When Jeff first took on the challenge of running for the Oregon State Legislature, one of the reasons was because he wanted to build a better education system for his young children. And as the first in his family to go to college, Jeff knows that affordable access to higher education is critical to the success of the middle class.
Education is a major factor in determining whether our children and our nation succeed in today’s increasingly competitive global economy. As a country, we need to do a better job of supporting teachers, giving them the resources they need to provide the best possible environment for teaching our children, and ensuring that no capable student has to give up his or her dreams of higher education because of a lack of affordability.
Senate Republicans Block Merkley’s Bill to Protect and Strengthen Federal Student Loan Repayment Options
Washington, D.C. – Oregon’s U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley released the following statement after Senate Republicans blocked consideration of his Savings Opportunity and Affordable Repayment (SOAR) Act: “As the first in my family to go to college, I know the barriers that so many students face in accessing higher education. We should
Republicans’ “One Big, Beautiful Bill” Includes Additional Provisions That Violate the Byrd Rule
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the Senate Parliamentarian again advised that several provisions in the Republicans’ “One Big, Beautiful Bill,” would be subject to a 60-vote threshold if they remain in the bill. The below provisions are in the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee’s jurisdiction. “The Byrd Rule must be
Republicans BLOCKED bill to protect borrowers from crushing student debt
I was the first in my family to go to college. I know how difficult it can be to access higher education. I just brought my SOAR Act—a student loan repayment plan that protects borrowers from unaffordable student loan payments—to the floor for a vote. Republicans BLOCKED IT.
Merkley, Bipartisan Group of Senate Appropriators Direct Labor Department to Reverse Closure of Job Corps Centers
Letter was signed by nine members of the influential Senate Appropriations Committee Washington, D.C. – Oregon’s U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley joined a bipartisan group of Senators on the Appropriations Committee—which oversees all government funding—to urge Department of Labor (DOL) Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer to reverse DOL’s decision to begin the closure of Job
Wyden, Merkley, Crapo, Risch Celebrate Senate Passage of Secure Rural Schools Reauthorization
Washington D.C.— U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley, both D-Ore., along with U.S. Senators Mike Crapo and Jim Risch, both R-Idaho, celebrated today’s unanimous Senate passage of their legislation to reauthorize the U.S. Forest Service’s Secure Rural Schools and Self-Determination Program (SRS) through Fiscal Year 2026. “This is a
Merkley, Wyden, 38 Senators Fight Trump’s Cuts to the Job Corps Program
In Oregon, Tongue Point, PIVOT, and Springdale Centers at Risk Washington, D.C. – As the Trump Administration attempts to shutter the nation’s largest jobs training program for low-income and at-risk young people, Oregon’s U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden and 38 Senate colleagues demanded U.S. Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer
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