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
Udall, Harkin, Merkley Introduce Rules Reform Package to Restore Accountability to Senate
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Tom Udall (NM), Tom Harkin (IA) and Jeff Merkley (OR) today introduced a resolution to reform the Senate rules that includes a package of provisions designed to increase transparency, restore accountability and foster debate in an institution where obstruction and dysfunction have pushed aside progress for
Merkley Statement on Cordray Appointment
WASHINGTON – Oregon’s Senator Jeff Merkley released the following statement on Richard Cordray’s appointment to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau: “American families deserve a cop on this beat – someone to keep the marketplace fair and protect against the financial scams and predatory schemes that have resulted in millions of
Bipartisan Fix to Save Private Sector Funding for Civil Legal Services and Legal Education Clears Senate
Washington, D.C. – With the clock on the 111th Congress running out, the U.S. Senate unanimously passed a bill Wednesday to save a program that funds access to civil legal services for hundreds of thousands of low-income Americans at no cost to the government. The effort to save the program
Merkley Statement on Senator Ron Wyden
WASHINGTON, DC – Oregon Senator Jeff Merkley issued the following statement on Senator Ron Wyden’s announcement that he is undergoing treatment for prostate cancer: “Ron has been a tremendous friend and mentor to me in the U.S. Senate. I spoke to him yesterday and he was in good spirits and
Merkley and Wyden Announce Shepherds Flat Loan Guarantee Finalization
Portland, OR – Oregon Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden today announced that the U.S. Department of Energy has finalized a $1.3 billion loan guarantee for the Shepherds Flat wind farm in Eastern Oregon. This financing will help support the completion of the world’s largest wind farm and will help
Merkley Statement on Arrival of All-electric Nissan Leaf Vehicles in Portland
Portland, OR –The U.S. Department of Energy highlighted the arrival of all-electric Nissan Leaf vehicles in Portland, Oregon Wednesday. Oregon’s I-5 corridor was selected as an early participant in the Electric Vehicle (EV) Project to deploy thousands of electric vehicles and charging stations in cities across the nation. The EV