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 Pushes for Amendment to Undo Citizens United, Restore Democracy in America
WASHINGTON – Today Oregon’s Senator Jeff Merkley urged swift passage of a Constitutional amendment that would reverse the Supreme Court’s Citizens United decision, a ruling that opened the floodgates to unlimited secret spending by corporations to influence elections. The proposed amendment – introduced by Sen. Tom Udall (D-NM) – would
Merkley Announces Funding to Improve Oregon Health Centers
WASHINGTON, DC — Today Oregon’s Senator Jeff Merkley announced that the Department of Health and Human Services has awarded over $900,000 to community health centers (CHCs) in Medford, North Bend, Clackamas County and Multnomah County to improve the facilities, allow for new construction and deliver better coordinated care. The funding will
Merkley Statement on Ferguson, MO
Today Oregon’s Senator Jeff Merkley released the following statement on the recent events in Ferguson, MO: I am deeply disturbed by the recent events in Ferguson, MO, which has become a tragic reminder of how many divisions remain in our nation and the work we still have ahead of us
Merkley Pledges to Continue Fighting for Critical Dredging Funds for Small Ports
FLORENCE – Oregon’s Senator Jeff Merkley spoke at the Oregon Coast Economic Summit on Wednesday, highlighting his work for Oregon’s coastal communities and promising to keep pushing to maximize funds for small port dredging, a major driver of local coastal economies and an important source of jobs. Merkley also received
Merkley, Feinstein Lead Senators in Calling for Greater Nuclear Security and Nonproliferation Efforts
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Citing the dangers to U.S. national security posed by terrorists and rogue states seeking nuclear weapons, a bipartisan group of 26 senators sent a letter last week to the Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), Shaun Donovan, calling on the President to support increased
Merkley Leads Senators’ Call for USPTO to Improve Patent Quality, Pave Way for Innovation
WASHINGTON – Today Oregon’s Senator Jeff Merkley sent a letter to the U.S. Department of Commerce to call for the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) to take several key steps to improve the quality of patents and make the patent examination process more comprehensive and more efficient. By focusing