Jeff Merkley
U.S. Senator from Oregon
Jeffrey Alan Merkley was born in October 1956 in Myrtle Creek, Oregon. He earned an undergraduate degree from Stanford University. He earned an M.P.A. from Princeton University.
Merkley became a presidential fellow working on U.S. military technology at the Office of the Secretary of Defense. He then worked in the Congressional Budget Office analyzing nuclear weapons policies and programs. He then served as an executive director for Habitat for Humanity in Portland. He became president of the World Affairs Council of Oregon.
He was elected to the Oregon House of Representatives in 1998. He served as the state speaker of the house in 2006. He was elected to the U.S. Senate and assumed office in January 2009.
He is married to Mary and they have two children. Merkley is Lutheran.
In the News…
Senator Jeff Merkley of Oregon joined Representative Chellie Pingree of Maine in writing to President Trump regarding freezing funding and hiring for the Indian Health Service (IHS) within the Department of Health and Human Services, and how it could impact the health of members of indigenous nations. They referenced the Government Accountability Office report of a 25 percent vacancy rate for providers in the IHS in 2018.
The legislators wrote, “Freezing the hiring of critical staff positions and attempts to diminish the workforce at the IHS poses a grave threat to the vital medical services provided to American Indians and Alaska Natives.”
“The federal government must honor its trust responsibility to Tribal Nations,” Senator Merkley and Congresswoman Pingree wrote. “We urge you to advocate for the revocation of this hiring freeze and stop the onslaught on health care professionals. The health care of millions of Native Americans and Alaska Natives hangs in the balance.”
Contact this Leader…
Did you pray for Senator Merkley today? You can let him know at:
The Honorable Jeff Merkley
Senator from Oregon
531 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
