In the wake of Donald Trump’s unlawful executive order attacking vote by mail and absentee ballots, Jeff is fighting to protect Oregonians’ right to cast their ballot by mail.
Jeff called on the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) to uphold federal law in the face of the President’s illegal executive order. Trump’s order attempts to turn the Postal Service into a federal election administrator and regulator, and override the agency’s nonpartisan priority to deliver the mail. It’s a blatant and unlawful attack on vote by mail.
Jeff also co-sponsored the Absentee and Mail Voter Protection Act to defend the right to vote by mail and uphold election integrity. The Trump Administration’s anti-voter executive order threatens to silence voters by allowing the President to interfere with lawful ballots. This bill would stop that plot in its tracks.
Folks in red and blue states alike have voted by mail for decades. It’s a safe, secure way to make your voice heard in the big government decisions that affect your life. Jeff will continue to fight for integrity in our elections, and the highest integrity system is vote by mail. The ballot box is the beating heart of our democracy, and Jeff is working to protect the right of every eligible voter to make their voice heard.
Despite these attacks by Trump, vote by mail remains a safe, secure way for Oregonians to cast their ballots, and has been unchanged by the Trump Administration’s orders up until this point. Jeff is working to keep it that way.
Fighting for Justice for Epstein’s Victims
In response to a request from Jeff and a bipartisan group of his Senate colleagues, the nonpartisan, independent Government Accountability Office (GAO) opened an investigation into the Department of Justice’s handling of the Epstein Files.
Jeff led the charge in passing the Epstein Files Transparency Act, which became law at the end of last year. The Justice Department then ignored the disclosure deadlines laid out in the bill, disregarding the law and cruelly denying justice for the victims and transparency to the public.
This independent investigation is a critical step in holding the Trump Administration accountable for siding with the privileged and powerful to help cover up brutal abuse. Jeff will keep fighting with all tools available to him to deliver accountability for abusers, justice for Jeffrey Epstein’s victims, and transparency for the American people.
Delivering for Oregon
Jeff is working to support folks across Oregon by fighting for the priorities that keep our communities and economy moving forward.
Here are a few ways Jeff delivered for Oregon in April:
The Secure Rural Schools program, created by Oregon’s own Senator Wyden, is a lifeline for rural communities across our state and across our country. Jeff and Senator Wyden worked together to secure nearly $49 million in federal funds to support schools, public safety, and wildfire mitigation and preparedness in Oregon’s rural communities.
Droughts fueled by climate chaos are depleting water sources for our communities, farms, fish, and wildlife. We need urgent investments in our irrigation systems, which is why Jeff is leading the charge to invest in watershed projects with his bipartisan Healthy Watersheds, Healthy Communities Act.
Jeff called out Donald Trump’s Forest Service “reorganization” as a plan to gut the agency ahead of wildfire season and keep folks in Oregon and across the country from having a say in how we protect public lands. He led colleagues in raising concerns to the Forest Service directly and will continue to lead the fight against reorganization in his role as the lead Democrat on the Interior Appropriations Subcommittee.
The salmon-killing chemical 6PPD, also known as Toxic Tire Dust, is a disaster for our ecosystems, our economy, and Tribal communities. As the lead Democrat on the Senate Environment and Public Works subcommittee overseeing environmental justice and chemical safety, Jeff is sounding the alarm on the huge threats posed by 6PPD and leading efforts to bring together federal, state, Tribal, and industry voices to find a safe alternative.
Jeff will continue to fight for Oregonians in every corner of the state and make sure families have the foundations they need to thrive.
Town Hall Wrap-up
Jeff hit the road for town halls in Malheur, Harney, Grant, Baker, Wallowa, Union, Umatilla, Morrow, and Wheeler counties. These community conversations are a chance for Oregonians to share their ideas for how to move our state and our country forward.
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Senator Merkley speaking with Oregonians in Union County.
Jeff holds a town hall meeting in each of Oregon’s 36 counties every year and meets with thousands of Oregonians during these open-to-all events. These town hall meetings are key to informing Jeff’s work on behalf of Oregon in the U.S. Senate.
Focusing on Foundations for Working People
Jeff led the charge against the Republican budget resolution, which would enable a reconciliation bill to provide up to $140 billion to Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP), even though the agencies have more than $100 billion in unspent funds. This budget resolution totally ignores the skyrocketing costs that are pushing families in Oregon and across the country against the wall.
WATCH Jeff’s floor speech on the Republican proposed budget resolution.
During an all-night vote-a-rama, Jeff and his Democratic colleagues introduced amendment after amendment to support the foundations families need to thrive: health care, education, housing, and good paying jobs. Republicans blocked every single amendment.
The fight isn’t over, and as the top Democrat on the Senate Budget Committee, Jeff will fight every step of the way for policies that help families thrive and hold Trump’s lawless agencies accountable.
Thank you!
Thank you for reading — and don’t forget, you can see the latest updates by liking Jeff on Facebook and following Jeff on Instagram, Bluesky, and Twitter. And be sure to check Merkley.senate.gov for more information on upcoming town halls and current events.