"Stabilize the monster that is devouring Wall Street... before it gets to your street. That's the kind of action that is called for right now," said Smith.
Smith said he wasn't for either more or less regulation, but better regulation in general and said he supported the bailout also because it included a four-year reauthorization of the county payments program.
For his part, Smith argued that Merkley was out of touch in his choice to oppose the recently approved $700 billion bailout package.
Both candidates said they supported government help for those people facing foreclosure.
A: Yes.
A: Yes.
hereby is recognized as and declared to be a civil right.However, this section shall not be construed to prevent a bona fide church from preferring an employee of one religious sect or persuasion over another.
Source: Oregon State 1998 National Political Awareness Test
Nov 1, 1998
On Environment:
Sustainable harvests on public lands
The Beaver State was built by Americans who relied on the land for their livelihood. Natural resource industries like farming, forestry, and salmon fishing remain integral to Oregon's economy today.
Our state has also long been a destination for Americans looking to experience the great outdoors.
Oregon's protected public lands provide valuable habitats, supply clean water, and generate jobs through sustainable harvests, recreation, and tourism.
Preserving our natural resources and making smart decisions about economic development will help spur rural growth and ensure that future generations can enjoy Oregon's wild places and public lands while putting people to work.
Source: Vote-USA.org on 2014 Oregon Senate incumbents
Oct 24, 2014
On Civil Rights:
Oregon Equality Act: sexual orientation is a civil right
Be It Enacted by the People of the State of Oregon: To protect their health, safety and morals from the consequences of intergroup hostility, tensions and practices of discrimination of any kind based on sexual orientation: The Legislative
Assembly intends to provide:- A program of public education calculated to eliminate attitudes upon which practices of discrimination because of sexual orientation;
- An adequate remedy for persons aggrieved by certain acts of discrimination
because of sexual orientation;
- hereby is recognized as and declared to be a civil right.
However, this section shall not be construed to prevent a bona fide church from preferring an employee of one religious sect or persuasion over another.
Source: The Oregon Equality Act (SB 2): state voting records
Dec 31, 2007
On Civil Rights:
Ensure that women earn equal pay for equal work
On April 9, Senate Democrats failed to break a filibuster preventing passage of a bill aimed at ensuring that women receive equal pay for equal work. Republicans said the legislation could actually have a harmful impact on women in the workplace.What
Merkley says: "It's wrong that even today, women in Oregon make just 79 cents for every dollar a man makes, and minority women experience an even greater gap in earnings. I co-sponsored and helped pass the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act to ensure women
employees can have their day in court when they are the victims of illegal wage discrimination. I am now fighting to pass the Paycheck Fairness Act, the next step we must take to ensure women earn equal pay for equal work."
Wehby's response: "Senator
Merkley's approach to this issue is not only wrong, but will only exacerbate the problem of discrimination against women in our economy. A bill like this will encourage job creators to look for labor substitution. I would have voted no."
Source: The Oregonian on 2014 Oregon Senate race
Jul 18, 2014
On Crime:
Opposes the death penalty
Merkley supports the following principles regarding crime:- Oppose the death penalty.
- Inform communities when a convicted sex offender moves into the community.
Source: Oregon State 1998 National Political Awareness Test
Nov 1, 1998
On Crime:
Increase rehabilitation & alternatives to incarceration
Merkley supports the following principles regarding crime:- Implement penalties other than incarceration for certain non-violent offenders.
-
Increase state funds for programs which rehabilitate and educate inmates during and after their prison sentences.
Source: Oregon State 1998 National Political Awareness Test
Nov 1, 1998
On Crime:
Mandatory minimum sentence for some 1st-degree sex offenders
Merkley sponsored HB 3511, "Minimum Sentence for Some First-Degree Sex Offenders" (Bill Passed, 54-6)- Increases mandatory minimum sentences and extends period of post-prison supervision for, and requires active tracking of, certain persons
convicted of rape in first degree, sodomy in first degree or unlawful sexual penetration in first degree if victim is under
12 years of age or of kidnapping in first degree if offense is committed in furtherance of commission or attempted commission of rape in first degree, sodomy in first degree or unlawful sexual penetration in first degree if victim is under
12 years of age.
- Provides that increased mandatory minimum sentences and extended periods of post-prison supervision apply only to persons at least 18 years of age at time offense is committed.
Source: Oregon State Legislative Voting Records
Apr 20, 2006
On Crime:
Worked hard to get better laws to deal with criminals
On crime, Smith said his opponent has opposed stiffer laws against gang crimes, rapists and child sex offenders. "When I look at Jeff Merkley's stance on crime, I'm appalled," he said.Merkley responded, "Shame on you,
Gordon Smith, for portraying that series of lies." He said Smith took things he said or did out of context, and he affirmed that he has worked hard in the state Legislature to get better laws on the books to deal with criminals.
Source: 2008 Oregon Senate Debate, in Southern Ore. Mail Tribune
Oct 14, 2008
On Drugs:
Toughen laws against meth traffickers
Merkley says federal money should pay for 500 more police in Oregon. [Merkley proposes] a $309 million anti-crime package aimed at reversing Bush administration cuts in aid to local law enforcement.
Merkley hopes his crime-fighting proposals will respond to voter concerns about high levels of methamphetamine use and cuts to law enforcement in many Oregon communities.
Merkley wants the federal government to pay the costs of adding another 50,000 local police officers around the country, as well as additional prosecutors and resources for crime labs.
He would also toughen laws against meth traffickers, toughen reporting requirements for sex offenders and expand federal laws against child pornography.
Source: By Jeff Mapes, The Oregonian
Jul 2, 2008
On Drugs:
Positives of pot legalization outweigh the negatives
Oregon's junior senator said that, on balance, he supports a measure on the November ballot that would legalize marijuana in his state. Sen. Jeff Merkley said that while both sides make strong cases for and against Measure 91, the positives of
legalization outweigh the negatives. Here's where he stands: "I think folks on both sides of the argument make a good case," Merkley said. "And there is concern about a series of new products--and we don't have a real track record from Colorado and
Washington. But I feel on balance that we spend a lot of money on our criminal justice system in the wrong places and I lean in favor of this ballot measure."
While politicians nationwide have been reluctant to stake out a position on the issue,
Merkley is unlikely to be the last to so explicitly announce his support for legalization as attitudes toward the drug continue to shift. As an increasingly clear majority of Americans support the idea of legalizing the drug, more are expected to follow.
Source: Washington Post on 2014 Oregon Senate debate
Oct 24, 2014
On Energy & Oil:
Climate change is real, and it's bad for our economy
The carbon pollution in our atmosphere from burning fossil fuels like oil and coal is waging a direct and unchecked assault on our farming, fishing and forests: the cornerstones of Oregon's rural economy.When Jeff was young, his dad worked as a
millwright. He spent his childhood in Southern Oregon timber communities, where timber jobs were what put food on the table and kept roofs over folks' head. Fires and insect infestations are already killing trees at alarming rates across the
Northwest, and climate change will only make these threats to our forests worse. Other iconic Oregon industries like our coastal oyster hatcheries are threatened by ocean acidification, and fishing and farming alike are facing threats from declining
snowpacks and increased drought.
Congress needs to wake up. Climate change is real, and it's bad for our economy and jobs, especially in rural Oregon and the places that most depend on our abundant natural resources.
Source: Vote-USA.org on 2014 Oregon Senate incumbents
Oct 24, 2014
On Environment:
Sustainable forest harvest important for economy
Both Smith & Merkley said they wanted to do more to promote timber harvesting as a way to beef up the state's economy.Smith said 8 billion board feet were harvested during the 1980s, which he thought was too much. As opposed to his opponent,
Smith said he wants to create a timber industry that will offer more jobs.
Merkley said that a sustainable forest harvest is important for the economy. He said that both Bush and Smith have caused the state to lose 12,000 jobs in the timber industry.
Source: 2008 Oregon Senate Debate, in Southern Ore. Mail Tribune
Oct 14, 2008
On Environment:
Son of a timber family; will fight for timber payments
Smith noted that he was able to restore federal timber payments to Oregon counties by inserting it in the federal economic bailout bill--a bill Merkley had said he would have opposed.Merkley responded that Smith had never
been able to restore the payments while Republicans controlled the Senate. "We need to have a son of a timber family to fight for timber payments," said Merkley, who was born in timber-dependent Douglas County and whose father once owned a mill.
Source: 2008 Oregon Senate Debate reported in Statesman Journal
Oct 14, 2008
On Foreign Policy:
In a dangerous world, we need to work with other nations
Jeff is committed to protecting America from those who would do us harm, and to making sure we do so in a way that is consistent with American values and our Constitutional rights. Indeed, Jeff firmly believes that the measure of our strength isn't just
the power of our military, but that the United States is safer and stronger when we honor our fundamental American values like respect for the rule of law and invest in the hard work of working with our allies.
In a dangerous world, with global threats ranging from terrorism to global warming to nuclear weapons proliferation,
Jeff understands that we need to be able to work with other nations to confront these challenges together.
Source: 2014 Oregon Senate campaign website, Merkley.senate.gov
Sep 1, 2014
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 Free Trade:
Support free-trade, but wait on Trans-Pacific Partnership
In Congress, the crucial Oregon forest issue centers on legislation dealing with some 2.8 million acres of federal forests in western Oregon known as the Oregon & California Railroad lands. Both Wehby and Conger prefer the House-passed bill sponsored
by three Oregon congressman, that would put much of the land in a state-managed trust aimed at boosting timber harvests.Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., has his own somewhat more restrictive O&C plan. Conger flatly says he would vote against it if the
Wyden plan came to the Senate floor. Wehby says she'd wait to see the final form.
Both lean toward supporting free-trade pacts. But neither is ready to commit on the upcoming Trans-Pacific Partnership or
on legislation--known as Trade Promotion Authority--that would allow an up-or-down congressional vote on any trade agreement approved by negotiators.
Source: The Oregonian on 2014 Oregon Senate race
May 2, 2014
On Government Reform:
Spending limits on campaigns, plus full disclosure
Q: Do you support requiring full and timely disclosure of campaign finance information?A: Yes.
Q: Do you support imposing spending limits on state level political campaigns?
A: Yes.
Q:
Would you vote to ratify an amendment to the U.S. Constitution requiring an annual balanced federal budget?
A: No.
Q: Do you support using vote-by-mail for all elections?
A: Yes.
Source: Oregon State 1998 National Political Awareness Test
Nov 1, 1998
On Government Reform:
Nuclear option: Allow confirmation of Obama's appointees
Ever since they arrived in the Senate, Jeff Merkley and Tom Udall have had one huge, seemingly insurmountable goal: To change Senate rules on the filibuster. On Thursday, they won."This is a terrific vote for the US Senate," said Merkley. "The
American people want this institution to function. They want to see it take on the big issues. They don't want to see the entire calendar of the year eaten up by paralyzing process on nominations."
Filibuster reform has long been a marquee issue for
Merkley (OR) & Udall (NM), who are part of a new breed of Senate reformers who have never served in the minority. Now, they're looking to expand their change to filibuster rules governing legislation--but that's going to be a much harder sell.
Critics
of the two first-term senators say they led a movement they don't even understand--they have only served in the majority, longtime GOP senators charge, and don't appreciate ways that the filibuster has been used to the benefit of the country in the past.
Source: Politico.com coverage of 2014 Oregon Senate race
Nov 21, 2013
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
On Gun Control:
Maintain restrictions on purchase & possession of firearms
Merkley supports the following principles regarding :- Maintain state restrictions on the purchase and possession of firearms.
Source: Oregon State 1998 National Political Awareness Test
Nov 1, 1998
On Health Care:
AdWatch: Targeted by RNC robocalls for support of ObamaCare
Sen. Jeff Merkley is among 11 Democrats targeted by the Republican National Committee for their support of ObamaCare. The RNC is using robocalls and posting on Facebook to urge people to call their representatives and ask "why they supported
President Obama's lie that people could keep their healthcare plans under ObamaCare."The targets besides Merkley are Reps. Gary Peters (MI) and Bruce Braley (IA), Sens. Mark Warner (VA), Mark Begich (AK), Dick Durbin (IL), Kay Hagan (NC), Mary
Landrieu (LA), Mark Pryor (AR), Jeanne Shaheen (NH), and Mark Udall (CO). The robocall script reads:
"President Obama and the Democrats said you could keep your healthcare plan under ObamaCare. Now we know [SENATOR] actually VOTED to make it more
difficult. Call [SENATOR] at (XXX)-XXX-XXX & ask why [he/she] lied."
The robocalls are a response to Democrats launching the "GOP Shutdown Watch" campaign, highlighting Republican senate candidates who supported the partial federal government shutdown.
Source: MI Daily Tribune PacWatch: 2014 Oregon Senate debate
Nov 5, 2013
On Health Care:
2009: "Keep your insurance"; 2014: fix ObamaCare so you can
Monica Wehby, who is seeking the Republican nomination for Senate, launched a web video that shows 4-year-old footage of Sen. Jeff Merkley promising constituents that they could still keep their existing health insurance under the new federal law.
Merkley acknowledged in November that he and other supporters of the new law did not foresee how it would fail to prevent a wave of cancellations of existing policies. The senator also joined other Democrats in sponsoring a bill that would allow
consumers to keep existing policies if they wanted.
The new Wehby video features footage of a Sept. 4, 2009 town hall meeting in which Merkley said: "You would have the choice of sticking with the plan you have. If you like it, it will be absolutely
there." The ad ends with a catchy slogan: "Keep your doctor. Change your senator."
A Merkley spokeswoman said that the senator has worked to fix problems with the new law rather than simply undo the new federal health care law.
Source: The Oregonian AdWatch on 2014 Oregon Senate race
Jan 2, 2014
On Health Care:
I couldn't enroll in ObamaCare, but it'll eventually succeed
Sen. Jeff Merkley, holding the first of three town halls in the Portland area, defended the new federal health care law while also continuing to blame software giant Oracle for Oregon's health exchange problems. "Oracle botched it in a major way,"
Merkley said, as he referred to the continuing failures of the Cover Oregon website.The senator said he still hasn't been able to finish enrolling his own family through Cover Oregon, although he said afterwards that he is still has insurance for
the time being through his existing congressional plan. Under the new law, members of Congress are required to get their coverage through the exchanges.
Merkley said he continues to believe the new law is still on balance a positive because it has
expanded coverage to large numbers of previously uninsured people. "We're going to have some success stories, we're going to have some failure stories," said Merkley. "We have to work on it."
Source: The Oregonian on 2014 Oregon Senate race
Jan 3, 2014
On Homeland Security:
Be slow to go to war and be fast to take care of veterans
On Iraq, Merkley noted that he was against the war from the start. "I stood up two months before the war and said we should be sending diplomats into Iraq, not bombs,"
Merkley said. "Be slow to go to war and be fast to take care of our sons and daughters when they come home. We got it exactly backwards from the Bush administration."
Source: 2008 Oregon Senate Debate reported in Statesman Journal
Oct 14, 2008
On Homeland Security:
Invest in working with our allies, not power of military
Jeff is committed to protecting America from those who would do us harm, and to making sure we do so in a way that is consistent with American values and our Constitutional rights. Indeed, Jeff firmly believes that the measure of our strength isn't
just the power of our military, but that the United States is safer and stronger when we honor our fundamental American values like respect for the rule of law and invest in the hard work of working with our allies. In a dangerous world, with global
threats ranging from terrorism to global warming to nuclear weapons proliferation, Jeff understands that we need to be able to work with other nations to confront these challenges together.Having worked as a national security analyst at the Pentagon
and at the Congressional Budget Office, Jeff has a unique understanding of national security policy. In both positions, he was immersed in the national dialogue on responsible management of nuclear weapons.
Source: Vote-USA.org on 2014 Oregon Senate incumbents
Oct 24, 2014
On Immigration:
Rated 90% by Oregonians for Immigration Reform
Representative Merkley supported the interests of the Oregonians for Immigration Reform 90% in 2001-2002.OFIR, Oregonians For Immigration Reform, is a non-profit organization whose members believe that our immigration laws & practices must be reformed
We are very critical of the national laws relating to legal immigration and of the enforcement policies of both the Clinton and Bush administrations relative to illegal immigration.
SUMMARY OF ARGUMENTS AGAINST INCREASED IMMIGRATION- Increases per student costs of education system because of language deficiency and poverty of most immigrant families.
- Increases law enforcement costs.
-
Increases costs of social and medical services. A large percentage of immigrants pay neither income nor property taxes.
- Increased demand for low paying unskilled jobs.
- Creates surplus labor pool to support anti union employers.
Source: Oregon State Legislative Voting Records
Jan 1, 2003
On Jobs:
Minimum wage should be left to the states
As a newcomer to politics, Wehby has also struggled at times to define her views. In an interview in December, she seemed to agree with the assertion that it's wrong for government to mandate a minimum wage.Wehby later clarified that she believes the
minimum wage "should be left to the states." When asked this week if that meant she would oppose an increase in the federal minimum wage--as Democrats are trying to do in Congress--Wehby said, "You know, I'd have to look at each piece of legislation."
Source: The Oregonian on 2014 Oregon Senate race
May 2, 2014
On Principles & Values:
I've lived a pretty unconventional life
In his mid-20s, Jeff Merkley hopped a bus with a friend in Los Angeles and headed south for what would become a hairy, life-changing journey through revolution-torn Central America.
Merkley raced midget motorcycles as a child, and once owned--and crashed--a Harley. He roomed with an impoverished family in Ghana as a teen, hitchhiked across Israel as a young man and went on, as he puts it, to help shut down one of
Portland's worst crack alleys. "I've lived," he says, "a pretty unconventional life."Yet for all that, he has become best known as the "establishment" candidate in a field of less-experienced upstarts. "I started this race unknown to Oregonians,"
Merkley says. "What they hear is ‘speaker of the House.' That sounds pretty uninteresting. There's no way to convey in a 30-second ad the history of your life."
Source: The Oregonian, "Oregon House speaker"
May 1, 2008
On Principles & Values:
Endorsed by Sen. Wyden; I'll be his partner
Smith made frequent reference to his ability to work both sides of the political aisle. He often cited his ability to work with Sen. Ron Wyden, his Democratic counterpart representing Oregon. He said he also has taken on Bush on several issues over the
years and has worked with Sen. Barack Obama, the Democratic nominee for president. But Merkley said he has been endorsed by Wyden. "Sen. Wyden needs a partner in Jeff Merkley," he said. Merkley said Smith has voted with Bush 90% of the time.
Source: 2008 Oregon Senate Debate, in Southern Ore. Mail Tribune
Oct 14, 2008
On Social Security:
Privatization would melt away retirement in stock crash
Merkley said he's opposed to Smith's plan to privatize Social Security, which he said would have been a dangerous move considering how hard retirement funds have been hit by the falling stock market. "It would have melted away the way Wall Street has
melted away," he said.Smith said he encourages Americans to save more as a way to better prepare for retirement and add to the benefits received under Social Security. He took issue with Merkley for suggesting he wanted to do away with Social Security
Source: 2008 Oregon Senate Debate, in Southern Ore. Mail Tribune
Oct 14, 2008
On Social Security:
Fight efforts to privatize; honor promises to seniors
We have made promises to our seniors that they have honored through decades of hard work, and that we must keep to seniors today and tomorrow.
Jeff believes that Social Security and Medicare are a covenant with our seniors, and has fought against efforts to privatize or weaken these essential programs.
Source: Vote-USA.org on 2014 Oregon Senate incumbents
Oct 24, 2014
On Tax Reform:
No state sales tax
Q: Do you support implementing a state sales tax?A: No. I support equalization between individual and corporate kicker.
Source: Oregon State 1998 National Political Awareness Test
Nov 1, 1998
On Tax Reform:
Supports raising taxes on earnings over $250,000 per year
Asked about the Bush tax cuts, in particular how Smith could defend them in light of the current economic crisis, Smith said, "I believe in pro-growth tax cuts." He said that Oregonians today were paying lower federal taxes because of him, but higher
state taxes because of Merkley's work in the state Legislature. Merkley addressed Smith directly: "The fact is, Gordon, you've voted for taxes 67 times." Merkley said he would support Obama's proposed plan to raise taxes on people making more than
$250,000 per year.
Taxes came up again when both candidates were asked whether it was smart to cut taxes during a time when the national debt is growing. Merkley hung the blame on Smith's shoulders. "Do you understand that our children are going to
have to pay back the debt you are running up?" he asked.
"So what would you have me do?" Smith asked. Much of the money he's asked for, Smith said, has been because state senators, representatives and others back home have asked him for it.
Source: 2008 Oregon Senate Debate reported by AP on KATU
Oct 9, 2008
On War & Peace:
Opposed Iraq war from the very beginning, against Party
When the candidates were asked where their stance differs from their own party's, Merkley mentioned having opposed the Iraq war from the very beginning. When Smith challenged that assertion,
Merkley shot back. "You know about that speech, yet you choose to mislead the citizens of this state," he said. "We are mired in war. We are mired in debt."
Source: 2008 Oregon Senate Debate reported by AP on KATU
Oct 9, 2008
On Welfare & Poverty:
Supports workfare and 2-year welfare limits
Merkley supports the following principles regarding welfare:- Maintain the 2-year limit on welfare benefits.
- Maintain the requirement that able-bodied recipients work in order to receive benefits.
- Increase employment
and job training programs for welfare recipients.
- Provide child care for welfare recipients who work.
- Allow welfare recipients to remain eligible for benefits while saving money for education, starting a business, or buying a home.
Source: Oregon State 1998 National Political Awareness Test
Nov 1, 1998
On Free Trade:
Tariffs will raise the cost of living about $2,000 or more
It's estimated that the tariffs envisioned by Trump will raise the cost of living about $2,000 or more per year for families. That's really a huge, huge, tax on American families. But then there's also the fact that the countries will retaliate.
So back under Trump one, we had countries that banned our wine, banned our Christmas trees, banned our Hood River fruit and all kinds of things from different places. That is very unpredictable.
Source: KDRV, "Tariffs," on 2026 Oregon Senate race
Mar 12, 2025
On Health Care:
Republicans slash health care for millions of Americans
I strongly oppose the government being shut down by the Republicans in order to slash health care for millions of Americans. And on average, you're seeing a projected like 68% inflation in the cost of a health care policy...
And if you don't have insurance and you can't pay the bill, that means less money to our clinics and our hospitals, which means they start cutting back programs, which affects everybody in our communities.
Source: Local News Live on 2026 Oregon Senate race
Oct 16, 2025
On Homeland Security:
Deploying troops to American cities is a provocation
US Senator Jeff Merkley is warning that acts of unprovoked violence against protesters from troops deployed to American cities by President Donald Trump are part of a "deliberate" strategy."The goal is to generate riots to justify the expansion of
authoritarian measures and to strengthen the case for the troop deployments," Merkley continued.
"Unlike former deployments in support of citizens' rights like attending school--this is about attacking citizens' right to peacefully protest," he said.
Source: Common Dreams, "Deliberately," on 2026 Oregon Senate race
Oct 6, 2025
Page last updated: Mar 14, 2026