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

Washington, D.C. – Oregon’s U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley, along with U.S. Senator Edward J. Markey (D-MA) and Representatives Pramila Jayapal (D-WA-07), Ayanna Pressley (D-MA-07), Rashida Tlaib (D-MI-13), and Katherine Clark (D-MA-05), have announced the introduction of bicameral legislation to stop government use of biometric technology, including facial recognition tools. The

Merkley, Wyden Announce $215,000 Federal Investment to Keep Oregon’s Beaches Clean

Washington, D.C. – Oregon’s U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden today announced that the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (ODEQ) will receive $215,000 in federal funding to support additional monitoring to help protect Oregonians from possible waterborne diseases at Oregon’s beaches. The grant will fund the collection and testing of

Senate Indian Affairs Committee Holds Hearing on Wyden and Merkley’s Bills to Support Oregon Tribes

Washington, D.C. – The U.S. Senate Committee on Indian Affairs yesterday held a hearing on the Western Tribal Water Infrastructure Act of 2019, legislation introduced by U.S. Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley to improve water quality and services for tribal communities in Oregon.  The Committee also discussed legislation sponsored by Merkley and Wyden that seeks to correct an

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