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

VIDEO RELEASE: Merkley Discusses Saving Western Monarch Butterfly at Oregon Zoo Event After Introducing Two Bills to Protect the Species from Extinction

Washington, D.C. – Oregon’s U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley teamed up with Congressman Jimmy Panetta (D-CA-20) this week to introduce two pieces of legislation—the Monarch Action, Recovery, and Conservation of Habitat (MONARCH) Act and the Monarch and Pollinator Highway Act—which would help prevent the extinction of the western monarch butterfly and

Hong Kong: Chairs’ Statement about New Sanctions for Chinese and Hong Kong Officials

(Washington, D.C.)—Senator Jeff Merkley (D-OR) and Representative James P. McGovern (D-MA), the Chair and Cochair, respectively, of the bipartisan and bicameral Congressional-Executive Commission on China (CECC), issued the following statement about the Administration’s announcement of sanctions for 24 Chinese and Hong Kong officials responsible for undermining Hong Kong’s autonomy and

Merkley Applauds Secretary Haaland’s Historic Confirmation to Lead Interior Department

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Oregon’s U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley—the Chair of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee that funds the U.S. Department of the Interior—released the following statement following Interior Secretary Deb Haaland’s historic Senate confirmation to lead the department: “Secretary Haaland’s lifetime of service demonstrates her strong commitment to defending our public lands and

ICYMI: Voting Rights Groups Sound the Alarm on Racist, Politically Motivated Voter Suppression Laws in Georgia, Arizona, and Across America

WASHINGTON, D.C. –  State lawmakers in Georgia have quickly raced to the forefront of the Republican party’s effort to turn ‘stolen election’ conspiracies into extremely restrictive voter suppression laws. This week, Georgia legislators passed a bill to repeal no-excuse absentee voting and end automatic voter registration—provisions that helped 1.3 million

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