U.S. Rep. Peter DeFazio and U.S. Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley today announced Senate passage of additional protections for the lifesaving Coast Guard air facility in Newport, Oregon that were included in the Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2018.

“This facility is critical to the Coast Guard’s search-and-rescue operations. It can make the difference between life and death both for central Oregon Coast residents and visitors to our state’s beaches,” said Wyden. “Today’s action is a positive step forward, but I won’t stop fighting until we have a permanent solution to keep this essential rescue station open.”

“This reauthorization greatly strengthens our ability to keep lifesaving Coast Guard helicopters on the job in Newport,” Merkley said. “This victory will preserve a critically important asset for our coastal communities and visitors.”

“It is impossible to overstate how critical having search and rescue helicopters nearby is to Oregon’s fishing industry, coastal visitors and residents. The Newport air station handles half the emergency calls on the Central Oregon Coast and without it, people in imminent danger will have to wait for a helicopter from North Bend or Astoria to rescue them. It is imperative that the Newport air facility stay open, and I will continue to do everything I can here in Washington D.C. to ensure we have a permanent resolution to this problem,” said DeFazio, Ranking Member of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure and lead Democratic sponsor and negotiator in the House of Representatives on the Coast Guard Authorization Act.

The lawmakers have tirelessly advocated to keep the Newport air facility open. It is one of Oregon’s few deep-draft ports and is home to the state’s largest commercial fishing fleet and several National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration vessels.

A web version of this release is available here.

As the votes have been counted since Election Night, one thing is clear: our powerful Get Out The Vote operation has meant that many of the close elections have been won by Democrats. In a few cases, races that we thought were over have actually shifted back to "too close to call".

Now, Republican operatives and lawyers in DC are trying to pull the emergency brake. They want vote counts stopped. They want provisional ballots ignored. They want to stop our democracy from including every eligible voter.

We're not going to let that happen.

Here's what you can do right now: Split a donation to Stacey Abrams, Kyrsten Sinema, Andrew Gillum, and Bill Nelson.

Your donation will be used to ensure that every vote is counted in Georgia, Arizona, and Florida.

It all comes down to this. Chip in now.

Jeff

Red alert: Team Trump is looking to legally discriminate against transgender Americans.

Their horrendous plan: legally define gender as fixed at birth and roll back rights for transgender Americans.

And why? All to drive turnout among the most extreme parts of their base.

Sign the petition now to protect transgender Americans from further discrimination.

This is just the next step in a long campaign against equal rights.

They fought against legal protections for LGBTQ Americans in our courts and tried to prevent transgender citizens from serving in the military.

They're attempting to eliminate references to references to LGBTQ Americans in our census and other strategic plans and surveys.

And now they want to erase an entire marginalized class of Americans. It's horrific.

This is just another fear-mongering tactic to whip Trump's base into a frenzy.

Sign the petition: Tell the Trump administration to stop erasing the rights of transgender people.

Jeff

Today we woke up to a House of Representatives that looks a lot more like America – over 100 women, and many more people of color and LGBT Americans.

Let's be completely clear: last night, the American people delivered a massive repudiation of Donald Trump and what he stands for. We didn't win every race we wanted to, but in the biggest midterm voter turnout in decades, over four million more people voted for Democrats than Republicans. That's extraordinary.

The American people rejected the calls for hate and fear, and voted for hope and opportunity. Taking back the House is the first step in a grassroots movement to reclaim and restore our nation.

And our grassroots activism made a difference. Blue Wave Project candidates were part of this historic effort. Up and down the ballot, we helped flip seats across America.

There's plenty more work to do.

Donald Trump is still President, and must be defeated in 2020.

The arc of history continues to bend. But it doesn't bend by itself — it's up to us to do the work.

Add your name and commit to defeating Trump in 2020.

Onward.

Jeff

Sign the Petition

First of all, thank you for your support.

Last night, the American people delivered a stunning rebuke to the Trump and Republican agenda of hatred, bigotry and corruption. They demanded an end to the assault on institutions critical to our democracy such as voting rights and a free press. Americans said no more. In the next Congress, the House of Representatives will advance an agenda For the People, and serve as a check on the Trump Administration.

I'm honored to be heading back to D.C. to a congress that will again work for the people. I'm proud that my campaign was fueled by the energy of so many amazing volunteers and supporters – not Wall Street- but an honest-to-goodness grassroots movement.

And, I'm excited to get to work as part of the new Democratic majority, alongside some new Members of Congress including Katie Hill (CA-25), Kim Schrier (WA-08), Mike Levin (CA-49), and Abby Finkenauer (IA-01).

Right here in Oregon, we saw a new generation of young leaders – some not yet old enough to vote! – stand up and work like hell for the future they deserve. It was truly inspiring to work with the Young Democrats of Lane County.

That’s leadership. And I couldn’t be prouder to stand by this incredible group as they build our movement. They're planning on continuing their momentum and start working on the 2020 election.

Celebrate our victory in the House with a donation of $20.20 to this group of Young Democrats! Your contribution will go directly these young world changers and help them open an office for 2020 and greatly expand their reach.

Our goal is $5,000 – and I believe in these young people so much that I will match your donation dollar-for-dollar!

Now it's time to get to work. I hope you'll continue to speak up – loudly and often – and I'm looking forward to bringing your voice to the halls of the Capitol.

Peter

There is one way we can take back our country: people power.

Today is Election Day. It all comes down to this.

• Don't leave it to the last minute: Find your polling place at BlueWaveProject.org and make a plan to cast your vote.

• Alternatively, find your polling location by texting "WAVE" to 91990.

• Let your friends and family know you're voting by sharing our post on Facebook. Urge them to find their polling places and join you in voting.

Our blue wave washes across America. Let's do this.

Onward,

Jeff

I want to tell you about an incredible group of young people who have been working tirelessly to elect Democrats in Oregon and across the country.

The Young Democrats of Lane County have been volunteering from my 2018 field office in Eugene to help win back the U.S. House of Representatives.

Most of these Young Democrats have yet to reach voting age, but they've been calling, knocking on doors, texting, and reminding folks why it's so important to exercise their right to vote. They are campaigning for Red to Blue candidates Kim Schrier (WA-08), Mike Levin (CA-49), Gina Ortiz Jones (TX-23), Katie Hill (CA-25), Aftab Pureval (OH-01) , Abby Finkenauer (IA-01) and many more Democratic candidates across Oregon.

What's even better? They don't plan to slow down after November 6th. In fact, these young people plan to remain active, open an office, and start working on the 2020 election.

This is exactly what our country needs!

Help this group of Young Democrats make a big impact in 2020 by donating $20.20! Your contribution will go directly these young world changers and help them expand their reach.

Our goal is $5,000 – and I believe in these young people so much that I will match your donation dollar-for-dollar!

Chip in today and help ensure they have the funding to rent office space and work for the change this country desperately needs. This group of young people understands that the decisions elected leaders make now will have a direct impact on their lives for decades. They've realized that grassroots organizing can have a powerful, positive impact, and they're not stopping. With your help, they'll remain a force for change long past the November election. Please chip in now!

Peter

There is one way we can take back our country: people power.

Tomorrow is Election Day. It all comes down to this.

Don't leave it to the last minute: Find your polling place at BlueWaveProject.org and make a plan to vote.

Alternatively, find your polling location by texting "WAVE" to 91990.

Let your friends and family know you're voting by sharing our post on Facebook. Urge them to find their polling places and join you in voting.

Tomorrow, our blue wave washes across America. Let's do this.

Onward,

Jeff

As you know, this is a fight for the soul of our democracy.

Right now, the powerful and the privileged are trying to rig our elections with dark money and voter suppression.

But there is one way we can change that: people power.

That begins by VOTING on November 6.

Find your polling location by texting "WAVE" to 91990!

Visit Facebook, watch the video, and share my post with your friends to remind them to vote.

Let's do this.

Onward,

Jeff

As we push up to Election Day, we'll be reminded of the many barriers that voters face.

Long lines. Intimidation. Machines that are susceptible to hacking.

Our democracy works best when everyone who can vote does vote, and every vote is tamper-proof and secure.

The solution: postage-paid vote-by-mail nationwide.

Voting by mail breaks down barriers for seniors, working families, disabled Americans, and young voters. It gives people the time and safety to vote from the convenience of their own home. Paper ballots are unhackable and can be recounted and audited by hand.

Sign the petition and add your support to the national vote-by-mail movement.

Jeff