vouchers for homeless veterans, along with case management and clinical services. These vouchers have been critical to reducing veterans' homelessness by 49 percent since 2010.\r\nCapital Investment Grant Program: The bill includes nearly $2 billion for the program, which provides funding for major transit investments that support sustainable transportation and reduced congestion in cities like Portland, Eugene and Salem.\r\nBUILD Grants: Formerly known as TIGER, the program received a $1 billion investment for 2021. This critical transportation grants program has helped fund projects across Oregon such as the Hood River-White Salmon Interstate Bridge replacement project.\r\nEssential Air Service and Contract Towers: Merkley secured $142 million for the Essential Air Service. The Essential Air Service program supports flights between the City of Pendleton and Portland International Airport, a vital connection to support economic development across Eastern Oregon. Additionally, the bill increases funding for FAA Contract Towers to $172.8 million. There are six contract towers across Oregon, and this funding ensures their continued operation.\r\n \r\nThe next step for these bills is merging with counterpart bills from the U.S. House of Representatives, in order to be passed by both chambers and signed into law.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.merkley.senate.gov/news/press-releases/merkley-applauds-appointment-of-janet-yellen-as-treasury-secretary-2020", "Merkley Applauds Appointment of Janet Yellen as Treasury Secretary", "2020-11-30", "2020", "2020-11", "Democrat", "Senate", "OR", "Jeff Merkley", "M001176", "www.merkley.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Merkley Applauds Appointment of Janet Yellen as Treasury Secretary \n\t\n\t\n\tMonday, November 30, 2020\n\t\n\tOregon's U.S. Senator Jeff Merkleywho used his position on the Senate Banking Committee to successfully advocate for Janet Yellen's appointment as the first female Federal Reserve Chair in 2014today issued a statement following President-elect Joe Biden's announcement that he will nominate her to serve as Treasury Secretary in his administration:\r\n \r\nNow more than everin the midst of a pandemic that has cost tens of millions their jobswe need strong champions for working families and Main Street businesses in our Treasury Department to guide us toward a path of economic prosperity for allpeople like Janet Yellen.\r\nThroughout her long career of public service, in which she has served as chair of both the Federal Reserve and the Council of Economic Advisors, Janet Yellen has proven herself to be a champion for broad-based economic growth that reaches everyone in our country. Not only will she bring a strong track record of fighting for America's working families and crafting innovative and responsible economic policy to the position, her confirmation as the first female Treasury Secretary will also break yet another long-standing glass ceiling for women in leadership. I look forward to working with her and the Treasury Department as we set out to unrig our economy and realize President-elect Biden's vision of building back better.\r\n \r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.merkley.senate.gov/news/press-releases/oregon-delegation-press-to-extend-open-enrollment-period-to-dec-31-2020", "Oregon Delegation Press to Extend Open Enrollment Period to Dec. 31", "2020-11-30", "2020", "2020-11", "Democrat", "Senate", "OR", "Jeff Merkley", "M001176", "www.merkley.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Oregon Delegation Press to Extend Open Enrollment Period to Dec. 31 \n\t\n\t\t In the face of COVID-19 and historic wildfires this year, Oregonians face massive barriers enrolling in affordable health coverage by Dec. 15 \n\t\n\t\n\tMonday, November 30, 2020\n\t\n\tWashington, D.C. Oregon's U.S. Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley and U.S. Reps. Peter DeFazio, Earl Blumenauer, Greg Walden, Kurt Schrader and Suzanne Bonamici today pushed the Trump administration to extend the Open Enrollment for the Health Insurance Marketplace through the end of the year in light of severe obstacles Oregonians faced due to COVID-19 and historic wildfires.\r\n \r\nThe COVID-19 pandemic has had severe health and economic consequences for Oregon. To date, nearly 60,000 Oregonians have been diagnosed with COVID-19, over 700 lost their lives, and 145,000 remain jobless. The crisis is also far from over: around 1,000 new cases of COVID-19 are being reported each day, and over 50,000 Oregonians have filed new unemployment claims since the beginning of September,the lawmakers wrote.This makes ensuring access to health coverage more critical now than ever as families continue to grapple with the effects of the virus on their health and livelihoods.\r\nAt the same time, thousands of Oregonians have become displaced or homeless as a result of wildfires that raged across the state earlier this fall. Over 2,000 wildfires led to evacuation orders affecting 500,000 Oregonians, destroyed more than 4,000 homes, and led to 24,000 claims for public assistance,the lawmakers continued.\r\n \r\nThe current scheduled close for Open Enrollment isDecember 15, 2020. The Oregon members wrote to the Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Administrator Seema Verma to push for approval of Governor Kate Brown's request to extend the deadline toDecember 31, 2020.\r\n \r\nExtending the Open Enrollment  is critical to protecting the health and wellbeing of Oregonians and all Americans. We urge you to take this step immediately to ensure people have access to the affordable and comprehensive health coverage during these unprecedented times,the lawmakers concluded.\r\n \r\nA copy of today's letter is availablehere.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://blumenauer.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/blumenauer-applauds-designation-lgbtq-venue-portland-national-register", "Blumenauer Applauds Designation of LGBTQ+ Venue in Portland to National Register of Historic Places", "2020-11-30", "2020", "2020-11", "Democrat", "Senate", "OR", "Earl Blumenauer", "B000574", "blumenauer.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Today, U.S. Rep.Earl Blumenauer (D-OR), co-chair of the Congressional Historic Preservation Caucus,applauded news thatDarcelleXV, Portland's oldest drag club, willbeaddedto the National Register of Historic Places. Following approval by theNational Park Service,the venue becomes the firstLGBTQ+ historic site designated in Oregon and one ofonly eleven sites nationally that have been selected for their significance to LGBTQ+ Americans.\nIn June, Blumenauer wrote aletterto U.S. Interior Secretary DavidBernhardturging him to support theclub'snominationfor its historic role in using entertainment to impact a cultural shift in the acceptance of LGBTQ+ rights.\nWalter Cole and his club were influential in educating Oregonians through drag performance, an art form that is now widely accepted and celebrated in this country.This mainstream acceptance of drag performance contributed to a broader societal acceptance of gay rights, Blumenauer said. Further, Walter persevered through discrimination during the 1970s and kept the club active for over 50 years.Thissignificantdesignation will help ensurethis rich history is not forgottenand thatDarcelleXVismemorializedfor future generations.\nDarcelleXV is a nightclub and drag venue that has been owned and operated by Walter Cole since 1967 and is located in a three-story brick building completed in 1910. The club pre-dates the famous Stonewall uprising that is often regarded as the start of the LGBTQ+ rights movement.\nThe National Registerof Historic Placescelebratesdistricts, sites, buildings, structures, and objectsthat have had asignificantimpacton American historyand culture.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://bonamici.house.gov/media/press-releases/oregon-delegation-press-extend-open-enrollment-period-dec-31", "Oregon Delegation Press to Extend Open Enrollment Period to Dec. 31", "2020-11-30", "2020", "2020-11", "Democrat", "House", "OR", "Suzanne Bonamici", "B001278", "bonamici.house.gov", "bonamici", "https://bonamici.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "Washington, D.C. \u2013 Oregon's U.S. Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley and U.S. Reps. Peter DeFazio, Earl Blumenauer, Greg Walden, Kurt Schrader and Suzanne Bonamici today pushed the Trump administration to extend the Open Enrollment for the Health Insurance Marketplace through the end of the year in light of severe obstacles Oregonians faced due to COVID-19 and historic wildfires.\n\n\"The COVID-19 pandemic has had severe health and economic consequences for Oregon. To date, nearly 60,000 Oregonians have been diagnosed with COVID-19, over 700 lost their lives, and 145,000 remain jobless. The crisis is also far from over: around 1,000 new cases of COVID-19 are being reported each day, and over 50,000 Oregonians have filed new unemployment claims since the beginning of September,\" the lawmakers wrote. \"This makes ensuring access to health coverage more critical now than ever as families continue to grapple with the effects of the virus on their health and livelihoods.\"\n\n\"At the same time, thousands of Oregonians have become displaced or homeless as a result of wildfires that raged across the state earlier this fall. Over 2,000 wildfires led to evacuation orders affecting 500,000 Oregonians, destroyed more than 4,000 homes, and led to 24,000 claims for public assistance,\" the lawmakers continued.\n\nThe current scheduled close for Open Enrollment is December 15, 2020. The Oregon members wrote to the Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Administrator Seema Verma to push for approval of Governor Kate Brown's request to extend the deadline to December 31, 2020.\n\n\"Extending the Open Enrollment \u2026 is critical to protecting the health and wellbeing of Oregonians and all Americans. We urge you to take this step immediately to ensure people have access to the affordable and comprehensive health coverage during these unprecedented times,\" the lawmakers concluded.\n\nA copy of today's letter is available here.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-06-28T00:39:51Z"], ["https://blumenauer.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/blumenauer-statement-cannabis-reform-legislation-vote-0", "Blumenauer Statement on Cannabis Reform Legislation Vote", "2020-11-27", "2020", "2020-11", "Democrat", "Senate", "OR", "Earl Blumenauer", "B000574", "blumenauer.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "U.S.Rep Earl Blumenauer (D-OR),founder and co-chairof the Congressional Cannabis Caucus,released this statementtoday, following the announcement thatthe Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement (MORE) Act will be voted on by the U.S. House of Representativesnextweek:\nI've been working on this issue longer than any politician in America and can confidently say that the MORE Act is the most comprehensive federal cannabis reform legislation in U.S. history.Ourvote to pass itnext week willcome afterpeoplein five very different states reaffirmed the strong bipartisan support to reformthe failed cannabisprohibition.National support for federal cannabis legalization is at an all-time highandalmost 99% of Americans willsoonlive in states with some form of legal cannabis.Congress must capitalize on this momentum and do our part toend the failed policy of prohibition that has resulted in a long and shameful period of selective enforcement againstcommunitiesof color.\nThe historic vote  which is expected next week  will mark the first time that the House or the Senate has ever voted as a full chamber on legislation to end the federal cannabis prohibition since it went into effect following the passage of the Controlled Substances Act of 1970. \nIn addition to decriminalizing marijuana at the federal level, the MORE Act would also expunge federal marijuana convictions and reinvest in communities most adversely impacted by the War on Drugs.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://defazio.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/chair-defazio-issues-statement-on-the-us-army-corps-of-engineers", "Chair DeFazio Issues Statement on the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Decision on the Pebble Mine Project", "2020-11-25", "2020", "2020-11", "Democrat", "Senate", "OR", "Peter DeFazio", "D000191", "defazio.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington, DC - Today, Chair of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure Peter DeFazio (D-OR) released the following statement after the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers announced its decision on the Pebble Mine Project in Bristol Bay, Alaska, denying the permit. Today's decision by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is great news for the Bristol Bay watershedhome to the world's largest natural sockeye salmon fishery and stops the Pebble Mine project in its tracks. As I have said from the beginning, the Pebble Mine is a bad project that never should have gotten this far. Our Committee has been steadfast in our mission to shine a bright light on the otherwise opaque Pebble Mine project. We made requests for information and records to the Pebble Limited Partnership, the EPA and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. And last fall, we held a hearing to ensure that the voices of the very people who would be directly impacted by the Pebble Mine were heard in our Nation's capital. And with this decision, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has made it clear that a foreign mining company with highly dubious business plans cannot be allowed to damage an irreplaceable habitat and the ancestral home of many Alaskan Natives. But make no mistake, our work isn't done. While we celebrate this decision today, we must continue to fight the ongoing threats to our environment and communities. As Chair of the Committee with oversight of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Clean Water Act, rest assured that I will always fight to protect our environment and the public. Additional information: In November 2020, DeFazio sent letters to the Pebble Limited Partnership and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Army Corps) requesting records about the proposed Pebble Mine Project after secret recordings of Pebble's senior leadersknown as the Pebble Tapeswere released and suggest that Congress, the Army Corps and the public may have been misled about Pebble's planned scale, scope and duration of the mine. To read these records requests, click here. In September 2020, DeFazio and Representative Jared Huffman (D-CA) led a letter to U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Andrew Wheeler urging him to use his authority to veto the flawed Final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the proposed Pebble Mine on the grounds that the project would have significant negative impacts on Bristol Bay, Alaska. To read the full letter, click here.  \n\t  In August 2020, DeFazio issued a statement committing to continued oversight of the Pebble Mine Project after the Army Corps sent a letter to the Pebble Limited Partnership requesting additional scrutiny of the project. To read his full statement, click here.  \n\t  In July 2020, when the Army Corps released its final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) regarding the Pebble Mine project, DeFazio decried the Trump administration's push to approve the project. To read the full statement, click here.  \n\t  In June 2020, DeFazio sent a letter to Lieutenant General Todd T. Semonite of Army Corps to push for additional consultation before the Army Corps finalized the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) as it relates to the Pebble Mine Project, due to concerns raised by local tribes and communities. To read the full letter, click here.  \n\t  In November 2019, DeFaziosent a letter to Lieutenant General Todd T. Semonite, expressing his concerns with the Army Corps' review of the Clean Water Act permit for the development of an open pit mine to be constructed in the Bristol Bay watershed in Alaska. DeFazio urged the Army Corps to immediately prepare a revised EIS that addresses shortfalls contained in the earlier EIS. To read the full letter, clickhere.  \n\t  On October 23, 2019, the Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment held a hearing titled The Pebble Mine Project: Process and Potential Impacts.To hear from those who testified before the Committee, and who are directly affected by this proposed plan, clickhere.  \n\t  In July 2018, DeFazio and Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works Ranking Member Tom Carper (D-DE) sent a letter requesting an update on EPA's environmental review of the proposed Pebble Mine project in Alaska, among other things. That letter can be foundhere.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://defazio.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/defazio-announces-15-million-grant-to-construct-health-and-dental", "DeFazio Announces $1.5 Million Grant to Construct Health and Dental Facility to Serve the Coquille Nation", "2020-11-25", "2020", "2020-11", "Democrat", "Senate", "OR", "Peter DeFazio", "D000191", "defazio.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Rep. Peter DeFazio (OR-04) today announced a nearly $1.5 million grant, awarded by the Economic Development Administration (EDA), to construct the Ko-Kwel Wellness Center to provide medical and dental services for the Coquille Indian Tribe.\nAs Chairman of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, which has jurisdiction over the EDA, DeFazio played a leading role in securing this funding in the CARES Act.\nI am proud to have helped secure this important funding for the Coquille Tribe. Tribal nations continue struggling to access affordable, quality, and attentive health care. The new Ko-Kwel Wellness Center will be a game changer for the Coquille Nation, DeFazio said.\nThe Ko-Kwel Wellness Center will be located on the Kilkich Reservation and improve access to basic medical services for tribe members in the Coos Bay and North Bend area. The $1,486,074 grant was awarded under a $1.5 billion grant program funded by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.merkley.senate.gov/news/press-releases/merkley-welcomes-announcement-of-blinken-thomas-greenfield-as-top-diplomats-2020", "Merkley Welcomes Announcement of Blinken, Thomas-Greenfield As Top Diplomats", "2020-11-23", "2020", "2020-11", "Democrat", "Senate", "OR", "Jeff Merkley", "M001176", "www.merkley.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Merkley Welcomes Announcement of Blinken, Thomas-Greenfield As Top Diplomats \n\t\n\t\n\tMonday, November 23, 2020\n\t\n\tWASHINGTON, D.C.  Oregon's U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley, a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, released the following statement after President-elect Joe Biden announced that he will nominate Tony Blinken as Secretary of State and Linda Thomas-Greenfield as Ambassador to the United Nations (UN):\r\n \r\nToday's announcement is welcome news after four years that have weakened our diplomatic standing around the world and battered morale at the State Department. Tony Blinken and Linda Thomas-Greenfield are both seasoned diplomats and career public servants who will bring the deep experience, character, and respect for our country's diplomatic forces necessary to put our international relationships back on track.\r\nAt a time when we face so many international crisesa once-in-a-century pandemic, rapidly accelerating climate chaos, escalating crackdowns on human rights, and much morewe need experienced and steady leaders to help restore American leadership and credibility on the global stage. I look forward to working with Tony Blinken and Linda Thomas-Greenfield to ensure that America once again leads the world to meet our greatest shared challenges.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://www.merkley.senate.gov/news/press-releases/merkley-welcomes-appointment-of-john-kerry-to-lead-american-climate-efforts-2020", "Merkley Welcomes Appointment of John Kerry to Lead American Climate Efforts", "2020-11-23", "2020", "2020-11", "Democrat", "Senate", "OR", "Jeff Merkley", "M001176", "www.merkley.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Merkley Welcomes Appointment of John Kerry to Lead American Climate Efforts \n\t\n\t\n\tMonday, November 23, 2020\n\t\n\tOregon's U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley, who serves on the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee and Senate Foreign Relations Committee and is a member of the Senate Environmental Justice Caucus, today issued a statement following President-elect Joe Biden's announcement that he will nominate John Kerry to be the incoming administration's climate envoy:\r\nOur families and our economy are already experiencing climate chaos' wrathfrom apocalyptic wildfires ravaging the western United States, to more frequent heat waves and record-breaking storms battering our Gulf Coast communities. And things will only get worse if we don't get our own house in order and work in partnership with the world to address this global challenge.\r\nJohn Kerry's extensive diplomatic experience and demonstrated ability to work with our allies around the globe are invaluable assets that have prepared him to lead the decisive climate action our planet desperately needs. And Joe Biden's decision to pick a senior leader for this position, and to place him within our national security leadership, shows that the President-elect takes climate chaos seriously as the national security threat it is. I look forward to working with Secretary Kerry to consider how we can most effectively rebuild an international coalition committed to slashing dangerous pollution and tackle the climate crisis head on.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "truncated": false, "filtered_table_rows_count": 1792, "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 \"state\" = :p0 and \"year\" = :p1 order by date desc limit 101", "params": {"p0": "OR", "p1": "2020"}}, "facet_results": {"party": {"name": "party", "type": "column", "hideable": false, "toggle_url": "/press/releases.json?state=OR&year=2020", "results": [{"value": "Democrat", "label": "Democrat", "count": 1592, "toggle_url": "http://dpwillis-congress-press-search.hf.space/press/releases.json?state=OR&year=2020&party=Democrat", "selected": false}, {"value": "Republican", "label": "Republican", "count": 200, "toggle_url": "http://dpwillis-congress-press-search.hf.space/press/releases.json?state=OR&year=2020&party=Republican", "selected": false}], "truncated": false}, "chamber": {"name": "chamber", "type": "column", "hideable": false, "toggle_url": "/press/releases.json?state=OR&year=2020", "results": [{"value": "House", "label": "House", "count": 1537, "toggle_url": "http://dpwillis-congress-press-search.hf.space/press/releases.json?state=OR&year=2020&chamber=House", "selected": false}, {"value": "Senate", "label": "Senate", "count": 255, "toggle_url": "http://dpwillis-congress-press-search.hf.space/press/releases.json?state=OR&year=2020&chamber=Senate", "selected": false}], "truncated": false}, "state": {"name": "state", "type": "column", "hideable": false, "toggle_url": "/press/releases.json?state=OR&year=2020", "results": [{"value": "OR", "label": "OR", "count": 1792, "toggle_url": "http://dpwillis-congress-press-search.hf.space/press/releases.json?year=2020", "selected": true}], "truncated": false}, "year": {"name": "year", "type": "column", "hideable": false, "toggle_url": "/press/releases.json?state=OR&year=2020", "results": [{"value": "2020", "label": "2020", "count": 1792, "toggle_url": "http://dpwillis-congress-press-search.hf.space/press/releases.json?state=OR", "selected": true}], "truncated": false}}, "suggested_facets": [], "next": "2020-11-23,http~3A~2F~2Fwww~2Emerkley~2Esenate~2Egov~2Fnews~2Fpress-releases~2Fmerkley-welcomes-appointment-of-john-kerry-to-lead-american-climate-efforts-2020", "next_url": "http://dpwillis-congress-press-search.hf.space/press/releases.json?state=OR&year=2020&_next=2020-11-23%2Chttp~3A~2F~2Fwww~2Emerkley~2Esenate~2Egov~2Fnews~2Fpress-releases~2Fmerkley-welcomes-appointment-of-john-kerry-to-lead-american-climate-efforts-2020&_sort_desc=date", "private": false, "allow_execute_sql": true, "query_ms": 217.0635024085641, "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"}