Jeff Merkley

Democrat Senator, Oregon

71 bills382 cosponsored$4.5M raised890 votes recorded

LegislationVotesFinancePressCommittees

Ask about Jeff Merkley

The lookup is locked to this lawmaker and seat.

Answers come only from retrieved records — votes, bills, campaign money, committees and reviewed official-site biographies. Follow-ups can build on your last two answers; every fact is re-checked against the records.

Official biography

Congressional source

Roots

“Born in the Southern Oregon timber town of Myrtle Creek, Jeff spent his early years in Douglas County” source
“Jeff still lives in the same blue-collar neighborhood in East Multnomah County” source

Education

“In 1979, he became the first person in his family to graduate from college.” source

Career

“hired as the Executive Director of Portland Area Habitat” source
“Jeff worked at a restaurant waiting tables and washing dishes” source

Public service

“In 1998, Jeff ran for the state legislature and was elected” source

Legislation

S 5362sponsor

A bill to direct the Secretary of State to advocate for the inclusion and recognition of the Central Tibetan Administration, and for other purposes.

Read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations.

2026-08-07

S 5288cosponsor

A bill to restore press access to the Pentagon, and for other purposes.

Read twice and referred to the Committee on Armed Services.

2026-08-06

SJRES 211cosponsor

A joint resolution to direct the removal of United States Armed Forces from hostilities within or against the Islamic Republic of Iran that have not been authorized by Congress.

Read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations.

2026-08-06

SRES 837cosponsor

A resolution designating the week of August 22 through August 30, 2026, as "National Park Week".

Submitted in the Senate, considered, and agreed to without amendment and with a preamble by Unanimous Consent.

Voting Record

248 yea635 nay7 missed

Motion to Invoke Cloture: Motion to Proceed to S. 5271

Cloture on the Motion to Proceed Rejected (52-46)

nay2026-08-08

Confirmation: Todd Blanche, of Florida, to be Attorney General

Nomination Confirmed (50-49)

nay2026-08-08

Motion to Invoke Cloture: Todd Blanche to be Attorney General

Cloture Motion Agreed to (50-49)

nay2026-08-08

H.R. 6500, as amended

Bill Passed (90-6)

yea2026-08-08

Official statements and press releases from Jeff Merkley are archived, searchable, and updated daily at Capitol Releases, a companion project.

The 2026 race · Class 2

Full race

FEC Form 2 filers for this seat. Filing is not ballot access, and this list does not establish who remains in the race.

Jeffrey Alan MerkleyDemocratic· this member
$7.9M raised
David Brock SmithRepublican
$121K raised
Jo Rae PerkinsRepublican
$11K raised

Source: Federal Election Commission. FEC filing fallback. Synced daily.

Campaign Finance

2026 cycle$4.5M

Small donors $1.1MLarge individual $2.5MPACs $478K

Spent $2.0MCash $6.8M

2024 cycle$1.5M

Small donors $303KLarge individual $699KPACs $41K

Spent $1.5MCash $4.3M

2022 cycle$1.8M

Small donors $1.0M

Top Contributors

PAULSON COLETTI$14K

CORSON & JOHNSON$14K

KAFOURY & MCDOUGAL$12K

INTEL$8K

OHSU$7K

DROPBOX$7K

PICKETT DUMMIGAN LLP$7K

MERITAGE GROUP LP$7K

TEACHING STRATEGIES, INC.$7K

SAPPHIRE HEALTH SERVICES$7K

Committees

Joint Committee on Printing

Senate Committee on Appropriations

Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies
Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies
Department of Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies
Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, and Related Agencies
Energy and Water Development
State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs

Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works

Chemical Safety, Waste Management, Environmental Justice, and Regulatory Oversight
Clean Air, Climate, and Nuclear Innovation and Safety
Transportation and Infrastructure

Senate Committee on Foreign Relations

Africa and Global Health Policy
East Asia, the Pacific, and International Cybersecurity Policy
Western Hemisphere, Transnational Crime, Civilian Security, Democracy, Human Rights, and Global Women's Issues

Senate Committee on Rules and Administration

Senate Committee on the Budget

ranking member

Activity Timeline

LegislationVotes

Motion to Invoke Cloture: Motion to Proceed to S. 5271

nay

2026-08-08

vote

Confirmation: Todd Blanche, of Florida, to be Attorney General

nay

2026-08-08

vote

Motion to Invoke Cloture: Todd Blanche to be Attorney General

nay

2026-08-08

vote

H.R. 6500, as amended

yea

2026-08-08

vote

Motion to Table Budd Amdt. No. 6747

nay

Service History

Senate2021-01-03, 2027-01-03Democrat

Senate2015-01-06, 2021-01-03Democrat

Senate2009-01-06, 2015-01-03Democrat

Data coverage for this member

Every data source on the site, mapped to this member. A grey dot means the source may not apply or its coverage is still being developed; read the source note before treating an empty record as a finding.

BillsTracked · 453
Sponsored or cosponsored bills tracked from Congress.gov.
VotesTracked · 890
Roll-call positions parsed from official chamber XML.
CommitteesTracked · 18
Standing assignments from the @unitedstates project.
Campaign financeTracked · 10
Top-line FEC numbers per election cycle.
Press releasesTracked · 156
Pulled from the member's official RSS feed.

“in 2007, he was elected to serve as Speaker” source

“spend a summer interning at the Capitol for Oregon’s U.S. Senator Mark Hatfield” source

Family

“Jeff and Mary have been married for over 30 years and have two children, Brynne and Jonathan.” source

Also stated

“he returned to D.C. to work on some of the biggest policy issues of the time: nuclear disarmament and military spending” source

Quoted verbatim from this lawmaker's official House or Senate site. Passages are selected automatically; the wording is the office's own, unedited.

S 5284cosponsor

A bill to provide economic empowerment opportunities in the United States through the modernization of public housing, and for other purposes.

Read twice and referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs.

2026-08-06

S 5296cosponsor

A bill to provide low-income individuals with opportunities to enter and follow a career pathway in the health professions, and for other purposes.

Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.

2026-08-06

S 5318sponsor

A bill to create a new Federal grant program that provides grants to State libraries to allow schools with summer lunch programs to keep their libraries open for student use during the summer months.

Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.

2026-08-06

S 5302sponsor

A bill to create national standards for labeling of covered materials as recyclable, compostable, reusable, and refillable, and for other purposes.

Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.

2026-08-06

Show 12 more bills

S 5283cosponsor

A bill to end preventable maternal mortality, severe maternal morbidity, and maternal health disparities in the United States, and for other purposes.

Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.

2026-08-06

S 5324cosponsor

A bill to establish the right to counsel, at Government expense for those who cannot afford counsel, for people facing removal.

Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.

2026-08-06

S 5321cosponsor

A bill to amend title XIX of the Social Security Act to require coverage of, and expand access to, home and community-based services under the Medicaid program, to award grants for the creation, recruitment, training and education, retention, and advancement of the direct care workforce and to award grants to support family caregivers, and for other purposes.

Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.

2026-08-06

S 5319sponsor

A bill to amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to provide for patient protection by limiting the number of mandatory overtime hours a nurse may be required to work in certain providers of services to which payments are made under the Medicare Program.

Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.

2026-08-06

S 5273cosponsor

A bill to improve fisheries stock assessments by incorporating eDNA, and for other purposes.

Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.

2026-08-06

S 5300cosponsor

A bill to ensure the transparency and integrity of casualty accounting and benefits and awards for military and civilian personnel during military operations, and for other purposes.

Read twice and referred to the Committee on Armed Services.

2026-08-06

S 5312cosponsor

A bill to amend the Public Health Service Act to provide for a Reducing Youth Use of E-Cigarettes Initiative.

Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.

2026-08-06

S 5357sponsor

A bill to impose requirements for certain Federal positions to promote transparency, and for other purposes.

Read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations.

2026-08-06

S 5331cosponsor

A bill to provide that no Federal funds may be used to carry out the final rule of the Department of Homeland Security entitled "Public Charge Ground of Inadmissibility", and for other purposes.

Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.

2026-08-06

S 5268cosponsor

A bill to amend the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 to adjust the rate employers pay for overtime hours from one and one-half to two times the regular rate.

Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.

2026-08-05

S 5231cosponsor

A bill to remove limitations under Medicaid, Medicare, CHIP, and the Department of Veterans Affairs on benefits for persons in custody pending disposition of charges.

Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.

2026-08-04

S 5235sponsor

A bill to amend the Toxic Substances Control Act to prohibit the manufacture, processing, use, and distribution in commerce of commercial asbestos and mixtures and articles containing commercial asbestos, and for other purposes.

Read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works.

2026-08-04

Motion to Table Budd Amdt. No. 6747

Motion to Table Agreed to (61-32)

Motion to Invoke Cloture: Collins Amdt. No. 6732 to H.R. 6500

Cloture Motion Agreed to (91-6)

yea2026-08-07

Confirmation: En Bloc nominations provided for under the provisions of S. Res. 817

Nomination Confirmed (51-47)

nay2026-08-07

H.R. 5334, as amended

Bill Passed (86-11)

yea2026-08-07

Show 7 more votes

Paul Amdt. No. 6715

Amendment Rejected (32-64)

nay2026-08-07

Motion to Proceed to S. J. Res. 187

Motion to Proceed Rejected (48-50)

yea2026-08-05

Motion to Invoke Cloture: En Bloc Nominations Provided for under the provisions of S. Res. 817

Cloture Motion Agreed to (50-44)

nay2026-08-05

Confirmation: Erica Schwartz, of Florida, to be Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Nomination Confirmed (51-44)

nay2026-08-05

Motion to Invoke Cloture: Erica Schwartz to be Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Cloture Motion Agreed to (51-43)

nay2026-08-05

Motion to Invoke Cloture: Motion to Proceed to H.R. 6500

Cloture on the Motion to Proceed Agreed to (89-4)

yea2026-08-03

S. Res. 817

Resolution Agreed to (50-47)

nay2026-07-30

Large individual $758K

Spent $1.4MCash $4.2M

2020 cycle$6.4M

Small donors $2.2MLarge individual $3.4MPACs $601K

Spent $4.3MCash $3.8M

2018 cycle$3.8M

Small donors $2.4MLarge individual $1.3MPACs $60K

Spent $2.9MCash $1.7M

2016 cycle$1.2M

Small donors $670KLarge individual $300KPACs $94K

Spent $1.1MCash $713K

2014 cycle$9.6M

Small donors $3.2MLarge individual $4.6MPACs $1.4M

Spent $9.6MCash $632K

2012 cycle$1.2M

Small donors $372KLarge individual $442KPACs $184K

Spent $710KCash $544K

2010 cycle$1.2M

Small donors $94KLarge individual $361KPACs $650K

Spent $1.1MCash $67K

2008 cycle$6.5M

Small donors $1.4MLarge individual $3.8MPACs $708K

Spent $6.5MCash $11K

S 5362: A bill to direct the Secretary of State to advocate for the inclusion and recognition of the Central Tibetan Administration, and for other purposes.

sponsor

2026-08-07

legislation

Motion to Invoke Cloture: Collins Amdt. No. 6732 to H.R. 6500

yea

2026-08-07

vote

Confirmation: En Bloc nominations provided for under the provisions of S. Res. 817

nay

2026-08-07

vote

Show 22 more entries

H.R. 5334, as amended

yea

2026-08-07

vote

Paul Amdt. No. 6715

nay

2026-08-07

vote

S 5288: A bill to restore press access to the Pentagon, and for other purposes.

cosponsor

2026-08-06

legislation

SJRES 211: A joint resolution to direct the removal of United States Armed Forces from hostilities within or against the Islamic Republic of Iran that have not been authorized by Congress.

cosponsor

2026-08-06

legislation

SRES 837: A resolution designating the week of August 22 through August 30, 2026, as "National Park Week".

cosponsor

2026-08-06

legislation

S 5284: A bill to provide economic empowerment opportunities in the United States through the modernization of public housing, and for other purposes.

cosponsor

2026-08-06

legislation

S 5296: A bill to provide low-income individuals with opportunities to enter and follow a career pathway in the health professions, and for other purposes.

cosponsor

2026-08-06

legislation

S 5318: A bill to create a new Federal grant program that provides grants to State libraries to allow schools with summer lunch programs to keep their libraries open for student use during the summer months.

sponsor

2026-08-06

legislation

S 5302: A bill to create national standards for labeling of covered materials as recyclable, compostable, reusable, and refillable, and for other purposes.

sponsor

2026-08-06

legislation

S 5283: A bill to end preventable maternal mortality, severe maternal morbidity, and maternal health disparities in the United States, and for other purposes.

cosponsor

2026-08-06

legislation

S 5324: A bill to establish the right to counsel, at Government expense for those who cannot afford counsel, for people facing removal.

cosponsor

2026-08-06

legislation

S 5321: A bill to amend title XIX of the Social Security Act to require coverage of, and expand access to, home and community-based services under the Medicaid program, to award grants for the creation, recruitment, training and education, retention, and advancement of the direct care workforce and to award grants to support family caregivers, and for other purposes.

cosponsor

2026-08-06

legislation

S 5319: A bill to amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to provide for patient protection by limiting the number of mandatory overtime hours a nurse may be required to work in certain providers of services to which payments are made under the Medicare Program.

sponsor

2026-08-06

legislation

S 5273: A bill to improve fisheries stock assessments by incorporating eDNA, and for other purposes.

cosponsor

2026-08-06

legislation

S 5300: A bill to ensure the transparency and integrity of casualty accounting and benefits and awards for military and civilian personnel during military operations, and for other purposes.

cosponsor

2026-08-06

legislation

S 5312: A bill to amend the Public Health Service Act to provide for a Reducing Youth Use of E-Cigarettes Initiative.

cosponsor

2026-08-06

legislation

S 5357: A bill to impose requirements for certain Federal positions to promote transparency, and for other purposes.

sponsor

2026-08-06

legislation

S 5331: A bill to provide that no Federal funds may be used to carry out the final rule of the Department of Homeland Security entitled "Public Charge Ground of Inadmissibility", and for other purposes.

cosponsor

2026-08-06

legislation

S 5268: A bill to amend the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 to adjust the rate employers pay for overtime hours from one and one-half to two times the regular rate.

cosponsor

2026-08-05

legislation

Motion to Proceed to S. J. Res. 187

yea

2026-08-05

vote

Motion to Invoke Cloture: En Bloc Nominations Provided for under the provisions of S. Res. 817

nay

2026-08-05

vote

Confirmation: Erica Schwartz, of Florida, to be Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

nay

2026-08-05

vote

Stock disclosures — coming featureNot applicable

No validated preview rows are loaded for this member. This is not evidence that the member did not file or trade.