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.
Republicans dare Democrats to reform the filibuster
Mitch McConnell’s threat to filibuster literally everything Democrats want to do until Democrats and Republicans agree to a compromise on the Bush tax cuts can be read as a power play, but it can also be read as a dare: At this point, Republicans are sure that they can abuse
Merkley wants to change Senate
WASHINGTON — To an outsider, the machinations of the U.S. Senate can appear incomprehensible and largely pointless. That’s also true for some of those on the inside, including Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., although he’s much more diplomatic in his criticism. Merkley is one of several junior Democratic senators urging Senate
Talking about the filibuster
And with that, Frank Capra’s cinematic hero launched the filibuster that saved the Boy Rangers’ summer camp for the good guys by turning a little-used parliamentary procedure into a weapon to defeat cynicism, corruption and greed. In real life, it’s the United States Senate that needs a good talking-to about
Merkley visits after-school program, helps solve homework debate
“If I were the senator and I had homework, I would choose just one piece of homework, one day a week,” says Macen Richards, a third-grade student at Hiteon Elementary School. When U.S. Sen. Jeff Merkley visits and asks the students what kinds of changes they’d like to see at
Bill banning ‘crush videos,’ co-written by Oregon Sen. Jeff Merkley, headed to President Obama’s desk
A bill that’s bounced between the U.S. House and the Senate that bans videos depicting the torture and killing of animals is headed towards becoming federal law. The Animal Crush Video Prohibition Act of 2010, co-sponsored by Oregon Senator Jeff Merkley, is on its way to President Obama, who’s likely
Sen. Jeff Merkley, small business reps oppose tax breaks for wealthiest
WASHINGTON — Swimming against the political tide, Oregon Sen. Jeff Merkley — backed by a group of small business leaders — argued Wednesday for allowing tax breaks for the wealthiest Americans to expire while extending them for people of more modest incomes. Allowing tax breaks for the wealthiest 2 percent