Merkley, Wyden, Colleagues Press Trump Administration on Proposed Forest Research and Development Facility Closures, Demand Transparency
Portland, OR – Oregon’s U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden joined their Senate colleagues in urging U.S. Forest Service Chief Tom Schultz to provide Congress with a full breakdown of the Service’s decision to potentially close up to 57 U.S. Forest Service Research and Development (R&D) Facilities, including the Portland-based Pacific
Merkley, Schumer, Top Senate Democrats with Jurisdiction Over Trump’s Gilded Ballroom Boondoggle Call on Watchdog to Conduct a Full Audit of the Project
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Ranking Member of the Senate Budget Committee, Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), and U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Ranking Member of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, Martin Heinrich
Merkley, Matsui, Kiggans Champion Bipartisan Legislation to Keep America’s Nurses and Patients Safe
Washington, D.C. – Oregon’s U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley, along with U.S. Representatives Doris Matsui (D-CA-07) and Jen Kiggans (R-VA-02), announced the reintroduction of their Nurse Overtime and Patient Safety Act. To tackle staffing-related challenges, nurses are often forced to work mandatory overtime beyond their scheduled shift, which can endanger the safety
Wyden and Merkley Cheer Federal Dollars to Help Health Providers Through COVID Surge
Washington, D.C. – Senate Finance Committee Chair Ron Wyden and U.S. Sen. Jeff Merkley today cheered an announcement by the Biden Administration that $25.5 billion from the Provider Relief Fund (PRF) would be distributed to health care providers in Oregon and across the nation amidst a surge in COVID-19 cases.
“The delta variant has put Oregon health providers under enormous strain as frontline health care workers approach their breaking point,” said Wyden, who in recent weeks has heard firsthand from nurses, doctors and medical staff at meetings in Bend, Eugene, Medford and Portland about the crushing workload created by the public health crisis. “These dollars will provide critical relief to help keep patients and workers safe while the campaign to vaccinate all Americans continues. I’m also pleased that this distribution will especially help providers that serve seniors and Oregon’s most vulnerable families.”
“As the Delta variant continues to surge, it’s clear that there’s still much more work to be done to keep families across Oregon and around the country safe from this pandemic—and we can’t do that without getting more shots into arms and supporting the health care heroes on the frontlines,” said Merkley. “I applaud the Biden administration for making more resources available to support those efforts, and will continue to do all that I can to help our communities navigate this crisis, by ensuring that all of our health care providers have the tools they need to keep saving lives.”
Last month, Wyden and Merkley called for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to distribute funds remaining in the PRF and other health care programs.
Wyden, Merkley Urge President Biden to Take All Necessary Legal Steps to Terminate Remain in Mexico Policy
Washington, D.C. – U.S. Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley today urged President Biden in a letter to take all necessary legal steps to terminate the Remain in Mexico policy – or the perversely named Migrant Protection Protocols (MPP) – that placed tens of thousands of asylum seekers and migrants in danger. The letter signed
Merkley Leads Northwest Delegation in Securing $2 Million in Economic Development Funds to Gorge
Washington, D.C. – Oregon’s U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley today announced that $2 million in federal funding is headed to the Columbia River Gorge to support economic revitalization efforts. The announcement is the culmination of a years-long effort to fulfill a promise made when Congress passed the Columbia River Gorge National
Merkley, Wyden, DeFazio Applaud New FEMA Steps to Make it Easier for Oregonians Impacted by Future Wildfires to Access Assistance
Washington, D.C. – Oregon’s U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden, alongside Representative Peter DeFazio (D-OR-04), announced today that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is making a number of changes to reduce barriers for underserved populations seeking to access federal assistance in the wake of future natural disasters, including
Merkley, Wyden Announce $225,000 for Tribal Economic Development
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Oregon’s U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden announced today that the Affiliated Tribes of Northwest Indians (ATNI) will be receiving $225,000 in federal funding to assist with job creation and capital investment strategy. “While we are still trying to build our economy back from a global pandemic,
Wyden, Merkley: More than $800,000 to Lane County to Expand Community Health Care Workforce During Pandemic
Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley today announced that Lane County will receive $877,731 to train community health workers to support COVID-19 public health response and build community resilience as the COVID pandemic drags on. “It’s clear that we are in this pandemic for longer than we hoped and