Press Releases

Risch, Merkley Introduce Bill to Remove Roadblocks for Youth Corps Public Lands Projects

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Jim Risch (R-Idaho) and Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) introduced legislation to reduce federal cost-sharing requirements for public lands projects performed by qualified youth or conservation corps from 25% to 10%. “Current cost-sharing requirements prevent youth conservation corps from carrying out important public lands projects,” said Risch. “My bill reduces this

Bynum and Merkley Introduce Legislation to Protect the Deschutes River

Washington, DC – Today, Congresswoman Janelle Bynum (OR-05) and Senator Jeff Merkley introduced the Deschutes River Conservancy Reauthorization Act of 2025. The bill reauthorizes the Deschutes River Conservancy’s (DRC) eligibility to receive federal funding for water quality improvement initiatives and conservation efforts. Since its founding in 1996, the DRC and

Cassidy, Merkley Introduce Bill to Stop Overpayments in the Medicare Advantage Program

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA) and Jeff Merkley (D-OR) introduced the No Unreasonable Payments, Coding, or Diagnoses for the Elderly (No UPCODE) Act to improve the way Medicare Advantage plans assess patients’ health risks and reduce overpayments for care. The No UPCODE Act will save taxpayers billions by eliminating incentives to overcharge

Merkley, Collins, McClain, Mullin Reintroduce Bipartisan Legislation to Wipe Out Non-Flushable Products from Our Wastewater Infrastructure

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley (D-OR) and Susan Collins (R-ME), U.S. Representatives Lisa McClain (R-MI) and Kevin Mullin (D-CA) today reintroduced the bipartisan Wastewater Infrastructure Pollution Prevention and Environmental Safety (WIPPES) Act, a bill to address health, ecosystem, and wastewater infrastructure concerns caused by the flushing of non-flushable

Wyden, Merkley, Colleagues Demand Answers on DHS, DOGE Requests to Access Sensitive IRS Information

Washington D.C.—U.S. Senators Ron Wyden, D-Ore., and Catherine Cortez Masto, D-Nev., today led Senate colleagues, including Senator Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., in a letter to top officials with the Internal Revenue Service and Department of Homeland Security (DHS) demanding answers on reports that DHS and the self-styled “Department of Government Efficiency” have illegally requested

Bonamici, NW Members Demand Trump Admin Not Close Portland, Seattle Housing Offices

WASHINGTON DC [3/21/25] – Today Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici (OR-1) led Senators Patty Murray (D-WA), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Jeff Merkley (D-OR) and Representatives Adam Smith (WA-9), Suzan DelBene (WA-1), Val Hoyle (OR-4), Andrea Salinas (OR-6), and Maxine Dexter (OR-03) in demanding that the Trump administration abandon plans to close the Department

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