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 Applauds House Passage of Landmark Toxic Chemicals Reform Bill

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Oregon’s Senator Jeff Merkley released the following statement after the U.S. House of Representatives passed a landmark toxic chemicals reform bill that marks the first major reform of chemical safety laws in 40 years. Merkley worked with a bipartisan coalition to help craft the U.S. Senate version

Oregon Lawmakers Announce Funding to Revitalize Willamette Falls

Washington, D.C. – Oregon’s U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley and Representatives Kurt Schrader, Earl Blumenauer and Suzanne Bonamici today announced that $600,000 has been awarded to Metro-Portland, Oregon’s regional government, to restore and revitalize one of Oregon’s natural treasures, Willamette Falls, from contamination left over from a now-shuttered industrial

VA to Voluntarily Implement Bipartisan Provision to Enhance VA Medical Care

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Mike Rounds (R-SD), Mark Warner (D-VA) and Thom Tillis (R-NC) today welcomed the news that the Veterans Health Administration (VA) is moving to voluntarily implement one of the key proposals from their bipartisan Veterans Health Care Staffing Improvement Act, helping to ensure

Bicameral, Bipartisan Deal Reached On Major Toxic Chemicals Reform

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Oregon’s Senator Jeff Merkley and a bipartisan, bicameral group of Congressional leaders have announced an agreement on the first major reform of toxic chemicals regulation in decades.  This agreement puts Congress on the cusp of finally passing historic legislation to reform the nation’s broken chemical safety law.

en_USEnglish