Press Releases

Merkley, Schiff, Underwood Lead Push to Increase Nursing Education and Workforce Support

Washington, D.C. – Today, Oregon’s U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley, California’s U.S. Senator Adam Schiff, and Representative Lauren Underwood (D-IL-14) introduced the bicameral Future Advancement of Academic Nursing (FAAN) Act. In an effort to address nursing workforce shortages around the country, the FAAN Act would authorize grants to increase the number

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

Merkley Cuts Red Tape for Oregon Winegrowers

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Oregon’s U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley today announced that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is implementing the direction he successfully included in the 2019 spending bill, instructing the agency to exempt wine grapes from regulation under the Food Safety Modernization Act’s Produce Safety Rule. The Produce Safety

Merkley, Rounds Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Improve Family Leave for DOD Employees

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Oregon’s Senator Jeff Merkley and Senator Mike Rounds (R-SD) today introduced bipartisan legislation to improve family and medical leave for Department of Defense (DoD) employees by simplifying and expanding the agency’s leave bank. Currently, DoD allows individual civilian employees to donate earned annual leave to specific individual

Merkley Statement on Saudi Ambassador Nominee

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Oregon’s Senator Jeff Merkley, a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, released the following statement after voting against General John Abizaid’s nomination to serve as U.S. Ambassador to Saudi Arabia: “General Abizaid has a distinguished resume, and I appreciate the time he took to meet with

Merkley, Sanders, and Colleagues Introduce Medicare for All Legislation

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Oregon’s Senator Jeff Merkley today joined a group of 15 Senators, led by Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT), to introduce the Medicare for All Act of 2019. The legislation would expand Medicare so that every American is covered by this high-quality, popular health care plan simply by virtue

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