Merkley, Salinas Lead New Bill to Hold ICE, CBP Accountable for Abusing Americans’ Constitutional Rights
Washington, D.C. – Today, Oregon’s U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley and U.S. Representative Andrea Salinas (OR-06) introduced new legislation to hold U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) liable for violating individuals’ constitutional rights. The ICE and CBP Constitutional Accountability Act would make the federal government
Elfreth, Merkley Introduce Legislation to Prohibit Partisan National Park Passes
WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Congresswoman Sarah Elfreth (MD-03), Vice Ranking Member of the House Natural Resources Committee, and Senator Jeff Merkley (D-OR), the top Democrat overseeing funding for the National Park Service, introduced the Prohibit Partisan Park Passes Act. The bill is straightforward legislation that would explicitly prohibit the National
CBO Tells Merkley: Trump’s Brazen National Guard Deployment to American Cities Has So Far Cost U.S. Taxpayers Upwards of $589 Million
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO) told U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Ranking Member of the Senate Budget Committee, that President Donald Trump’s brazen decision to deploy National Guard personnel to U.S. cities, including Portland, has cost taxpayers upwards of $589 million to date. If these
Merkley, Wyden Blast Trump Administration’s Constant, Dangerous Political Interference in COVID-19 Response
Oregon’s U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden and 30 of their Democratic Senate colleagues wrote to Secretary of Health and Human Services Alex Azar criticizing the Trump administration for their continued political interference in the COVID-19 response. The Senators warned that decisions to pressure and overrule public health experts
Wyden, Merkley Join Legal Brief Against Donald Trump’s Illegal Asylum Ban
Oregon’s U.S. Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley said today they have joined a legal brief seeking to preserve the D.C. District Court of Appeals’ decision to strike down Donald Trump’s plainly illegal ban on all asylum claims outside of ports of entry. A previous amicus brief Wyden and Merkley also joined helped the
Wyden, Merkley Join Legal Brief to End Discrimination in Foster Care and Adoption
Oregon’s U.S. Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley said today they have joined a legal brief in an impending Supreme Court case focused on anti-LGBTQ+ discrimination in the foster care and adoption system. “Religion must not be misconstrued as a license to discriminate, plain and simple,” Wyden said. “To deny prospective
Merkley, Bipartisan Colleagues Call on Trump Administration to Condemn Rohingya Genocide, Provide Additional Support
Oregon’s U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley led a group of eight bipartisan colleagues today—the third anniversary of the brutal campaign of ethnic cleansing conducted by the Burmese military against the Rohingya Muslim minority—in a letter urging the Trump administration to take additional action to support the Rohingya community, to hold accountable
Merkley, Colleagues Demand Explanation from USDA on Diverting Funds from Program to Help Farmers who are People of Color, Immigrants, Veterans
Oregon’s U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley joined colleagues in demanding an explanation and answers after learning that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is diverting funds from a program that supports producers from diverse backgrounds—including farmers who are people of color, immigrants, and veterans. In a bicameral letter to the USDA—which
Following Trump Administration Efforts to Undermine USPS, Merkley Inspects Portland Processing Facility to See Impacts Firsthand
Oregon’s U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley today inspected the large U.S. Postal Service (USPS) processing and distribution facility in Portland to investigate a number of issues around the ability of USPS to deliver ballots on time in November. Merkley met with local USPS management, and then with members of the Portland,