Press Releases

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,

Senate Sends Message To President: Bring U.S. Forces In Afghanistan Home Faster

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the U.S. Senate passed an amendment introduced by Oregon’s Senator Jeff Merkley requiring President Obama to develop a plan to expedite the reduction in U.S. forces in Afghanistan and to make periodic reports to Congress on the progress of that plan. “Our American forces have successfully

Merkley: Help Working Families Like the Fed Helped Big Banks

Washington, DC– Oregon’s Senator Jeff Merkley today wrote a letter to President Obama after news broke that the Federal Reserve secretly loaned or guaranteed $7.7 trillion to major financial institutions such as Goldman Sachs, Bank of America, and J.P. Morgan.  It is reported by Bloomberg Markets Magazine that the Wall

Merkley: We Need to Focus on Jobs

Washington, DC – Oregon’s Senator Jeff Merkley issued the following statement regarding press reports that the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction would be unable to come up with a deficit-reduction agreement, triggering $1.2 trillion in automatic defense and domestic spending cuts:  “The supercommittee failed to reach an agreement for

Bipartisan Amendment Calls for Accelerated Handover in Afghanistan

WASHINGTON, DC – Ten years after the start of the war in Afghanistan, more than one hundred thousand American troops remain in that nation, providing military and security assistance to the Afghanistan government.  A bipartisan group of senators today offered an amendment to the Defense Authorization bill to urge the

Merkley Introduces Bill to Help Small Businesses in Hard-Hit Communities Add Jobs

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Oregon’s Senator Jeff Merkley introduced a bill to reduce the wait time for counties to benefit from a federal program that aids small businesses in hard-hit areas. There is currently a two-year lag time after the census is completed before metro areas can be designated HUBZones.   “Small

en_USEnglish