Press Releases

Merkley Statement on Conclusion of Global Plastics Treaty Talks

Washington, D.C. – Oregon’s U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley—a long-time leader and fierce advocate for tackling the plastic pollution crisis across its entire life cycle—released the following statement after the conclusion of the second part of the fifth session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC-5.2) in Geneva, Switzerland: “For plastics, many

Merkley, Bynum, Oregon Delegation Sound the Alarm Over the Trump EPA’s Illegal Termination of Solar for All Funding

Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley and U.S. Representative Janelle Bynum (OR-05) led their Oregon delegation colleagues—Senator Ron Wyden and Representatives Suzanne Bonamici (OR-01), Val Hoyle (OR-04), Andrea Salinas (OR-06), and Maxine Dexter (OR-03)—in demanding the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) follow the law and immediately reverse its termination of an $86.6 million federal award to Oregon under the Solar

Merkley, Murray, Peters Seek Clarity on Scope, Reach of OMB Funding Cuts, Who Authored Disastrous Memo

WASHINGTON, DC – Senate Budget Committee Ranking Member Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Senate Appropriations Committee Vice Chair Patty Murray (D-WA), and Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee Ranking Member Gary Peters (D-MI) continued their Congressional oversight responsibilities of the Trump Administration’s Office of Management and Budget (OMB) by seeking clarity

Huffman, Merkley, Reintroduce Bill to Restore Critical Kelp Forests

The Help Our Kelp Act Would Improve Conditions for the Marine Life Central to Our Economy Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Representative Jared Huffman (CA-02) and U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley (D-OR) reintroduced the bicameral Help Our Kelp Act of 2025 to improve conditions for kelp forests and marine life. This

Wyden, Merkley, Colleagues Urge Trump Administration to Exempt Seasonal Firefighters from Federal Hiring Freeze

Washington D.C.—U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley today joined their Senate colleagues to urge the Trump Administration to exempt seasonal firefighters from the federal hiring freeze that’s reportedly preventing the hiring and onboarding of seasonal firefighters, a workforce that already struggles with recruitment and retention.  “We write today following

Trump Illegally Pulling EV Infrastructure Money Means More Pollution, Higher Fuel Costs—Merkley, EPW Colleagues Demand Answers, Funding Reinstatement

By banning the Department of Transportation from releasing previously approved National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure funds, Trump is again violating the Constitution while putting his Big Oil donors’ interests above those of the American people Washington, D.C. –Today, Oregon’s U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley—a senior member of the Senate Environment and Public

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