Press Releases

Ranking Member Merkley: Interior-Environment Funding Bill Boosts Wildfire Resiliency, Water Infrastructure, and Climate Investments in Oregon and Across the Nation

Washington, D.C. – Today, Senate Interior-Environment Appropriations Subcommittee Ranking Member Jeff Merkley (D-OR) released the following statement after the Senate passed the Interior-Environment Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 Appropriations bill in an overwhelmingly bipartisan vote of 82-15: “Oregonians turned out in record numbers during my town halls last year and delivered

Merkley, Sullivan, Curtis, Kaine Push for Bipartisan Crackdown on Chinese Government-Controlled Hong Kong Economic and Trade Offices in U.S.

Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley (D-OR)—a senior member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and past Chair of the Congressional-Executive Commission on China (CECC)—teamed up with current CECC Chair Senator Dan Sullivan (R-AK), Senator John Curtis (R-UT), and Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA) to introduce bipartisan legislation that

Merkley Statement on Murray-Ryan Budget Compromise

Washington, DC – Today Oregon’s Senator Jeff Merkley announced he will vote for the Murray-Ryan budget compromise, which will offer some relief from sequestration for the next two fiscal years.  “For the last three years, Congress has been governing from crisis to crisis, hurting the economy and the American families

Merkley Statement on Watt Cloture Vote

WASHINGTON – Oregon’s Senator Jeff Merkley released the following statement after the Senate invoked cloture on the nomination of Mel Watt, ensuring a final vote on his nomination to head the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA):  “Subprime loans and the resulting foreclosure crisis caused a financial meltdown five years ago.

Merkley and Levin Statement on Final Volcker Rule

Washington, DC – Senators Jeff Merkley (D-OR) and Carl Levin (D-MI) released the following joint statement after approval by the Federal Reserve and the Federal Deposit Insurance Commission (FDIC) of the final Volcker Rule, a firewall between traditional banking and hedge fund style gambling. Merkley and Levin led the fight

Merkley: Advice and Consent Role Restored in Senate, Praises Millett Confirmation

Washington, DC – Oregon’s Senator Jeff Merkley issued the following statement after the Senate approved the nomination of Patricia Millett for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia by a simple up or down vote.  “Today’s vote shows that the constitutional concept of ‘advice and consent’ has

Merkley Proposal Leads to New Energy Loan Program for Rural Communities

Washington — Today, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced the creation of a new $250 million loan fund based on the Rural Energy Savings Program proposed by Oregon’s Senator Jeff Merkley. The new program will allow rural electric co-ops to offer their customers low-interest loans from USDA to

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