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
Social Security changes policy to better accommodate seniors
WASHINGTON – Last week, Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., wrote a letter to Social Security Commissioner Carolyn Colvin to address his concerns over a new system that would block online access to benefits for seniors without a text-enabled cellphone. The Social Security Administration announced Monday they will change the policy and
The medical debt crisis: The prognosis is still dire for Americans struggling to pay off massive health care bills
Recent evidence suggests that the Affordable Care Act is helping to reduce the burden of medical debt for American consumers. Yet, especially in states that have not expanded Medicaid, millions of Americans still lack insurance and many plans offer thin coverage. The result is that in 2014, 64 million people were struggling with medical
Sanders joins Democrats criticizing DEA for marijuana decision
Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont led a chorus of critics after the Drug Enforcement Administration declined to allow the use of marijuana for medical purposes — the latest example of fast-changing politics in the war on drugs. “People can argue about the pluses and minuses of marijuana, but everyone knows it’s not a
Merkley urges Senate panel to confirm EXIM Bank nominee
WASHINGTON – Sen. Jeff Merkley , D-Ore., called on Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee Chairman Richard Shelby on Thursday to act on strong bipartisan support for the Export-Import Bank by confirming the EXIM Bank Board of Directors nominee to restore the operating quorum. Small businesses across America, including
Merkley to Social Secuity: Don’t expect seniors to have texting cellphones
PORTLAND, Ore. – Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., wrote Tuesday to Social Security Commissioner Carolyn Colvin to address the new system at the Social Security Administration that requires seniors receiving Social Security benefits to have a text-enabled cell phone in order to log into their online accounts. Merkley specifically asked for
Did Obama win the judicial wars?
President Barack Obama was fired up. He had just revealed his Supreme Court nominee in the Rose Garden, and as he began his next meeting with progressive legal activists in the Roosevelt Room, he couldn’t stop rhapsodizing about his choice to cap his judicial legacy. Merrick Garland was Obama’s kind