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 Statement on Victory for American Solar Manufacturing

Washington, DC– Oregon’s Senator Jeff Merkley issued the following statement after the U.S. Commerce Department announced that duties will be placed on imported Chinese solar panels and cells manufacturers to compensate for illegal trade practices by the Chinese companies, many of which are state-owned or state-controlled. “I’ve said it before

Merkley, Levin Call on Regulators to Close “JPMorgan Loophole”

WASHINGTON –  Oregon’s Senator Jeff Merkley and Senator Carl Levin (D-MI) today sent a letter to regulators, calling on them to close the “JPMorgan Loophole.”  Although the Dodd-Frank Act prohibits banks from proprietary trading, the regulators’ proposed rule creates a new loophole that could allow proprietary trading to continue even

Merkley, Wyden Announce $85 Million for Portland to Milwaukie Light Rail Line

PORTLAND, OR – Oregon’s Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden announced today that Trimet has been awarded $85 million from the U.S. Department of Transportation to help complete the Portland to Milwaukie light rail line.   “The Portland to Milwaukie line will expand Portland’s world class public transit system even further

Merkley Statement on New Alaska Airlines Flight From DC to Portland

Washington, DC- Today, Oregon’s Senator Jeff Merkley issued the following statement after the Department of Transportation announced an order granting beyond-perimeter slot exemptions at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) to allow for a new direct flight between DCA and Portland International Airport. On February 17, 2011, the United States

Merkley: J.P. Morgan’s Trading Losses Show Need for Strong Volcker Rule

Washington, DC- Oregon’s Senator Jeff Merkley, cosponsor of the Merkley-Levin provision in Dodd-Frank that put into law the Volcker Rule, issued the following statement after news that J.P. Morgan lost at least $2 billion in portfolio hedging trades made by their risk management division.   “What yesterday’s announcement makes abundantly

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