Merkley, Jeff

Jeff Merkley is the junior U.S. Senator from Oregon and a Democrat who has served since 2009. As ranking member of the Senate Budget Committee, he leads the Democratic opposition on fiscal and budgetary matters—a position of significant influence over federal spending priorities and economic policy. He also chairs the Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies, giving him authority over environmental and conservation funding. These roles place him at the center of Congress's most consequential legislative work on climate, public lands, and fiscal policy.

Merkley's background shaped his focus on working families and progressive causes. Born in the timber town of Myrtle Creek, Oregon, he was the first in his family to attend college, earning degrees from Stanford University and Princeton's Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs. He worked as a national security analyst at the Pentagon and Congressional Budget Office before returning to Oregon to lead Portland's Habitat for Humanity. His early career in affordable housing and community development informed his legislative priorities around economic opportunity and environmental protection.

Before reaching the Senate, Merkley served in the Oregon House of Representatives from 1999 to 2009, including two years as Speaker. During his tenure as Speaker, the legislature passed landmark legislation expanding education funding, protecting LGBTQ+ rights, and establishing Oregon's first rainy-day fund. In 2008, he defeated two-term Republican incumbent Gordon Smith to enter the Senate, and has since been reelected in 2014 and 2020.

In the Senate, Merkley has established himself as a vocal progressive and advocate for environmental protection, workers' rights, and fiscal responsibility. He has sponsored over 260 bills, with particular focus on environmental protection, health, and international affairs. He is known for his activism on immigration issues and has been a strong voice against what he views as executive overreach. His legislative profile reflects deep commitment to the working-class values of his Oregon roots and consistent alignment with progressive Democratic priorities.