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 Announces $58 Million In Housing Funds for State of Oregon

Portland, OR — Today, Oregon’s Senator Jeff Merkley announced that Oregon would receive an additional $58 million from the U.S. Department of Treasury to assist Oregonians who are struggling with the housing crisis gripping the state.  Today’s announcement adds to the $36 million that was announced two months ago by

Merkley Denounces Lack of Action on E-Cigarette Rules

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today on the Senate floor, Oregon’s Senator Jeff Merkley denounced the Administration’s ongoing inaction in finalizing the proposed tobacco deeming rule, and called for the rule to be finalized as quickly as possible. Finalizing the rule is essential to putting in place regulations for e-cigarettes and other

Wyden, Merkley, Blumenauer and Bipartisan Group of Lawmakers Push President to Remove Barriers to Medical Marijuana Research

Washington, D.C. – Oregon’s U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley, and U.S. Representative Earl Blumenauer, along with a bipartisan group of 24 senators and representatives, urged President Obama to remove barriers to research on medical marijuana and facilitate new medical research on cannabis and its derivatives.  “Twenty-three states have passed

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