url,title,date,year,month,party,chamber,state,member_name,bioguide_id,domain,scraper,source,date_source,text,has_text,collected_at,updated_at https://bonamici.house.gov/media/press-releases/bonamici-schatz-tonko-gonzalez-colon-introduce-bipartisan-bill-advance-marine,"Bonamici, Schatz, Tonko, González-Colón Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Advance Marine Carbon Dioxide Removal",2024-12-20,2024,2024-12,Democrat,House,OR,Suzanne Bonamici,B001278,bonamici.house.gov,bonamici,https://bonamici.house.gov/media/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, DC [12/20/24] – Today Representatives Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR), Paul Tonko (D-NY), and Jenniffer González-Colón (R-PR), and Senator Brian Schatz (D-HI) introduced bipartisan legislation to bolster marine carbon dioxide removal research and development in the United States. Carbon dioxide removal (CDR) addresses climate change by reducing planet-warming carbon emissions. Marine carbon dioxide removal (mCDR) can enhance the ocean’s role in drawing down atmospheric carbon dioxide through natural and technological strategies. The Removing and Sequestering Carbon Unleashed in the Environment and Oceans Act (ReSCUE Oceans Act) would help establish the United States as a leader in the emerging mCDR field by investing in research, creating environmental and community safeguards, and strengthening coordination between relevant federal agencies. “The climate crisis is here and we must use every possible tool to limit global warming and climate destruction,” said Congresswoman Bonamici. “Marine carbon dioxide removal is a promising strategy that leverages the ocean’s role as a natural carbon sink to sequester emissions from the atmosphere, but mCDR research and development in the U.S. has been hampered by a lack of consistent federal funding and guidance. We need more research about mCDR as a climate solution, and this bill would provide a roadmap to understand how to safely deploy it. I’m pleased to join my bipartisan colleagues in leading this legislation to spur innovation and growth in mCDR.” “Carbon dioxide removal (CDR) is an essential tool in the fight against the climate crisis, in addition to being a driver of American innovation,” said Senator Schatz. “Our bill will encourage research into marine CDR to ensure it’s safe, effective, benefits coastal communities, and protects ecosystems.” “Scientists have made it clear — we need to explore every innovative tool available to address the climate crisis, and that includes marine carbon dioxide removal,” saidCongressman Tonko. “As we experience record-breaking heat, wildfires, and extreme weather driven by climate change, reducing atmospheric carbon has never been more urgent. I’m pleased to join Congresswoman Bonamici, Congresswoman González-Colón, and Senator Schatz in introducing the ReSCUE Oceans Act, which empowers us to invest in critical research to determine whether marine CDR can be a viable component of our climate strategy. By advancing this science, we can better understand the potential benefits and risks of marine CDR and ensure the U.S. leads the way in responsible, innovative carbon removal solutions. We must act now to fully confront the climate crisis.” “The ocean stores more carbon than any other part of the biosphere. Marine-based carbon dioxide removal, or mCDR, has the potential to further enhance that capacity and help us reduce emissions,” said Congresswoman Jenniffer González-Colón. “To improve our understanding of mCDR technologies and solutions, I’m pleased to join my fellow House Oceans Caucus Co-Chair Congresswoman Bonamici, Congressman Tonko, and Senator Schatz in introducing the ReSCUE Oceans Act to coordinate federal activities on this topic and support the necessary research and development efforts.” The bill aligns with important components of the National Marine Carbon Dioxide Removal Research Strategy report recently released by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Specifically, the ReSCUE Ocean Act would: Direct federal resources to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and other agencies to study the efficacy and safety of various mCDR technologies, including ecological and socioeconomic effects. Provide a framework for establishing national mCDR research areas to create clarity and opportunities for researchers and communities. Establish guardrails for mCDR research through robust monitoring goals, verification standards, and a code of conduct to collect critical environmental data and inform development, regulation, and scientific evaluation of mCDR approaches. Create an interagency working group co-chaired by NOAA and the U.S. Department of Energy to strengthen coordination on mCDR activities at federal agencies, including NOAA, the National Science Foundation, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, and National Institute of Standards and Technology. This legislation is endorsed by LTC Action, Carbon Removal Alliance, World Resources Institute, Carbon180, Carbon to Sea, Ocean Visions, and Ocean Conservancy. Statements of support can be found here. A summary of the bill can be found here, and a one-pager for the bill can be found here. ###",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T19:07:19Z https://bonamici.house.gov/media/press-releases/bonamici-wyden-celebrate-naming-hillsboro-post-office-honor-former-rep,"Bonamici, Wyden Celebrate Naming Hillsboro Post Office in Honor of Former Rep. Elizabeth Furse",2024-12-20,2024,2024-12,Democrat,House,OR,Suzanne Bonamici,B001278,bonamici.house.gov,bonamici,https://bonamici.house.gov/media/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, DC [12/20/24] – This week legislation led by Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici (OR-01) to redesignate a Hillsboro post office in honor of the late Representative Elizabeth Furse passed the Senate and was sent to President Biden’s desk to be signed into law. Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR) introduced the companion legislation in the Senate. Furse represented Oregon’s First Congressional District for three terms from 1993-1999 and established her legacy as a champion for human and tribal rights and social justice. The post office at 125 South 1st Avenue in Hillsboro, located in the district Furse served, will be designated as the Elizabeth Furse Post Office Building. “Elizabeth Furse devoted her life to serving others and she made a lasting difference for Hillsboro and NW Oregon,” said Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici. “I will forever be grateful for her mentorship and friendship, and I am delighted that this post office near the home where she spent her final years will bear her name and inspire all those who visit it. Let us honor her memory by renewing our efforts to better the lives of those around us.” “My friend Elizabeth Furse devoted her life as a public servant to helping Tribal communities, strengthening women’s health care and improving the lives of vulnerable people in Oregon and throughout our country,” Wyden said. “I’m glad she will be honored in the district she served so faithfully with a permanent recognition in this Hillsboro post office. This well-deserved tribute both celebrates her ongoing legacy in our state, and inspires future Oregonians with the example she set in public life.” Furse was the first woman elected to represent Oregon’s First District and helped secure funding to expand TriMet’s MAX Blue Line into Hillsboro. She was a key figure in working to restore federal recognition for the Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde. Furse also served as Director of the Oregon Peace Institute and founded both the Institute for Tribal Government at Portland State University and nonprofit Clean Water Columbia. She died in 2021 at age 84 at her Hillsboro farm. Video of Bonamici speaking in support of the legislation can be viewed here. It passed unanimously in both the House and Senate.",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T19:07:19Z https://salinas.house.gov/media/press-releases/salinas-statement-vote-avert-government-shutdown,Salinas Statement on Vote to Avert Government Shutdown,2024-12-20,2024,2024-12,Democrat,House,OR,Andrea Salinas,S001226,salinas.house.gov,salinas,https://salinas.house.gov/media/press-releases,scraper,"Washington, DC – Today, Congresswoman Andrea Salinas (OR-06) issued the following statement after voting to keep the government open and extend the Farm Bill: “Today, I voted to keep the government open so that our servicemembers will continue to get paid, farmers will get the assistance they deserve, and families will be able to put food on the table this Christmas. I am relieved that we were able to avoid a shutdown and pass a bare minimum extension of the Farm Bill. At the same time, I am deeply disappointed in Speaker Johnson’s failure to pass a bipartisan deal that would have responsibly funded the government while addressing several top priorities for the American people – from prescription drug reform to addiction treatment. Instead, Speaker Johnson chose to torpedo that bipartisan agreement and send us spiraling toward a shutdown – simply because the richest man in the world told him to do it. That is not how any leader in a democracy should govern, and it shows that Republicans would rather do the bidding of their wealthy donors instead of working for the people who elected them. As the Majority Party, Republicans need to get serious and work with Democrats to pass truly bipartisan solutions when we return in January. We were sent here to do right by our constituents, not cater to the whims of billionaires. I will always put the people of Oregon’s Sixth District first, and I will work with anyone – Republican or Democrat – who shares my commitment to bringing down costs and making life better for Oregonians.” ###",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T19:07:19Z https://www.wyden.senate.gov/news/press-releases/erkley-wyden-197-million-in-federal-housing-funding-coming-to-oregon-for-statewide-tribal-initiatives,"Merkley, Wyden: $19.7 Million in Federal Housing Funding Coming to Oregon for Statewide, Tribal Initiatives",2024-12-20,2024,2024-12,Democrat,Senate,OR,Ron Wyden,W000779,www.wyden.senate.gov,wyden,https://www.wyden.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"Washington, D.C. – Oregon’s U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden announced today that the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) awarded $19,742,170 to revitalize and modernize manufactured housing and eligible manufactured housing communities across Oregon. “As communities and Tribes in every corner of the state face their biggest housing affordability crises in decades—with rents dramatically outpacing incomes—we must do everything we can to invest in solutions to the ongoing housing and homelessness crisis,” Merkley said. “At my town halls in all 36 Oregon counties, I hear about housing challenges in communities big and small across our state. This $19.7 million federal award will support affordable and safe manufactured homes to help more families have a safe, decent place to live.” “Manufactured housing plays a significant role in making the cost of a home less expensive throughout Oregon,” Wyden said. “That’s what makes this federal investment such a welcome development in the battle to keep designing an affordability housing blueprint statewide for communities and Tribes. I’m glad these resources have been secured, and will keep working to build out similar housing opportunities for Oregonians in every nook and cranny of our state.” The funding comes from HUD’s Office of Community Planning and Development, which is awarding Preservation and Reinvestment Initiative for Community Enhancement (PRICE) grants, to preserve long-term housing affordability for residents of manufactured housing and manufactured housing communities (MHCs), to redevelop MHCs, and to primarily benefit low- and moderate-income residents. PRICE grants support manufactured housing across America— providing a home to over 22 million Americans and helping to solve our nation’s housing affordability crisis. The PRICE grants awarded to Oregon are as follows:",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T19:07:19Z https://www.wyden.senate.gov/news/press-releases/merkley-wyden-announce-over-33-million-for-southern-oregon-critical-wildlife-crossing,"Merkley, Wyden Announce Over $33 Million for Southern Oregon Critical Wildlife Crossing",2024-12-20,2024,2024-12,Democrat,Senate,OR,Ron Wyden,W000779,www.wyden.senate.gov,wyden,https://www.wyden.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"Washington, D.C. – Oregon’s U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden announced today that the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) is receiving $33,182,188 in federal funding to construct the Mariposa Preserve Wildlife Crossing over I-5 in Southern Oregon through the heart of the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument. Once complete, the wildlife crossing will be among the largest in the nation to significantly improve the movement of a wide-array of animals, while increasing the safety of drivers traveling on I-5 between Ashland and the California border. This historic investment comes through the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Highways Administration Wildlife Crossings Pilot Program—made possible by the Inflation Reduction Act—and builds off the $400,000 community-initiated project that Merkley and Wyden secured earlier this year for the design and engineering phase of the project, which was needed to reach today’s milestone. “What a huge win for Southern Oregon! This first-ever I-5 wildlife crossing in Oregon will be instrumental in safeguarding all the special species that call the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument home, while protecting drivers from dangerous wildlife collisions and costly damages to their vehicles,” said Merkley. “I’ve long championed efforts to strengthen the Cascade-Siskiyou area, and this latest federal investment I pushed to secure will certainly go a long way toward protecting drivers and the diverse wildlife that are entwined with this spectacular landscape that’s unlike anywhere in the world.” “Ensuring that native species have safe access across I-5 not only protects sensitive ecosystems affected by large roadways, but it also helps increase safety for motorists,” said Wyden. “This investment in wildlife crossing infrastructure that serves both the environment and Oregonians is exactly what I fought for in the Inflation Reduction Act, and I will continue to advocate for more resources that support these important projects across Oregon.” “With this significant investment of federal funding, ODOT can now provide a new connection for wildlife in an ecologically diverse area. This will improve safety for drivers on I-5 by reducing wildlife collisions. I want to thank our federal partners for making this project possible by fully funding ODOT’s grant request,” said ODOT Director Kris Strickler. The Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument protects a wealth of biodiversity and connectivity for wildlife—including deer, bear, elk, cougars, and many small animals—which all face great risk as I-5 bisects the connectivity of this monument. The Mariposa Preserve Overcrossing, which will be located at approximately milepost 1.7 within the monument, will reconstruct a previously naturally occurring wildlife corridor to increase habitat connectivity and allow the animals to adapt to changing climate conditions. This will drastically reduce harm to wildlife, protect drivers, and improve public safety in the region.",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T19:07:19Z https://www.wyden.senate.gov/news/press-releases/merkley-wyden-announce-over-4-million-for-high-speed-broadband-infrastructure-headed-to-lane,"Merkley, Wyden Announce Over $4 Million for High-Speed Broadband Infrastructure Headed to Lane",2024-12-20,2024,2024-12,Democrat,Senate,OR,Ron Wyden,W000779,www.wyden.senate.gov,wyden,https://www.wyden.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"Washington, D.C. – Oregon’s U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden announced today a $4,419,306 grant for high-speed broadband internet infrastructure in Lane County. This federal investment for Pioneer Telephone Cooperative will be used to deploy a fiber-to-the-premises network to provide high-speed internet. This network will benefit 75 people, 12 businesses, and eight farms in Lane County. The funding is provided through the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) ReConnect Program. “Access to high-speed internet is critical for individuals, families, small businesses, and farms across Oregon,” Merkley said. “Yet many areas still lack reliable service, creating challenges for staying connected in the 21st century economy. This federal investment will expand broadband in Lane County, helping residents strengthen their economies and enhance their quality of life.” ??",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T19:07:19Z https://www.wyden.senate.gov/news/press-releases/merkley-wyden-critical-water-infrastructure-bill-headed-to-the-presidents-desk,"Merkley, Wyden: Critical Water Infrastructure Bill Headed to the President’s Desk",2024-12-20,2024,2024-12,Democrat,Senate,OR,Ron Wyden,W000779,www.wyden.senate.gov,wyden,https://www.wyden.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"Washington, D.C. – Oregon’s U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden announced today that critical projects and policy initiatives for Oregon included in the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) of 2024 have passed Congress and now head to the president’s desk to be signed into law. Their authorization sets the stage for Oregon to secure essential water infrastructure funding. “Water is the lifeblood of our state. Updating and modernizing aging water infrastructure – including ports, levees, dams and much more – will better prepare Oregonians and their communities for droughts and floods, and give them access to safe, reliable drinking water,” said Merkley, who helped write the bill as a senior member of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee. “This critical bill is indispensable to waterways across Oregon and ensures water infrastructure is maintained and improved for generations to come.” “Oregon’s ports, harbors, waterways and more generate jobs statewide that are a must to keep our economy flowing,” Wyden said. “All of that vital infrastructure requires investments just like these to keep it modern, safe and effective so Oregonians can count on clean drinking water and reliable transport of goods.” WRDA 2024 includes several projects and policy initiatives in Oregon including: Port of Portland Dredging Vessel: Includes authority to replace the Dredge Oregon vessel at the Port of Portland. Oregon Statewide Environmental Infrastructure Authority: Authorizes $200 million in funding for water infrastructure efforts across Oregon such as water conservation projects, ecosystem restoration projects, stormwater management, surface water protection, and environmental restoration. Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation (CTUIR) Projects: Includes a technical correction regarding CTUIR projects in the Walla Walla River. Columbia and Willamette River Pile Dike Maintenance Definition Clarification: Clarifies and directs the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Portland District to maintain the pile dikes in the Lower Columbia River. Harmful Algal Bloom Demonstration Program (HAB) for Willamette River: Authorizes the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ HAB Demonstration Program—which occurs when certain environmental conditions intensify algae growth and harm ecosystems and human health—to include a focus on the Willamette River. Study on Microplastic Pollution: Requires the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to prepare a report to identify measures that could be implemented to reduce the release of microplastics associated with the Corps’ civil works mission into the environment. Aquatic Invasive Species Cost-Share Program Cost-Share Modification: Modifies the cost-share percentage for the federal program to help state, Tribal, and university partners meet the needed cost-share requirement. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Funding Capability Report: Authorizes a report on U.S. Army Corps of Engineers capability versus Annual Funding in each Army Corps District. Funding for Emerging Harbors: Includes language allowing for additional uses of the Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund for activities at emerging harbors. Additionally, WRDA 2024 included the reauthorization of the Economic Development Administration (EDA) to:",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T19:07:19Z https://www.wyden.senate.gov/news/press-releases/wyden-merkley-announce-nearly-46-million-for-drought-and-resiliency-programs-in-the-klamath-basin,"Wyden, Merkley Announce Nearly $4.6 Million for Drought and Resiliency Programs in the Klamath Basin",2024-12-20,2024,2024-12,Democrat,Senate,OR,Ron Wyden,W000779,www.wyden.senate.gov,wyden,https://www.wyden.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"The Bureau of Reclamation award will benefit projects by The Klamath Tribes, Hoopa Valley Tribe, Karuk Tribe, Modoc Nation, Pulikla Tribe of Yurok People, and Yurok Tribe. Washington D.C.—U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley today announced a federal investment of $4.6 million for six Klamath Basin Tribes to support 14 projects aimed at combating drought and building resilience in Tribal communities across the region. “Resiliency in the face of drought is essential for rural communities to thrive like those that depend on the Klamath Basin,” Wyden said. “This investment is critical to combat persistent drought caused by the climate crisis, and maintaining the progress local Tribes have achieved with ecosystem restoration projects. I will continue to fight for additional resources to support recovery and resilience in the Klamath Basin and across Oregon.” “Prolonged drought is having severe impacts across the Klamath Basin, harming our Tribal and rural communities, fish, and wildlife,” said Merkley. “These federal investments for Klamath Basin Tribes to build greater drought resilience, improve water infrastructure, and boost ecosystem restoration will make this unique region’s water go farther for the people and delicate ecosystems that rely on it. I will continue to champion recovery efforts in the Basin and for all of Oregon to prepare and respond to the more frequent and devastating droughts caused by climate chaos.” This investment from the Bureau of Reclamation will go to projects developed by The Klamath Tribes, Hoopa Valley Tribe, Karuk Tribe, Modoc Nation, Pulikla Tribe of Yurok People, and Yurok Tribe. Of the 14 projects, eight will help Tribes conduct environmental and ecosystem analysis and data collection to prepare for drought, restore ecosystems, and build resilience. The remaining projects will focus on general drought preparation, capacity building, outreach, and infrastructure improvements. “We extend appreciation and offer our thanks to the Oregon Congressional Delegation, Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden and Congressman Cliff Bentz for much needed Drought and Resiliency Program funding through the USDI Bureau of Reclamation. These investments represent another critical step necessary to address climate change, the effects of decades of drought in the Klamath River and Upper Klamath Watersheds in order to better understand the effects on water quality, wetlands, watershed and head waters functions and health. The funding will support critical data collection, monitoring and restoration projects that build resiliency. The Tribes are praying will rapidly improve water quality to prevent the C’waam and Koptu Mullet species from going extinct, and to ensure the cultural liberation of the C’yaal’s (salmon), the aquatic species, first food plants, upland and big game ecosystems,” said William Ray, Jr, Chairman of The Klamath Tribes Tribal Council.",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T19:07:19Z https://www.wyden.senate.gov/news/press-releases/wyden-merkley-celebrate-passage-of-bipartisan-bill-to-support-farmers-and-ranchers-facing-severe-drought-in-klamath-basin,"Wyden, Merkley Celebrate Passage of Bipartisan Bill to Support Farmers and Ranchers Facing Severe Drought in Klamath Basin",2024-12-20,2024,2024-12,Democrat,Senate,OR,Ron Wyden,W000779,www.wyden.senate.gov,wyden,https://www.wyden.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"On the Senate floor, Wyden calls for passage of his bipartisan bill with Senator Merkley Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., and Senator Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., celebrated the Senate unanimously passing a bipartisan bill to support farmers and ranchers in the Klamath Basin with improved tools to respond to severe drought, while restoring fish and wildlife habitat in the region. The Klamath Basin Water Agreement Support Act, introduced by Republican Congressman Cliff Bentz, R-Ore., is companion legislation to Wyden’s Klamath Power and Facilities Agreement Support Act. The bill provides federal agencies with the authorities necessary to cover the costs of infrastructure upgrades and operation that provide both water for agriculture and environmental benefits. The companion legislation passed the House earlier this week, and now heads to the president’s desk for signature. “I have heard from countless Oregonians in my town halls across Southern Oregon who are struggling to make ends meet as the Klamath Basin is crushed by severe drought,” Wyden said. “This bill delivers on the promises we have made to the ranchers and farmers in dire need of these resources. This bill will ensure the Klamath Basin’s economy can thrive for generations to come while protecting and restoring endangered fish habitats.” “Klamath Basin communities continue to face challenges from persistent drought, and our soon-to-be-law gives a much-needed boost to farmers and ranchers,” Merkley said, who serves as the Chairman of the Interior Subcommittee that funds the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. “As efforts continue to strengthen the region following the removal of the four lower Klamath River dams this year, this bill honors the pledge we made to the farmers and ranchers on the Klamath Project as part of the historic Klamath Basin Power and Facilities Agreement.” “Senators Wyden and Merkley have been laser focused on this legislation for years,” said Paul Simmons, Executive Director of Klamath Water Users Association. “We are extremely grateful for their leadership and skill in getting this across the goal line for the benefit of the Klamath farmers and the wildlife of the Klamath Basin.”",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T19:07:19Z https://www.wyden.senate.gov/news/press-releases/wydens-owyhee-bill-passes-senate,Wyden’s Owyhee Bill Passes Senate,2024-12-20,2024,2024-12,Democrat,Senate,OR,Ron Wyden,W000779,www.wyden.senate.gov,wyden,https://www.wyden.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"Senator: “I said this week that I was committed to work with Senate leadership to pass this bill, and tonight’s unanimous Senate consent continues its major momentum because it tees up passage to happen next year when the new Congress convenes.” Washington, D.C. – U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden’s bill to preserve more than 1 million acres of wilderness in the Owyhee Canyon Lands in Eastern Oregon and introduce more flexibility into its established grazing management system passed the U.S. Senate by unanimous consent Friday night. “The holiday celebrations can start a few days early with tonight’s historic and huge victory for the Eastern Oregon ranchers, Tribal leaders, conservationists and recreation lovers who worked with me to design this landmark legislation for one of America’s most spectacular landscapes,” Wyden said. “I said earlier this week that I was committed to work with Senate leadership to pass Owyhee legislation, and tonight’s unanimous Senate consent continues its major momentum because it tees up passage to happen next year when the new Congress convenes.” “I look forward in 2025 to keeping up the bipartisan support and work with U.S. Rep. Cliff Bentz in the House to get these significant wilderness protections and meaningful grazing reforms for ranchers in the Owyhee into black-letter law,” Wyden said.",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T19:07:19Z https://www.wyden.senate.gov/news/press-releases/wyden-bentz-statement-on-owyhee-legislation,"Wyden, Bentz Statement on Owyhee Legislation",2024-12-19,2024,2024-12,Democrat,Senate,OR,Ron Wyden,W000779,www.wyden.senate.gov,wyden,https://www.wyden.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"Washington, D.C. – U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden and U.S. Rep. Cliff Bentz issued the following joint statement today about their work to pass bipartisan legislation for the Owyhee Canyon Lands in Eastern Oregon:",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T19:07:19Z https://www.wyden.senate.gov/news/press-releases/wyden-lummis-reintroduce-bipartisan-bill-to-protect-attorney-client-privilege-for-incarcerated-people,"Wyden, Lummis Reintroduce Bipartisan Bill to Protect Attorney-Client Privilege for Incarcerated People",2024-12-19,2024,2024-12,Democrat,Senate,OR,Ron Wyden,W000779,www.wyden.senate.gov,wyden,https://www.wyden.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senators Ron Wyden, D-Ore., and Cynthia Lummis, R-Wyo., today reintroduced their bipartisan bill to protect the confidentiality of email communications between incarcerated individuals and their attorneys. Despite mail, phone calls, and in-person meetings at federal prisons being protected against government surveillance, current federal policies require that inmates at Bureau of Prison facilities must allow the government to review all their attorney-client emails. Wyden and Lummis’ Effective Assistance of Counsel in the Digital Era Act would close this loophole and ensure the Sixth Amendment’s right to counsel and attorney-client privilege also apply to digital communications. “The government shouldn’t be in the business of keeping tabs on people’s email conversations with their attorneys,” Wyden said. “Attorney-client privilege is a fundamental right and shouldn’t only apply to snail mail and phone calls. All forms of communication between incarcerated people and their attorneys should be private, full stop.”” “People who are incarcerated deserve the right to have private email conversations with their attorneys that are free from government monitoring,” Lummis said. “When I was an attorney in Wyoming, I saw the importance of attorney-client privilege daily. Folks who are incarcerated should not lose their right to privacy, which is why I am proud to cosponsor this important piece of legislation.” U.S. Representatives Madeleine Dean, D-Pa., Laurel Lee, R-Fla., Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., and Don Bacon, R-Neb., introduced companion legislation in the House. “Email is a daily tool for personal, educational, and professional purposes, including between lawyers and their clients — yet people incarcerated in federal prisons are not able to access it without compromising their Sixth Amendment rights,” said Dean. “As our society grows, and our methods of communication change, the constitutional right to attorney-client privilege must be protected. I am grateful to Leader Jeffries and our colleagues across the aisle and in the Senate for coming together to defend some of America’s most fundamental rights.” “Our system of justice depends on the constitutional right to the assistance of counsel for every person accused of a criminal offense. Incarcerated individuals must be able to communicate with their attorneys confidentially,” Jeffries said. “The bipartisan Effective Assistance of Counsel in the Digital Era Act would enable incarcerated individuals to communicate with their legal representatives privately, safely and efficiently by prohibiting the Bureau of Prisons from monitoring privileged electronic communications. I thank Senators Wyden and Lummis for their leadership on this issue and for introducing this incredibly important companion legislation.” “Incarcerated individuals should be able to freely speak with their legal representative without having to worry about their conversations being monitored,” Bacon said. “They need to have the trust and confidence that their conversations are private for the system to work effectively. I am pleased to join my colleagues in this bipartisan effort.” In a letter to Wyden and Lummis, ABA President Bill Bay applauded the bill, “Extending protection to electronic communications between attorneys and their clients incarcerated in Bureau of Prisons (BOP) facilities has been a longstanding priority for the ABA. We urge Congress to enact this important bipartisan bill as soon as possible.” Bay continued, “The attorney-client privilege is fundamental to our system of justice and critical to the work of lawyers who must rely on candid, confidential communications with their clients to render competent legal advice under law. While unmonitored telephone calls, U.S. mail, and in-person meetings between attorneys and their incarcerated clients in BOP facilities are already protected communications, these often take days and weeks to arrange. Your bill would ensure the same protection is guaranteed for electronic messages, too: the most common, rapid, and cost-effective means of communication.” Specifically, the Wyden-Lummis legislation would: Require the Department of Justice to ensure the BOP’s email system excludes from monitoring the contents of privileged electronic communications between incarcerated clients and their legal representatives; Stipulate that the protections and limitations associated with the attorney-client privilege — including the crime-fraud exception — apply to electronic communications sent or received through the BOP email system; Allow BOP to retain the contents of the electronic communications of an incarcerated person, and make these accessible to the person, only until their date of release from custody, after which these privileged communications are to be purged; Establish the narrow procedures for an investigative or law enforcement officer, pursuant to a warrant issued by a court, to access privileged electronic communication; and Allow for the suppression of evidence obtained or derived from access to the retained contents if such contents were accessed in violation of the Act. The text of the bill is here. ###",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T19:07:19Z https://www.wyden.senate.gov/news/press-releases/wyden-recreation-provisions-pass-congress,Wyden Recreation Provisions Pass Congress,2024-12-19,2024,2024-12,Democrat,Senate,OR,Ron Wyden,W000779,www.wyden.senate.gov,wyden,https://www.wyden.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"Washington, D.C. — The U.S. Senate today advanced the EXPLORE Act, a bipartisan bill that includes key provisions authored by U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., to make the outdoors more accessible and to support the recreation economy in Oregon and nationwide. The bill now heads to the president’s desk to be signed into law. “As an Oregonian, I know the power of outdoor recreation in uplifting rural economies. From the time a visitor drops their bags at their hotel to wrapping up a long hike with a burger and beer at a local brewery, the entire community benefits,” Wyden said. “I’m glad that Congress is finally recognizing the value of this important sector in making sure that people can enjoy the outdoors. It's good for our health and good for local economies, especially hard hit rural America.” For more than a decade, Wyden has fought for Congress to recognize and boost the value of outdoor recreation to rural economies, with the outdoor industry contributing nearly $1.2 trillion in annual consumer spending and supporting millions of American jobs. He first introduced his Recreation Not Red Tape Act (RNR Act) in 2015 after his Seven Wonders tour, where he asked hundreds of Oregon businesses about how to grow the state’s recreation and tourism economy. Since then, Wyden has successfully built a coalition of bipartisan, bicameral support in Congress that led to today’s final passage of key RNR Act provisions and many more important recreation priorities. ###",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T19:07:19Z https://salinas.house.gov/media/press-releases/salinas-raskin-introduce-legislation-ban-gambling-us-elections,"Salinas, Raskin Introduce Legislation to Ban Gambling on U.S. Elections",2024-12-18,2024,2024-12,Democrat,House,OR,Andrea Salinas,S001226,salinas.house.gov,salinas,https://salinas.house.gov/media/press-releases,scraper,"Washington, DC – Today, U.S. Representatives Andrea Salinas (OR-06) and Jamie Raskin (MD-08) introduced the Ban Gambling on Elections Act to prohibit betting on U.S. elections. The bill is the House companion to U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley’s (D-OR) legislation in the Senate. The legislation would amend the Commodity Exchange Act—a law that regulates the trading of commodities and futures in the U.S.—to prohibit political election wagering of any kind. “Elections betting sets a dangerous precedent, incentivizing bad actors to try and influence or interfere with our elections systems. We cannot play roulette with our democracy by allowing this kind of wagering without a thorough accounting of the potential consequences,” said Rep. Salinas. “That is why I am proud to introduce legislation with Congressman Raskin and Senator Merkley that would ban individuals from gambling on our elections. I will also continue working to provide more federal resources for gambling addiction treatment and research. While sports betting and online gambling have become permanent forms of American entertainment, we must acknowledge and help mitigate the harm caused by related addictions.” “With distrust in our electoral system at an all-time high, we must crack down on gambling in all U.S. elections,” said Rep. Raskin. “Our democracy demands reliable and transparent processes to cast ballots and tally results, not a horserace clouded by gambling odds and bets placed. I am proud to go all-in with Congresswoman Salinas and Senator Merkley in calling on Congress to ante up and pass this commonsense legislation.” “Betting on elections degrades them from an investment in leadership to a profit-maximizing game,” said Sen. Merkley. “In addition, this practice is corrupt since those betting can influence the outcome by funding late-cycle smear campaigns. It’s like betting on a baseball game when you control the umpire. It’s a great step forward to have House leaders like Rep. Raskin and Congresswoman Salinas take on this fight.” ""Gambling on elections is a bad bet,” said Craig Holman, Ph.D., of Public Citizen. “Elections should never be viewed as simple games on which to wager for personal financial gain. At a time when the public’s confidence in the integrity of elections is dispiritingly low, widespread gambling threatens to further undermine confidence in the validity of election outcomes."" “Voting is the foundation of democracy and gambling should have no place in the process where the American people choose their leaders,” said Dennis Kelleher, Co-founder, President and Chief Executive Officer of Better Markets.” Betting hundreds of millions if not billions of dollars on elections will incentivize manipulation and interference while undermining Americans’ faith and trust in elections. Gamblers also should not be allowed to unleash gambling on American elections by sneaking it in through the back door of the CFTC, which has no expertise, experience, or ability to regulate or police election gambling. It will also distract the CFTC from its vital public mission of protecting the commodities markets, which all Americans rely on for everything from cereal and bread to oil and gas. We applaud Reps. Raskin & Salinas for sponsoring this commonsense legislation to protect democracy and the public interest.” Betting on elections is not a small problem. At least $930 million was wagered on the 2024 election, across two major betting platforms, including bets on the outcome of the presidential contest and House and Senate races, according to a report. Other brokerages and websites offered gambling on outcomes of the 2024 election but did not immediately disclose the total money users put at stake. The full text of the legislation can be found here. ###",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T19:07:19Z https://www.wyden.senate.gov/news/press-releases/merkley-wyden-announce-federal-funding-to-boost-private-forest-management-and-build-resilience,"Merkley, Wyden Announce Federal Funding to Boost Private Forest Management and Build Resilience",2024-12-18,2024,2024-12,Democrat,Senate,OR,Ron Wyden,W000779,www.wyden.senate.gov,wyden,https://www.wyden.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"Washington, D.C. – Oregon’s U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden announced the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Forest Service is funding projects that will assist Tribes, nonprofits, and private forest landowners in Oregon with their efforts to manage forests sustainably and permanently conserve private forests in partnership with the state. “Oregon’s forestlands—public and private—need investments to remain healthy, and to withstand wildfires that impact us all,” said Merkley. “I’ve long championed efforts that ensure Tribes and all those who manage our forests have the tools they need for sustainable management. These new investments will help advance our shared mission of creating and conserving healthy, resilient forests for future generations.” “Smart forest management is essential to reduce the risks of devastating wildfires threatening communities throughout Oregon,” Wyden said. “That management doesn’t happen by magic – it requires targeted investments just like these for Tribes along with their private and non-profit partners in the state. I’m gratified these federal funds are heading to Oregon, and will keep battling for similar resources that keep communities safe and ensure forests are healthy.” Today’s investments from the U.S. Forest Service is funded by the Inflation Reduction Act and are part of nearly $210 million nationwide for Forest Landowner Support Funded Projects. These efforts include funding proposals that add financial incentives and opportunities for landowners to adopt sustainable forest management practices. Responsible forest management, like thinning dense tree stands or removing invasive species, creates healthier forests and lowers the risks of devastating wildfires. Details of the Forest Landowner Support Funded Projects receiving funding to benefit forests in Oregon are as follows: $5 million for Sustainable Northwest’s project to support small forest landowners in Oregon with management of forestlands to enhance resilience. $4,999,883 for Sustainable Forestry Initiative, Inc. to develop a payment-for-practice program to incentivize carbon stewardship on large-acreage forestlands in the Lake States and Pacific Northwest, including Oregon. This includes forestlands managed by Tribes and private companies. The total projected impact across the states includes treatment on 12,000 acres with a goal of over 2.8 million metric tons of total carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) benefit within 10 years. $4,972,802 for The Climate Trust to pay landowners in several states, including Oregon, to adopt practices that support natural and artificial regeneration that are not typically funded through existing programs. The goal of these practices is to create optimal conditions for tree growth where wildfires and deer hinder regeneration. $1,997,468 for Sustainable Northwest to develop Tribal wood transparency protocols to facilitate Tribal access to green building markets in wood supply chains across several states, including Oregon. ""This funding will help us partner with Tribes stewarding their lands for long-term health, cultural resources, and economic development, and also to partner with small forest landowners struggling to recover from wildfire and make their forested lands more resilient to climate change. Sustainable Northwest is known for forging these kinds of community-led solutions that support nature, people, and local economies, and we're grateful for Senator Merkley and Senator Wyden’s support as steadfast leaders working toward that goal with us,” said Dylan Kruse, President, Sustainable Northwest. “The Climate Trust is thrilled to receive the award, which will allow us to better support private forest owners in their efforts to build climate resiliency and protect existing carbon stocks through active forest management. These funds are complementary our existing work developing carbon credit projects with landowners,” said Julius Pasay, Executive Director, The Climate Trust. “In Oregon specifically, The Climate Trust will be funding post-wildfire forest restoration and wildfire risk reduction activities such as hazard tree removal and fuels reduction treatments. These forest management activities are critical to making Oregon’s forests more resilient to climate change and protecting their ability to continue storing carbon and producing timber,” said Victoria Lockhart, Director of Reforestation, The Climate Trust. ###",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T19:07:19Z https://www.wyden.senate.gov/news/press-releases/us-senators-wyden-and-crapo-applaud-their-bipartisan-legislation-honoring-medal-of-honor-recipients-becoming-law,U.S. Senators Wyden and Crapo Applaud Their Bipartisan Legislation Honoring Medal of Honor Recipients Becoming Law,2024-12-18,2024,2024-12,Democrat,Senate,OR,Ron Wyden,W000779,www.wyden.senate.gov,wyden,https://www.wyden.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"With Biden’s signature, the longest U.S. highway has been designated as the “National Medal of Honor Highway” Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Mike Crapo today celebrated the passage of their bipartisan bill designating U.S. Highway 20 between Newport, Ore. and New England as the “National Medal of Honor Highway.” ""It’s fitting that our country’s longest continuous highway, stretching from the Pacific to the Atlantic, is now dedicated to our veterans who have continuously served and protected our country from sea to shining sea,” Wyden said. “I’m gratified the National Medal of Honor Highway now stands as a timeless tribute to the heroes of Oregon and America who helped make this grassroots movement a reality.” “Idaho’s veterans enrich our communities through service past and present. Medal of Honor recipients have acted well beyond the call of duty, and many continue to do so long after they leave military service,” said Crapo. “This 3,000-mile recognition ensures all Medal of Honor recipients are honored across 12 states for many years to come.” The Medal of Honor is the nation’s highest military award for valor, presented by the President in Congress’ name. U.S. service members who distinguish themselves “through conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of life above and beyond the call of duty” can receive the medal. Legislatures and governors in all 12 states along U.S. Highway 20 have designated their state Medal of Honor Highways covering 100 percent of the 3,365-mile Medal of Honor Highway across America. The 12 states along U.S. Highway 20 account for about 62 percent of all 3,516 Medal of Honor awards presented since the Civil War. Designating U.S. Highway 20 as the “National Medal of Honor Highway'' ensures all 3,516 recipients and any future recipients from all 50 states and territories are honored. The legislation is supported by the Bend Heroes Foundation, Military Officers Association of America, The American Legion, Legion of Valor, Military Order of the Purple Heart, Vietnam Veterans of America, Medal of Honor Historical Society of the United States, Veterans of Foreign Wars, and the Congressional Medal of Honor Society. “As an Army combat veteran, I am heartened to see this bipartisan support honoring those who have served our country with conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty,” said Dick Tobiason, LTC US Army Retired, Chairman, Bend Heroes Foundation. “I’m grateful to my project team of 12 Medal of Honor Highway managers who helped grow this grassroots effort, and to Senator Wyden who helped make our efforts to recognize America’s veteran heroes a reality.”",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T19:07:19Z https://www.wyden.senate.gov/news/press-releases/wyden-votes-no-on-bloated-military-budget-bill,Wyden Votes No on Bloated Military Budget Bill,2024-12-18,2024,2024-12,Democrat,Senate,OR,Ron Wyden,W000779,www.wyden.senate.gov,wyden,https://www.wyden.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., issued the following statement after voting against the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA): “This bill gives our military servicemembers a needed raise. And I support efforts to bolster our democratic allies and partners in Israel, Taiwan, and Ukraine. “But I cannot greenlight wasteful defense spending that will do more harm than good. “While the Pentagon continues failing audits, this bill makes no effort at all to hold the Department of Defense fiscally accountable. Our government shouldn’t reward the Pentagon with more taxpayer dollars when the department can’t prove it is managing that money responsibly. “This bill also unwisely shuts down important efforts to protect our servicemembers from violent extremism. “And while this bill includes the Intelligence Authorization Act, it lacks key reforms that were in the version of the Intelligence Authorization Act passed by the Senate Intelligence Committee, including protections against political purging of intelligence agencies, protections for whistleblowers, and guardrails against abusive surveillance. “For these reasons, among many other flaws in this bill, I voted ‘no.’ “This bill does include an important provision I authored with Senator Schmitt to study cybersecurity threats to the air traffic control system. I am glad that provision passed, and I will look forward to seeing the results of this important analysis.” ###",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T19:07:19Z https://www.wyden.senate.gov/news/press-releases/wyden-fetterman-urge-usda-to-stop-hackers-and-fraudsters-from-stealing-low-income-families-food-benefits,"Wyden, Fetterman Urge USDA to Stop Hackers and Fraudsters from Stealing Low-Income Families’ Food Benefits",2024-12-17,2024,2024-12,Democrat,Senate,OR,Ron Wyden,W000779,www.wyden.senate.gov,wyden,https://www.wyden.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senators Ron Wyden, D-Ore., and John Fetterman, D-Pa., urged the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to swiftly release its proposed rule to upgrade the security of electronic cards used by low-income families to receive food benefits at grocery stores. The USDA has not made any security upgrades to these cards since 2010. With older and more insecure magnetic strips remaining in Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) cards, criminals can take advantage of these flaws to steal food benefits from low-income families. The federal government repaid more than $150 million to SNAP theft victims from fiscal years 2023 to 2024. In the letter to USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack, the senators wrote, “Replacing stolen benefits, while critical, is not a sustainable solution. Rapidly issuing the proposed rule to modernize EBT technology will reduce fraud, enhance consumer protections, and ultimately save taxpayer dollars.” The USDA recommended that states transition to EBT cards with EMV chip technology, which offer enhanced protections against unauthorized access and skimming. However, the USDA has not provided resources for states to make that transition. To stop card skimming, card cloning, and other similar frauds, the senators specifically recommend that the USDA: Issue the proposed rule immediately to upgrade EBT technology. Remove USDA’s requirement that EBT cards include outdated and insecure magnetic strips. Ensure the inclusion of EMV chip technology that better protects against hackers and scammers unlike magnetic strips. Incorporate the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB)’s financial data protection rights for EBT accounts, including: Defining obligations, such as privacy protections and inclusive industry standards, for third parties wanting to access consumer data. The senators continued, “Protecting the food and data security of low-income families is a shared responsibility, and this modernization is a vital step toward ensuring their benefits and information are secure.” In addition to Wyden and Fetterman, Senators Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., Peter Welch, D-Vt., are cosigners. Wyden has been a longtime advocate in making sure low-income families’ food benefits are secure against hackers and thieves. In March 2024, Wyden, Fetterman, and Senator Bill Cassidy, R-La., introduced a bipartisan bill to upgrade the security of electronic benefit cards to protect families against thieves stealing millions worth of vital food benefits. In June 2024, Wyden and his colleagues asked the CFPB to include EBT card users in a new data privacy rule protecting their financial services. In September 2023, Wyden and Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici, D-Ore., introduced legislation to increase food security for Oregon college students by making SNAP benefits more accessible. In July 2023, Wyden and his colleagues introduced a bill to expand food benefits for Americans with medical expenses. The letter text is here. ###",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T19:07:19Z https://www.wyden.senate.gov/news/press-releases/wyden-merkley-announce-columbia-gorge-education-service-district-to-receive-epa-community-change-grant,"Wyden, Merkley Announce Columbia Gorge Education Service District to Receive EPA “Community Change Grant”",2024-12-17,2024,2024-12,Democrat,Senate,OR,Ron Wyden,W000779,www.wyden.senate.gov,wyden,https://www.wyden.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"Federal grant funds will be used to create Early Learning and Resilience Center in The Dalles Washington D.C.—U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley today announced the Columbia Gorge Education Service District and Columbia Gorge Community College Foundation have been selected to receive a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) grant to create the Columbia Gorge Early Learning and Resilience Center in The Dalles. “Early education, childcare, workforce development, and places for communities to gather– whether for celebration or respite–are needs I hear about directly from Oregonians at my open-to-all town halls every year,” Wyden said. “I fought to pass the Inflation Reduction Act so projects such as this could make a real difference in communities like The Dalles and in the lives of Oregonians throughout the state.” “We need to invest in the foundations that help families thrive—health care, housing, education, and good-paying jobs,” said Merkley. “At my town halls in all 36 Oregon counties, I hear directly from Oregonians about the importance of supporting rural communities. This climate-smart investment ensures families and students in The Dalles have access to both critical early learning programs and expanded opportunities for career and technical training. These are the kinds of transformative investments that create real opportunities, strengthen rural economies, and build a brighter, more resilient future for our families—an all-around win for Oregonians.” This federal “Community Change Grant” will be used to renovate a 1954 school building to serve as an anchor for community activities while also providing resilient power during extreme climate events. Additionally, the project will expand Columbia Gorge Education Service District's successful career/technical education programs to help bolster the much-needed childcare workforce. “This transformative project will address two critical challenges facing our region: the severe shortage of childcare and our community’s resilience in the face of climate change,” said Dr. Kenneth Lawson, President, Columbia Gorge Community College. “With 89% of local families reporting that lack of childcare limits their access to education and employment, this facility will be a game-changer. The Early Learning Center and Climate Resiliency Hub will serve over 200 children while creating a renewable energy-powered refuge that will protect our most vulnerable residents during extreme weather events.This project will create a learning laboratory where CGCC Early Childhood Education students can gain hands-on experience, while also providing substantial scholarship support for 120 CGCC students pursuing careers in climate-focused fields. These programs include electromechanical technology, green building, advanced manufacturing, and our upcoming agriculture technology program. We are deeply grateful to the Environmental Protection Agency, our many community partners, and Senators Merkley and Wyden for their steadfast support of this project. Their commitment helps ensure that the Columbia Gorge remains a place where families can thrive, workers can advance their careers, and children can get the strong start they deserve.” “North Wasco County School District is excited for this collaboration with CGESD. From an educational standpoint, increasing access to high quality early childhood education is a win-win for all - not only will it increase a quality pool of future applicants who want to work and live in The Gorge, it will provide a training ground and potential CTE pathway for young adults interested in the education profession, and finally it will fill a longstanding void of available childcare that has long been absent from this region,” Supt. Carolyn Bernal, North Wasco County School District 21 said. “We are extremely appreciative and want to thank Senators Wyden and Merkley for all of their support of this project throughout the process as well as the EPA for our selection. We look forward to our work together as this project gets underway.” “Columbia Gorge Education Service District is thrilled to serve as the backbone organization for this program,” Supt. Dana Pedersen, Columbia Gorge Education Service District said. “As a regional service provider for educational programs, we are well positioned to support this Resilience Hub and the Early Learning Center. We want to thank the community partners and local and state leaders that have supported this project.” The EPA will announce the specific grant dollar amount for the Columbia Gorge Early Learning and Resilience Center in early 2025.",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T19:07:19Z https://www.wyden.senate.gov/news/press-releases/wyden-merkley-introduce-bill-to-decommission-offshore-oil-and-gas-wells-pipelines-and-platforms,"Wyden, Merkley Introduce Bill to Decommission Offshore Oil & Gas Wells, Pipelines and Platforms",2024-12-16,2024,2024-12,Democrat,Senate,OR,Ron Wyden,W000779,www.wyden.senate.gov,wyden,https://www.wyden.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"Idle and abandoned offshore oil and gas infrastructure increase chances of oil leaks and pose environmental risks to marine ecosystems WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley said today they have introduced legislation that would address the growing threat of abandoned offshore oil and gas infrastructure to marine ecosystems and the environment. “Neglected oil wells off our coasts are a ticking time bomb that threaten our coastal communities and environment in Oregon and nationwide,” Wyden said. “It’s unacceptable that Big Oil has dodged responsibility to clean up drilling sites and pollution. This legislation will provide the data needed to hold Big Oil accountable and protect the public as well as our waterways and marine life.” “Orphaned wells are an environmental catastrophe waiting to explode. They pose the possibility of massive damage to the ocean by leaking oil and gas and must be addressed quickly,” said Merkley. The Plug Offshore Wells Act would direct the U.S. Department of the Interior to submit an annual public report to Congress on the status of decommissioning offshore oil and gas wells, platforms, and pipelines. It would also reduce financial burdens on taxpayers by increasing oversight of Big Oil companies and hold them accountable for the full terms of their offshore oil leases. According to a recent study by the U.S. Government Accountability Office, more than 2,700 wells and 500 platforms in the Gulf of Mexico are overdue for decommissioning. The same study found that the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement and the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management , which are responsible for enforcing decommissioning deadlines, can’t effectively enforce decommissioning obligations and financial assurance requirements. Among the recommended steps Congress can take, the study said, to address the current backlog of overdue decommissioning requirements, including instituting new reporting requirements from the Interior Department to Congress on the status of decommissioning. The Plug Offshore Wells Act is supported by the Center for Biological Diversity, Earthjustice, Natural Resources Defense Council, Oceana, Ocean Conservancy, Ocean Defense Initiative, and the Surfrider Foundation. In addition to Wyden and Merkley, the bill is co-sponsored in the Senate by Senators Peter Welch (D-Vt.), and Ed Markey (D-Mass).",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T19:07:19Z https://www.wyden.senate.gov/news/press-releases/wyden-merkley-murray-cantwell-ask-bpa-to-carefully-evaluate-timeline-and-costs-and-benefits-of-joining-bigger-electricity-market,"Wyden, Merkley, Murray, Cantwell Ask BPA to Carefully Evaluate Timeline and Costs and Benefits of Joining Bigger Electricity Market",2024-12-16,2024,2024-12,Democrat,Senate,OR,Ron Wyden,W000779,www.wyden.senate.gov,wyden,https://www.wyden.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"Senators: “Ultimately, it is imperative that BPA’s electricity market choice improves the reliability, the affordability, and reduces the greenhouse gas emissions of our energy system.” Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Ron Wyden, Jeff Merkley, Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell said today they are asking the Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) to answer questions about the financial impact to consumers in the Pacific Northwest from its upcoming decision whether to join the California Independent System Operator extended day-ahead market or the Southwest Power Pool Markets+ day-ahead market. These markets provide opportunities for power suppliers like BPA to meet customers’ electricity needs at fair prices during peak energy demands by buying excess electricity from, or selling it to, neighboring market participants. “We acknowledge the difficult decision of choosing an electricity market that best serves the needs of the Pacific Northwest, and we appreciate your response to our July 2024 letter detailing the many considerations you have in making this choice,” Wyden, Merkley, Murray and Cantwell wrote BPA Administrator John Hairston. “Ultimately, it is imperative that BPA’s electricity market choice improves the reliability, the affordability, and reduces the greenhouse gas emissions of our energy system.” Among the questions the senators asked the BPA in their letter is to explain why the agency is pursuing an option that may raise costs to consumers in the Pacific Northwest. The entire letter is here. Related Files",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T19:07:19Z https://bonamici.house.gov/media/press-releases/bonamici-leads-majority-oregon-delegation-calling-pause-fema-biop,Bonamici Leads Majority of Oregon Delegation in Calling for Pause of FEMA BiOp Implementation,2024-12-13,2024,2024-12,Democrat,House,OR,Suzanne Bonamici,B001278,bonamici.house.gov,bonamici,https://bonamici.house.gov/media/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, DC [12/13/24] – Today Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici (OR-01), joined by Reps. Earl Blumenauer (OR-03), Val Hoyle (OR-04), and Andrea Salinas (OR-6), and Oregon Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley, urged the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to pause implementation of planned changes to the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). FEMA’s planned changes to NFIP are intended to bring the flood insurance program into compliance with the Endangered Species Act. This process was triggered by the NOAA National Marine Fisheries Services’ (NMFS) 2016 Biological Opinion (BiOp), which recommended restricting floodplain development to protect threatened salmon and steelhead species through its Reasonable and Prudent Alternative (RPA). The request by the lawmakers to delay the implementation follows many conversations with elected leaders, local planners, housing developers, and floodplain managers from across the state who have raised alarms about their lack of ability to comply with the policy because they do not have the time, resources, or technical assistance to successfully implement the changes -especially within the timeline provided by FEMA. “We want to be clear: our concerns with the implementation do not arise from any hesitation about pursuing ambitious, comprehensive policies to protect critical habitat for endangered species,” the members of the Oregon delegation wrote. “It is the role of government to craft and implement responsible policy that follows the science, but it’s also important to fully resource the changes that must be made.” The full text of the letter can be found here and below: Dear Administrator Criswell, We write with significant concerns about the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA’s) planned changes to the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) that FEMA is now beginning to implement in Oregon. Local planners, housing developers, and floodplain managers across the state are scrambling to comply with a policy that they do not have the time, resources, or technical assistance to successfully implement. The implementation process for the Reasonable and Prudent Alternative (RPA) from NOAA National Marine Fisheries Services’ (NMFS) 2016 Biological Opinion (BiOp) must be delayed. We want to be clear: our concerns with the implementation do not arise from any hesitation about pursuing ambitious, comprehensive policies to protect critical habitat for endangered species. It is the role of government to craft and implement responsible policy that follows the science, but it’s also important to fully resource the changes that must be made. Under your leadership, FEMA has sought to make progress on this front, but the current approach to the NFIP in Oregon has prevented meaningful progress. Much of Oregon has been in severe drought for many years and has an urgent need for more water infrastructure. The state must rapidly expand its transmission infrastructure and clean energy generation capacity to keep up with growing demand. Government and industry partners have made great strides toward solutions to each of these issues, but as currently construed, implementation of FEMA’s plan creates a tremendous amount of uncertainty for the success of these efforts. We must be clear about the challenges ahead. The intensity, frequency, and reach of devastating floods will continue to worsen. The work we do today to build stronger, more resilient infrastructure and housing is critical. Spending time on impractical, unattainable plans will come at the expense of future generations of fishers, cattle ranchers, farmers, and timber producers who need to adapt to changing conditions. FEMA should immediately pause its implementation of its Pre-Implementation Compliance Measures (PICMs). Instead of continuing the current plan, FEMA must engage in serious collaborative work with the Oregon Governor’s office and relevant state agencies, Tribal Nations, NMFS, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and representatives of local governments enrolled in the NFIP. Previously selected “cooperating agencies” had opportunities to review and comment on FEMA’s plans, but the current process does not include a requirement for timely responses from FEMA. If local partners are to be meaningfully consulted, this should take place in a format that allows for genuine dialogue. During the nearly decade-long period since NMFS published the BiOp, there was inconsistent communication between FEMA and NOAA. Local governments have raised concerns about the possibility that they would implement code changes based on FEMA’s PICMs, then potentially need to change codes again once a final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) and Implementation Plan are released. We have been and will continue to be constructive partners in this process and will continue to oversee FEMA’s implementation of the NFIP in Oregon. Together, we can prepare Oregon for future flood emergencies, protect and restore endangered salmon, and leave robust fisheries and a healthy environment to our children and generations to come. ###",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-07T22:13:55Z https://bonamici.house.gov/media/press-releases/welch-introduces-bipartisan-bicameral-bill-address-structural-concerns-within,"Welch Introduces Bipartisan, Bicameral Bill to Address Structural Concerns within the Federal Public Defense System",2024-12-13,2024,2024-12,Democrat,House,OR,Suzanne Bonamici,B001278,bonamici.house.gov,bonamici,https://bonamici.house.gov/media/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – This week, U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vt.), the Senate’s only former federal public defender, joined U.S. Representatives Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR-01) and Kelly Armstrong (R-ND-At Large) in introducing the Federal Public Defense Commission Act of 2024, bicameral legislation that would establish a new Federal Public Defense Commission to address current structural concerns within the federal public defense system. The Federal Public Defense Commission would function independently from the Administrative Office of U.S. Courts and oversee federal public defense programs, including the federal defender system and private appointed counsel. This new commission would streamline funding, organization, and leadership of the federal public defender system. Last year, structural issues within this system almost resulted in a nearly 10% workforce cut for federal public defenders before Congress stepped in to address the cuts. Judicial Conference committees have twice concluded that the federal public defense system needs increased independence in order to properly implement the right to counsel as guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution. “As a former public defender, I know just how essential this workforce is to our judicial system and our nation’s democratic values. But structural flaws within the federal public defender system threaten the right to receive fair and equal treatment under the Constitution,” said Senator Welch. “Our bicameral, bipartisan bill will safeguard our public defender workforce to ensure that everyone who walks into a courtroom–whether you’re rich or poor–gets the same quality of legal representation.” “Federal public defenders play an essential role in our criminal justice system, fulfilling the constitutional right to representation for indigent defendants,” said Representative Bonamici. “It is past time to create a Federal Public Defense Commission that will provide high-quality criminal defense services to qualified persons across the country, and establish standards, staffing levels, and procedures for compensation of panel attorneys. I’m grateful to partner with Representative Armstrong and Senator Welch in this bipartisan effort.” The Federal Public Defense Commission Act would: Allow federal public defenders to advocate for their own budgetary, staffing, and physical infrastructure needs directly to Congress without worrying about impacts on or inherent conflicts with the federal Judiciary budget. Grant federal public defenders the ability to control their own policies instead of following those set by the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts. Address structural conflicts by ending the practice of federal judges selecting the heads of federal public defender offices. Create an improved and streamlined system for private appointed attorneys to receive compensation for their work directly through a federal public defense entity. Place an ex-officio federal public defender representative on the U.S. Sentencing Commission, which already has an ex-officio member from the Attorney General’s Office, but no equivalent representative for criminal defendants. The Federal Public Defense Commission Act of 2024 is endorsed by the Due Process Institute, National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (NACDL) and the National Association for Public Defense (NAPD). “The National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (NACDL) strongly supports the Federal Public Defense Commission Act of 2024. Defense independence is a cornerstone of a fair and effective criminal legal system. Despite all its strengths, the federal public defense system cannot be held out as the example of our nation’s commitment to the rule of law, until it meets this first of the ABA’s Ten Principles of a Public Defense Delivery System. The Federal Public Defense Commission Act represents a thoughtful and measured approach that moves public defense closer to full independence while retaining institutional stability. NACDL urges Congress to correct this longstanding flaw in the federal criminal justice system and pass the Federal Public Defense Commission Act,” said Lisa M. Wayne, Executive Director, National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers. Senator Welch has championed fully funding the Federal Defender Services program. Earlier this year, he successfully fought to include additional funding to support the Federal Public Defender program in the appropriations bills for FY2024, which was passed by Congress in late March. This funding helped federal public defenders avoid layoffs and end a hiring freeze. Shortly after the passage of the funding, he took to the Senate Floor to discuss this critical program. This Congress, Senator Welch led every Senate Judiciary Democrat in sending a letter to the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts urging the office to give appropriate consideration to the funding of the Federal Public Defender program in the Office’s budget request for FY2025, which was ultimately a successful effort. Learn more about the Federal Public Defense Commission Act. Read a section-by-section summary of the bill. Read the full text of the bill. ###",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-07T22:13:55Z https://www.wyden.senate.gov/news/press-releases/wyden-merkley-colleagues-call-on-regulators-to-protect-student-borrowers-from-navients-flawed-cancellation-process,"Wyden, Merkley, Colleagues Call on Regulators to Protect Student Borrowers from Navient’s Flawed Cancellation Process",2024-12-13,2024,2024-12,Democrat,Senate,OR,Ron Wyden,W000779,www.wyden.senate.gov,wyden,https://www.wyden.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"Congressional investigation reveals Navient may be improperly denying borrowers relief from predatory student loans Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley today joined Senate colleagues in sending a letter to federal regulators that revealed the results of their investigation into Navient about its cancellation process for the predatory, for-profit student loans in its portfolio and urging the agencies to ensure the student loan servicer is providing borrowers all relief that they are entitled to. In its response to an initial letter from Wyden, Merkley and other lawmakers, Navient agreed to cancel all loans that meet criteria allowing borrowers to raise the same claims and defenses against a loan provider that they could raise against the original seller of the good or service. “Navient has admitted it is responsible for canceling ‘all loans that meet the Holder Rule criteria,’ but the convoluted process the company has set up for defrauded borrowers is flawed and may be improperly denying borrowers relief,” the lawmakers wrote Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) Director Rohit Chopra and Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Chair Lina Khan. “We urge the CFPB and FTC to investigate this matter and act to ensure that Navient is complying with federal law and providing relief to the defrauded borrowers harmed by its misconduct,” the lawmakers wrote. The investigation released today revealed that: Only a fraction of Navient’s borrowers who attended for-profit colleges have been sent school misconduct discharge applications — and Navient denies relief to 80% of those who apply. Navient’s school misconduct discharge application is unnecessarily burdensome and confusing. Navient’s rationales for denials are opaque and its appeals process is insufficient, making it impossible for borrowers to exercise their rights. Navient appears to be making incorrect categorical determinations about which school and loan types are eligible for cancellation. Navient’s misconduct alone provides a basis for loan cancellation—a fact which Navient has repeatedly ignored. The lawmakers pushed Chopra and Khan to take supervisory and enforcement action as appropriate. The letter was led by U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and U.S. Representative Madeleine Dean (D-Pa.). In addition to Wyden and Merkley, the letter was signed by U.S. Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Peter Welch (D-Vt.) and U.S. Representatives Alma Adams (D-N.C.), Greg Casar (D-Texas), Dwight Evans (D-Pa.), Sylvia Garcia (D-Texas), Raúl Grijalva (D-Ariz.), Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.), Barbara Lee (D-Calif.), Summer Lee (D-Pa.), Betty McCollum (D-Minn.), Jim McGovern (D-Mass.), Seth Moulton (D-Mass.), Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), Delia Ramirez (D-Ill.), Jamie Raskin (D-Md.), Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.), Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.), Nikema Williams (D-Ga.), and Frederica Wilson (D-Fla.).",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T19:07:19Z https://www.wyden.senate.gov/news/press-releases/wyden-merkley-molalla-earns-35-million-for-improved-wastewater-treatment,"Wyden, Merkley: Molalla Earns $35 Million for Improved Wastewater Treatment",2024-12-13,2024,2024-12,Democrat,Senate,OR,Ron Wyden,W000779,www.wyden.senate.gov,wyden,https://www.wyden.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"Washington D.C.—U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley today announced that the city of Molalla has secured a $33.25 million loan and a $2 million grant to update its wastewater treatment facility. “Federal investment in modern infrastructure is a must for Oregonians counting on public health and for communities statewide needing to operate efficiently,” Wyden said. “These federal funds achieve both objectives for residents and small businesses in Molalla, and I’ll keep battling for similar opportunities throughout our state.” “As I hold town halls in every corner of Oregon, I often hear deep concerns about aging water infrastructure, especially in rural communities,” Merkley said. “These federal funds will ensure that the city of Molalla can build the wastewater treatment facility they need to protect the health of all community members. I’ll continue to do all I can to?ensure every community in Oregon and across the nation has reliable water sanitation by addressing outdated water infrastructure.”? The federal investment from the U.S. Department of Agriculture will include construction to improve wastewater treatment, and upgrades of the city's wastewater collection system. The federal funds are through the Water and Waste Disposal Loans and Grants program and the Solid Waste Management Grants program.",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T19:07:19Z https://salinas.house.gov/media/press-releases/salinas-wyden-merkley-announce-20-million-confederated-tribes-grand-ronde,"Salinas, Wyden, Merkley Announce $20 Million for Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde Resident Resilience Center",2024-12-12,2024,2024-12,Democrat,House,OR,Andrea Salinas,S001226,salinas.house.gov,salinas,https://salinas.house.gov/media/press-releases,scraper,"Washington, DC — Today, Congresswoman Andrea Salinas (OR-06), along with Oregon's U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley, announced a federal investment of $20 million through the Inflation Reduction Act for the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde to build a safe, accessible shelter that will provide services during extreme weather. Earlier this year, Congresswoman Salinas secured $500,000 in community project funding for the same project. “I am excited to announce new federal funding for the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde in my district,” said Rep. Salinas. “All Oregonians are feeling the effects of climate change, particularly those living in rural and Tribal communities with limited access to housing and services. This resilience center will provide a safe, warm place to shelter during extreme weather and ensure continued access to health, education, and other key services for the Grand Ronde Community. I will continue working with my colleagues to secure critical investments like this one for Oregon’s Sixth District.” “The problems created by the ongoing climate crisis overlap with many issues already threatening Oregonians such as housing and access to essential medical services,” said Sen. Wyden. “This investment for The Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde in both community services and housing for Tribal members is a great example of what I fought for in the Inflation Reduction Act. We need more comprehensive solutions like this, and I will continue to fight for more resources to advance similar projects in Oregon and across the nation. ” “This funding builds on years of work to address the need for a local gathering space in the Grand Ronde community,” said Sen. Merkley. “The Grand Ronde’s new Resident and Recreation Center will be transformative, serving as a place where they can connect, celebrate their culture, and access resources that strengthen their resilience and well-being for generations to come.” The $20 million federal investment is through the Environmental Protection Agency’s Environmental and Climate Justice Block Grant Program, and will be used to build a Resident Resilience Center that will also serve as a center for health, community, education, and wellness. “We are grateful that EPA recognizes the importance of this project and what it means to our Tribal Members and the Grand Ronde community,” said Tribal Council Chairwoman Cheryle A. Kennedy. “This investment ensures that as stewards of the land, the Grand Ronde Tribe will have a safe place to gather and care for our people in the face of increasingly hazardous climate events.” ###",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-07T22:13:55Z https://www.wyden.senate.gov/news/press-releases/wyden-merkley-salinas-announce-20-million-for-confederated-tribes-of-grand-ronde-resident-resilience-center,"Wyden, Merkley, Salinas Announce $20 Million for Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde Resident Resilience Center",2024-12-12,2024,2024-12,Democrat,Senate,OR,Ron Wyden,W000779,www.wyden.senate.gov,wyden,https://www.wyden.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"Washington D.C.—U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley as well as U.S. Rep. Andrea Salinas today announced a federal investment of $20 million through the Inflation Reduction Act for the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde to build a safe, accessible shelter that will provide services during extreme weather. “The problems created by the ongoing climate crisis overlap with many issues already threatening Oregonians such as housing and access to essential medical services,” Wyden said. “This investment for The Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde in both community services and housing for Tribal members is a great example of what I fought for in the Inflation Reduction Act. We need more comprehensive solutions like this, and I will continue to fight for more resources to advance similar projects in Oregon and across the nation. ” “This funding builds on years of work to address the need for a local gathering space in the Grand Ronde community,” said Merkley. “The Grand Ronde’s new Resident and Recreation Center will be transformative, serving as a place where they can connect, celebrate their culture, and access resources that strengthen their resilience and well-being for generations to come.” “I am excited to announce new federal funding for the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde in my district,” said Congresswoman Andrea Salinas (OR-06). “All Oregonians are feeling the effects of climate change, particularly those living in rural and Tribal communities with limited access to housing and services. This resilience center will provide a safe, warm place to shelter during extreme weather and ensure continued access to health, education, and other key services for the Grand Ronde Community. I will continue working with my colleagues to secure critical investments like this one for Oregon’s Sixth District.” The $20 million federal investment is through the Environmental Protection Agency’s Environmental and Climate Justice Block Grant Program, and will be used to build a Resident Resilience Center that will also serve as a center for health, community, education, and wellness. “We are grateful that EPA recognizes the importance of this project and what it means to our Tribal Members and the Grand Ronde community,” said Tribal Council Chairwoman Cheryle A. Kennedy. “This investment ensures that as stewards of the land, the Grand Ronde Tribe will have a safe place to gather and care for our people in the face of increasingly hazardous climate events.” ###",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T19:07:19Z https://www.wyden.senate.gov/news/press-releases/wyden-merkley-announce-2-million-for-warm-springs-affordable-housing,"Wyden, Merkley Announce $2 Million for Warm Springs Affordable Housing",2024-12-11,2024,2024-12,Democrat,Senate,OR,Ron Wyden,W000779,www.wyden.senate.gov,wyden,https://www.wyden.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"Washington D.C.—U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley today announced a federal investment of $2 million for the Warm Springs Housing Authority to build more affordable housing for low- and moderate-income Tribal members. “There is a serious need for more affordable housing across Oregon, but especially in Tribal communities like Warm Springs,” Wyden said. “I applaud this federal investment to address the affordable housing crisis head on, and will continue to fight for more projects like these that tackle the problem directly by getting a roof over people’s heads and a floor under their feet.” “It’s critical that Tribal families have affordable, safe places to live that will foster community and connect them to their land,” said Merkley. “This critical federal housing funding will help address an acute housing shortage in Warm Springs. I will keep working to make sure everyone in our state has the resources they need to thrive and live safe, healthy lives.” The $2 million federal investment is available through the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Indian Community Development Block Grant program, and will be used to build six new single-family homes in a new 45-unit development project in Warm Springs.",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T19:07:19Z https://www.wyden.senate.gov/news/press-releases/wyden-merkley-columbia-gorge-community-college-selected-as-industrial-training-and-assessment-center,"Wyden, Merkley: Columbia Gorge Community College Selected as Industrial Training and Assessment Center",2024-12-11,2024,2024-12,Democrat,Senate,OR,Ron Wyden,W000779,www.wyden.senate.gov,wyden,https://www.wyden.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"Nearly $2 million investment will help the college create clean energy industry opportunities for Oregonians and small businesses Washington D.C.—U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley today announced the selection of Columbia Gorge Community College as a new industrial training and assessment center, which includes a $1.99 million federal investment to help the school develop a dedicated 3D printing training space, curriculum, and manufacturer assistance program. “In my 1,100+ town halls in every nook and cranny of Oregon, I hear about Oregonians’ needs for good career opportunities that don’t demand four-year degrees, and businesses’ needs for a well-trained workforce,” Wyden said. “This new investment and designation for Columbia Gorge Community College helps to solve both challenges by developing a highly skilled clean-energy workforce while also opening up rewarding career possibilities for young Oregonians.” “If we don’t make things in America, we won’t have a middle class in America, and when Oregon’s manufacturing industry does well, all Oregonians benefit,” said Merkley. “By creating a cutting-edge 3D printing training and workforce development hub, Columbia Gorge Community College is equipping students with the expertise and the tools they need to thrive in a rapidly evolving industry. This program helps set a path for students to reach high-paying careers in manufacturing—opportunities they may not see in the traditional classroom setting.” This newly announced industrial training and assessment center will serve as the Northern Oregon hub for hands-on learning opportunities for local students, union apprentices, and current manufacturing workers, all while identifying ways for small and medium-sized manufacturers to reduce their energy bills. “We are grateful to the support of Senators Wyden and Merkley for their ongoing support of technology and education across Oregon -- and in rural communities such as our service area,” said Dr. Jarett Gilbert, Vice President of Instructional Services at the college. “We appreciate the Department of Energy and its Office of Manufacturing and Supply Chains for recognizing the potential value and impact of the Columbia Gorge Regional Additive Manufacturing program to the national economic development initiative. Finally, we look forward to collaborating with our many industry, workforce, and K12 partners to empower learners with portable knowledge, skills, and competencies that will transform their lives, our community, and our region. This investment from the U.S. Department of Energy is part of President Biden’s “Investing in America” agenda to support small businesses and expand access to high-quality jobs that don’t require a four-year degree.",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T19:07:19Z https://www.wyden.senate.gov/news/press-releases/wyden-pge-will-do-everything-possible-to-keep-residential-rate-hikes-below-inflation-rate-beyond-2025,Wyden: PGE Will Do Everything Possible to Keep Residential Rate Hikes Below Inflation Rate Beyond 2025,2024-12-11,2024,2024-12,Democrat,Senate,OR,Ron Wyden,W000779,www.wyden.senate.gov,wyden,https://www.wyden.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Ron Wyden said today he is glad that PGE is focusing on keeping utility rates below the cost of inflation beyond 2025, a concern he’s heard repeatedly from Oregonians in town halls and other settings in the state. “Given that Oregon ratepayers have seen their electric bills go up by more than 40 percent since 2021 and other policies have created hardships for some Oregon families it is vital that we have a shared commitment to do better in the future,” Wyden wrote in a letter today to PGE President and CEO Maria Pope that follows his Nov. 25 letter asking PGE to answer questions about increased rates for Oregon ratepayers. “In an effort to move our exchange forward, I note that we discussed the following,” he wrote, listing the following discussion points of his recent conversation with Pope: · PGE will, beyond 2025, do everything possible to keep residential rate hikes below the rate of inflation. · PGE will take every possible step to ensure that increases in industrial uses do not result in raising electricity rates for residential customers. · PGE will send to me in my capacity as chair of the US Senate Committee on Finance, the multiple ways in which the clean energy tax credits I authored in 2022 have served and can serve to keep electric rates down. · I will engage with Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) and regulators to identify further opportunities to ensure Oregon residential ratepayers have access to the most affordable power possible. The entire letter from today is here. Related Files",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T19:07:19Z https://bonamici.house.gov/media/press-releases/house-sends-water-infrastructure-bill-presidents-desk-60-million-washington,House Sends Water Infrastructure Bill to President’s Desk With $60 million for Washington County Secured by Rep. Bonamici,2024-12-10,2024,2024-12,Democrat,House,OR,Suzanne Bonamici,B001278,bonamici.house.gov,bonamici,https://bonamici.house.gov/media/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, DC [12/10/24] – Today the House sent legislation to President Joe Biden’s desk that authorizes $60 million of funding secured by Representative Suzanne Bonamici (OR-01) for water infrastructure projects in Washington County. The funding is included in the Water Resources Development Act of 2024. The combined $60 million will support the Beaverton North Transmission Line Intertie Project and Willamette Water Supply System Improvement (WWSS) Project. Both projects will make water supply systems in Washington County more seismically resilient and will include the construction of a new water transmission main in Beaverton, a water treatment plant near the city of Sherwood, and a concrete water reservoir on Cooper Mountain. Bonamici previously secured $3 million in Community Project Funding for the WWSS project. “Reliable water infrastructure is critical to the wellbeing of communities,” said Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici. “I’m grateful that Washington County will receive the funding I advocated for to update and upgrade water systems, help the systems withstand an earthquake, and support daily life.” The legislation also includes provisions recommended by Bonamici to support small ports, the Lower Columbia River, and safe dredging in the Columbia River Channel. It also authorizes two Army Corps of Engineers projects to assess the efficacy and cost effectiveness of using green infrastructure, bioswales, and other stormwater management practices to capture and prevent microplastic pollution in waterways, including ports, shorelines, and riverbanks. ###",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-07T22:13:55Z https://www.wyden.senate.gov/news/press-releases/us-senators-wyden-and-crapo-applaud-house-passage-of-their-bipartisan-legislation-honoring-medal-of-honor-recipients,U.S. Senators Wyden and Crapo Applaud House Passage of Their Bipartisan Legislation Honoring Medal of Honor Recipients,2024-12-10,2024,2024-12,Democrat,Senate,OR,Ron Wyden,W000779,www.wyden.senate.gov,wyden,https://www.wyden.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"With President Biden’s signature, the longest U.S. highway will be designated as the “National Medal of Honor Highway” Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Mike Crapo today applauded the U.S. House passage of their bipartisan legislation designating U.S. Highway 20 between Newport, Ore. and New England as the “National Medal of Honor Highway.” ""Our veterans in Oregon and throughout America deserve every honor we can bestow on them for their brave service to our nation,” Wyden said. “I’m gratified our country's longest continuous highway, stretching from the Pacific to the Atlantic, will be designated as the ‘National Medal of Honor Highway,’ standing as a timeless tribute to the heroes of Oregon and America who helped make this grassroots movement a reality.” “Idaho’s veterans enrich our communities through service past and present. Medal of Honor recipients have acted well beyond the call of duty, and many continue to do so long after they leave military service. This 3,000-mile recognition ensures all Medal of Honor recipients are honored across 12 states for many years to come,” Crapo said. The bill, introduced by Wyden (D-OR) and Crapo (R-ID) , passed the Senate in December 2023. The House passed the bill this week with overwhelming bipartisan support. It now awaits President Biden’s signature to become law. The Medal of Honor is the nation’s highest military award for valor, presented by the President in Congress’ name. U.S. service members who distinguish themselves “through conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of life above and beyond the call of duty” can receive the medal. Legislatures and governors in all 12 states along U.S. Highway 20 have designated their state Medal of Honor Highways covering 100 percent of the 3,365-mile Medal of Honor Highway across America. The 12 states along U.S. Highway 20 account for about 62 percent of all 3,516 Medal of Honor awards presented since the Civil War. Designating U.S. Highway 20 as the “National Medal of Honor Highway'' ensures all 3,516 recipients and any future recipients from all 50 states and territories are honored. The House bill, led by U.S. Representative Mike Kelly (R-PA), was co-sponsored by Representatives Val Hoyle (D-OR-4), Andrea Salinas (D-OR-6), Cliff Bentz (R-OR-2), Lori Chavez DeRemer (R-OR-5], Brian Higgins (D-NY-26),Richard Neal (D-MA-1), Claudia Tenney (R-NY-24), Marcy Kaptur (D-OH); Jim Banks (R-IN-3), Don Bacon (R-NE-2), Mike Flood (R-NE-1), Adrian Smith (R-NE-3) and Chris Pappas (D-NH-1). The legislation is supported by the Bend Heroes Foundation, Military Officers Association of America, The American Legion, Legion of Valor, Military Order of the Purple Heart, Vietnam Veterans of America, Medal of Honor Historical Society of the United States, Veterans of Foreign Wars, and the Congressional Medal of Honor Society. “As the 6 year project manager of the National Medal of Honor Highway across America on U.S. Hwy 20, I thank Oregon Senator Ron Wyden for his outstanding leadership resulting in today’s House of Representatives passage of the National Medal of Honor Highway designation,” said Dick Tobiason, LTC US Army Retired, Chairman, Bend Heroes Foundation. “I am proud the project was launched in Oregon and Oregon’s federal legislators trusted me by sponsoring and cosponsoring legislation in the Senate (S.1478) and House of Representatives (H.R. 3149). And, I also thank my Project Team of 12 state Medal of Honor Highway managers and the national veterans groups who supported the coast to coast National Medal of Honor Highway along our nation’s longest highway honoring the bravest of the brave veterans who acted with conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty at the risk of life earning the Medal of Honor award - our country’s highest award for valor during combat. Enactment of the legislation with President Biden’s signature fulfills my promise to the late WWII Medal of Honor recipient Robert D. “Bob” Maxwell, Director, Bend Heroes Foundation to honor all of our nation’s 3,519 recipients and all future recipients.”",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T19:07:19Z https://www.wyden.senate.gov/news/press-releases/wyden-calls-for-passage-of-press-act,Wyden Calls for Passage of PRESS Act,2024-12-10,2024,2024-12,Democrat,Senate,OR,Ron Wyden,W000779,www.wyden.senate.gov,wyden,https://www.wyden.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"Watch a video of Wyden deliver his remarks here As prepared for delivery In a moment, I will ask for unanimous consent to pass my bipartisan bill, the PRESS Act. I want to explain why this is such an important and bipartisan issue. The PRESS Act is written to complement the First Amendment’s Constitutional protection for journalists, by ensuring they can do their jobs without unneeded government interference. Our bipartisan bill shields journalists from being forced by courts to disclose their sources, or information provided by their sources, with key exceptions for national security and other critical matters. My bill also does not otherwise limit the government’s ability to pursue leakers. This is such a commonsense proposition that nearly every state in the nation has some form of reporters’ shield law on the books. Democratic and Republican state legislatures alike have found value in preserving the free flow of information and codifying these fundamental freedoms. My bill with Senator Lee would finally ensure that these protections make it to the federal level. This is a bill that passed the House by voice vote earlier this year and has the support of both Chair Durbin and Ranking Member Graham on the Senate Judiciary Committee. Not only that, our bill has been endorsed by folks from across the political spectrum, including Fox News and Tucker Carlson. I can’t think of much that’s more bipartisan than that. Past administrations, both Democratic and Republican, have exploited the lack of a federal shield law to curtail the freedom of the press and in some cases even jailed journalists who refused to violate their journalistic ethics and reveal their sources. It is long overdue for the Senate to take action to stop these abuses. My substitute amendment that I put together with Senator Lee addresses feedback we received from the Department of Justice and adds some key national security exceptions, such as for Section 702 surveillance and threats to critical infrastructure, and ensures that the federal government can respond quickly in cases that require exigency. My father was a reporter. He taught me that a journalist’s job is to ask tough questions every single day. Reporters can’t ask tough questions about the government if they’re being spied on, and without a strong, independent press our whole democratic system is at risk. The time is now to pass the PRESS Act. ###",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T19:07:19Z https://www.wyden.senate.gov/news/press-releases/wyden-reintroduces-cbo-fair-scoring-act,Wyden Reintroduces CBO FAIR Scoring Act,2024-12-10,2024,2024-12,Democrat,Senate,OR,Ron Wyden,W000779,www.wyden.senate.gov,wyden,https://www.wyden.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"Members of Congress would be able to formally consider how bills affect people of all socioeconomic backgrounds, while designing policies that better advance racial and economic equity Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Ron Wyden said today he has joined colleagues to reintroduce legislation that would provide policymakers with standardized data about the effects of their policies across race and income groups. “With the wealth gap in America only growing wider across race and income, it is imperative that lawmakers understand the true impacts of new policies,” Wyden said. “This bill will ensure that lawmakers have the data needed to help create a more just and equitable future for Oregonians and people nationwide.” The law requires the Congressional Budget Office to produce a formal cost estimate – describing how a legislative proposal would affect the federal budget over a 10-year window – for nearly every bill approved by a full committee in the House or Senate. While these cost estimates provide insight into a bill's fiscal impact, lawmakers have limited information about the impacts across racial and income groups. The lack of reliable information about the potential socioeconomic effects of legislation inhibits the understanding of how policies would worsen or improve income gaps and racial disparities. It also undermines lawmakers’ ability to design effective policies that address racial and income inequality and support vulnerable communities. The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) Fiscal Analysis by Income and Race (FAIR) Scoring Act would: Require the CBO to estimate impacts by race and income – in dollar terms and as a percent change in after-tax-and-transfer-income – for bills that have a gross budgetary effect of at least 0.1% of GDP in any fiscal year within the 10-year budget window; Require the CBO to provide such scores to relevant congressional committees before the bills are reported to the floor, to the extent possible; Require the CBO to prepare a report describing possible methods for conducting analyses by gender to strengthen CBO’s capacity to conduct analyses of the interaction between race and gender. The CBO FAIR Scoring Act has been endorsed by The Washington Center for Equitable Growth, Our Revolution, Indivisible, Coalition on Human Needs. In addition to Wyden, Senators Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., and Michael Bennet, D-Colo., along with Representatives Ro Khanna, D-Calif., and Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., reintroduced the legislation.",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T19:07:19Z https://www.wyden.senate.gov/news/press-releases/wyden-releases-draft-legislation-to-secure-us-phone-networks-following-salt-typhoon-hack,Wyden Releases Draft Legislation to Secure U.S. Phone Networks Following Salt Typhoon Hack,2024-12-10,2024,2024-12,Democrat,Senate,OR,Ron Wyden,W000779,www.wyden.senate.gov,wyden,https://www.wyden.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"Secure American Communications Act Demands the FCC Issue Cybersecurity Regulations Required by Federal Law; Wyden Urges Senate to Pass Three Bills to Finally Protect U.S. Communications Against Foreign Hackers and Spies Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., released a draft bill to secure U.S. phone and wireless networks, following the massive breach of the American telecommunications system by Chinese-government hackers. Wyden’s Secure American Communications Act requires the Federal Communications Commission to fix its own failure to fully implement telecom security requirements already required by federal law. In 1994, Congress required telecom providers to design their systems to permit the government to obtain communications and call-identifying information with a court order or other lawful authorization. That law required providers to secure their systems from unauthorized interceptions, and gave the FCC the authority to issue regulations to implement this requirement. However, in the years since, the FCC has never fully implemented this provision. “It was inevitable that foreign hackers would burrow deep into the American communications system the moment the FCC decided to let phone companies write their own cybersecurity rules,” Wyden said. “Telecom companies and federal regulators were asleep on the job and as a result, Americans’ calls, messages, and phone records have been accessed by foreign spies intent on undermining our national security. Congress needs to step up and pass mandatory security rules to finally secure our telecom system against an infestation of hackers and spies.” Donald Trump, JD Vance and a host of other high-ranking officials were reportedly targeted as part of the hacking campaign. Call records, real-time phone calls and personal communications were all reportedly accessed as part of the hack. The Secure American Communications Act is one of three proposals Wyden has released to shore up vulnerable American communications networks. Earlier this year, Wyden released legislation requiring the government to adopt secure communications software, which would have shielded officials’ texts and calls despite the phone network breach. He has also proposed bipartisan legislation to block the export of Americans’ personal information to unfriendly nations, making it more difficult for foreign spies to target Americans for hacking and spying. “When the FBI and CISA warn consumers that they should use encrypted messaging apps to prevent hackers from accessing the content of their texts because of a massive incursion by Chinese hackers into U.S. telecommunications networks, it is past time to ensure that those networks are secure,” said Justin Brookman, Director of Technology Policy for Consumer Reports. “Consumer Reports supports the Secure American Communications Act and believes it is a good first step in securing the communications networks that American consumers rely upon every day.” ""The Salt Typhoon attack exposed huge vulnerabilities in our nation’s telecommunications infrastructure, but these problems were not a surprise. Much needs to be done to strengthen cybersecurity at telecom companies. The Secure American Communications Act is an important piece of securing our nation’s communications systems and EPIC is happy to support this legislation,"" said Caitriona Fitzgerald, Deputy Director of Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC). The Secure American Communications Act would require the FCC to finally issue binding cybersecurity rules for telecommunications systems, including requiring telecom carriers to: Implement specific cybersecurity requirements as designed by the FCC, in consultation with the Director of CISA and the Director of National Intelligence, to prevent unauthorized interceptions by any person or entity, including by an advanced persistent threat (APT). Conduct annual testing to evaluate whether their systems are susceptible to unauthorized interceptions by any person or entity, including by an advanced persistent threat; take such corrective measures as indicated by the test; and document the findings and all corrective measures taken in response. Contract with an independent auditor to conduct an annual assessment of compliance with FCC cybersecurity rules; and document the audit findings, including areas of noncompliance. Submit annually to the FCC: the documentation from annual tests and audits. a written statement signed by the CEO and CISO (or equivalent) stating that the telecom carrier is in compliance with FCC cybersecurity rules. View the one-pager here. View the draft bill here. ###",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T19:07:19Z https://www.wyden.senate.gov/news/press-releases/wyden-statement-on-judge-issuing-temporary-injunction-in-kroger-albertsons-merger,Wyden Statement on Judge Issuing Temporary Injunction in Kroger-Albertsons Merger,2024-12-10,2024,2024-12,Democrat,Senate,OR,Ron Wyden,W000779,www.wyden.senate.gov,wyden,https://www.wyden.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Ron Wyden today issued the following statement in response to today’s news of a federal judge halting the proposed Kroger-Albertsons merger:",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T19:07:19Z https://www.wyden.senate.gov/news/press-releases/wyden_warren-sanders-whitehouse-renew-push-to-protect-americans-sensitive-data-from-greedy-brokers,"Wyden, Warren, Sanders, Whitehouse Renew Push to Protect Americans’ Sensitive Data From Greedy Brokers",2024-12-10,2024,2024-12,Democrat,Senate,OR,Ron Wyden,W000779,www.wyden.senate.gov,wyden,https://www.wyden.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) said today they have reintroduced legislation banning data brokers from selling Americans’ sensitive personal information. Data gathered by brokers has been used to circumvent the Fourth Amendment, out LGBTQ+ Americans, and stalk and harass individuals. Recently, some brokers have been caught selling the cellphone-based location data of people visiting abortion clinics, risking the safety and security of women seeking basic health care. The $200 billion industry is largely unregulated by federal law. Data brokers gather personal data, such as location data from weather or prayer apps, often without consumers’ consent or knowledge. Brokers sell this data in bulk to virtually any willing buyer, reaping massive profits. These predatory and invasive practices pose real dangers to Americans’ privacy and safety. “The ability to buy the information of women who visit abortion clinics and track them back to their homes is everything a repressive right-wing prosecutor could dream of,” Wyden said. “This isn’t hypothetical either: far-right activists have already paid data brokers to target women who visit abortion clinics on their personal electronic devices with misinformation about their reproductive choices. It’s high time for Congress to put privacy first and crack down on the shady data brokers who are selling sensitive personal data to make a quick buck.” “Data brokers are raking in giant profits from selling Americans’ most private information – even location tracking data from visits to clinics for reproductive care,” Warren said. “As Republicans ramp up efforts to criminalize abortion, it’s more important than ever to crack down on greedy data brokers and protect Americans’ privacy.” The Health and Location Data Protection Act would: Ban data brokers from selling or transferring health and location data and require the Federal Trade Commission to promulgate rules to implement the law within 180 days, while making exceptions for HIPAA-compliant activities, protected First Amendment speech, and validly authorized disclosures. Ensure robust enforcement of the bill’s provisions by empowering the FTC, state attorneys general, and injured persons to sue to enforce the provisions of the law. Provide $1 billion to the FTC over the next decade to carry out its work, including enforcement of this law. Text of the bill is here.",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T19:07:19Z https://www.wyden.senate.gov/news/press-releases/wyden-merkley-hoyle-announce-nearly-25-million-to-oregon-state-university-for-marine-energy-research,"Wyden, Merkley, Hoyle Announce Nearly $2.5 Million to Oregon State University for Marine Energy Research",2024-12-09,2024,2024-12,Democrat,Senate,OR,Ron Wyden,W000779,www.wyden.senate.gov,wyden,https://www.wyden.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"Washington D.C.—U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley with U.S. Representative Val Hoyle today announced a federal investment of nearly $2.5 million for Oregon State University to develop and test marine energy devices that are key in the climate crisis battle. “There is huge potential to build an even stronger tool in the fight against the ongoing climate crisis with the development of marine energy technology right here in our state with the world-class researchers at OSU,” Wyden said. “While there is much more work to be done to fine-tune marine energy projects, I will continue to support research to develop renewable energy projects that generate jobs and climate gains alike.” ""Oregon State University is at the forefront of harnessing the power of our oceans to drive clean energy innovation,” said Merkley. ""These federal investments will advance several projects at OSU for groundbreaking research in marine energy technologies, helping to unlock the immense potential of our coastal resources. By turning the movement of waves into renewable energy, these projects will strengthen Oregon's role in fighting climate chaos."" “These funds will help Oregon State University researchers make progress on developing marine energy technology, which could be a key tool to address climate change,” Representative Hoyle said. “We need a wide variety of energy sources to make sure clean power remains affordable and reliable. OSU is leading the way by testing marine energy devices right here in Oregon’s Fourth Congressional District.” The $2.49 million federal investment through the U.S. Department of Energy will be used to identify new forms of marine energy, and to generate publicly available data and test platforms to increase efficiency of marine energy devices. “These financial resources from the US Department of Energy Water Power Technologies Office, and the associated support from the Oregon delegation, are necessary to continue building the next generation of offshore wave energy technologies and environmental monitoring capacity while working with communities and regional groups to ensure fairness in process and outcomes. With this funding Oregon State University and the Pacific Marine Energy Center will be able to continue our long heritage of developing homegrown talent to develop technology solutions, create new companies, and fill good renewable energy jobs across the USA,” said Dr. Bryson Robertson, Director of the Pacific Marine Energy Center at Oregon State University.",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T19:07:19Z https://www.wyden.senate.gov/news/press-releases/senate-passes-bipartisan-wyden-resolution-condemning-the-persecution-of-bahais-by-the-iranian-government,Senate Passes Bipartisan Wyden Resolution Condemning the Persecution of Baha’is by the Iranian Government,2024-12-06,2024,2024-12,Democrat,Senate,OR,Ron Wyden,W000779,www.wyden.senate.gov,wyden,https://www.wyden.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"Resolution calls on Iran to End its Reprehensible Treatment of Baha’is, Urges the Biden Administration to Push for Release of Religious Prisoners and Sanction Individuals Responsible for Carrying out Human Rights Violations Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., applauded the passage of his bipartisan resolution to acknowledge the religious persecution of the Baha’i community in Iran, and to call for the U.S. government to take action against those responsible. “The Iranian government’s long history of harassing, dehumanizing, and persecuting the Baha’i community in all forms is only getting longer, and worse. I’m proud the Senate took a stand and said today that Iran’s heinous treatment of the Baha’is is unacceptable and demands a response from the U.S. government,” Wyden said. “I won’t stop calling for action until the Baha’is in Iran can practice their religion freely, safely, and without fear.” The Iranian Baha'i community is the largest religious minority in Iran with membership of more than 300,000 people. Unlike some other religious minorities such as Christians, Jews and Zoroastrians, Iran's Baha'is have never been recognized by their government and are often persecuted by the Iranian regime. The regime often seizes personal property, denies Baha'is access to education and employment opportunities, and detains or imprisons Baha'is based solely on their religious beliefs. This resolution denounces Iran’s state-sponsored persecution of its Baha’i minority and continued violation of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. The resolution calls for the immediate release of imprisoned and detained Baha’is held solely on account of their religion and for an end to the state-sponsored campaign of hate propaganda against the Bahai’s. Additionally, the resolution encourages President Joe Biden and the Secretary of State to condemn Iran’s continued violation of human rights and impose sanctions on Iranian Government officials responsible for such abuses. Since 2009, Wyden has led a Senate resolution acknowledging the plight of the Baha’i community in Iran. The resolution is cosponsored by U.S. Senators Marco Rubio, R-Fla., Dick Durbin, D-Ill., John Boozman, R-Ark., Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I., Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., John Hickenlooper, D-Colo., Jacky Rosen, D-Nev., Mazie Hirono, D-Hawaii, Kyrsten Sinema, I-Ariz., Ben Cardin, D-Md., Jeanne Shaheen, N.H., Raphael Warnock, D-Ga., Maggie Hassan, D-N.H., Chris Murphy, D-Conn., Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., Tim Kaine, D-Va., Chris Coons, D-Del., Peter Welch, D-Vt., Mike Braun, R-Ind., Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., Deb Fischer. R-Neb., Susan Collins, R-Maine, Tammy Baldwin, D-Wis., Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., Alex Padilla, D-Calif., James Lankford, R-Okla., Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., Cory Booker, D-N.J., Jon Ossoff, D-Ga., John Hoeven, R-N.D., Laphonza Butler, D-Calif., Catherine Cortez Masto, D-Nev., Mike Crapo, R-Idaho, and Jack Reed, D-R.I. The text of the resolution is here. ###",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T19:07:19Z https://www.wyden.senate.gov/news/press-releases/wyden-introduces-bill-to-make-health-care-apprenticeship-programs-more-accessible-to-address-labor-shortage,Wyden Introduces Bill to Make Health Care Apprenticeship Programs More Accessible to Address Labor Shortage,2024-12-06,2024,2024-12,Democrat,Senate,OR,Ron Wyden,W000779,www.wyden.senate.gov,wyden,https://www.wyden.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"The American Hospital Association reported that America will face a shortage of approximately 100,000 critical health care workers by 2028 Washington, D.C. — As America faces nationwide health care worker shortages, U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., introduced a bill that would make it easier for health care employers to create new registered apprenticeship programs to train the next generation of health professionals. “America is desperate for more health care providers after the burnout of the COVID-19 pandemic,” Wyden said. “Apprenticeship programs are instrumental in getting new workers a foot in the door by giving them the hands-on experience they need in a clinical setting. Right now, labor agencies aren’t reviewing applications for new programs with the urgency this crisis demands. Expediting the process will create more opportunities for talented people to enter the medical field.” Under the Department of Labor’s Healthcare Apprenticeships, there are programs for people aspiring to be medical assistants, dental assistants, pharmacy technicians, behavioral health paraprofessionals, registered nurses and home health aides, among other critical providers delivering high quality care to patients nationwide. Wyden’s Fast Track Apprenticeship Act would update and accelerate federal and state labor agencies’ healthcare apprenticeship application process by: Requiring federal and state labor agencies to make determinations on health care apprenticeship applications within 45 days of receipt. Requiring the Department of Labor to digitize apprenticeship agreement forms, modernize the application process and enhance accessibility for applicants. “The Hospital Association of Oregon appreciates Senator Wyden’s efforts to grow the health care workforce by reducing barriers to establishing apprenticeship programs. When planning for our hospitals’ workforce pipelines, apprenticeships are an option that can increase diversity and allow workers to live and work in their communities while receiving their training. To mitigate the capacity challenges and prevent future crises — both for the workforce and for patients — there must be intentional efforts to develop innovative solutions, which should include apprenticeships,” wrote Becky Hultberg, President & CEO of the Hospital Association of Oregon. Senator Wyden has been a strong advocate in the Senate for addressing the health care workforce shortage. In August, Wyden introduced bipartisan legislation to provide federal support for community-led education and training for health care workers in rural and underserved communities. In October, he urged the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to finance, support and expand the availability of addiction medicine specialists. In May, Wyden released proposals to expand and improve the distribution of Medicare-supported residency programs to rural areas and specialties in shortage. The bill text is here. A one-page summary is here. ###",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T19:07:19Z https://www.wyden.senate.gov/news/press-releases/wyden-merkley-call-on-department-of-education-to-discharge-loans-for-defrauded-borrowers,"Wyden, Merkley Call on Department of Education to Discharge Loans for Defrauded Borrowers",2024-12-06,2024,2024-12,Democrat,Senate,OR,Ron Wyden,W000779,www.wyden.senate.gov,wyden,https://www.wyden.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley said today they have joined with lawmakers from the Senate and House to urge the Department of Education to discharge student loan debt for hundreds of thousands of students in Oregon and nationwide defrauded by predatory schools. During the first Trump administration, defrauded borrowers’ applications for debt relief were left to languish for years, and if reviewed, were often denied. In their letter, the lawmakers called for the Department to use its authority to immediately discharge debt. Since 2022, the Department has announced group discharges for more than 1.2 million individuals who attended schools that engaged in documented fraud and misconduct, including ITT Technical Institute and Corinthian Colleges. Yet, hundreds of thousands of borrowers are still awaiting their discharges. Many additional borrowers are eligible for borrower defense group discharge because they attended schools for which the Department possesses evidence of fraud and misconduct; 400,000 borrowers have submitted individual applications for borrower defense discharges that the Department has yet to process. In the letter to the Department of Education, the lawmakers wrote, “The Biden administration has demonstrated a commitment to supporting student borrowers and mitigating the devastating impact of student loan debt, including issuing targeted debt relief to hundreds of thousands of borrowers defrauded by predatory higher education institutions.” The lawmakers continued, “We urge the Department of Education to follow through on its commitment by immediately processing debt discharges for borrowers already approved for relief; issuing additional discharges for students who attended institutions with documented histories of predatory practices; and processing any outstanding borrower defense applications.” In addition to Senators Edward J. Markey, D-Mass., and Dick Durbin, D-Ill., who led the letter, the letter was cosigned along with by Wyden and Merkley, as well as Senators Tina Smith, D-Minn., Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., Tim Kaine, D-Va., Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii, Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., Peter Welch, D-Vt., Raphael Warnock, D-Ga., Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., Laphonza Butler, D-Calif., Christopher S. Murphy, D-Conn., and Ben Ray Lujan, D-N.M. In addition to Representative Maxine Waters, D-Calif., who led the letter in the House, the letter was cosigned by Reps. André Carson, D-Ind., Danny K. Davis, D-Ill., Robin L. Kelly, D-Ill., Jan Schakowsk, D-Ill., Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., Joe Courtney, D-Conn., Adriano Espaillat, D-N.Y., Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., Julia Brownley, D-Calif., Erica Lee Carter, D-Texas, Gwen S. Moore, D-Wis., Barbara Lee, D-Calif., Joaquin Castro, D-Texas, Mary Gay Scanlon, D-Pa., Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., Bennie G. Thompson, D-Miss., Alma S. Adams Ph.D., D-N.C., Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, D-Fla., Rosa L. DeLauro, D-Conn., Ritchie Torres, D-N.Y., Cori Bush, D-Mo., Debbie Dingell, D-Mich., Greg Casar, D-Texas, Mark Takano, D-Calif., Dan Goldman, D-N.Y., Mark DeSaulnier, D-Calif., Ayanna Pressley, D-Mass., Delia C. Ramirez, D-Ill., Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., Jerrold Nadler, D-N.Y., Nydia M. Velázquez, D-N.Y., Salud Carbajal, D-Calif., John B. Larson, D-Conn., Lucy McBath, D-Ga., Jesús G. “Chuy” García, D-Ill., Summer L. Lee, D-Pa., Yvette D. Clarke, D-N.Y., Al Green, D-Texas, Lauren Underwood, D-Ill., Dwight Evans, D-Pa., Frederica S. Wilson, D-Fla., Hank Johnson, D-Ga., Suzanne Bonamici, D-Ore., Jamaal Bowman, D-N.Y., LaMonica McIver, D-N.J., Raúl M. Grijalva, D-Ariz., Adam Smith, D-Wash., Sylvia R. Garcia, D-Texas, Nanette Diaz Barragán, D-Calif., Joyce Beatty, D-Ohio, Shri Thanedar, D-Mich., Jennifer L. McClellan, D-Va., Sean Casten, D-Ill., Grace Meng, D-N.Y., Jimmy Gomez, D-Calif., Nikema Williams, D-Ga., and Robert Garcia, D-Calif.",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T19:07:19Z https://www.wyden.senate.gov/news/press-releases/merkley-wyden-announce-over-10-million-for-critical-conservation-and-restoration-projects-in-oregon,"Merkley, Wyden Announce Over $10 Million for Critical Conservation and Restoration Projects in Oregon",2024-12-05,2024,2024-12,Democrat,Senate,OR,Ron Wyden,W000779,www.wyden.senate.gov,wyden,https://www.wyden.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"Washington, D.C. – Oregon’s U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden announced today a total of $10,105,326 in funding from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF)’s America the Beautiful Challenge for four projects that will boost essential ecosystem conservation and restoration efforts in the state. “Our delicate ecosystems, waterways, and wildlife are the lifeblood of the Pacific Northwest, and we need to do everything we can to protect them as climate chaos threatens permanent habitat loss,” said Merkley, who secured the federal funding as Chair of the Senate Interior-Environment Appropriations Subcommittee. “Groups and communities across Oregon are stepping up collaborative efforts to help strengthen our lands and waters, and I am excited to see how they will use these investments to ensure healthier, more resilient natural resources for generations to come.” “Protecting and restoring Oregon’s natural treasures doesn’t happen by osmosis – it happens with community commitment supported by federal investments just like these,” said Wyden. “I’m gratified that America’s most beautiful state bar none has earned these America the Beautiful resources that will help our waterways, watersheds and wildlife to keep thriving while also aiding the fight against wildfires.” Today’s investments are part of $122.4 million recently awarded by the NFWF’s America the Beautiful Challenge for 61 new voluntary conservation and restoration projects around the country this year, which include work to restore acres of wetland habitat, open streams for fish passage, plant thousands of trees, and improve wildfire resilience. Details of the projects in Oregon from this major NFWF investment are as follows: $4.5 million for the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife to create a network of 2,171 acres of oak and prairie habitat by restoring 22 protected sites in the Willamette River Basin across Tribal, private, and public lands. The project is expected to develop a stronger local conservation workforce, incorporate Traditional Ecological Knowledge, increase access for Tribal members to culturally significant areas, and increase restoration of Tribal subsistence resources. $3.5 million for the Crook County Soil and Water Conservation District on behalf of the Prineville Sage-Grouse Local Implementation Team to enhance core sagebrush ecosystems in Oregon. This restoration work will benefit sage-grouse, pronghorn, and other desert species. Expected activities will include treating over 13,000-thousand acres of encroaching western juniper and applying herbicide to 7,000 acres of invasive annual grasses, developing a local native seed supply inventory on over 100,000 acres, and addressing grazing infrastructure to improve grazing management while reducing impacts on wildlife. The project was developed using a collaborative process that engaged private landowners, conservation groups, and government agencies to prioritize treatments based on ecological and social conditions to maximize the impact of restoration efforts and address threats to sagebrush ecosystems on a landscape scale. $1.5 million for the McKenzie Watershed Alliance to restore 335 acres of floodplain and wetland habitat on the South Fork McKenzie River by redistributing sediments and placing more than 7,000 pieces of large woody material. The project is expected to reconnect 240 acres of historic channel-wetland complex, increasing ecosystem resilience to flooding and wildfire, and creating high-quality habitat for at-risk native species, including spring Chinook salmon, bull trout, Pacific lamprey, and northwestern pond turtle. $605,326 for Heart of Oregon Corps to enhance watershed health and reduce wildfire risk in the Deschutes Basin through conservation projects completed by local youth crews. The project will engage youth in hands-on restoration work to improve 443 acres of habitat, treat 211 acres for fuels reduction, and restore 12 miles of riparian and instream habitat in the Deschutes National Forest, Ochoco National Forest, and Crooked River National Grassland while providing skills training and career development. “The Prineville Local Implementation Team is excited to have funding to implement our shared vision of healthy rangelands to support wildlife and rural economies. In a national contest for limited funds, we are thrilled that the funders understood the importance of this fragile and unique landscape. We look forward to working with the Prineville Team to make these lands more resilient in the face of large fires and long droughts,” said Andy Gallagher, District Manager of the Crook County Soil and Water Conservation District. “The McKenzie Watershed Alliance is overjoyed to accept an $1.5 million funding award from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation’s America the Beautiful Challenge on behalf of local partners including the Eugene Water & Electric Board, McKenzie River Trust, and the US Forest Service. The funding award will support a large-scale watershed restoration project designed to reconnect 240 acres of floodplain habitat to the South Fork McKenzie River, creating diverse habitat for endangered spring Chinook salmon and other at-risk species. Restoration is planned for 2026 and will expand on two previously implemented restoration projects completed on the South Fork McKenzie River covering an additional 200 acres. The 2026 project is an important step toward restoring natural function and high quality habitat to our local rivers in the Upper Willamette River basin,” said Jared Weybright, Executive Director of the McKenzie Watershed Alliance. “Local corps provides a “win-win” solution for pressing ecological needs on National Forest System lands and the pressing needs of the emerging workforce. Local youth and young adults are engaged in 21st century workforce training while conserving and protecting beloved habitats in their own backyards. Heart of Oregon Corps is thrilled to partner with the Ochoco and Deschutes National Forests and Crooked River National Grassland with this National Fish and Wildlife Foundation funding—a multi-year effort to protect watersheds and reduce fire risk while training tomorrow’s workforce today,” said Laura Handy, Executive Director of Heart of Oregon Corps. ###",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T19:07:19Z https://www.wyden.senate.gov/news/press-releases/news-release_--united-states-senate-for-immediate-release-december-5-2024-contact-molly-prescott-merkley--971-203-6027-contact-hanksternwyden--503-326-7539--merkley-wyden-hoyle-announce-fema-funding-for-earthquake-resilience-in-lane-county,"Merkley, Wyden, Hoyle Announce FEMA Funding for Earthquake Resilience in Lane County",2024-12-05,2024,2024-12,Democrat,Senate,OR,Ron Wyden,W000779,www.wyden.senate.gov,wyden,https://www.wyden.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"Washington, D.C. – Oregon’s U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden along with U.S. Representative Val Hoyle announced today that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is sending a total of $1,758,536 to fund Lane County’s project to seismically retrofit the Hayden Bridge, a pedestrian bridge in northeast Springfield. “As I hold a town hall in each of Oregon’s 36 counties every year, I hear firsthand from folks about what matters most to them, including ensuring our communities are prepared should disasters strike,” Merkley said. “Making retrofits to the Hayden Bridge will make the region more resilient by providing safe travel routes in the event of a major earthquake.” “Keeping Oregonians safe if a big earthquake strikes demands solid infrastructure that in turn requires federal investment,” Wyden said. “I’m glad this pedestrian bridge has secured these federal funds that will help achieve that goal in Lane County, and I’ll keep battling for similar disaster preparation resources for communities across our state.” ""This last year has shown us the value of being prepared when disasters strike,” Hoyle said. “This investment will provide upgrades to Hayden Bridge making it safer for the people of Springfield. I want to thank Senators Merkley and Wyden for their advocacy to ensure Springfield is more resilient when disaster strikes."" These investments will help the Lane County communities of Marcola and Springfield stay connected in emergency situations, as the Hayden Bridge is the primary pedestrian passage route between the two towns. The retrofit is designed to withstand a magnitude 9.0 Cascadia Subduction Zone earthquake, which will help ensure the bridge can continue to be a lifeline for the communities during the aftermath and recovery from a major earthquake. “We have experienced four federally declared disasters in the last five years,” said Lane County Board of Commissioners Vice Chair David Loveall. “We must continue to be proactive about making improvements to infrastructure – roads, bridges and buildings – so they can continue serve the community no matter what happens. This federal funding will allow us to make major seismic upgrades to Hayden Bridge in northeast Springfield to help protect access to the Mohawk River Valley and its residents in the event of a major earthquake and continue to make sure there are dependable routes to emergency services in those times of crisis.” ###",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T19:07:19Z https://www.wyden.senate.gov/news/press-releases/wyden-colleagues-introduce-bipartisan-legislation_to-promote-free-speech-crack-down-on-frivolous-strategic-lawsuits-against-public-participation,"Wyden, Colleagues Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Promote Free Speech, Crack Down on Frivolous “Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation”",2024-12-05,2024,2024-12,Democrat,Senate,OR,Ron Wyden,W000779,www.wyden.senate.gov,wyden,https://www.wyden.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., today introduced the Free Speech Protection Act, bipartisan legislation to protect individuals and organizations from frivolous lawsuits designed to chill free speech and political action. Representatives Jamie Raskin, D-Md., and Kevin Kiley, R-Calif., led companion legislation in the House. Corporations and special interests have used strategic lawsuits against public participation, or “SLAPPs,” since the 1980s to target their opponents with burdensome litigation. While many such suits often prove meritless, they are nonetheless effective at silencing, intimidating, and discouraging dissent. “The rich and powerful are all too willing to use the legal system to bludgeon reporters, activists and whistleblowers with expensive lawsuits, even if the claims have no merit,” Wyden said. “I’m proud to lead the Free Speech Protection Act in the Senate and work with Representatives Raskin and Kiley to advance the proposition that federal judges should be able to end frivolous lawsuits and protect free speech from abusive legal threats.” “Goliath triumphs over David in our justice system when powerful special interests can silence their critics with frivolous strategic lawsuits against public participation, or ‘SLAPPs,’” Raskin said. “Our Free Speech Protection Act would protect people against the threat of crippling retaliation in the form of massive attorney’s fees and prolonged invasive discovery. Our legislation allows federal judges to quickly identify and dismiss SLAPPs when they creep up in the courtroom and compensate the victims for their costs. We call on Congress to stand up for free speech in America—and against litigation abuse—by advancing this legislation.” “The Free Speech Protection Act will stop trial lawyers from abusing our justice system, clogging our courts, and silencing those they deem to have incorrect politics,” Kiley said. “Under this legislation, powerful interests will no longer be able to launch frivolous lawsuits intended to bankrupt everyday Americans. While many states have already instituted these protections, we need federal protections to guard all Americans’ First Amendment rights.” Currently, 33 states, including Oregon, have anti-SLAPP laws, most of which passed with overwhelming bipartisan support to protect community groups, civic associations, and nonprofits against efforts by strategic actors to squash dissent, but no such legislation exists at the federal level. This federal legislative gap opens the door to forum shopping and other avenues for SLAPP filers to evade state laws. The Free Speech Protection Act would establish a procedure for federal courts to dismiss and deter SLAPPs by: Allowing federal judges to quickly identify and dismiss SLAPPs that target constitutionally protected speech and activity before the lawsuit consumes too much of the defendant’s time and resources; Preventing the SLAPP filer from using discovery to invade the privacy of the defendant while the case is being reviewed; and Allowing federal judges to award attorney fees and costs to the victim of a SLAPP to reduce the cost burden and deter future exploitation of this tactic. “We are proud to support this important measure to promote free speech and protect the free press against SLAPP lawsuits that are designed to prevent an individual or organization from exercising their First Amendment rights, and we applaud Representative Raskin, Representative Kiley and Senator Wyden for their leadership in championing these essential liberties,” said Danielle Coffey, President and CEO of News/Media Alliance. “We’re thrilled to endorse the Free Speech Protection Act, which will extend federal protections against frivolous lawsuits to journalists, activists, and individuals across the political spectrum. Our First Amendment rights should not depend on the size of our bank accounts. This bill will ensure that judges can easily dismiss lawsuits that are designed to chill speech and drain people of resources simply for speaking their mind. We thank Representatives Raskin and Kiley, as well as Senator Wyden for helping to preserve a justice system that serves us all, not just the rich and powerful,” said Jenna Leventoff, Senior Policy Counsel at the ACLU. The legislation is endorsed by American Booksellers for Free Expression, American Civil Liberties Union, American Society for Collective Rights Licensing, Association of American Publishers, Authors Guild, California Anti-SLAPP Project, Center for Democracy & Technology, Committee to Protect Journalists, Earthjustice Action, EarthRights International, Electronic Frontier Foundation, First Amendment Foundation, Freedom of the Press Foundation, Greenpeace USA, Institute for Free Speech, International Corporate Accountability Roundtable, Knight First Amendment Institute at Columbia University, Know Your IX, a project of Advocates for Youth, National Press Club, National Press Club Journalism Institute, National Press Club Press Freedom Committee, National Press Photographers Association, National Women's Law Center, News/Media Alliance, No Business With Genocide, PEN America, Public Participation Project, Reporters Without Borders, Society of Composers & Lyricists, Society of Professional Journalists, Songwriters Guild of America, Student Press Law Center. The text of the bill is here. ###",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T19:07:19Z https://bonamici.house.gov/media/press-releases/house-passes-bonamici-bill-rename-post-office-honor-former-rep-elizabeth-furse,House Passes Bonamici Bill to Rename Post Office in Honor of Former Rep. Elizabeth Furse,2024-12-04,2024,2024-12,Democrat,House,OR,Suzanne Bonamici,B001278,bonamici.house.gov,bonamici,https://bonamici.house.gov/media/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, DC [12/4/24] – Today the House passed legislation led by Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici (OR-01) to redesignate a Hillsboro post office in honor of the late Representative Elizabeth Furse. Furse represented Oregon’s First Congressional District for three terms from 1993-1999 and established her legacy as a champion for human rights and social justice. The post office at 125 South 1st Avenue in Hillsboro, located in the district Furse served, will be designated as the Elizabeth Furse Post Office Building. “Elizabeth was a trailblazer and an inspiration to many, including me,” Bonamici said on the House floor. “She dedicated her life to service, bolstering the lives of people in NW Oregon. I’m privileged to have been able to call her a mentor and a friend. Elizabeth lived many places before she came to Oregon in 1978, but she made our state her home, and she will always be remembered as one of the smart, courageous women who shaped the Oregon of today. When she faced adversity, she overcame it and opened doors for others to walk through. She pursued a non-traditional career path and she fought tirelessly for justice. “I am honored to sponsor this legislation to recognize her contributions to NW Oregon by naming this post office – which is close to the home where she spent her final days – in her honor so people will be inspired by her example for years to come,” Bonamici continued. “I know that I will continue to draw inspiration from her legacy and her commitment to justice.” Video of Bonamici speaking in support of the legislation can be viewed here. Furse was the first woman elected to represent Oregon’s First District and helped secure funding to expand TriMet’s MAX Blue Line into Hillsboro. She was a key figure in the restoration of federal recognition for the Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde. Furse also served as Director of the Oregon Peace Institute and founded both the Institute for Tribal Government at Portland State University and nonprofit Clean Water Columbia. She died in 2021 at age 84 at her Hillsboro farm. The text of the legislation can be viewed here. A statement Bonamici submitted for the Congressional Record after Furse’s death can be found here. ###",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-07T22:13:55Z https://www.wyden.senate.gov/news/press-releases/following-devastating-salt-typhoon-hack-wyden-and-schmitt-call-for-investigation-of-the-pentagons-failure-to-secure-its-phone-systems-against-foreign-spies,"Following Devastating “Salt Typhoon” Hack, Wyden and Schmitt Call for Investigation of the Pentagon’s Failure to Secure its Phone Systems Against Foreign Spies",2024-12-04,2024,2024-12,Democrat,Senate,OR,Ron Wyden,W000779,www.wyden.senate.gov,wyden,https://www.wyden.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"Bipartisan Senators Request Defense Department Inspector General Investigate DOD Multibillion-Dollar Wireless Contracts with Major Phone Networks, Despite Known Cyber Weaknesses, Threatening National Security Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., and Senator Eric Schmitt, R-Mo., called for the Defense Department’s top watchdog to investigate the Pentagon’s failure to secure its communications from foreign spies, following the devastating “Salt Typhoon” hack of major telecom companies by Chinese government hackers. In a letter to Department of Defense Inspector General Robert Storch, Wyden and Schmitt highlighted the DOD’s failure to secure its communications from foreign spies. The senators revealed that DOD informed Congress that it signed a major contract this year, worth up to $2.7 billion, for wireless phone services for U.S. military personnel, even though DOD knew that the phone companies’ networks were vulnerable to foreign surveillance. Last month, the FBI and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency confirmed hackers working for the Chinese government breached multiple telecommunications companies and targeted call information for President-elect Trump, Vice President-elect Vance and Senate Majority Leader Schumer, among other high-profile targets. “DOD’s failure to secure its unclassified voice, video, and text communications with end-to-end encryption technology has left it needlessly vulnerable to foreign espionage. Moreover, although DOD is among the largest buyers of wireless telephone service in the United States, it has failed to use its purchasing power to require cyber defenses and accountability from wireless carriers,” Wyden and Schmitt wrote. “We urge you to investigate DOD’s failure to secure its communications, and to recommend the changes in policy necessary to protect DOD communications from foreign adversaries.” Wyden and Schmitt revealed multiple concerning new details about DOD’s inability and unwillingness to protect soldiers and civilian employees who rely on wireless phone networks, in their letter today: DOD has requested copies of independent, third-party cybersecurity audits phone carriers commissioned for their networks, but the carriers refused to produce those audits, citing attorney-client privilege, according to DOD. DOD is still evaluating whether it has authority conduct its own cybersecurity audits of carriers that serve the Pentagon. In August, DOD claimed that unencrypted phone lines did not pose an unnecessary risk and declined to adopt a policy banning use of unencrypted phone lines by DOD personnel. Read the full letter here. ###",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T19:07:19Z https://www.wyden.senate.gov/news/press-releases/wyden-colleagues-seek-additional-progress-on-federal-cannabis-reforms-before-end-of-biden-administration,"Wyden, Colleagues Seek Additional Progress on Federal Cannabis Reforms Before End of Biden Administration",2024-12-04,2024,2024-12,Democrat,Senate,OR,Ron Wyden,W000779,www.wyden.senate.gov,wyden,https://www.wyden.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Ron Wyden said today he is urging the Biden administration to make further progress on the federal government’s approach to cannabis before the end of its term. In a letter to the Biden administration, Wyden joined with lawmakers from the Senate and House to applaud the historic steps the administration has taken to lessen the harm of cannabis criminalization and push the Administration to take additional steps before the end of its term, including issuing another round of clemency and updating the “Cole Memo” to allow businesses and individuals in compliance with state laws to live without fear of federal prosecution. “Rescheduling marijuana and the prior round of pardons must not be the end of this Administration’s historic work to use its executive authority to undo the damage of federal marijuana policy,” wrote the lawmakers. “As we continue to work toward legislation to end the federal criminalization of marijuana and to regulate it responsibly and equitably, we urge prompt administrative action to tackle the harms of criminalization — particularly for the benefit of communities most harmed by the War on Drugs.” The Biden administration has taken landmark steps to reduce harm caused by federal marijuana policy, including through pardons for people convicted of simple marijuana possession and plans to move marijuana from Schedule I to Schedule III of the Controlled Substances Act. The lawmakers urged the Drug Enforcement Administration to complete the rescheduling process as soon as possible — also underscoring the fact that doing so would not end federal criminalization, resolve its harms, or meaningfully address the gap between federal and state policy. “Possession and use of recreational marijuana — and much state-legal medical marijuana — will continue to be a violation of federal law…The Biden Administration has the opportunity to further reduce the harms of marijuana’s criminalization before the end of this Administration,” wrote the lawmakers. The lawmakers pushed the Administration to promptly expand clemency for individuals with marijuana-related convictions — specifically, another round of pardons and commutations to reduce sentences or end terms of incarceration — and urge state governors to expand marijuana clemency and decriminalize low-level marijuana conduct under state laws. The lawmakers also pushed the Department of Justice to issue an updated version of the Obama-era “Cole Memo” to deprioritize prosecuting individuals for marijuana offenses that have been the subject of federal pardons or that comply with state or tribal law. In addition to Wyden, the letter was led by Senator Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., and Representatives Barbara Lee, D-Calif., Earl Blumenauer, D-Ore., and Ilhan Omar, D-Minn. The letter was signed by Senators Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., John Hickenlooper, D-Colo., Ben Ray Luján, D-N.M., Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., Cory Booker, N-N.J., and Representatives James McGovern, D-Mass., Jan Schakowsky, D-Ill., Dina Titus, D-Nev., and Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton, D-D.C.",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T19:07:19Z https://www.wyden.senate.gov/news/press-releases/wyden-statement-on-senate-passage-of-tax-relief-for-wildfire-survivors,Wyden Statement on Senate Passage of Tax Relief for Wildfire Survivors,2024-12-04,2024,2024-12,Democrat,Senate,OR,Ron Wyden,W000779,www.wyden.senate.gov,wyden,https://www.wyden.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"Finance Committee Chair: “This is great news for Oregonians whose lives and livelihoods have been ripped apart by wildfires.” Washington, D.C. –U.S. Senator Ron Wyden issued the following statement after working successfully to secure tonight’s Senate passage of tax relief for wildfire survivors in Oregon and nationwide. “This is great news for Oregonians whose lives and livelihoods have been ripped apart by wildfires,” said Wyden, Chair of the Senate Finance Committee that oversees tax policy. “Today’s vote restores common sense and common decency to tax policy by making sure that survivors of these infernos receive every settlement dollar they need to repair their homes and small businesses. And it ends the problem Donald Trump and congressional Republicans created in their 2017 tax law that left survivors also taxed on the attorney fees in their settlement payments.” “I’ve seen and heard firsthand in town halls and other community meetings across the state how important this tax fix is for Oregonians, and I’m gratified it’s now the law of the land,” Wyden said. “I’m proud this tax fix was part of my larger tax package that earned overwhelming bipartisan support in the House, and I’ll never stop fighting for the other pieces of that package that Senate Republicans schemed to block – expanding the child tax credit for families and strengthening incentives for R&D and investments in new equipment and software. There are 160,000 young Oregonians who’d be out of poverty with that expanded child tax credit, and thousands of Oregon small businesses who’d grow and generate jobs with the R&D credits.”",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T19:07:19Z https://www.wyden.senate.gov/news/press-releases/wyden-applauds-privacy-agencies-for-new-actions-in-response-to-his-calls-to-protect-americans-personal-information-from-data-brokers,Wyden Applauds Privacy Agencies for New Actions In Response to His Calls to Protect Americans’ Personal Information From Data Brokers,2024-12-03,2024,2024-12,Democrat,Senate,OR,Ron Wyden,W000779,www.wyden.senate.gov,wyden,https://www.wyden.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"FTC and CFPB Announce New Actions to Limit the Sale of Americans’ Private Information, Following Wyden’s Efforts to Spotlight Abuses that Threaten Safety and National Security Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., today applauded two federal privacy regulators for announcing new actions to limit data brokers’ ability to sell the personal data of regular Americans, including U.S. service members overseas. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau proposed a rule on Tuesday to limit the information that can be sold under the so-called “credit header” loophole, which allows Social Security numbers, phone numbers and other information from mortgage, utility and other companies to be sold to data brokers. Also on Tuesday, the Federal Trade Commission took action against the data broker Mobilewalla and the data broker Gravy Analytics and its subsidiary Venntel, for collecting, using and selling Americans location data without obtaining consumer consent. Venntel sold location data to U.S. government agencies without a warrant. Both actions came in response to requests by Wyden, who has spent years watchdogging abuses by the data broker industry. Wyden requested CFPB act following his investigation and reporting by the Washington Post that revealed the sale of Americans’ personal data by credit agencies, exploiting the so-called ‘credit-header’ loophole. He praised the bureau on Tuesday. “The CFPB is putting up points for Americans' privacy right down to the buzzer by acting on my 2021 request to close a key loophole that enables sleazy data brokers to sell Americans' personal data to criminals, stalkers and foreign spies,” Wyden said. “Letting anyone with a credit card buy this data doesn't just harm Americans' privacy, it seriously threatens national security when sensitive information about law enforcement, judges and members of the armed forces is on the open market. Unfortunately, it will be up to Trump's CFPB to finalize this proposed rule, and he and his billionaire donors are intent on shutting this agency down to take away a key advocate for American consumers."" Wyden and a bipartisan coalition of Senators called for the FTC to take action against Mobilewalla in 2020. Also in 2020, Wyden and other members of Congress investigated Venntel, and called for the Department of Homeland Security Inspector General (DHS IG) to investigate agencies’ purchase of data from the company. The subsequent DHS IG report revealed that several federal agencies broke the law by purchasing Americans’ location data. Wyden revealed in 2023 that U.S. Customs and Border Protection had stopped purchasing location data. “The FTC's latest orders against location data brokers are good news for Americans. My investigation into these companies, four years ago, first helped to shine the spotlight on these outrageous violations of Americans' privacy,” Wyden said. “These companies enabled U.S. government agencies to surveil Americans without a warrant, and enabled foreign countries to spy on service members with just a credit card. Many federal agencies hid behind the flimsy claim that Americans consented to the sale of their data, but the FTC's orders make it clear how untrue these claims were. I am glad to see that the FTC is prohibiting these companies from selling any more location data without explicit consent.” Wyden has introduced several bills to protect Americans from having their data sold to corporations or the government without their consent, including the Fourth Amendment is Not for Sale Act, which passed the House of Representatives on a bipartisan vote earlier this year. ###",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T19:07:19Z https://www.wyden.senate.gov/news/press-releases/merkley-wyden-offer-opportunity-for-oregonians-to-request-tickets-to-inauguration,"Merkley, Wyden Offer Opportunity for Oregonians to Request Tickets to Inauguration",2024-12-02,2024,2024-12,Democrat,Senate,OR,Ron Wyden,W000779,www.wyden.senate.gov,wyden,https://www.wyden.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"Washington, D.C. – Oregon’s U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden open the opportunity for Oregonians to request tickets to the 60th Inaugural Ceremonies on January 20, 2025. The ceremony is at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C. Each Oregonian requesting tickets may request up to four tickets. Requestors must include their full name, a home address, and phone number, along with city and state of residence for all individuals requesting tickets. Tickets are not guaranteed and are subject to availability. The offices will notify Oregonians in early January if they are able to provide tickets to the Inauguration. The offices are not able to provide or give recommendations for travel or accommodations in D.C. To request tickets through Oregon’s U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley, please complete this ticket request form. To request tickets through Oregon’s U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, please complete this ticket request form. Larger groups may reach out to Merkley’s office directly at 202-224-3753 or Wyden’s office directly at 503-326-7525. ###",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T19:07:19Z https://www.wyden.senate.gov/news/press-releases/wyden-announces-town-hall-in-multnomah-county,Wyden Announces Town Hall in Multnomah County,2024-11-04,2024,2024-11,Democrat,Senate,OR,Ron Wyden,W000779,www.wyden.senate.gov,wyden,https://www.wyden.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"Friday, Nov. 8 town hall at David Douglas High School will be No. 1,101 in fulfilling the Senator’s pledge to hold at least one annual town hall in each of Oregon’s 36 counties Portland - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden today announced he will hold an open-to-all town hall on Friday, Nov. 8 in Multnomah County. This 10 am town hall at David Douglas High School’s Howard F. Horner Performing Arts Center (1400 SE 130th Ave, Portland) will be Wyden’s 1,101st overall -- honoring his promise to hold at least one town hall each year in each of our state’s 36 counties. “Town halls that provide Americans the opportunity to have face-to-face conversations with their elected representatives are just as vital to a vibrant democracy as elections,” Wyden said. “I’m honored that Oregonians have turned out 1,100 times in every county every year to voice their opinions in an open-to-all setting. And I very much look forward to this Friday’s town hall in Multnomah County to work on common-ground and common-sense solutions that make our state an even better place to live and work. That’s the Oregon Way.” Parking is limited due to construction on campus, so public transit or carpooling is encouraged. Attendees who want to park should use street parking or use the high school’s South Lot, 1500 SE 130th Ave, Portland. ADA parking and attendee drop-off only can be done in the Howard F. Horner Performing Arts Center Lot.",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T19:02:12Z https://www.wyden.senate.gov/news/press-releases/merkley-wyden-announce-101-million-federal-investment-for-tualatin-mountain-forest-project,"Merkley, Wyden Announce $10.1 Million Federal Investment for Tualatin Mountain Forest Project",2024-11-01,2024,2024-11,Democrat,Senate,OR,Ron Wyden,W000779,www.wyden.senate.gov,wyden,https://www.wyden.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"Washington, D.C. – Oregon’s U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden announced today the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) is awarding $10,180,000 to boost the Tualatin Mountain Forest Project through the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Forest Legacy Program. This new federal funding from the historic Inflation Reduction Act—the largest investment ever to tackle climate chaos—builds off the $3.63 million award Merkley and Wyden announced for the project earlier this year. The Tualatin Mountain Forest Phase 3 project promotes sustainable forest management, climate resiliency, conservation efforts, watershed health, and recreation activities for this economically and ecologically significant forestland in Multnomah County. “Oregon’s forests must be conserved to ensure our lands remain healthy, well-managed, and accessible to Oregonians, visitors, and future generations,”?said Merkley, who serves as chair of the Senate Interior Appropriations Subcommittee that funds the U.S. Forest Service?and secured these funds in the Fiscal Year 2024 Appropriations Bill.?“I’ve long championed the Forest Legacy Program to boost vital conservation activities like the Tualatin Mountain Forest Project. This over $10 million in federal funding is essential to conserving the Tualatin Mountain Forest for generations to come, and I will keep fighting to ensure the federal government does its part to create and conserve healthy, resilient forests across our state and nation. “Oregonians treasure our opportunities across the state to enjoy the outdoors, and preserving forests in a balanced fashion plays a pivotal role in that dynamic,” said Wyden. “I’m glad the Tualatin Mountain Forest Project has earned these additional federal investments that I worked to secure. And I’ll keep battling for similar federal resources throughout our state.” The latest award to the Tualatin Mountain Forest Project is a part of more than a $265 million investment by the Forest Service to conserve nearly 335,000 acres of ecologically and economically significant forestlands across the nation. This latest round of funding is going toward 21 projects in 17 states to conserve working forests that support rural economies. In 2024 alone, the Forest Service has invested nearly $420 million to conserve more than 500,000 acres through the Forest Legacy Program. Information about the Tualatin Mountain Forest Phase 3 award can be found below: Located 17 miles outside Portland, the Tualatin Mountain Forest (TMF) Phase 3 will be managed as a research forest and will benefit nearby disadvantaged communities and Portland Metro Area's recreation economy by creating new public access to over 20 miles of existing trails. TMF will serve as a national model of an actively managed research forest balancing financial productivity, carbon sequestration, healthy watershed, public access, recreation, and diverse plant and wildlife communities, including Oregon's diminishing oak woodlands. ""Through this U.S. Forest Legacy Program grant, we're one step closer to ensuring that this remarkable landscape remains a resilient and accessible natural resource for all—protecting critical wildlife habitat, water quality, and expanding equitable recreation opportunities,"" said Kristin Kovalik, Oregon Program Director for Trust for Public Land. ""TPL is grateful for Senators Merkley and Wyden's continued support in conserving working forests that are essential to the livelihoods of timber-dependent communities and critical for environmental sustainability."" ###",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T19:02:12Z https://www.wyden.senate.gov/news/press-releases/wyden-merkley-announce-600000-for-rogue-valley-international-medford-airport,"Wyden, Merkley Announce $600,000 for Rogue Valley International Medford Airport",2024-10-31,2024,2024-10,Democrat,Senate,OR,Ron Wyden,W000779,www.wyden.senate.gov,wyden,https://www.wyden.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"Federal investment will support the new direct flight connecting Southern Oregon with Dallas-Fort Worth Washington D.C.—U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley today announced a federal investment of $600,000 for the Rogue Valley International Medford Airport to support the expansion of service to Dallas-Fort Worth. “Making sure our regional airports have the support they need to keep Oregonians connected and moving is essential for the local economy,” Wyden said. “I applaud this federal investment to Rogue Valley International Medford Airport, and will continue to fight for more resources for airports and infrastructure upgrades across Oregon.” “Oregon’s regional airports serve as vital hubs for our communities – supporting local businesses, connecting travelers to world-class recreational opportunities, and providing essential lifelines during natural disasters,” Merkley said. “This federal funding will put Oregon’s Medford-Rogue Valley International Airport in a position to expand its service to Dallas-Ft. Worth and fill additional staffing needs for this new route, connecting Oregonians to more of the U.S.” The $600,000 investment from the Department of Transportation will be used to create a revenue guarantee and associated marketing plan to recruit, initiate, and support new service between Medford and Dallas-Fort Worth. “The Rogue Valley International-Medford Airport is excited to have been awarded a Small Community Air Service Development (SCASD) Grant to support new service between MFR and DFW. This grant funding is an instrumental step toward creating this connection; however, it’s important to note that airlines are not bound to initiate service simply due to an airport receiving a grant award. That said, we are encouraged by American Airlines’ interest and we are confident this funding underscores the strong demand and our community’s support for a direct MFR-DFW route. We are optimistic that the airlines will recognize the opportunity to enhance connectivity between our two regions. We look forward to the potential for this valuable new service to benefit travelers and support local economic growth in the near future, and the Airport is committed to working with our airline partners to make this route a reality,” said Amber Judd, Director of the Rogue Valley International-Medford Airport.",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T18:55:29Z https://www.wyden.senate.gov/news/press-releases/merkley-wyden-announce-46-million-to-boost-the-klamath-basin,"Merkley, Wyden Announce $46 Million to Boost the Klamath Basin",2024-10-30,2024,2024-10,Democrat,Senate,OR,Ron Wyden,W000779,www.wyden.senate.gov,wyden,https://www.wyden.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"Federal funding will help restore the Klamath River’s habitat following historic dam removal and further protect endangered C’waam, Koptu, and salmon Washington, D.C. – Oregon’s U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden today announced the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) is investing a total of $46,191,133 in Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funding to boost ecosystem restoration and enhance water quality and reliability through 24 projects throughout the Klamath Basin—12 of which are taking place in Oregon. This latest federal funding wave from the landmark law will largely fuel the Klamath River’s recovery and habitat restoration efforts following the removal of the four lower Klamath Dams in 2024—the largest dam removal effort in U.S. history. “A key to restoring the Klamath Basin is major federal investments that will support collaborative ecosystem restoration and water improvement efforts. This funding will continue ongoing efforts I helped energize alongside the Klamath Tribes and other stakeholders to save the C’waam and Koptu, and restore the aquatic habitat and ecosystems of the Klamath River following the historic removal of the four lower Klamath Dams,” said Merkley, who visited Northern California earlier in October to tour a former dam site and celebrate removal alongside Tribes and other key partners. “Since the dams came out, we’ve seen the salmon returning home for the first time in generations. This federal investment champions projects that help ensure the C’waam, Koptu, and salmon all have an ecosystem to thrive in, while also prioritizing efforts that help this unique region’s water go farther for the Tribes, farmers, fish, and vital ecosystems that rely on it.” “Restoration of the Klamath Basin requires significant resources just like these to catalyze the work that’s needed locally to build a stronger ecosystem and improve water quality,” Wyden said. “This fresh federal investment in the region and the big gains it will generate for jobs, recreation, and habitat will work to ensure the area’s farmers, Tribes and communities can grow and thrive for generations to come.” As Chairman of the Senate Interior Appropriations Subcommittee, Merkley secured a historic $162 million over five years through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law specifically dedicated to restoring ecosystems and enhancing drought resiliency work in the Klamath Basin. Today’s $46 million funding announcement from the U.S. Department of the Interior’s USFWS marks the third year of investments from this landmark law, as it follows $26 million provided in 2022 and $15 million in 2023. Merkley also convened the “Sucker Summit ” in 2018, which brought people from across the Basin together and helped lay the groundwork for these significant investments to protect the C’waam and the Koptu. In February of this year, Merkley and Wyden announced $72 million in new federal funding for critical ecosystem restoration projects and agricultural infrastructure modernization in the Basin, as well as a historic agreement with the Klamath Tribes, Yurok Tribe, Karuk Tribe, and Klamath Water Users Association (KWUA). This Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) cemented their commitment to working together to drive long-term solutions to the Basin’s water challenges. That includes collective efforts to restore the region’s ecosystem and improve water supply and reliability for the Klamath Project. The 12 restoration projects in Oregon—some of which are being developed by Klamath MOU group partners, as well as other Tribes and other conservation partners—are as follows: $13,000,000 for the Wetland Restoration on Upper Klamath Basin National Wildlife Refuge Agency Lake Units project. This will complete restoration of the Agency-Barnes wetland units of Upper Klamath National Wildlife Refuge and provide fish habitat access in Fourmile and Sevenmile creeks. Covering 14,356 acres, the restored wetland will create vital habitat for waterfowl, federally endangered Lost River and shortnose suckers (C’waam and Koptu sucker fish), and other species, making it one of the largest wetland restoration initiatives in America. MOU group partners - Ducks Unlimited and Klamath Tribes $3,500,000 for the Upper Williamson River Restoration Phase 2 project. This will provide fish passage to over 26 miles of the upper Williamson River and reconnect several thousand acres of adjacent wetlands and riparian habitats within the Klamath Marsh National Wildlife Refuge project area. MOU group partners - Ducks Unlimited and Klamath Tribes $3,179,400 for the Climate Change Resiliency Stream Restoration and Post Bootleg Fire Stream Stabilization and Restoration project. This effort includes placing approximately 400 Beaver Dam Analog, Post Assisted Log Structures, and other types of instream structures to help restore several streams in the Sprague River and Williamson River watersheds. MOU partner - Klamath Tribes $3,000,000 for the Lake Ewauna Restoration for the Benefit of People, Fish and Wildlife project. This funding will be used to develop and restore wetlands and shoreline around Lake Ewauna in downtown Klamath Falls for the benefit of native fish and wildlife species and to tell the story of the local Tribes, farmers, and communities in the Klamath Basin. Restorative improvements to habitat in Link River and instream habitat improvements within Lake Ewauna will benefit C’waam and Koptu suckers, native trout, migratory waterfowl, and other species. With the recently removed Klamath dams, salmon and steelhead will also be migrating through Lake Ewauna for the first time in over a century. Partners – The Klamath Watershed Partnership, City of Klamath Falls, and Klamath County Economic Development Agency $2,540,000 million for the Tule Lake Flow Through Infrastructure Improvement project. This encompasses a suite of infrastructure improvements and operational changes to provide natural ecosystem services with respect to water quality in the Klamath Basin. Water used for farmland irrigation would then flow through wetlands before returning to the Klamath River. In addition to water quality benefits for the Klamath River, this project will provide habitat for threatened and endangered fish, support migratory wildlife, recharge groundwater, and provide other ecosystem benefits. MOU group partners – KWUA and Tulelake Irrigation District $2,027,799 for the SONAR and Radio Telemetry and Spawning Surveys for Klamath Salmon project. This will be used to obtain abundance estimates of salmon and steelhead entering the reach previously blocked by the four lower Klamath dams and track salmon migrations to their spawning grounds. These metrics will provide a foundation for assessment of stock status and trends while guiding future restoration efforts in the newly accessible habitats, developing a toolset to support prioritization of future restoration and monitoring in the Klamath River. It will also provide much needed capacity for three of the six tribes on the Klamath River, allowing them to track the return of these culturally significant species. MOU group partners – Karuk Tribe, California Trout, Klamath Tribes, Yurok Tribe, Cal Poly Humboldt, and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife $1,253,000 for the Klamath Basin Fisheries Collaborative: Passive Integrated Transponder (PIT) Tag Monitoring and Database project. This will be used to continue to build the infrastructure required to provide Klamath Basin fisheries managers with consistent and reliable data on movements of fish using PIT tags. Work funded by this proposal includes continuing to improve on existing fish monitoring efforts by coordinating activities and collaborating on tasks, as well as advancing data exchange by refining the user interface and providing technical support to data providers. Partner – Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission $500,000 for the Implementation of Integrated Fisheries Restoration and Monitoring Plan (IFRMP) project. This will fund a USFWS initiative to support Klamath Basin stakeholders in tracking, coordinating, and integrating monitoring and data collection efforts across the Basin. $500,000 for the Klamath Basin Stakeholder Engagement and Facilitation project. This will fund a USFWS initiative to provide greater continuity and work toward local governance for the MOU parties, which are interested in utilizing a neutral facilitator to help identify additional ways to promote collaboration and reduce conflict over natural resources. This effort could include expanding the MOU group to include other interested parties and to develop proposals related to a governance structure for making important decisions on restoration and monitoring in the Klamath Basin. These funds would support the hiring of a facilitator selected by the parties and support up to three to five years of facilitation support. $300,000 for the Post Dam Removal Data Collection on Salmon Migration and Movement project. This funding will be used by project partners to use otolith microchemistry tools to 1) understand how Klamath Dam removal affects the early life history diversity of Chinook salmon, 2) determine the natal origin and migration histories of returning fish, pre- and post-dam removal, 3) determine which tributaries are and are not producing Chinook salmon, and 4) quantify how Chinook production varies between different tributaries before and after dam removal. The information is critical to adaptively managing the Klamath Basin, post dam removal, and has important implications for restoration of key tributaries. Partner – UC Davis $295,000 for the Surface Water Management and Efficiency Enhancement project. This encompasses necessary infrastructure improvements to allow safe, reliable, and integrated management of water within the Klamath Project. MOU group partners – KWUA, Klamath Irrigation District, and Klamath Drainage District $200,000 for the FWS Post Dam Removal Science Symposia project. This will fund an USFWS initiative to sponsor a Klamath science symposium in 2025. Planning for this symposium will start in November 2024. The goal is to bring together stakeholders/experts to discuss the state of the Basin post dam removal, progress on restoration and monitoring, and next-step strategies to continue the momentum on restoration progress in the years ahead. For a complete list and full descriptions of all the 24 projects awarded funding in the Klamath Basin, click HERE. ### Next Article Previous Article",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T18:55:29Z https://www.wyden.senate.gov/news/press-releases/wyden-merkley-blumenauer-hoyle-state-of-oregon-and-four-tribes-earn-more-than-12-million-in-federal-funds-for-grid-resilience,"Wyden, Merkley, Blumenauer, Hoyle: State of Oregon & Four Tribes Earn More Than $12 Million in Federal Funds for Grid Resilience",2024-10-30,2024,2024-10,Democrat,Senate,OR,Ron Wyden,W000779,www.wyden.senate.gov,wyden,https://www.wyden.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"Tribes with Oregon presence to receive federal investments are the Confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs, Cow Creek Band of Umpqua Tribe of Indians, Burns Paiute and Nez Perce Washington, D.C. – U.S. Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley as well as U.S. Reps. Earl Blumenauer and Val Hoyle today announced that Oregon’s Energy Department has secured $10.9 million and four Tribes with members in Oregon have earned a combined $1.16 million in federal investment to modernize the electric grid and reduce the impacts of extreme weather while also ensuring power sector reliability. The four Tribes securing the federal funds are the Confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs, Cow Creek Band of Umpqua Tribe of Indians, Burns Paiute and Nez Perce. “Oregon families, small businesses, schools, hospitals and more rely on a dependable energy grid, said Wyden, who also has introduced the Grid Resilience Improvement through Dedicated (GRID) Assistance Act. “These fresh federal investments in grid resilience are incredibly timely after this year’s state record of nearly 2 million acres burned by wildfires. I’m gratified these resources are heading to these Tribes along with the state Energy Department, and will keep battling for similar funds for communities throughout the state.” “As devastating wildfires, droughts, and intense winter storms continue to grip Oregon, we must invest in strengthening our power grids to safeguard Oregon families and businesses,” Merkley said. “It is great news that these federal funds from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law are heading to the Oregon Department of Energy and Tribes to make these critical improvements that will make all the difference for communities across Oregon when disasters strike.” “Our communities need an electric grid that can withstand the increasingly severe impacts of the climate crisis. Thanks to Democrats in Congress, Oregon and Tribal nations are receiving the investments necessary build this reality with a smarter, more resilient power grid,” said Blumenauer. ""As this season's record-breaking wildfire season showed, extreme weather, caused by the climate crisis, is becoming increasingly common across Oregon,"" Hoyle said. ""These funds will help to fortify our energy infrastructure against extreme weather and improve its dependability across the state and in Tribal communities. I'll continue working with federal and state partners to ensure Oregon's electric grid is safe and resilient."" The federal money for the state Energy Department and four Tribes is part of a combined total of $473.6 million nationally in fiscal year 2024 Grid Resilience State and Tribal Formula Grants from the U.S. Department of Energy. The resources will be distributed as follows: · Oregon Department of Energy, $10.9 million · Confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs, $454,958 · Nez Perce Tribe, $290,877 · Cow Creek Band of Umpqua Tribes of Indians, $268,172 · Burns Paiute Tribe, $148,901 ""The Confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs is thankful for the federal government’s financial investment in our ability to protect our communities from extreme weather situations,” said Jonathan W. Smith, Sr., Chairman, Tribal Council for the Confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs Reservation of Oregon. “These funds will allow us to develop community resilience centers on our reservation for our tribal members to seek refuge during unbearably hot and cold weather patterns."" “The Burns-Paiute tribe has identified energy security and resilience as a key priority,” said Tracy Kennedy, Chair of the Burns-Paiute Tribe. “We appreciate the support from Senator Wyden and Senator Merkley in helping us get funding to achieve our goals.” “For the Cow Creek Band of Umpqua Tribe of Indians, we aim to use these generous funds to improve the reliability of delivering power, water and utility services provided by our own Umpqua Indian Utility Cooperative to the many Cow Creek Umpqua Tribally-owned properties, our Tribal citizens, and our community members in Canyonville,” said Carla Keene, Chairman of the Cow Creek Band of Umpqua Tribe of Indians. “This grant allows us to exercise our sovereign rights, strengthen the resilience of our system, and put us closer to achieving one of our long-term goals of energy independence.”–",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T18:55:29Z https://www.wyden.senate.gov/news/press-releases/merkley-wyden-celebrate-multi-million-dollar-federal-investment-in-rail-safety-stronger-supply-chains-across-oregon,"Merkley, Wyden Celebrate Multi-Million Dollar Federal Investment in Rail Safety, Stronger Supply Chains Across Oregon",2024-10-29,2024,2024-10,Democrat,Senate,OR,Ron Wyden,W000779,www.wyden.senate.gov,wyden,https://www.wyden.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"Washington, D.C. – Oregon’s U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden announced $42,712,400 in federal funding is coming to Oregon for five projects to improve railroad safety, efficiency, and reliability across the state. The investment—funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law—comes from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements (CRISI) Program, which advances projects that modernize America’s freight and intercity passenger rail infrastructure to move people and goods. “Railroads are a vital mode of transportation for businesses and communities across our state, and this is the kind of significant investment in infrastructure we need to make to keep Oregon on track in the 21st century,” Merkley said. “As I travel to every corner of our state, I see firsthand the need for bold infrastructure investments in our communities. This nearly $43 million in federal funding invests in rail safety and stronger supply chains—creating jobs and economic opportunity for all Oregonians.” “Rail improvements in rural Oregon communities are a must to ensure small businesses generating jobs throughout our state have a full menu of reliable transportation options for their goods,” Wyden said. “Federal investments like this prove yet again the immense value of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law for Oregon and the entire country. And I’ll keep battling to secure similar investments from this landmark federal law I worked to pass so Oregon could channel significant infrastructure resources into building a stronger economy.” Today’s major funding announcement comes after Merkley, Wyden, and U.S. Representative Val Hoyle announced last week that the Pacific Coast Intermodal Port (PCIP) Coos Bay Rail Line (CBRL) Upgrades Planning Project secured an over $29.7 million award through the CRISI Program. This critical funding further moves the Port of Coos Bay toward the goal of becoming the first fully ship-to-rail port facility on the West Coast. The five additional projects in Oregon awarded funding by the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) CRISI Program can be found below:",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T18:55:29Z https://www.wyden.senate.gov/news/press-releases/wyden-merkley-kaine-markey-van-hollen-and-booker-warn-un-cyber-convention-could-justify-spying-and-censorship-by-china-russia-and-other-authoritarian-regimes,"Wyden, Merkley, Kaine, Markey, Van Hollen and Booker Warn U.N. Cyber Convention Could Justify Spying and Censorship By China, Russia and Other Authoritarian Regimes",2024-10-29,2024,2024-10,Democrat,Senate,OR,Ron Wyden,W000779,www.wyden.senate.gov,wyden,https://www.wyden.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"U.N. Convention Against Cybercrime Lacks Safeguards Against Abuse; Senators Urge Admin To Seek Better Balance To Protect Journalism and Human Rights Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., and five Democratic senators urged the Biden Administration to make clear a United Nations cyber convention should not be used to justify censorship, spying and human rights abuses by authoritarian governments like Russia and China, in a letter released today. “We fear the Convention will legitimize efforts by authoritarian countries like Russia and China to censor and surveil internet users, furthering repression and human rights abuses around the world,” the senators wrote. “While the Executive Branch’s efforts to steer this treaty in a less-harmful direction are commendable, more must be done to keep the Convention from being used to justify such actions.” Senators Tim Kaine, D-Va., Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., Edward J. Markey, D-Mass., Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., and Cory Booker, D-N.J. cosigned the letter, which was sent to Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Attorney General Merrick Garland, Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo and National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan. The U.N. Convention Against Cybercrime was originally proposed by Russia in 2017 as an alternative to an existing treaty on cybercrime. The U.N. convention is expected to come up for a vote in the U.N. General Assembly as soon as December. A broad array of advocates for journalism, human rights and national security have warned that the convention could be abused by authoritarian regimes to repress political dissent and censor independent reporting, and have urged changes to the measure. The senators thanked the Biden Administration for seeking changes to improve the convention, but warned that the final document does not go far enough to protect journalists, cybersecurity researchers and human rights advocates against surveillance and censorship by authoritarian regimes. “As the UNGA considers the Convention, the United States must not align itself with repressive regimes by supporting a Convention that undermines human rights and U.S. interests,” the senators wrote. “Instead, the United States should lead the charge at the U.N., with allies and partners, for a more balanced and rights-respecting approach to cybercrime. Upholding the values of freedom and human rights is essential not only for U.S. global standing but also for the protection of vulnerable communities worldwide.”",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T18:55:29Z https://www.wyden.senate.gov/news/press-releases/wyden-merkley-port-of-portland-earns-277-million-federal-award,"Wyden, Merkley: Port of Portland Earns $2.77 Million Federal Award",2024-10-29,2024,2024-10,Democrat,Senate,OR,Ron Wyden,W000779,www.wyden.senate.gov,wyden,https://www.wyden.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"U.S. EPA invests in Port of Portland through its Clean Ports Program Washington D.C. – U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley today announced a federal investment of $2.77 million toward the Port of Portland’s work to decarbonize as well as improve natural disaster resilience. “The Port of Portland plays an integral role in many Oregonians’ travel plans, and also a crucial element for small Oregon businesses who depend on the Port to ship their Oregon-grown goods around the world,” Wyden said. “Ensuring the Port of Portland has the long-term tools it needs to build a strong, resilient port Oregonians can depend on today and into the future is vital for our economy and quality of life.”“Ports are a crucial part of keeping the economies of Oregon and the Pacific Northwest flowing as they move goods throughout our region and export our amazing Oregon products around the world,” said Merkley. “This federal funding will provide crucial support to the Port of Portland’s plans to cut down on pollution and transition to zero-emission operations, a big win in our fight against climate chaos.” Thanks to the Inflation Reduction Act, the funding is through the U.S. EPA’s Clean Ports Program: Climate and Air Quality Planning Competition for the Port of Portland’s Clean Ports Energy Future Roadmap.",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T18:55:29Z https://www.wyden.senate.gov/news/press-releases/merkley-wyden-announce-53-million-in-bipartisan-infrastructure-law-funding-for-trimet-and-pdx-projects,"Merkley, Wyden Announce $5.3 Million in Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Funding for TriMet and PDX Projects",2024-10-28,2024,2024-10,Democrat,Senate,OR,Ron Wyden,W000779,www.wyden.senate.gov,wyden,https://www.wyden.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"Washington, D.C. – Oregon’s U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden announced today that $5,360,000 in Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funds are headed to the Portland metro region for two transportation projects. The federal grants awarded will support the deployment of new digital technology for Tri-County Metropolitan Transportation District of Oregon (TriMet) light rail vehicles and fund airport terminal reconstruction efforts at Portland International Airport (PDX). “Oregonians in every corner of our state should be able to get where they need to go safely and efficiently,” Merkley said. “The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law was a once-in-a-generation investment that is bringing critical federal dollars to our communities for major transportation projects. These latest funds to Portland will deploy and connect technology on TriMet light rail vehicles to traffic signals—keeping Portlanders moving—and help fund energy efficiency and safety upgrades at PDX. I’ll keep fighting for investments like these to better connect cities and towns across Oregon.” “From mass transit on the ground with TriMet to travel by air at PDX, I’m gratified these federal resources are headed to the metro area so commuters and travelers can get around more smoothly,” Wyden said. “I worked to pass the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to generate investments just like these that expand modern, safe and energy-smart transportation opportunities throughout our state. And I’ll keep battling to bring similar transportation funds from this landmark law to every nook and cranny of Oregon.” The two U.S. Department of Transportation awards and project descriptions can be found below: $2,360,000 for TriMet’s Cloud Connectivity for Light Rail Vehicles. The program addresses safety, economic vitality and air quality challenges by deploying and connecting technology on light rail vehicles to traffic signals. This funding comes from the Federal Highway Administration’s Advanced Transportation Technologies and Innovative Mobility Deployment (ATTAIN) Program. $3,000,000 for PDX to fund a portion of the terminal curtain wall reconstruction including replacement of approximately 14 revolving doors to increase energy efficiency and safety. This funding comes from the Federal Aviation Administration’s Airport Terminal Program. ""TriMet appreciates the support of Oregon's congressional delegation and the Federal Highway Administration in obtaining this grant, which has wide-reaching benefits for MAX riders as well as other road users and community members,"" said TriMet General Manager Sam Desue Jr. ""This investment will allow us to bring cutting-edge transit signal priority, currently employed on several TriMet bus lines, to the MAX system for the first time. This technology will provide more accurate estimated train arrival times at rail crossings, helping to reduce traffic congestion and greenhouse gas emissions. It will also improve TriMet's overall Transit-Tracker real-time arrival information for MAX, making the system more convenient and reliable for our riders."" “We’re thankful for the continued support of the federal delegation to improve energy efficiency, accessibility and safety at PDX,” said Curtis Robinhold, Executive Director of the Port of Portland. “This grant will help us renovate the 30-year-old entrance to PDX—which wasn’t touched during construction of the new main terminal—and modernize a key piece of our airport infrastructure.” ###",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T18:55:29Z https://www.wyden.senate.gov/news/press-releases/merkley-wyden-hoyle-102-million-in-bipartisan-infrastructure-law-funding-to-boost-eugene-transportation-projects,"Merkley, Wyden, Hoyle: $10.2 Million in Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Funding to Boost Eugene Transportation Projects",2024-10-28,2024,2024-10,Democrat,Senate,OR,Ron Wyden,W000779,www.wyden.senate.gov,wyden,https://www.wyden.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"Washington, D.C. – Oregon’s U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden and U.S. Representative Val Hoyle announced today $10,215,123 in Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funds are headed to the Eugene area for two transportation projects. The federal grants awarded will support the deployment of a mobility app for residents and fund airport terminal reconstruction efforts at Eugene Airport (EUG), also known as Mahlon Sweet Field. “Oregonians in every corner of our state should be able to get where they need to go safely and efficiently,” Merkley said. “The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law was a once-in-a-generation investment that is bringing critical federal dollars to our communities for major transportation projects. These latest funds to the Eugene area will bring a first-of-its-kind app for everyone from students to rural Oregonians to connect with regional transportation options, as well as funds for energy efficiency and capacity upgrades at Eugene Airport. I’ll keep fighting for investments like these to better connect cities and towns across Oregon.” “From mass transit on the ground to travel by air, I’m gratified these federal resources are headed to Eugene so Oregonians in and around the city can more easily get from Point A to Point B,” Wyden said. “I worked to pass the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to generate investments just like these that expand modern, safe and energy-smart transportation opportunities throughout our state. And I’ll keep battling to bring similar transportation funds from this landmark law to every nook and cranny of Oregon.” “The $5.3 million for LTD’s first-of-its-kind mobility app will help students with transportation challenges get to and from school and the $5 million for Eugene Airport will help us keep pace with the 41% growth in passenger growth over the last 5 years,"" Hoyle said. ""I would like to thank Senators Merkley and Wyden, local leaders, as well as Secretary Buttigieg, the Department of Transportation, and the White House, for helping us ensure that Oregonian tax dollars always come back home to Oregon to invest in our local priorities and communities."" The two U.S. Department of Transportation awards and project descriptions can be found below: $5,215,123 for Lane Transit District (LTD)’s Regional Mobility-Enabling Service Hub (Regional MESH). Regional MESH will create a first-of-its-kind regional mobility management platform integrating diverse transit services for users, including school transportation, into one planning platform, design and deploy on-demand transit in a low-income school district and optimize existing fixed-route rural transit service. Data from trip queries from an associated trip planning app will inform future transit planning and performance management. This funding comes from the Federal Highway Administration’s Advanced Transportation Technologies and Innovative Mobility Deployment (ATTAIN) Program. $5,000,000 for Eugene Airport to fund a portion of the Concourse A reconstruction and connector bridge expansion project including restroom and utilities upgrades to increase energy efficiency and capacity. This funding comes from the Federal Aviation Administration’s Airport Terminal Program. “LTD has the necessary expertise to build a reliable and affordable practical service,” said Jameson Auten, LTD’s Chief Executive Officer. “We are grateful for the support that got us here from U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden, and U.S. Representative Val Hoyle."" “We are so grateful to be awarded this competitive Airport Terminal Program (ATP) grant. This is the first step in furthering terminal expansion plans at the Eugene Airport to better serve our regional community,” said Cathryn Stephens, Airport Director. ###",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T18:55:29Z https://www.wyden.senate.gov/news/press-releases/hoyle-wyden-merkley-announce-another-29-million-in-federal-funding-for-port-of-coos-bay_intermodal-project,"Hoyle, Wyden, Merkley Announce Another $29 Million in Federal Funding for Port of Coos Bay Intermodal Project",2024-10-25,2024,2024-10,Democrat,Senate,OR,Ron Wyden,W000779,www.wyden.senate.gov,wyden,https://www.wyden.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"New federal investment in South Coast comes on top of $25 million announced last week WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Representative Val Hoyle, U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, and U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley, announced $29,751,615 in federal funding for the Pacific Coast Intermodal Port (PCIP) Coos Bay Rail Line (CBRL) Upgrades Planning Project. The investment comes from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Consolidated Rail and Infrastructure Safety Improvements (CRISI) grant program. ""Today’s award makes long overdue investments in the Coos Bay Rail Line and will improve sections of the line that have fallen into disrepair,” U.S. Representative Val Hoyle said. “Upgrades and repairs to rail line will help to move products across Oregon and the country faster. A renovated Coos Bay Rail Line is a key part of setting the Port of Coos Bay up to be the first ship-to-rail port on the west coast.” She went on to say, “I would like to thank Secretary Buttigieg, the U.S. Department of Transportation, the White House, and all members of the Oregon delegation for their continued support for bring this project one step closer to reality.” “Today’s great news for the Port of Coos Bay’s innovative ship-to-rail project keeps significant momentum rolling for this generational opportunity to spark thousands of good-paying jobs on the South Coast,” U.S. Senator Ron Wyden said. “On top of last week’s $25 million investment, today’s added $29 million for planning moves the port project and its huge economic and environmental benefits that much farther down the track to completion. I’m committed to continue the teamwork with Congresswoman Hoyle, Senator Merkley and the Biden-Harris administration to secure all the federal funds the Port of Coos Bay deserves for a successful result.” “The wins for Coos Bay’s transformative container port project keep rolling in! This additional $29.7 million award—bringing the total federal investment from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to $55 million—further moves the Port of Coos Bay toward the goal of becoming the first fully ship-to-rail port facility on the West Coast,” U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley said. “Specifically, the funding to upgrade the Coos Bay Rail Line is huge for the project because it ensures we have durable infrastructure in place that cuts climate-killing emissions and addresses bottlenecks in the national supply chain. I’ll keep working with the Oregon delegation to champion even more wins for this project that will create good-paying union and permanent local jobs on Oregon’s rural South Coast and boost the economy for our entire state.” The CBRL project is a crucial step to realizing the PCIP’s goal of becoming the first ship-to-rail port on the West Coast. These funds will help to plan rail-specific improvements including track rehabilitation, new sidings, and will reevaluate the viability of tunnels, bridges, and crossings along the route from the Port of Coos Bay to Eugene. In addition, grant money will provide for improvements to the Eugene Yard to accommodate increased Coos Bay Rail Line traffic and ensure an uninterrupted connection to the Class I national rail network. These investments will also help deliver on the promise to transport the Port of Coos Bay’s added capacity without corresponding increases in greenhouse gas emissions that come from a reliance on truck transport. Combined with a previous $25,018,750 Nationally Significant Multimodal Freight & Highway Projects (INFRA) grant award, that provides for engineering and design of the intermodal terminal component of the project, this award brings economic vitality back to the South Coast. With the potential to bring over 8,000 jobs back to the region, this project also makes good on the long-forgotten promise of creating new pathways to the middle class for South Coast residents. ###",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T18:55:29Z https://www.wyden.senate.gov/news/press-releases/oregon-delegation-seeks-federal-help-for-states-record-fire-season,Oregon Delegation Seeks Federal Help for State’s Record Fire Season,2024-10-24,2024,2024-10,Democrat,Senate,OR,Ron Wyden,W000779,www.wyden.senate.gov,wyden,https://www.wyden.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"Citing severe damages to Central and Eastern Oregon, state lawmakers’ letter asks President Biden: “to swiftly provide the federal resources for our communities to recover and rebuild.” Washington, D.C. – Oregon’s entire congressional delegation today urged President Biden to grant Governor Kotek’s request that Oregon receive a major disaster declaration in response to record-setting wildfires that burned about three times the average acreage this year. “The 2024 wildfire season has been one of the most devastating and costly fire seasons on record,” U.S. Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley as well as U.S. Reps. Earl Blumenauer, Suzanne Bonamici, Cliff Bentz, Val Hoyle, Andrea Salinas and Lori Chavez-DeRemer wrote in their letter to the president. “Central and Eastern Oregon experienced intense heat waves this summer, which dried out vegetation and created extreme fire risk on the landscape. Severe lightning storms ignited a large number of fires, and windy conditions allowed many of these fires to spread rapidly.” “Over 1.9 million acres burned, making it the largest wildfire season by acreage in Oregon’s history. For context, the state’s 10-year average acres burned is 640,000 acres,” they wrote. “The estimated damages and cost to public infrastructure exceeds $650 million, and this figure does not account for the long-term loss in revenue local businesses will experience as a result of these fires.“ This year’s extreme infernos and severe storms hit Gilliam, Grant, Jefferson, Umatilla, Wasco, and Wheeler counties hardest, the delegation wrote. “The fires destroyed 42 homes and 132 additional buildings and structures, damaged critical infrastructure and the natural environment, interrupted schools, care facilities, and social services, injured 26 civilians and fire responders, and led to the death of an air tanker pilot,” they wrote. “These fires have also created profound hardship for our ranchers, as they destroyed private and public grazing lands and cut off access to essential resources for livestock.” Governor Kotek declared a statewide emergency from July 12 through October 1, 2024, to mobilize emergency response across rural central and eastern Oregon. In their letter supporting the governor’s request for federal disaster assistance, the Oregon lawmakers asked the Biden-Harris administration to ensure state, local, and tribal governments have access to all available resources through the Federal Emergency Management Agency and that the state’s cost-share be waived due to a lack of available state funding. “Oregonians now require federal support and assistance to navigate the aftermath of this unprecedented fire season. The back-to-back incidents and lack of basic services had a devastating effect on the safety and stamina of our fire crews,” the delegation wrote. “We urge you and your administration to swiftly provide the federal resources for our communities to recover and rebuild.” The entire letter is here. Related Files",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T18:55:29Z https://www.wyden.senate.gov/news/press-releases/wyden-merkley-conservation-projects-in-central-eastern-and-southern-oregon-earn-957-million-in-federal-investment,"Wyden, Merkley: Conservation Projects in Central, Eastern & Southern Oregon Earn $95.7 Million in Federal Investment",2024-10-24,2024,2024-10,Democrat,Senate,OR,Ron Wyden,W000779,www.wyden.senate.gov,wyden,https://www.wyden.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"Washington, D.C. – U.S. Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley today announced that five rural Oregon conservation projects have secured a total of more than $95 million in federal investment to help farmers, ranchers, and forest landowners adopt and expand strategies that enhance natural resources while tackling the climate crisis. . “These significant federal investments add up to huge benefits for Oregonians working to achieve a more sustainable future in rural counties by reducing the risk of wildfire, conserving water and strengthening ranching and farming,” Wyden said. “I’m gratified these federal resources are heading to Central, Eastern and Southern Oregon – and I’ll keep battling for similar federal funds that produce real results like these five standout projects.” “We must continue to find creative ways to conserve and protect Oregon’s diverse lands, wildlife, and natural resources which are critical to our ecosystems and economy,” said Merkley, who serves on the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee that oversees funding for the USDA. “These huge, multi-million-dollar investments from the Regional Conservation Partnership Program will help fight climate chaos and make our rural communities stronger now and into the future.” The $95.7 million for the five Oregon projects from the U.S. Agriculture Department’s Regional Conservation Partnership Program will be distributed as follows: Pilot Butte Canal King Way Irrigation Modernization and Conservation, $25 million for the Deschutes River Conservancy: This project employs district canal piping, private lateral piping, on-farm efficiencies, and water marketing to save water in the Central Oregon Irrigation District. That water will be redirected to the North Unit Irrigation District in exchange for using stored water from Wickiup Reservoir to manage flows in the Upper Deschutes. Water savings generated will contribute directly to basin-wide goals of increasing flows in the Upper Deschutes to benefit listed species. Greater Waterman Landscape Resiliency Project, $21.2 million for the Wheeler Soil and Water Conservation District: This 338,596-acre project will conserve, restore, and enhance more than 23,000 acres of critical range and forest lands for 92 producers in the Middle John Day Basin. The project area has experienced significant landscape degradation, specifically due to fire suppression and unsustainable grazing practices. Forest stand density has increased, leading to unhealthy stands more susceptible to wildfire, insects, and disease. This project will reverse these trends, and help landowners work toward a more resilient landscape that stores long-term carbon and is more resilient to climate change impacts; allowing producers to maintain the landscape as critical working lands for agriculture, forestry, and livestock grazing. Rogue Bear All-Lands Restoration Project, $21.2 million for the Lomakatsi Restoration Project: This project aims to strategically reduce hazardous fuels and improve forest health on 8,500 to 10,000 acres of private non-industrial forestland across very high wildlife risk zone in the Rogue Basin of southwest Oregon. Additional project goals include improved forestland resilience and air quality, enhanced wildlife habitat and increased carbon sequestration. Expanding Resilient Working Lands in Harney County, $18.4 million to the High Desert Partnership: This project will expand existing conservation efforts, implementing climate smart and other adaptive practices on a landscape scale to help producers and wildlife build resilience to increasingly frequent and severe drought. Partners will target practices in wetlands to enhance habitat and production in flood-irrigated grass hay meadows with benefits to wildlife and livestock. Partners will scale up practices that promote healthy sagebrush and forests to reduce impacts of catastrophic wildfires to benefit the community and wildlife, increasing their resiliency to a changing climate. Project Ignite-Restore, $9.9 million for the Oregon Department of Forestry: This project will work to reduce fuel load hazards and improve forest health on 4,600 acres in underserved communities within Southern Oregon that connect with previous treatments. ""This award enables partners in the Deschutes Basin to implement major canal piping projects that permanently restore streamflows (3,900 acre-feet; 12 cubic feet per second) to the Deschutes River while helping relieve water scarcity for farmers,” said Deschutes River Conservancy Executive Director Kate Fitzpatrick. “It also enables complementary on-farm efficiency upgrades to increase water savings. We are grateful for Senators Wyden and Merkley for continuing to fund critical programs like the Regional Conservation Partnership Program, supporting collaborative water solutions in the Deschutes Basin that result in real and significant outcomes for rivers and farmers."" “The award of our Greater Waterman RCPP project brings a renewed excitement following the devastation of the 2024 wildfire season in Wheeler County” said Cassi Newton, District Manager for the Wheeler Soil & Water Conservation District. “This project truly started at the local level with landowners eager to restore and protect the landscape. The project fosters future conditions that reduce catastrophic wildfire risk, return critical water to the basin, generate natural climate solutions that secure carbon, and meet the current and future economic and social needs of the basin. Wheeler SWCD is sincerely thankful for the support from Senators Wyden and Merkley in our efforts of restoring and protecting natural resources in the John Day Basin.”",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T18:55:29Z https://www.wyden.senate.gov/news/press-releases/wyden-colleagues-call-on-feds-to-prosecute-tax-prep-companies-for-illegally-sharing-sensitive-personal-and-financial-taxpayer-data,"Wyden, Colleagues Call on Feds to Prosecute Tax Prep Companies for Illegally Sharing Sensitive Personal and Financial Taxpayer Data",2024-10-23,2024,2024-10,Democrat,Senate,OR,Ron Wyden,W000779,www.wyden.senate.gov,wyden,https://www.wyden.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"Lawmakers: “DOJ has the sole authority to enforce the criminal statute on behalf of the millions of taxpayers harmed by this unauthorized disclosure of their sensitive personal and financial data.” Washington D.C.— U.S. Senator Ron Wyden said today he has joined Senate and House colleagues to urge the Department of Justice to act against major tax preparation companies illegally sharing protected and sensitive taxpayer information with Big Tech firms. “We write to urge you to investigate and prosecute the criminal behavior of major tax preparation companies identified in our investigation and confirmed by the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration and the Internal Revenue Service,” the lawmakers wrote. Last month, the U.S. Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration released an audit report confirming that four online tax preparation companies broke the law by sharing legally protected and sensitive taxpayer information with Big Tech firms without taxpayer consent. Specifically, the report found that consent statements being used by the tax prep companies did not clearly identify the intended use of taxpayer data, a violation of Treasury regulations. The IRS agreed with that assessment. “The penalties for knowingly or recklessly disclosing or using tax return information include up to 1 year in prison, and penalties of up to $1000 per violation. DOJ has the sole authority to enforce the criminal statute on behalf of the millions of taxpayers harmed by this unauthorized disclosure of their sensitive personal and financial data,” the lawmakers continued. Tax prep companies used pixels, computer code that tracks a user’s website activity, to obtain sensitive personal and financial information, including approximate income and refund amounts, for millions of taxpayers who filed their taxes online with these companies. Meta then used that information for advertising and to train its AI algorithm. The U.S. Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration conducted a detailed review of four tax preparation companies, and found the companies did not obtain proper taxpayer consent for the release of their information. “Accountability for these tax preparation companies – who disclosed millions of taxpayers’ tax return data…is essential for protecting the rule of law and the privacy of taxpayers,” concluded the lawmakers. The IRS recently announced the expansion of the highly successful Direct File program to 24 total states, including Oregon – making 30 million taxpayers eligible to file for free, securely, and directly with the IRS. However, many taxpayers still rely on private tax prep companies. The letter was led by U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.). Along with Wyden, the letter was also signed by Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) and U.S. House Representative Katie Porter (D-Calif.).",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T18:55:29Z https://www.wyden.senate.gov/news/press-releases/wyden-colleagues-file-amicus-brief-urging-ninth-circuit-court-to-affirm-that-federal-law-requires-hospitals-to-provide-emergency-stabilizing-care-including-abortion-care-preempts-idahos-draconian-abortion-ban,"Wyden, Colleagues File Amicus Brief Urging Ninth Circuit Court to Affirm that Federal Law Requires Hospitals to Provide Emergency Stabilizing Care Including Abortion Care, Preempts Idaho’s Draconian Abortion Ban",2024-10-23,2024,2024-10,Democrat,Senate,OR,Ron Wyden,W000779,www.wyden.senate.gov,wyden,https://www.wyden.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"Lawmakers: “In this case, respecting the supremacy of federal law is about more than just protecting our system of government; it is about protecting people’s lives.” Washington D.C.— U.S. Senator Ron Wyden said today he is among the co-leaders of an amicus brief from 259 Members of Congress submitted to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit in Moyle v. United States and Idaho v. United States, two consolidated cases concerning the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act under consideration by the en banc Ninth Circuit. This federal law known as EMTALA requires hospitals that receive Medicare funding to provide necessary “stabilizing treatment” to patients experiencing medical emergencies, which can include abortion care. After the Dobbs decision in 2022, a draconian anti-abortion law in Idaho went into effect that makes it a felony for a doctor to terminate a pregnancy unless it is “necessary” to prevent the patient’s death. The United States sued the State of Idaho, arguing that the state’s law is preempted by EMTALA in those circumstances in which abortion may not be necessary to prevent imminent death, but still constitutes the necessary stabilizing treatment for a patient’s emergency medical condition. The district court agreed and held that in those limited, but critically important situations, EMTALA requires Medicare-participating hospitals to provide abortion as an emergency medical treatment. Idaho Republicans appealed that ruling to the Supreme Court, which lifted the injunction and took the case in January—in March, 258 Members filed an amicus brief, asking the Supreme Court to affirm the district court decision. In June, the Supreme Court dismissed the case but without a ruling on the merits, sending the case back to the Ninth Circuit Court and reinstating the district court’s injunction. In their brief in support of the Justice Department, the lawmakers ask the Ninth Circuit to uphold the district court’s ruling. They argue that the congressional intent, text, and history of EMTALA make clear that covered hospitals must provide abortion care when it is the necessary stabilizing treatment for a patient’s emergency medical condition, and that EMTALA preempts Idaho’s abortion ban in emergency situations that present a serious threat to a patient’s health. “[T]he 99th Congress passed EMTALA to ensure that every person who visits a Medicare-funded hospital with an ‘emergency medical condition’ is offered stabilizing treatment,” the Members wrote in their amicus brief. “Congress chose broad language for that mandate, requiring hospitals that participate in the Medicare program to provide ‘such treatment as may be required to stabilize the medical condition.’… That text—untouched by Congress for the past three decades—makes clear that in situations in which a doctor determines that abortion constitutes the ‘[n]ecessary stabilizing treatment’ for a pregnant patient, federal law requires the hospital to offer it. Yet Idaho has made providing that care a felony, in direct contravention of EMTALA’s mandate.” Importantly, the Senate and House members note that in this case, “respecting the supremacy of federal law is about more than just protecting our system of government; it is about protecting people’s lives. If this Court allows Idaho’s near-total abortion ban to supersede federal law, pregnant patients in Idaho will continue to be denied appropriate medical treatment, placing them at heightened risk for medical complications and severe adverse health outcomes… And health care providers, unwilling to let Idaho’s law override their medical judgment regarding their patients’ best interests, will continue their exile from Idaho, creating maternity-care ‘deserts’ all over the state.” The lawmakers point to numerous reports of OB/GYNs leaving Idaho en masse since the state’s abortion ban went into effect—Idaho has since lost 55 percent of its maternal-fetal medicine specialists and three rural hospitals have shut down maternity services altogether. “These are not hypothetical scenarios. Because Idaho’s abortion ban contains no clear exceptions for the “emergency medical conditions” covered by EMTALA, it forces physicians to wait until their patients are on the verge of death before providing abortion care. The result in other states with similar laws has been ‘significant maternal morbidity,’” wrote the lawmakers, pointing to harrowing reports of pregnant women with severe health complications being denied necessary abortion care, including an Idaho woman who was flown to Utah for an abortion while hemorrhaging, leaking amniotic fluid, and terrified that she would not survive to care for her two other children. “Federal law does not allow Idaho to endanger the lives of its residents in this way.” In their brief, the lawmakers also clarify that the references to “unborn child” in EMTALA were intended to expand hospitals’ obligations with respect to providing stabilizing treatment—not contract them or take away the obligation to provide abortion care in certain circumstances. “In sum, EMTALA plainly requires hospitals that participate in the Medicare program to provide abortion care when, in a doctor’s medical judgment, it constitutes the ‘[n]ecessary stabilizing treatment’ for a patient’s ‘emergency medical condition.’” The lawmakers conclude by asking the Ninth Circuit to affirm the district court’s decision that EMTALA requires Medicare-participating hospitals to provide abortion care when it is necessary as emergency medical treatment. In the Senate, the amicus brief was led by Wyden with U.S Senators Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), Patty Murray (D-Wash.), and Dick Durbin (D-Ill.). The brief was also signed by Senators Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio.), Laphonza Butler (D-Calif.), Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Ben Cardin (D-Md.), Tom Carper (D-Del.), Bob Casey Jr. (D-Pa.), Chris Coons (D-Del.), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Kirtsen Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.), Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), George Helmy (D-N.J.), John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), Angus King Jr. (I-Maine), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Ben Ray Luján (D- N.M.), Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), Alex Padilla (D-Calif), Gary Peters (D- Mich.), Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), Janeen Shaheen (D-N.H.), Kyrsten Sinema (I-Ariz.), Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.), Jon Tester (D-Mont.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Mark Warner (D-Va.), Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.), Elizabeth Warren (D- Mass.), Peter Welch (D-Vt.), and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.). In the House, the brief was signed by 211 U.S. Representatives including Oregon’s U.S. Representatives Earl Blumenauer, Suzanne Bonamici, Andrea Salinas, and Val Hoyle.",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T18:55:29Z https://www.wyden.senate.gov/news/press-releases/wyden-colleagues-slam-mcdonalds-for-squeezing-customers-with-excessive-price-increases,"Wyden, Colleagues Slam McDonald’s for Squeezing Customers with Excessive Price Increases",2024-10-23,2024,2024-10,Democrat,Senate,OR,Ron Wyden,W000779,www.wyden.senate.gov,wyden,https://www.wyden.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"“Corporate profits must not come at the expense of people’s ability to put food on the table.” Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., said today he has joined with Senators Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., and Bob Casey, D-Pa. to press McDonald's for more information on the company’s pricing decisions as fast food prices continue to increase, outpacing inflation and squeezing customers. “While McDonald’s is not the only fast food restaurant that has increased prices significantly in recent years, its dominant market position as the largest fast food chain in the United States has an outsize impact on American consumers. While working families are trying to make ends meet, McDonald’s and its corporate counterparts have continued to grow their profits,” the senators wrote to McDonald’s President and Chief Executive Officer Chris Kempczinski . Earlier this year, McDonald’s USA President Joe Erlinger tried to blame the company’s menu price increases on inflationary pressures and input costs, but the data tells another story. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, fast food prices have consistently outpaced inflation, and since 2020, overall inflation has increased by 20 percent, while McDonald’s has increased its menu prices for several items substantially more. McDonald’s net annual income rose by over 79 percent – nearly $8.5 billion, from 2020 to 2023. While McDonald’s raised prices, the company also spent nearly $4 billion on stock buybacks in 2022 and $3 billion in 2023. The company also benefits from a tax loophole that favors buybacks. This prioritizes Wall Street shareholders over investments in McDonald’s own business and workers. “Corporate profits must not come at the expense of people’s ability to put food on the table,” concluded the senators. “As we seek to investigate and understand the increased consumer costs in the economy, we hope McDonald’s will help us to understand why its prices have risen so high.”",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T18:55:29Z https://salinas.house.gov/media/press-releases/salinas-wyden-merkley-announce-nearly-1-million-support-affordable-housing,"Salinas, Wyden, Merkley Announce Nearly $1 Million to Support Affordable Housing for Oregon Farmworkers",2024-10-22,2024,2024-10,Democrat,House,OR,Andrea Salinas,S001226,salinas.house.gov,salinas,https://salinas.house.gov/media/press-releases,scraper,"Washington, DC — Today, U.S. Congresswoman Andrea Salinas (OR-06), along with Oregon’s U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden, announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) awarded $956,333 for a project to rehabilitate Villa Del Sol, a multifamily affordable housing complex in McMinnville that serves farmworkers and their families. “Despite being the backbone of our agricultural economy, many farmworkers still can’t afford to feed their families or put a roof over their heads. As the daughter of a former farmworker, I’m committed to changing that reality – which is why I am so proud to announce this federal funding for Community Home Builders in Yamhill County,” said Rep. Salinas. “These dollars will be used to deliver safe, affordable housing for farmworkers and their families here in the mid-Valley. It’s a critical step in the right direction, and I’ll keep fighting for investments just like this one that will help us make housing more accessible and affordable for Oregonians.” “Housing is a human right, and farmworkers in Oregon deserve affordable and secure living options,” said Sen. Wyden. “I’m gratified this McMinnville housing complex has earned nearly $1 million in federal funds to provide that housing for farmworkers and their families. And I’ll continue pressing for similar investments in housing for agricultural workers and every person statewide.” “Making sure families have access to safe and affordable housing in the communities where they work is essential,” said Sen. Merkley. “This federal investment will help ensure safer, more modern housing for the farmworkers in Yamhill County who work every day to help feed families across Oregon and America. I will keep fighting to deliver necessary housing resources like this so everyone in our state can thrive and live healthy lives."" “Under the Biden-Harris Administration, USDA Rural Development has invested over $1 billion in creating safe, affordable housing options for rural Oregonians,” said USDA Rural Housing Administrator Joaquin Altoro. “We are proud of our partnership with Community Home Builders and it is an honor to see these investments increase the health and wellbeing of Oregon’s farm workers.” The funding comes from USDA Rural Development’s Off-Farm Labor Housing Program, which helps property owners make health and safety repairs, accessibility improvements, energy efficiency upgrades, and more to benefit their tenants. Across five states, the Off-Farm Labor Housing Program is awarding a total of $18 million in grants and loans to improve approximately 500 homes, including Villa Del Sol in Oregon. Community Home Builders in Yamhill County will use the $956,333 federal award to significantly rehabilitate eight two-bedroom, 12 three-bedroom, and four four-bedroom units at Villa Del Sol. The improvements will not only enhance living conditions for the 24 tenants who are expected to benefit from the project, but all future farmworkers and their families who will call the housing complex home.",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-07T21:57:20Z https://www.wyden.senate.gov/news/press-releases/wyden-merkley-announce-nearly-3-million-loan-for-high-speed-internet-in-oregon,"Wyden, Merkley Announce Nearly $3 Million Loan for High Speed Internet in Oregon",2024-10-21,2024,2024-10,Democrat,Senate,OR,Ron Wyden,W000779,www.wyden.senate.gov,wyden,https://www.wyden.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"The USDA ReConnect Loan will benefit residents of Clackamas County Washington D.C.— U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley today announced a federal loan of $2.8 million for Clear Creek Communications to expand high-speed internet access to households, businesses and farms in Clackamas County. “It is more important now than ever to have reliable access to the internet, especially for rural Oregonians who need access to emergency services, telehealth appointments, school research and more,” Wyden said. “Just last year, I worked with Commerce Secretary Gina Raimundo to fix broadband maps that have since provided Oregonians nearly $700 million to modernize and expand broadband services in rural parts of our state. I applaud this new $2.8 million federal loan for Clackamas County, and I am committed to building on the successes we have had getting more federal resources for rural broadband services.” “It is critical for individuals, families, and small businesses in every corner of Oregon to have access to affordable, reliable, high-speed internet,”?Merkley said.?“This federal support?will boost the broadband access needed in Clackamas County to better support stronger, more connected rural Oregon communities.”? This investment from the USDA’s ReConnect Loan Program will go to Clear Creek Communications to deploy fiber broadband that will provide high-speed internet to 102 people, three businesses and five farms in Clackamas County. “This project will start to add Redland members to the national fiber footprint,” said Clear Creek Communications President Jay Henke. “It will also better support the growing number of internet-connected devices the average subscriber has in their home today like smartphones, tablets, gaming systems, health trackers and doorbell cameras.”",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T18:55:29Z https://www.wyden.senate.gov/news/press-releases/wyden-announces-town-hall-next-week-in-jackson-county,Wyden Announces Town Hall Next Week in Jackson County,2024-10-18,2024,2024-10,Democrat,Senate,OR,Ron Wyden,W000779,www.wyden.senate.gov,wyden,https://www.wyden.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"Oct. 24 town hall at Phoenix High School will be No. 1,101 in fulfilling the Senator’s pledge to hold at least one annual town hall in each of Oregon’s 36 counties Portland - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden today announced he will hold an open-to-all town hall on Thursday, Oct. 24 in Jackson County. This 10 am town hall at Phoenix High School Rose Theater (745 N Rose St., Phoenix) will be Wyden’s second this year in Jackson County and 1,101st overall -- honoring his promise to hold at least one town hall each year in each of our state’s 36 counties. “Every year, in every county of Oregon, I invite Oregonians to have face-to-face conversations with me at my open-to-all town halls,” Wyden said. “I’m honored every time Oregonians show the entire country how to hold open-to-all meetings with direct conversations that make our communities and state even better places to live and work. I’m eager to hear from Jackson County again, and just as eager to continue this tradition of holding town halls all across Oregon. Coming together to work on common-ground and common-sense solutions is what I call the Oregon Way.” Doors will open 30 minutes before the town halls for attendees.",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T18:55:29Z https://www.wyden.senate.gov/news/press-releases/hoyle-wyden-merkley-announce-25-million-in-funding-for-port-of-coos-bay-intermodal-project,"Hoyle, Wyden, Merkley Announce $25 Million in Funding for Port of Coos Bay Intermodal Project",2024-10-16,2024,2024-10,Democrat,Senate,OR,Ron Wyden,W000779,www.wyden.senate.gov,wyden,https://www.wyden.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, DC – Today, U.S. Representative Val Hoyle and U.S. Senator Ron Wyden and U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley, announced $25,018,750 in federal funding for the Pacific Coast Intermodal Port (PCIP) Terminal Planning Project. The investment comes from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Nationally Significant Multimodal Freight and Highways Projects (INFRA) grant program. “I am thrilled today that the U.S. Department of Transportation has awarded over $25 million for the Port of Coos Bay Intermodal Project,” said U.S. Representative Val Hoyle. “This project has the potential to bring over 8000 jobs to Southwest Oregon’s coastal communities and to strengthen our nation’s supply chain. Today’s announcement brings us one step closer to rebuilding the South Coast as an economic engine for the state and introduces more pathways to the middle class."" She added, “I would like to thank Secretary Buttigieg, the U.S. Department of Transportation, the White House, and my partners in Congress for their support and persistence to help bring this project closer to fruition.” “Today’s $25 million announcement takes a significant step forward to landing this Port of Coos Bay project that will ultimately generate thousands of good-paying jobs on the South Coast and extend huge economic and environmental benefits throughout Oregon,” said U.S. Senator Ron Wyden. “There’s still more work to be done, and I am committed to keep pressing the case along with Congresswoman Hoyle and Senator Merkley to provide all the federal investment this project has earned and fully deserves.” “This $25 million federal investment from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law is a historic win for Oregon’s rural South Coast and our entire state and is the kickstart that Coos Bay’s transformative container port project needs. This project will create thousands of good-paying union and permanent local jobs, boost the economy, and help address bottlenecks in the national supply chain, while cutting greenhouse gas emissions,” said U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley. “I have long championed this critical project alongside Representative Hoyle, Senator Wyden, Port leadership, and a diverse community of stakeholders, and together we advocated to the highest levels of the Biden administration to ensure this federal commitment. Today’s win moves the Port of Coos Bay forward toward the vision of becoming the first fully ship-to-rail port facility on the West Coast and is a testament to the power of collaboration and never giving up—the Oregon Way.” In addition to creating thousands of jobs in a rural area that has been too often overlooked, the PCIP project will benefit the nation’s supply chain by easing congestion at West Coast Ports. It will also be the nation’s first ship-to-rail port on the West Coast, meaning the facility will not need to rely on trucks to move cargo. The project is also anticipated to use renewable energy sources to provide green electricity, which will allow for the use of electric-powered cargo handling equipment, vehicle charging, and onshore power. The Port will be fitted with electric power plug-ins to power ships at berth (known as “cold ironing”) during the process of unloading. ###",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T18:55:29Z https://www.wyden.senate.gov/news/press-releases/merkley-wyden-announce-major-federal-funding-to-protect-portlands-kids-from-lead-based-paint,"Merkley, Wyden Announce Major Federal Funding to Protect Portland’s Kids from Lead-Based Paint",2024-10-16,2024,2024-10,Democrat,Senate,OR,Ron Wyden,W000779,www.wyden.senate.gov,wyden,https://www.wyden.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"Washington, D.C. – Oregon’s U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden announced today $7.75 million in federal funding was awarded to the City of Portland to keep young children safe from lead-based paint hazards in older homes. “No Oregonian—regardless of where they live—should have to worry about whether their home is poisoning them or their children,” said Merkley. “This federal funding will help Portland address the threats posed by remnants of lead-based paint hazards. I will continue to fight for more resources to ensure that every Oregonian has a safe place to call home.” “All Oregonians should feel safe in their homes free of fear that lead paint threatens their health or that of their loved ones,” Wyden said. “I’m gratified these federal resources will aid Portland’s work to reduce the dangers of lead paint, and I’ll keep battling to secure similar investments for communities all across Oregon.” The federal funding comes from the Fiscal Year 2024 Lead-Based Paint Hazard Reduction Grant Program under the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). The purpose of this program is to protect children under the age of six years from the impacts of lead-based paint poisoning, especially kids in low-income and underserved communities, who are among the most at risk. Funds can be used to fix older housing, preserve affordable housing, and enhance lead hazard control efforts by identifying and addressing other housing-related health risks to keep children and families healthy and safe. The City of Portland will specifically use its $7.75 million Lead Hazard Reduction and Healthy Home Supplemental grant to serve 136 Portland households over four years. ""We are deeply honored and grateful for this vital support from HUD,"" said Portland Housing Bureau Director Helmi Hisserich. ""This funding allows us to do more than just repair homes—it empowers us to protect the health and well-being of our youngest and most vulnerable residents. By ensuring every child can grow up in a safe, healthy environment, we're improving lives today and building stronger communities and a brighter future for Portland."" ###",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T18:55:29Z https://www.wyden.senate.gov/news/press-releases/wyden-merkley-announce-37-million-in-federal-funds-for-oregon-to-replace-unsafe-drinking-water-infrastructure,"Wyden, Merkley Announce $37 Million in Federal Funds for Oregon to Replace Unsafe Drinking Water Infrastructure",2024-10-14,2024,2024-10,Democrat,Senate,OR,Ron Wyden,W000779,www.wyden.senate.gov,wyden,https://www.wyden.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"Washington D.C.—U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley today announced a federal investment of $37 million from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to replace lead and copper water pipes across Oregon that have been known to cause serious health issues. “The science is clear - there is no safe level of lead in drinking water,” Wyden said. “I am very grateful to see more than $37 million from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law ensure that Oregonians always have access to clean drinking water in our schools, homes, and places of work. This funding proves that investing in infrastructure means investing in the health and wellbeing of Oregonians for generations to come.” “Oregonians in every corner of the state should be able to turn on their tap without fear of lead contamination in their drinking water,” Merkley said.“These federal funds will allow for the replacement of lead pipes around the state and improve our water infrastructure systems—a top concern I hear about in the town halls I hold in every county in Oregon. I’ll continue to do all I can ensure every community in Oregon and across the U.S. has reliable access to safe, clean drinking water.” The federal investment is through the Environmental Protection Agency’s Drinking Water State Revolving Fund, and is intended to help replace all lead water pipes from Oregon's water supply within the next 10 years.",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T18:55:29Z https://www.wyden.senate.gov/news/press-releases/wyden-presses-biden-administration-to-secure-us-wiretapping-systems-following-reported-hack,Wyden Presses Biden Administration to Secure U.S. Wiretapping Systems Following Reported Hack,2024-10-11,2024,2024-10,Democrat,Senate,OR,Ron Wyden,W000779,www.wyden.senate.gov,wyden,https://www.wyden.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"Wyden Calls out Lack of FCC Security Rules, Lax Cybersecurity by Telephone Companies and DOJ Failure to Hold Negligent Companies Accountable Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., pressed the Department of Justice (DOJ) and Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to stop hackers from breaching U.S. telephone and broadband companies’ wiretapping systems by setting mandatory security standards and doing more to hold companies accountable for negligent cybersecurity, in a letter today. Wyden’s letter follows a report by The Wall Street Journal last week that suspected-Chinese government hackers may have breached major U.S. phone and broadband companies' wiretapping systems, including AT&T, Verizon, and Lumen Technologies. This breach could allow China to identify targets of U.S. government surveillance and spy on Americans. In the letter to FCC Chair Jessica Rosenworcel and DOJ Attorney General Merrick B. Garland, Wyden wrote, “The recently reported hack of U.S. telecommunications companies’ wiretapping systems should serve as a major wake-up call to the government. The outdated regulatory framework and DOJ’s failed approach to combating cyberattacks by protecting negligent corporations must be addressed. The security of our nation's communications infrastructure is paramount, and the government must act now to rectify these longstanding vulnerabilities.” The Communications Assistance for Law Enforcement Act (CALEA) was enacted in 1994 to require phone companies to install and secure wiretapping systems, but the government never adopted mandatory cybersecurity standards. Cybersecurity experts warned that building wiretapping technologies into phone and internet companies would create vulnerabilities that would be prime targets for hackers and intelligence services. However, the FBI and FCC have both dismissed experts’ concerns over these cyber risks, resulting in serious harm to national security. Wyden requested the FCC to: Initiate a rulemaking process to update the CALEA regulations to fully implement the system security requirements in the law. Establish baseline cybersecurity standards for telecommunications carriers, enforced by steep fines. Require independent, annual third-party cybersecurity audits. Require board-level cybersecurity expertise. Require senior executives annually sign certifications of compliance with the cybersecurity standards. Wyden requested DOJ to: Recognize the failure of its current approach to combating cyberattacks. Hold negligent corporations accountable rather than shielding and hiding information on data breaches from Congress, investors, and the public. Share information on corporate cyber negligence with federal regulators that have the authority to force the companies to address these security lapses. Prioritize corporate accountability for negligent cybersecurity over prosecuting foreign hackers who are almost never brought to justice. The text of the letter is here. ###",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T18:55:29Z https://www.wyden.senate.gov/news/press-releases/wyden-colleagues-introduce-legislation-to-ban-lavish-gifts-for-supreme-court-justices,"Wyden, Colleagues Introduce Legislation to Ban Lavish Gifts for Supreme Court Justices",2024-10-10,2024,2024-10,Democrat,Senate,OR,Ron Wyden,W000779,www.wyden.senate.gov,wyden,https://www.wyden.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"In the last two decades, Supreme Court justices have accepted hundreds of gifts valued at nearly $5 million Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Ron Wyden said today he is cosponsoring legislation that would ban Supreme Court justices from receiving gifts valued at more than $50, aimed at strengthening the ethical standards of the Court. Senators Ben Ray Luján, D-N.M., and Peter Welch, D-Vt., led the introduction of the High Court Gift Ban Act. In addition to Wyden, Senators Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., Alex Padilla, D-Calif., and Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., cosponsored the bill. Representatives Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., and Jamie Raskin, D-Md., introduced companion legislation in the House. “American democracy can only work if the public has trust in its institutions,” said Wyden, who recently introduced sweeping reforms to restore public trust in the Supreme Court. “With more and more Supreme Court ethics violations being uncovered, the public’s trust in the Court has been shaken to its core. It’s not just unacceptable but morally wrong that those sitting on our nation’s highest court can get away with accepting lavish gifts from just about anybody. Supreme Court justices should be held to the same standards as other federal officials so that faith can begin to be restored in one of America’s most powerful institutions.” Under current law, Supreme Court justices are not held to the same restrictions on accepting gifts that apply to members of Congress, federal judges, and other federal officials. A recent analysis by Fix the Court estimated that in the last two decades, Supreme Court justices have accepted hundreds of gifts valued at nearly $5 million. The High Court Gift Ban Act does the following: Bans Supreme Court justices and all 2,300 lower court judges from receiving gifts valued at more than $50 in a single instance or more than $100 in aggregate in a year; Caps gifts of personal hospitality, which are currently unregulated, at a value equal to the tax threshold for personal gifts, currently about $18,000; Contains exemptions in line with those for members of Congress; Enforces prohibitions by requiring referrals to the attorney general for investigation; Aligns civil and criminal penalties for non-compliance with the government-wide financial disclosure law, the Ethics in Government Act: Up to $50,000 for civil violations; Fines and up to one year in prison for criminal penalties. The High Court Gift Ban Act is endorsed by Accountable.US, AFT, Alliance for Justice, American Humanist Association, Center for American Progress, Clean Elections Texas, Common Cause, Courage California, Court Accountability, Courts Matter Illinois, Demand Justice, DemCast USA, Demos Action, End Citizens United/Let America Vote Action Fund, Enough of Gun Violence, Faithful Democracy, Fix the Court, Free Speech For People, FRFF Action Fund, Get Money Out - Maryland, Greenpeace USA, Indivisible, League of Conservation Voters, Michiganders for Fair & Transparent Elections, MoveOn, National Association of Consumer Advocates, National Association of Social Workers, NETWORK Lobby for Catholic Social Justice, Ohio Fair Courts Alliance, P Street, People For the American Way, People Power United, Project on Government Oversight, Public Citizen, Reproductive Freedom for All, Secular Coalition for America, Secure Elections Network, Stand Up America, Supreme Court Integrity Project, Take Back the Court Action Fund, True North Research, United Church of Christ, Voices for Progress, and Walking To Fix Our Democracy.",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T18:55:29Z https://www.wyden.senate.gov/news/press-releases/wyden-joins-legislation-to-build-and-renovate-homes-for-working-families,Wyden Joins Legislation to Build and Renovate Homes for Working Families,2024-10-10,2024,2024-10,Democrat,Senate,OR,Ron Wyden,W000779,www.wyden.senate.gov,wyden,https://www.wyden.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Ron Wyden said today he is cosponsoring legislation that would provide tax credits to generate incentives for new investments and additional resources for single-family home construction and renovations for working families in Oregon and nationwide. Senator Martin Heinrich, D-N.M., who led the New Homes Tax Credit Act, released a report on housing supply in America, which found that underbuilding, restrictive zoning policies, and home financing hurdles have caused the supply of starter homes to shrink and prices to rise. High interest rates and mangled supply chains have also contributed to increased home prices. The legislation would address the lack of housing inventory for individuals and families whose incomes are up to 120 percent of the area median income, particularly in areas where middle-income families have historically been priced out. “Democrats are focused on attacking the cost of living, and with rents and home prices climbing every year, the key to solving our housing crisis is to build, build, build. That’s what this bill is all about,” said Wyden. “The housing crisis is no longer just about big cities like Portland, it’s all over Oregon and the entire country – urban centers, suburban communities, even a lot of rural areas. Congress needs to look at every available solution that’ll get more housing built so that families don’t have to break the bank to pay the rent every month.” The New Homes Tax Credit would be administered under the Community Development Financial Institutions Fund. That fund certifies Housing Development Entities, which can be Community Development Financial Institutions, government and quasi-governmental entities, or non-profits. Following certification, Housing Development Entities will use the capital raised from exchanging their tax credits with investors to provide funds for construction companies that build or renovate single-family homes. Along with Wyden, The New Homes Tax Credit Act is cosponsored by Senators Peter Welch, D-Vt., and Chris Van Hollen, D-Md. The legislation is supported by the Mortgage Bankers Association, National Association of Home Builders, National Association of Realtors, Housing New Mexico, Homewise, Yes Housing, Inc., and Strong Towns Albuquerque.",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T18:55:29Z https://www.wyden.senate.gov/news/press-releases/wyden-merkley-salinas-announce-2-million-federal-investment-to-oregon-small-businesses-to-lower-energy-costs,"Wyden, Merkley, Salinas Announce $2 Million Federal Investment to Oregon Small Businesses to Lower Energy Costs",2024-10-10,2024,2024-10,Democrat,Senate,OR,Ron Wyden,W000779,www.wyden.senate.gov,wyden,https://www.wyden.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"Seven small businesses in Marion and Jefferson counties to benefit Washington D.C.—U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley with U.S. Representative Andrea Salinas today announced a federal investment of more than $2 million to help lower energy costs for farmers and small businesses in Marion and Jefferson counties while reducing carbon emissions. “Rural Oregonians are often on the frontlines of the fight against the climate crisis, whether that is combating wildfires, drought, or other extreme weather events caused by climate change,” Wyden said. “I applaud this federal investment that addresses this issue by supporting small Oregon businesses investing in becoming more climate resilient and reducing carbon emissions.” “Oregon’s small farms, ranches, and businesses know that leaning into renewable energy sources can help them significantly lower their energy costs, increase profits, and improve sustainability over the long run,” said Merkley, who prioritized REAP funding when he previously served as the top Democrat on the Appropriations subcommittee that writes the agriculture funding bill. “Too often, the upfront costs of making that switch often leave rural businesses stuck with outdated energy infrastructure and higher monthly bills. This federal funding from REAP is critical to help rural Oregon businesses in Jefferson and Marion counties overcome financial hurdles and realize energy-efficient projects that are good for both their pocketbook and the planet.” “I am proud to announce that five more rural businesses in Oregon’s Sixth District have been selected for USDA’s REAP program,” said Rep. Salinas. “Federal partnership—when combined with the relentless work ethic and ingenuity of rural Oregonians—can be an incredible resource for our local farmers and small businesses. This funding will allow awardees to switch to renewable energy, helping them save money on utility bills while transitioning to clean energy. That’s a win-win for both our economy and our climate.” The $2.08 million federal investment is through the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Rural Energy for America program, and will be distributed as follows:",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T18:55:29Z https://salinas.house.gov/media/press-releases/salinas-announces-new-actions-fight-fentanyl-and-addiction-oregon,Salinas Announces New Actions to Fight Fentanyl and Addiction in Oregon,2024-10-09,2024,2024-10,Democrat,House,OR,Andrea Salinas,S001226,salinas.house.gov,salinas,https://salinas.house.gov/media/press-releases,scraper,"Salem, OR – Today, Congresswoman Andrea Salinas (OR-06) announced new legislative actions she is taking to address the fentanyl and addiction crisis in Oregon. Rep. Salinas was joined by local law enforcement, county officials, and patient advocates for the announcement, which follows her successful post-Measure 110 listening tour earlier this year. Click here to download a recording of the press conference “Throughout my first term, I have been working to stop the flow of fentanyl into our communities and provide law enforcement with the tools they need to keep us safe, while also expanding access to treatment and recovery services. That is why I decided to embark on a “Life After Measure 110” listening tour earlier this year,” said Rep. Salinas. “During that tour, I met with law enforcement, district attorneys, county commissioners, and patient advocates to hear directly from the folks who know best how I – as a Member of Congress – can support their efforts and help them tackle this problem at the federal level. As a result of those conversations, I am proud to announce a series of new actions that I am taking to solve this problem and continue moving Oregon forward.” During her announcement, Rep. Salinas outlined policies, letters, and funding efforts that are the product of conversations she had with local officials during her county-by-county listening tour. These actions include: New legislation to increase the size of in-patient facilities that are eligible for Medicaid coverage and provide funding for facilities to subsequently increase their capacity. Additional legislation that Rep. Salinas has cosponsored to help stop the flow of fentanyl and other dangerous drugs into our country and improve our mental and behavioral health infrastructure. Letters to state and federal partners to convey concerns related to the implementation of House Bill 4002, as well as the lack of federal resources for the Oregon-Idaho High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA). Click here to read Rep. Salinas’ letter to Speaker Fahey and Senate President Wagner Click here to read Rep. Salinas’ letter to Oregon-Idaho HIDTA Executive Director Gibson Requests for increased federal funding for the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s (SAMHSA) Center for Behavioral Health Statistics & Quality (CBHSQ), Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act First Responders grants, and Rural Opioid Technical Assistance Regional Centers (ROTA-R). Several local officials and law enforcement officers joined Rep. Salinas for her announcement, expressing gratitude for her listening tour and bipartisan approach to solving the fentanyl and addiction crisis. “I want to thank you for the listening tour, with listening being the key word,” said Marion County Sheriff Nick Hunter. “This is not just one layer that we need to address. This is multiple layers, from the prevention side to the treatment side, but also the vulnerability of our addicted population and truly addressing the enforcement side of trying to get those drugs off our streets. I appreciate the direction you’re taking with this bipartisan approach [of] “we need to do this for our state” – because this is a health crisis, not a law enforcement crisis – and everybody is involved in what that solution or pathway to get better looks like.” “I really appreciate the Congresswoman’s visit to our county and getting the perspective of multiple counties. This bottom-up approach to policymaking is going to bear a ton of fruit in communities across the United States,” said Polk County Commissioner Jeremy Gordon. In addition to the new actions announced today, Rep. Salinas already supported several other policies prior to her listening tour that would help law enforcement combat and prevent fentanyl from entering our communities. Rep. Salinas voted with Republicans and Democrats to pass the HALT Fentanyl Act, which would increase criminal penalties for fentanyl-related substances and help save lives. She also supports the Smart Border Protection Act, which would deploy additional personnel to our Southern Border and prevent these dangerous drugs from entering the United States. Beyond legislation, Rep. Salinas consistently meets with local law enforcement to discuss how Congress can better support their efforts to get fentanyl under control. At the same time, Rep. Salinas has championed bills that would expand access to affordable treatment and supported more funding for school-based and community health centers that often help people who are struggling with substance use disorders. She also recently requested federal funding for the Beaverton Behavioral Health Court, which provides wraparound services to prevent people with substance use disorders from entering the criminal justice system if it can be avoided.",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-07T21:57:20Z https://www.wyden.senate.gov/news/press-releases/wyden-merkley-and-hoyle-announce-noaas-support-for-port-orford,"Wyden, Merkley and Hoyle Announce NOAA’s Support for Port Orford",2024-10-09,2024,2024-10,Democrat,Senate,OR,Ron Wyden,W000779,www.wyden.senate.gov,wyden,https://www.wyden.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"NOAA identifies Port Orford in its strategic plan Washington D.C. – U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley, along with U.S. Representative Val Hoyle, today announced the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Fisheries included specific support for Port Orford’s local economy and job growth in its National Seafood Strategic Implementation Plan. “World-renowned seafood is synonymous with Oregon, and is a vital part of our coastal economy and a delicious part of our dinner tables,” Wyden said. “I’m gratified NOAA recognizes the important role Port Orford plays in sustaining the local and regional seafood industry. This plan will net local jobs for Curry County, while Oregonians will reel in enhanced availability of fresh, local seafood in the region.” “Oregon seafood is the lifeblood of our coastal communities and economy, and when the industry thrives, all of Oregon thrives,” Merkley said. “This national strategy from NOAA—which supports the revitalization of the Port of Port Orford—will boost Oregon’s coastal fishermen and world-class seafood producers, creating jobs in Curry County and across the country.” “Our fishermen are the heart of Oregon’s coastal communities,” said Rep. Hoyle. “NOAA is specifically focused on the resilience of the seafood sector in Port Orford, which will help create coastal jobs and support the health of our seafood industry. In Congress, I’ll continue working to bring back Oregonian taxpayer dollars to support economic growth and sustainability on the Coast.” “As both Mayor of Port Orford as well as Manager of the Port I am ecstatic to see that the hard work and planning by the Port of Port Orford and all of its stakeholders has gotten this National recognition. The revitalization of the Port of Port Orford will change the tides of possibility for our region,” said Pat Cox, Mayor of Port Orford and Port Manager at Port of Port Orford. The U.S. seafood industry is critical to enhancing public health and nutrition, creating jobs, and building a climate resilient food strategy. It is facing unprecedented challenges resulting in an urgent situation for many fisheries and connected communities and putting our supply of sustainable seafood at risk. Ensuring a supply of sustainable seafood for U.S. consumers is a key part of NOAA Fisheries’ mission.",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T18:55:29Z https://www.wyden.senate.gov/news/press-releases/wyden-merkley-announce-federal-investment-to-mitigate-water-loss,"Wyden, Merkley Announce Federal Investment to Mitigate Water Loss",2024-10-07,2024,2024-10,Democrat,Senate,OR,Ron Wyden,W000779,www.wyden.senate.gov,wyden,https://www.wyden.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"Funding will improve the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation’s irrigation systems on the Walla Walla River Washington D.C. – U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley today announced a federal investment of $350,000 for the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation to make improvements that will reduce water losses in the Little Walla Walla Canal System. “As we face an ever-deepening climate crisis, it’s vital to find efficient ways to conserve resources like water to help communities throughout Oregon thrive,” Wyden said. “I’m gratified that this investment from the Inflation Reduction Act will help the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla continue their long tradition of environmentally sound, sustainable farming.” “Indigenous peoples in the Pacific Northwest have been caretakers of our waterways since time immemorial,” said Merkley. “As climate chaos fuels longer and more intense droughts in Oregon and across the American West, we must find ways to improve water efficiency while protecting our waterways and the ecosystems they support. It is great news to see these funds supporting the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla as they work with partners to improve the efficiency of the Little Walla Walla Canal System.” This funding, from the Bureau of Reclamation’s Native American Affairs Technical Assistance Program, was provided through the Inflation Reduction Act to support Tribal efforts to develop, manage and protect water and related resources, and mitigate drought impacts and the loss of Tribal trust resources. “Thanks to legislation recently passed in Oregon and Washington as part of the Walla Walla Water 2050 Plan, this water will be protected through Oregon, across the state line to the mouth of the Walla Walla River in Washington, and throughout the ceded lands of the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation, improving stream flows all the way to the Columbia River,” said CTUIR Chairman Gary I. Burke.",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T18:55:29Z https://bonamici.house.gov/media/press-releases/bonamici-introduces-bill-preserve-restore-coastal-habitats,"Bonamici Introduces Bill to Preserve, Restore Coastal Habitats",2024-10-04,2024,2024-10,Democrat,House,OR,Suzanne Bonamici,B001278,bonamici.house.gov,bonamici,https://bonamici.house.gov/media/press-releases,scraper,"Today Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR) introduced bipartisan legislation to improve coastal ecosystem conservation and bolster federal research on blue carbon. In coastal areas mangroves, tidal marshes, seagrasses, and kelp forests serve as habitat for marine wildlife and can help protect coastal communities from flooding and storms. Importantly, they also help remove and store climate-warming carbon dioxide from the atmosphere for centuries to millennia. The bipartisan Coastal Restoration Act will tap into the power of these coastal ecosystems by expanding conservation efforts and establishing a federal interagency blue carbon research initiative. ""Ocean and coastal ecosystems have immense potential to address the climate crisis,” said Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici. ""Unfortunately, the health of these blue carbon ecosystems is under threat from ocean acidification and sea level rise driven by global warming. The bipartisan Coastal Restoration Act will help monitor, protect, and restore coastal blue carbon ecosystems and strengthen research on this natural climate solution."" “Protecting, restoring and strengthening our coastal ecosystems to bolster resilience is key to mitigating the impacts of flooding and other extreme weather events on coastal communities,” said Rep. Don Beyer. “Our legislation will facilitate research and restoration efforts to help us better understand and preserve these critical ecosystems while also fostering collaboration among local, state, federal, and Tribal governments and international partners. I thank my colleague Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici for her leadership on this issue so we can protect our coasts for generations to come.” The Coastal Restoration Act will create a national map and inventory of coastal blue carbon ecosystems and their sequestration potential, coordinate research and restoration efforts across the country, and improve data collection and sharing among local, state, federal, and Tribal governments and international partners to advance conservation of coastal blue carbon ecosystems. It will also create a Blue Carbon Inventory Program under NOAA to provide technical assistance and other support to coastal communities. A summary of the legislation can be found hereand a copy of the bill can be foundhere. It is cosponsored by Representatives Don Beyer (D-VA) and Bill Posey (R-FL). The Coastal Restoration Act is endorsed by the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership and Restore America's Estuaries.",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-07T21:57:20Z https://bonamici.house.gov/media/press-releases/seec-climate-jobs-task-force-supports-treasury-department-proposal-expand-low,SEEC Climate Jobs Task Force Supports Treasury Department Proposal to Expand Low-Income Communities Bonus Credit Program,2024-10-03,2024,2024-10,Democrat,House,OR,Suzanne Bonamici,B001278,bonamici.house.gov,bonamici,https://bonamici.house.gov/media/press-releases,scraper,"Washington, D.C. – Today, the House Sustainable Energy and Environment Coalition (SEEC) Climate Jobs Task Force Co-Chairs – Reps. Suzanne Bonamici, Nikki Budzinski, and Mark DeSaulnier – and Task Force Member Rep. Seth Magaziner, sent a letter to Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen in support of the Department of Treasury’s proposed rule to expand the Inflation Reduction Act’s Low-Income Communities Bonus Credit (LICBC) Program to include additional clean energy technologies for calendar years 2025 and onward. “We write today to support Treasury’s proposed rule to expand the LICBC Program into additional clean energy technologies with a greenhouse gas emissions rate of zero or less,” the letter says. “As the Administration revamps the program with additional eligible clean energy technologies, we also encourage you to design the LICBC Program application process in such a way that puts a premium on union clean energy job creation and prioritizes projects that have high labor standards, are compliant with prevailing wage standards and conform to IRA apprenticeship requirements. If finalized, this proposal has the potential to expand opportunities to build and grow clean energy economies in low-income and historically disadvantaged communities with good-paying, union jobs.” The letter can be found here.",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-07T21:57:20Z https://www.wyden.senate.gov/news/press-releases/merkley-wyden-1-million-federal-investment-will-build-resiliency-to-wildfires-smoke-in-lane-county,"Merkley, Wyden: $1 Million Federal Investment Will Build Resiliency to Wildfires, Smoke in Lane County",2024-10-03,2024,2024-10,Democrat,Senate,OR,Ron Wyden,W000779,www.wyden.senate.gov,wyden,https://www.wyden.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"Washington, D.C. – Oregon’s U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden announced today that $997,622 is coming to Lane County to build resiliency in the face of climate chaos-fueled wildfires and smoke. This funding under the historic Inflation Reduction Act—the largest investment in climate action in history—will help improve air quality and mitigate the harms of wildfire smoke for Lane County residents, protecting public health and frontline communities disproportionately at risk of these fires. “When hazardous wildfire smoke blankets our communities, it threatens our health, lives, and livelihoods,” Merkley said. “A record amount of acreage in Oregon has burned by wildfires this year, and we must make sure Oregonians have access to the necessary resources to help respond to the dangerous smoke these fires produced. This money will help protect our communities, and I’ll keep fighting for smart investments like this to tackle wildfires and smoke throughout our state.” “Wildfires increasingly threaten lives and communities in our beautiful state each year as the climate crisis continues to worsen,” Wyden said. “This federal funding is a perfect example of what I fought for in the Inflation Reduction Act. I applaud this federal investment to Lane County, and will continue to push for more resources to help reduce the risk of wildfires throughout Oregon.” This grant funding from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will go toward the following specific strategies and activities: Home hardening and smoke-proofing homes with wildfire and smoke vulnerabilities; Implementing a community-developed Smoke Community Response Plan; Hiring a wood waste program coordinator to extend the life of a firewood program that delivers seasoned firewood to underserved community members; Identifying economically viable uses for local forest stock that can help with reducing forest fuel load; Conducting a research assessment on wildfire smoke in rural Eastern Lane County focused on health and morbidity in relation to the limitation of prescribed fire in the Willamette National Forest; and Publishing a lessons learned/best practices toolkit that encourages the implementation of similar programs in other regions. ""We're grateful for the EPA's Environmental Justice grant award. This funding will support community-led efforts to protect vulnerable residents from smoke and wildfire hazards in Lane County and LRAPA developing a model for wildfire preparedness strategies to be utilized across the Pacific Northwest. We thank Senators Merkley and Wyden for their continued support and advocacy for environmental justice in our region,” said Travis Knudsen, Executive Director of the Lane Regional Air Protection Agency (LRAPA). ###",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T18:55:29Z https://www.wyden.senate.gov/news/press-releases/merkley-wyden-co-sponsor-legislation-to-revitalize-congressional-check-on-rogue-supreme-court-decisions,"Merkley, Wyden Co-Sponsor Legislation to Revitalize Congressional Check on Rogue Supreme Court Decisions",2024-10-03,2024,2024-10,Democrat,Senate,OR,Ron Wyden,W000779,www.wyden.senate.gov,wyden,https://www.wyden.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"Washington, D.C. – Oregon’s U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden have joined legislation that would revitalize Congress’s ability to check the Supreme Court’s inaccurate interpretation of federal law and restore rights by statute that the Court has taken away. “The Supreme Court is making life-altering decisions threatening Americans’ reproductive freedom, workers’ bargaining power, voting rights, clean air, and so much more—Congress needs a process to quickly and effectively respond to Supreme Court decisions from these rogue MAGA justices,” said Senator Merkley. “The Supreme Court Review Act is a great step to ensure that the highest court in our land serves ‘We the People’ not just the powerful.” “With the help of Senate Republicans, Donald Trump spent his time in office packing our nation’s highest courts with right-wing extremists willing to do the bidding of special interests and legislate from the bench,” said Senator Wyden, who recently introduced sweeping reforms to restore public trust in the Supreme Court. “America was founded on checks and balances, and it’s time to restore that balance by putting a much-needed check on a power-hungry Supreme Court.” The Supreme Court Review Act would help ensure that the constitutionally-delegated power to make policy remains with Congress, not the Court, by creating streamlined procedures through which Congress can exercise its existing power to amend statutes or create federal statutory rights.? Congress has already created a process for expeditiously responding to agency rules under the Congressional Review Act, and the Supreme Court Review Act would do the same for Supreme Court decisions. The legislation would: Codify a process for passing new laws in response to Supreme Court decisions that interpret federal statutes or roll back constitutional rights; Expedite procedures for the Senate to pass these laws by a simple majority; Limit this process to recent Court rulings and exclude non-germane changes to federal law to prevent abuse; and Ensure that members of the minority party in the Senate have an opportunity to propose alternative updates to the law. This legislation was led by U.S. Senators Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) and Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV). Alongside Merkley and Wyden, the bill was cosponsored by Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Peter Welch (D-VT), and Cory Booker (D-NJ). Full text of the bill is available here. ? ###",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T18:55:29Z https://www.wyden.senate.gov/news/press-releases/wyden-merkley-hoyle-salinas-communities-in-oregon-to-receive-much-needed-funding-for-law-enforcement-technology,"Wyden, Merkley, Hoyle, Salinas: Communities in Oregon to Receive Much-Needed Funding for Law-Enforcement Technology",2024-10-02,2024,2024-10,Democrat,Senate,OR,Ron Wyden,W000779,www.wyden.senate.gov,wyden,https://www.wyden.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"Benton, Lake, Marion counties and Medford to receive a combined $5.6 million in DOJ funding Washington D.C.— U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley, along with U.S. Representatives Val Hoyle and today announced crucial federal investments for technology to support local law enforcement–including emergency response and crime prevention–in Benton, Lake and Marion counties, and the city of Medford. “Communities throughout Oregon simply must have the modern tools required to prevent and fight crime in a modern world,” Wyden said. “I’m gratified this investment will help build safer communities for Oregonians in rural and urban areas across the state.” “As I hold a town hall in each of Oregon’s 36 counties every year, I hear firsthand from folks about what matters most to them, including robustly supporting public safety efforts that keep Oregonians safe during disasters like wildfires and floods,” said Merkley, who secured funding for these community-initiated projects as a senior member of the Senate Appropriations Committee. “These federal investments to modernize emergency radio and alert systems in our communities will help local agencies perform at their best during the worst conditions to help save lives.” “As the daughter of a retired police officer, I am committed to delivering the funding and resources that our local law enforcement needs to do their jobs and keep us safe,” said Rep. Salinas. “That is why I am excited to announce this $1.8 million grant for Marion County, which will be used to upgrade police equipment and communications. Ultimately, this funding will help prevent crime, improve emergency response times, and make our community safer for everyone.” “One of my top priorities is helping law enforcement and emergency personnel replace outdated communications systems that fail to get critical messages across our Coastal or Cascade ranges,” said Rep. Hoyle. “I am proud to have helped secure this critical funding for Benton County’s first responders. These investments will greatly improve communication and emergency response times, particularly in rural areas. I’m grateful for the continued partnership of Senators Wyden and Merkley in prioritizing the safety of Oregonians.” The funding, from the U.S. Department of Justice’s Community Oriented Policing Services Technology and Equipment Program, will give Benton County ($963,000), Lake County ($2 million); Marion County ($1.8 million) and Medford ($880,000) resources needed to acquire effective equipment, technologies, and interoperable communications that assist in responding to and preventing crime. “Thank you to Senators Merkley and Wyden and Representative Hoyle for supporting Benton County’s First Responder Radio Infrastructure Improvement plan. The requested funding, proposed by Representative Hoyle, would be used by Benton County, Oregon to install an antenna and purchase radios necessary to improve public safety and emergency response for Benton County First Responders. A 2022 Radio Infrastructure Assessment and Improvement Plan revealed a significant challenge with Benton County’s radio communications is the lack of interoperability and situational awareness caused by law enforcement and Fire/EMS when utilizing different radio systems. Furthermore, many parts of the rural county have “dead-zones” in which no radio communications are available. Radio infrastructure, as well as handheld and mobile radios, are also in various states of degradation and need updating. This Federal funding would support a 700MHz antenna to be installed on an existing tower and the purchase of radios to eliminate “dead-zones” in the first phase to achieve interoperability between first responders,” said Benton County Sheriff Jef Van Arsdall. “Radio communications for our Sheriff’s Department and Emergency Dispatch System for the County has been an issue for many years. With the help of Senator Merkley and Senator Wyden, Lake County can now upgrade our communications system and improve the quality of service that is desperately needed. We really appreciate both Senators supporting these infrastructure upgrades,” said Barry Shullanberger, Chair of the Lake County Board of Commissioners. “I’m grateful for these funds and the impact they will have on the members of our communities who suffered so tragically during the 2020 wildfires,” said Marion County Commissioner Danielle Bethell. “Investments like this go a long way to establish peace of mind for residents who have encountered such trauma.”",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T18:55:29Z https://bonamici.house.gov/media/press-releases/bonamici-wyden-merkley-announce-45-million-federal-investment-increase-housing,"Bonamici, Wyden, Merkley Announce $4.5 Million Federal Investment to Increase Housing Climate Resiliency",2024-10-01,2024,2024-10,Democrat,House,OR,Suzanne Bonamici,B001278,bonamici.house.gov,bonamici,https://bonamici.house.gov/media/press-releases,scraper,"Washington D.C.—U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley with U.S. Representative Suzanne Bonamici today announced a federal investment of $4.56 million to retrofit two apartment complexes in Portland with climate resilient materials and to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. “As the climate continues to change, we must adapt to make housing more livable while continuing to reduce our carbon footprint,” said Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici. “I’m grateful to have helped secure funding for two affordable apartment complexes in Portland to retrofit their buildings to become more resilient, sustainable, and comfortable for residents.” “The fight against the climate crisis demands an all-out attack,” Wyden said. “Not only should new housing be developed with climate goals in mind, but existing housing must be upgraded to help get to a zero-emission future. This federal investment will do just that, and I will continue to fight for expanded resources that help similar projects across Oregon.” “Everyone should have a safe, decent roof overhead, and bold federal investments in housing units in Oregon and across America are a win-win for our communities and environment,” Merkley said. “This multi-million-dollar federal investment in Portland will help us tackle the dual crises of climate chaos and housing by retrofitting two apartment complexes. Investments like this help us advance the clean energy economy, improve public health, and reduce carbon pollution, all at the same time.” The federal investment is through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Green and Resilient Retrofit Program, and will be distributed as follows: Wheeldon Admiral, LLC - Downtown Portland: $2.96 million Powell Boulevard Apartments, Inc. - Southeast Portland: $1.6 million ""The climate crisis is upon us, but we can do our part. With this incredible support from HUD’s Green and Resilient Retrofit Program, we can make our properties greener, more energy-efficient, and resilient to climate impacts,” said Margaret Salazar, Chief Executive Officer, REACH CDC. “This funding allows us to make essential capital repairs, improve the livability for our residents, and contribute to broader green energy goals. We’re just getting started, and in the coming years, we plan to go even bigger on this crucial work to renew, preserve, and green our housing for the future."" A web version of the release is here.",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-07T21:57:20Z https://www.wyden.senate.gov/news/press-releases/wyden-merkley-bonamici-announce-45-million-federal-investment-to-increase-housing-climate-resiliency,"Wyden, Merkley, Bonamici Announce $4.5 Million Federal Investment to Increase Housing Climate Resiliency",2024-10-01,2024,2024-10,Democrat,Senate,OR,Ron Wyden,W000779,www.wyden.senate.gov,wyden,https://www.wyden.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"Two Portland apartment complexes to benefit Washington D.C.— U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley with U.S. Representative Suzanne Bonamici today announced a federal investment of $4.56 million to retrofit two apartment complexes in Portland with climate resilient materials and to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. “The fight against the climate crisis demands an all-out attack,” Wyden said. “Not only should new housing be developed with climate goals in mind, but existing housing must be upgraded to help get to a zero-emission future. This federal investment will do just that, and I will continue to fight for expanded resources that help similar projects across Oregon.” “Everyone should have a safe, decent roof overhead, and bold federal investments in housing units in Oregon and across America are a win-win for our communities and environment,” Merkley said. “This multi-million-dollar federal investment in Portland will help us tackle the dual crises of climate chaos and housing by retrofitting two apartment complexes. Investments like this help us advance the clean energy economy, improve public health, and reduce carbon pollution, all at the same time.” “As the climate continues to change, we must adapt to make housing more livable while continuing to reduce our carbon footprint,” said Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici. “I’m grateful to have helped secure funding for two affordable apartment complexes in Portland to retrofit their buildings to become more resilient, sustainable, and comfortable for residents.” The federal investment is through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Green and Resilient Retrofit Program, and will be distributed as follows: Wheeldon Admiral, LLC - Downtown Portland: $2.96 million Powell Boulevard Apartments, Inc. - Southeast Portland: $1.6 million",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T18:55:29Z https://www.wyden.senate.gov/news/press-releases/wyden-announces-town-hall-next-week-in-clackamas-county,Wyden Announces Town Hall Next Week in Clackamas County,2024-09-30,2024,2024-09,Democrat,Senate,OR,Ron Wyden,W000779,www.wyden.senate.gov,wyden,https://www.wyden.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"Oct. 8 town hall at Camp Withycombe in Happy Valley will be senator’s 1,100th in fulfillment of his pledge to hold at least one annual town hall in each of Oregon’s 36 counties. Portland - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden today announced he will hold an open-to-all town hall on Tuesday, Oct. 8 in Clackamas County. This 11 am town hall at Camp Withycombe (15300 SE Industrial Way, Happy Valley) will be Wyden’s 35th so far this year and his 1,100th overall -- honoring his promise to hold at least one town hall each year in each of our state’s 36 counties. “The Oregon Way draws strength each time Oregonians come out in communities small and large to have face-to-face conversations sharing ideas and questions that lead to solutions,” Wyden said. “I’m honored every time in every county in our state when Oregonians show the entire country how to hold open-to-all meetings with direct conversations that make our communities and state even better places to live and work. I’m eager to hear from Clackamas County at my 1,100th town hall, and just as eager to continue this tradition of holding town halls all across Oregon.” Doors will open 30 minutes before the town halls for attendees.",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T18:46:43Z https://bonamici.house.gov/media/press-releases/bonamici-bacon-valadao-introduce-bipartisan-bill-connect-people-overdose-detox,"Bonamici, Bacon, Valadao Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Connect People with Overdose, Detox Aid",2024-09-26,2024,2024-09,Democrat,House,OR,Suzanne Bonamici,B001278,bonamici.house.gov,bonamici,https://bonamici.house.gov/media/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, DC [9/26/24] – This week Representatives Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR), Don Bacon (R-NE), and David Valadao (R-CA) introduced bipartisan legislation to provide transportation for people in need of overdose prevention, substance use disorder treatment, detoxification, and supportive services. The Connections to Health Infrastructure and Emergency Recovery Services (CHIERS) Act is inspired by the former long-running van service provided by the health and housing nonprofit Central City Concern that transported people in need to a sobering center in Portland, Oregon. The legislation would create a grant program to improve access to or expand services that provide transportation to connect people with sobering centers, behavioral health supports and supportive services including outpatient health services, case management, and mental health services. “People who are intoxicated or in danger of overdosing need a safe way to access care,” said Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici. “Lack of transportation shouldn’t be a barrier to getting help. Central City Concern’s CHIERS van helped many people reach sobering centers in Portland. This bipartisan legislation will build on that model to create new transportation programs in Oregon and across the country.” “Everyone deserves a second chance,” said Rep. Bacon. “The CHIERS Act will improve access to developing services that provide individuals with transportation to and from substance use disorder treatments or support services. This program will help thousands of citizens get the help they need.” “Rural communities throughout the Central Valley have been impacted by the devastating effects of the opioid crisis,” said Congressman Valadao. “Those seeking treatment and services often face long travel times and high transportation costs to access the resources they need. I’m proud to cosponsor this legislation, which would eliminate many of these travel barriers and make it easier for folks to access the treatment they need.” Funding from the CHIERS Act could be used to train staff, purchase vehicles, and contract with ridesharing services to cover transportation. The grant program would be run jointly through the Department of Health and Human Services and the Department of Housing and Urban Development and eligible entities include community health centers, Continuum of Care Program participants, opioid recovery centers, state, Tribal and local governments, and nonprofit organizations. The legislation is endorsed by Central City Concern, Drug Policy Alliance, National Alliance on Mental Illness, National Association of Counties, National Health Care for the Homeless Council, Lyft, Uber, and the City of Portland. “Providing no cost critical ‘first and last mile’ transportation to the front door of recovery services for our most vulnerable neighbors is an essential part of the continuum of care,” says Brooke Goldberg, Director of Public Policy at Central City Concern. “We know from our years of experience of providing transport services that thousands benefitted from this simple act. And, it provided a critical public safety need in our community. We are grateful for Representative Bonamici’s continued efforts to enhance community services.” “In 2023, over 48 million Americans had a substance use disorder (SUD). Substance use treatment services save the lives of millions of Americans each year, but too many people struggle to find transportation to these life-saving services,” said Hannah Wesolowski, Chief Advocacy Officer at the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI). “Rep. Bonamici’s CHIERS Act would provide transportation to those with an SUD so that they can be connected to these life-changing services. NAMI is proud to support the CHIERS Act.” “Lyft is proud to support the CHIERS Act,” said Lyft VP of Healthcare Buck Poropatich. “This important bill will help people get rides to and from critical supportive services. Supporting this bill aligns with Lyft's goal to be a force for good in communities across the country by removing transportation barriers. This legislation has the potential to greatly enhance public health, safety, and help those who need it most. We urge Congress to take it up."" ""Uber is proud to support the Connections to Health Infrastructure and Emergency Recovery Services (CHIERS) Act,"" said CR Wooters, Head of Federal Affairs at Uber. ""Lack of transportation should not stand in the way of accessing care. Through Uber Health, community organizations and non-profits can help patients reach the services and care they need to aid recovery. We applaud Representatives Bonamici, Bacon, and Valadao for their leadership on this issue."" The legislative text of the CHIERS Act can be found here.",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-07T21:43:57Z https://www.wyden.senate.gov/news/press-releases/wyden-backs-legislation-to-establish-program-supporting-students-basic-needs,Wyden Backs Legislation to Establish Program Supporting Students’ Basic Needs,2024-09-26,2024,2024-09,Democrat,Senate,OR,Ron Wyden,W000779,www.wyden.senate.gov,wyden,https://www.wyden.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Ron Wyden said today he is cosponsoring legislation that would help ensure college students in Oregon and nationwide can meet their basic needs while pursuing their education. The Basic Assistance for Students in College (BASIC) Act aims to combat the basic needs crisis by allocating funding to help students access nutritious food, safe and secure housing, mental and physical health care, high-quality and affordable child care, technology, transportation, personal hygiene, and other necessities. The bill also directs the federal government to streamline data sharing across agencies to help qualifying students access aid. “Way too often, young people are forced to make the impossible choice of affording their basic needs or pursuing their educational dreams,” Wyden said. “No student should ever have to question if they’ll have a roof over their heads, food to eat, and the ability to go to the doctor when they need to. This legislation is a big step towards addressing that struggle by providing grant money and resources so they can stay in school and have what they need to thrive.” A 2024 Government Accountability Office report found that in 2020, nearly 3.8 million college students faced food insecurity, and almost 60 percent of those likely eligible were not receiving Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits. The introduction comes as House Republicans push to cut funding for essential health and education programs. Among the targeted areas is the U.S. Department of Education’s Basic Needs for Postsecondary Students Program, a crucial part of the BASIC Act. This legislation is designed to provide students with the support they need, ensuring their basic needs are met while pursuing higher education. Without this critical funding, many students could face additional barriers to completing their degrees and achieving economic mobility. U.S. Senators Alex Padilla, D-Calif., and Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., are leading the bill in the Senate. Along with Wyden, the BASIC Act is cosponsored by Senators Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., Cory Booker, D-N.J., Dick Durbin, D-Ill., Mazie Hirono, D-Hawai’i, Edward J. Markey, D-Mass., and Chris Van Hollen, D-Md. Representative Norma J. Torres, D-Calif., led the introduction of the BASIC Act in the House. The legislation is endorsed by the American Council on Education, California Community Colleges, Communities for Our Colleges, Complete College America, the Community Food Bank of San Benito County, Excelencia in Education, Food for People, Generation Hope, Hunger Free America Inc., Institute of Higher Education Policy, Los Angeles Regional Food Bank, MAZON: A Jewish Response to Hunger, Michelson Center for Public Policy, National College Attainment Network, New America, Higher Education Policy Program, Nourish California, Ohio Association of Foodbanks, One Family, SchoolHouse Connection, Swipe Out Hunger, Today’s Students Coalition, the California State University, University of California, University of California Student Association, and Waukegan to College.",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T18:46:43Z https://www.wyden.senate.gov/news/press-releases/wyden-introduces-sweeping-court-reforms-to-restore-public-trust-as-supreme-court-faces-legitimacy-crisis,Wyden Introduces Sweeping Court Reforms to Restore Public Trust as Supreme Court Faces Legitimacy Crisis,2024-09-26,2024,2024-09,Democrat,Senate,OR,Ron Wyden,W000779,www.wyden.senate.gov,wyden,https://www.wyden.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., today announced the introduction of new legislation to restore balance among the three branches of government, increase transparency to improve public trust in America’s courts, and modernize the courts to ensure greater access to justice for more Americans. In the wake of recent rulings upending decades of precedent and evidence of unethical behavior, Wyden’s Judicial Modernization and Transparency Act would modernize the courts by expanding the Supreme Court to 15 justices over three presidential terms, prevent political inaction from bottling up nominations to the Supreme Court, and restore appropriate deference to the legislative branch by requiring a supermajority to overturn acts of Congress, among other modernizing provisions to improve access to justice. The bill would also implement much-needed reforms to bring more accountability to the Supreme Court recusal process and improve transparency around potential financial conflicts and other unethical behavior. “The Supreme Court is in crisis and bold solutions are necessary to restore the public trust,” Wyden said. “More transparency, more accountability and more checks on a power hungry Supreme Court are just what the American people are asking for.” The bill modernizes the federal judiciary by: Expanding the Supreme Court to 15 justices. The expansion is staggered over a total of 12 years with a president getting to appoint one nominee in the first and third years of each presidential term. Establishing a new supermajority threshold to overturn acts of Congress on a constitutional basis at both the Supreme Court and Circuit Court level. Requiring that relief granted by lower courts in cases seeking to invalidate an act of Congress expire upon the issuing date of an opinion by the Supreme Court. Establishing a new process for Supreme Court nominations that are not reported out of committee within 180 calendar days to be automatically placed on the Senate calendar. Expanding the number of circuit courts to 15 and returning to the practice of assigning one Supreme Court justice to oversee each circuit. Expanding the number of circuits by splitting the Ninth Circuit and establishing a new Southwestern Circuit. Expanding the number of Circuit Court and District Court judgeships to improve access to justice. The bill increases transparency to improve public trust by: Requiring all justices to consider recusal motions and make their written opinions publically available. Any justice would be recused from a case upon the affirmative vote of the justices. Requiring the public disclosure of how each justice voted for any case within the appellate jurisdiction of the Supreme Court. Requiring the IRS to initiate an audit of each justice's income tax return (and any amended return) as quickly as practicable after it is filed. Within 90 days of filing, the IRS would be required to publicly release the returns and provide an update on the status of the audit. Every 180 days thereafter, the IRS must update the public on the status of the audit. It will also release the ultimate findings of the audit. Requiring those nominated to the Court to include their most recent three years of tax returns in their publicly-available financial disclosure filings. In the case that a nominee does not disclose the tax returns within 15 days after nomination, the Administrative Office of the United States Courts would be instructed to obtain the tax returns from the Secretary of the Treasury and make them public. The Secretary of the Treasury is instructed to redact certain personal identity information. A one-pager summarizing the bill is here. A section-by-section of the legislative text is here. The legislative text is here. In July, as part of his ongoing efforts to reform and restore fairness to our country’s judicial system, Wyden introduced legislation to restore much-needed checks on Donald Trump’s radical right-wing Supreme Court by providing Congress with new authority to overturn judicial decisions that clearly undermine the congressional intent of laws following the Loper Bright decision. He also also introduced legislation to bring an end to the controversial practice of “judge shopping,” in which plaintiffs cherry-pick judges they know will hand down favorable rulings, leading to sweeping rulings that wield undue power over millions of Americans. ###",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T18:46:43Z https://bonamici.house.gov/media/press-releases/whip-clark-bonamici-house-democrats-take-action-invest-child-care-call-out-gop,"WHIP CLARK, BONAMICI, HOUSE DEMOCRATS TAKE ACTION TO INVEST IN CHILD CARE, CALL OUT GOP ON INACTION",2024-09-25,2024,2024-09,Democrat,House,OR,Suzanne Bonamici,B001278,bonamici.house.gov,bonamici,https://bonamici.house.gov/media/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, Democratic Whip Katherine Clark (MA-5) and Representatives Suzanne Bonamici (OR-1), Jimmy Gomez (CA-34), Jennifer McClellan (VA-3), Brittany Pettersen (CO-7), and Jill Tokuda (HI-2) reintroduced the Child Care Infrastructure Act and the Child Care Workforce Development Act, two bills that address America’s child care crisis with robust investment in early learning facilities and educators. ""Democrats are focused on one of the most urgent challenges facing everyday families: the outrageous cost of child care,"" said Whip Clark. ""This pair of bills will build out child care facilities across the country while recruiting talented Americans to pursue careers in early education. This investment would mark a critical step forward in House Democrats' fight to lower costs for parents, create opportunities for our children, and build an economy that works for working families. While Republicans ignore the child care crisis, we are ready with solutions."" “Child care is infrastructure and an important investment for children, families, and the economy,” said Rep. Bonamici. “The ongoing hurdles child care providers and families face are limiting economic growth, threatening employers and small businesses, and holding back working families. I’m grateful to partner with Whip Clark to introduce legislation that will provide funding to improve and build facilities to help meet the demand for affordable, accessible child care.” ""As a father and the founder of the Dads Caucus, I know firsthand how difficult it can be to find affordable child care, and I know that the working parents of this nation face the same concern. Many families today are living in child care deserts, where there aren't enough quality, affordable daycares nearby—my colleagues and I are fighting to change that,” said Rep. Gomez. “I’m proud to join Whip Clark on these two bills that will make becoming an early childhood educator more attainable for students, expand our child care provider workforce and fund building new daycares as key infrastructure investments. Working families should rest assured that their children are being looked after in quality facilities with qualified educators who are supported.” “As one of the 6 percent of members of Congress who is a mother to young children, I know firsthand the challenges working families face when seeking quality, affordable child care,” said Rep. McClellan. “House Democrats are fighting every day to address the child care crisis and give hardworking American families some relief from exorbitant costs. I’m grateful for Democratic Whip Katherine Clark’s leadership on this pressing issue, as we introduce the Child Care Infrastructure Act and the Child Care Workforce Development Act. These bills will bolster federal investment in our nation’s child care industry and incentivize care workers and early childhood educators to continue their invaluable work.” “As a working mom of a four-year-old son with another child on the way, I know firsthand how difficult it is to find affordable child care and the struggles families in my district are facing, especially in more rural communities,” said Rep. Pettersen. “That’s why I’m proud to help reintroduce these two pieces of legislation to bolster our child care workforce, help lower costs for parents, and ensure every family can access the care they need for their children to thrive. I’m incredibly grateful for the leadership of Whip Clark and my colleagues who joined today.” “The rising cost of child care has made it difficult for millions of parents to balance earning a living with caring for their families. Nonetheless, my Republican colleagues refused to join us in supporting working parents and allowed vital federal child care stabilization funding to expire last year. Our working families deserve better. Without additional action by Congress, the unaffordability and unavailability of child care in the U.S. will only worsen,” said Rep. Tokuda. “As a mother of two boys that has to make tough choices, I’m proud to join our Democratic Whip, Congresswoman Katherine Clark, in introducing the Child Care Infrastructure Act and the Child Care Workforce Development Act. Together, these bills will provide for greater investment in the programs and the people we entrust to take care of our kids so they can continue serving children and families across the country.” The Child Care Infrastructure Act would: Direct the Department of Health and Human Services(HHS) to conduct a national needs assessment of early child care and learning facilities to understand the impact of the child care crisis and evaluate the ongoing infrastructure needs of child care facilities across the U.S. Establish a grant program to award grants to states for the purpose of constructing new or renovating existing child care facilities. Set aside a minimum of 10% and a maximum of 15% of the authorized funds to award grants of up to $10 million to intermediary organizations, including development financial institutions or other organizations that have demonstrated experience in developing or financing early care and learning facilities. Authorize $10 billion over five years to invest in our nation’s child care infrastructure. The Child Care Workforce Development Act would: Authorize HHS to administer a student loan repayment program of up to $6,000 annually for five years for early childhood educators working for providers eligible to receive Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG) funding. Establish a program to provide up to $4,000 annually to eligible individuals pursuing an associate’s degree or a certificate in early childhood education. Photos of the press conference can be found HERE, the full press conference can be viewed HERE.",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-07T21:43:57Z https://www.wyden.senate.gov/news/press-releases/wyden-introduces-legislation-to-clean-up-hemp-market-keep-products-out-of-kids-hands,"Wyden Introduces Legislation to Clean Up Hemp Market, Keep Products Out of Kids’ Hands",2024-09-25,2024,2024-09,Democrat,Senate,OR,Ron Wyden,W000779,www.wyden.senate.gov,wyden,https://www.wyden.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., introduced the Cannabinoid Safety and Regulation Act (CSRA) to establish national standards to protect public health and safety and keep cannabis products out of the hands of children. The CSRA would establish a national age restriction to prevent those under 21 from purchasing hemp-derived cannabis products. The legislation would require that all hemp-derived products are tested for safety and are manufactured using clean and safe processes. The CSRA would require truth in labeling, and would require the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to recall or ban any cannabis products with dangerous chemicals or additives. “Just like the tobacco industry marketing cigarettes to young people, nobody should be slapping fun cartoons and glitzy candy wrapper packaging on cannabis products meant for adults,” Wyden said. “A federal floor for regulation of hemp products is non-negotiable to ensure that consumers aren’t put at risk by untested products of unknown origin. My legislation will ensure that adult consumers know what they’re getting, and that hemp products are never sold or marketed to children.” Unsafe, unregulated cannabis products have flooded the market since the 2018 Farm Bill legalized U.S. hemp production. Without FDA regulation on manufacturing, packaging, labeling and age-gating hemp-derived products, there has been a massive increase in producing and selling hemp products that imitate candy or kids’ snacks, contain dangerous chemicals or additives, or are untruthfully labeled. Despite some states’ efforts to implement their own testing, labeling, and processing standards, a federal regulatory floor is crucial to address regulatory gaps between states. The CSRA would explicitly allow states to prohibit, limit or otherwise regulate hemp-derived products beyond the bill’s provisions. The bill is co-sponsored by U.S. Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore. The CRSA is endorsed by the U.S. Hemp Roundtable, the National Cannabis Industry Association, National Industrial Hemp Council, and hemp industry associations from California, Colorado, Arizona, Michigan, Illinois, Kentucky, Missouri, South Dakota, Virginia, and Texas. “The hemp industry is united behind a simple, common-sense proposition: Hemp products should be robustly regulated, not the subject of a misguided prohibition. Senator Wyden’s critical legislation does just that: imposing strong health and safety standards for hemp products while ensuring that they are kept out of the hands of minors. Along with dozens of other hemp organizations, the US Hemp Roundtable endorses this bill as we stand up and cheer for Senator Wyden’s continued stewardship and leadership, and as we look forward to continuing to work closely with him as this bill progresses and transforms over the next several months,” said Jonathan Miller, General Counsel at U.S. Hemp Roundtable. “For too long, federal inaction has fostered an unregulated marketplace for hemp THC products, endangering the public and creating unfair competition for regulated cannabis businesses. We look forward to working with Senator Wyden to pass the Cannabinoid Safety and Regulation Act because it solves this problem by implementing commonsense safeguards to ensure intoxicating hemp products are tested, properly labeled, and not made available to minors while creating a pathway for manufacturers to provide safe hemp products to adults through a regulated framework,” said Aaron Smith, CEO at the National Cannabis Industry Association. The bill text is here. The one-pager is here. The section-by-section is here. ###",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T18:46:43Z https://www.wyden.senate.gov/news/press-releases/wyden-joins-colleagues-to-modernize-vehicle-safety-tests-require-use-of-female-crash-test-dummies,"Wyden Joins Colleagues to Modernize Vehicle Safety Tests, Require Use of Female Crash Test Dummies",2024-09-25,2024,2024-09,Democrat,Senate,OR,Ron Wyden,W000779,www.wyden.senate.gov,wyden,https://www.wyden.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"Senator: “Safety testing that only uses male test dummies is negligent, and women are paying the price” Washington D.C.—U.S. Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) said today he has joined U.S. Senate colleagues from both parties to introduce legislation that would improve passenger vehicle safety by requiring the use of the most advanced testing devices available — including a female crash test dummy. The bipartisan She Develops Regulations In Vehicle Equality and Safety Act would enhance passenger vehicle safety by updating U.S. crashworthiness testing procedures, Wyden said. “The fact that women are much more likely to be seriously injured in a car crash is not just alarming–but flat out unacceptable,” Wyden said. “Safety testing that only uses male test dummies is negligent, and women are paying the price. We need to rectify the status quo so that the safety of everyone is a priority.” U.S. crash testing standards rely on a crash test dummy representing a typical adult male. However, this decades-old model does not consider other characteristics such as gender, age, or disabilities. Research indicates women are more vulnerable than men to certain types of injuries in car crashes. ""Senator Wyden has always put the health and safety of Oregonians and Americans first, and the She DRIVES Act is no exception. As one of the most powerful voices in the U.S. Senate, his choice to co-sponsor S. 4299 is a monumental step towards ending the fatal gender-based discrimination in vehicle safety testing. As a car crash survivor and young woman — thank you, Senator Wyden, for helping to finally make cars safe for everybody,"" said Maria Weston Kuhn, Founder and President of Drive US Forward. The bill was led by U.S. Senator Deb Fischer (R-Nebr.). In addition to Wyden, the bill was cosponsored by Senators Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.), Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), and Susan Collins (R-Maine). ###",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T18:46:43Z https://www.wyden.senate.gov/news/press-releases/wyden-merkley-demand-postmaster-general-dejoy-reverse-decision-hurting-mail-services-in-southern-oregon,"Wyden, Merkley Demand Postmaster General DeJoy Reverse Decision Hurting Mail Services in Southern Oregon",2024-09-24,2024,2024-09,Democrat,Senate,OR,Ron Wyden,W000779,www.wyden.senate.gov,wyden,https://www.wyden.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"Senators: “We share the grave concerns of the residents of Southern Oregon that this consolidation poses significant negative consequences for both our community and the efficiency of postal services in the region” Washington D.C.— U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley today demanded Postmaster General DeJoy immediately reverse his damaging position to relocate outgoing operations at the regional postal distribution center in Medford. “We share the grave concerns of the residents of Southern Oregon that this consolidation poses significant negative consequences for both our community and the efficiency of postal services in the region,” the senators wrote in a letter to DeJoy. “The Medford processing center plays a critical role in ensuring timely mail delivery for local residents, businesses, and government agencies. The consolidation of this facility has led to delays in mail delivery, affecting vital services like prescription deliveries, bill payments, and other essential communications.” Wyden and Merkley wrote that these changes land hardest on seniors, rural Oregonians and small businesses in the area who rely on prompt and reliable postal services. “Oregonians rely on the high-quality service provided by USPS, especially as a state that votes entirely by mail,” they wrote. “We are confident that, with thoughtful consideration, a solution can be found that both strengthens the Postal Service and supports the needs of local communities in Southern Oregon. Downgrading the Medford site is not that solution.” The senators’ letter comes as the USPS Office of Inspector General issued a report that further illustrates Oregonians’ concerns as expressed by the senators’ letter about delays in first class mail deliveries. The full text of the letter is here. Related Files",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T18:46:43Z https://bonamici.house.gov/media/press-releases/house-passes-bonamici-kean-bill-expand-satellite-data-sharing,"House Passes Bonamici, Kean Bill to Expand Satellite Data Sharing",2024-09-23,2024,2024-09,Democrat,House,OR,Suzanne Bonamici,B001278,bonamici.house.gov,bonamici,https://bonamici.house.gov/media/press-releases,scraper,"(September 23, 2024) WASHINGTON, DC – Today, the House of Representatives passed H.R. 6219, the Accessing Satellite Capabilities to Enable New Discoveries Act (ASCEND Act), legislation to permanently authorize the Commercial SmallSat Data Acquisition program within NASA. Introduced by Congressman Tom Kean, Jr. (NJ-07) and Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici (OR-01), this bipartisan bill provides statutory authority for the Commercial SmallSat Data Acquisition Program. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) established the program as a pilot program in 2017 to acquire commercial small-satellite data in support of NASA's earth science research. Congressman Kean spoke on the House floor in support of his bill, watch HERE. “The bipartisan ASCEND Act is a commonsense solution to help researchers benefit from the vast, high-quality data available from commercial satellites to better understand climate change, natural disasters, and earth sciences,” said Congresswoman Bonamici. “I’m grateful that the House passed this legislation and I will continue advocating with Rep. Kean for the Senate to schedule a vote on the bill.” ""Passing the ASCEND Act demonstrates our strong commitment to NASA's commercial operators and public-private partnerships,” said Congressman Kean. “These efforts are essential for advancing human exploration and ensuring America’s leadership in space innovation. The ASCEND Act will provide access to data sets and imagery from the commercial space sector, supporting critical scientific research and paving the way for a sustainable future for generations to come. I thank my House colleagues for supporting my bill and look forward to seeing this on the Senate floor soon.” The ASCEND Act would: Establish CSDA as a permanent program within NASA’s Earth Science Division. Direct NASA to expand procurement licenses to provide federal agencies access to high quality Earth remote sensing datasets and imagery. Promote the acquisition of new datasets for scientific and non-scientific applications. Require an annual report to Congress on the uses and impact of commercial data products and licensing agreements. Read more about the bill HERE. Congressman Kean serves on the House Science, Space and Technology Committee.",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-07T21:43:57Z https://www.wyden.senate.gov/news/press-releases/merkley-wyden-announce-over-18-million-investment-in-oregon-manufacturing,"Merkley, Wyden Announce Over $1.8 Million Investment in Oregon Manufacturing",2024-09-23,2024,2024-09,Democrat,Senate,OR,Ron Wyden,W000779,www.wyden.senate.gov,wyden,https://www.wyden.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"Washington, D.C. – Oregon’s U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden announced today that $1,852,748 is heading to the Oregon Manufacturing Extension Partnership (OMEP) to bolster Oregon manufacturers. This funding will provide public-private partnerships to small and medium sized manufacturers across the state. “If we don’t make things in America, we won’t have a middle class in America, and when Oregon’s manufacturing industry does well, all Oregonians benefit,” said Merkley. “This funding gives the Oregon Manufacturing Extension Partnership the support it needs to provide local manufacturers with opportunities to grow and be competitive in the global marketplace.” “The manufacturing that generates good-paying jobs throughout Oregon doesn’t happen by osmosis; it requires smart and targeted investments just like this,” said Wyden. “I’m gratified the Oregon Manufacturing Extension Partnership has earned these federal resources, and I’ll keep teaming up with our state’s manufacturers to secure the investments they need to thrive.” The funding comes from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) as a part of the Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) program. The MEP program works through collaborations at the federal, state, and local levels, and?with manufacturers to develop new products and customers, expand and diversify markets, adopt new technology, and enhance value within supply chains. ?? ###?",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T18:46:43Z https://www.wyden.senate.gov/news/press-releases/merkley-wyden-announce-over-4-million-to-boost-behavioral-health-services-in-oregon,"Merkley, Wyden Announce Over $4 Million to Boost Behavioral Health Services in Oregon",2024-09-23,2024,2024-09,Democrat,Senate,OR,Ron Wyden,W000779,www.wyden.senate.gov,wyden,https://www.wyden.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"Washington, D.C. – Oregon’s U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden today announced that the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) is awarding seven Oregon health centers a total of $4.1 million?to launch and expand their behavioral health services. This federal funding is critical to providing Oregon communities with more resources to help address mental health and substance use disorder challenges. “As I traveled the state to hold a town hall in each of Oregon’s 36 counties this year, I heard from Oregonians about how we need to increase behavioral health care access in our communities, especially for those living in rural areas” Merkley said. “These federal investments will help our health centers provide more mental health and substance use disorder resources, giving more Oregonians the help they need to live safe, healthy lives.” “The challenges of behavioral health issues face so many Oregonians with the impact rippling out to their families, friends and communities,” Wyden said. “These challenges are statewide, and I’m both glad these federal funds are heading to help Oregon and resolute to keep battling for similar investments that improve treatment for mental health and substance abuse in every nook and cranny of our state.” Health centers are critical community providers, which serve as a primary source of care for individuals who are uninsured, underinsured, or enrolled in Medicaid. This makes them well-positioned to respond to the urgent need for accessible, high-quality behavioral health services. HRSA—an agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)—is investing a total of $240 million in awards to launch and expand mental health and substance use disorder services in more than 400 community health centers across the country that care for more than 10 million people. The health centers in Oregon receiving awards from this federal funding are as follows: $600,000 for Umpqua Community Health Center, Inc. in Roseburg $600,000 for Mosaic Community Health in Prineville $600,000 for One Community Health in Hood River $600,000 for Multnomah County health centers in Portland $600,000 for the Neighborhood Health Center in Portland $600,000 for the Wallace Medical Concern in Portland $500,000 for Asher Community Health Center in Fossil ###",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T18:46:43Z https://www.wyden.senate.gov/news/press-releases/wyden-backs-legislation-to-empower-tenants-right-to-organize,Wyden Backs Legislation to Empower Tenants’ Right to Organize,2024-09-23,2024,2024-09,Democrat,Senate,OR,Ron Wyden,W000779,www.wyden.senate.gov,wyden,https://www.wyden.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Ron Wyden said today he has joined in introducing a crucial bill that would empower tenants to organize, participate in, and operate tenant organizations without fear of retaliation or interference in Oregon and nationwide. The Tenants’ Right to Organize Act, led by Senator John Fetterman, D-Pa., would amend the United States Housing Act of 1937 to support the formation of tenant organizations and provide additional funding to ensure tenants have a stronger voice in advocating for their rights and addressing their living conditions. “People shouldn’t be punished just for speaking up when they are living in unsanitary conditions or struggling to afford their rent and make ends meet,” Wyden said. “Tenants asking for fair treatment in their own homes should have the right to advocate together, just as workers do. This bill will give tenants the protections to stand up for themselves as our country faces a housing crisis.” Only some tenants living in federally supported housing have a legally recognized right to organize without fear of retaliation. This unfair distinction leaves Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher recipients and residents of federally-assisted units in Low-Income Housing Tax Credit properties without the ability to organize and address housing concerns. Empowering the millions of these tenants in rent-restricted units with the ability to organize promotes stronger, more robust communities and can help improve housing outcomes and reduce eviction filings. Key elements of the Tenants’ Right to Organize Act are as follows: Expanded protections for tenant organizing: The bill guarantees families receiving tenant-based rental assistance the right to establish and participate in legitimate tenant organizations to address issues such as the terms and conditions of their tenancy and other housing and community development activities. Preventing retaliation and protecting tenant activities: The bill protects tenants from eviction or harassment in response to their participation in legitimate tenant organizations or exercising their rights. Accountability and enforcement for federal funding recipients: The bill requires public housing agencies and owners to recognize legitimate tenant organizations and respond meaningfully to their concerns. It also requires the Department of Housing and Urban Development and the Department of the Treasury to establish enforcement protocols, including complaint-filing processes, investigation of abuses, and regular reporting to Congress to ensure compliance. Funding and support for tenant organizations: The bill provides dedicated funding to support tenant organizing and capacity building, ensuring tenants have the resources and training needed to advocate for their rights effectively. Along with Wyden, this legislation is cosponsored by Senators Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., Tina Smith, D-Minn., Chris Murphy, D-Conn., and Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass. The House companion to this legislation was introduced by Representative Delia C. Ramirez, D-Ill. This bill has been endorsed by the National Housing Law Project, Poverty & Race Research Action Council, Mobility Works, National Low-Income Housing Coalition, Tenant Union Representative Network, Housing Equality Center of Pennsylvania, PA Fair Housing of the Capital Region, PA Fair Housing of Greater Pittsburgh, Liberation in a Generation, Policy Link, Center for Popular Democracy Action, PA Stands Up, Housing Action Illinois, and LOFTE Network, including Mass Alliance of HUD Tenants, Tenants Union of Washington State, the George Wiley Center, Greater Newark HUD Tenants Coalition, Arkansas Community Organizations, Greater Syracuse Tenants Network, New York Tenants and Neighbors, AIDS Healthcare Foundation/Housing Is a Human Right (Los Angeles), Metropolitan Tenants Organization (Chicago), United Community Housing Coalition (Detroit), and HOMELine (Minnesota).",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T18:46:43Z https://www.wyden.senate.gov/news/press-releases/wyden-merkley-colleagues-urge-social-media-and-encrypted-messages-companies-to-increase-resources-toward-combating-2024-us-election-disinformation,"Wyden, Merkley, Colleagues Urge Social Media and Encrypted Messages Companies to Increase Resources Toward Combating 2024 U.S. Election Disinformation",2024-09-23,2024,2024-09,Democrat,Senate,OR,Ron Wyden,W000779,www.wyden.senate.gov,wyden,https://www.wyden.senate.gov/news/press-releases,scraper,"Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley said today they have joined Senate colleagues in calling on 11 of the largest and most popular social media and encrypted chat companies in the United States to increase resources needed to combat 2024 U.S. election administration and certification disinformation. “We are deeply concerned that the dissemination of election disinformation via your products and/or platforms – if left unmitigated – will suppress voter participation, sow doubt in U.S. democracy and incite political violence,” the senators wrote. “Considering the increase in election disinformation on digital platforms during recent elections, there is ample cause for concern.” “During the 2020 and 2022 U.S. federal elections, foreign adversaries supported the creation and targeting of election disinformation to undermine our democracy. During the 2020 elections, research showed that election disinformation in Spanish stayed up for longer on social media, as compared to English,” the senators continued. The senators urged Meta, Google (YouTube), TikTok, X (Twitter), Reddit, Snapchat, Amazon (Twitch), Discord, Signal, Telegram and Apple (Messages) to: Share information about the size and capacity of their 2024 U.S. elections safety resourcing – including personnel and technologies - broken down by language; Commit to increasing their 2024 U.S. election safety team and technology resourcing for the 10 most commonly spoken languages on their platform(s); Share information about how they plan to de-amplify and/or remove election disinformation (whether created using AI or not) and/or user accounts who spread this disinformation, when in violation of their policies; Share their plans for amplifying official election information before, during and after the 2024 U.S. elections; the letter also encourages companies to offer translation of official election information as a public service; For encrypted chat providers, explain whether they have a reporting system for their users to flag unwanted election disinformation and what enforcement measures are in place. The letter was led by U.S Senator Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.). In addition to Wyden and Merkley, the letter was signed by U.S. Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), and Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.).",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T18:46:43Z https://bonamici.house.gov/media/press-releases/bonamici-merkley-jayapal-introduce-legislation-stop-predatory-payday-lending,"Bonamici, Merkley, Jayapal Introduce Legislation to Stop Predatory Payday Lending Practices",2024-09-20,2024,2024-09,Democrat,House,OR,Suzanne Bonamici,B001278,bonamici.house.gov,bonamici,https://bonamici.house.gov/media/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, DC [9/20/24] – Congresswomen Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR), Pramila Jayapal (D-WA), and Senator Jeff Merkley (D-OR) introduced legislation to protect consumers from predatory payday lending practices. The Stopping Abuse and Fraud in Electronic (SAFE) Lending Act of 2024 would safeguard consumers as predatory payday lenders have continued to flourish online despite laws passed by many states to stop abusive lending. Internet lenders hide behind layers of anonymously registered websites and “lead generators” to evade enforcement and can empty consumers’ bank accounts before they have a chance to assert their rights. “Predatory payday lenders rob hard-working individuals and families of their resources at a time when they are financially vulnerable,” said Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici. “The SAFE Lending Act would finally put an end to the unscrupulous practices payday lenders use to trap consumers in an unending cycle of debt.” “Predatory payday lenders trap hardworking Americans in an inescapable vortex of debt,” said Senator Jeff Merkley. “Before we kicked payday lenders out of Oregon, they preyed on families in my blue-collar neighborhood. We need strong consumer protections to break this cycle of endless debt for families across America.” “Payday lenders take advantage of working families, struggling to pay medical bills or rent, by trapping them in a seemingly endless cycle of debt,” said Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal. “I’m proud to lead this legislation with Congresswoman Bonamici that would protect consumers across the country by closing loopholes, increasing transparency, and putting an end to these predatory lending practices. Congress has a responsibly to protect hardworking people from bad actors, and that’s exactly what we will accomplish with our SAFE Lending Act.” The SAFE Lending Act is endorsed by the National Consumer Law Center (on behalf of its low-income clients), Consumer Action, Consumer Federation of America, Main Street Alliance, U.S. PIRG, UnidosUS, Greenlining Institute, and National Association for Latino Community Asset Builders. It would: 1. Give Consumers Control of Their Own Bank Accounts Prevent third parties from gaining control of a consumer’s account through remotely created checks (RCCs) – checks from a consumer’s bank account created by third parties. To prevent unauthorized RCCs, consumers would be able to preauthorize exactly who can create an RCC on his or her behalf, such as when traveling. Allow consumers to cancel an automatic withdrawal in connection with a small-dollar loan. This would prevent an internet payday lender from stripping a checking account without a consumer being able to stop it. 2. Allow Consumers to Regain Control of their Money and Increase Transparency Require all lenders, including banks, to abide by state rules for the small-dollar, payday-like loans they may offer customers in a state. Many individual states currently have much tougher laws than the federal government. There is currently no federal cap on interest or limit on the number of times a loan can be rolled over. Increase transparency and create a better understanding of the small-dollar loan industry by requiring payday lenders to register with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Ban overdraft fees on prepaid cards issued by payday lenders who use them to gain access to consumers’ funds and to add to the already exorbitant costs of payday loans. Require the CFPB to monitor any other fees associated with payday prepaid cards and issue a rule banning any other predatory fees on prepaid cards. 3. Ban Lead Generators and Anonymous Payday Lending Some websites describe themselves as payday lenders but are actually “lead generators” that collect applications and auction them to payday lenders and others. This practice is rife with abuse and has led to fraudulent debt collection. The SAFE Lending Act bans lead generators and anonymously registered websites in payday lending. The bill also requires the Government Accountability Office to conduct a study on access to capital on Tribal lands and directs the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau to promulgate rules to implement this legislation. A one-page summary of the SAFE Lending Act can be found here. The full text of the legislation can be found here. In the House, the legislation is cosponsored by Representatives Susan Wild (D-PA) and Katie Porter (D-CA). The Senate, the legislation is cosponsored by Senators Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Edward J. Markey (D-MA), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), and Tina Smith (D-MN).",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-07T21:43:57Z