Press Releases

Merkley Remarks at FY27 Interior Department Budget Hearing with Secretary Burgum

Washington, D.C. – Today, Oregon’s U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley—the Ranking Member of the Senate Interior-Environment Appropriations Subcommittee—delivered the following remarks as prepared for delivery at the hearing reviewing the President’s Fiscal Year 2027 budget request for the U.S. Department of the Interior with Secretary Doug Burgum: Senator Merkley’s remarks, as

Merkley Seeks Answers on Hegseth’s Role in Dismantling Military’s Civilian Harm Prevention Guard Rails in Advance of Iran War

Washington, D.C. — Oregon’s U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley—a senior member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee—joined a group of Senators in seeking answers on U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth’s role in weakening civilian harm prevention programs and the catastrophic civilian impacts of President Trump’s war in Iran. “The high human

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

Merkley, Kaine: No Funds for War Against Venezuela

Washington, D.C. – Oregon’s U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley and Virginia’s U.S. Senator Tim Kaine today teamed up to introduce the Prohibiting Unauthorized Military Action in Venezuela Act of 2025 to prohibit the use of federal funds for any use of military force in or against Venezuela without explicit Congressional authorization.  “Congress cannot stand by while

Merkley, Wyden, Colleagues Urge Secretary Bessent to Reject Proposed Dollar Coin Designs Featuring Donald Trump

Washington, D.C. – Oregon’s U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley and Nevada’s U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto led seven Senate Democrats—including Senator Ron Wyden—in a letter to Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent calling on him to reject the proposed designs for the Semiquincentennial dollar coin featuring the likeness of President Donald Trump. “American lawmakers throughout

Cortez Masto, Merkley Lead Colleagues in Urging Secretary Bessent to Reject Proposed Dollar Coin Designs Featuring Donald Trump

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) and Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) led seven Senate Democrats in a letter to Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent calling on him to reject the proposed designs for the Semiquincentennial dollar coin featuring the likeness of President Donald Trump. “American lawmakers throughout history have reaffirmed the time-honored

Merkley, Klobuchar, Heinrich, Colleagues: Trump Staffing Cuts at Forest Service Threatening Wildfire Prevention Efforts Across the U.S.

Washington, D.C. – Today, Senate Interior-Environment Appropriations Subcommittee Ranking Member Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Senate Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Committee Ranking Member Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), and Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee Ranking Member Martin Heinrich (D-NM) led 9 Senators to demand urgent answers from U.S. Forest Service Chief Tom Schultz regarding

Bynum, along with Merkley, Defends Community Engagement on Detroit Lake Drawdown Proposal

Washington, DC – Congresswoman Janelle Bynum (OR-05) led Congresswoman Andrea Salinas (OR-06), Senator Jeff Merkley (D-OR), and Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR) in requesting additional time for community engagement on the proposed drawdown of Detroit Lake. Specifically, the members called for a 45-day extension on the public comment period for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

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