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 Decries Republican Blockade of Aid to Flint, Lack of Investment in Crumbling Water Infrastructure
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Oregon’s Senator Jeff Merkley released the following statement as Senate Republicans continued to block proposed aid to Flint, Michigan, where families are facing lead-poisoned tap water: “It’s unacceptable that Senate Republicans are leaving town without agreeing to a path forward for the water crisis in Flint. While
Merkley Statement on End of Malheur Wildlife Refuge Standoff
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Oregon’s Senator Jeff Merkley released the following statement regarding the end of the standoff at the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in Harney County, Oregon: “I am relieved that this unlawful standoff has finally come to an end. This situation has put incredible emotional and financial strain on
Merkley Applauds New Obama Proposal for Battling Homelessness
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Oregon’s Senator Jeff Merkley today applauded President Obama’s call for increased assistance for homeless Americans in his FY2017 budget. The President’s budget proposal follows a Senate push led by Merkley for increased assistance to help communities across the country, such as Portland and other Oregon communities, which
Wyden, Merkley Urge Pac-12 to Address Student Transfer Policies to Promote Campus Safety
Washington, D.C. – In response to recent steps taken by colleges and athletic conferences to promote safety on campus, Oregon’s U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley today urged the leaders of the Pac-12 Conference to consider adopting a conference-wide student conduct policy for transfer students seeking to enroll at a
Merkley and Wyden Announce Over $400,000 Grant for Collaborative University Wood Products Center
Washington DC – Today, Oregon Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden announced that the Economic Development Administration (EDA) has awarded over $400,000 to expand the capacity of Oregon State University’s National Center for Advanced Wood Products Manufacturing and Design (Center for AWP) for business enterprises that supply engineered wood building
Ten Senators Press Administration to Drop New Fossil Fuel Leases from Offshore Drilling Plan
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Ten U.S. Senators pressed the Obama Administration today to strengthen its climate commitments by dropping all new fossil fuel leases from the 5-year Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) Oil and Gas Leasing Program. The letter, which was sent to Interior Secretary Sally Jewel, was signed by Sens. Jeff