Oregon Sen. Jeff Merkley appointed to Senate Democratic leadership going into 2017
Oregon Sen. Jeff Merkley will have a more powerful role in Congress next year, as chief deputy whip for the Senate Democratic caucus. Party whips and their deputies work to line up votes. Although Democrats will be in the minority in 2017, they still have the ability to push back
Congress passes Columbia River Restoration Act
Congress has passed a bill authorizing the Environmental Protection Agency to establish a competitive, voluntary grant program for environmental cleanup work in the Columbia River. The Columbia River Restoration Act was included as part of the federal Water Resources Development Act of 2016, which lawmakers approved Dec. 9. Grants could
Wyden and Merkley Ask Attorney General Loretta Lynch to Crack Down on Hate Crimes
Oregon’s two U.S. Senators, Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley, today wrote to Attorney General Loretta Lynch asking that her agency, the U.S. Department of Justice, address the reported increase in hate crimes and hate incidents. Here’s an excerpt from their letter:
Democrats demand President-elect Trump rescind Steve Bannon’s White House appointment
At least 120 House Democrats have signed a letter demanding President-elect Donald Trump rescind his appointment of Breitbart News chief Steve Bannon as chief strategist. The effort was led by Rhode Island Representative David Cicilline, while Democrats in the Senate have also spoken out. Cicilline is reportedly circulating the letter, which
Sen. Merkley denounces Trump’s ‘white nationalist’ appointment, Bannon, to top post
Oregon’s junior U.S. Sen. Jeff Merkley denounced president-elect Donald Trump’s appointment of Stephen Bannon, a man with ties to the alt-right movement and white nationalism, to a top post in Trump’s administration. “There should be no sugarcoating the truth here: Donald Trump just invited a white nationalist into the highest
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