Merkley Presses Trump Official to Support Oregon and American Manufacturing
Senator Merkley pressed Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick to support Oregon and American manufacturers by continuing the Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) during a Senate Appropriations hearing. The Trump Administration moved to eliminate the MEP program earlier this year.
Congress has the power to declare war, not the President.
Senator Merkley spoke on the Senate floor in support of Senator Kaine’s war powers resolution on June 27, 2025.
Republicans BLOCKED bill to protect borrowers from crushing student debt
I was the first in my family to go to college. I know how difficult it can be to access higher education. I just brought my SOAR Act—a student loan repayment plan that protects borrowers from unaffordable student loan payments—to the floor for a vote. Republicans BLOCKED IT.
Merkley Questions OMB Director about President Biden’s Proposed Budget
Senator Merkley questioned Office of Management and the Budget (OMB) Director Shalanda Young about the impact of President Biden’s budget proposal on working families in Oregon and across the country during a Senate Budget Committee hearing on March 12, 2024. Watch the full hearing: https://www.budget.senate.gov/hearings/the-presidents-fiscal-year-2025-budget-proposal
Senator Merkley Presses Army Corps on Key Oregon Water Projects
Senator Jeff Merkley got confirmation from the Army Corps of Engineers that the Corps will expedite work on key Oregon projects, including Cole Rivers Hatchery Restoration, during a Senate Environment and Public Works Committee hearing on February 28, 2024. Watch the full Senate Environment and Public Works Committee hearing here:
Senator Merkley on the Danger of Nanoplastics and Microplastics in Water
Senator Jeff Merkley, Chair of the Senate Environment and Public Works Subcommittee on Chemical Safety, Waste Management, Environmental Justice, and Regulatory Oversight and Senator Alex Padilla, Chair of the EPW Subcommittee on Fisheries, Water, and Wildlife, led a joint hearing titled “Understanding the Presence of Microplastics in Water” on February
Merkley Calls on President Biden to Launch “Operation Gaza Rescue”
Senator Jeff Merkley spoke out on the floor of the U.S. Senate, urging President Biden to launch Operation Gaza Rescue—bold, direct action from the United States to stop the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza. Read Senator Merkley’s op-ed in the Oregonian: https://www.oregonlive.com/opinion/2024/01/merkley-gaza-needs-a-massive-increase-in-humanitarian-aid-immediately-opinion.html Read more about Senator Merkley’s visit to the
Merkley Speaks Out Against Hedge Fund Involvement in Housing Market, Highlights Housing Crisis
Senator Merkley spoke about housing affordability and the grip of hedge funds on our housing market during a Senate Budget Committee hearing titled “A Blueprint for Prosperity: Expanding Housing Affordability” on January 31, 2024. Read more about the End Hedge Fund Control of American Homes Act: https://www.merkley.senate.gov/merkley-smith-lead-bicameral-action-to-ban-hedge-fund-ownership-of-residential-housing/
Merkley Calls for Ceasefire and Massive Increase in Humanitarian Aid for Gaza on U.S. Senate Floor
Senator Merkley spoke on the floor of the U.S. Senate about the need for a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war and a massive influx of humanitarian aid into Gaza. Read Senator Merkley’s op-ed in the Oregonian: https://www.oregonlive.com/opinion/2024/01/merkley-gaza-needs-a-massive-increase-in-humanitarian-aid-immediately-opinion.html Read more about Senator Merkley’s visit to the Rafah Crossing, Egypt,
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