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

Senators Call for Hearing on LGBT Anti-Discrimination Bill

Washington, DC- United States Senators Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Mark Kirk (R-IL), Robert Casey (D-PA), and Susan Collins (R-ME) called on the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee leadership to hold a hearing on the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA). In a letter to  Chairman Tom Harkin (D-IA) and Ranking

Merkley Statement on Announcement that Rural Post Offices Will Remain Open

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Oregon’s Senator Jeff Merkley released the following statement after the U.S. Postmaster General announced that the Postal Service would halt its plans to eliminate thousands of rural post offices, including 20 that remained on the closure list in Oregon: “This is very good news for Oregon.

Merkley Applauds Obama on Marriage Equality

Washington, DC- Oregon’s Senator Jeff Merkley issued the following statement after reports that President Barack Obama has announced support for marriage equality:  “I applaud President Obama for voicing his support for marriage equality. This is an issue of fundamental fairness for the men and women who seek to create a

Merkley Bill Would Help Homeowners Refinance, Rebuild Equity

Washington, DC- Today, Oregon’s Senator Jeff Merkley introduced the Rebuilding Equity Act, a bill that will lower costs for some homeowners seeking to refinance through the Home Affordable Refinance Program (HARP).  Under this bill, if homeowners who are current on their mortgage seek to refinance into a 20-year loan term

Merkley Statement on Agreement to Improve Care for Oregonians on Medicaid

Oregon’s Senator Jeff Merkley issued the following statement on today’s announcement of a new partnership between Oregon and the federal government to improve the quality and delivery of care to Oregon residents: “This is a momentous occasion for our state. Oregon has long been on the vanguard of innovative policies and

MERKLEY MEETS WITH SMALL BUSINESS ABOUT NEW OPTIONS FOR RAISING MONEY ONLINE

Portland, OR – Oregon’s U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley held a roundtable meeting at the Portland State University Business Accelerator today to discuss crowdfunding, a new option for businesses to raise capital online. Merkley wrote the CROWDFUND (Capital Raising Online While Deterring Fraud and Unethical Non-Disclosure) Act which was recently signed

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