Oversight
Merkley Launches Whistleblower Portal for Public, Private Sector Workers to Report Wrongdoing, Illegal Activity
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Ranking Member of the Senate Budget Committee, unveiled a new portal for public and private sector workers to report known waste, fraud, and abuse at their place of employment. As the Trump Administration continues to blatantly ignore the law by impounding funds or attempting to subvert Congress’s power of the purse, this portal will allow the committee to hear directly from federal workers and others who are witnessing or have knowle… Continue Reading
03.19.25
ICYMI: Merkley Slams Wall Street Journal Editorial Board Endorsement of Republicans’ Attempt to Hide Tax Giveaways for Millionaires and Billionaires
WASHINGTON, D.C. - In Case You Missed It, following the Wall Street Journal Editorial Board’s endorsement of using current policy baseline in the Republicans’ budget proposal, U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Ranking Member of the Senate Budget Committee, slammed the editorial board for advocating for the use of “magic math” in an attempt to hide the fact that the tax giveaways for millionaires and billionaires will add trillions to the deficit. “Congressional Republicans need to realize tax g… Continue Reading
03.12.25
Merkley Statement at Committee Vote on OMB Deputy Director Nominee Bishop
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Ranking Member of the U.S. Senate Budget Committee, issued the below statement at today’s executive session on the nomination of Dan Bishop to be Deputy Director of the Office of Management and Budget. Merkley, along with every Democrat on the Committee, voted against Bishop’s nomination. Merkley’s remarks, as prepared for delivery, follow. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Since President Trump took office, OMB has been at the center of many conseq… Continue Reading
03.05.25
CBO Analysis Proves Republican Budget Goals Are Impossible Without Gutting Medicaid
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, Senate Budget Committee Ranking Member Jeff Merkley (D-OR) released the below statement following the Congressional Budget Office’s (CBO) new analysis underscoring the fact that Republican budget goals are impossible to achieve without severely gutting Medicaid. “Republicans are claiming that their disaster of a budget won’t cut Medicaid. But today the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office confirmed that the Republicans’ budget will require gutting Medicaid. They kno… Continue Reading
03.05.25
Here's What They're Saying: Bipartisan Policymakers & Budget Policy Analysts Criticize Republicans’ “Magic Math” That Will Explode the Deficit
WASHINGTON, D.C. - As Senate and House Republicans debate the best way to strip hard-working Americans of essential services and explode the deficit with a second round of Trump tax giveaways to the wealthy, bipartisan budget policy experts are sounding off on a budget gimmick to hide the high cost of their tax cuts for the wealthy and large corporations. The tactic, known as the “current policy baseline,” is misleading and has never been used before when considering legislation, much less a bud… Continue Reading
03.05.25
Merkley Opening Statement at Bishop Nomination Hearing
WASHINGTON, DC - Today, Senate Budget Committee Ranking Member Jeff Merkley (D-OR) delivered the following opening statement at the nomination hearing for Dan Bishop to be Deputy Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). Sen. Merkley’s remarks, as prepared for delivery follow: Thank you, Mr. Chairman. And welcome, Mr. Bishop. Today, we will consider your nomination to be Deputy Director of the Office of Management and Budget. Since President Trump took office, OMB has been a… Continue Reading
02.25.25
Senate Budget Committee Ranking Member: House Republican Budget Proposal Means “Families Lose, Billionaires Win”
WASHINGTON, DC - Today, Senate Budget Committee Ranking Member Jeff Merkley (D-OR) released the following statement after House Republicans voted to advance their version of a FY 2025 budget resolution: “The House Republican budget plan does three things: slashes programs for families, hands even more massive tax giveaways to billionaires, and explodes the deficit—each of which is incredibly unpopular on its own. Packaging all three together makes them a disaster for hardworking Americans. This… Continue Reading
02.21.25
Merkley: Families Lose, Billionaires Win Under Republican Budget Resolution
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Oregon’s U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley - Ranking Member of the Senate Budget Committee - released the following statement after Senate Republicans passed a FY25 budget resolution: “Families lose and billionaires win. That’s the heart of the Republicans budget resolution. “This Republican budget proposes $1 trillion cuts to programs for working families by the end of this fiscal year. The only way to cut $1 trillion by September 30 is to gut entire agencies and all of their serv… Continue Reading
02.13.25
Merkley: Republicans Are Running Up Massive Debt at Betrayal of America’s Working Families
WASHINGTON, D.C. -Oregon’s U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley - Ranking Member of the Senate Budget Committee - released the following statement after Republicans passed a FY25 budget resolution through committee:? “This Republican budget opens the door to massive cuts for families. Democrats on the committee offered amendment after amendment to protect health care, housing, and education - all of the foundations working families need to thrive - and Republicans blocked every single one of them, all to… Continue Reading
02.13.25
Merkley, Murray, Peters Seek Clarity on Scope, Reach of OMB Funding Cuts, Who Authored Disastrous Memo
WASHINGTON, DC - Senate Budget Committee Ranking Member Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Senate Appropriations Committee Vice Chair Patty Murray (D-WA), and Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee Ranking Member Gary Peters (D-MI) continued their Congressional oversight responsibilities of the Trump Administration’s Office of Management and Budget (OMB) by seeking clarity on the scope and reach of the January 27th memo directing federal agencies to “temporarily pause all activities relat… Continue Reading
02.12.25
Senate Budget Committee Ranking Member: House Republican Budget Proposal is “One Big, Awful Pile of Junk”
WASHINGTON, DC - Today, Senate Budget Committee Ranking Member Jeff Merkley (D-OR) released the following statement after House Republicans released their version of a FY 2025 budget resolution: “This is one big, awful pile of junk. The House Republican FY 2025 Budget Resolution tees up a reconciliation bill that would eviscerate Medicaid, cut critical nutrition assistance for low-income families, and pull the rug out from under American students, all to pay for the Republicans’ massive tax gi… Continue Reading
02.07.25
Budget Committee Ranking Member Merkley: Proposed Budget Resolution is Bait and Switch for Working Families
WASHINGTON, DC - Today, Senate Budget Committee Ranking Member Jeff Merkley (D-OR) released the following statement on the FY25 budget resolution: "Republicans are taking a blatant first step to give tax breaks to the already richest Americans—and our families will pay the price,” said Ranking Member Jeff Merkley. “The proposed budget resolution is a bait and switch. While Republicans claim it focuses on border security, in reality, it envisions massive cuts to programs that help families thri… Continue Reading
02.05.25
Budget Committee Ranking Member Merkley: Vought Dangerously Unfit to Lead OMB
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, Oregon’s U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley—Ranking Member of the Senate Budget Committee—released the following statement as Senate Democrats speak on the Senate floor all night in opposition to the nomination of Russell Vought to serve as Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB): “Russell Vought is dangerously unfit to serve in government. As OMB Director, he would be the chief engineer of the Trump Train that will run over working families and the programs they … Continue Reading
01.28.25
Budget Committee Democrats, Leader Schumer Press to Delay Vought’s OMB Nomination
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, Democratic members of the Senate Budget Committee along with Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) demanded that Chairman Lindsey Graham (R-SC) delay Russell Vought’s nomination to serve as Director of Office of Management and Budget (OMB) until he satisfactorily answers questions regarding his advice to the President relating to the illegal impoundment of Congressionally appropriated funds - questions that have taken on greater urgency in light of OMB’s directi… Continue Reading
01.28.25
Budget Committee Ranking Member Merkley Slams Illegal Federal Funding Freezes
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, Oregon’s U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley - Ranking Member of the Senate Budget Committee - blasted the Trump administration’s late-night announcement freezing all federal funds, a clear violation of law and Congress’s constitutional duty to appropriate funds: “The President is not a king, and the laws Congress passes are not suggestions. The Trump administration must follow the law and immediately reverse this shameful order. “Federal funds are the foundations for our schoo… Continue Reading
01.22.25
Merkley Statement at Vought Nomination Hearing
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, Oregon’s U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley - Ranking Member of the Senate Budget Committee - released the following statement as prepared for delivery for a hearing on the nomination of Russell Vought to be Director of the Office of Management and Budget: “Good morning, Chairman Graham, and congratulations on your new role leading this Committee. I look forward to continuing to work with you this Congress in these new roles. And to the new Members of this Committee - Senator C… Continue Reading
01.17.25
Budget Committee Ranking Member Merkley Statement on CBO Baseline
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, Oregon’s U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley - Ranking Member of the Senate Budget Committee - issued the following statement following the annual release of the Congressional Budget Office’s (CBO) Budget and Economic Outlook: “America’s working families are stretched thin. Over the past few years, inflation pushed the price of basic necessities like groceries and rent or mortgage payments sky high, and for many, wages are simply not keeping pace. Additionally, today’s CBO repor… Continue Reading
01.07.25
Private Equity in Health Care Shown to Harm Patients, Degrade Care, and Drive Hospital Closures
Washington, D.C. - Today, Senators Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) and Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), in their respective capacities as Chairman and Ranking Member of the Senate Budget Committee during the 118th Congress, released a bipartisan staff report on the findings of their investigation into the ways in which private equity investment in health care has negative consequences for patients and providers. The Committee focused on two private equity firms—including the single-largest private equity in… Continue Reading
01.04.25
Senate Budget Committee Investigation into Nazi-Linked Credit Suisse Accounts Yields Extensive New Findings, Reveals Bank’s Historic Pattern of Obstruction
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Tens of thousands of documents uncovered as a result of a Senate Budget Committee investigation into Credit Suisse’s World War II-era accounts indicate extensive new evidence of previously unknown or only partially known Nazi-linked account holders. The bank failed to disclose these accounts during prior investigations. Senators Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) spearheaded the investigation in their capacities as Budget Committee Ranking Member and Chair… Continue Reading
12.23.24
CBO Backs Key Committee Findings on Economic Costs, Systemic Risks of Climate Change
Washington, D.C.— Climate change is poised to increase prices for families, erode property values, and destabilize the entire economy, confirmed the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO). In a new, wide-ranging report, published at the request of Chairman Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), CBO backed key findings from the Committee’s examination of the costs that climate change is imposing on consumers, the federal budget, and the economy. Climate upheaval is already raising costs for American… Continue Reading