Category: In the News

Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) expressed concern for the safety a whistleblower whose complaint is central to the Ukraine controversy after revelations President Trump said the person was “almost a spy.” Trump made the comparison at a private event following the release of a declassified version of the complaint, according to a recording obtained by the Los

Oregon’s Senator Jeff Merkley applauded the passage of the Secure and Fair Enforcement Banking Act in the U.S. House on Wednesday. A release from Merkley said he authored the legislation to ensure that legal cannabis and hemp businesses in Oregon and across the country have access to banking services. The

EUGENE, Ore. – Some banks are hopeful to work with local marijuana shops after the U.S. House of Representatives passed the SAFE Banking Act Wednesday. The bill would allow banks to work with the cannabis industry, which mostly deals with cash due to strict federal laws. CEO of Northwest Community Credit Union, John

Oregon’s U.S. Sen. Jeff Merkley has announced key provisions in the Senate Commerce, Justice and Science Appropriations Committee bill that will help rural communities across Oregon. “I’m in every county every year, and across rural and coastal Oregon I hear about ways we can create jobs and strengthen communities,” Merkley

The Food and Drug Administration seems to be listening. For the past six months, the federal agency has been bombarded with messages urging it to promptly develop a regulatory pathway for the lawful use of hemp-derived CBD (hemp-CBD) in foods and dietary supplements. Some of these messages came from Oregon’s

The U.S. House voted overwhelmingly on Wednesday to safeguard banks that serve state-legal cannabis businesses, a move desperately sought by growers, processors and retailers in Oregon and around the country who have been forced to operate largely in cash. The Secure and Fair Enforcement (SAFE) Banking Act passed by a 321-103

Reactions from the Oregon congressional delegation on House passage of HR 1595, the SAFE Banking Act, which allows banks to do business with the cannabis industry. SAFE stands for Secure and Fair Enforcement. The four Democratic representatives from Oregon were among the bill’s sponsors. Sen. Jeff Merkley has a version

Citing a shortage of mental health counselors in U.S. public schools, U.S. Sen. Jeff Merkley re-introduced legislation aimed at bolstering mental health services to students across the country. Merkley, along with Massachusetts Sen. Katherine Clark, introduced the Elementary and Secondary School Counseling Act, which would create a grant fund program

VALE – As the Trump administration weighs a ban on flavored vaping products in the wake of hundreds falling ill, one Oregon senator is introducing new legislation to regulate vaping products.  U.S. Sen. Jeff Merkley has teamed up with Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah, to propose the Ending New Nicotine Dependencies

Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., announced Wednesday that the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, on which he serves, has passed his bipartisan Rescuing Animals With Rewards (RAWR) Act. The RAWR Act, co-led by Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME), would help save endangered animals by combating wildlife trafficking and poaching. Specifically, the legislation would authorize the State Department