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, Kirk Bill to End LGBT Employment Discrimination Receives Hearing in Senate

WASHINGTON – Today, the U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) held a hearing on bill sponsored by Oregon’s Senator Jeff Merkley and Senator Mark Kirk (R-IL) that would end employment discrimination for LGBT individuals. The Employment Non-Discrimination Act, or ENDA, makes it illegal to discriminate against

Merkley Amendment Would Help Organic Farmers

WASHINGTON, DC – This week, Oregon’s Senator Jeff Merkley will introduce an amendment to the farm bill that would improve crop insurance for organic farmers. Currently, when organic farmers face losses and file an insurance claim, they are not paid based on the price of the organic crop but instead

Merkley Amendment Would Help Organic Farmers

WASHINGTON, DC – This week, Oregon’s Senator Jeff Merkley will introduce an amendment to the farm bill that would improve crop insurance for organic farmers. Currently, when organic farmers face losses and file an insurance claim, they are not paid based on the price of the organic crop but instead

Merkley Blasts Republican Filibuster of the Paycheck Fairness Act

Washington, DC- Oregon’s Senator Jeff Merkley issued the following statement after a minority of Senators filibustered a vote to debate the Paycheck Fairness Act, a bill that would give women stronger tools to fight wage discrimination. “It is appalling that my Republican colleagues will not even allow a debate on

Merkley Applauds Passage of Bill to Speed Medical Innovations to Market

Washington, DC- Today, the United States Senate passed the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Safety and Innovation Act, a bill to give the FDA the tools needed to monitor and review medical products and  prevent drug shortages. The bill included two provisions authored by Oregon’s Senator Jeff Merkley to improve

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