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, Gardner Lead Senate Introduction of Bipartisan Legislation to Provide Access to Banking Services for Legal Cannabis Businesses

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Oregon’s Senator Jeff Merkley and Senator Cory Gardner (R-CO) led a bipartisan group of Senators – including Senators Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), Michael Bennet (D-CO), Dan Sullivan (R-AK), Kamala Harris (D-CA), Rand Paul (R-KY), Catherine Cortez-Masto (D-NV), Kevin Cramer (R-ND), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Gary

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

en_USEnglish