OnTheIssuesLogo

Jeff Merkley on Welfare & Poverty

Democratic Jr Senator (OR)

 


Protect entitlements from GOP budget cuts

Asked if the Trump administration would address "entitlement reform," chief economic advisor Larry Kudlow said it will "probably" look at "larger entitlements" next year. Entitlement reform generally refers to changes or cuts to large government social programs such as Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid or food stamps. "I don't want to be specific, but we'll get there," Kudlow said. "But I agree, we have to be tougher on spending."

Democrats jumped on the comments, with calls to protect health-care coverage and social safety-net programs while Republicans trim spending on those programs in order to make up for budget deficits of $1 trillion from last year's GOP tax cuts. Jeff Merkley (D-OR) tweeted that "Social Security and Medicare are on the line" in November's midterms.

Kudlow downplayed the effect of tax cuts on budget deficits and instead pointed to a longer-term spending problem. "People are quick to blame deficits on tax cuts," he said. "Well, I don't buy that."

Source: CNBC's Jacob Pramuk on 2018 Trump Administration , Sep 18, 2018

Supports workfare and 2-year welfare limits

Source: Oregon State 1998 National Political Awareness Test , Nov 1, 1998

Other candidates on Welfare & Poverty: Jeff Merkley on other issues:
OR Gubernatorial:
Bud Pierce
Casey Kulla
Christine Drazan
Julian Bell
Kerry McQuisten
Nicholas Kristof
Paul Romero
Tina Kotek
Tobias Read
OR Senatorial:
Jason Beebe
Jo Rae Perkins
Ron Wyden

OR politicians
OR Archives
Senate races 2026:
AK: Dan Sullivan(R,incumbent)
vs.Andy Barr(R)
vs.Mary Peltola(D)
AL: Tommy Tuberville(R,retiring)
vs.Barry Moore(R)
vs.Steve Marshall(R)
AR: Tom Cotton(R,incumbent)
vs.Dan Whitfield(I,withdrew)
vs.Ethan Dunbar(D)
CO: John Hickenlooper(D,incumbent)
vs.Janak Joshi(R)
vs.Julie Gonzales(D)
vs.Mark Baisley(R)
DE: Chris Coons(D,incumbent)
vs.Mike Katz(I)
FL: Ashley Moody(R,appointee)
vs.Alan Grayson(D)
vs.Angie Nixon(D)
GA: Jon Ossoff(D,incumbent)
vs.Buddy Carter(R)
vs.Mike Collins(R)
vs.John F. King(R,withdrew)
IA: Joni Ernst(R,retiring)
vs.Ashley Hinson(R)
vs.Bob Krause(D)
vs.Jim Carlin(R)
vs.J.D. Scholten(D,withdrew)
ID: Jim Risch(R,incumbent)
vs.David Roth(D)
vs.Todd Achilles(I)
IL: Richard Durbin(D,retiring)
vs.Juliana Stratton(D)
vs.Raja Krishnamoorthi(D)
vs.Robin Kelly(D)
KS: Roger Marshall(R,incumbent)
vs.Patrick Schmidt(D)
KY: Mitch McConnell(R,retiring)
vs.Charles Booker(D)
vs.Daniel Cameron(R)
vs.Pamela Stevenson(D)
LA: Bill Cassidy(R,incumbent)
vs.John Fleming(R)
vs.Julia Letlow(R)
MA: Ed Markey(D,incumbent)
vs.Seth Moulton(D)
vs.John Deaton(R)
ME: Susan Collins(R,incumbent)
vs.Janet Mills(D)
MI: Gary Peters(D,retiring)
vs.Haley Stevens(D)
vs.Joe Tate(R,withdrew)
vs.Mallory McMorrow(D)
vs.Mike Rogers(R)
MN: Tina Smith(D,retiring)
vs.Angie Craig(D)
vs.David Hann(R)
vs.Peggy Flanagan(D)
vs.Royce White(R)
MS: Cindy Hyde-Smith(R,incumbent)
vs.Ty Pinkins(D)
MT: Steve Daines(R,incumbent)
vs.Reilly Neill(D)
NC: Thom Tillis(R,retiring)
vs.Michael Whatley(R)
vs.Roy Cooper(D)
NE: Peter Ricketts(R,incumbent)
vs.Dan Osborn(I)
NH: Jeanne Shaheen(D,retiring)
vs.Chris Pappas(D)
vs.John Sununu(R)
vs.Scott Brown(R)
NJ: Cory Booker(D,incumbent)
vs.Justin Murphy(R)
NM: Ben Ray Lujan(D,incumbent)
vs.Matt Dodson(D)
OH: Jon Husted(R,appointee)
vs.Sherrod Brown(D)
OK: Markwayne Mullin(R,incumbent)
vs.Troy Green(D)
OR: Jeff Merkley(D,incumbent)
vs.Jo Rae Perkins(R)
RI: Jack Reed(D,incumbent)
vs.Connor Burbridge(D)
SC: Lindsey Graham(R,incumbent)
vs.Catherine Fleming Bruce(D)
vs.Paul Dans(R)
SD: Mike Rounds(R,incumbent)
vs.Brian Bengs(I)
TN: Bill Hagerty(R,incumbent)
vs.Diana Onyejiaka(D)
TX: John Cornyn(R,incumbent)
vs.Ken Paxton(R)
vs.Wesley Hunt(R)
vs.James Talarico(D)
vs.Jasmine Crockett(D)
VA: Mark Warner(D,incumbent)
vs.David Williams(R)
WV: Shelley Moore Capito(R,incumbent)
vs.Jeff Kessler(D)
vs.Tom Willis(R)
WY: Cynthia Lummis(R,retiring)
vs.Harriet Hageman(R)
vs.Reid Rasner(R) 		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

Other Senators
Congressional Votes (analysis)
Congressional Ratings
Affiliations
Policy Reports




Page last updated: Feb 15, 2026; copyright 1999-2022 Jesse Gordon and OnTheIssues.org