Press Releases

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 Slams Repeated Fed Volcker Delays

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Oregon’s Senator Jeff Merkley released the following statement after the Federal Reserve announced that they would again delay implementation of a key part of the Volcker Rule, this time until 2017: “It’s been six years since the Volcker Rule became law, and unbelievably, the Fed still doesn’t

Merkley Decries Senate Vote on Anti-Consumer GMO Labeling Bill

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Oregon’s Senator Jeff Merkley released the following statement after the Senate voted to close debate on legislation that would prohibit states from requiring GMO labeling and instead institute weak federal requirements that would make it virtually impossible for ordinary consumers to access information about genetically modified ingredients

Wyden, Merkley Join Effort to Reduce Food Waste

Washington, D.C. – In response to the staggering amount of food wasted in the United States every year, Oregon’s U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley joined Senators Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii, and Cory Booker, D-N.J., to introduce comprehensive legislation to reduce food waste in stores and restaurants,

Merkley Statement on Puerto Rico

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Oregon’s Senator Jeff Merkley released the following statement after voting against S.2328, the Puerto Rico Oversight, Management and Economic Stability Act (PROMESA): “Puerto Rico faces a crisis, and needs support from Congress to get on its feet.  But the 3.5 million Americans living there shouldn’t have to

Bipartisan Merkley-Kirk Climate Amendment Passes Senate Committee

Washington, DC – U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley (D-OR) and Mark Kirk (R-IL) announced today that the Senate Appropriations Committee passed an amendment to the State and Foreign Operations Appropriations bill that would fund the Green Climate Fund, an essential part of the international climate agreement reached in Paris last fall. The

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