Washington, D.C. September 16, 2022 – Oregon’s U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley along with Senator Steve Daines (R-MT) introduced the bipartisan Civilian Conservation Center Enhancement Act. This bill directs the Secretary of Agriculture and the Department of Interior to offer specialized training, specifically wildland firefighter training, to Job Corps Civilian Conservation Center students. “Every year, our wildfire […]
U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley
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Merkley, Bass, Gillibrand, Durbin Introduce Bicameral Bill to Protect Non-Citizen Children in Government Custody
Washington, D.C. July 13, 2022 – Oregon’s U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley, Representative Karen Bass (D-CA-37), and Senators Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) and Dick Durbin (D-IL) teamed up to introduce the bicameral Children’s Safe Welcome Act. This bill establishes new standards to ensure that the safety and well-being of migrant children in government custody are prioritized. The Children’s Safe Welcome Actembeds […]
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Merkley, Interior Department Announce $1 Million and Dedicated Pollinator Center to Address Monarch Butterfly Decline
WASHINGTON, DC, June 23, 2022 – Today, Oregon’s Senator Jeff Merkley and Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland announced a $1 million investment to the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation’s (NFWF) Monarch Butterfly and Pollinator Conservation Fund, and the establishment of a Pollinator Conservation Center at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS). Both projects […]
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Merkley and Kaine Introduce Legislation to Protect American Jobs and Businesses by Ending Debt Limit Hostage Taking
WASHINGTON, D.C. September 23, 2021 – As another debt ceiling showdown approaches, Oregon’s U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley and U.S. Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA) today introduced legislation aimed at ending Congress’ abuse of the debt ceiling as a political hostage. The Protect our Citizens from Reckless Extortion of our Debt and Irresponsible Tactics (Protect our CREDIT) […]
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Merkley, Jayapal, Booker, Markey, Wyden Introduce Legislation to Protect Families’ Freedom, Human Right to Not Be Traumatized
WASHINGTON, D.C. April 29, 2021– Oregon’s U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley today teamed up with U.S. Representative Pramila Jayapal (D-WA-07) and U.S. Senators Cory Booker (D-NJ), Ed Markey (D-MA), and Senator Wyden (D-OR) to introduce the Freedom for Families Act, which would ensure that no child or family is threatened by detention, separation, or emotional trauma because they […]
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Merkley, Welch, Colleagues Press Biden Administration to Stop Big Pharma from Price Gouging American Patients
WASHINGTON, D.C. April 9, 2021 – Oregon’s U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley is teaming up with U.S. Representative Peter Welch (D-VT-AL) to lead a bicameral letter to Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Xavier Becerra asking him to quickly establish a reference pricing program for pharmaceutical drugs, lowering United States’ drug prices to be in […]
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For the People Act Receives First-Ever Senate Hearing, Momentum Builds for Democracy Restoration As Republicans Continue Voter Suppression Strategy
WASHINGTON, D.C. March 26, 2021 – This week, the Senate Rules Committee hosted the first-ever Senate hearing for the For the People Act, sweeping democracy restoration legislation introduced by Oregon’s U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley, Senate Rules Committee Chairwoman Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), and Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer (D-NY). Merkley, Chairwoman Klobuchar, and Leader Schumer each […]
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Merkley, Klobuchar, Schumer Introduce For the People Act to Strengthen Democracy, Put Power Back in the Hands of the American People
WASHINGTON, D.C. March 17, 2021 – Oregon’s U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley teamed up with Rules Committee Chairwoman U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer (D-NY) today to lead their colleagues in introducing S.1., the For the People Act—a sweeping package of comprehensive reforms that would end special interest corruption of our […]
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Merkley, Booker, Baldwin Announce Senate Introduction of Landmark, Urgently Needed LGBTQ Rights Bill
Washington, D.C. February 18, 2021 – Oregon’s U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley teamed up with Senators Cory Booker (D-NJ) and Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) today to announced the upcoming Senate introduction of the Equality Act—historic, comprehensive legislation to ban discrimination against LGBTQ Americans, just as religious, racial, and gender discrimination are illegal everywhere in the United States. […]
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Following Trump Team’s Unprecedented Corruption, Lawmakers Urge Incoming Biden Administration to Set New, High Ethical Standard
WASHINGTON, D.C. December 21, 2020 – – In the wake of the Trump administration’s widespread corruption, self-dealing, and law-breaking, U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley, Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), and Edward J. Markey (D-MA)—a group of senators who have long championed strong federal ethics standards and the For the People Act—are urging the incoming Biden administration to champion critical […]
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As Deadline Approaches for ICE to Release Children From Custody, Merkley Calls on Administration to Keep Children With Their Families
WASHINGTON, D.C. July 15, 2020– Oregon’s U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley, a leading advocate for child asylum seekers in the U.S., released the following statement in advance of a July 17 court-ordered deadline for Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to release children from custody at family internment camps in Texas and Pennsylvania. While the children must […]
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Merkley Slams Trump’s Self-Defeating Retreat from the WHO
WASHINGTON, D.C. May 29, 2020 – Oregon’s U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley, the top Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee’s subcommittee overseeing multilateral institutions, released the following statement after President Trump announced this afternoon that he would cut off U.S. funding for and withdraw the United States from the World Health Organization (WHO). In January, […]