Press Releases

Forty-One Senators Push to Keep Harmful Environmental Riders Out of Appropriations Bills

Senators warn that inclusion of poison pills harming the environment would undermine Senate’s ability to pass bipartisan spending bills Washington, D.C. – Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works; Senator Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Ranking Member of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior,

Merkley, Salinas, Pacific Northwest Democrats to Secretary Rollins: Act Quickly to Hire Agricultural Research Staff Across the Region

Washington, D.C. – Today, Oregon’s U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley and U.S. Representative Andrea Salinas (OR-06) led a group of their Pacific Northwest colleagues in pressing U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Brooke Rollins over her commitment to promptly fill critical staff positions that remain vacant at USDA’s Agricultural Research Service

Merkley, Waters Launch New Effort to Boost Congress’ Oversight of Trump’s Mass Firings

Washington, D.C. – As the Trump Administration continues mass firings of federal employees, Oregon’s U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley today introduced first-of-its-kind legislation to strengthen Congress’ authority to protect workers and override federal staffing cuts implemented without consultation. The Reduction in Force (RIF) Review Act empowers Congress to overrule any president’s workforce cuts at all federal agencies, including the Social Security Administration, Environmental

Merkley, Lee Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Save Taxpayers’ Money by Eliminating Penny Production

Washington, D.C. – Oregon’s U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley and Utah’s Senator Mike Lee introduced bipartisan legislation today that would advance responsible spending by ending production of the penny. Striking the penny has become increasingly costly, and the Make Sense Not Cents Act would permanently eliminate this wasteful spending. Each penny costs nearly 4 cents to make—a number that has risen more than 20

Merkley, Wyden, Colleagues Slam Illegal DOGE Cuts to AmeriCorps 

Washington, D.C. – Oregon’s U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden joined their Congressional colleagues in an effort led by Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.) to defend AmeriCorps and AmeriCorps National Civilian Community Corps (NCCC) members. The lawmakers are calling on President Trump to immediately reverse cuts to the critical national service

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