Press Releases

Merkley Denounces Unjust Sentencing of Hong Kong Democracy Advocate Jimmy Lai

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 this statement following the sentencing of Jimmy Lai, an entrepreneur and democracy advocate in Hong Kong who has been imprisoned since 2020 under

Merkley, Wyden Lead the Charge to Limit DHS’ Use of Facial Recognition Technology Amid Trump’s Rapidly Growing Surveillance State

Washington, D.C. – Oregon’s U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden today announced they introduced the ICE Out of Our Faces Act. The bicameral legislation would rein in the use of facial recognition technology (FRT) by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), banning agencies like Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs

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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