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Merkley, Wyden Secure Federal Funding to Expand Pollinator Habitat Along Oregon Highways

August 18, 2026

Washington, D.C. — Today, Oregon’s U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden announced $150,000 in federal funds for the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) to create and restore pollinator habitats along Oregon highways.The funding, which is the maximum award under the Federal Highway Administration’s Pollinator-Friendly Practices on Roadsides and Highway Rights-of-Way Program

Merkley, Salinas, Lawler, Hoyle Champion Bipartisan Bill to Expand Summer Meal Access for Rural Kids

July 31, 2026

Washington, D.C. –Today, Oregon’s U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley and U.S. Representatives Andrea Salinas (D-OR-06), Mike Lawler (R-NY-17), and Val Hoyle (D-OR-04) led the reintroduction of the Feeding Our Rural Kids (FORK) Act, which would help summer meal program sponsors purchase, retrofit, or repair vehicles that expand access to summer meals

Wyden, Merkley Sound Alarm on USDA Rural Development Reorganization

July 29, 2026

Washington, D.C.—U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley today said they joined their Senate Democratic colleagues Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, and Peter Welch, D-Vt., Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Rural Development, Energy, and Credit, in raising strong concerns about

Merkley, Hyde-Smith, Bentz, Thompson Launch New Bipartisan Effort to Promote Renewable Fuels, Boost Wildfire Resiliency

July 22, 2026

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley (D-OR) and Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS) partnered with U.S. Representatives Cliff Bentz (R-OR-02) and Bennie Thompson (D-MS-02) to introduce the Wildfire Reduction Market Expansion Act. This new bipartisan, bicameral legislation proposes to modernize the definition for renewable biomass under the Renewable Fuel Standard, establishing

Merkley, Panetta Announce Bicameral Resolution Marking National Pollinator Week 2026

June 22, 2026

Washington, D.C. – Oregon’s U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley and U.S. Representative Jimmy Panetta (CA-19) announced a bicameral resolution to recognize the importance of pollinators to ecosystem health and agriculture in the United States. The resolution designates June 22 through June 28, 2026, as “National Pollinator Week,” to emphasize the vital

Merkley, Senate Democrats: Trump’s Staffing Cuts at Key USDA Services Threaten Rapid Response to New World Screwworm, Rural Communities, Food Safety, and Public Health Nationwide

June 9, 2026

Washington, D.C. – Today, Oregon’s U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley led his Senate Democratic colleagues to sound the alarm over the Trump Administration’s staff cuts at critical U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) agencies that oversee food and agriculture systems and respond to threats such as the New World Screwworm across the

Wyden, Merkley, Colleagues Raise Concerns about Food and Nutrition Service Reorganization

May 22, 2026

Oregon senators warn that reorganizations would “further weaken the ability of the agency to administer federal nutrition assistance programs.” Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley today joined Senate colleagues in raising strong concerns about the plan to reorganize the Food and Nutrition Service at the U.S.

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

May 21, 2026

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

Wyden, Merkley, Colleagues Raise Concerns about Trump Administration’s USDA Reorganization

May 15, 2026

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley today joined Senate colleagues in questioning how Trump’s reorganization of the Research, Education, and Economics (REE) mission area at the U.S. Department of Agriculture will affect farmers and ranchers in Oregon and nationwide. “We write with strong concern regarding the

Merkley Remarks at FY27 Forest Service Budget Hearing with Chief Schultz

April 30, 2026

Washington, D.C. – Today, Oregon’s U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley—the Ranking Member of the Senate Interior-Environment Appropriations Subcommittee—delivered the following remarks as prepared for delivery at the hearing reviewing the President’s Fiscal Year 2027 budget request for the U.S. Forest Service with Chief Tom Schultz: Senator Merkley’s remarks, as prepared for