Tag: Bipartisan Actions

Kiggans and Merkley Continue to Support our Nursing Workforce in Light of the Recent Department of Education RISE Committee Final Rule

May 1, 2026

Washington, D.C. — Rep. Jen Kiggans (VA-02) and Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-OR) expressed concern following the Department of Education’s release of its final rule defining which healthcare professions qualify as “professional degrees.” The rule, set to take effect on July 1, 2026, excludes post-baccalaureate nursing programs from this designation. As

At Merkley’s Request, Independent Government Watchdog Launches Investigation into Trump DOJ’s Handling of the Epstein Files

April 28, 2026

Washington, D.C. – In response to a request from Oregon’s U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley, the nonpartisan, independent Government Accountability Office (GAO) has opened an investigation into the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) practices in redacting information from the public release of the Epstein Files. “By illegally disregarding the law, the Trump

Merkley Leads Bipartisan Legislation to Cut Red Tape and Invest in Watershed Projects Due to Extreme Drought

April 8, 2026

Washington, D.C. — Oregon’s U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley—the former Ranking Member on the Appropriations subcommittee that writes our nation’s agriculture funding bill—partnered with U.S. Senators Michael Bennet (D-CO) and Deb Fischer (R-NE) to reintroduce the Healthy Watersheds, Healthy Communities Act. This bipartisan bill would increase the resiliency of American agriculture and communities

Merkley, Cruz, Kim, Curtis Launch Bipartisan Effort to Expand Taiwan’s Drone Production, Support U.S. National Security

March 31, 2026

Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley (D-OR)—a senior member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and past Chair of the Congressional-Executive Commission on China (CECC)—partnered with U.S. Senators Ted Cruz (R-TX), Andy Kim (D-NJ), and John Curtis (R-UT) to introduce bipartisan legislation that expands cooperation between the United States

Merkley, Cassidy, Smith, Marshall to CMS: Work with Congress to Crack Down on Bad-Faith Actors Overcharging Taxpayers for Medicare Advantage

March 30, 2026

Washington, D.C. – Today, Oregon’s U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley, Louisiana’s U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D., Minnesota’s U.S. Senator Tina Smith, and Kansas’ U.S. Senator Roger Marshall sent a bipartisan letter to Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Administrator Mehmet Oz, M.D., urging the agency to work with Congress to

Merkley, Daines Pass Bipartisan Resolution to Designate National Asbestos Awareness Week April 1-7

March 27, 2026

Washington, D.C. – Today, Oregon’s U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley and Montana’s U.S. Senator Steve Daines introduced and passed a bipartisan Senate resolution to designate the first week of April as National Asbestos Awareness Week, emphasizing asbestos exposure prevention, education, and the protection of public health. “All Americans deserve a future

Merkley Celebrates Senate Passage of His Bipartisan Bill to Wipe Out Non-Flushables from Wastewater Infrastructure

March 24, 2026

Washington, D.C. – Today, Oregon’s U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley announced that his bipartisan Wastewater Infrastructure Pollution Prevention and Environmental Safety (WIPPES) Act unanimously passed the Senate. Merkley leads the WIPPES Act with Maine’s U.S. Senator Susan Collins. The WIPPES Act would address health, ecosystem, and wastewater infrastructure concerns caused by the flushing of non-flushable wipes.

Bipartisan Merkley, Sheehy Bill Boosts Transportation and Access to Public Lands

March 18, 2026

Washington, D.C. – Today, Oregon’s U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley and Montana’s U.S. Senator Tim Sheehy led a bipartisan effort to reauthorize the Federal Lands Access Program (FLAP), a popular federal program that provides transportation options to public lands. The Senators’ bipartisan FLAP Reauthorization Act ensures the program will not expire

Merkley Applauds Senate Passage of Housing Provisions to Crack Down on Hedge Fund Control of American Homes

March 12, 2026

Washington, D.C. – Oregon’s U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley—a long-time champion of kicking hedge funds out of the housing market—released the following statement after the Senate passed sweeping housing legislation that includes the first-ever limits on institutional investors purchasing single-family homes: “Housing in our communities should be homes for families, not profit centers

Wyden, Merkley, Crapo Call on Trump to Prioritize Opening Japanese Market to U.S. Potatoes

March 11, 2026

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Ron Wyden, ranking member of the Senate Finance Committee, and Jeff Merkley, ranking member of the Senate Budget Committee, with Finance Committee Chairman Mike Crapo, R-Idaho, today asked Donald Trump to prioritize gaining market access for U.S. fresh potatoes during Japanese Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae’s