Press Releases

Merkley, Salinas Lead New Bill to Hold ICE, CBP Accountable for Abusing Americans’ Constitutional Rights

Washington, D.C. – Today, Oregon’s U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley and U.S. Representative Andrea Salinas (OR-06) introduced new legislation to hold U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) liable for violating individuals’ constitutional rights. The ICE and CBP Constitutional Accountability Act would make the federal government

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

Merkley, Smith Introduce Bill to Protect Rent-to-Own Tenants

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Oregon’s U.S. Sen. Jeff Merkley and U.S. Sen. Tina Smith (D-MN) today introduced the Residential Rent-to-Own Protection Act, legislation that would create a safe, viable pathway to homeownership by reforming traditionally predatory rent-to-own housing contracts, also called land contracts or contracts-for-deed. “Rent-to-own housing agreements could provide access

Merkley Presses VA Secretary on Privatization

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Oregon’s Senator Jeff Merkley today pressed Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Secretary Robert Wilkie on whether new efforts to expand the privatization of VA health care could diminish resources and harm care at the VA facilities many veterans rely on. Merkley’s letter to Secretary Wilkie follows new,

Merkley, Local Stakeholders Announce Major Investments in Klamath Basin

KLAMATH FALLS, OR – Oregon’s U.S. Sen. Jeff Merkley, joined by representatives from Klamath-area irrigation districts and tribes, today announced significant investments in the Klamath Basin were included in the 2019 spending bills that recently were passed by Congress and signed by the president. “These big national bills often seem

Merkley, Wyden Announce Significant Infrastructure Investments in Spending Package

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Oregon’s U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden today announced that major investments in community infrastructure—ranging from roads and bridges to rural broadband—are included in the 2019 package of spending bills that have been passed by Congress and signed by the president. The infrastructure bill includes significant

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