SALEM, Oregon, May 21 [Category: Education] -- The Oregon School Boards Association posted the following news: * * * Bond elections continue to separate the haves from the have nots Despite uncertain financial times, Oregonians mostly seem to remain supportive of public education. Of 13 school bonds and levies on the ballot, eight appeared to be passing as of Wednesday morning's vote count. Official results won't be known for days, but the majority of ballots have been counted. The failur more PR

WASHINGTON, May 22 -- The Buttonwood Park Zoo, located in New Bedford, Massachusetts, a leading wildlife conservation institution, has expressed strong opposition to a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) proposal to rescind the long-standing definition of "harm" under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). The zoo argues that the proposed change would severely weaken critical protections for endangered and threatened wildlife and their habitats. In comments submitted to the USFWS, the Buttonwood  more ST

WASHINGTON, May 21 -- Rep. Troy Downing, R-Montana, issued the following news release on May 20, 2025: * * * Downing Bill to Expand Access to Capital for Rural Small Businesses Clears Key Committee Vote Today, Congressman Troy Downing's (MT-02) Expanding Access to Capital for Rural Job Creators Act was reported favorably out of the House Financial Services Committee, taking a critical step toward becoming law. "Rural small businesses are the backbone of many of the communities that I represe more PR

WASHINGTON, May 22 -- Umpqua Watersheds, a local nonprofit dedicated to ecosystem protection, has voiced strong opposition to a proposed federal rule that would alter the definition of "harm" under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). The organization argues that rescinding the current regulatory definition, which includes significant habitat modification, would severely undermine critical conservation efforts. The existing definition, upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court in 1995, has been vital in pr more ST

WASHINGTON, May 20 -- The Environmental Protection Agency issued the following news release: * * * EPA announces over $6M in Brownfields Grants to cleanup communities across Oregon Seattle -- Last week, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced the selection of $6,850,000 in Brownfields Grants to communities in Oregon. These grants put the agency's commitment to protect human health and the environment into action while remaining good stewards of tax dollars and advancing policies to ene more PR

WASHINGTON, May 22 -- The Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde Community of Oregon are urgently calling on the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to prioritize the survival of endangered salmon and steelhead in the Willamette River Basin. In a letter dated April 23, 2025, to Ms. Amy Frantz regarding the Water Resources Development Act of 2024 (WRDA 2024), the Tribes expressed grave concerns over delayed reports and the continued operation of uneconomical hydropower dams. The Tribes highlighted the  more ST

WASHINGTON, May 21 -- Rep. Maxine Dexter, D-Oregon, issued the following news release: * * * ICYMI: Dexter, One of Six Dem Physicians in Congress, Testifies Against Medicaid Cuts in Rules Committee WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Congresswoman Maxine Dexter, M.D. (OR-03) fought for 8+ hours to testify against the GOP tax scam during the House Rules Committee hearing (link is external) that began at 1:00 am. Her testimony came as she introduced amendments to prevent attacks on Medicaid, free speech, and p more PR

WASHINGTON, May 21 -- Sen. Ben Ray Lujan, D-New Mexico, issued the following news release: * * * ICYMI: This Week, Senator Lujan In The News Standing Up For New Mexicans and Fighting Back Against Republicans' Attacks On Nutrition Programs Washington, D.C. - In case you missed it, this week, U.S. Senator Ben Ray Lujan (D-N.M.) has been fighting back against Congressional Republicans' attacks on essential services and programs that New Mexicans rely on, exposing the Trump administration's block more PR

WASHINGTON, May 20 -- Sen. James Risch, R-Idaho, issued the following news release: * * * Idaho Delegation Urges Administration to Move Small Business Regional Office to Idaho WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Jim Risch and Mike Crapo and Representatives Mike Simpson and Russ Fulcher today sent a letter to Small Business Administrator Kelly Loeffler urging the Small Business Administration (SBA) to move the Seattle regional office from Washington to Idaho. "[...] unlike other states served by the  more PR

WASHINGTON, May 22 (TNSFR) -- The U.S. Department of the Interior Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) has opened a public comment period for new and renewal permit applications under the Endangered Species Act. These applications detail proposed activities aimed at enhancing the propagation and survival of endangered species, and the FWS invites public and agency input on these critical recovery efforts across various U.S. regions. Among the notable applications, Juan Olivos of Corvallis, Oregon,  more PR

WASHINGTON, May 21 -- Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Oregon, issued the following news release: * * * Merkley, Collins Cheer Committee Passage of Bipartisan Bill to Wipe Out Non-Flushables from Wastewater Infrastructure Washington, D.C. - Today, Oregon's U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley and Maine's U.S. Senator Susan Collins announced that their bipartisan, bicameral Wastewater Infrastructure Pollution Prevention and Environmental Safety (WIPPES) Act cleared a key hurdle by passing out of the Senate Committee more PR

WASHINGTON, May 22 -- Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Oregon, ranking member of the Senate Budget Committee, issued the following news release on May 21, 2025: * * * Merkley: Nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office Confirms Republican Reconciliation Bill's Impact is Families Lose, Billionaires Win WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Ranking Member of the Senate Budget Committee, released the below statement following analysis published by the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) sho more PR

WASHINGTON, May 22 -- Sen. Patty Murray, D-Washington, vice chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, issued the following news release on May 21, 2025: * * * Murray Slams Secretary Burgum's Plans to Fire National Park Staff, Sell Off Public Lands, & Slash Funding for Tribes Washington, D.C. -- Today, at a Senate Appropriations Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Subcommittee hearing on the fiscal year 2026 budget request for the Department of Interior (DOI), U.S. Senator Patty Mu more PR

WASHINGTON, May 21 -- Rep. Suzanne Bonamici, D-Oregon, issued the following floor remarks on May 20, 2025 (In this document, the reference to Mr. Speaker refers to the presiding officer of the House at the time of the speech): * * * Mr. Speaker, I rise today to oppose the big, bad billionaire bill, especially the cuts to Medicaid. According to the Congressional Budget Office, this bill will result in more than 13 million people across the country losing health insurance coverage, and people w more PR

WASHINGTON, May 21 -- Rep. Maxine Dexter, D-Oregon, issued the following floor remarks on May 20, 2025 (In this document, the reference to Mr. Speaker refers to the presiding officer of the House at the time of the speech): * * * Mr. Speaker, of all of the titles I hold, the most important is "mom." Like fierce, fighting mothers across this country, we want a better future and a safer future for our children, like Tiffany George. She is a courageous mother in Hood River who has two beautiful c more PR

WASHINGTON, May 21 -- Rep. Val Hoyle, D-Oregon, issued the following floor remarks on May 20, 2025 (In this document, the reference to Mr. Speaker refers to the presiding officer of the House at the time of the speech): * * * Mr. Speaker, Medicaid is a critical and important safety net and a provider of affordable, accessible, appropriate healthcare, especially in the rural communities I represent. Today, I will share a story of Florence from North Bend, Oregon. She is a mother, a caregiver,  more PR

WASHINGTON, May 20 -- Rep. Maxine Dexter, D-Oregon, issued the following news release: * * * Republicans Try to Jam Medicaid Cuts in the Dead of Night, Dexter Using Every Legislative Maneuver Available to Fight Back WASHINGTON, D.C. --Congresswoman Maxine Dexter, M.D. (OR-03) is set to introduce amendments to block attacks on Medicaid, free speech, and public lands during the 1:00am House Rules Committee Hearing (link is external) on the Republican budget. The House Rules Committee is tasked  more PR

WASHINGTON, May 21 -- Rep. Andrea Salinas, D-Oregon, issued the following news release: * * * Salinas, Bacon, Beyer, Gonzales Lead Bipartisan Resolution to Designate May as Mental Health Awareness Month Washington, DC - Today, U.S. Representatives Andrea Salinas (OR-06), Don Bacon (NE-02), Donald Beyer (VA-08), and Tony Gonzales (TX-23) - the Co-Chairs of the Congressional Bipartisan Mental Health Caucus (link is external) - led 39 of their colleagues in introducing a bipartisan resolution to more PR

WASHINGTON, May 20 -- Sen. Roger Marshall, R-Kansas, issued the following news release: * * * Senators Marshall and Warner Reintroduce Bill to Improve Seniors' Access to Care Washington - U.S. Senator Roger Marshall, M.D. (R-Kansas) and U.S. Senator Mark Warner (D-Virginia) today reintroduced the Improving Seniors' Timely Access to Care Act - bipartisan, zero-cost legislation to improve access to care for seniors enrolled in Medicare Advantage (MA) plans. The bill focuses on streamlining the  more PR

WASHINGTON, May 21 -- Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Oregon, issued the following news release: * * * Wyden Reveals Which Phone Companies Protect Privacy by Telling Customers About Government Surveillance Wyden Inquiry Also Finds Wireless Carriers Did Not Follow Through on Requirement to Notify Senate of Surveillance Demands Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., today revealed which wireless carriers protect the privacy of their customers by notifying them about government surveillance requ more PR

WASHINGTON, May 21 -- Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Oregon, ranking member of the Senate Finance Committee, issued the following statement on May 20, 2025, at a nominations hearing for Internal Revenue Service commissioner: * * * Wyden Statement on IRS Nominee Billy Long's Involvement in Tax Scams As Prepared for Delivery It's clear that Donald Trump sees the IRS as a tool he can use to help himself, help his friends, and hurt his enemies. To run the IRS he's chosen Billy Long, one of his earliest supp more PR