Press Releases

Interior Cuts in Trump Administration’s “Skinny” Budget to Leave Lasting Scars on Public Lands, Tribal Nations, and Human Health

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Ranking Member of the Interior-Environment Subcommittee on the Senate Appropriations Committee, released the below statement following the release of President Trump’s ‘skinny’ budget for Fiscal Year 2026. “This budget is exactly what we expected from this administration: abandoning critical programs, slashing essential government services,

Merkley Announces Central Oregon Town Halls 

Washington, D.C. – Oregon’s U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley announced today he will hold three town halls for Oregonians in Jefferson, Crook, and Deschutes counties on Saturday, May 10.  Merkley will be joined by U.S. Representative Janelle Bynum for the Deschutes County town hall in Sisters.  The three rescheduled events in Central

Sens. Wicker, Merkley Introduce Bipartisan Nurse Corps Tax Parity Act

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Roger Wicker, R-Miss., and Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., Co-Chairs of the Senate Nursing Caucus, introduced the Nurse Corps Tax Parity Act. This legislation would ensure that nurses in the federal Nurse Corps do not need to pay income tax on their student loan repayments and scholarships. “Nurses are essential to

Oregon Delegation Recognizes the Essential Work of the League of Oregon Cities

Washington, D.C. – Oregon’s U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden—along with U.S. Representatives Suzanne Bonamici (OR-01), Val Hoyle (OR-04), Andrea Salinas (OR-06), Maxine Dexter (OR-03), and Janelle Bynum (OR-05)—introduced a concurrent resolution celebrating the League of Oregon Cities’ (LOC) 100th anniversary and recognizing its significant contributions to Oregon’s municipalities. “For 100 years, the League of Oregon Cities has strengthened communities, championed local

McGovern, Merkley Ask Secretary Rubio to Restore Funding to China Human Rights NGOs

Letter laments that Rubio is cutting support to groups that aided his legislative profile, including their Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act ***Text of Letter Here (PDF)*** WASHINGTON, D.C.—Representative James P. McGovern (D-MA) and Senator Jeff Merkley (D-OR) have written to Secretary of State Marco Rubio asking him to restore funding to non-governmental

Merkley, Wyden, 20+ Senators Swing Back at VA Secretary Collins’ “Blatantly Dishonest” Claims that Cutting 83,000 VA Employees Will Have No Impact on Veterans’ Care and Benefits

Layoffs at the Roseburg VA are threatening the delivery of medical supplies Washington, D.C. – Oregon’s U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden joined the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee Ranking Member Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) to blast Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Secretary Doug Collins’ plans to cut more than 80,000

en_USEnglish