Jeff Merkley
U.S. Senator from Oregon
Jeffrey Alan Merkley was born in October 1956 in Myrtle Creek, Oregon. He earned an undergraduate degree from Stanford University. He earned an M.P.A. from Princeton University.
Merkley became a presidential fellow working on U.S. military technology at the Office of the Secretary of Defense. He then worked in the Congressional Budget Office analyzing nuclear weapons policies and programs. He then served as an executive director for Habitat for Humanity in Portland. He became president of the World Affairs Council of Oregon.
He was elected to the Oregon House of Representatives in 1998. He served as the state speaker of the house in 2006. He was elected to the U.S. Senate and assumed office in January 2009.
He is married to Mary and they have two children. Merkley is Lutheran.
In the News…
Senator Jeff Merkley of Oregon has repeatedly promoted legislation that would require the Transportation Safety Administration (TSA) to inform each air traveler at security checkpoints of their right to opt out of facial recognition screening. The bill would also limit the agency’s ability to store the biometric information of passengers’ body scans.
Senator Merkley likened the increasing use of facial recognition to policies in China or Hungary that surveil their citizens, saying, “It’s been used to intimidate, to track and to intimidate freedom of expression and freedom of assembly.”
He stated, “No one should be required to have their face scanned to travel, and no government should have the power of a national surveillance system at its fingertips. Our Traveler Privacy Protection Act would preserve passengers’ right to use an approved document—like a driver’s license—to travel by air. In addition, it would require signage to inform passengers of that right and protect the data collected from abuse.“
Senator Merkley continued, “I remain committed to protecting Americans’ privacy and freedom. I will continue to advance bipartisan solutions to safeguard the rights of the millions of passengers traveling through America’s airports every day. I will continue to push for committee consideration of this critical legislation, and work with stakeholders to ensure this practical approach can be advanced.”
Contact this Leader…
Did you pray for Senator Merkley today? You can let him know at:
The Honorable Jeff Merkley
Senator from Oregon
531 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
