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 Reintroduces Bill to Provide Relief to Americans Struggling with Medical Debt

Washington, D.C. –Oregon’s Senator Jeff Merkley reintroduced legislation yesterday that will prohibit companies from using paid off or settled medical debt in assessing consumer credit scores.  The Medical Debt Responsibility Act will assist approximately 72 million Americans affected by medical bill problems and medical debt. “Medical debt is not a

Merkley Calls on Fed to Not Delay Volcker Rule

Washington, DC – Oregon’s Senator Jeff Merkley issued the following statement on the comments by Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke that regulators will probably delay implementation of the Volcker Rule.  “I am disappointed to hear Chairman Bernanke’s comments that regulators will probably not meet the statutory deadline for implementing the

Merkley Statement on Failure of Anti-Contraception Amendment

WASHINGTON – Today, Oregon’s Senator Jeff Merkley released the following statement after the Senate voted to reject an amendment that would have allowed employers to deny their workers contraception or other vital health care services on the basis of an employer’s “conviction:” “Today, the U.S. Senate drew a line in

Senators Encourage FCC Effort to Make Campaign Advertisements More Transparent

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Oregon’s Senator Jeff Merkley led a group of eight Senators in a letter to Federal Communications Commission Chairman Julius Genachowski encouraging swift implementation of a proposed rule to make political advertisements more transparent. “With the 2012 election season already underway, citizens have a right to know

MERKLEY DENOUNCES SENATE AMENDMENT THAT ATTACKS WOMEN’S HEALTH CARE

Portland, OR – Oregon’s Senator Jeff Merkley gathered with women’s health advocates today to denounce a Senate amendment that would deny health insurance coverage to women for birth control and any essential, preventive health care service if their employer has a religious or moral objection.  Senator Merkley stressed that this

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