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.
Senate Dems: Were You Hurt By ‘Foreclosure King’ Steve Mnuchin?
Senate Democrats are dubbing President-elect Donald Trump’s pick for Secretary of Treasury Steven Mnuchin the “Foreclosure King” on a new website they’ve set up to solicit public complaints from people allegedly hurt by Mnuchin’s past work in financial services. Mnuchin– the former chief executive officer and chairman of OneWest Bank– was accused
Senate Dems seek divestment blind trust for Trump’s assets
Five Democratic senators on Thursday unveiled a bill they plan to release next month that would require Donald Trump to divest assets that risk a conflict of interest and place the proceeds in a blind trust as well as require his appointees to step aside from official decisions that could
Lawmakers welcome VA clearing red tape for advanced RNs
WASHINGTON – Sens. Jeff Merkley (D-OR) and Dick Durbin (D-IL), and Rep. Peter DeFazio (D-OR) welcomed news Wednesday that the Department of Veterans Affairs will implement one of the key proposals from the bipartisan Veterans Health Care Staffing Improvement Act, sponsored by Merkley and Sen. Mike Rounds (R-SD), helping to
Democratic senators press Trump’s education pick Betsy DeVos to pay years-old $5.3 million fine
A group of Senate Democrats is urging President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee for education secretary, Betsy DeVos, to pay $5.3 million in fines imposed on her political action committee for campaign finance violations in Ohio eight years ago. “As secretary of education, Betsy DeVos would be responsible for overseeing the nation’s student loan
Columbia River Cleanup Bill Passes Congress
Cleaning up and monitoring toxics in the Columbia River Basin could now be a little easier. Congress recently passed a bill that would authorize the Environmental Protection Agency to start a voluntary grant program for environmental cleanup in the Columbia River system. The Columbia River Basin, which was named as a
Merkley denounces nomination of ‘Putin’s buddy’ Rex Tillerson for secretary of state
SALEM, OR (KPTV) – Sen. Jeff Merkley of Oregon on Tuesday harshly criticized President-elect Donald Trump’s selection of ExxonMobil CEO Rex Tillerson as nominee for secretary of state. If approved, Tillerson would be the first secretary of state in modern history without previous government experience, The Washington Post reported. “Donald Trump told us he