Washington, DC – Los senadores estadounidenses de Oregón, Jeff Merkley y Ron Wyden, anunciaron hoy que las disposiciones que ayudarán a crear empleos y mejorar la infraestructura en las comunidades de Oregón están incluidas en el proyecto de ley de gastos de 2020 que ha sido aprobado por ambas cámaras del Congreso y se dirige al escritorio del presidente para convertirse en ley.
“One of the most gratifying parts of serving on the Senate Appropriations Committee is that I get to work with communities across the state to fund their needs, and then see the funding in action, benefitting Oregon’s small ports, irrigation districts, and more,” dijo Merkley, quien sirve en el Comité de Asignaciones del Senado. “This bill includes bipartisan efforts to strengthen our country in the future, such as the investment in wind energy, and supports programs that will help Oregonians in the near future, such as funding to dredge our small ports. I will continue to use my seat on this committee to push for investments that are important to Oregonians.”
“Generating jobs throughout Oregon is a common theme in these federal resources, whether it’s supporting the big role played by our state’s small ports or investing in green energy opportunities,” dijo Wyden. “At my annual town halls and community meetings in each of our state’s 36 counties, I hear a consistent message of working to support job creation — which is just what this legislation accomplishes for Oregonians.”
Merkley es el único miembro del Congreso de Oregón de cualquier cámara desde el Senador Mark Hatfield que forma parte del Comité de Apropiaciones, considerado uno de los más poderosos del Capitolio. Se unió al comité en 2013 para que Oregón tuviera una voz fuerte en las decisiones sobre las inversiones que nuestra nación debería hacer.
Los elementos clave de la legislación que afectará a Oregón incluyen:
Conservación del agua y restauración del hábitat: The WaterSmart program received a $21 million increase, to $55 million, to fund projects that will help irrigation districts comply with the Endangered Species Act. The WaterSmart program has supported the collaborative process that is underway within Central Oregon to conserve water, improve habitat for endangered steelhead and the spotted frog, and keep Central Oregon family farms in business.
Pequeños Puertos y Navegación de Cuerpos de Ejército: The program, which is vital to help Oregon ports pay for dredging and other necessary infrastructure projects, received over $533 million for deep-draft harbor and channel improvements, $55 million for inland waterways, $40 million for navigation maintenance, and $65 million for small ports that are the lifeblood of Oregon’s coastal economy.
Expansión de las energías renovables: Merkley and Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA) were joined by 19 of their colleagues, including Wyden, in a bipartisan push to increase funding for wind energy power. The bill includes $104 million—a $12 million increase—for wind energy including $10 million for distributed wind. The bill also includes a $43 million increase for water power research, which will support ongoing research at OSU, and $33.5 million increase for solar power programs.
Protecting Federal Assets in Oregon: The bill prohibits the transfer or sale of power marketing assets, including the Bonneville Power Administration—a top priority for Oregonians.
Energy Efficiency Programs: In response to the Trump Administration’s proposal to restructure the popular Energy Star program, Merkley led 28 of his colleagues, including Wyden, in an effort to successfully maintain the program. The bill also includes language requiring the Department of Energy to explain why it has failed to meet deadlines for 25 energy-efficiency standards mandated by Congress. At Merkley’s request, the bill includes language directing the Department of Energy to conduct a comprehensive review of needed investments in energy efficiency, conservation, and renewable energy activities.
Despliegue de vehículos eléctricos: The bill includes $40 million for the deployment of electric vehicles through the Clean Cities Program, to support cities installing more electric vehicle charging infrastructure and getting more electric vehicles on the road.
Supercamión II: The bill includes $20 million to further improve the efficiency of heavy-duty trucks through cost-effective technologies. The program develops and deploys cutting-edge vehicle technologies, including advanced batteries and electric drive systems, to reduce fossil fuel consumption and carbon emissions in the transportation sector.
Almacen de energia: The bill includes secured $56 million for energy storage research and development, with a particular focus on grid-scale applications. This important funding ensures stability, reliability, resilience of the U.S. electricity grid as the country deploys and uses more renewable energy.
Presa Scoggins: Scoggins Dam received $2 million for preconstruction upgrade activities. Scoggins Dam has been classified as one of the most seismically at-risk dams that the Bureau of Reclamation manages. This classification means that failure of the dam due to a large earthquake could result in significant damages or even loss of life to communities if the dam is not upgraded.
Aquatic Invasive Species: The bill includes secured $24 million for aquatic plant control programs, including $1 million dedicated to the monitoring and control of flowering rush in the Columbia River. Additionally, $15 million shall be used for watercraft inspection stations to prevent the spread of aquatic invasives.
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