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 Offers Amendment to Expand ‘Buy America’ Program to Freight Rail

WASHINGTON, DC – Oregon’s Senator Jeff Merkley today put forward a measure makes sure that federal freight rail projects paid for with taxpayer dollars use components made by American workers. The Department of Transportation operates under Buy America rules for its grant programs administered by the Federal Transit Administration and

U.S. Senate Designates October As “National Work and Family Month”

Washington, DC- The United States Senate last night unanimously approved a resolution to designate the month of October 2011 as “National Work and Family Month.” The resolution is sponsored by Senators Jeff Merkley (OR), Mike Crapo (ID), Herb Kohl (WI), and Frank Lautenberg (NJ). This designation will encourage employers, employees,

Merkley Highlights Unfair Chinese Subsidies and the Effect on American Jobs

Oregon City, OR – Oregon’s Senator Jeff Merkley today met with former employees of the Blue Heron Paper Mill and highlighted the unfair subsidies and trade policies of China and the effect that those subsidies have on closing down factories in America and shipping jobs overseas. Merkley was joined at

Merkley Statement on Korea, Panama, and Colombia Trade Agreements

Washington, DC – Oregon’s Senator Jeff Merkley released the following statement prior to votes today on the Korea, Panama, and Colombia Free Trade Agreements.  “I have one standard when it comes to trade agreements:  will these agreements increase prosperity for working families?  Looking at the trade deals before us, I

Merkley Statement on China Currency Vote

Washington, DC – Oregon’s Senator Jeff Merkley released the following statement after the passage of the China currency bill. “The Chinese manipulation of their currency makes American exports more expensive and Chinese imports cheaper, greatly distorting international trade, and destroying American manufacturing jobs. This is unacceptable and cannot be ignored.

Merkley, Franken, Begich, Gillibrand Introduce Legislation to Promote Education in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM)

Washington, DC – Oregon’s Senator Jeff Merkley, Al Franken (D-MN), Mark Begich (D-AK), and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) today introduced legislation designed to increase student access to courses in STEM education subjects and provide additional resources to recruit, train, and support teachers of these subjects. “If we don’t train our children for

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