Press Releases

Merkley to Burgum: Our Public Lands Are Not for Sale

Washington, D.C. – Oregon’s U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley, Ranking Member of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies, released the following statement after a hearing on the President’s Fiscal Year 2026 budget request for the U.S. Department of the Interior with Secretary Doug Burgum: “Secretary Burgum testified

Heinrich, Murray, Klobuchar, Merkley Slam USDA for Evasive Response on Wildfire Mitigation Projects, Workforce Cuts, and Funding Freezes

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Ranking Member of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, along with U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Ranking Member of the Senate Appropriations Committee; Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry; and U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley

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

Merkley, Paul: U.S. Strikes on Yemen Undermine American Law

Washington, D.C. – Today, in response to escalating U.S. military strikes against Houthi rebels in Yemen, Oregon’s U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley and Kentucky’s U.S. Senator Rand Paul joined forces to urge the Trump Administration to adhere to the Constitution and consult with Congress in order to avoid stumbling into another costly and unnecessary

Wyden, Merkley, Colleagues Introduce Honor Farmer Contracts Act

Washington D.C.—U.S. Senators Ron Wyden, D-Ore., and Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., said today they have joined Senate colleagues to introduce legislation that would release funding illegally withheld by the Trump administration for all contracts and agreements previously entered into by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).   “The unlawful freezing of federal

Wyden, Markey, Merkley and Van Hollen Release Bill to Protect Americans Against Musk, DOGE and Other Unauthorized Access to Sensitive Personal Information

The Privacy Act Modernization Act would empower Americans to sue officials for misuse of their data and federal systems Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., and Sen. Edward J. Markey, D-Mass., today released legislation to protect Americans against Elon Musk, DOGE and other officials illegally accessing stores of personal data

Merkley, Wyden Join Legislation to Combat Urban Heat Islands  

Washington, D.C. – Oregon’s U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden joined colleagues in introducing the Excess Urban Heat Mitigation Act, which would create a competitive grant program to provide funding to combat the causes and consequences of urban heat islands.   “In places like East Portland, where a lack of

Wyden, Merkley, Colleagues Demand Trump Rescind Illegal Anti-Voter Executive Order

Senators say “requirements in this illegal order would likely disenfranchise millions of American voters…places a variety of other process burdens on voters, especially married women, rural residents, and low-income voters, and communities of color.” Washington D.C.—U.S. Senators Ron Wyden, D-Ore., and Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., said today they have joined Senate

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