Press Releases

Risch, Merkley Introduce Bill to Remove Roadblocks for Youth Corps Public Lands Projects

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Jim Risch (R-Idaho) and Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) introduced legislation to reduce federal cost-sharing requirements for public lands projects performed by qualified youth or conservation corps from 25% to 10%. “Current cost-sharing requirements prevent youth conservation corps from carrying out important public lands projects,” said Risch. “My bill reduces this

Bynum and Merkley Introduce Legislation to Protect the Deschutes River

Washington, DC – Today, Congresswoman Janelle Bynum (OR-05) and Senator Jeff Merkley introduced the Deschutes River Conservancy Reauthorization Act of 2025. The bill reauthorizes the Deschutes River Conservancy’s (DRC) eligibility to receive federal funding for water quality improvement initiatives and conservation efforts. Since its founding in 1996, the DRC and

Merkley Statement on Ceasefire Deal

Washington, D.C. – Oregon’s U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley—the first Senator in Congress to call for a lasting ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war—issued the following statement after negotiators announced a deal had been reached to pause fighting in Gaza: “I am highly encouraged by the news of a ceasefire deal that

OREGON DELEGATION ANNOUNCES $45 MILLION AWARD TO OREGON STATE UNIVERSITY-LED REGIONAL TECH HUB FOR MICROFLUIDICS 

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Representative Val Hoyle (OR-04), along with U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley, Rep. Suzanne Bonamici (OR-01), Rep. Andrea Salinas (OR-06), Rep. Maxine Dexter (OR-03), and Rep. Janelle Bynum (OR-05) announced $45 million in funding to Oregon State University for the Corvallis Microfluidics Tech Hub (CorMic). These funds will be used to develop microfluidics technologies and help businesses commercialize their discoveries.   “Creating

Wyden, Merkley Join 39 Colleagues in Introducing D.C. Statehood Bill

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley said today they have joined 39 colleagues in introducing the District of Columbia statehood bill for the 119th Congress in the Senate. “Year after year, nearly 700,000 people living in our nation’s capital are being taxed without receiving the same

Merkley, Reed, Huffman, Barragán, McClellan, Casten, Grijalva: LNG Exports Are Not in Public Interest

Washington, D.C. – Oregon’s U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley, Rhode Island’s U.S. Senator Jack Reed, U.S. Representatives Jared Huffman (D-CA-02), Nanette Barragán (D-CA-44), Jennifer McClellan (D-VA-04), Sean Casten (D-IL-06), and Raúl Grijalva (D-AZ-07) today led a bicameral letter urging the Department of Energy (DOE) to use its recent findings when determining the public interest

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