Ranking Member Merkley, Colleagues Denounce Trump Administration’s Partisan Changes to National Park Service Access for 2026
Washington, D.C. – Oregon’s U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley—the top Democrat overseeing funding for the National Park Service— today led U.S. Senators Alex Padilla (D-CA), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Jack Reed (D-RI), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Ed Markey (D-MA), Michael Bennet (D-CO), Patty Murray (D-WA), Cory
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
Wyden, Merkley Ask Agriculture, Interior Secretaries for Emergency Grazing Rights on Federal Land in Southeastern and South Central Oregon
Washington, D.C. – Faced with another year of drought conditions in Southeastern and South Central Oregon, Oregon Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley are asking the Department of Agriculture extend emergency grazing of cattle on Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management land. “Given the severity of the drought and
Merkley Introduces Bill to Protect Forest Jobs
Washington – Today, Oregon’s Senator Jeff Merkley introduced The American Jobs in American Forests Act to tighten restrictions on a visa program that was used to hire foreign workers at the expense of Oregon forest workers. In 2011, the Inspector General of the U.S. Department of Labor released an audit
Merkley: GOP Boycott of McCarthy Vote Pathetic Dereliction of Duty
Washington – Oregon’s Senator Merkley released the following statement after Republican members of the EPW Committee boycotted a vote on the confirmation of Gina McCarthy to be EPA Administrator. “Gina McCarthy is eminently qualified to head the Environmental Protection Agency. She has impeccable credentials and has earned the praise of business
Merkley: Oregon Retailers Should Not Be Forced to Collect Inefficient, Regressive Sales Tax
Washington, DC – Oregon’s Senator Jeff Merkley issued the following statement after the passage of a bill to force internet retailers to collect sales taxes for states and municipalities that have local sales taxes. “I voted no on the internet sales tax because the citizens of Oregon have said nine
Merkley Applauds Forest Service Action on “Next Generation” Airtankers
WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Oregon’s Senator Jeff Merkley released the following statement after the U.S. Forest Service announced it would award operating contracts for “Next Generation” airtankers to be used in wildfire suppression: “I am pleased that the Forest Service is moving forward to get these planes into service. Last
Merkley Meets with Portland Veterans, Calls for Action to Address Backlog of Veterans Claims
Portland, OR— Oregon’s Senator Jeff Merkley and Multnomah County Commissioner Diane McKeel today visited Portland Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 4248 and met with area veterans to discuss the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) growing backlog of unanswered veteran’s benefit claims. The average wait time for Oregon veterans to receive