Ranking Member Press
Merkley Blasts Trump Administration for Invoking Illegal Maneuver to Claw Back Bipartisan, Congressionally Appropriated Foreign Aid
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Ranking Member of the Senate Budget Committee, released the below statement after President Donald Trump announced plans to use an illegal, unconstitutional tactic known as a “pocket recission” to cancel billions in funding that Congress has appropriated. “Trump just made it clear that he is going to use an illegal and unconstitutional tactic known as a ‘pocket rescission’ to claw back bipartisan, congressionally appropriated funding. … Continue Reading
08.18.25
Trump’s Big, Beautiful-for-Billionaires Law Triggers $536 Billion Cut to Medicare Over Next Decade
Washington, D.C. - In Case You Missed It: the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office released a letter on Friday at the request of Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Ranking Member of the Senate Finance Committee Ron Wyden (D-OR), Ranking Member of the Senate Budget Committee Jeff Merkley (D-OR), and Ranking Member of the House Budget Committee Brendan F. Boyle (D-PA) confirming that by exploding the deficit, President Trump’s Big, Beautiful-for-Billionaires Law will automatically trigger the S… Continue Reading
08.11.25
New CBO Analysis Confirms Republicans’ Big Ugly Law Steals from the Poor, Gives to the Ultra-Rich
WASHINGTON, D.C. - A new report from the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO) confirms that President Trump’s Big Ugly Law overwhelmingly benefits the ultra-rich, while working Americans pay the price. The report makes clear that the Big Ugly Law steals from working families to hand billionaires massive tax breaks. This report was requested by Senate Budget Committee Ranking Member Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffri… Continue Reading
08.05.25
Merkley Statement on GAO Determination That Trump Administration Violated the Impoundment Control Act by Withholding NIH Grant Funding
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, the nonpartisan Government Accountability Office (GAO) published additional findings that the Trump Administration has violated the Impoundment Control Act by withholding appropriated National Institutes of Health (NIH) grant funding. U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Ranking Member of the Senate Budget Committee, released the following statement. “Withholding National Institutes of Health grant funding - that was appropriated by Congress and signed into law by the Pre… Continue Reading
08.04.25
CBO Tells Merkley: When Including Interest and Assuming Temporary Tax Provisions Are Made Permanent, “One Big, Beautiful Bill” Adds $5 Trillion to Debt
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO) told U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Ranking Member of the Senate Budget Committee, that when accounting for interest costs and assuming the temporary tax provisions of the “One Big, Beautiful Bill” are instead made permanent, the debt will increase by $5 trillion over the next 10 years. Recently, CBO released analysis showing that the bill will add $3.4 trillion to the debt excluding the increased interest on the nati… Continue Reading
07.31.25
Merkley Statement on Additional GAO Determination That Trump Administration Again Violated the Impoundment Control Act
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, the nonpartisan Government Accountability Office (GAO) published additional findings that the Trump Administration has violated the Impoundment Control Act by withholding appropriated funding for the Department of Energy’s Renew America’s Schools Program, which is intended to help K-12 public schools make necessary energy infrastructure improvements across the country. U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Ranking Member of the Senate Budget Committee, released the followin… Continue Reading
07.30.25
After Republicans Passed The Largest Healthcare Cut In History And On The 60th Anniversary Of The Creation Of Medicaid And Medicare, Ranking Member Merkley, Leader Schumer, And Senate Democrats Introduce Legislation To Reverse Devastating Healthcare Cuts In Republicans’ “Big, Ugly Betrayal”
WASHINGTON, D.C. - After Republicans passed legislation earlier this month that would kick more than 15 million people off their health insurance and totals more than one trillion dollars in healthcare cuts, Senate Democrats are fighting back and pushing to reverse these devastating cuts and extend tax credits to make health care affordable. Today, Ranking Member of the Budget Committee, Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), along with Ranking Member of the Finance … Continue Reading
07.23.25
Merkley, Boyle, Durbin, Kaine Introduce Legislation to Prevent Future Debt Ceiling Hostage Taking
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Ranking Member of the Senate Budget Committee, and U.S. Representative Brendan F. Boyle (D-PA-2), Ranking Member of the House Budget Committee, introduced legislation that would end the political brinkmanship around the debt ceiling and allow for a process to suspend the debt ceiling, subject to a congressional override. In addition to Senator Merkley and Congressman Boyle, U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tim Kaine (D-VA) are cospo… Continue Reading
07.23.25
Merkley Statement on GAO’s Determination Showing the Trump Administration Again Violated the Impoundment Control Act by Withholding Funding for Head Start
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) published an additional finding that the Trump Administration has violated the Impoundment Control Act by withholding appropriated funding for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Head Start program, which promotes school readiness, nutrition, and health of children from low-income families, including infants, toddlers, and pregnant women. U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Ranking Member of the Senate Budget Commit… Continue Reading
07.21.25
CBO Reports the Final “One Big, Beautiful Bill” Tally Will Add $3.4 Trillion to Deficits Over 10 Years
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Ranking Member of the Senate Budget Committee, released the below statement following analysis from the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO) showing that the final version of the “One Big, Beautiful Bill” that was signed into law will increase the debt by $3.4 trillion over the next 10 years, not including the increased interest costs of servicing the larger debt. “This law is devastating for our national debt and our country’… Continue Reading
07.18.25
Merkley, Sanders, Pallone, Boyle Statement on CBO’s Analysis Showing That Trump’s Proposed Cuts to NIH, FDA Will Mean Fewer Medications
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Ranking Member of the Senate Budget Committee, and Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Ranking Member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee; and U.S. Representatives Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ), Ranking Member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, and Brendan F. Boyle (D-PA), Ranking Member of the House Budget Committee, released the below statement following new analysis from the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) showi… Continue Reading
07.17.25
Merkley Statement on Senate Republicans Rubber Stamping the Trump Administration’s Disastrous DOGE Cuts
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S Senator Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Ranking Member of the Senate Budget Committee and a senior member of the Senate Appropriations and Senate Foreign Relations Committees, released the following statement after Senate Republicans capitulated to the disastrous cuts proposed by the Trump Administration and intended to appease Elon Musk and the “Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).” This package will dismantle America’s foreign assistance infrastructure, including by effectiv… Continue Reading
07.03.25
Merkley: House Republicans Stand with Billionaires, Continue the Great Betrayal of Working Families
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Ranking Member of the Senate Budget Committee, issued the below statement after the House of Representatives passed the “One Big, Beautiful Bill.” “After Senate Republicans refused to stand with working families, House Republicans followed their lead and passed this disastrous bill where families lose, and billionaires win,” said Ranking Member Jeff Merkley. “Trump campaigned on fighting for working families, but Congressional Republic… Continue Reading
07.01.25
Merkley Statement on Senate Republicans Passing the “One Big, Beautiful Bill”
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Ranking Member of the Senate Budget Committee, released the following statement after Senate Republicans passed the Senate-version of the “One Big, Beautiful Bill.” “Families lose; billionaires win. That’s the heart of the Republican budget bill. Over the last 27 hours as we voted, Senate Republicans had several opportunities to change course and amend this Big Beautiful Betrayal of a bill to actually help working families. At every opportuni… Continue Reading
06.30.25
Merkley, Wyden Blast Republicans for Defunding Planned Parenthood in Trump’s Big Bad Bill
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Senate Budget Committee Ranking Member Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., and Senate Finance Committee Ranking Member Ron Wyden, D-Ore., today issued the following statement after the Senate Parliamentarian ruled that a Republican provision to defund Planned Parenthood could remain in the Senate reconciliation bill: “Republicans will stop at nothing in their crusade to take control of women’s bodies and deny them the right to make their own health care decisions,” the senators said. “Repu… Continue Reading
06.29.25
All Week, Merkley Has Sounded the Alarm on Republicans’ Attempt to Invoke a Budget Gimmick
WASHINGTON, D.C. - This week, U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Ranking Member of the Senate Budget Committee, has gone to the Senate floor several times to urge his Republican colleagues to preserve honest budgeting and to reject the abuse of section 312 authority in the Budget Act. Republicans are attempting to interpret this section as allowing the Budget Chair to unilaterally rewrite the baseline using “magic math” to pretend their tax cuts for billionaires will cost very little. In reality,… Continue Reading
06.29.25
CBO Tells Merkley that Republicans’ “One Big, Beautiful Bill” is Out of Compliance with the Rules of Reconciliation
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO) told U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Ranking Member of the Senate Budget Committee, that the Republicans’ “One Big, Beautiful Bill” is out of compliance with the rules of reconciliation, both by exceeding the spending limits outlined in their budget resolution by trillions of dollars, and by adding to the deficit beyond the 10-year window. CBO estimates under a current law baseline, this bill will add more than $3.2 tr… Continue Reading
06.29.25
Byrd Bath Violations Continue to Roll in on Republicans’ “One Big, Beautiful Bill”
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, the Senate Parliamentarian again advised that several provisions in the Republicans’ “One Big, Beautiful Bill,” would be subject to a 60-vote threshold if they remain in the bill. The below provisions are under the Finance Committee’s jurisdiction. “We have been successful in removing parts of this bill that hurt families and workers, but the process is not over, and Democrats are continuing to make the case against every provision in this Big, Beautiful Betrayal of a … Continue Reading
06.27.25
Senate Parliamentarian Advises on More Byrd Bath Violations in Republicans’ “One Big, Beautiful Bill”
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, the Senate Parliamentarian again advised that several provisions in the Republicans’ “One Big, Beautiful Bill,” would be subject to a 60-vote threshold if they remain in the bill. The below provisions are under the following jurisdictions: Judiciary Committee and Commerce Committee. “We have been successful in removing parts of this bill that hurt families and workers, but the process is not over, and Democrats are continuing to make the case against every provision in… Continue Reading
06.27.25
More Provisions Violate Byrd Rule in Republicans’ “One Big, Beautiful Bill”
WASHINGTON, D.C. - The Senate Parliamentarian again advised that several provisions in the Republicans' "One Big, Beautiful Bill," would be subject to a 60-vote threshold if they remain in the bill. The below provisions are under the Finance Committee's jurisdiction. "We have been successful in removing parts of this bill that hurt families and workers, but the process is not over, and Democrats are continuing to make the case against every provision in this Big, Beautiful Betrayal of a bill th… Continue Reading