Standing Up for Human and Civil Rights

Merkley Statement on the Reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act

Washington, DC- Today, the Senate reauthorized the Violence Against Women Act, which funds key programs to combat domestic and sexual violence. Oregon’s Senator Jeff Merkley issued the following statement after passage of the bill. “The Violence Against Women Act has been extremely successful. Since 1994, when the bill first was

Merkley Pushes Back Against Proposed Cuts to National Guard Counterdrug Program

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Oregon’s Senator Jeff Merkley sent a letter to the Chair and Ranking Member of the U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee calling on them to preserve funding for the National Guard Counterdrug Program. The program has been critical to detecting and disrupting drug activity, particularly large-scale marijuana growing

Merkley Statement on Administration’s Inaction on Barring Employment Discrimination

Washington, DC– Oregon’s Senator Jeff Merkley, the lead sponsor of the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, issued the following statement after reports that the Obama Administration won’t take action to bar federal contractors from discriminating against LGBT workers.  “I am deeply disappointed that the Administration will allow companies that accept federal contracts

MERKLEY, BAUCUS LEAD BIPARTISAN CALL TO BRING TROOPS HOME FROM AFGHANISTAN

(Washington, DC) – Montana’s senior U.S. Senator Max Baucus and Oregon U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley led a bipartisan group of 24 Senators today in calling on the President to bring American combat forces home from Afghanistan.  As the Senate considers the 2012 Highway Bill on the floor this week, the

Merkley Praises New 2013 Timeline to End Combat in Afghanistan

Washington, DC – Today, Oregon’s Senator Jeff Merkley wrote to President Barack Obama to express his strong support of the announcement of an accelerated transition in Afghanistan.  The letter came on the heels of comments by Defense Secretary Leon Panetta that the United States will complete its transition from major

Editorial: Skewed priorities

You cannot talk about the federal deficit without mentioning the war in Afghanistan. Sen. Jeff Merkley did both during his talk to the Columbia Forum last Wednesday night. Sen. Merkley took the annual spending on the Afghanistan war – $120 billion – and broke that into jobs that could be

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