Press Releases

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

Wyden, Merkley Safety of Dams Bill Takes Step Forward

WASHINGTON, D.C. – A bill that would clear the way for critical safety upgrades to Scoggins Dam in Oregon and dams across the western United States took a step forward when it passed the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee today.  Oregon Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley introduced the

Merkley: ENDA Executive Order Empowers Millions to Go to Work Free of Discrimination

WASHINGTON – Oregon’s Senator Jeff Merkley – the lead Senate sponsor of the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) and the leading congressional advocate for an executive order to bar federal contractors from discriminating against LGBT Americans in the workplace – issued the following statement after the White House announced its plan

Merkley, Wyden Seek Answers on Oil Trains Order

Washington, D.C. – To help first responders in Oregon and other states receive better information about oil trains traveling through their communities, Oregon Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley asked the National Transportation Safety Board about the sufficiency of last month’s emergency order issued by the Department of Transportation, in

Republican Blockade of Student Loan Bill Leaves Students and Economy Behind

WASHINGTON – Oregon’s Senator Jeff Merkley released the following statement after Republicans in the Senate filibustered a bill that would allow students and graduates to refinance student loans into lower interest rates: “When the people’s representatives put millionaires and billionaires before middle-class students who are struggling under the weight of

Merkley Statement on Reynolds High School Shooting

WASHINGTON – Oregon’s Senator Jeff Merkley released the following statement after the shooting at Reynolds High School: “This is horrible and tragic news for our community and all of Oregon. This situation is every parent’s worst nightmare. I am deeply grateful to our law enforcement and first responders for arriving

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