Jeff Merkley in 2020 OR Senatorial race

On Foreign Policy: Investigate Saudi interference in US criminal cases

A push by Sen. Jeff Merkley to investigate the Saudi Arabian government's suspected role in spiriting accused criminals out of the United States may finally see a Senate vote by the end of this year. After two prior efforts fizzled, the Oregon Democrat's newest proposal found its way into a state and foreign operations funding bill that won unanimous approval last week in the Senate Appropriations Committee, where Merkley is a member.

The measure comes after an investigation by The Oregonian/OregonLive's found multiple cases where Saudi students studying around the U.S. vanished while facing serious criminal charges, ranging from rape to manslaughter, likely with the help of their government. "It's completely unacceptable and outrageous that any nation would assist their citizens in escaping the U.S. to evade justice after they've committed serious crimes," Merkley said in a statement.

Source: The Oregonian on 2020 Oregon Senate race Sep 30, 2019

On Government Reform: We the People democracy: extend vote to DC & territories

Senator Jeff Merkley and Senator Tom Udall have introduced bills designed to create what Merkley refers to as "We the People" democracy. With Udall, he's proposing a constitutional amendment to abolish the Electoral College and a plan to establish a commission to develop proposals for providing citizens of the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the territories of Guam, the US Virgin Islands, American Samoa, and the Northern Mariana Islands with full voting representation in Congress.

The latter proposal is vital for a country that began with a revolt against colonialism. It is shocking, at this late stage in the American experiment, that roughly 4 million US citizens are denied voting representation in Congress. Merkley knows there will be pushback from Republicans, and perhaps even from some within his own party. But he reminds us that "we need real, equal representation if we want a government that responds to the big issues impacting working families' lives."

Source: The Nation, "Electoral College," on 2020 Oregon Senate race Apr 8, 2019

The above quotations are from 2020 Oregon Senatorial race: debates and news coverage. Click here for other excerpts from 2020 Oregon Senatorial race: debates and news coverage. Click here for other excerpts by Jeff Merkley. Click here for a profile of Jeff Merkley.
*Jeff Merkley on other issues:*
Abortion Budget/Economy Civil Rights Corporations Crime Drugs Education Energy/Oil Environment Families Foreign Policy Free Trade	Govt. Reform Gun Control Health Care Homeland Security Immigration Jobs Principles Social Security Tax Reform Technology War/Peace Welfare
Please consider a donation to OnTheIssues.org! Click for details -- or send donations to: 1770 Mass Ave. #630, Cambridge MA 02140 E-mail: submit@OnTheIssues.org (We rely on your support!)

Page last updated: Oct 24, 2020