Jeff is committed to protecting America from those who would do us harm, and to making sure we do so in a way that is consistent with American values and our Constitutional rights. Indeed, Jeff firmly believes that the measure of our strength isn’t just the power of our military, but that the United States is safer and stronger when we honor our fundamental American values like respect for the rule of law and invest in the hard work of working with our allies. In a dangerous world, with global threats ranging from terrorism to global warming to nuclear weapons proliferation, Jeff understands that we need to be able to work with other nations to confront these challenges together.
Having worked as a national security analyst at the Pentagon and at the Congressional Budget Office, Jeff has a unique understanding of national security policy. In both positions, he was immersed in the national dialogue on responsible management of nuclear weapons. Jeff also remained actively engaged in foreign policy issues as President of the World Affairs Council of Oregon.
Rep. Sara Jacobs, Sen. Jeff Merkley Introduce Bill To Improve Peace Negotiations, Make Negotiations Support Unit Permanent
Washington, D.C. — Rep. Sara Jacobs (CA-51) and Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-OR) introduced the bicameral Support for Peace Act, which would permanently establish the Negotiations Support Unit (NSU) at the State Department. The Negotiations Support Unit’s team of peace process, reconciliation, and negotiation experts provide support to U.S. diplomats at
Bipartisan Legislation Promoting Peaceful Resolution to the Tibet-China Dispute Passes Congress
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KAINE, VAN HOLLEN, MERKLEY INTRODUCE BILL TO STRENGTHEN STATE DEPARTMENT WORKFORCE
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Tim Kaine, a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee (SFRC), announced the introduction of the State Department Integrity and Transparency Act, legislation to strengthen the State Department workforce and ensure senior State Department leaders are selected based on merit—not money or politics. The bill would
Merkley, Meeks Joint Statement on Escalating Violence in Burma’s Rakhine State, Threats to Rohingya
Washington, D.C. – Oregon’s U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley—a member of both the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and Senate Appropriations Committee—and House Foreign Affairs Committee Ranking Member Gregory W. Meeks (D-NY-05) issued the following statement in response to ongoing violence in Burma’s Rakhine State that further threatens the Rohingya community: “We
RUBIO, MERKLEY INTRODUCE BILL TO REAUTHORIZE UYGHUR HUMAN RIGHTS POLICY ACT
The People’s Republic of China continues to brutally suppress Uyghurs and other ethnic groups. The United States must continue to hold officials accountable for these abuses. The Uyghur Human Rights Policy Act, which U.S. Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) led, was signed into law in 2020 and its sanctions are set
Senator Merkley Urges FBI Director to Keep Addressing the Urgent Threat of Transnational Repression
Senator Jeff Merkley questioned Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) Director Christopher Wray on what more the FBI can do to address the growing issue of transnational repression during a Senate Appropriations Subcommittee hearing on the President’s fiscal year 2025 budget request for the FBI on June 4, 2024. Watch the