Tag: Education

Senator Merkley, Congresswoman Clark Introduce Legislation to Put Mental Health Care in Reach for Every Student in America

September 18, 2019

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Immediately following National Suicide Prevention Week, Oregon’s Senator Jeff Merkley and Congresswoman Katherine Clark (D-MA-5) today introduced the Elementary and Secondary School Counseling Act, bicameral legislation that would help fill the critical unmet need for school-based mental health services providers in elementary and secondary schools across America.

Merkley, Morelle, Katko Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Close Summer Learning Gap

July 10, 2019

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Oregon’s Senator Jeff Merkley, along with Congressmen Joseph Morelle (D-NY-25) and John Katko (R-NY-24), today introduced the bipartisan, bicameral Summer Meals and Learning Act of 2019—legislation to address summer learning inequality by keeping school libraries open at schools that already serve free summer meals. “Every student—no matter

WHAT THEY’RE SAYING: Communities in Oregon and Across the Nation Celebrate Saving CCCs from Closure

June 20, 2019

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Following Sen. Merkley’s announcement yesterday that the Trump administration will back down from their plan to close Civilian Conservation Center (CCC) Job Corps sites, leaders from communities in Oregon and across the nation are celebrating the good news. Here’s what they’re saying: “One of the greatest obstacles

Merkley Pushes Secretary DeVos on Refusal to Help Students Cheated By Predatory Colleges

June 18, 2019

Washington, D.C. – Oregon’s Senator Jeff Merkley today pressed the U.S. Department of Education over prolonged inaction regarding federal student loan discharge requests, and urged Secretary Betsy DeVos to stand up for victims of predatory college scams, many of which were perpetrated by for-profit colleges. Under the Borrower Defense to

Merkley, Booker, Gillibrand Introduce Legislation to Ensure that Student Loan Borrowers Can Refinance At the Same Low Rate Big Banks Get

June 13, 2019

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Oregon’s Senator Jeff Merkley, along with Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) and Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), today introduced the If It’s Good Enough for the Banks, It’s Good Enough for Students Act, legislation that would enable student loan borrowers to refinance their federal student loans at the same

Wyden, Crapo, Merkley, Risch Reintroduce Legislation to Provide Long-term Stability for Secure Rural Schools Program

May 23, 2019

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Ron Wyden, D-Ore., Mike Crapo, R-Idaho, Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., and Jim Risch, R-Idaho, today reintroduced legislation to provide much-needed financial certainty for rural counties to ensure they have the long-term funding needed for schools, road maintenance, law enforcement and other essential services. The bipartisan Forest

Wyden, Merkley Welcome Restoration of Full SRS Payments for Counties and Schools

May 16, 2019

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley today welcomed the U.S. Agriculture Department decision to restore full Secure Rural Schools (SRS) program payments for counties and schools. The decision follows Wyden and Merkley’s call for the agency to release the more than $14 million in payments after

Wyden, Merkley Press Feds to Restore $14 Million in SRS Payments

May 7, 2019

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley today asked the U.S. Agriculture Department to restore recent payments the agency wrongly reduced for schools and counties under the Secure Rural Schools (SRS) Act by more than $14 million. In their letter to Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue, the Oregon

Wyden, Merkley Join Effort to Preserve Sea Grant Program Funding After Trump Administration Proposed Cuts

April 25, 2019

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley joined 25 of their Senate colleagues in an effort to preserve funding for the National Sea Grant College Program (Sea Grant) following the Trump administration’s proposal to eliminate its funding in the Fiscal Year (FY) 2020 budget. In a bipartisan

Merkley, Wyden Announce More than $7 Million in AmeriCorps Funding for Oregon

April 19, 2019

PORTLAND, OR – Oregon’s U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden today announced that Oregon has received more than $7 million in AmeriCorps funding to deploy 402 members to serve nonprofits in Bend and Portland. “Last month I had the opportunity to visit a Heart of Oregon program, YouthBuild, in