Category: Press Releases

Wyden, Merkley, Blumenauer, Bonamici Reintroduce Legislation to Provide Alternatives to Incarceration for Parents and Caregivers to Keep Families Together, Children Out of Foster Care

July 27, 2021

Washington, D.C. – Oregon’s U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley and U.S. Representatives Earl Blumenauer and Suzanne Bonamici today reintroduced legislation that would create an alternative to incarceration for eligible parents and caregivers and provide them the resources they need so their children can stay safely at home instead

Wyden, Merkley Co-Sponsor Bill to Close Retirement Gap for Women

July 26, 2021

Washington, D.C. – Oregon’s U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley said today they are co-sponsoring the Women’s Retirement Protection Act of 2021 (WRPA) legislation to address the retirement gap and bolster women’s financial security. “Coming out of a pandemic where more than 4 in 10 women expect to see

Wyden, Merkley: High Desert Museum to Receive $1.2 Million Grant for STEM Education in Rural Oregon

July 23, 2021

Washington, D.C. – Oregon’s U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley today announced that Oregon’s High Desert Museum in Bend will receive more than $1.2 million from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to expand STEM education for rural students and their families. “Income or zip code should not determine your

VIDEO RELEASE: Merkley Shines Light on Urgent Need to Address Environmental Injustices that Put Lives, Livelihoods at Risk

July 22, 2021

Washington, D.C. – Oregon’s U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley, the Chairman of the Senate Environment and Public Works Subcommittee on Chemical Safety, Waste Management, Environmental Justice, and Regulatory Oversight, today gaveled in the Subcommittee’s hearing on Environmental Justice. This is the first hearing since “Environmental Justice” was officially added to the

Wyden, Merkley: $120,000 Economic Development Grant to Aid Southern Oregon Businesses Recovering from 2020 Wildfires

July 22, 2021

Washington, D.C. – Oregon’s U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley today announced that the Southern Oregon Regional Economic Development, Inc. (SOREDI) received a $120,000 grant to support businesses recovering from wildfire. “In the wake of horrific wildfires in 2020, investments in Main Street small businesses are key to the economic recovery of

Merkley Issues Statement After Republican Colleagues Block Bipartisan Plan to Invest in America’s Crumbling Infrastructure

July 21, 2021

Washington, D.C. – Oregon’s U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley released the following statement today after his Republican colleagues voted against debating their bipartisan agreement to invest in America’s crumbling infrastructure: “I’m deeply disappointed in my Republican colleagues for blocking a debate on the bipartisan framework to help build the foundation American

As Bootleg Fire Rages, Merkley, Wyden Introduce Package of Bills to Help Communities Harmed by Wildfire Smoke

July 21, 2021

Washington, D.C. – Oregon’s U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden today introduced three bills to help the public, businesses, and agricultural operators combat the effects of wildfire smoke, and recover from the damage it causes: the Wildfire Smoke Emergency Declaration Act, the Smoke Planning and Research Act, and the

Merkley to Gavel in First-Ever Senate Environment and Public Works Hearing on Environmental Justice

July 19, 2021

Washington, D.C. – On Thursday, July 22, 2021, Oregon’s U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley—the Chairman of the Senate Environment and Public Works Subcommittee on Chemical Safety, Waste Management, Environmental Justice, and Regulatory Oversight—will gavel in the Subcommittee’s first-ever hearing on disproportionate human health and environmental burdens on communities of color and

Following Voting Rights Hearing in Georgia, Merkley Issues Statement Underscoring Importance of Protecting the Ballot Box

July 19, 2021

Washington, D.C. – Oregon’s U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley—the lead sponsor of the For the People Act, and member of the Senate Committee on Rules and Administration—issued the following statement today after the Committee’s field hearing in Georgia, underscoring the importance of protecting Americans’ sacred right to vote: “Georgia has always

Merkley Presses Transportation Secretary Buttigieg to Stop Road Infrastructure from Poisoning Salmon

July 16, 2021

Washington, D.C. – Oregon’s U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley today pressed U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg to address the impacts of transportation infrastructure—which include dangerous microplastic particles that are generated from tire and road wear—on Pacific Northwest salmon populations. Salmon are ecologically irreplaceable, have long been of major cultural significance