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

Wyden, Merkley Seek Disaster Aid for Malheur County, Eastern Oregon

Washington – Senator Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley today asked federal officials to begin the process that makes disaster aid available to farmers and businesses in Malheur County as well as other Eastern Oregon counties hard hit by severe winter weather since December. “This relief is desperately needed by these

Oregon Lawmakers Introduce Mt. Hood Land Exchange Bill

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Ron Wyden, D-Ore., and Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., and Representatives Greg Walden, R-Ore., and Earl Blumenauer, D-Ore., this week introduced legislation to protect and enhance Oregon’s land conservation priorities on Mt. Hood. Wyden and Merkley introduced the Mt. Hood Cooper Spur Land Exchange Clarification Act in

Wyden, Merkley, DeFazio, Blumenauer, Bonamici, Schrader Oppose EPA Grants Freeze

Washington, D.C. – Six Oregon lawmakers today told the White House that its decision to freeze grants administered by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) poses a serious threat to fundamental public health and environmental protections in Oregon and nationwide. “Americans deserve to know whether the EPA will protect their health and safety

Merkley Statement on Immigration Executive Orders

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Oregon’s Senator Jeff Merkley released the following statement after President Donald Trump signed new executive orders on immigration policy: “Trump’s border wall will waste our scarce resources: a 21-foot ladder defeats a 20-foot wall. There are smarter strategies for border security and for infrastructure investment. Let’s repair

Merkley Slams Trump’s Executive Order on Keystone XL and Dakota Access Pipelines

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Oregon’s Senator Jeff Merkley released the following statement after President Trump signed an executive order designed to ram through the Keystone XL and Dakota Access Pipelines: “The proposed Keystone XL and Dakota Access Pipelines have inspired unprecedented grassroots opposition, and for good reason: they would turn on

Merkley Statement on Pompeo Vote

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Oregon’s Senator Jeff Merkley released the following statement after the Senate vote on the nomination of Rep. Mike Pompeo to serve as CIA Director:  “We need a CIA Director who will stand up for Americans’ privacy, not undermine it. I voted ‘no’ on Rep. Pompeo’s nomination because

en_USEnglish