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
Merkley Denounces Scheme to Cripple the EPA
Democratic Committee members say EPA Administrator Zeldin’s illegal plan to gut the federal agency is poised to torpedo environmental safeguards while undermining the Constitution Washington, D.C. – Today, Oregon’s U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley—a senior member of the Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee—joined all his Democratic colleagues on the Committee
Merkley, Wyden, Colleagues Call for Investigation into Trump’s Purge of Workers Protecting Americans’ Health and Safety
Text of Letter (PDF) Washington, D.C. – Oregon’s U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden urged the non-partisan Government Accountability Office (GAO) to launch an investigation into how the recent mass firings of probationary federal workers have impacted Americans’ health and safety. In recent weeks, President Trump has fired at least
Merkley Announces March Town Halls
Washington, D.C. – Oregon’s U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley announced today he will hold five town halls for Oregonians in March, with in-person community conversations in Jackson and Josephine counties on Sunday, March 16, followed by conversations in Morrow, Gilliam, and Sherman counties on Tuesday, March 18. The five events continue Merkley’s
Merkley, Wyden, Bipartisan Colleagues Push to Protect the Rights of Oregon, America’s Workers
Washington, D.C. – Oregon’s U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden joined Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Congressional and labor leaders to reintroduce the Richard L. Trumka Protecting the Right to Organize Act (PRO Act). This bipartisan legislation protects the rights of workers in Oregon and nationwide to stand together and bargain for fairer
Wyden, Merkley Co-Sponsor Legislation to Update Antiquated Mining Law to Protect Public Lands and Taxpayers
Bill would modernize Civil War era mining law that has led to significant waste, fraud, and abuse Washington, D.C. –U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley today announced they are co-sponsoring legislation that would modernize the 1872 Mining Law that has let mining companies exploit public resources for free, pass environmental
Merkley, Wyden, Colleagues Demand FEMA Responds to Questions about Disaster Victim Data, Mass Firings, and Funding Freezes
Washington, D.C. – Oregon’s U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden joined their colleagues to call on the leadership of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to respond to unanswered questions about Elon Musk’s so-called “Department of Government Efficiency” (DOGE) and its reported access to sensitive disaster victim data. The Senators