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
Merkley, Kaine Launch Effort to Protect and Strengthen Federal Student Loan Repayment Options
Washington, D.C. – With affordable student loan repayment options at risk under the Trump Administration, Oregon’s U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley and Virginia’s U.S. Senator Tim Kaine today led their colleagues to launch a new effort to protect and expand federal student loan repayment programs. The Savings Opportunity and Affordable Repayment (SOAR)
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
Merkley Joins Montana Senator Daines on Bipartisan Amendment Letting VA Doctors Recommend Medical Marijuana to Veterans
WASHINGTON, DC –Today, the Senate Appropriations Committee passed an amendment to the Veterans Administration funding bill led by Senators Steve Daines (R-MT) and Jeff Merkley (D-OR) that would allow Veterans Health Administration (VA) doctors to discuss and make recommendations about the use of medical marijuana with their patients. Under current
Merkley Announces $50 Million for Small Ports in Appropriations Bill that Passed Senate Committee
WASHINGTON, DC – Oregon’s Senator Jeff Merkley announced today that the Senate Appropriations Committee passed a bill including $50 million for small, remote ports and $135 million for deep draft ports. Senator Merkley fought to include the critical funding in the Energy and Water Appropriations bill after it was slashed
Merkley Announces Key Appropriations Win for Scoggins Dam
Portland, OR – Oregon’s Senator Jeff Merkley announced today that key legislative language was included in the Energy and Water Appropriations committee bill that would dramatically help Scoggins Dam get the needed safety repairs and increased water storage that stakeholders in Washington County have been working on for years. “Washington
Merkley Statement on Banking Committee Markup: “Now Is Not the Time to Be Relaxing the Rules for Wall Street”
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Oregon’s Senator Jeff Merkley released the following statement after the U.S. Senate Banking Committee passed on a party-line vote a sprawling bill that would deregulate many key aspects of the financial industry: “Seven years ago, following a decade of predatory home-lending and risky derivative-trading practices by big
Senators Urge U.S. Trade Representative to Protect Public Health and Environmental Laws from Foreign Trade Tribunals
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, five U.S. Senators expressed concerns that the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) could undermine current or future public health and environmental laws, and urged the U.S. Trade Representative to ensure that the TPP would exempt such policies from being challenged under foreign trade tribunals known as “investor-state dispute
Merkley Joins Broad Coalition of Democratic Lawmakers in Fight to Outlaw Unfair Consumer Contracts
WASHINGTON, D.C. —Today, U.S. Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.), along with Rep. Hank Johnson (D-Ga.), led a broad coalition of more than 50 members of Congress in the fight to protect the rights of consumers in Minnesota and across the country who are being hurt by forced arbitration contracts in the
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