In The News

Merkley Monthly: Making major investments in the Port of Coos Bay

The Coos Bay World Transforming the Oregon International Port of Coos Bay into the first fully ship-to-rail port facility on the West Coast is a huge opportunity for Oregon and our coastal communities. This project will create good-paying union jobs and permanent local jobs, increase West Coast port capacity by

Three Americans have been freed from prisons in China

NPR The Biden administration says the prisoners were all wrongfully held and that they are being reunited with their families for the first time in many years. They appear to be part of a prisoner swap. ARI SHAPIRO, HOST: Three Americans have been freed from prisons in China. The Biden

Wyden, Merkley Announce Nearly $1.2 Million for Ecosystem Restoration in Oregon; National Fish and Wildlife Foundation award will benefit residents and projects along Tillamook River

Tillamook County Pioneer Washington D.C.—U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley today announced a federal investment of $1.18 million for the Tillamook Estuaries Partnership to help fix the Burton-Fraser Road along the Tillamook River that is limiting fish passage. “Letting our infrastructure crumble over time to a point where it

Sheriffs support Sen. Merkley bill to retain pre-trial inmate health benefits

Klamath County Sheriff Chris Kaber expressed support for a bill U.S. Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., introduced to the Senate last week that would allow pre-trial inmates to keep their health benefits while in jail. Restoring Health Benefits for Justice-Involved Individuals Act of 2019 would ensure people in jail prior to

Senate passes legislation to combat wildlife trafficking

PORTLAND, Ore. — The Senate passed legislation aimed at combatting illegal wildlife trafficking this week. Oregon Senator Jeff Merkley helped introduce the Rescuing Animals With Rewards (RAWR) Act.  The legislation would authorize the U.S. government to offer reward money for information that helps dismantle wildlife trafficking networks linked to terrorism

Editorial: Merkley’s bill the right way to go

There are two good reasons to support efforts by Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Oregon, to keep federal health care benefits flowing to those who have been jailed and are awaiting trial. For one thing, those men and women are, like the rest of us, innocent until proven guilty of the crimes

Jail Inmates Could Receive Federal Healthcare Under Sen. Jeff Merkley Proposal

For more than 50 years, people booked into local jails have been stripped of their federal healthcare benefits, leaving an already vulnerable population with even less support. At the same time, the U.S. Constitution requires jails to provide adequate medical care. That lack of federal dollars coupled with the mandate saddles jails

Oregon sheriffs back federal bill to restore inmate medical benefits while in jail

When an Oregonian gets arrested and booked into jail, they don’t just lose their freedom while awaiting trial. They also lose any federal medical benefit they’re getting. The list includes payments from Medicaid, Veterans Affairs and the Children’s Health Insurance Program. Instead, the medical costs get passed to counties and municipalities running the jails —

Senate OKs Merkley wildlife trafficking rewards bill

WASHINGTON – Sens. Jeff Merkley (D-OR) and Susan Collins (R-ME) announced Wednesday the Senate passage of the Rescuing Animals With Rewards (RAWR) Act, legislation to help save endangered animals by combating wildlife trafficking and poaching. It would authorize the State Department to offer financial rewards for information that leads to the disruption of wildlife

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