Press Releases

Van Hollen, Merkley, Colleagues Introduce Bill to Protect Aid Workers in Conflict Zones

WASHINGTON – Today, on Human Rights Day, U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), and Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) introduced legislation to protect humanitarian aid workers operating in conflict zones. The lawmakers’ legislation, the Commitment to Aid Workers Act, would strengthen U.S. efforts to safeguard those who risk their

Senate Republicans Block Merkley’s Bill to Prevent War with Venezuela

Washington, D.C. – Oregon’s U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley released the following statement after Senate Republicans blocked consideration of his Prohibiting Unauthorized Military Action in Venezuela Act of 2025, which would block federal funds from being used for military actions in Venezuela: “As the Constitution so clearly says, Congress has the power

Senators Blunt Rochester, Merkley, Warnock Introduce Bill to Repair Infrastructure, Bridge Communities

Washington, DC – U.S. Senators Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), and Reverend Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.) today introduced the Restoring Essential Public Access and Improving Resilient (REPAIR) Infrastructure Program Act. The bill would reauthorize and expand the U.S. Department of Transportation’s (DOT) Reconnecting Communities Program as the REPAIR Infrastructure Program,

Merkley, Wyden Announce Funding for Natural Resources, Emergency Preparedness

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Oregon’s U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden today announced key provisions in the U.S. Department of Interior Appropriations bill that provide critical investments in earthquake preparedness, water infrastructure, and wildfire suppression and recovery activities that are of particular importance to Oregon as wildfires become increasingly frequent

Senators Merkley, Burr Announce Committee Passage of Bipartisan Nursing Workforce Bill

Washington, DC – Oregon’s Senator Jeff Merkley and Senator Richard Burr (R-NC), announced today that the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee unanimously passed by voice vote the Title VIII Nursing Workforce Reauthorization Act of 2019. This bipartisan legislation, which the Senators introduced in May during National Nurses

Merkley, Wyden Announce Key Investments in Research, Public Safety

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Oregon’s U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden today announced key provisions in the Senate Commerce, Justice and Science Appropriations Committee bill that will help rural communities across Oregon. “I’m in every county every year, and across rural and coastal Oregon I hear about ways we can

Wyden, Merkley Introduce the Homeland Security Improvement Act

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley today joined U.S. Sen. Tom Udall, D-N.M., and Senate Democrats to introduce legislation to address some of the nation’s immigration challenges at the southwest border and improve Department of Homeland Security (DHS) engagement with border communities. The Homeland Security Improvement

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