Press Releases
Currently showing results related to Rural Oregon & Natural Resources
Wyden, Merkley Demand Answers From the FCC on Move Limiting Access to Resources to Expand Rural Broadband
Washington, D.C. - Oregon's U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley today denounced the Federal Communications Commission's (FCC) decision to move forward with a recently adopted rule that would limit the federal resources available to expand broadband in rural areas. The rule would make areas that have received state-run broadband program funding or funding from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) ReConnect program ineligible for new federal investment for broadband deployment … Continue Reading
March 10, 2020
Merkley, Wyden, Walden Push for Emergency Aid for Flood-Stricken Eastern Oregon
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Oregon's U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden, with Congressman Greg Walden (R-OR-5), are pushing the Trump administration for an expedited review of the "presidential major disaster declaration" that Oregon Governor Kate Brown requested for three Oregon counties and a tribal nation that suffered severe damage from historic flooding in February. Officials estimate damages to public and individual property amount to more than $30 million. The lawmakers also emphasized … Continue Reading
March 04, 2020
Oregon Officials to Hold Flood Recovery Meeting in Pendleton
Portland - All Oregonians hit by the recent floods that devastated Umatilla County are invited to a March 10 meeting with federal, tribal, county, city and non-profit officials who will provide information and answer community questions about recovering from the disaster. The meeting from 5 pm to 7:30 pm on Tuesday, March 10 at the Pendleton Convention Center (1601 Westgate) was coordinated by U.S. Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley, Gov. Kate Brown and U.S. Rep. Greg Walden. "I know … Continue Reading
March 03, 2020
Wyden Presses DOE Secretary on Agency’s Failure to Prioritize Hanford Cleanup
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., today pressed U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Secretary Dan Brouillette on the agency's failure to prioritize cleaning up the Hanford site and protecting workers and surrounding communities from contamination. In a hearing before the U.S. Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee on Donald Trump's FY2021 budget, Wyden cited a recent Government Accountability Office (GAO) report that found significant problems with the way contaminated … Continue Reading
March 03, 2020
Wyden on FERC Nominee Vote: “The Trump administration appears determined to overthrow any semblance of independence at the FERC”
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., released the following statement opposing today's U.S. Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources vote advancing the nomination of James P. Danly to be a member of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC): "The Trump administration appears determined to overthrow any semblance of independence at the FERC. For months, the agency has operated without a full and bipartisan commission, throwing into question whether its decisions are … Continue Reading
February 28, 2020
Merkley, Wyden Announce $6.4 Million in Wildfire Recovery and Resilience Funding for Ochoco, Mt. Hood Forests
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Oregon's U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden announced today that the Ochoco and Wasco Forest Collaboratives have secured $1.68 million and $4.78 million in grant funding, respectively, from the Forest Service and National Resource Conservation Service. The funds will help the forests recover damage from previous wildfires, and boost resilience to future blazes. Senators Merkley and Wyden wrote letters to the Forest Service and National Resource Conservation Service in … Continue Reading
January 14, 2020
Wyden, Merkley Press Trump Admin on LNG By Rail Safety
Washington, D.C. - Oregon’s U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley today expressed concerns over the Trump administration’s proposed rules on the transportation of liquefied natural gas (LNG) by rail. In a letter to Administrator Howard Elliott, head of the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration at the U.S. Department of Transportation, the senators emphasized that the loosening of transportation regulations for LNG by rail in proposed rulemaking pose a risk to public … Continue Reading
December 20, 2019
Merkley, Wyden Announce Investments in Small Ports, Irrigation Districts, Renewable Energy Included in 2020 Spending Bill
Washington, D.C. - Oregon’s U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden today announced that provisions that will help create jobs and improve infrastructure in Oregon communities are included in the 2020 spending bill that has passed both chambers of Congress, and is headed to the president’s desk to become law. “One of the most gratifying parts of serving on the Senate Appropriations Committee is that I get to work with communities across the state to fund their needs, and then see the funding … Continue Reading
December 20, 2019
Merkley, Wyden Announce Increased Water Infrastructure, Tribal, Forest Funding in 2020 Spending Bill
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Oregon's U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden today announced that the 2020 spending bill includes U.S. Department of Interior Appropriations funding that provides critical investments in earthquake preparedness, water infrastructure, and wildfire suppression and recovery activities that are of particular importance to communities across Oregon. "This bill invests in both recovery and prevention efforts to save our forests, our communities, and our farms, ranches and … Continue Reading
December 19, 2019
Merkley, Wyden Announce Key Priorities for Oregon Agriculture, Rural Communities Included in 2020 Spending Bill
Washington, D.C. - Oregon’s U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden today announced key provisions in the fiscal year 2020 spending bill that will help Oregon’s agriculture industry and rural communities—from investments in rural housing; to research into the impacts of wildfire smoke on crops; to hemp, which is becoming a cash crop for Oregon. The bill has passed both chambers of Congress on bipartisan votes, and now heads to the president’s desk to become law. “Every year I visit every … Continue Reading
December 17, 2019
Merkley, Wyden Announce USDA Loan of Over $42.5 Million for Tillamook Electricity Infrastructure Upgrades
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Oregon’s Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden today announced that the Tillamook People’s Utility has received a 30-year loan of over $42.5 million from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Electric Infrastructure Loan and Loan Guarantee Program for critical line expansion and improvement. “This loan will help ensure that Tillamook’s electricity needs are met for years to come, and help hundreds of Oregonians gain access to new lines,” said Merkley, the top Democrat … Continue Reading
December 16, 2019
Wyden, Crapo, Merkley, Risch Announce Two-Year Authorization for Secure Rural Schools Program in End-of-Year Funding Package
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Sens. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., Mike Crapo, R-Idaho, Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., and Jim Risch, R-Idaho, today announced that a two-year authorization of the Secure Rural Schools (SRS) program is included in the end-of-year funding package that will be considered by Congress this week. This significant win for rural communities in the Northwest and nationwide follows calls from the senators to reauthorize the lapsed program and provide financial certainty for counties containing … Continue Reading
December 12, 2019
Wyden, Merkley Welcome Step Forward for Secure Rural Schools Program, Recreation Opportunities and Wildfire Prevention in Oregon
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senators Ron Wyden, D-Ore., and Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., today welcomed passage of legislation by the U.S. Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources to ensure much-needed funding for rural counties, as well as legislation to boost recreation opportunities in Southwestern Oregon and on the Molalla River in Clackamas County and strengthen wildfire prevention work in both of those regions. Both bills are now eligible to be considered by the full Senate. The Committee … Continue Reading
December 10, 2019
Wyden, Merkley Introduce Resolution in Support of U.S. Commitment to Paris Climate Agreement
Washington, D.C. - As international negotiators continue discussions at the 25th Conference of Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in Madrid, Oregon’s U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley today introduced a resolution to express support for the Paris climate agreement. The resolution notes the growing scientific urgency around the need for action to combat the climate crisis, and details the bold steps that states, municipalities and businesses are taking … Continue Reading
December 02, 2019
Merkley, Wyden Announce Major Grant for High-Speed Broadband Infrastructure in Eastern Oregon
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Oregon's U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden today announced a $6 million grant to deploy high-speed broadband internet infrastructure in Grant and Wheeler counties-two of Oregon's most rural, and in greatest need of internet connectivity. The grant is among the first round awarded through the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) ReConnect Pilot Program, a $600 million program created in the 2018 federal spending bill. Merkley, the top Democrat on the senate … Continue Reading
November 21, 2019
Wyden: We Have to Secure Rural Communities Against Financial Roller Coaster
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, a senior member of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, today highlighted the importance of providing financial security for rural communities in Oregon and nationwide by ensuring long-term funding for schools, road maintenance, law enforcement and other essential services. At a hearing considering pending legislation on Secure Rural Schools (SRS) and Payment in Lieu of Taxes (PILT) programs, Wyden said, "We've got to get rural … Continue Reading
November 20, 2019
Wyden, Merkley Request Changes to USDA Rule on Hemp Production to Better Support Oregon Farmers
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Sens. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., and Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., as authors of the legislation that legalized hemp production nationwide, today requested that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) make several changes as it develops its final rule for the U.S. Domestic Hemp Production Program. Wyden and Merkley, in a letter to USDA Secretary Sonny Perdue, welcomed the interim rule recently released by the agency as a necessary step to establish a domestic federal hemp … Continue Reading
November 20, 2019
Merkley, Wyden Announce Key USDA Wastewater Investments for Rural Oregonians
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Oregon's Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden today announced nearly $3 million in federal grants, and over $4.5 million in federal loans, for critical wastewater treatment and municipal water system upgrades. The rural development funds will go to the cities of Cascade Locks and Amity. "When I meet with local leaders from every corner of Oregon, urban and rural, they tell me that water infrastructure is a top priority. Investments in water infrastructure create good jobs … Continue Reading
November 14, 2019
Merkley, Wyden Introduce New Legislation to Expand Smith River National Recreation Area to Include Oregon
Washington, D.C. - Oregon’s Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden today introduced new legislation to expand the Smith River National Recreation Area by 58,000 acres, a move that would protect the diverse ecosystems of the rivers, streams, and adjacent lands of the North Fork Smith River watershed and help boost the local fishing and recreation industries that many Oregonian families rely on. In 1990, Congress enacted legislation to establish the Smith River National Recreation Area … Continue Reading
November 14, 2019
Wyden, Merkley Bill Would Bar Use of SRS Funds for Lobbying
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley today introduced legislation that would ensure counties receiving Secure Rural Schools (SRS) funds cannot spend those federal resources on any activity related to lobbying. Wyden and Merkley said their bill is to ensure SRS funds remain dedicated to their intended purposes of helping rural counties in Oregon and nationwide pay for schools, roads, bridges, law enforcement and other services. "The importance of SRS for rural communities … Continue Reading
