NEW: Trump’s War in Iran Cost DoD Nearly $40 Billion and Drove Nearly Half of Inflation, According to CBO Report
Text of Report (PDF) Washington, D.C. – Today, in response to an inquiry led by Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Ranking Member of the Senate Budget Committee, along with Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO) released new data on the cost of President
Merkley, Williams, Booker Lead Push to Close Constitutional Loophole Allowing for Slavery
Washington, D.C. – Oregon’s U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley and U.S. Representative Nikema Williams (GA-05) today teamed up with New Jersey’s U.S. Senator Cory Booker to reintroduce the End the Exception Amendment. The bicameral resolution would strike the ‘Slavery Clause’ of the 13th Amendment, a constitutional loophole that allows slavery “as a punishment
Wyden, Merkley Introduce Bill to Protect Agricultural Water Access Amid Worsening Drought in Oregon
Legislation would help upgrade outdated water infrastructure systems to support agriculture Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley today introduced legislation that would help improve water resilience in communities across Oregon and the West as drought in the region persists after last year’s record-low snowpack. “Water scarcity
Merkley: Post Office Moratorium on Closures Is Good News for Rural Oregon
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the U.S. Postal Service announced a voluntary moratorium on post office closures in response to concerns raised by a bipartisan group of U.S. Senators. Oregon’s Senator Jeff Merkley, a member of that coalition, released the following statement: “Post offices are essential hubs of life in rural
Crowdfunding on Internet Should be Safe, Accessible
Washington, DC- Today, Oregon’s Senator Jeff Merkley and Michael Bennet (D-CO) introduced the Capital Raising Online While Deterring Fraud and Unethical Non-Disclosure Act of 2011 (CROWDFUND Act), which would legalize and regulate the raising of start-up capital for small businesses on the internet. The promise of crowdfunding is that investments
Merkley Statement on EPA Rule Change for Boilers
Portland, OR – Oregon’s Senator Jeff Merkley issued the following statement after today’s release of the Environmental Protection Agency proposed change to the March 2011 Clean Air Act emissions standards for large and small boilers and incinerators that burn solid waste. “I appreciate that the EPA is listening to the
Merkley Applauds Energy Efficiency Announcement
Portland, OR – Oregon’s Senator Jeff Merkley made the following statement after the White House announced that it will direct agencies to establish financing arrangements and public-private partnerships to spur billions of dollars in energy efficiency renovations on federal buildings at no cost to taxpayers: “I applaud the White House’s
Merkley Demands Changes to Help Oregon Timber Workers Get Jobs
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Though Oregon’s timber counties have among the highest unemployment rates in the Northwest, a recent report from the Department of Labor’s Inspector General revealed that millions of dollars in stimulus funds were used by contractors employing foreign workers to perform forest thinning work. Today, Oregon’s Senator Jeff
Senate Passes Christmas Tree Resolution
Washington, DC- Today, the United States Senate unanimously passed a resolution sponsored by Oregon’s Senator Jeff Merkley designating the first full week of December in 2011 as “National Christmas Tree Week”. “This resolution honors the joy that Christmas trees bring to families every December, and also the Oregon farms and