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.
Forty-One Senators Call on Appropriators to Reject Anti-Environment Poison Pills
The lawmakers warn that policy riders harming environmental and public health would derail the Senate’s ability to pass spending bills Washington, DC – Senators Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Ranking Member of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee (EPW), and Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Ranking Member on the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior,
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
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