Press Releases

Merkley Announces Central Oregon Town Halls in March 

Senator holding in-person conversations in Klamath, Lake, Deschutes, Crook and Jefferson counties between March 20-21  Bend, OR. — Oregon’s U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley announced he will continue his town halls with in-person community conversations in Klamath and Lake counties on Friday, March 20, followed by conversations in Deschutes, Crook, and Jefferson counties on Saturday, March 21.  The five events continue Merkley’s 2026 town hall tour of

Merkley Applauds Senate Passage of Housing Provisions to Crack Down on Hedge Fund Control of American Homes

Washington, D.C. – Oregon’s U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley—a long-time champion of kicking hedge funds out of the housing market—released the following statement after the Senate passed sweeping housing legislation that includes the first-ever limits on institutional investors purchasing single-family homes: “Housing in our communities should be homes for families, not profit centers

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

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