Merkley, Wyden Lead the Charge to Limit DHS’ Use of Facial Recognition Technology Amid Trump’s Rapidly Growing Surveillance State
Washington, D.C. – Oregon’s U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden today announced they introduced the ICE Out of Our Faces Act. The bicameral legislation would rein in the use of facial recognition technology (FRT) by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), banning agencies like Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs
Merkley, Senate and House Lawmakers: Trump Administration Risking a New Arms Race with Failure to Renew Nuclear Treaty with Russia
Washington, D.C. – Today, Oregon’s U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley—co-chair of the Congressional Nuclear Weapons and Arms Control Working Group and a senior member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee—led his Senate and House colleagues in raising urgent concerns about the expiration this week of the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty
Klobuchar, Heinrich, Merkley, Colleagues Raise Concerns About National Trail Program
WASHINGTON – Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, and Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, and Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Ranking Member of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies are
Wyden, Merkley, Colleagues Call on Department of Education, DOJ to Follow Through on Pledge to Improve Handling of Student Debt Bankruptcy Claims
Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley have joined colleagues in asking the federal Departments of Education and Justice for an update on efforts to improve how the agencies handle undue hardship claims by student borrowers in bankruptcy proceedings. “The undue hardship exception (11 U.S.C. 523(a)(8)) currently
Merkley, Wyden, Colleagues Urge Biden Administration to Extend Student Loan Payment Pause and Cancel Student Debt
Washington, D.C. – Oregon’s U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden cosigned a letter to President Joseph R. Biden urging the administration to act now to extend the pause on federally-held student loan payments until at least the end of the year and to provide meaningful student debt cancellation. “Given
Wyden, Merkley Co-sponsor Bill to Extend Summer Meal Flexibilities to Feed Children
Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley said today they are co-sponsoring bipartisan legislation that would extend federal school meal flexibilities for children in Oregon and nationwide from June 30, 2022 to September 30, 2023. These flexibilities have been crucial to feeding children throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.
Wyden, Merkley: More than $30 Million to Oregon for Home Weatherization to Reduce Energy Costs and Increase Resilience
Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley this week announced that Oregon will receive $30.6 million in federal funds for home weatherization to help reduce energy expenses for low-income families. “Due to climate change, Oregon is suffering more instances of extreme weather—from heat islands to ice storms—and the costly weatherization and high energy bills
Merkley, Carper, Colleagues Demand Answers on DeJoy’s Gas-Guzzling USPS Spending Spree
Washington, D.C. – Oregon’s U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley and Delaware’s U.S. Senator Tom Carper today led colleagues in a letter to United States Post Office Postmaster General, Louis DeJoy, pressing USPS to explain its financial analysis behind its plan to acquire a new delivery fleet comprised of predominantly gas-powered vehicles.
Merkley, Collins Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Wipe Out Non-Flushables from our Waste Water Infrastructure
Washington, D.C. – Oregon’s U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley and Maine’s U.S. Senator Susan Collins today introduced the bipartisan Wastewater Infrastructure Pollution Prevention and Environmental Safety (WIPPES) Act, a bill to address heath, ecosystem, and wastewater infrastructure concerns caused by the flushing of non-flushable wet wipes. “Wastewater treatment facilities run equipment