The carbon pollution in our atmosphere from burning fossil fuels like oil and coal is waging a direct and unchecked assault on our farming, fishing and forests – the cornerstones of Oregon’s rural economy.
When Jeff was young, his dad worked as a millwright. He spent his childhood in Southern Oregon timber communities, where timber jobs were what put food on the table and kept roofs over folks’ head. Fires and insect infestations are already killing trees at alarming rates across the Northwest, and climate change will only make these threats to our forests worse. Other iconic Oregon industries like our coastal oyster hatcheries are threatened by ocean acidification, and fishing and farming alike are facing threats from declining snowpacks and increased drought.
Congress needs to wake up. Climate change is real, and it’s bad for our economy and jobs, especially in rural Oregon and the places that most depend on our abundant natural resources.
Wyden, Merkley: Lane and Douglas Counties to Receive Vital Drought Resiliency Investments
Bureau of Reclamation Funds Two Oregon Projects Under its WaterSMART Program Washington D.C. – U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley today announced Douglas and Lane counties will receive $1.22 million and $4 million, respectively, in drought resiliency funding as part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and Inflation Reduction Act. “In
70+ Senate, House Lawmakers Call on Biden to Ensure LNG Exports Are Fully in the Public Interest
Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Jack Reed (D-RI), and Edward J. Markey (D-MA), and U.S. Representatives Jared Huffman (D-CA-02), Raúl Grijalva (D-AZ-07), Nanette Barragán (D-CA-44), Jennifer McClellan (D-VA-04), and Adriano Espaillat (D-NY-13) led their colleagues on a bicameral letter thanking President Biden and Department of Energy
Biden Faces Pressure to Lead on Combating Plastics Pollution
Bloomberg Government The Biden administration has come up short in advocating meaningful steps in international talks toward curbing harmful plastic pollution, a leading Senate Democrat says. The government, led by the State Department in talks with other countries to develop a legally binding agreement on plastic pollution before the end
Merkley, Whitehouse, Welch, Huffman: Bold Global Agreement Required to Take on Plastic Pollution Crisis
Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), and Peter Welch (D-VT) and U.S. Representative Jared Huffman (D-CA-02) released the following joint statement today after the conclusion of the fourth Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC-4) in Ottawa, Canada: “The global plastic pollution crisis demands bold, urgent action. Plastic
Merkley, Wyden, 20+ Western Colleagues Push Biden Administration to Support American West Amid Historic Drought
Lawmakers from Oregon, Colorado, New Mexico, California, Arizona, Nevada, & Montana Urge USDA to “Bring All Resources to Bear” to Address Long-Term Drought Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), and Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) and U.S. Representatives Yadira Caraveo (D-Colo.) and Gabe Vasquez (D-N.M.) alongside 26
Merkley, Whitehouse, Welch, Huffman Urge Strong, Binding International Plastics Agreement Following INC-4
Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Peter Welch (D-VT), and U.S. Representative Jared Huffman (D-CA-02) today urged for a strong, binding international agreement to curb plastics after attending the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC-4) in Ottawa, Canada. “In Ottawa, we pressed U.S. negotiators to join with
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