Tag: Agriculture

Merkley Blasts Senate Republicans for ‘Make America Hungry Agenda’

November 3, 2025

Merkley, Schumer resolution demanding Trump prevent millions of Americans from going hungry blocked on the Senate Floor Washington, D.C. – Oregon’s U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley today denounced Senate Republicans for blocking his resolution with Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) to force President Trump to immediately use all congressionally approved funding to keep families from going hungry. “President Trump has

Merkley, Schumer, Bonamici, Hayes, 44 Senate Democrats Pressure Trump, Senate Republicans to Fully Turn on Nutrition Assistance for Millions

November 3, 2025

Merkley, Schumer lead Senate resolution demanding Trump to open resources for millions of Americans Washington, D.C. – After benefits from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) for roughly 42 million Americans were stopped over the weekend due to the ongoing Republican-led government shutdown, Oregon’s U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley and Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) today

Merkley, Wyden, Entire Senate Democratic Caucus: Trump Administration Must Stop Illegally Withholding Funding for Nutrition Assistance Programs That Feed American Families

October 31, 2025

President Trump: “We can do things during the shutdown that are irreversible and bad for them like cutting vast numbers of people out. Cutting things they like, cutting programs they like.” The Trump administration is required by law to use billions in available funding to keep SNAP benefits flowing in November; USDA’s

Wyden, Merkley, Colleagues Urge Trump USDA to Immediately Release November SNAP Benefits

October 23, 2025

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley (both D-OR) today urged the Trump administration to release the billions of dollars at its disposal to ensure Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits continue next month in Oregon and nationwide. “We were deeply disturbed to hear that the

Wyden, Merkley Lead Colleagues in Calling on Senate Leaders to Protect Hemp Legalization in Government Funding Bill

September 16, 2025

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley today led their Senate colleagues in calling on Senate leadership to make sure no government spending bill re-criminalizes hemp products, and instead work together to consider legislation that would fully regulate these products and improve consumer safety. In 2018, Wyden

Ranking Members Merkley, Heinrich, Klobuchar, Murray Demand Answers from Forest Service Chief on How Taxpayer Dollars are Being Used to Fund Workforce Reduction Programs

September 11, 2025

Washington, D.C. – Oregon’s U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley, Ranking Member of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies, was joined by Ranking Member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources Martin Heinrich, Ranking Member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Amy

Risch, Merkley Advocate for Urban Canal Repairs

September 10, 2025

Introduce Bill to Expand Access to Existing Aging Infrastructure Funds for Repairs WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Jim Risch (R-Idaho) and Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) today introduced the Urban Canal Modernization Act to allow Bureau of Reclamation aging infrastructure funding to help address repairs for urban canals with extraordinary maintenance issues. “Failure to

Merkley, Wyden, Padilla, Bonamici, Bipartisan Colleagues Urge Administration to Release $52.1 Million in Federal Education Funds for Agricultural Farmworker Students

September 10, 2025

Washington, D.C. – Oregon’s U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden, California’s U.S. Senator Alex Padilla, and U.S. Representative Suzanne Bonamici (OR-01) today led 26 lawmakers to demand Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Director Russell Vought and Education Secretary Linda McMahon immediately release $52,123,000 for the High School Equivalency

Dexter Leads Oregon Lawmakers in Standing Up for Wildfire Response and Research

September 3, 2025

Oregon lawmakers warn USDA plan would weaken wildfire response, disrupt critical research, and jeopardize 246 local jobs. WASHINGTON, D.C. — Congresswoman Maxine Dexter (OR-03) today led a letter with Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley, and Representatives Suzanne Bonamici (OR-01), Val Hoyle (OR-04), Andrea Salinas (OR-06) and Janelle Bynum (OR-05) that

Merkley Pushes to Protect Soil, Water Sources Used in Farming from Microplastics

July 29, 2025

Washington, D.C. – To close out his push throughout July to tackle the plastic pollution crisis, Oregon’s U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley today reintroduced his Research for Healthy Soils Act. This legislation would unlock federal funding at the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Research Service to conduct research on microplastics in biosolids and help us better understand their potential impacts