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, Durbin, Peters Lead Amicus Brief Urging Circuit Court to Affirm the Critical Protections of Minors in Immigration Detention
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Ranking Member of the Senate Budget Committee, Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and Gary Peters (D-MI), Ranking Member of the Senate Homeland Security & Governmental Affairs Committee led a group of 23 Senators in filing an
Merkley, Wyden Announce Nearly $87 Million in Federal Funding to Increase Testing Capacity in Oregon
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Oregon’s U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden today announced that Oregon will receive nearly $87 million to boost the state’s coronavirus testing capacity. “Expanding testing capacity is an essential step in our fight to treat, and eventually reopen, our communities,” said Merkley. “The reality is that
Merkley, Wyden, Colleagues Announce Legislation to Help Renters During the Coronavirus Pandemic
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Oregon’s U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden, along with 24 of their colleagues in the Senate, have announced new legislation—the Emergency Rental Assistance and Rental Market Stabilization Act of 2020—to assist renters amid the economic fallout of the coronavirus crisis. The legislation would establish an Emergency
Tlaib, Merkley Lead Bicameral Letter Opposing Fed Bailout of Oil and Gas Industry
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib (D-MI) and Senator Jeff Merkley (D-OR) led a bicameral letter to Federal Reserve Board Chairman Jerome Powell, with 45 of their colleagues, opposing the Fed’s expansion of the Main Street Lending Program to companies within the oil and gas industry. The group of lawmakers feel the expansion
Wyden, Merkley Introduce Bill to Ensure All Students Have Access to Internet During COVID-19 Pandemic
Washington, D.C. – Oregon’s U.S. Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley today introduced legislation aimed at ensuring all K-12 students have adequate home internet connectivity and devices during the coronavirus pandemic. The Emergency Educational Connections Act would give elementary and secondary schools and libraries, including tribal schools and libraries, $4
As New Coronavirus Relief Legislation is Announced, Merkley Calls for Swift Action in Senate
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Oregon’s U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley issued the following statement after the U.S. House of Representatives released bill text for the next coronavirus relief package. The draft legislation includes many key priorities that Merkley has fought for, including a nationwide testing and contact tracing strategy, cancelling student loan
Merkley, Wyden, Colleagues Push to Expand Delivery for SNAP Recipients During Pandemic
Washington, D.C. – Oregon’s U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden, along with a bipartisan group of 26 senators, are calling on the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to immediately work to ensure that Americans who receive Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits—also known as food stamps—can receive home food