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.
Merkley, Panetta Announce Bicameral Resolution Marking National Pollinator Week 2026
Washington, D.C. – Oregon’s U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley and U.S. Representative Jimmy Panetta (CA-19) announced a bicameral resolution to recognize the importance of pollinators to ecosystem health and agriculture in the United States. The resolution designates June 22 through June 28, 2026, as “National Pollinator Week,” to emphasize the vital
Merkley, Murkowski Secure Commitment to Preserve U.S. Ocean Monitoring Systems
Washington, D.C. – Following public outrage over the dismantling of the National Science Foundation’s (NSF) Ocean Observatories Initiative (OOI), U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley (D-OR) and Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) announced the NSF was pausing its planned removal of the OOI’s sensors. NSF’s decision came after Merkley and Murkowski passed a Senate
Merkley, Murkowski Lead the Charge to Block the Dismantling of One-Of-A-Kind Ocean Monitoring Network
Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley (D-OR) and Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) took to the Senate floor to successfully pass their bipartisan legislation that pauses the reckless dismantling of the National Science Foundation’s (NSF) Ocean Observatories Initiative (OOI), a complex system of 900 ocean monitoring instruments that provides real-time,
Merkley, Murkowski Lead Bipartisan Push to Protect U.S. Ocean Monitoring Systems
Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley (D-OR) and Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) led a bipartisan group of Senators to demand the National Science Foundation (NSF) halt its plans to dismantle the vital Ocean Observatories Initiative (OOI), a complex system of 900 ocean monitoring instruments that provides crucial data for
New Merkley Bill Clears Barriers to Renewable Energy Projects Nationwide
Washington, D.C. – Today, Oregon’s U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley—a senior member of the Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee—released new legislation to oppose discriminatory barriers to renewables enacted by states, counties, and municipalities across the United States. As the Trump Administration increases electricity prices with ever-intensifying attacks on cheap
Merkley Leads New Bill to Prevent LNG Exports from Raising Costs on American Households, Businesses
Washington, D.C. – Today, Oregon’s U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley—a senior member of the Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee—introduced new legislation that would lower prices for American households by ensuring new liquefied fossil gas (also known as LNG) exports will not result in higher costs for families and businesses.
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