Oregon Senator Jeff Merkley is expected to be appointed to three critical panels with jurisdiction over domestic policy, the environment and infrastructure, his office announced today.

 “These committees will play an instrumental role in setting our nation’s agenda in such diverse areas as health care, education, the environment and global warming, and worker protections.  For so long, Washington was not working for working Americans – with these committees, I’ll be able to work with my colleagues to get our nation back on track,” said Merkley.

The Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) committee, chaired by Massachusetts Senator Ted Kennedy, covers issues including health care, aging, pensions, equal employment opportunity, labor standards, education and student loans, arts and humanities, and biomedical research and development.

The Environment and Public Works (EPW) committee, chaired by California Senator Barbara Boxer, covers environmental protections – including clean air and water, superfund sites and wildlife protection – as well as global warming.  It also has jurisdiction over critical infrastructure programs dealing with the Federal Highway Administration, dam security and disaster relief.  Senator Merkley has already participated in a number of EPW committee activities including a briefing focused on promoting green technology.