Jeff Merkley Biography
Jeff Merkley is an American politician serving as the junior U.S senator from Oregon since 2009. Merkley was born (Jeffrey Alan Merkley) on October 24, 1956 in Myrtle Creek, Oregon, U.S.
Jeff Merkley Age
Merkley was bornon October 24, 1956 in Myrtle Creek, Oregon, U.S. As of 2018, Merkley is 62 years old.
Jeff Merkley Family
Merkley is the son of Betty Lou Collins and Darrell Philli Merkley, worked as a sawmill worker.
Jeff Merkley Wife
Merkley is married to Mary Sorteberg
Jeff Merkley Children
Merkley has two children with Mary; Jonathan Merkley and Brynne Merkley.
Jeff Merkley Education
Merkley attended his first grade in Roseburg, Oregon before moving to Portland with his family.
In 1979, Merkly graduated from David Douglas High School, obtained a bachelor of arts degree in International Relations from Stanford University. nd earned a Master of Public Affairs degree from the Woodrow Wilson School at Princeton University in 1982.
Jeff Merkley Career
Merkley was selected as a Presidential Management Fellow, working at the Office of the Secretary of Defense on the security of American military technology. After his fellowship, he worked in the Congressional Budget Office, where he analyzed nuclear weapons policies and programs
In 1991, Merkley returned to Portland, where he served as executive director of Portland Habitat for Humanity until 1994
Merkley served as Director of Housing Development at Human Solutions, where he worked to make available affordable housing complexes and launching Oregon’s first Individual Development Account (IDA) program that helps low-income families save money to buy homes, attend college, or start businesses
Merkley was President of the World Affairs Council of Oregon for seven years and continues to serve on the Board of Trustees
In 1998, Merkley was elected as a Democrat to the Oregon House of Representatives from district 16 in east Portland (District 47 after the 2002 redistricting). He succeeded Frank Shields, who moved from the House to the Oregon State Senate due to term limits.
Jeff Merkley Endorsement
Merkley received the endorsements of Democratic Governor Ted Kulongoski and former Democratic Governor Barbara Roberts on August 13, 2007. In December 2007, Merkley was endorsed by the Oregon AFL-CIO, the state’s largest labor federation.
Jeff Merkley Asylum and immigration
Merkley opposed Trump’s administration’s immigration policies. In August 2018, Merkley was one of seventeen senators to sign a letter spearheaded by Kamala Harris to United States Secretary of Homeland Security Kirstjen Nielsen demanding that the Trump administration take immediate action in attempting to reunite 539 migrant children with their families.
In November 2018, Merkley was one of eleven senators to sign a letter to United States Secretary of Defense James Mattis concerning “the overt politicization of the military” with the Trump administration’s deployment of 5,800 troops to the U.S.-Mexico border
Jeff Merkley Defense and foreign policy
Merkley led an effort in November 2011 to urge President Barack Obama to expedite transition of responsibility for military and security operations to the government of Afghanistan
Merkley supports the Reid-Feingold Amendment, a plan for removing troops from Iraq and has his own five-point plan for stability in Iraq
Removing all combat troops starting right away and completing the redeployment in six to 12 months
Eliminating permanent U.S. military bases in Iraq
Engaging Iraq’s neighbors in a diplomatic effort to secure the peace, particularly Turkey, Iran and Syria
Removing all American contractors from the country and replacing them with Iraqi contractors, and
Directing our attention toward stronger engagement with the Iraqi Parliament and Courts
Jeff Merkley Polls
U.S. Senate election in Oregon, 2014 | |||||
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ± | |
Democratic | Jeff Merkley (incumbent) | 814,537 | 57.50% | +8.60 | |
Republican | Monica Wehby | 538,847 | 36.87% | –8.68 | |
Libertarian | Mike Montchalin | 44,916 | 3.07% | N/A | |
Pacific Green | Christina Jean Lugo | 32,434 | 2.22% | N/A | |
Constitution | James Leuenberger | 24,212 | 1.66% | –3.58 | |
Write-ins | 6,672 | 0.46% | +0.16 | ||
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Oregon Sens. Wyden, Merkley Disappointed In Trump’s State Of The Union
Adopted From: opb.org
Published: Feb. 6, 2019
Oregon’s Democratic U.S. Sens. Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden attended President Trump’s State of the Union address in Washington, D.C., Tuesday night.
Merkley expressed dismay to OPB Wednesday that Trump did not address the state of America in a broader sphere.
He summarized the president’s speech as “a failure on leadership on big issues affecting America and a failure on turning the corner from divisive, bitter partisanship to unity.”
“The president didn’t respond or address some of the really big issues affecting America,” Merkley said. “For example, our We The People Republic is being destroyed by gerrymandering and voter suppression and dark money and he didn’t have a word to say about how we’re going to restore the vision of our Constitution.”
Something that stood out to both Merkley and Wyden was Trump’s comments on what he described as the “ridiculous partisan investigations” of his administration and campaign.
“It was stunning to hear a president plead with Congress to set aside its constitutional duty to conduct vigorous oversight,” Wyden said in a statement to OPB.
He continued: “I walked out [Tuesday] reflecting on the sacred American principle that no one is above the law. The state of the union is clear: Donald Trump is steering America in the wrong direction.”
In his address, the president said: “If there is going to be peace and legislation, there cannot be war and investigation. It just doesn’t work that way.”
Merkley echoed Wyden’s sentiment on the comments. “Well, Mr. President, it does work that way,” Merkley said. “It’s called democracy. We legislate, but we also have a responsibility for accountability — for accountability of the executive branch.”
On another partisan subject, Merkley also brought up immigration — the president spoke on his ongoing plans for a border wall Tuesday.
Merkley brought a Guatemalan mother and daughter, Albertina and Yaquelin Contreras, who were separated at the U.S. border as his guests to the State of the Union address.
“They were early victims of the president’s child separation policy,” Merkley said. “They spent two months apart.”
Merkley said they had a translator who attempted to whisper the president’s speech, but Albertina and Yaquelin missed most of the address.
He said that Yaquelin, 12, did have some choice words for Trump.
“Yaquelin said if she could speak to the president, her message would be, ‘Mr. President, stop taking the kids away from their parents because for the kids, it’s just too hard.’”
Other topics Merkley wished Trump would have touched on included climate change and investing in the families of America, “not making the rich richer,” he said.