BLUMENTHAL, DURBIN, HIRONO, & MERKLEY DEMAND ANSWERS AFTER UNQUALIFIED ORGANIZATION WITH CLOSE TIES TO ICE RECEIVES NO-BID CONTRACT TO PROVIDE LEGAL SERVICES TO MIGRANT CHILDREN
“This award is concerning given the incredible lack of details provided in the award notice, the nonexistence of legal services provided by your organization, the Trump Administration’s continued use of no-bid awards…and the Trump Administration’s staggering disregard for the welfare of children in immigration enforcement.” [WASHINGTON, D.C.] – U.S. Senator
Wyden, Merkley Demand Federal Agencies Stop Sharing Medicaid Data With ICE
Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley today demanded that the federal departments of Health and Human Services (HHS) and Homeland Security (DHS) as well as the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) immediately stop unlawfully transferring Medicaid data to DHS and the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). “Congress has a responsibility to
Merkley, Wyden Secure Federal Funding to Expand Pollinator Habitat Along Oregon Highways
Washington, D.C. — Today, Oregon’s U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden announced $150,000 in federal funds for the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) to create and restore pollinator habitats along Oregon highways.The funding, which is the maximum award under the Federal Highway Administration’s Pollinator-Friendly Practices on Roadsides and Highway Rights-of-Way Program
Merkley, Senators Introduce Legislation to Bar Trump Administration from Using Pandemic as Excuse to Give Handouts to Fossil Fuel Industry
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Oregon’s Senator Jeff Merkley, along with Senators Edward J. Markey (D-MA) and Bernie Sanders (I-VT), today announced the introduction of legislation that would prohibit the Department of the Interior from slashing royalty rates for fossil fuel corporations, amid reports that the Trump administration is considering using the coronavirus to
Merkley, Colleagues Urge Pence to Protect Federal COVID-19 Response from Political Interference
Washington, D.C. – Oregon’s U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley, along with seven colleagues, today pressed Vice President Mike Pence, head of the White House Coronavirus Task Force, to ensure that the federal response to the coronavirus outbreak is grounded in scientific fact and experts’ recommendations—not in politics. The senators’ letter comes amid reports
Merkley, Wyden, Colleagues Urge Internet Service Providers to Suspend Policies Limiting Americans’ Access to Internet Amid Coronavirus Outbreak
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Oregon’s U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden today joined 17 of their Senate colleagues in sending a letter to the CEOs of eight major internet service providers (ISPs), calling on the companies to take steps to accommodate the unprecedented reliance America will likely have on internet-supported services—including telework, online education, telehealth, and remote
Merkley, Warren Push Trump Administration to Protect Americans from Evictions, Foreclosures Amid Ongoing Coronavirus Pandemic
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Oregon’s U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley and Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) today pressed President Donald Trump to issue an immediate, nationwide moratorium on all foreclosures on and evictions from properties owned or insured by Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, the Federal Housing Administration (FHA), Veterans Affairs (VA), or the
Rubio, McGovern Lead Bipartisan, Bicameral Group Introducing Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act
Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) was joined by Senators Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), Tom Cotton (R-AR), Steve Daines (R-MT), Mitt Romney (R-UT), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Todd Young (R-IN), Dick Durbin (D- IL), and Ted Cruz (R-TX) in introducing the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act. This bipartisan
Merkley, Senators Introduce Correct the Census Count Act to End Prison Gerrymandering
Oregon’s Senator Jeff Merkley today joined Senators Ron Wyden (D-OR), Robert Menendez (D-NJ),Patty Murray (D-WA), Chris Coons (D-DE), and Bob Casey (D-PA) to introduce the Correct the Census Count Act—legislation to end the practice of “prison gerrymandering,” which skews congressional and legislative districts by counting prisoners as residents of the location where they