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, Senate and House Lawmakers: Trump Administration Risking a New Arms Race with Failure to Renew Nuclear Treaty with Russia
Washington, D.C. – Today, Oregon’s U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley—co-chair of the Congressional Nuclear Weapons and Arms Control Working Group and a senior member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee—led his Senate and House colleagues in raising urgent concerns about the expiration this week of the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty
Merkley Leads Senate Group Urging FDA to Regulate Electronic Cigarettes
Washington, DC – Today, Senator Jeff Merkley joined with Senators Boxer (D-CA), Blumenthal (D-CT), Brown (D-OH), Durbin (D-IL), Markey (D-MA) to send a letter to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner urging the FDA to finalize its plan for regulating e-cigarettes. The Senators pointed to a new study from
Merkley Announces New State Director
Portland, OR – Oregon’s Senator Jeff Merkley announced today that Jessica Stevens has been promoted to state director, replacing Jeanne Atkins, who retired. Stevens has worked with Merkley since 2012, when she joined the team as State Field Director. “Jessica brings tremendous management skills and has strong relationships with Oregonians
Merkley Statement on the Senate Banking Committee’s Markup of Iran Sanctions Legislation
“Iran’s possession of a nuclear weapon would be a grave threat to global security and a direct threat to the United States. I have strongly supported toughened sanctions on Iran in the past and will readily do so again if they back out of the P5+1 negotiations. We must not allow
Merkley to Serve on New Appropriations Subcommittees Key to Oregon Priorities
WASHINGTON – Oregon’s Senator Jeff Merkley announced today that he has been appointed to serve on two new subcommittees of the Senate Appropriations Committee: the Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development and the Subcommittee on State and Foreign Operations. The Energy and Water Subcommittee controls funding for the U.S. Department
Senator Merkley Applauds Plan to Protect Alaskan Wilderness
WASHINGTON – Oregon’s Senator Jeff Merkley released the following statement after the Obama Administration announced that they would seek to designate 12 million acres of Alaska’s Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) as formally protected wilderness area. “The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge is one of our country’s great treasures, and future
Oregon Receives Nearly $27 Million to Put Roofs Over Oregonians’ Heads
Washington, DC – Oregon Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley today praised the announcement of federal funding for more than 130 programs across the state that seek to house people who are experiencing homelessness. ”When people can’t afford a roof over their head, they suffer and the entire community suffers,”