Merkley Announces Central Oregon Town Halls in March
Senator holding in-person conversations in Klamath, Lake, Deschutes, Crook and Jefferson counties between March 20-21 Bend, OR. — Oregon’s U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley announced he will continue his town halls with in-person community conversations in Klamath and Lake counties on Friday, March 20, followed by conversations in Deschutes, Crook, and Jefferson counties on Saturday, March 21. The five events continue Merkley’s 2026 town hall tour of
Merkley Applauds Senate Passage of Housing Provisions to Crack Down on Hedge Fund Control of American Homes
Washington, D.C. – Oregon’s U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley—a long-time champion of kicking hedge funds out of the housing market—released the following statement after the Senate passed sweeping housing legislation that includes the first-ever limits on institutional investors purchasing single-family homes: “Housing in our communities should be homes for families, not profit centers
Wyden, Merkley Demand Answers from Defense Department on the School Bombing and Civilian Casualties in Iran
Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley today pressed the Department of Defense to provide answers to the American people regarding the airstrikes on a school and civilian casualties in Iran. Trump’s Defense Department airstrikes on a girls’ elementary school reportedly killed 168 people – mostly children –
Wyden and Merkley Cheer Federal Dollars to Help Health Providers Through COVID Surge
Washington, D.C. – Senate Finance Committee Chair Ron Wyden and U.S. Sen. Jeff Merkley today cheered an announcement by the Biden Administration that $25.5 billion from the Provider Relief Fund (PRF) would be distributed to health care providers in Oregon and across the nation amidst a surge in COVID-19 cases.
“The delta variant has put Oregon health providers under enormous strain as frontline health care workers approach their breaking point,” said Wyden, who in recent weeks has heard firsthand from nurses, doctors and medical staff at meetings in Bend, Eugene, Medford and Portland about the crushing workload created by the public health crisis. “These dollars will provide critical relief to help keep patients and workers safe while the campaign to vaccinate all Americans continues. I’m also pleased that this distribution will especially help providers that serve seniors and Oregon’s most vulnerable families.”
“As the Delta variant continues to surge, it’s clear that there’s still much more work to be done to keep families across Oregon and around the country safe from this pandemic—and we can’t do that without getting more shots into arms and supporting the health care heroes on the frontlines,” said Merkley. “I applaud the Biden administration for making more resources available to support those efforts, and will continue to do all that I can to help our communities navigate this crisis, by ensuring that all of our health care providers have the tools they need to keep saving lives.”
Last month, Wyden and Merkley called for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to distribute funds remaining in the PRF and other health care programs.
Wyden, Merkley Urge President Biden to Take All Necessary Legal Steps to Terminate Remain in Mexico Policy
Washington, D.C. – U.S. Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley today urged President Biden in a letter to take all necessary legal steps to terminate the Remain in Mexico policy – or the perversely named Migrant Protection Protocols (MPP) – that placed tens of thousands of asylum seekers and migrants in danger. The letter signed
Merkley Leads Northwest Delegation in Securing $2 Million in Economic Development Funds to Gorge
Washington, D.C. – Oregon’s U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley today announced that $2 million in federal funding is headed to the Columbia River Gorge to support economic revitalization efforts. The announcement is the culmination of a years-long effort to fulfill a promise made when Congress passed the Columbia River Gorge National
Merkley, Wyden, DeFazio Applaud New FEMA Steps to Make it Easier for Oregonians Impacted by Future Wildfires to Access Assistance
Washington, D.C. – Oregon’s U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden, alongside Representative Peter DeFazio (D-OR-04), announced today that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is making a number of changes to reduce barriers for underserved populations seeking to access federal assistance in the wake of future natural disasters, including
Merkley, Wyden Announce $225,000 for Tribal Economic Development
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Oregon’s U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden announced today that the Affiliated Tribes of Northwest Indians (ATNI) will be receiving $225,000 in federal funding to assist with job creation and capital investment strategy. “While we are still trying to build our economy back from a global pandemic,
Wyden, Merkley: More than $800,000 to Lane County to Expand Community Health Care Workforce During Pandemic
Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley today announced that Lane County will receive $877,731 to train community health workers to support COVID-19 public health response and build community resilience as the COVID pandemic drags on. “It’s clear that we are in this pandemic for longer than we hoped and