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.
Oregon’s Jeff Merkley working to stop ‘crush videos’ that show animal torture
Just over a decade ago, Congress passed a law banning depictions of animal cruelty. The law was intended to crack down on so-called crush videos, which typically show women killing small animals by stepping on them with stiletto heels. Animal rights activists say the law, passed in 1999, helped keep
Mosque: Don’t blame friends for acts of enemies
The debate swirling around the proposed mosque and Muslim community center in lower Manhattan near the World Trade Center site has, for many, tapped into strong emotions of a national trauma that is still raw. But in the churning political and constitutional arguments, one question has not been adequately addressed:
Jeff Merkley
When Jeff Merkley began his rookie session last year in the Senate, all looked bright for his fellow Democrats. The Democrats had huge majorities in the 111th Congress and were riding Barack Obama’s historic win of the White House. But as Merkley nears the end of his first session, polls
Senate advances legislation to reduce childhood obesity and strengthen youth nutrition
The Senate passed legislation last week aimed at reducing childhood obesity and strengthening programs dedicated to improving childrens’ nutrition. The Healthy, Hunger-free Kids Act will provide $4.5 billion to improving the National School Lunch Program, promote the health benefits of breastfeeding, and establish new national nutritional standards to help children
Merkley wants more from energy bill
U.S. Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., thinks the current slimmed-down energy legislation in Congress could go a lot further. It’s stalled in the Senate, though it has passed the House, in a dispute over whether a cap of $75 million in damages should be lifted as a result of the Gulf
Credit plan targets small businesses
WASHINGTON — Senate Democrats plan this week to consider a $30 billion small-business lending program that Oregon Sen. Jeff Merkley says is a common-sense answer to the continuing credit crunch. Many small businesses poised to expand are struggling to secure loans because community banks are facing tough capitalization requirements. The