The Dispute Index

Jeff Merkley

Portrait of Jeff Merkley
U.S. Senate

Jeff Merkley is a Democratic United States senator representing Oregon.

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What DI has documented

DI has documented statements by Jeff Merkley on 2026 Midterm Elections, Arts and Culture, and Education, among other topics. Read the quotations, original sources and related cases below.

Topics in this coverage

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Statements by Jeff Merkley

Portrait of Jeff Merkley

Jeff Merkley

Role at the time: U.S. senator

Condemned

Statement summary

Jeff Merkley supported the Ban Flock Act, which would prohibit federal use of automatic license plate readers and limit federal funding for state and local use.

“Your right to privacy includes the freedom to move around your community without every move being monitored.”
Read the official statement (opens in a new tab)Ocasio-Cortez, Sanders and Merkley announce the Ban Flock Act · Alexandria Ocasio-CortezPress release, October 2, 2026, paragraphs 1-5
Why we used this label

Merkley says Flock's system threatens privacy and supports legislation limiting automatic license plate reader use.

Read statementShould Flock-style license-plate surveillance networks exist?
Portrait of Jeff Merkley

Jeff Merkley

Role at the time: U.S. senator from Oregon and co-lead of the bill

Condemned

Statement summary

Merkley criticized Lee's objection to his request for immediate passage of the memorial-protection bill.

“a colleague objected to this common-sense bill”
Read the official statement (opens in a new tab)Senate Blocks Merkley, Murkowski Bill to Prevent Trump Tearing Down Presidential Memorials · Jeff MerkleyFirst paragraph of the senator's quoted statement
Why we used this label

Merkley described the objection as unfortunate and the blocked bill as common-sense. His response rejects Lee's floor action.

Read statementWas Mike Lee right to block fast-track passage of the Kennedy Center protection bill?
Portrait of Jeff Merkley

Jeff Merkley

Role at the time: U.S. senator from Oregon and ranking member of the Senate Interior-Environment Appropriations Subcommittee

Condemned

Statement summary

Sen. Jeff Merkley said in a statement that President Trump, without authorization from Congress, is trying to tear down the Kennedy Center because the law says Trump cannot put his name on the building. He made the statement after Sen. Mike Lee blocked his bill with Sen. Lisa Murkowski to bar the demolition of presidential memorials without an act of Congress.

“Perhaps the greatest living memorial for a president is the Kennedy Center, in honor of our slain president who championed the arts. But now President Trump—without authorization from Congress—is trying to tear it down. First, he destroyed its programming, and now, he wants to destroy the building itself. All because the law says Trump can’t put his name on the building.”
Read the official statement (opens in a new tab)Senate Blocks Merkley, Murkowski Bill to Prevent Trump Tearing Down Presidential Memorials · Jeff MerkleyFirst paragraph of the senator's quoted statement
Why we used this label

The case asks whether Trump should link the Kennedy Center's renovation and future to recognition for his administration. Merkley said Trump is trying to tear the building down without authorization from Congress because the law bars Trump from putting his name on it, and said the threats are "straight out of the authoritarian playbook." That criticizes the link between recognition and the building's fate, so we labeled it Condemned.

Read statementShould Donald Trump link the Kennedy Center's renovation to recognition for his administration?
Portrait of Jeff Merkley

Jeff Merkley

Role at the time: U.S. Senator, Oregon

Condemned

Statement summary

Jeff Merkley voted yea on H.Con.Res. 89, a vote to direct the removal of U.S. forces from unauthorized hostilities with Iran.

“On the Concurrent Resolution H.Con.Res. 89: A concurrent resolution directing the President, pursuant to section 5(c) of the War Powers Resolution, to remove United States Armed Forces from hostilities with Iran.”
Read the official statement (opens in a new tab)U.S. Senate Roll Call Vote 244: H.Con.Res. 89, Iran War Powers Resolution (rejected, 49-50)
Why we used this label

Voted to direct the removal of U.S. forces from unauthorized hostilities with Iran, a vote to end U.S. involvement absent congressional authorization.

Read statementDo they support the war in Iran?
Portrait of Jeff Merkley

Jeff Merkley

Role at the time: United States senator from Oregon

Condemned

Statement summary

Merkley opposes the rule as a late restriction on voters and challenges federal control of mailed ballots.

“Donald Trump is trying to make it harder for folks to vote just weeks before an election”
Read the official statement (opens in a new tab)Merkley and Wyden urge Supreme Court to block USPS mail-voting rule · Jeff MerkleySeparately attributed Merkley and Wyden quotation blocks
Why we used this label

Directly criticizes 2026 enforcement and its effects on voters.

Read statementShould Trump’s new mail-in voting restrictions apply to the 2026 midterms?
Portrait of Jeff Merkley

Jeff Merkley

Role at the time: U.S. Senator, Oregon

Condemned

Statement summary

Jeff Merkley voted Yea on H.Con.Res. 86, the Senate resolution directing the President to remove U.S. Armed Forces from hostilities with Iran.

“On the Concurrent Resolution H.Con.Res. 86: Directing the President, pursuant to section 5(c) of the War Powers Resolution, to remove United States Armed Forces from hostilities with Iran.”
Read the official statement (opens in a new tab)U.S. Senate Roll Call Vote 184: H.Con.Res. 86, Iran War Powers Resolution (agreed to, 50-48)
Why we used this label

A yea vote supported directing the President to remove U.S. Armed Forces from hostilities with Iran, opposing continued U.S. involvement in the war without congressional authorization.

Read statementDo they support the war in Iran?
Portrait of Jeff Merkley

Jeff Merkley

Role at the time: U.S. Senator for Oregon at the statement date.

Condemned

Statement summary

Merkley condemns the strikes as wrong and unauthorized and demands congressional control of war powers.

“Donald Trump is not a king. These strikes are wrong and unauthorized.”
Read the official statement (opens in a new tab)Jeff Merkley on the Iran warComplete original release or interview report; date-only timestamp represented at noon UTC
Why we used this label

Relative to U.S. military involvement in the 2026 Iran war, Merkley condemns the strikes as wrong and unauthorized and demands congressional control of war powers.

Read statementDo they support the war in Iran?
Portrait of Jeff Merkley

Jeff Merkley

Role at the time: U.S. senator from Oregon, answering a question at a Parkdale town hall

Condemned

Statement summary

At an Oregon town hall, Merkley said he opposes facial recognition technology and that expanded surveillance authorities after Sept. 11 helped normalize technologies including Flock cameras used by law enforcement. He called the situation a huge threat to privacy and freedom.

“It's all a huge threat to privacy and freedom in America.”
Open source (opens in a new tab)Sen. Merkley warns of election threat at Parkdale town hall; CCCNews asks about fruit pricesLand, water and surveillance concerns section
Why we used this label

The reference point is whether networked license-plate reader systems such as Flock should exist and be used. Merkley criticized surveillance normalization that includes Flock cameras but named no remedy for the cameras themselves, so the statement is placed with critical statements that do not name a remedy.

Read statementShould Flock-style license-plate surveillance networks exist?
Older statements

A participant is a subject of the case. A speaker has a statement documented in it. A commentator has an opinion or editorial documented in it.

Case

Do they support the war in Iran?

Relationship to this case: Speaker

An issue tracker recording where members of Congress and 2026 midterm candidates stand on the unauthorized Iran war, based on their votes on war-powers resolutions, campaign statements, and public remarks.

Iran WarU.S. PoliticsUpdated