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 Statement on Supreme Court Vacancy

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Oregon’s U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley released the following statement after Associate Justice Anthony Kennedy announced his retirement from the U.S. Supreme Court: “This vacancy is a disaster for everyone who believes in the ‘We the People’ vision of the Constitution. If the Senate confirms one of the

Merkley Decries Anti-Worker Janus Decision

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Oregon’s U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley released the following statement after the U.S. Supreme Court dealt a powerful blow to workers with its decision in Janus v. AFSCME. “When unions win, everyone wins. Wages rise and conditions and benefits improve—and not just for unionized workers, either. We saw

Oregon Lawmakers Demand Sessions and Nielsen Reverse Zero Tolerance Policy

Washington, D.C. – Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley and Reps. Suzanne Bonamici, Earl Blumenauer and Kurt Schrader today demanded Attorney General Jeff Sessions and Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen immediately reverse the Trump administration’s zero-tolerance policy that’s left asylum seekers dumped in federal prisons. The Oregon lawmakers said their letter

Merkley, Wyden, Walden Introduce Bill to Support Rural Air Service, Armed Forces

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Oregon’s U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden have introduced the Defending Essential Flights and Ensuring National Security Efforts (DEFENSE) Act, which would allow rural commercial airports that are also heavily utilized by the military to access critical federal support to help maintain air service. Rep. Greg

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