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
Merkley, Kaine Launch Effort to Protect and Strengthen Federal Student Loan Repayment Options
Washington, D.C. – With affordable student loan repayment options at risk under the Trump Administration, Oregon’s U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley and Virginia’s U.S. Senator Tim Kaine today led their colleagues to launch a new effort to protect and expand federal student loan repayment programs. The Savings Opportunity and Affordable Repayment (SOAR)
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
In Advance of Memorial Day, Merkley, Heller Introduce Bill to Expand Education Benefits to Spouses of Fallen Heroes
WASHINGTON, DC – In honor of Memorial Day, Oregon’s Senator Jeff Merkley and Senator Dean Heller (R-NV) today introduced the Spouses of Heroes Education Act, which would expand full educational benefits to spouses of service members who die in the line of duty. “This Memorial Day, we remember those who
Merkley and Wyden Introduce Amendment Requiring Government to Pay Counties Missing Funds Within Seven Days
Washington DC – Today, Oregon Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden introduced an amendment to the Farm Bill that would require the Department of the Interior to pay 18 Oregon timber counties nearly $2 million in overdue Secure Rural Schools payments within seven days of passage of the Farm Bill.
Merkley: Let’s Repeal the “Monsanto Protection Act”
Washington – Today, Oregon’s Senator Jeff Merkley announced that he would put forward an amendment to the Senate farm bill that would repeal a controversial provision of the recently-passed continuing resolution known as the “Monsanto Protection Act.” “The Monsanto Protection Act is an outrageous example of a special interest loophole,”
Senate Passes Merkley Proposal to Create Jobs by Repairing Crumbling Water Infrastructure
WASHINGTON, DC – Today, the U.S. Senate passed Oregon’s Senator Jeff Merkley’s Water Infrastructure Financing Innovation Act (WIFIA) as part of the Water Resources Development Act of 2013. The program would create jobs by providing low-cost loans to communities for infrastructure projects to repair or upgrade their water systems. “A
Senate Passes Merkley-Brown “Buy America” Amendment to Water Infrastructure Bill
WASHINGTON, DC – Today, the U.S. Senate passed an amendment authored by Oregon’s Senator Jeff Merkley and Senator Sherrod Brown of Ohio to extend Buy America provisions to water infrastructure. The amendment, which was added to the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA), will strengthen and support U.S. manufacturing by ensuring
Merkley Statement on Inspector General IRS Report
Washington – Oregon’s Senator Jeff Merkley issued the following statement after the release of an Inspector General report that the IRS was inappropriately targeting conservative groups for reviews of their tax-exempt status. “What the IRS did was wrong. Targeting groups by their name or their ideology is absolutely unacceptable. The
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