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 Reacts to FDA Withdrawal of Flavored E-Cigarettes

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Oregon’s Senator Jeff Merkley, the top Democrat on the Appropriations Subcommittee that oversees the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), released the following statement after the FDA announced that it is temporarily pulling all flavored e-cigarette products from the market: “This action is outrageously overdue. It’s been clear

Merkley, Blumenthal, Colleagues Demand Action, Answers on Deaths Related to E-Cigarettes

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Oregon’s U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley and Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) today led 21 colleagues in demanding answers from the heads of health agencies on their actions to address the health impacts of e-cigarette products, as illnesses and even deaths are increasingly linked to vaping. Already, six individuals—including

Oregon Lawmakers Call on EPA to Protect Pollinators from Toxic Pesticide

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley and U.S. Reps. Peter DeFazio, Earl Blumenauer and Suzanne Bonamici today expressed concerns over the recent decision of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to approve new uses and lift restrictions for sulfoxaflor, a pesticide recognized by the EPA as a

Merkley, Wyden Announce More Than $7.8 Million for Opioid Treatment Programs

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Oregon’s U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden today announced more than $7.8 million in federal grants that will support efforts to treat and prevent opioid addiction—one of Oregon’s most pressing issues as communities across the state face an increase in opioid-related deaths. “I have heard heart-wrenching

Merkley Demands Answers on Long-Term Detention of Children

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Oregon’s Senator Jeff Merkley today demanded answers on a shortage of sponsors to take in children who are awaiting asylum hearings. This shortage, which threatens to keep children locked up in detention centers for months or years on end, appears to have been deliberately caused by the

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