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

Oregon Lawmakers Announce Funding to Revitalize Willamette Falls

Washington, D.C. – Oregon’s U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley and Representatives Kurt Schrader, Earl Blumenauer and Suzanne Bonamici today announced that $600,000 has been awarded to Metro-Portland, Oregon’s regional government, to restore and revitalize one of Oregon’s natural treasures, Willamette Falls, from contamination left over from a now-shuttered industrial

VA to Voluntarily Implement Bipartisan Provision to Enhance VA Medical Care

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Mike Rounds (R-SD), Mark Warner (D-VA) and Thom Tillis (R-NC) today welcomed the news that the Veterans Health Administration (VA) is moving to voluntarily implement one of the key proposals from their bipartisan Veterans Health Care Staffing Improvement Act, helping to ensure

Bicameral, Bipartisan Deal Reached On Major Toxic Chemicals Reform

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Oregon’s Senator Jeff Merkley and a bipartisan, bicameral group of Congressional leaders have announced an agreement on the first major reform of toxic chemicals regulation in decades.  This agreement puts Congress on the cusp of finally passing historic legislation to reform the nation’s broken chemical safety law.

Merkley Prioritizes Rural Economic Opportunities In Agriculture Spending Bill

Portland, OR – Oregon’s Senator Jeff Merkley, the top Democrat on the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture, announced today that included in the Senate Agriculture Appropriations bill are key provisions to boost rural affordable housing, energy efficiency, and forest health, among other economic priorities for rural America.  Merkley also announced a large

PHOTO/VIDEO RELEASE: Merkley Meets with Supreme Court Nominee Merrick Garland

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Oregon’s Senator Jeff Merkley released the following statement after meeting with President Obama’s nominee to the Supreme Court, Chief Judge Merrick Garland: “I was honored to meet with Merrick Garland today. We had a wide-ranging conversation about many of the issues facing our nation, and how he

en_USEnglish