When Jeff first took on the challenge of running for the Oregon State Legislature, one of the reasons was because he wanted to build a better education system for his young children. And as the first in his family to go to college, Jeff knows that affordable access to higher education is critical to the success of the middle class.
Education is a major factor in determining whether our children and our nation succeed in today’s increasingly competitive global economy. As a country, we need to do a better job of supporting teachers, giving them the resources they need to provide the best possible environment for teaching our children, and ensuring that no capable student has to give up his or her dreams of higher education because of a lack of affordability.
Merkley on 2024 State of the Union Address: America is Strong When Working Families Succeed
Washington, D.C. – Tonight, Oregon’s U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley issued the following response to President Joe Biden’s annual State of the Union Address to Congress and Americans:
Merkley, Colleagues Push to Increase Nursing Education and Workforce Support
Washington, D.C. – Today, Oregon’s U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley, along with U.S. Senators Peter Welch (D-VT), Tina Smith (D-MN), Angus King (I-ME), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), and Alex Padilla (D-CA), introduced the bicameral Future Advancement of Academic Nursing (FAAN)
Salinas, Wyden, Merkley Announce Federal Grant to Chemeketa Community College
Salem, OR – Today, U.S. Representative Andrea Salinas (OR-06), along with U.S. Senators Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) and Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), announced that the U.S. Department of Education has awarded $1,421,219 to Chemeketa Community College as part of the first-ever Perkins Innovation and Modernization Career Connected High Schools (CCHS) grant program. This
Merkley, Wyden, Blumenauer, Bonamici, Salinas Announce More Electric School Buses Coming to Oregon
Washington, D.C. – Today, Oregon’s U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden, along with Representatives Earl Blumenauer (OR-03), Suzanne Bonamici (OR-01), and Andrea Salinas (OR-06), announced that federal funding is being awarded to seven Oregon school districts to help transition school bus fleets away from outdated diesel engines and toward
Senator Merkley Speaks on Banning Legacy Admissions
Senator Merkley’s remarks from a press conference announcing the introduction of the Fair College Admissions for Students Act, which would ban the practice of giving preference to children of donors and alumni in the college admissions process on July 26, 2023. Read more about the bill: https://www.merkley.senate.gov/merkley-bowman-no-more-legacy-admissions-at-colleges-and-universities/
Banning Legacy Admissions
On July 26, 2023, Senator Jeff Merkley (D-OR) and Congressman Jamaal Bowman (NY-16) teamed up to introduce the Fair College Admissions for Students Act, legislation to ban so-called legacy admissions—schools giving preference to the children of alumni and donors during the competitive college admissions process. Learn more about the
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