Merkley, Wyden Announce Senate Passage of Critical Community-Initiated Projects

Washington, D.C. – Oregon’s U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden today announced essential investments for Oregon families and rural and underserved communities passed the Senate, including five community-initiated projects for communities across the state championed by the Senators.
These investments were included in the first package of Fiscal Year 2026 (FY26) funding bills that cleared the chamber with bipartisan support. As Congress holds the power of the purse, this government funding process is a check on the Trump Administration’s efforts to drastically cut the federal investments needed for agencies to continue providing essential services for Oregonians and Americans.
“Oregonians turned out in record numbers during my town halls to deliver a clear message—we need to do everything we can to fight against harmful federal funding cuts and to instead double down on investing in the foundations working families need to thrive: housing, health care, education, and good-paying jobs,”Merkley said.“These government funding bills go a long way toward delivering on essential programs and services for families, while providing strong support for critical community-initiated projects that will benefit Oregonians in every corner of the state for years to come.”
“At my latest open-to-all town halls in Eastern Oregon and all this year’s town halls statewide, I’ve heard consistently about the importance of federal investments that keep generating job opportunities; protecting life, property and our natural resources; and supporting quality of life,”Wyden said.“That’s exactly what these investments provide. And I’ll keep teaming up with Oregonians and my congressional colleagues to carry their community priorities back to Washington, DC and return with investment successes like these.”
Merkley is the only Oregon member of Congress from either chamber since Senator Mark Hatfield to serve on the powerful Appropriations Committee that writes these government funding bills. He joined the committee in 2013 so that Oregon would have a strong voice in decisions about the investments our nation should be making.
Merkley and Wyden secured four Oregon community-initiated projects in the FY26 Senate Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies bill that passed as part of the minibus package. The projects are as follows:

ClickHEREfor quotes from community-initiated project recipients included in the Senate Agriculture bill.
Additionally, Merkley and Wyden secured one Oregon community-initiated project in the FY26 Senate Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies (MilCon-VA) funding bill that passed as part of the minibus package. The project is as follows:

ClickHEREfor the quote from the community-initiated project recipient included in the Senate MilCon-VA bill.
Now that these government funding bills have cleared the Senate, they will next head to the U.S. House of Representatives for consideration. They are the first of 12 annual funding bills that must pass both chambers of Congress before they can be signed into law. Fiscal Year 2026 starts on October 1, 2025, and ends September 30, 2026.
Merkley and Wyden urge the House to take up the legislation without delay when they are back in session in September to keep vital government systems and programs running and invest in these targeted projects needed in communities across Oregon.
Oregon press and constituents can track the latest updates in the government funding process onMerkley’s Appropriations webpage.

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