Author: Justin Krakoff

Home / Archives for Justin Krakoff / Page 22

Interior Cuts in Trump Administration’s “Skinny” Budget to Leave Lasting Scars on Public Lands, Tribal Nations, and Human Health

May 2, 2025

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Ranking Member of the Interior-Environment Subcommittee on the Senate Appropriations Committee, released the below statement following the release of President Trump’s ‘skinny’ budget for Fiscal Year 2026. “This budget is exactly what we expected from this administration: abandoning critical programs, slashing essential government services,

Merkley, Waters Launch New Effort to Boost Congress’ Oversight of Trump’s Mass Firings

May 1, 2025

Washington, D.C. – As the Trump Administration continues mass firings of federal employees, Oregon’s U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley today introduced first-of-its-kind legislation to strengthen Congress’ authority to protect workers and override federal staffing cuts implemented without consultation. The Reduction in Force (RIF) Review Act empowers Congress to overrule any president’s workforce cuts at all federal agencies, including the Social Security Administration, Environmental

Merkley, Lee Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Save Taxpayers’ Money by Eliminating Penny Production

May 1, 2025

Washington, D.C. – Oregon’s U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley and Utah’s Senator Mike Lee introduced bipartisan legislation today that would advance responsible spending by ending production of the penny. Striking the penny has become increasingly costly, and the Make Sense Not Cents Act would permanently eliminate this wasteful spending. Each penny costs nearly 4 cents to make—a number that has risen more than 20

Wyden, Merkley Demand Trump Administration Reverse Public Safety Cuts in Oregon and Nationwide

April 30, 2025

Citing loss of a federal grant for the Union County DA’s Office, Oregon senators write that “poorly thought out and rash cuts like this will only serve to embolden fentanyl traffickers and decrease public safety.” Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley today demanded the Trump administration

Merkley, Takano Lead Reintroduction of Historic Equality Act to Ban Discrimination Against LGBTQ+ Americans

April 29, 2025

Lawmakers uplift stories of Americans lacking protections in federal law Washington, D.C. – Today, Oregon’s U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley and Congressional Equality Caucus Chair Rep. Mark Takano (CA-39) teamed up with Wisconsin’s U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin and New Jersey’s U.S. Senator Cory Booker for the bicameral reintroduction of the Equality Act in an effort to push back

Merkley, Pingree Demand Trump Administration Halt Implementation of Reckless Reorganization at the Department of the Interior

April 22, 2025

Washington, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Ranking Member of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies, and U.S. Representative Chellie Pingree (D-ME-01), Ranking Member of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies, issued the following statement on the Trump Administration’s move to significantly reorganize the

Merkley, Blumenthal, Durbin, Markey: Trump Cuts to Tobacco Prevention Will Make Americans Sicker & Cause More Tobacco-Related Deaths, Diseases

April 21, 2025

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Dick Durbin (D-IL), and Edward J. Markey (D-MA) today slammed the Trump Administration for staffing cuts at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) that will devastate tobacco use prevention efforts across America. “Dozens of staffers at

Senators Blunt Rochester, Tillis, Merkley, and Cramer Introduce the Bipartisan National Nursing Workforce Center Act

April 15, 2025

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.), Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), and Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.) introduced the National Nursing Workforce Center Act. This bipartisan and bicameral legislation would help address nursing workforce shortages across our nation by supporting nursing workforce centers in almost every state. As the nation’s largest healthcare

Merkley, Colleagues: Trump Administration Must Reverse Decision to Limit Americans’ Access to Life-Saving Obesity Medications

April 15, 2025

Washington, D.C. – Oregon’s U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley today led a group of Senators to urge the Trump Administration’s U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to make it easier for millions of Americans to access prescription anti-obesity medications known as GLP-1s. “We urge you and the Trump Administration

Merkley, Wyden, Hoyle Push VA to Build Roseburg Veterans’ Home

April 14, 2025

Washington, D.C. – Oregon’s U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden, alongside U.S. Representative Val Hoyle (OR-04), are calling on the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to prioritize funding for the Oregon Department of Veterans’ Affairs (ODVA) proposed Roseburg Veterans’ Home project. Currently, ODVA operates two high-quality, award-winning Oregon Veterans’ Homes: the