WASHINGTON, Sept. 25 -- Rep. Peter A. DeFazio, D-Oregon, chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, issued the following news release on Sept. 24, 2021: Chair of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure Peter DeFazio (D-OR) announced the committee will hold a hearing titled, "Assessing the Federal Government's COVID-19 Relief and Response Efforts and its Impact - Part II." This is the second hearing in a two-part series focused on examining the impact o more PR

WASHINGTON, Sept. 24 -- Rep. Peter A. DeFazio, D-Oregon, chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, and Rep. Rick Larsen, D-Washington, chair of the Subcommittee on Aviation, issued the following opening remarks on Sept. 23, 2021, at a hearing entitled "Disruption in the Skies: The Surge in Air Rage and its Effects on Workers, Airlines and Airports": * * * Chair DeFazio: Thank you, Chair Larsen, for calling today's hearing on the spike in air rage cases. Even as we co more PR

WASHINGTON, Sept. 25 -- Rep. Peter A. DeFazio, D-Oregon, chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, issued the following news release on Sept. 24, 2021: Chair of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure Peter DeFazio (D-OR) and Chair of the Subcommittee on Highways and Transit Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) announced the subcommittee will hold a hearing titled, "Examining the Role of Ferries in Improving Mobility." This hearing will explore the role of fe more PR

BEAVERTON, Oregon, Sept. 24 -- Rep. Suzanne Bonamici, D-Oregon, issued the following news release on Sept. 23, 2021: Today Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici (OR-01) announced that fire departments in Clatsop County will receive $1,295,238 through the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) Program. This funding will be used to provide firefighters with improved National Fire Protection Association compliant tools and equipment. "Our firefighters and first res more PR

WASHINGTON, Sept. 25 -- Rep. Suzanne Bonamici, D-Oregon, issued the following news release on Sept. 24, 2021: Today Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR) joined the House in passing the Women's Health Protection Act to counter the wave of anti-abortion laws in Texas and across the country. The Women's Health Protection Act will safeguard the right to an abortion found in Roe v. Wade and prohibit state laws that restrict reproductive freedom or attack abortion services and providers with medica more PR

WASHINGTON, Sept. 22 -- Rep. Suzanne Bonamici, D-Oregon, issued the following news release: The Co-Chairs of the Bipartisan Congressional Estuary Caucus, including U.S. Representatives Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR), Bill Posey (R-FL), Brian Mast (R-FL) and Rick Larsen (D-WA), introduced their bipartisan resolution recognizing September 18th- September 21st, 2021, as National Estuaries Week. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) established National Estuaries week in 1988 to raise more PR

WASHINGTON, Sept. 23 -- Rep. Peter DeFazio, D-Oregon, issued the following news release on Sept. 22, 2021: Congressman Peter DeFazio (OR-04) today announced Oregon gained 7,900 jobs in August and 74,600 total jobs this year, according to the latest data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Congressman DeFazio helped support job creation and local businesses by passing the American Rescue Plan, which continues to support our economic recovery and help Oregon create more jobs. "Yesterday's jobs  more PR

WASHINGTON, Sept. 25 -- Rep. Peter DeFazio, D-Oregon, issued the following statement on Sept. 24, 2021: * * * Congressman Peter DeFazio (OR-04) released the following statement after yesterday's vote on H.R. 4350, the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year (FY) 2022. "Yesterday, I voted in opposition to the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2022. While I supported several policies included in the legislation, I have significant concerns with numerous provis more PR

WASHINGTON, Sept. 23 -- Rep. Peter DeFazio, D-Oregon, issued the following news release on Sept. 21, 2021: Rep. Peter DeFazio (OR-04) today voted to pass a bill that extends funding for vital federal agencies and programs, including education, health, housing, and public safety programs, through December 3. The legislation also suspends the debt limit through December 2022 to protect the full faith and credit of the United States and prevent an economic crisis. "The legislation passed today wi more PR

WASHINGTON, Sept. 25 -- Rep. Peter DeFazio, D-Oregon, issued the following news release on Sept. 24, 2021: Congressman Peter DeFazio (OR-04) today voted in support of the Women's Health Protection Act, legislation that would fully protect Roe v. Wade under law, guaranteeing equal access to reproductive health care for all Americans. "Reproductive healthcare rights are under threat across the country. The far-right Supreme Court majority is set to consider a full reversal of Roe v. Wade this fa more PR

WASHINGTON, Sept. 24 -- Rep. Peter DeFazio, D-Oregon, issued the following news release on Sept. 23, 2021: Congressman Peter DeFazio and U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina M. Raimondo announced that the Department's Economic Development Administration (EDA) is awarding a $2.75 million grant to Southwestern Oregon Community College, Coos Bay, Oregon, to support the renovation and modernization of existing instructional space. This EDA project, to be matched with $2.75 million in local funds, is exp more PR

WASHINGTON, Sept. 23 -- Rep. Suzanne Bonamici, D-Oregon, issued the following news release on Sept. 22, 2021: Today Congresswomen Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR) and Katie Porter (D-CA) introduced legislation to reopen the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's Office for Students and Young Consumers. The Students and Young Consumers Empowerment Act will restore and strengthen the Office for Students and Young Consumers, which was the only office in the federal government charged with protecting young more PR

WASHINGTON, Sept. 24 -- Rep. Blake Moore, R-Utah, issued the following news release on Sept. 23, 2021: Congressman Blake Moore (R-UT) and Congressman Jared Huffman (D-CA) introduced the Saline Lake Ecosystems in the Great Basin States Program Act to establish a scientific monitoring and assessment program to better manage conservation efforts for saline lake ecosystems and migratory birds in the West. Saline lakes within the Great Basin--which includes areas of Utah, California, Nevada, and Or more PR

WASHINGTON, Sept. 22 -- Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Oregon, issued the following news release: Oregon's U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley (D-OR) joined a group of Senate colleagues urging the Biden Administration to dramatically expand the United States' role in vaccine production and distribution around the globe. The letter, drafted ahead of the COVID-19 international summit, presses President Biden to commit resources to drive global vaccination efforts as a key to ending the pandemic. Among those efforts more PR

WASHINGTON, Sept. 22 -- Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Oregon, issued the following news release on Sept. 21, 2021: Oregon's U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley, who serves as Chair of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on the Interior, today announced that key legislation to fund the federal government until December and respond to recent natural disasters will include billions of dollars in funding for wildfire disaster response, drought relief, public lands restoration, and other critical needs for Western  more PR

WASHINGTON, Sept. 25 -- Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Oregon, issued the following statement: * * * Oregon's U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley, a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee (SFRC), issued the following statement applauding the issuing of general licenses to enable the flow of humanitarian aid into Afghanistan. In August, Merkley led a letter pressing the Biden administration to take this step and pushed Secretary of State Antony Blinken to clarify the administration's position during this more PR

WASHINGTON, Sept. 23 -- Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Oregon, issued the following news release on Sept. 22, 2021: Oregon's U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley today announced that he has introduced the Welcoming Evacuees Coming from Overseas to Mitigate Effects of Displacement (WELCOMED) Act of 2021 in the U.S. Senate. The legislation was previously introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives by Representatives Seth Moulton (D-MA) and Don Bacon (R-NE). Because the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan made rapid  more PR

WASHINGTON, Sept. 24 -- Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Oregon, issued the following news release: Oregon's U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley (D-OR) is co-leading a bicameral effort calling for limitations on single-use plastic production and exclusion of any provisions that expand petrochemical infrastructure from the Build Back Better plan. "Paired together, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Deal (BID) and a $3.5 trillion reconciliation package, provide a unique opportunity to create good paying American jobs whi more PR

WASHINGTON, Sept. 21 -- Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Oregon, issued the following news release on Sept. 20, 2021: U.S. Senator Ron Wyden today applauded the Biden administration for announcing a $952,951 planning grant award for Oregon's Medicaid program to support the development of mobile crisis intervention service programs to help those struggling with mental health and substance use disorder crises. "This grant will kick-start the effort to help those experiencing a mental health crisis in Oregon ge more PR

WASHINGTON, Sept. 21 -- Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Oregon, chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, issued the following news release on Sept. 20, 2021: Senate Finance Committee Ranking Member Ron Wyden, D-Ore., today applauded the Biden administration for announcing planning grant awards for 20 state Medicaid programs to support the development of mobile crisis intervention service programs to help those struggling with mental health and substance use disorder crises. "These grants will kick start th more PR

WASHINGTON, Sept. 23 -- Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Oregon, chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, issued the following news release on Sept. 22, 2021: Senate Finance Committee Chairman Ron Wyden, D-Ore., today applauded action by the Biden administration to continue a bold effort to make health care provider prices more readily available to consumers, and supported the additional steps proposed. "In today's complex health care system, too many Americans do not know how much their health care will co more PR

WASHINGTON, Sept. 24 -- Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Oregon, chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, issued the following news release on Sept. 23, 2021: Senate Finance Committee Chair Ron Wyden, D-Ore., today applauded the bipartisan confirmation of Sarah Bianchi as deputy U.S. Trade Representative for Asia, Africa, Investment, Services, Textiles and Industrial Competitiveness. Bianchi previously served in multiple senior executive branch roles, including the Office of the Vice President, the Domestic more PR

WASHINGTON, Sept. 23 -- Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Oregon, issued the following news release on Sept. 22, 2021: U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., today introduced a bill to improve the resilience and health of the nation's watersheds - the land leading into streams, rivers or lakes. Watersheds play an essential role in the health and economic livelihood of local communities, supporting safe drinking water for communities, outdoor recreation and productive fisheries. "As the American West continues to fac more PR

WASHINGTON, Sept. 23 -- Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Oregon, chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, issued the following floor statement on Sept. 22, 2021, on vote to confirm Jayme White as Deputy U.S. Trade Representative: * * * Madam President, today the Senate is considering the nomination of Jayme White for the position of Deputy United States Trade Representative. Senators likely know that Jayme is a member of my Finance Committee staff, so I won't bury the lead in my remarks today. Jayme will ma more PR

WASHINGTON, Sept. 23 -- Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Oregon, chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, issued the following floor statement on Sept. 22, 2021, on vote to confirm Lily Batchelder to be Assistant Treasury Secretary for Tax Policy: * * * Madam President, today the Senate is debating Professor Lily Batchelder's nomination by President Biden to serve as Assistant Treasury Secretary for Tax Policy. I want to take just a few minutes to talk about why the Senate ought to confirm her nomination as more PR

WASHINGTON, Sept. 23 -- Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Oregon, chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, issued the following statement on Sept. 22, 2021, at a hearing on Health and Human Services Department and Treasury nominations: * * * The Finance Committee meets this morning to discuss two nominations for key roles in the Biden administration - jobs that both deal with sound management and good government within major federal agencies. Christi Grimm is the president's nominee to serve as the Inspect more PR

WASHINGTON, Sept. 24 -- Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Oregon, chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, issued the following floor statement on Sept. 23, 2021, on vote to confirm Sarah Bianchi, senior managing director at Evercore ISI, as deputy U.S. Trade Representative: * * * Mr. President, yesterday the Senate confirmed the nomination of Jayme White to serve as a Deputy United States Trade Representative. Today the Senate has an opportunity to fill another Deputy USTR position, following a debate on Pr more PR

WASHINGTON, Sept. 24 (TNSres) -- Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Oregon, chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, issued the following statement on Sept. 23, 2021: * * * Senate Finance Committee Chair Ron Wyden, D-Ore., today released the following statement on the White House Council of Economic Advisor's report on the average income tax rate for billionaires: "The White House's new report is shocking but not surprising. Billionaires are paying a mere 8 percent tax rate, lower than millions of working Am more PR

WASHINGTON, Sept. 23 -- Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Oregon, chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, issued the following news release on Sept. 22, 2021: Senate Finance Committee Chair Ron Wyden, D-Ore., today praised the bipartisan confirmation of Jayme White as deputy U.S. Trade Representative and Lily Batchelder as assistant secretary of Treasury for tax policy. White, who previously served as chief advisor on international competitiveness and innovation for the Senate Committee on Finance, was conf more PR

WASHINGTON, Sept. 24 -- Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Oregon, chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, issued the following news release on Sept. 23, 2021: Senate Finance Committee Chair Ron Wyden, D-Ore., and U.S. Representative Anna G. Eshoo, D-Calif., today pressed the big five book publishing houses - Penguin Random House, Hachette, HarperCollins, Simon & Schuster and Macmillan - for answers regarding their contracts on e-books with libraries. "E-books play a critical role in ensuring that libraries  more PR

WASHINGTON, Sept. 25 -- Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Oregon, issued the following news release on Sept. 24, 2021: Oregon's U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden announced today they are co-sponsoring the Tyler Clementi Education Anti-Harassment Act, introducing it alongside Senators Patty Murray (D-WA) and Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), and Representative Mark Pocan (D-WI-02). Named after Tyler Clementi, a freshman at Rutgers University who died by suicide after being harassed and bullied online, the legis more PR

WASHINGTON, Sept. 25 -- Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Oregon, issued the following news release on Sept. 24, 2021: Oregon's U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden announced today they are co-sponsoring the Tyler Clementi Education Anti-Harassment Act, introducing it alongside Senators Patty Murray (D-WA) and Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), and Representative Mark Pocan (D-WI-02). Named after Tyler Clementi, a freshman at Rutgers University who died by suicide after being harassed and bullied online, the legislati more PR

WASHINGTON, Sept. 23 -- Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Oregon, issued the following news release: Oregon's U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden joined a group of Senate colleagues urging the Biden Administration to increase the pay for federal wildland firefighters and transition many from seasonal to permanent status. The senators noted that pay disparities amongst wildland firefighters are limiting personnel and will leave areas vulnerable to catastrophic wildfires. In the letter, they requested t more PR

WASHINGTON, Sept. 23 -- Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Oregon, issued the following news release: Oregon's U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden joined a group of Senate colleagues urging the Biden Administration to increase the pay for federal wildland firefighters and transition many from seasonal to permanent status. The senators noted that pay disparities amongst wildland firefighters are limiting personnel and will leave areas vulnerable to catastrophic wildfires. In the letter, they requested that more PR

WASHINGTON, Sept. 23 -- Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Oregon, issued the following news release on Sept. 22, 2021: U.S. Sens. Ron Wyden and Bob Casey today applauded the Biden Administration for publishing user-friendly data on the rate of COVID-19 vaccinations among residents and workers at more than 15,000 individual nursing homes across the country. The move comes after multiple requests from Wyden (D-OR) and Casey (D-PA) to put this data in the hands of nursing home residents, workers and families. " more PR

WASHINGTON, Sept. 23 -- Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Oregon, chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, issued the following news release: Senate Finance Committee Chairman Ron Wyden, D-Ore., and Finance Committee Ranking Member Mike Crapo, R-Idaho, today launched an effort to develop bipartisan legislation to address barriers to mental health care as the COVID-19 pandemic has worsened alarming trends in Americans' mental health. "Far too often, individuals across the country struggle to access timely, qu more PR

WASHINGTON, Sept. 25 -- Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Oregon, issued the following news release: U.S. Senators Ron Wyden, D-Ore., Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., Cory Booker, D-N.J., Jon Ossoff, D-Ga., and Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., urged the Department of Justice to strengthen its policies to protect the rights of reporters, and to drop its challenge to court-ordered protections for reporters covering demonstrations and other First Amendment-protected activities. "Protecting the rights established by the First Am more PR

WASHINGTON, Sept. 25 -- Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Oregon, issued the following news release: U.S. Senators Ron Wyden, D-Ore., Cory Booker, D-N.J., Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., Jon Ossoff, D-Ga., and Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., urged the Department of Justice to strengthen its policies to protect the rights of reporters, and to drop its challenge to court-ordered protections for reporters covering demonstrations and other First Amendment-protected activities. "Protecting the rights established by the First Amend more PR

WASHINGTON, Sept. 22 -- Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Oregon, issued the following news release on Sept. 21, 2021: U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley today joined Senate and House colleagues in an amicus brief in the case of Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization, urging the Supreme Court to uphold nearly 50 years of precedent in Roe v. Wade and protect the constitutional right to abortion care. After the Court refused to block the dangerous, cruel abortion ban in Texas from going into effect, more PR

WASHINGTON, Sept. 25 -- Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Oregon, issued the following news release on Sept. 24, 2021: U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley and U.S. Representatives Earl Blumenauer and Suzanne Bonamici today announced that TriMet will receive $99.9 million from the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) to support the expansion of the MAX Red Line beyond Beaverton to Hillsboro. "Investments in mass transit reduce vehicle traffic and emissions with the added benefit of ensuring that Oregonian more PR

WASHINGTON, Sept. 21 -- Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Oregon, issued the following news release on Sept. 20, 2021: U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley today announced that four Oregon colleges will receive a combined more than $400,000 from the Child Care Access Means Parents in School program to support parents as they complete their higher education. "Completing a degree program is challenging under most circumstances, but can be especially difficult when trying to navigate child care," Wyden said. more PR

WASHINGTON, Sept. 22 -- Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Oregon, issued the following news release on Sept. 21, 2021: U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley today announced that four Oregon colleges will receive a combined more than $400,000 from the Child Care Access Means Parents in School program to support parents as they complete their higher education. "Completing a degree program is challenging under most circumstances, but can be especially difficult when trying to navigate child care," Wyden sa more PR

WASHINGTON, Sept. 22 -- Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Oregon, issued the following news release on Sept. 21, 2021: U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley today announced that the housing authorities for Clackamas County and the city of Portland have earned a combined $1.6 million in housing vouchers to support families and youth aging out of foster care. "Foster kids making the transition to adulthood in Oregon and nationwide often need support to help them face all of life's challenges," Wyden said. "I more PR

WASHINGTON, Sept. 22 -- Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Oregon, issued the following news release on Sept. 21, 2021: U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley today announced that the housing authorities for Clackamas County and the city of Portland have earned a combined $1.6 million in housing vouchers to support families and youth aging out of foster care. "Foster kids making the transition to adulthood in Oregon and nationwide often need support to help them face all of life's challenges," Wyden said. more PR

WASHINGTON, Sept. 22 -- Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Oregon, issued the following news release on Sept. 21, 2021: U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley today announced that Lane Electric Cooperative and Consumers Power Inc. -- two electrical co-ops serving rural Oregonians -- will receive a combined $21 million in federal funds to help cover the cost of repairs to infrastructure damaged by wildfires in September 2020. "The need for federal resources to help Oregonians rebound from these wildfires was  more PR

WASHINGTON, Sept. 22 -- Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Oregon, issued the following news release on Sept. 21, 2021: U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley today announced that Lane Electric Cooperative and Consumers Power Inc. -- two electrical co-ops serving rural Oregonians -- will receive a combined $21 million in federal funds to help cover the cost of repairs to infrastructure damaged by wildfires in September 2020. "The need for federal resources to help Oregonians rebound from these wildfires w more PR

WASHINGTON, Sept. 25 -- Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Oregon, issued the following news release: U.S. Senators Ron Wyden, D-Ore., and Marco Rubio, R-Fla., today led colleagues in urging Secretary of State Antony Blinken to press Bahrain about their human rights abuses and pushing for more accountability. Joining Wyden and Rubio on the letter were Sens. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., Tammy Baldwin, D-Wis., Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., and Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio. "For the past decade, the State Depar more PR

WASHINGTON, Sept. 24 -- Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Oregon, issued the following news release on Sept. 23, 2021: As another debt ceiling showdown approaches, Oregon's U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley and U.S. Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA) today introduced legislation aimed at ending Congress' abuse of the debt ceiling as a political hostage. The Protect our Citizens from Reckless Extortion of our Debt and Irresponsible Tactics (Protect our CREDIT) Act of 2021 would change how the debt ceiling is raised, enabling  more PR

WASHINGTON, Sept. 24 -- Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Virginia, issued the following news release on Sept. 23, 2021: As another debt ceiling showdown approaches, Oregon's U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley and U.S. Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA) today introduced legislation aimed at ending Congress' abuse of the debt ceiling as a political hostage. The Protect our Citizens from Reckless Extortion of our Debt and Irresponsible Tactics (Protect our CREDIT) Act of 2021 would change how the debt ceiling is raised, enabling t more PR