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, Colleagues Urge Immediate Action on Wildland Firefighter Pay Reform
Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Ron Wyden, Jeff Merkley and Senate colleagues this week called on Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., to advance permanent, comprehensive pay reform for wildland firefighters in Oregon and nationwide as temporary pay increases are set to end. “Firefighters deserve fair pay, support for their
Merkley Applauds Action to Incentivize Good-Paying Jobs in Clean Energy Transition
Senator had created the blueprint for using tax credits to incentivize good-paying and union jobs in renewable energy and EV expansion Oregon’s U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley released the following statement after the Biden administration released new guidelines to implement Inflation Reduction Act provisions that will boost the creation of high-quality,
Merkley: Administration Can’t Take Piecemeal Approach to Climate Chaos
Senator Renews Calls for Climate Emergency to Unlock Broad, Crucial Powers to Respond to Climate Chaos WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Oregon’s U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley issued the following response as President Biden responded to this summer’s climate crisis by asking the Department of Labor (DOL) to ramp up efforts to
Merkley, Wyden Urge FERC to Reject Fossil Gas Pipeline Expansion
Senators: “GTN Xpress is simply incompatible with the laws of the states of Oregon and Washington.” Washington, D.C. – Today, Oregon’s U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden sent a letter to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) following up on previous requests to deny permits for TC Energy’s Gas
MERKLEY CONTINUES PLASTICS HEARINGS BY FOCUSING ON EXPANDING REFILL AND REUSE INFRASTRUCTURE
Washington, D.C. – On Thursday, June 27 at 9:45 am Eastern, Oregon’s U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley will chair a subcommittee hearing to identify pathways to expand refill and reuse infrastructure in an effort to reduce single-use waste. This hearing is the next in a series of hearings Merkley is holding in the
Plastic Pollution Action Month
We need bold action to break free from plastic pollution and protect our health, planet, and future.
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