La contaminación de carbono en nuestra atmósfera por la quema de combustibles fósiles como el petróleo y el carbón está librando un ataque directo y descontrolado a nuestra agricultura, pesca y bosques, las piedras angulares de la economía rural de Oregón.
Cuando Jeff era joven, su padre trabajaba como constructor de molinos. Pasó su infancia en las comunidades madereras del sur de Oregón, donde los trabajos madereros ponían comida en la mesa y mantenían los techos sobre las cabezas de la gente. Los incendios y las infestaciones de insectos ya están matando árboles a un ritmo alarmante en todo el noroeste, y el cambio climático solo empeorará estas amenazas para nuestros bosques. Otras industrias icónicas de Oregón, como nuestros criaderos de ostras costeros, están amenazadas por la acidificación del océano, y tanto la pesca como la agricultura enfrentan amenazas por la disminución de las capas de nieve y el aumento de la sequía.
El Congreso necesita despertar. El cambio climático es real y es malo para nuestra economía y empleos, especialmente en las zonas rurales de Oregón y los lugares que más dependen de nuestros abundantes recursos naturales.
Merkley Announces Committee Action to Boost Oregon’s Wildfire Resiliency, Water Infrastructure, and Climate Investments
Washington, D.C. – Oregon’s U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley—as the Ranking Member of the Senate Interior-Environment Appropriations Subcommittee—announced he helped advance critical investments to strengthen forest health and wildfire resiliency, protect public lands and the environment, boost important programs for Tribes, and support critical projects for Oregon communities. The federal funding comes
Merkley Remarks at Senate Appropriations Committee Markup of Interior-Environment Appropriations Bill
Washington, D.C. – Today, the Senate Interior-Environment Appropriations Subcommittee Ranking Member Jeff Merkley (D-OR) delivered the following remarks as the Senate Appropriations Committee met for a full committee markup of the fiscal year 2026 Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies appropriations bill. Senator Merkley’s remarks, as prepared for delivery, are below: “Thank you,
Merkley, Senate and House Colleagues Fight for Children’s Fundamental Right to a Healthy, Livable Planet
Washington, D.C. – Oregon’s U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley led eight Senators in the introduction of a new resolution to protect the fundamental rights of the nation’s children to a safe, habitable environment in the face of climate chaos’ increasingly destructive and deadly impacts. The resolution—led in the U.S. House of
Merkley, Sheehy Unveil New Bipartisan Effort to Boost Rural Economies, Wildfire Resiliency
Washington, D.C. – Oregon’s U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley and Montana’s U.S. Senator Tim Sheehy today introduced the bipartisan Supporting American Wood and Mill Infrastructure with Loans for Longevity (SAWMILL) Act. The brand-new legislation supports mills in Oregon, Montana, and across the nation by unlocking federal dollars to support mills retooling or
Merkley, Hoyle Fight Back Against Trump Funding Cuts with Renewed Effort to Reduce Wildfire Risk, Boost Economic Opportunities in Forest-Dependent Communities
Washington, D.C. – As the Trump Administration illegally cuts and withholds funding for wildfire mitigation projects, Oregon’s U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley and U.S. Representative Val Hoyle (OR-04) teamed up to introduce the Wildfire Resilient Communities Act in Congress. This legislation would provide dedicated federal support to reduce the risk of catastrophic wildfires in Oregon and across the West, while
Merkley, Murray, Heinrich, Klobuchar Demand Immediate Halt to Forest Service Reorganization, Funding Cuts
Washington, D.C. – Senate Interior-Environment Appropriations Subcommittee Ranking Member Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Senate Appropriations Committee Vice Chair Patty Murray (D-WA), Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee Ranking Member Martin Heinrich (D-NM), and Senate Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Committee Ranking Member Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) directed the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)
Spanish 
English