Bend awarded $5 million federal grant to fuel affordable housing production
Bend Bulletin The city of Bend has received a $5 million grant intended to kickstart affordable housing supply, the federal government announced Wednesday. Awarded through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, the grant set the course for the city to identify and address policies that slow affordable housing
Wyden, Merkley announce $30.1 million in ‘Payments in Lieu of Taxes’ to Oregon counties; $6 million to C. Oregon
KTVZ WASHINGTON (KTVZ) — Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley announced Thursday that counties throughout Oregon will receive more than $30.1 million in Payments in Lieu of Taxes (PILT) funding for 2024, including over $6 million for Deschutes, Crook and Jefferson counties. Because local governments cannot tax federal lands, annual PILT
Wyden, Merkley, colleagues call on Postal Service to prepare for November election
KTVZ WASHINGTON (KTVZ) — Senator Ron Wyden said Thursday he is leading Senate colleagues including fellow Oregon Senator Jeff Merkley in calling on Postmaster General DeJoy and the U.S. Postal Service to share their plans to accommodate high volumes of mail expected in the upcoming 2024 general election in Oregon and nationwide.
Lawmakers Question New FDA Leader on Opioids, Biosimilars
March 2 (BNA) — Opioid abuse and lack of biosimilar guidance continue to be pressing issues for the FDA, senators told the new head of the agency March 2. Robert Califf appeared on Capitol Hill for the first time as the head of the FDA, testifying at a brief hearing
Merkley shoots for mandatory GMO labeling
Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) will introduce a bill today that would require food makers to disclose the presence of GMO ingredients on Nutrition Facts labels. The bill, co-sponsored by Sens. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) and Jon Tester (D-Mont.), comes right after the Senate Agriculture Committee on Tuesday approved Chairman Pat Roberts’
The Proposal That Could Keep Medical Debt From Trashing Your Credit Score
The 43 million Americans estimated to have medical debt on their credit reports could find some credit score relief should a new Senate bill come to pass. Five senators —Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), and Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) — introduced legislation late last week that
Boardman biorefinery gets $11 million USDA backing
With financing in place, a Minnesota-based energy company plans to build its first commercial refinery that will transform farm waste into natural gas and liquid fertilizer at the Port of Morrow. Novus Energy has received an $11 million loan guarantee from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s biorefinery assistance program. Oregon
Wyden, Merkley push to extend overtime pay for millions
WASHINGTON — Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., along with Al Franken, D-Minn., Patty Murray, D-Wash., and Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., led the charge Monday to extend overtime pay to millions of Americans working long hours without fair pay. Last year, the Department of Labor proposed an expansion to overtime pay
Merkley takes a stand against medical debt
U.S. Sen. Jeff Merkley today unveiled legislation that would ensure consumers’ credit scores aren’t permanently hurt by unpaid medical bills. Merkley, an Oregon Democrat, said his Medical Debt Relief Act would “help get consumers back on their feet and restore our economy.” He noted that millions of Americans have racked up medical
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