DemocratJeff Merkley
U.S. Senator · Oregon
U.S. Senator from Oregon
11 tracked promises, 10 rated
Oregon
Represents Oregon statewide
How they won their seat
Jeff Merkley won the 2020 U.S. Senate election in Oregon with 56.9% of the vote (1,321,047 votes).
- Jeff Merkley · Democrat56.9%1,321,047
- Jo Rae Perkins · Republican39.3%912,814
- Gary Dye · Libertarian1.8%42,747
- Ibrahim A Taher · Other1.8%42,239
- 1 Other Candidate0.1%2,402
Certified results. Source: MIT Election Data + Science Lab (MEDSL) ↗. A plurality winner can hold under 50% when more than two candidates run.
Inferred legislative agendas
Jeff Merkley's record demonstrates a pattern of consumer protection, environmental issues, and campaign finance reform. He has sponsored multiple bills related to renewable energy, such as the Renewable Energy Choice Act and the Keep It in the Ground Act, as well as consumer protections for students and housing. Additionally, his committee memberships indicate involvement in budgetary oversight and foreign relations. Focus areas (from the record): Consumer Protection · Environmental Issues · Campaign Finance Reform · Health Care · Civil Rights Alignment with declared positions: Consistent. Merkley's sponsored bills and tracked promises align in areas such as campaign finance reform and environmental protection, with specific actions like the Keep It in the Ground Act. However, while he has attempted to codify reproductive rights, there is no record of successful codification. What this can't tell you: The effectiveness of his sponsored bills in achieving their intended goals is not clear; The record does not reveal any unlogged work or informal efforts he may have undertaken; There are no statements on file to provide additional context or insights into his positions. Confidence: moderate (based on the volume of verified record on file).
Inferred, not stated. Jeff Merkley has not necessarily stated these as goals. This is an AI-generated, nonpartisan reading of the patterns in their verified record — sponsored legislation, committee work, roll-call votes, and campaign-finance composition — and how those patterns compare to any declared positions and tracked promises. It describes what the record emphasizes, never imputes motive, and is run through an adversarial review pass that scrubs bias, loaded language, and any claim the evidence doesn’t support. It is not a quote, a claim they made, or a rating; every underlying item is sourced in the verified record below; and it never affects the Integrity Score.
Showing 2012. Every tile and chart below reflects this window; some record types (e.g. roll-call votes) only have data for recent years.
Activity in office
What Jeff Merkley has actually done in office — sourced from official roll-call and government records, shown in full below. These are facts, separate from tracked promises and never folded into any score.
- Bills sponsored
- 16
Roll-call data last updated July 20, 2026 · source: Voteview.
Bills sponsored over time
Bills sponsored per year, stacked by outcome (latest action). Outcome data covers the 118th–119th Congresses; earlier years show as “awaiting status” until enriched. Source: Congress.gov.
Bill success rate
Bills SPONSORED in the 118th–119th Congresses, by their latest action. Source: Congress.gov.
Campaign finance over time
- Small-dollar (unitemized)$925K27%
- Large individual (itemized)$2.1M62%
- PAC / committee$403K12%
By election cycle. Source: FEC.
Committee memberships
- Member, Senate Committee on Foreign RelationsOn record since Jan 2025Member
- Member, Senate Committee on AppropriationsOn record since Jan 2025Member
- Member, Senate Committee on Appropriations — Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related AgenciesOn record since Jan 2025Member
- Member, Senate Committee on Appropriations — Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related AgenciesOn record since Jan 2025Member
- Member, Senate Committee on Appropriations — Energy and Water DevelopmentOn record since Jan 2025Member
- Ranking Member, Senate Committee on Appropriations — Department of Interior, Environment, and Related AgenciesOn record since Jan 2025Ranking
- Member, Senate Committee on Appropriations — Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, and Related AgenciesOn record since Jan 2025Member
- Member, Senate Committee on Appropriations — State, Foreign Operations, and Related ProgramsOn record since Jan 2025Member
- Member, Senate Committee on Environment and Public WorksOn record since Jan 2025Member
- Ranking Member, Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works — Chemical Safety, Waste Management, Environmental Justice, and Regulatory OversightOn record since Jan 2025Ranking
- Member, Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works — Clean Air, Climate, and Nuclear Innovation and SafetyOn record since Jan 2025Member
- Member, Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works — Transportation and InfrastructureOn record since Jan 2025Member
- Member, Senate Committee on Foreign Relations — Africa and Global Health PolicyOn record since Jan 2025Member
- Member, Senate Committee on Foreign Relations — East Asia, the Pacific, and International Cybersecurity PolicyOn record since Jan 2025Member
- Member, Senate Committee on Foreign Relations — Western Hemisphere, Transnational Crime, Civilian Security, Democracy, Human Rights, and Global Women's IssuesOn record since Jan 2025Member
- Member, Senate Committee on Rules and AdministrationOn record since Jan 2025Member
- Ranking Member, Senate Committee on the BudgetOn record since Jan 2025Ranking
- Member, Joint Committee on PrintingOn record since Jan 2025Member
Source: Congress.gov.
Integrity
Promises kept vs. worked against — weighted breakdown+78 · based on 10 rated promises
- Attempted 1
- Championed 6
- Fully Kept 3
Teal segments are promises kept; amber and stone segments are promises worked against. The signed score weights each rated promise by significance and evidence confidence. Promise-keeping is shown separately from popularity, finance, disclosure, and stated positions. Methodology is open.
Integrity over time
In office since Jan 2015 · 10 rated promisesEach step is a real change in the sourced record — the score holds between assessments.
Promise status over time
How the tracked promise record has evolved.
- Kept10
- Against0
- No opportunity0
- In progress0
Replayed from this official’s sourced assessment history — the bands step only when an assessment is recorded or changed. Based on the most recent roll-call votes on file and the tracked promise assessments; never interpolated.
Topic coverage
11 promises across 11 topicsWhat this record covers — the number of tracked promises per topic. This is coverage, not a verdict; the kept/against shading within each bar mirrors the Integrity breakdown above.
- Accountability / Constituent Access1
- Campaign Finance1
- Campaign Finance / Democracy1
- Civil Rights / LGBTQ1
- Climate / Energy1
- Climate / Public Lands1
- Democracy / Voting Rights1
- Government Ethics / Anti-Corruption1
- Health Care1
- Reproductive Rights1
- Senate Rules / Democracy1
Evidence & significance
Evidence quality
Strongest source cited per promise.
- Primary (official record)982%
- Reputable news218%
Significance mix
How weighty the tracked promises are (1 = minor, 5 = defining).
Significance weights each promise in the Integrity Score.
11 tracked promises
“Pass the DISCLOSE Act to require disclosure of the donors behind 'dark money' spending in federal elections.”
“Lead the Senate reintroduction of the Equality Act to prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity by amending the Civil Rights Act.”
“Lead and pass the ETHICS Act to ban Members of Congress (and, in the negotiated bipartisan version, their spouses and dependents) from buying, selling, or holding individual stocks.”
“Lead the effort to reform the Senate filibuster (restoring a 'talking filibuster') so that legislation such as voting-rights bills can receive a final vote.”
“Push a democracy blueprint that calls for a constitutional amendment to overturn Citizens United, plus ending gerrymandering (independent redistricting commissions), automatic and same-day voter registration, and abolishing the Electoral College.”
“Cosponsor and support Bernie Sanders' Medicare for All legislation to establish a single-payer national health insurance program.”
“Transition the United States off fossil fuels and to 100% clean and renewable energy by no later than 2050, via the 100 by '50 Act he co-introduced.”
“Codify the right to contraception in federal law through the Right to Contraception Act.”
“Enact the Keep It in the Ground Act to end all new federal leases for oil, gas, and coal extraction on public lands and waters.”
“Stop accepting campaign contributions from corporate political action committees (PACs).”
“Hold an open town hall meeting in every one of Oregon's 36 counties every year.”
Verified record
646 sponsored bills · finance on fileFacts imported directly from official government sources — shown separately from tracked promises and never folded into the Integrity Score. Each entry links to its primary source.
FEC 2026 cycle — raised $7,297,473, spent $4,617,386, cash on hand $0.
View the FEC filing ↗Sponsored legislation
- Sponsored SRES 806: A resolution designating July 2026 as "Plastic Pollution Action Month". ↗Jul 16, 2026
- Sponsored S 5021: A bill to provide consumer protections for students. ↗Jul 16, 2026
- Sponsored S 4990: A bill to require the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration to review and update Federal Aviation Administration regulations, policies, and guidance related to low-altitude airspace safety, and for other purposes. ↗Jul 15, 2026
- Sponsored S 5005: A bill to amend the Epstein Files Transparency Act with respect to enforcement by an attorney general of a State. ↗Jul 15, 2026
- Sponsored S 4937: Investor Choice Act of 2026 ↗Jun 24, 2026
- Sponsored S 4942: SAFE Banking Act of 2026 ↗Jun 24, 2026
- Sponsored SRES 782: A resolution recognizing the importance of pollinators to ecosystem health and agriculture in the United States by designating June 22 through June 28, 2026, as "National Pollinator Week". ↗Jun 22, 2026
- Sponsored S 4804: Manufactured Housing Lending Act ↗Jun 17, 2026
- Sponsored S 4803: Home Equity Lending Integrity Act ↗Jun 17, 2026
- Sponsored S 4772: Renewable Energy Choice Act ↗Jun 11, 2026
- Sponsored S 4774: Fraudulent Artificial Intelligence Regulations (FAIR) Elections Act of 2026 ↗Jun 11, 2026
- Sponsored S 4735: Protecting Americans from High Electricity Prices Act of 2026 ↗Jun 10, 2026
Showing the 12 most recent of 646 sponsored measures.
Voting record
- Total votes
- 858
- Yea
- 238
- Nay
- 613
- Present
- 0
- Not voting
- 7
Full voting record
858 votes- SJRES198Yea
- PN8518Nay
- PN9304Nay
- PN9304Nay
- S4784Nay
- PN9382Nay
- PN9303Nay
- SJRES185Yea
- PN9382Nay
- SJRES196Yea
- PN9303Nay
- PN9302Nay
- PN9302Nay
- PN9307Nay
- PN9307Nay
- HCONRES86Yea
- PN8593Nay
- HR6644Yea
- PN73033Nay
- HR6644Yea
Roll-call votes, 119th Congress. Source: Voteview (voteview.com). Click any vote to verify it independently.
Stated positions
11 positions on recordWhat this official says they believe — sourced claims, shown distinctly from tracked promises and from any assessment of what they did. A stated position is never scored and never affects the Integrity Score.
- Campaign FinanceStated position
Stop accepting campaign contributions from corporate political action committees (PACs).
Sourceshttps://www.opb.org/news/article/jeff-merkley-pac-cash-stop/View position & sources → - Accountability / Constituent AccessStated position
Hold an open town hall meeting in every one of Oregon's 36 counties every year.
Sourceshttps://merkley.senate.gov/news/press-releases/merkley-to-complete-his-36-county-town-hall-tourView position & sources → - Campaign Finance / DemocracyStated position
Pass the DISCLOSE Act to require disclosure of the donors behind 'dark money' spending in federal elections.
Sourceshttps://www.merkley.senate.gov/merkley-wyden-colleagues-reintroduce-updated-disclose-act-to-end-corrupting-influence-of-dark-money-in-american-elections/View position & sources → - Civil Rights / LGBTQStated position
Lead the Senate reintroduction of the Equality Act to prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity by amending the Civil Rights Act.
Sourceshttps://www.merkley.senate.gov/as-states-across-the-country-strip-away-lgbtq-rights-merkley-baldwin-booker-takano-introduce-urgently-needed-protections-through-the-equality-act/View position & sources → - Government Ethics / Anti-CorruptionStated position
Lead and pass the ETHICS Act to ban Members of Congress (and, in the negotiated bipartisan version, their spouses and dependents) from buying, selling, or holding individual stocks.
Sourceshttps://www.merkley.senate.gov/senators-representatives-unveil-bipartisan-legislation-to-end-corrupt-stock-trading-activities-by-members-of-congress/View position & sources → - Reproductive RightsStated position
Codify the right to contraception in federal law through the Right to Contraception Act.
Sourceshttps://www.merkley.senate.gov/news/press-releases/wyden-merkley-colleagues-introduce-bill-to-codify-the-right-to-contraception-22View position & sources → - Senate Rules / DemocracyStated position
Lead the effort to reform the Senate filibuster (restoring a 'talking filibuster') so that legislation such as voting-rights bills can receive a final vote.
Sourceshttps://www.merkley.senate.gov/oregon-sen-jeff-merkley-sees-a-path-to-reform-the-filibuster-22/View position & sources → - Democracy / Voting RightsStated position
Push a democracy blueprint that calls for a constitutional amendment to overturn Citizens United, plus ending gerrymandering (independent redistricting commissions), automatic and same-day voter registration, and abolishing the Electoral College.
Sourceshttps://www.merkley.senate.gov/merkley-unveils-sweeping-blueprint-to-restore-american-democracy/View position & sources → - Health CareStated position
Cosponsor and support Bernie Sanders' Medicare for All legislation to establish a single-payer national health insurance program.
Sourceshttps://www.merkley.senate.gov/merkley-announces-cosponsorship-of-medicare-for-all-legislation/View position & sources → - Climate / EnergyStated position
Transition the United States off fossil fuels and to 100% clean and renewable energy by no later than 2050, via the 100 by '50 Act he co-introduced.
Sourceshttps://www.merkley.senate.gov/merkley-sanders-markey-booker-introduce-landmark-legislation-to-transition-united-states-to-100-clean-and-renewable-energy/View position & sources → - Climate / Public LandsStated position
Enact the Keep It in the Ground Act to end all new federal leases for oil, gas, and coal extraction on public lands and waters.
Sourceshttps://www.merkley.senate.gov/merkley-introduces-major-new-legislation-to-stop-new-fossil-fuel-leases-on-federal-lands/View position & sources →
Disclosure
A separate measure from the promise scorecard above. It tracks confirmed cases where this official has acted on or championed an issue that already existed when they ran, but which they did not disclose as a priority in their campaign. Each case meets a high evidence bar — three independent sources — and the score is shown alongside the Integrity Score, never merged into it. How this is measured.
No undisclosed priorities on record. This is not a clean-audit claim — it means none have been confirmed for this official.
Office context & community edits
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