Press Releases

Wyden, Merkley Co-Sponsor Legislation to Ban Conversion Therapy 

Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley (both D-Ore) today announced they are co-sponsoring legislation that would ban so-called “conversion therapy,” a practice fraudulently claiming to change a person’s sexual orientation or gender identity.  “Forcing Americans into sham therapy for a non-existent illness is medieval quackery, not modern

Padilla, Merkley, Schakowsky Introduce Bicameral Bill to Strengthen Nursing Staff Standards, Improve Patient Care

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, on International Nurses Day, U.S. Senators Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) and Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) introduced the Nurse Staffing Standards for Hospital Patient Safety and Quality Care Act to improve hospital patient care and nurse retention by setting mandatory minimum registered nurse-to-patient staffing ratios. Representative Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.-09)

Welch, Wyden, Merkley, Schumer, Lead Colleagues in Fight to Protect Head Start, Meals on Wheels, Social Services from Republican Budget Cuts

WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vt.), a member of the Senate Finance Committee, Ranking Member of the Senate Finance Committee Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Ranking Member of the Senate Budget Committee Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), and Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) today led the Senate Democratic Caucus in sending an open letter to the public exposing the

Merkley Celebrates Launch of Job-Creating Water Infrastructure Program

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Oregon’s Senator Jeff Merkley today celebrated the official launch of his Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (WIFIA), which will make low-cost loans available to communities across the country to invest in repairing and upgrading crumbling water infrastructure. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today announced that Congress’s

Wyden, Merkley Pledge to Fight for More Funding to Restore Northwest Fisheries

Washington, D.C. – Oregon’s U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley today renewed their pledge to fight for more resources to restore Northwest fisheries, in a letter to Oregon fishers and irrigators. Their legislation, the Fisheries Restoration and Irrigation Mitigation Act (FRIMA), was passed into law at the end of December

BROWN, MERKLEY PUSH BACK ON OCC’S PLAN FOR FINANCIAL TECHNOLOGY CHARTER

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sens. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) and Jeff Merkley (D-OR) today expressed concerns that a new federal charter for financial technology firms could weaken consumer protections, limit competition, and threaten financial stability. The Senators outlined their concerns in a letter to the head of the Office of the

Merkley Statement on Tillerson Meeting

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Oregon’s Senator Jeff Merkley, a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, released the following statement after meeting with Secretary of State nominee Rex Tillerson: “Mr. Tillerson and I had an extensive and substantive conversation. After talking with him, I still have significant questions about Mr. Tillerson’s foreign policy

Wyden, Merkley Introduce Bill to Protect the Pacific Coast from Offshore Drilling

Washington, D.C. – Oregon’s U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley joined their fellow West Coast senators in introducing the West Coast Ocean Protection Act this week to permanently ban offshore drilling on the outer continental shelf of Oregon, Washington and California. The legislation, first introduced in 2010, would amend the Outer

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