Jeff Merkley

Dems warm up crowd with Demi Lovato — and climate change

A pop song was the warm-up to the DNC's first prime-time mention of climate change.

Wednesday is the vote for Senate reform — call your senator!

On Wednesday, the Senate will decide whether to reform the filibuster. I never say this, but: Call your senator!

Breaking the wall of climate opposition

The Senate has taken Americans on an energy and climate roller coaster over the past year as Sens. John Kerry (D-Mass.), Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.), and others attempted to craft legislation that would increase investment in clean energy while cutting global

Recently elected Dem senators want more 'fight’ for green economy

In a series of interviews with the Wonk Room at Netroots Nation, Sen. Ben Cardin (D-Md.), Sen. Tom Udall (D-N.M.), Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), and Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.) described the challenges of confronting climate pollution in the sclerotic legisla

Senate PACE bill adds to pressure to restore clean-energy program

Sens. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), and Mark Begich (D-Alaska) introduced a bill Thursday that would put Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) programs back in action over Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac's objections.

Merkley: ‘You can’t run up the white flag until you have the fight’

On Tuesday, a bipartisan group of senators met with Barack Obama at the White House to discuss opportunities for progress on an energy bill. As has been true many times over the session, Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) was in the room calling for ambition. In the last month, Merkley has pushed for a price on […]

Senate oil savings’ greatest hits

Is Congress moving us toward a fuel-efficient future? Plug-in hybrid electric cars could be the cars of tomorrow.Photo courtesy of Argonne National Laboratory Oil, oil, everywhere, but not a drop for fuel. This is the stark view of Gulf Coast residents who see a 24,500 square mile oil slick menacing their shores. The devastating BP […]

More ideas for Harry Reid: on energy efficiency in Senate energy legislation

Senate majority leader Harry Reid is pulling together an energy bill soon. It may or may not include a price on carbon, but it will certainly include a range of energy-focused provisions, and right now there are too few bold, progressive energy ideas on the table. As I said yesterday, Sen. Jeff Merkley’s oil plan […]

Energy politics in the Senate: why Merkley’s oil plan matters

This morning Sen. Jeff Merkley will introduce “America Over a Barrel: Solving Our Oil Vulnerability” (PDF) [UPDATE: video below], a policy plan devoted to reducing oil use, at an event at the Center for American Progress. I think it could make a big difference in the debate. To understand why, let’s back up and have […]