When Jeff first took on the challenge of running for the Oregon State Legislature, one of the reasons was because he wanted to build a better education system for his young children. And as the first in his family to go to college, Jeff knows that affordable access to higher education is critical to the success of the middle class.
Education is a major factor in determining whether our children and our nation succeed in today’s increasingly competitive global economy. As a country, we need to do a better job of supporting teachers, giving them the resources they need to provide the best possible environment for teaching our children, and ensuring that no capable student has to give up his or her dreams of higher education because of a lack of affordability.
Merkley, Kaine, Warren, Whitehouse, Colleagues Demand Secretary McMahon Provide Flexibility to Student Loan Borrowers Who Are Being Forced to Exit the SAVE Plan
Washington, D.C. – Today, Oregon’s U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley, Virginia’s U.S. Senator Tim Kaine, Massachusetts’ U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren, and Rhode Island’s U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse led a group of their Senate Democratic colleagues in pressing the U.S. Department of Education on its recent announcement to move more than 7
Wyden, Merkley Announce More than $48 Million in Secure Rural Schools Funds for Oregon Counties
Funding comes after passage of Wyden/Merkley/Crapo/Risch bill to reauthorize Secure Rural Schools Program Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley today announced that nearly $48.7 million in federal funding from the U.S. Forest Service for fiscal year 2025 will be coming to Oregon counties following the passage
Merkley, Colleagues Fight to Restore Fairness in Federal Student Aid
Washington, D.C. – Oregon’s U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley joined a group of Senators in introducing a bill to re-establish access to federal student aid after Congressional Republicans and President Trump’s “Big, Ugly Betrayal” law imposed burdensome provisions that restricted access to affordable higher education. The Restoring College Access and Affordability Act reinstates student loan programs
Wyden, Merkley Push to Stop Trump’s Education Department From Politicizing Civil Rights Investigations
Oregon senators: “Students whose civil rights have been violated should never serve as political pawns. They deserve justice and an equal opportunity to pursue an education” Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley today called on the Trump administration to stop weaponizing the Department of Education’s Office
Merkley Launches Investigation into Private Equity Ownership of Child Care Centers
Investigation Seeks to Determine if Private Equity Ownership in the Child Care Industry is Prioritizing Investor Profits Over the Health, Safety, and Welfare of Children Washington, D.C. — To address the growing concern over the role private equity is playing in the child care industry, U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley (D-OR),
Merkley, Padilla Lead Senate Colleagues to Urge Education Department’s Timely Execution of Federal Education Programs for Agricultural Farmworker Students
Washington, D.C. – Oregon’s U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley and California’s U.S. Senator Alex Padilla today led a group of Senators in urging U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon to ensure the timely delivery of federal funds for the High School Equivalency Program (HEP) and College Assistance Migrant Program (CAMP), which
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