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

Merkley Announces FEMA Assistance for Fire Management for Two Bulls Fire

WASHINGTON, DC – Oregon’s Senator Jeff Merkley today announced that the state’s request for fire management assistance to help fight the Two Bulls fire in Deschutes County was approved by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) on June 8th. “Our firefighters, our land, and the families and businesses near these

Merkley Welcomes Expansion of Income-Based Student Loan Repayment Options

WASHINGTON – Oregon’s Senator Jeff Merkley welcomed the announcement from the White House today that the administration will expand income-based repayment options for federal student loans, making higher education more affordable for as many as 5 million Americans. The new plan will expand a 2010 law that allows students with

Merkley Releases Congressional Report on Need for E-Cigarette Regulation

Portland, OR – Oregon’s Senator Jeff Merkley was joined today by students and experts on tobacco use prevention to release a Congressional report on the marketing tactics by tobacco companies to hook young people on nicotine. Merkley also called on the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to swiftly finalize  regulations

Merkley Helps West Salem Students Celebrate Graduation in D.C.

Washington, D.C. – Oregon’s Senator Jeff Merkley today helped four West Salem high school students celebrate their high school graduation because they will miss their graduation ceremony in Oregon this week. The students are in Washington, D.C. this week to be recognized as first place winners in the Toshiba/National Science

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