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
Omar, Sanders, Merkley, Markey, Barragán Introduce Bill to End Corporate Handouts to the Fossil Fuel Industry
WASHINGTON–Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) and Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) together with Sen. Merkley (D-Ore.), Sen. Markey (D- Mass.) and Rep. Barragan (D-Calif.) introduced legislation to close tax loopholes and eliminate other federal subsidies for the oil, gas, and coal industries. Right now, American taxpayers are on the hook for about $15 billion
Wyden, Merkley, Colleagues Introduce Senate Resolution Declaring Racism a Public Health Crisis
Washington, D.C. – Oregon’s U.S. Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley this week joined Sens. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, Cory Booker, D-N.J., and Kamala Harris, D-Calif., to introduce a Senate resolution to declare racism a public health crisis. “The coronavirus has laid bare the racial inequities in our public health systems. It’s clearer than
At Request of Oregon Delegation, DHS and DOJ Offices of Inspector General Open Investigations into Federal Operatives in Portland
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Oregon’s U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden, with U.S. Representatives Earl Blumenauer and Suzanne Bonamici, today announced that at their request, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) and U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) offices of Inspector General (OIG) are opening investigations into the unrequested presence
Merkley Opposes NDAA, Continues to Press for Vote on Trump’s Secret Police
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Oregon’s U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley released the following statement after voting against the 2021 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) today. Earlier this week, Merkley offered an amendment to the NDAA that would stop President Trump’s federal deployment of secret police to Portland and other U.S. cities, but
Merkley Introduces Legislation to Ban Airlines’ Sale of Middle Seats As Coronavirus Infections Soar
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Oregon’s U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley today introduced the Maintaining Important Distance During Lengthy Epidemics (MIDDLE) Act of 2020, legislation that would require face masks on planes and ban the sale of middle or otherwise adjacent seats for the duration of the coronavirus crisis. The introduction follows Senator Merkley’s experience on
Wyden, Merkley, Warren Press Interior Department on Agency’s Disregard for COVID-19 Safety
Washington, D.C. – U.S. Sens. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., and Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., urged the U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) to immediately issue guidance for its employees on mask and personal protective equipment (PPE) policies consistent with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines. The senators also asked that DOI