Press Releases

Hawley, Merkley Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Ban Wall Street from Buying Single-Family Homes

WASHINGTON — Today, U.S. Senators Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) and Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) introduced the Homes for American Families Act and an update of the HOPE for Homeownership Act, a comprehensive package to prohibit large institutional investors from buying up single-family homes. Their legislation is a response to the homeownership crisis in America, which has been exacerbated

Merkley Condemns Hong Kong Court Sentencing Pro-Democracy Advocate’s Father

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 a statement following the sentencing of Kwok Yin-sang, the father of U.S.-based activist Anna Kwok, who was put on trial in Hong Kong

Merkley Introduces Resolution to Prevent Military Intervention in Venezuela Without Explicit Congressional Authorization

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Following repeated hints from the Trump Administration that it is considering a military intervention in Venezuela, Oregon’s Senator Jeff Merkley today introduced a Senate resolution that would prohibit military action in Venezuela without explicit congressional approval. Merkley is a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and

Merkley and Colleagues Offer $2 Billion Plan to Reduce Class Sizes

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Oregon’s Senator Jeff Merkley, along with U.S. Senators Michael Bennet (D-CO), Kamala Harris (D-CA), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), and Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), today introduced bold new legislation to invest in smaller class sizes for public schools across America. Smaller class sizes increase student achievement and

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

en_USEnglish