Jeff Merkley is an American politician currently serving as the junior United States Senator from Oregon, a position he has held since his election in 2008. As a member of the Democratic Party, Merkley previously served in the Oregon House of Representatives from 1999 to 2009, representing the 47th district. He also held the position of Speaker of the Oregon House during the final two years of his service there.
Senator Jeff Merkley addressed war, the economy, and youth mental health at a town hall in Sisters, Oregon. He also spoke about Trump and protesting. Republicans are also vying to unseat Bentz.
Jeff Merkley speech surpassed fellow Oregon Senator Wayne Morse's record from 1953 and was the fourth-longest in Senate history.
On October 24, 1956, Jeffrey Alan Merkley was born. He is an American politician and the junior United States senator from Oregon.
From 1960 to 1967, Maurine Brown Neuberger served alongside Wayne Morse.
From 1960 to 1967, Maurine Brown Neuberger served alongside Wayne Morse.
In 1968, Bob Packwood defeated Wayne Morse, an event referenced as the last time an incumbent Oregon senator was unseated before Merkley defeated Smith.
In 1979, Jeff Merkley received a Bachelor of Arts degree in international relations from Stanford University.
In 1982, Jeff Merkley earned a Master of Public Affairs degree from the Woodrow Wilson School at Princeton University.
In 1991, Jeff Merkley returned to Portland and served as executive director of Portland Habitat for Humanity.
In 1994, Jeff Merkley ended his service as executive director of Portland Habitat for Humanity.
In 2002, the 16th district in east Portland, where Jeff Merkley was a representative, was renumbered as the 47th district after redistricting.
On August 1, 2007, Jeff Merkley announced that he would run for the U.S. Senate in the 2008 election.
In December 2007, Jeff Merkley was endorsed by the Oregon AFL-CIO, the state's largest labor federation, citing his voting record and electability.
In July 2008, a Rasmussen poll showed Jeff Merkley leading Gordon Smith, albeit within the margin of error, in the Senate race.
In 2008, Jeff Merkley became the first federal candidate to be cross-nominated by the Independent Party of Oregon.
In 2008, Jeff Merkley defeated two-term Republican incumbent U.S. senator Gordon Smith.
On January 3, 2009, Jeff Merkley was sworn in as a senator, marking the first time since 1967 that Oregon was represented in the Senate by two Democrats.
In February 2010, Jeff Merkley was a founding signatory of a petition to use reconciliation to pass legislation providing for a government-run health insurance program. Merkley also championed legislation that gives nursing mothers flexible break times and private space to pump breast milk at work.
In late February 2010, Jeff Merkley tried to persuade Republican colleague Jim Bunning to drop his objection to passing a 30-day extension of unemployment benefits for jobless Americans, but was unsuccessful.
In December 2010, Jeff Merkley voted for the ratification of New Start, a nuclear arms reduction treaty between the U.S. and Russia. This treaty obliged both countries to limit their strategic warheads and launchers, and it included provisions for on-site inspections, marking the first arms treaty with Russia in eight years.
In 2010, Jeff Merkley cosponsored legislation to repeal Don't Ask Don't Tell (DADT), which allowed gay Americans to serve openly in the military.
In 2010, Jeff Merkley criticized the Supreme Court case Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission for allowing unlimited independent political spending by corporations.
In 2010, Jeff Merkley, along with Senators Tom Carper, Tom Udall, and Michael Bennet, introduced the Oil Independence for a Stronger America Act, which aimed to achieve complete independence from overseas oil by 2030. This act promoted American energy independence and investment in alternative energy sources.
In late 2010, Jeff Merkley began circulating a proposal about the need to filibuster in order to block legislation.
On January 5, 2011, Jeff Merkley, along with Senators Tom Udall and Tom Harkin, introduced a resolution to increase debate and accountability in the Senate. The resolution aimed to eliminate the filibuster on motions to proceed, eliminate secret holds, guarantee amendment consideration for both majority and minority, require a "talking filibuster", and expedite the nominations process. Merkley expressed that the Senate was failing to fulfill its legislative responsibilities.
In March 2011, Jeff Merkley cosponsored the Respect for Marriage Act (RFMA) aimed at repealing the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA). Along with other RFMA cosponsors, Merkley released a video for the It Gets Better Project, an anti-bullying initiative for LGBTQIA+ youth.
In November 2011, Jeff Merkley led an effort to urge President Obama to expedite the transition of responsibility for military and security operations to the government of Afghanistan.
In 2011, Jeff Merkley and Senator Lamar Alexander introduced the Promoting Electric Vehicles Act. This bill was designed to provide short-term incentives for the rapid development and production of electric vehicles.
In 2011, Jeff Merkley introduced a bill to reform the filibuster, joined by Senators Tom Udall and Tom Harkin.
During the Postal Reform Act debate in the Senate in April 2012, Jeff Merkley led an effort to pass an amendment imposing a one-year moratorium on the closure of most rural post offices. The bill then would prohibit the closure of post offices more than 10 miles from another post office and impose other limitations on closures.
In May 2012, Jeff Merkley and Carl Levin pushed regulators to stiffen their draft language on the Volcker Rule provisions, prompted by a $2 billion trading loss at JPMorgan Chase & Co. The Volcker Rule, part of the Dodd-Frank Act, aims to prevent high-risk trading by banks that could jeopardize the banking system.
In July 2012, Jeff Merkley and six other senators sponsored the Disclose Act, which would require public disclosure of political donors who give $10,000 or more, in response to the Supreme court's decision not to revisit the Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission case.
In July 2012, Jeff Merkley proposed a refinancing plan for homeowners who owe more than their houses are worth. The plan would allow any homeowner current on their mortgage to refinance into a 4% mortgage for 15 years or a 5% mortgage for 30 years, aiming to speed up the recovery of the housing market.
In August 2013, Jeff Merkley was one of 23 Democratic senators to sign a letter to the Department of Defense warning about predatory loan products offered to service members.
In May 2014, Jeff Merkley was one of 11 senators to sign a letter to FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler, days before the FCC was scheduled to rewrite its net neutrality rules. The letter charged that Wheeler's proposal would destroy net neutrality and urged the FCC to consider reclassifying Internet providers to regulate them more broadly, similar to traditional phone companies.
In 2014, Jeff Merkley was reelected to the Senate, defeating Republican nominee Monica Wehby.
In July 2015, Jeff Merkley was one of eight senators to sign a letter to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce requesting they cease lobbying against anti-smoking regulations, asserting that their opposition was contrary to United States foreign policy and global health goals.
In 2015, Jeff Merkley's first cousin's great-granddaughter, Rebecka Ann Carnes, was among the nine people killed in the Umpqua Community College shooting.
In October 2017, Jeff Merkley was one of 19 senators to sign a letter to EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt questioning Pruitt's decision to repeal the Clean Power Plan and its costs to comply with the 2015 Rule.
In December 2016, Jeff Merkley was one of 17 senators to sign a letter to then President-elect Trump, requesting him to fulfill his campaign pledge to lower prescription drug costs. They expressed their willingness to collaborate on measures to achieve this goal.
In December 2016, Jeff Merkley was one of five senators to vote against the Obama administration-supported 21st Century Cures Act, a legislation increasing funding for disease research while addressing flaws in the American mental health systems and altering drugs and medical devices' regulatory system.
In 2016, Jeff Merkley was the only U.S. senator to endorse Bernie Sanders in the Democratic presidential primaries.
In 2016, Jeff Merkley was the only member of the Senate to endorse Bernie Sanders in his bid for the Democratic nomination for president.
In February 2017, Jeff Merkley was one of 11 senators who signed a letter to U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions expressing concern about allegations of collusion between the Trump campaign and the Russian government. The senators requested an independent Special Counsel to investigate these allegations, including those related to Michael Flynn's resignation.
On April 4, 2017, Jeff Merkley held the Senate floor for 15 hours and 28 minutes in protest of the confirmation of Neil Gorsuch to the Supreme Court.
In April 2017, Jeff Merkley filibustered for 15 hours in protest of Neil Gorsuch's nomination, calling it a "stolen seat" due to the Senate Republicans blocking President Obama's nomination of Merrick Garland.
In June 2017, Jeff Merkley voted for a resolution by Rand Paul and Chris Murphy that would block Trump's $510 million sale of precision-guided munitions to Saudi Arabia, which was part of a larger $110 billion arms sale announced the previous year.
In October 2017, Jeff Merkley was one of 19 senators to sign a letter to EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt questioning Pruitt's decision to repeal the Clean Power Plan, asserting that the repeal's proposal used "mathematical sleights of hand to over-state the costs of industry compliance with the 2015 Rule and understate the benefits that will be lost if the 2017 repeal is finalized".
In January 2018, Jeff Merkley was one of 10 senators to sign a letter to Trump encouraging him to protect and expand 'Buy America' laws. The letter asserted that infrastructure proposals should ensure the use of American-made materials and fair wages for workers.
In March 2018, Jeff Merkley spearheaded a letter, co-signed by nine other senators, criticizing FCC Chairman Ajit Pai's proposal to reduce the benefits from the Lifeline program, which provided high-speed internet access to approximately 6.5 million individuals in impoverished communities. The senators, led by Merkley, asserted that it was Pai's responsibility to enhance the Lifeline program and ensure more Americans have affordable access to broadband and phone service. They advocated for extending Lifeline's reach to more Americans requiring communication services.
In March 2018, Jeff Merkley voted against tabling a resolution that would have required Trump to withdraw American troops from Yemen within 30 days unless they were combating Al-Qaeda.
In June 2018, Jeff Merkley attempted to enter the Casa Padre processing facility in Brownsville, Texas, where children separated from their parents were being detained, but was not permitted to enter.
In June 2018, Jeff Merkley attempted to visit a facility holding the children of jailed adults who had attempted to cross the border to seek asylum, but was denied entrance.
On June 28, 2018, Jeff Merkley was the only member of the Senate Appropriations Committee to vote against the $675 billion Pentagon spending bill for fiscal 2019.
As of July 2018, many children who were separated under the Trump administration's policy still had not been reunited with their parents.
In August 2018, Jeff Merkley was one of 17 senators to sign a letter to Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen demanding the Trump administration take action to reunite migrant children with their families.
In September 2018, Jeff Merkley cosponsored the Climate Risk Disclosure Act along with other senators. The bill, as stated by cosponsor Elizabeth Warren, aimed to use market forces to accelerate the transition from fossil fuels to cleaner energy, thereby reducing the risk of environmental and financial disasters without using taxpayer money.
In October 2018, Jeff Merkley was one of 20 senators to sign a letter to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, urging him to reverse the rolling back of a policy that granted visas to same-sex partners of LGBTQIA+ diplomats whose unions were not recognized by their home countries.
In October 2018, Jeff Merkley was one of seven senators to sign a letter to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo expressing concern over the Trump administration's certifications regarding Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates' compliance with U.S. laws on arms sales in Yemen.
In November 2018, Jeff Merkley was among 25 Democratic senators who cosponsored a resolution that specified key findings from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report and the National Climate Assessment. The resolution signified the senators' acceptance of these findings and their commitment to taking bold action to address climate change.
In December 2018, Jeff Merkley voted for the First Step Act, a legislation aimed at reducing recidivism rates among federal prisoners by expanding job training and other programs. This included an expansion of early-release programs and modifications on sentencing laws for nonviolent drug offenders.
In December 2018, Jeff Merkley was among 21 senators to sign a letter to Food and Drugs Commissioner Scott Gottlieb expressing approval of the FDA's actions to limit youth access to e-cigarettes and urging the agency to take further steps to reduce e-cigarette use among young people.
In December 2018, Jeff Merkley was one of 26 senators to sign a letter expressing concern over the Trump administration's decision to suspend its obligations in the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty. The letter called on President Trump to continue arms negotiations and voiced concern about abandoning bipartisan U.S. leadership in reducing nuclear weapons.
In December 2018, Jeff Merkley was one of 42 senators to sign a letter to Trump administration officials arguing that the administration was improperly using Section 1332 of the Affordable Care Act to authorize states to "increase health care costs for millions of consumers while weakening protections for individuals with preexisting conditions."
In April 2019, Jeff Merkley was one of 34 senators to sign a letter to President Trump encouraging him to reverse a decision that would damage national security and aggravate conditions inside Central America preventing the use of Fiscal Year 2018 national security funding.
In January 2019, Jeff Merkley was among 40 senators who introduced the Background Check Expansion Act, a bill requiring background checks for the sale or transfer of all firearms, including by unlicensed sellers, with certain exceptions for transfers between law enforcement, temporary loans for hunting or sporting events, transfers to immediate family members, inheritances, and temporary transfers for immediate self-defense.
In January 2019, Jeff Merkley was one of 20 senators to sponsor the Dreamer Confidentiality Act, imposing a ban on DHS from passing information collected on DACA recipients.
In February 2019, Jeff Merkley was one of 23 Democratic senators to introduce the State Public Option Act, a bill that would authorize states to form a Medicaid buy-in program for all residents, allowing them to buy into a state-driven Medicaid health insurance plan if they wished.
In February 2019, Jeff Merkley was one of 38 senators to sign a letter to Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Lindsey Graham, calling for a hearing on universal background checks. The letter also noted Graham's intention to have the committee work on 'red flag' legislation and potentially background checks.
On February 28, 2019, Jeff Merkley introduced a resolution prohibiting American military intervention in Venezuela without Congress's approval. He called for Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro to resign and for new elections to be held under an interim government.
In March 2019, Jeff Merkley cosponsored a bipartisan bill aimed at mandating the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to declare per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances as hazardous, which would allow for cleanup funds via the EPA Superfund law. The bill would also require polluters to undertake or pay for remediation within a year of the bill's enactment.
In March 2019, Jeff Merkley sponsored the Climate Security Act of 2019 with 11 other senators. This legislation aimed to create a new group within the State Department focused on integrating climate science and data into national security strategies. It also sought to reinstate the position of special envoy for the Arctic, which had been eliminated in 2017, to advise on climate's potential effects on national security and facilitate communication between federal science and security agencies.
In March 2019, Jeff Merkley was one of 38 senators to sign a letter to Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue, warning about market instability faced by dairy farmers and urging the department to encourage farmers to consider the Dairy Margin Coverage program.
In April 2019, Jeff Merkley was one of 11 senators to sign a letter to Juul CEO Kevin Burns asserting that the company had "lost what little remaining credibility the company had when it claimed to care about the public health" and that they would not rest until Juul's "dangerous products are out of the hands of our nation's children".
In April 2019, Jeff Merkley was one of 34 senators to sign a letter to President Trump encouraging him to reverse a decision that would damage national security and aggravate conditions inside Central America.
In April 2019, Jeff Merkley was one of 41 senators to sign a bipartisan letter praising the Housing and Urban Development Department's Section 4 Capacity Building program and expressing disappointment at Trump's budget which slated the program for elimination.
In June 2019, Jeff Merkley was among 19 Democratic senators who sent a letter to USDA Inspector General (IG) Phyllis K. Fong requesting an investigation into USDA instances of retaliation and political decision-making, asserting that failure to investigate could be seen as part of the administration's pattern of undermining scientific data produced by its scientists.
In June 2019, Jeff Merkley was one of 15 senators to introduce the Affordable Medications Act, a legislation intended to promote transparency in pharmaceutical pricing and allow Medicare to negotiate lower drug prices.
In June 2019, Jeff Merkley was one of 18 senators to sign a letter to Secretary of State Pompeo requesting an explanation for the State Department's decision not to issue a statement commemorating Pride Month or the annual cable outlining activities for embassies. They also questioned why the LGBTQIA+ special envoy position remained vacant.
In June 2019, Jeff Merkley was one of eight senators to sponsor the Made in America Act, which would mandate that materials used in federally funded infrastructure projects be domestically produced. The bill aimed to strengthen Buy America requirements and support American workers.
In July 2019, Jeff Merkley introduced the Agricultural Trucking Relief Act along with seven other senators. The bill aimed to alter the definition of an agricultural commodity to include horticultural and aquacultural products and to ease regulatory burdens on trucking within the agri-community.
In August 2019, Jeff Merkley was one of 19 senators to sign a letter to Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin and Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar requesting data on the potential consequences of the Texas v. United States Affordable Care Act lawsuit, emphasizing the impact on people and state budgets.
In 2019, Jeff Merkley was among 35 senators who introduced the Child Care for Working Families Act. This legislation aimed to create new child care jobs, ensure affordable child care for low-income families, support universal access to high-quality preschool programs, and improve compensation and training for child care workers.
On June 28, 2018, Jeff Merkley was the only member of the Senate Appropriations Committee to vote against the $675 billion Pentagon spending bill for fiscal 2019.
In August 2020, the Senate Democrats' Special Committee on the Climate Crisis, of which Jeff Merkley was a member, published a report detailing its findings on the climate crisis.
In 2020, Jeff Merkley expressed hope that the housing subcommittee would support continued funding for Section 4 in Fiscal Year 2020.
In 2020, Jeff Merkley was reelected to the Senate, defeating Republican nominee Jo Rae Perkins.
On October 27, 2022, Jeff Merkley and Representative Jim McGovern urged U.S. financial executives to cancel their attendance at the Global Financial Leaders' Investment Summit, citing concerns over the dismantling of Hong Kong's autonomy and rule of law.
In December 2023, Jeff Merkley introduced the End Hedge Fund Control of American Homes Act of 2023 to the Senate. This legislation would require hedge funds to sell at least 10% of the single-family homes they own each year over a 10-year period. After this period, hedge funds will be banned from owning any single-family homes.
In 2023, during the Gaza war, Jeff Merkley was one of three U.S. senators who called for a ceasefire, along with Dick Durbin and Peter Welch.
In January 2024, Jeff Merkley voted for a resolution proposed by Bernie Sanders to apply human rights provisions to U.S. aid to Israel's military. The proposal was ultimately defeated.
In April 2025, Jeff Merkley voted for resolutions proposed by Bernie Sanders to cancel the Trump administration's sales of $8.8 billion in bombs and other munitions to Israel. The proposals were defeated.
On October 21–22, 2025, Jeff Merkley held the Senate floor for an extended period (22 hours and 36 minutes) as he spoke against what he called Donald Trump's "authoritarianism" and "tyranny".
In 2010, Senator Merkley aimed to achieve complete independence from overseas oil by 2030 through the introduction of the Oil Independence for a Stronger America Act.
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