Jeff Merkley
The Public Record
Jeff Alan Merkley is an American politician serving as the junior United States senator from Oregon since January 6, 2009. A member of the Democratic Party, Merkley has focused on issues such as healthcare, climate change, and economic inequality throughout his tenure. He has been an advocate for progressive policies and has worked to address the challenges facing working families in Oregon and across the nation. Merkley is known for his commitment to transparency and accountability in government, often speaking out against perceived injustices and advocating for reforms.
For the first time in a 105 years, there is no water in the Klamath Basin for our irrigators.
We are in a climate emergency and the evidence of climate chaos is piling up around us.
We're recognizing the growing challenges that plastics pose for both our ecosystems and for human health.
Can we get that plan done? Can you have a plan for us from 6 months from today, if not sooner?
I really appreciate the expertise you bring to this incredibly significant responsibility as Secretary of the Interior.
So, can we put the appraisal process into high gear in order to proceed to be able to acquire these sensitive and special lands for the people of the United States of America?
I look forward to talking with you about that and to follow up on the other Bureau of Reclamation areas.
I really think that it's so important to recognize that a lot more has to be done and your budget in terms of our management of Indian Affairs and your budget requests a total of $4.2 billion for the Bureau of Indian Affairs and the Bureau…
Thank you. I really appreciate your team doing everything possible because it is a massive economic disaster, and it is an environmental disaster.
This is a program that is low cost loans that go to utilities that then can do low cost loans for energy saving retrofits.
In Oregon, we now have about $2.5 billion worth of projects in the pipeline.
I have urged FDA Commissioners to do more to address the high rates of youth use of e-cigarettes.
I was very disturbed at the increasing pace of carbon saturation in the atmosphere.
I doubt the costs of that are going to be less than the costs of renewable energy from solar and wind.
Plastics are a climate problem, as well as a direct problem for human health, and great problem for ecosystems.
So, I want to turn to plastics, plastics have an enormous impact on the environment.
We have increased prostate and breast cancer that many believe is being affected by the endocrine disruptors that come out of plastics prevalence.
We need to rebuild the EPA and provide long overdue relief to its State, Tribal and local partners on the frontlines of implementing our environmental laws.
Well, that is pretty important. And I was very struck that almost half your workforce is retirement-eligible in just 5 years.
A number of colleagues have raised the question of environmental justice, and I am so glad it is becoming part of the regular discussion.
You cannot study things forever. There is a point, this is a risk, let us get it out of our products.





