Ranking Member Press
New Report Reveals How Much Republicans’ Big Oil Donors Will Benefit From the Big, Ugly Betrayal Law
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Ranking Member of the Senate Budget Committee, released a staff report titled, One Big Fossil Fuel Handout: Republicans Further Subsidize the Dirty Fossil Fuel Industry, exposing the increased federal subsidies for the fossil fuel industry that Republicans included in the Big, Ugly Betrayal bill that was signed into law in July. With the release of this report, the compiled data shows the full extent of the windfall the fossil fuel indu… Continue Reading
02.25.26
Merkley Statement on CBO Long Term Budget Outlook
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Ranking Member of the Senate Budget Committee, issued the below statement following the release of the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office’s (CBO) Long Term Budget Outlook Data: 2026 to 2056. The statistics in this report were calculated prior to the Supreme Court striking down President Trump’s chaotic and destructive tariff policy and do not account for the increase in debt resulting from the removal of these tariffs. “A day afte… Continue Reading
02.25.26
Merkley Demands Independent Probe of Funds Used by ICE, CBP to Carry Out Trump’s Cruel Immigration Enforcement
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Ranking Member of the Senate Budget Committee, led 20 of his Senate colleagues in calling on the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO) to probe the cost of President Donald Trump’s violent escalation of federal immigration enforcement. The senators are requesting a comprehensive assessment and accounting of the supplemental funds, including the roughly $75 billion for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and approximately $… Continue Reading
02.23.26
Department of Defense Heeds Merkley, Senate Budget Committee Democrats’ Call to Release Unclassified Spend Plan for National Security Funding from the Big, Ugly Betrayal Law
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, after Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Ranking Member of the Senate Budget Committee, led Senate Budget Committee Democrats in demanding answers from Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth about his decision to classify the Department of Defense’s reconciliation spending plan, the Pentagon has finally released an unclassified spending plan. Hegseth’s obfuscation prevented Congress from conducting proper oversight to ensure that the funds were being used as intended and has raised c… Continue Reading
02.20.26
Merkley Applauds Supreme Court Ruling to Overturn Trump’s Reciprocal Tariff Policy
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that President Trump exceeded his authority to impose the broad, misguided reciprocal tariffs that he put in place in April. Following the ruling, U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Ranking Member of the Senate Budget Committee, released the below statement. “Today is a win for farmers, small businesses, and hardworking, middle-class families across the country,” said Ranking Member Jeff Merkley. “For months, Trump’s illegal and chaotic tari… Continue Reading
02.11.26
Ranking Member Merkley Statement on CBO Baseline
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Ranking Member of the Senate Budget Committee, issued the below statement following the annual release of the Congressional Budget Office’s (CBO) Budget and Economic Outlook: 2026 to 2036. “Today’s economic outlook report by the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office could not be more clear: Trump and Republicans spent the past year making it hard for working families to get ahead while adding trillions of dollars to our national debt… Continue Reading
02.04.26
Merkley Leads Senate Budget Democrats in Demanding Hegseth Explain Reasoning for Fully Classifying Spending Plans of $90 Billion in Big, Ugly Betrayal Law, Preventing Congressional Oversight
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Ranking Member of the Senate Budget Committee, led Senate Budget Committee Democrats in calling on Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth to explain the Department of Defense’s (DOD) decision to classify its budget reconciliation spending plan—a decision that undermines congressional oversight and accountability. Following passage of the Republican reconciliation bill in July, DOD submitted a fully classified spending plan for $90 billion of the $1… Continue Reading
01.30.26
Republicans Again Block Merkley’s Push to Permanently Ban Pocket Rescissions
WASHINGTON, D.C. - As the Senate considers bipartisan legislation to set funding for a portion of the federal government, U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Ranking Member of the Senate Budget Committee, offered an amendment to codify a permanent ban on pocket rescissions by prohibiting the President from sending Congress a “special message” under the Impoundment Control Act within 90 days of the expiration of the funds proposed for rescission. Merkley offered the amendment to an annual appropri… Continue Reading
01.28.26
CBO Tells Merkley: Trump’s Brazen National Guard Deployment to American Cities Has So Far Cost U.S. Taxpayers Upwards of $589 Million
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 President Donald Trump’s brazen decision to deploy National Guard personnel to U.S. cities, including Portland, has cost taxpayers upwards of $589 million to date. If these deployments continue at current levels, they will cost an additional $93 million per month. Furthermore, for each additional Guard unit that is activated in the… Continue Reading
01.28.26
Merkley, Durbin, Peters Lead Amicus Brief Urging Circuit Court to Affirm the Critical Protections of Minors in Immigration Detention
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Ranking Member of the Senate Budget Committee, Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and Gary Peters (D-MI), Ranking Member of the Senate Homeland Security & Governmental Affairs Committee led a group of 23 Senators in filing an amicus brief to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals urging the Court to uphold the 1997 Flores Settlement Agreement, which sets critical minimum standards for children in immig… Continue Reading
01.20.26
Merkley Leads Budget Democrats in Demanding OMB Director Vought Provide Answers on Use of His $100 Million Slush Fund
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Ranking Member of the Seante Budget Committee, led Budget Committee Democrats in calling on Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Director Russell Vought to provide answers to Congress and the American people on what he has used or is planning to use the $100 million slush fund that Republicans gifted his office when they passed the Big, Ugly Betrayal law last July. The provision, which was vague and did not specify the use of the fund… Continue Reading
01.14.26
CBO Tells Merkley: Trump Administration Attempt to Rename the Department of Defense Could Balloon to $125 Million
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 Trump Administration could spend upwards of $125 million in its attempt to rename the Department of Defense (DOD). Similar to Trump’s attempt to rename the Kennedy Center after himself, without action by Congress to pass legislation to legally rename DOD, the President’s executive order is an unofficial and symbolic designation… Continue Reading
01.08.26
CBO Projects Inflation to Remain High, Labor Market to be Weaker Due to Trump Administration Policies
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Following publication of the Congressional Budget Office’s Current View of the Economy from 2026 to 2028, U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Ranking Member of the Senate Budget Committee, released the following statement. The report makes clear that President Trump’s tariffs, immigration policy, and the passage of the Big, Ugly Betrayal bill will keep inflation high while also slowing employment growth, making it harder for working families to make ends meet. “We knew before … Continue Reading
12.08.25
Merkley Statement on Trump’s Farmer Bailout to Fix Crisis Created by Trump
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Following the unveil of a $12 billion bailout package for U.S. farmers who have been hurt by President Trump’s reckless and haphazard tariffs, U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Ranking Member of the Senate Budget Committee, released the below statement. Due to the Trump Administration’s policies, farmers across several commodities - especially soybeans - have faced devastating financial loses this year when foreign governments dramatically decreased or halted purchasing U.S. c… Continue Reading
11.04.25
Merkley, Wyden Probe CMS for Answers Surrounding the Disastrous Roll Out of the Medicare Advantage Provider-Directory Portal, Potentially Putting Seniors at Risk
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Ranking Member of the Senate Budget Committee, and Ron Wyden (D-OR), Ranking Member of the Senate Finance Committee, demand that Dr. Mehmet Oz, Administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, answer for the rushed launch of the Medicare Advantage provider-directory tool that is riddled with erroneous, conflicting, and duplicative information. In their letter, Merkley and Wyden detail how the issues involved with the la… Continue Reading
10.27.25
Merkley Leads Colleagues in Demanding CBO Probe the Cost of Trump’s National Guard Deployment to American Cities, Including Portland
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Ranking Member of the Senate Budget Committee, led several of his Senate colleagues in calling on the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) to probe the cost of the Trump Administration’s brazen decision to deploy National Guard personnel to U.S. cities. President Trump has ordered troops into major cities across the country, including Portland, Los Angeles, Washington, D.C., Chicago, and Memphis. The senators are requesting that CBO analyz… Continue Reading
10.24.25
Merkley, Wyden Call on Oz to Resolve Chaos as States Implement Trumpcare
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Ranking Member of the Senate Budget Committee, and Ron Wyden (D-OR), Ranking Member of the Senate Finance Committee, called on the leadership of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to help states preserve key protections in Medicaid for children, seniors, and people with disabilities that were not repealed as a part of Trumpcare, amid confusion about how the massive Republican cuts will be implemented across the country. “… Continue Reading
10.11.25
Schumer, Merkley, Murray, Peters Call On Trump Budget Chief Russ Vought To Resign
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and US Senators Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Ranking Member of the Senate Budget Committee, Patty Murray (D-WA), Vice-Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, and Gary Peters (D-MI), Ranking Member of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, released the following joint statement calling for the resignation of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget Russell Vought. “Even before his first day… Continue Reading
09.29.25
GAO Finds Trump Administration Again Violated the Impoundment Control Act by Withholding Funding
WASHINGTON, D.C. - The nonpartisan Government Accountability Office (GAO) published additional findings that the Trump Administration again violated the Impoundment Control Act (ICA) by withholding funds appropriated for the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Ranking Member of the Senate Budget Committee, released the following statement. “Donald Trump is not a king, and the laws of our land are not suggestions. The administration’s decision to withhol… Continue Reading
09.25.25
Merkley Statement on OMB’s Threat to Fire Public Servants if Republicans Shut Down the Government
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Ranking Member of the Senate Budget Committee, released the below statement following release of the memo from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) detailing mass layoffs as Republicans continue on a path toward shutting down the government. “This threat has nothing to do with keeping the government open - it is just another strong arm attempt from Donald Trump and his hatchet man Russ Vought to dismantle the government piece by piece. T… Continue Reading