Press Releases

Merkley Denounces Unjust Sentencing of Hong Kong Democracy Advocate Jimmy Lai

Washington, D.C. – Today, Oregon’s U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley—a senior member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and past Chair of the Congressional-Executive Commission on China (CECC)—issued this statement following the sentencing of Jimmy Lai, an entrepreneur and democracy advocate in Hong Kong who has been imprisoned since 2020 under

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, Wyden Introduce Legislation to Ban Government Use of Facial Recognition, Other Biometric Technology

Washington D.C. – Oregon’s U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley led a group of eight lawmakers—including U.S. Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR)—this week in introducing bicameral legislation to end government use of biometric technology such as facial recognition tools.   The Facial Recognition and Biometric Technology Moratorium Act responds to reports that hundreds of local, state, and

Merkley, Inhofe Lead Bipartisan Effort to Urge Colleagues to Include Robust Funding for the Economic Development Administration in the Next Appropriations Bill

Washington, D.C. – Oregon’s U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley teamed up with U.S. Senator James Inhofe (R-OK) today to lead a bipartisan group of 39 senators in urging the Appropriations subcommittee with jurisdiction over the Economic Development Administration (EDA) to include robust funding for the EDA in fiscal year 2022 appropriations

Wyden, Merkley Urge SBA to Speed Up Relief to Struggling Live Event Venues

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley today urged the Small Business Administration (SBA) to disburse Shuttered Venue Operator Grant funding to struggling live entertainment venues in Oregon and nationwide as soon as possible, noting that the Save Our Stages Act was signed into law more than

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