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

Wyden, Merkley Push for Oregon Counties to Receive Federal Timber Payments

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley today urged federal officials to make much-needed federal timber sales payments as quickly as possible to Oregon counties in need of funding for schools, roads and law enforcement. In letters (attached) to Interior Secretary Sally Jewell and Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack,

Merkley Applauds Offshore Oil and Gas Drilling Ban in Atlantic and Arctic

Oregon’s Senator Jeff Merkley, the lead sponsor of both the Keep It in the Ground Act and the Stop Arctic Ocean Drilling Act, released the following statement after President Obama announced a permanent ban on offshore drilling in citizen-owned waters of the Arctic and Atlantic, including 3.8 million acres in

Merkley Tapped for Leadership Post, Will Join Senate Foreign Relations Committee

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Oregon’s Senator Jeff Merkley announced today that he has been appointed Chief Deputy Whip of the Senate Democratic Caucus and will also join the Senate Foreign Relations Committee in the 115th Congress beginning in January. As a member of the newly constituted Democratic leadership team, Merkley will

Led by Merkley, Warren and Sanders, Senate Democrats Roll Out New Website Inviting Personal Stories from Americans Hurt by Foreclosure King Steve Mnuchin

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and Bernie Sanders (I-VT) announced that Senate Democrats have launched a new website inviting Americans to share their personal stories of being impacted by the foreclosure practices of Donald Trump’s Treasury Secretary nominee, foreclosure king Steve Mnuchin. “Donald

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