Press Releases

Risch, Merkley Introduce Bill to Remove Roadblocks for Youth Corps Public Lands Projects

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Jim Risch (R-Idaho) and Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) introduced legislation to reduce federal cost-sharing requirements for public lands projects performed by qualified youth or conservation corps from 25% to 10%. “Current cost-sharing requirements prevent youth conservation corps from carrying out important public lands projects,” said Risch. “My bill reduces this

Bynum and Merkley Introduce Legislation to Protect the Deschutes River

Washington, DC – Today, Congresswoman Janelle Bynum (OR-05) and Senator Jeff Merkley introduced the Deschutes River Conservancy Reauthorization Act of 2025. The bill reauthorizes the Deschutes River Conservancy’s (DRC) eligibility to receive federal funding for water quality improvement initiatives and conservation efforts. Since its founding in 1996, the DRC and

Following Dangerous Cuts to Transportation Workforce, Merkley, Wyden, Colleagues Demand Secretary Duffy Prioritize Safety

Washington, D.C. – Oregon’s U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden along with Massachusetts’ U.S. Senator Edward J. Markey pushed U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy to stop the mass layoffs and firing of essential transportation safety employees. The lawmakers demand the Department of Transportation (DOT) release information regarding the department’s

Senators Markey, Merkley, Welch Press Google on Changes to AI Commitments  

Letter Text (PDF)  Washington (February 19, 2025) – Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), a member of the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee, and Senators Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) and Peter Welch (D-Vt.) wrote to Google CEO Sundar Pichai with concerns that the company has recently reversed promises to not develop potentially

Wyden, Merkley Demand Trump Administration Make No Cuts to Medicare and Medicaid

Wyden, Merkley: “Hands off Medicare and Medicaid.” Washington, D.C. — Oregon’s U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley said today they have sent a letter with their Senate colleagues urging Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) and Donald Trump’s administration not to make cuts to Medicare and Medicaid to

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