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 and Wyden Announce $11 Million for Upper Klamath Basin

Washington DC – Today Oregon Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) will invest up to $11 million in the Upper Klamath Basin over the next five years for water conservation, water quality, and fish habitat restoration efforts.

Merkley: We Need A Minimum Wage People Can Live On

WASHINGTON – Oregon’s Senator Jeff Merkley released the following statement after a minority of Senators voted to filibuster a bill to raise the minimum wage to $10.10 per hour and index it to inflation. Merkley is one of two Senators leading the minimum wage bill. “In America, we need a

Merkley Announces Legislation to Give Seniors a Raise

Portland, OR – Oregon’s Senator Jeff Merkley today met with seniors at the Hollywood Senior Center and announced that he will be introducing legislation in the Senate that will increase Social Security benefits for seniors by changing the cost of living adjustment (COLA) formula to keep up with inflation.  Since

On Equal Pay Day, Merkley Calls for Renewed Action

WASHINGTON – Today, Oregon’s Senator Jeff Merkley released the following statement to mark Equal Pay Day – the day each year when women’s earnings catch up to men’s earnings in the previous year. “It is simply outrageous that in the year 2014, every American does not receive equal pay for

Senate Passes Merkley-Backed Extension of Emergency Unemployment Insurance

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Senate today passed legislation cosponsored by Oregon’s Senator Jeff Merkley and a bipartisan group of Senators to extend emergency federal unemployment benefits. The bipartisan legislation covers workers who have been looking for work for more than six months and includes retroactive payments to those who were

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