Press Releases

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

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 Slams Republican Filibuster of Bring Jobs Home Act

WASHINGTON – Oregon’s Senator Jeff Merkley released the following statement today after a Senate minority voted to filibuster the Bring Jobs Home Act, which would end tax subsidies for companies that ship jobs overseas and reward companies that bring jobs back home. Merkley is an original cosponsor of the bill.

Merkley Testifies at EPA Hearing, Calls for Action on Clean Power Plan

WASHINGTON, DC—Oregon’s Senator Jeff Merkley testified before the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today in support of the most significant action ever taken to combat carbon pollution in the United States, the Clean Power Plan. “Carbon pollution is taking a big toll on our natural resources, and the impacts are growing,”

Merkley, Blumenauer Introduce Columbia River Restoration Act to Clean Up Columbia Basin

WASHINGTON – Today, Senator Jeff Merkley (D-OR) and Representative Earl Blumenauer (OR-03) introduced the Columbia River Restoration Act (CRRA). The CRRA would authorize $50 million over five years for the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to establish a voluntary, competitive Columbia Basin grants program for projects that assist in eliminating or reducing

Bipartisan Merkley Bill Included in Veterans Compromise

WASHINGTON – As the Chairs of the Senate and House Veterans’ Affairs Committees today unveiled compromise legislation to reform the Department of Veterans’ Affairs and improve veterans’ benefits, they  announced that the legislation will include a bipartisan provision authored by Oregon’s Senator Jeff Merkley to expand tuition benefits for spouses

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