Van Hollen, Merkley, Colleagues Introduce Bill to Protect Aid Workers in Conflict Zones
WASHINGTON – Today, on Human Rights Day, U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), and Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) introduced legislation to protect humanitarian aid workers operating in conflict zones. The lawmakers’ legislation, the Commitment to Aid Workers Act, would strengthen U.S. efforts to safeguard those who risk their
Senate Republicans Block Merkley’s Bill to Prevent War with Venezuela
Washington, D.C. – Oregon’s U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley released the following statement after Senate Republicans blocked consideration of his Prohibiting Unauthorized Military Action in Venezuela Act of 2025, which would block federal funds from being used for military actions in Venezuela: “As the Constitution so clearly says, Congress has the power
Senators Blunt Rochester, Merkley, Warnock Introduce Bill to Repair Infrastructure, Bridge Communities
Washington, DC – U.S. Senators Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), and Reverend Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.) today introduced the Restoring Essential Public Access and Improving Resilient (REPAIR) Infrastructure Program Act. The bill would reauthorize and expand the U.S. Department of Transportation’s (DOT) Reconnecting Communities Program as the REPAIR Infrastructure Program,
Bipartisan Merkley-Kirk Climate Amendment Passes Senate Committee
Washington, DC – U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley (D-OR) and Mark Kirk (R-IL) announced today that the Senate Appropriations Committee passed an amendment to the State and Foreign Operations Appropriations bill that would fund the Green Climate Fund, an essential part of the international climate agreement reached in Paris last fall. The
Members of Congress Urge Court to Recognize Protections for LGBT Americans
WASHINGTON, D.C. – 128 Members of Congress, led by Senators Jeff Merkley (D-OR) and Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) and Rep. David Cicilline (D-RI), have filed an amicus brief in the Second Circuit Court of Appeals in the case of Christiansen v. Omnicom Group, Inc., arguing that workplace discrimination on the basis
Merkley Statement Calling for Serious Effort to Combat Zika Virus
WASHINGTON, D.C. –Oregon’s Senator Jeff Merkley released the following statement regarding partisan legislation that that would prohibit Planned Parenthood from aiding in the fight against the Zika virus. “Last week I met with doctors and medical professionals in Oregon who underscored the serious nature of the Zika virus and its
Merkley and Blumenauer Urge Congressional Leadership to Include Medical Marijuana Provisions in Funding Bill
WASHINGTON, D. C. — U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley and Congressman Earl Blumenauer and nine members of the U.S. Senate and U.S. House of Representatives today urged Congressional leadership to include in the final Veterans Affairs funding bill sent to the President a provision that protects veterans’ ability to discuss the
Merkley Statement on Whole Woman’s Health v. Hellerstedt Supreme Court Ruling
WASHINGTON, D.C. –Oregon’s Senator Jeff Merkley released the following statement on today’s ruling by the U. S. Supreme Court in Whole Woman’s Health vs. Hellerstedt which challenged a Texas law severely limiting women’s access to reproductive health services: “For more than four decades, politicians have consistently tried to put themselves
Merkley Statement on Supreme Court Immigration Case
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Oregon’s Senator Jeff Merkley released the following statement after the U.S. Supreme Court deadlocked 4-4 on a case contesting the Obama Administration’s executive action on immigration, known as Deferred Action for Parents of Americans (DAPA). “Today’s deadlocked decision by the Supreme Court is a disappointing blow to