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 H. 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)
Signature
Website

Jeffrey Alan Merkley (born October 24, 1956) is an American politician. He is a U.S. Senator for Oregon. He was first elected to the Senate in 2008. Merkley 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 Oregon House.

Senator Merkley has been reelected twice, in 2014 and 2020. He is known for supporting progressive ideas. He was also considered as a possible candidate for president in 2020, but he chose to run for reelection to the Senate instead.

Early Life and Education

Jeffrey Alan Merkley was born on October 24, 1956. His parents were Darrell Philip Merkley and Betty Lou (Collins). He lived in Roseburg, Oregon, for first grade before his family moved to Portland.

He finished high school at David Douglas High School. He then studied international relations at Stanford University, earning a bachelor's degree in 1979. In 1982, he earned a master's degree in Public Affairs from Princeton University.

After college, Merkley worked for the Secretary of Defense. He also worked at the Congressional Budget Office, where he studied policies about nuclear weapons.

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

For seven years, Merkley was the president of the World Affairs Council of Oregon.

Time 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 in the House 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 laws included:

Creating a "rainy day fund" for the state, which is like a savings account for public schools.
Increasing funding for public schools and state universities.
Banning junk food in schools.
Expanding the ban on smoking indoors in public places.
Changing the Oregon Bottle Bill, which helps with recycling.
Making it illegal to discriminate against people based on their sexual orientation or gender identity in housing and jobs.
Giving same-sex couples the same rights and benefits as other couples.

Serving in the U.S. Senate

2008 Election Campaign

Merkley campaigning for the Senate

On August 1, 2007, Merkley announced he would run for the U.S. Senate. He wanted to challenge the Republican senator, Gordon Smith. He received support from Oregon's governor and labor unions.

Merkley won the Democratic nomination in the primary election. At first, many thought he had a small chance of winning against Smith. However, polls showed his support growing closer to the election.

On election night, the race was very close. But on November 6, 2008, news outlets announced Merkley had won. He defeated Smith by three percentage points. Merkley became the first person to unseat an Oregon senator since 1968.

Merkley officially left his seat in the Oregon House on January 2, 2009. He was sworn in as a U.S. Senator on January 3, 2009.

Senator Merkley's Work

Merkley's first official Congressional photo (2009)

As a senator, Jeff Merkley has focused on progressive issues. He was a key figure in passing the Wall Street reform bill. Along with Senator Carl Levin, he helped add the Volcker Rule to the Dodd–Frank Wall Street reform bill. This rule stops banks from making risky trades with money that is protected by the government. He also worked to ban "liar loans," which were a type of risky mortgage that caused problems in the housing market.

Merkley also supported a law that gives new mothers private space and flexible break times to pump breast milk at work. This was included in the health care reform law signed in 2010.

In 2011, Merkley introduced a bill to change the filibuster rules in the Senate. A filibuster is a way for a small group of senators to delay or block a vote on a bill. He wanted to make it harder to use the filibuster to stop important laws from being passed.

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 argued that the seat should have been filled by President Obama's earlier nominee.

In June 2018, Merkley gained national attention. He tried to visit a facility holding children who had been separated from their parents at the border. He filmed his attempt to enter the facility in Texas. He was not allowed in, and police were called. His video was viewed by millions, bringing more attention to the issue of family separation.

Committee Roles

Senator Merkley serves on several important committees:

Committee on Appropriations: This committee decides how the government spends money.
Committee on the Budget: This committee works on the government's budget plans.
Committee on Environment and Public Works: This committee deals with environmental issues and public projects.
Committee on Foreign Relations: This committee handles issues with other countries.
Committee on Rules and Administration: This committee oversees the rules and operations of the Senate.

Political Views

Senator Merkley has strong views on many topics.

Immigration and Asylum

Merkley has spoken out against certain immigration policies. He opposed the policy that separated children from their parents at the border. He said it was "unacceptable" that he was not allowed to see what was happening to the children. He also signed letters asking the government to reunite separated children with their families.

He supported a bill called 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 certain cases.

Defense and Foreign Policy

Merkley has been involved in discussions about defense spending. In 2018, he was the only member of the Senate Appropriations Committee to vote against a large Pentagon spending bill.

Afghanistan

In 2011, Merkley pushed for the U.S. to speed up the process of handing over military operations to the government of Afghanistan.

Central America

He has encouraged the U.S. government to continue providing aid to Central American countries. He believes this aid helps improve conditions there and reduces migration to the U.S.

Iraq War

Merkley supported plans to remove troops from Iraq. He had his own five-point plan for stability in Iraq. This plan included removing combat troops, not having permanent U.S. military bases, and working with Iraq's neighbors.

Russia

In 2010, Merkley voted for the New START treaty. This treaty aimed to reduce the number of nuclear weapons between the U.S. and Russia. He has also expressed concern about the U.S. leaving other arms control treaties with Russia.

Israel-Palestine

Merkley has supported restoring U.S. humanitarian aid to Palestinians. In 2023, during the Gaza war, he was one of three U.S. senators to call for a ceasefire. He also voted for a resolution to apply human rights rules to U.S. aid to Israel's military.

Saudi Arabia

Merkley has voted to block some U.S. arms sales to Saudi Arabia. He has also raised concerns about Saudi Arabia's actions in Yemen.

Venezuela

In 2019, Merkley introduced a resolution to prevent U.S. military action in Venezuela without Congress's approval. He believes the people of Venezuela should decide their own future.

Hong Kong

In 2022, Merkley urged U.S. financial leaders not to attend a summit in Hong Kong. He said their presence would support the Chinese Communist Party's actions against Hong Kong's freedom.

Banking Rules

Merkley has worked to make banking rules stronger. He helped create the Volcker Rule, which stops banks from making risky bets with insured money. He pushed for this rule to be strict after a large trading loss at a major bank.

Infrastructure

Merkley supports "Buy America" laws. These laws make sure that public infrastructure projects use American-made materials and are built by American workers. He also sponsored the Made in America Act, which would require more federal programs to use domestically produced materials.

Health Care

Merkley voted for the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare. He supported a government-run health insurance program. He also championed the law that gives nursing mothers flexible break times and private space to pump breast milk at work.

He has worked to lower the cost of prescription drugs. He also supports allowing states to create a Medicaid buy-in program, which would let more people buy into a state-run health insurance plan.

Housing

As a member of the Senate Banking Committee, Merkley has worked on housing issues. He helped pass an amendment that protects consumers from unfair mortgage lending practices. This amendment stops lenders from getting hidden payments for selling high-cost loans.

He has also proposed plans to help homeowners refinance their mortgages. This would allow people who owe more than their homes are worth to get new, more affordable mortgage terms. In 2023, he introduced a bill to stop large investment funds from owning many single-family homes, aiming to make housing more affordable for families.

Environment and Climate Change

Climate Change

Merkley has questioned decisions to weaken environmental protections, like the Clean Power Plan. He believes these actions will not stop the increase in extreme weather events and rising sea levels. He has sponsored bills that would require companies to share information about climate risks. He also supports bold actions to address climate change.

Energy

Merkley supports policies that help the U.S. become independent from foreign oil. He wants to invest in alternative energy sources. He has supported increasing fuel economy standards for vehicles and promoting electric vehicles. He also co-sponsored a bill to declare certain harmful chemicals as hazardous substances, requiring polluters to pay for cleanup.

Campaign Finance

Merkley supports more transparency in how political campaigns are funded. He wants to limit how much money corporations can spend on politics. He has been critical of Supreme Court decisions that allow more money into elections. He sponsored the Disclose Act, which would require public disclosure of large political donations.

Senate Reform

Merkley has been a leader in trying to change the rules of the Senate. He wants to make the Senate more accountable and efficient. He has proposed changes to the filibuster rule, including requiring senators to continuously debate on the Senate floor if they want to block a vote.

Supreme Court

Merkley voted to confirm Justices Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan. He voted against confirming Justices Brett Kavanaugh and Amy Coney Barrett. He voted to confirm Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson.

Postal Reform

In 2012, Merkley led an effort to stop the closure of many rural post offices. He proposed an amendment that would put a one-year pause on closures and set conditions to limit future closures.

Social Issues

Merkley supports same-sex marriage. He introduced the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) in the Senate. This bill would protect people from discrimination in the workplace based on their sexual orientation or gender identity.

He also supported repealing "Don't Ask, Don't Tell," which allowed gay Americans to serve openly in the military. He co-sponsored the Respect for Marriage Act, which would repeal the Defense of Marriage Act and recognize same-sex marriages federally.

Merkley has also worked on issues like:

Electronic Cigarettes: He has urged e-cigarette companies to stop advertising to young people.
Gun Control: He supports requiring background checks for all firearm sales.
Child Care: He has supported bills to create more child care jobs and make child care more affordable for families.
Drug Policy: He has asked the U.S. Chamber of Commerce to stop lobbying against anti-smoking rules. He also urged the Trump administration to lower the cost of prescription drugs.
Lifeline Program: He has criticized proposals to reduce benefits from the Lifeline program, which helps low-income people access internet and phone service.

Personal Life

Jeff Merkley enjoys competing in Ironman Triathlons. He has said that his workouts help him manage the stress of his job.

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

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

Images for kids

Jeff Merkley's signature