Jeff Merkley facts for kids

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Quick facts for kids Jeff Merkley
Official portrait, 2017

Ranking Member of the Senate Budget Committee
Incumbent
Assumed office January 3, 2025
Preceded by	Chuck Grassley
United States Senator from Oregon
Incumbent
Assumed office January 3, 2009 Serving with Ron Wyden
Preceded by	Gordon Smith
64th Speaker of the Oregon House of Representatives
In office January 3, 2007 – January 2, 2009
Preceded by	Karen Minnis
Succeeded by	Dave Hunt
Member of the Oregon House of Representatives from the 47th district
In office January 3, 1999 – January 2, 2009
Preceded by	Frank Shields
Succeeded by	Jefferson Smith

Personal details
Born	Jeffrey Alan Merkley (1956-10-24) October 24, 1956 (age 68) Myrtle Creek, Oregon, U.S.
Political party	Democratic
Spouse	Mary Sorteberg (m. 1992)
Children	2
Education	Stanford University (BA) Princeton University (MPA)

Jeffrey Alan Merkley (born October 24, 1956) is an American politician. He has been a U.S. Senator for Oregon since 2009. He is a member of the Democratic Party. Before becoming a senator, he served in the Oregon House of Representatives from 1999 to 2009. During his last two years there, he was the Speaker of the House.

In 2008, Merkley won his first election for the U.S. Senate. He defeated Republican Senator Gordon Smith. He was reelected in 2014 and 2020. Senator Merkley is known for supporting progressive ideas. He was the only U.S. Senator to support Bernie Sanders in the 2016 Democratic presidential race.

Early Life and Education
Serving in the Oregon Legislature
Becoming a U.S. Senator
Key Actions as Senator
Personal Life
Images for kids
See also

Early Life and Education

Jeff Merkley was born in Myrtle Creek, Oregon. His family later moved to Portland. He went to David Douglas High School.

He studied international relations at Stanford University, earning a bachelor's degree in 1979. He then received a master's degree from Princeton University in 1982. After college, Merkley worked for the Secretary of Defense's office. He also worked at the Congressional Budget Office, where he looked at policies for nuclear weapons.

In 1991, Merkley returned to Portland. He became the executive director for Portland Habitat for Humanity. This group helps build homes for families in need. He started programs like "Walk for Humanity" and "YouthBuild." YouthBuild helped young people build homes in their own neighborhoods. He also worked to create affordable housing and helped low-income families save money to buy homes or go to college.

Serving in the Oregon Legislature

In 1998, Jeff Merkley was elected to the Oregon House of Representatives. He represented a district in east Portland. He became the Democratic leader after the 2003 session. In 2006, Democrats gained more seats, and he was chosen as the Speaker of the House.

As Speaker, Merkley helped pass many important laws in Oregon. These included:

Creating a "rainy day fund" to save money for public schools.
Increasing funding for public schools by 14 percent.
Banning junk food in schools.
Expanding the ban on smoking indoors in public places.
Updating the Oregon Bottle Bill, which encourages recycling.
Outlawing discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.
Giving same-sex couples similar rights and benefits as other couples.

Becoming a U.S. Senator

Merkley campaigning for the Senate

In 2007, Merkley received support from Oregon's Democratic governors. He also got the endorsement of the Oregon AFL–CIO, a large labor union group. They liked his voting record for working families.

Merkley won the Democratic nomination in 2008 to run against Senator Gordon Smith. The race was very close. On election night, it was hard to tell who won. But Merkley was declared the winner, defeating Smith by three percentage points. He became the first person to unseat an Oregon senator in 40 years.

Merkley officially resigned from the Oregon House on January 2, 2009. He was sworn in as a U.S. Senator on January 6, 2009.

Key Actions as Senator

Merkley's first official Congressional photo (2009)

Senator Merkley is known for his progressive views. He works on many important issues.

Financial Reform

As a member of the Senate Banking Committee, Merkley helped create the Volcker Rule. This rule was part of the Dodd–Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act. It stops banks from making risky, speculative investments with money that is protected by the government. This helps prevent financial crises. He also worked to ban "liar loans," which were risky mortgage practices.

Supporting Working Families

Merkley has supported laws to help new mothers. He championed legislation that gives them private space and flexible break times to pump breast milk when they return to work.

Senate Rules and Debate

Merkley has worked to change the rules of the Senate. He wants to make it easier to pass laws and hold senators accountable. He proposed a "talking filibuster." This means senators who want to block a vote must continuously debate on the Senate floor.

In 2017, Merkley spoke on the Senate floor for over 15 hours. He was protesting the confirmation of Neil Gorsuch to the Supreme Court. He called it a "stolen seat" because the previous nominee was blocked for a long time.

Immigration and Asylum

Merkley has spoken out against certain Trump administration immigration policies. In 2018, he tried to visit a facility in Texas holding children separated from their parents at the border. He was not allowed in, and police were called. He filmed his attempt, and the video went viral. He said it was "unacceptable" that a member of Congress couldn't see what was happening to children. He believes people seeking asylum deserve fair treatment.

He has also supported the Dreamer Confidentiality Act. This bill would stop the Department of Homeland Security from sharing information about DACA recipients with other law enforcement agencies, except in specific cases.

Protecting the Environment

Merkley strongly supports policies that promote clean energy and protect the environment. He wants the U.S. to become independent from overseas oil. He supports increasing fuel economy standards for cars and promoting electric vehicles.

He also works to address climate change. He has questioned decisions to weaken environmental protections. He supports laws that would require companies to share information about climate risks. He also wants to make sure that climate science is used in national security plans.

Health Care Access

Merkley voted for the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. He supports giving states the option to create a Medicaid buy-in program. This would allow more people to buy into a state-run health insurance plan. He also wants to make prescription drugs more affordable. He supports letting the federal Medicare program negotiate lower drug prices.

Housing Support

Merkley has worked to help with housing issues. He helped pass an amendment that protects consumers from deceptive mortgage lending practices. He also supports plans to help homeowners refinance their mortgages, especially if they owe more than their homes are worth. He believes in supporting programs that help communities develop affordable housing.

Campaign Finance

Merkley supports making campaign financing more transparent. He wants to limit how much money corporations can spend on political campaigns. He has been critical of Supreme Court decisions that allow more independent spending in elections. He supports the Disclose Act, which would require public disclosure of large political donations.

Social Issues

Merkley supports same-sex marriage. He has worked to end discrimination against LGBTQ+ individuals in housing and the workplace. He also supported repealing "Don't Ask, Don't Tell," which allowed gay Americans to serve openly in the military.

He has also worked on issues like gun control, supporting background checks for all firearm sales. He also supports efforts to reduce recidivism rates among federal prisoners.

Personal Life

Jeff Merkley enjoys staying active. He has competed in and finished Ironman Triathlons, which are very challenging races. He says his workouts help him manage the stress of his job.

He drives a Chevy Bolt, which is an electric vehicle. He is one of only a few U.S. senators known to drive an electric car.

Tragically, his first cousin's great-granddaughter was among those killed in the 2015 Umpqua Community College shooting.