Jeff Merkley

Democratic Platform

Democrats support progressive taxation, with higher rates on top earners and corporations to fund public investment. The party favors raising the minimum wage, strengthening unions, and expanding worker protections. Democrats generally support government investment in infrastructure, education, and social programs as drivers of broad economic growth.

Jeff Merkley

Senator Merkley supports progressive economic policies including higher taxes on corporations and high earners, strengthening labor unions, and raising the minimum wage. He backed the Inflation Reduction Act and has consistently supported federal investment in infrastructure and clean energy manufacturing. He has been an outspoken critic of corporate consolidation and monopoly power.Source →

Republican Platform

Republicans favor lower taxes across income levels, with particular emphasis on cutting corporate and capital gains taxes to stimulate investment and job creation. The party supports deregulation, reduced government spending, and free market solutions over federal programs as the primary engine of prosperity.

Democratic Platform

Democrats support expanding access to affordable healthcare, including protecting the Affordable Care Act and moving toward a public option or expanded Medicare coverage. The party broadly favors government negotiation of prescription drug prices and opposes removing protections for pre-existing conditions.

Jeff Merkley

Senator Merkley supports moving toward Medicare for All as the long-term goal and has backed expanding Medicare and Medicaid in the near term. He supported the Inflation Reduction Act's drug pricing provisions and has consistently backed legislation to lower prescription drug costs and expand coverage access for Oregonians.Source →

Republican Platform

Republicans have generally sought to repeal or significantly reform the Affordable Care Act, favoring market-based solutions. The party supports expanding health savings accounts, increasing competition among insurers across state lines, and reducing federal mandates on coverage requirements.

Democratic Platform

Democrats generally support pathways to citizenship for undocumented immigrants, including DACA recipients, and favor comprehensive immigration reform. The party supports increased resources for legal immigration processing and a humanitarian approach to asylum seekers at the border.

Jeff Merkley

Senator Merkley supports comprehensive immigration reform with a pathway to citizenship for undocumented residents, including DACA recipients. He has been a vocal critic of harsh enforcement measures and the conditions in immigration detention facilities, which he visited at the southern border to document directly. He advocates for a humanitarian approach to asylum seekers.Source →

Republican Platform

Republicans prioritize border security and strict enforcement of existing immigration law. The party broadly supports completing physical border barriers, ending policies they view as incentivizing illegal entry, and reforming legal immigration to favor applicants with marketable skills.

Democratic Platform

Democrats favor robust federal investment in public K-12 education and higher education, along with policies to reduce or eliminate student loan debt. The party generally opposes using public funds for private school vouchers and supports universal pre-K and affordable childcare.

Jeff Merkley

Senator Merkley supports robust federal investment in public education, universal pre-K, affordable childcare, and reducing the burden of student loan debt. He opposes using public funds for private school vouchers and has backed legislation to address the racial wealth gap through expanded educational opportunity.Source →

Republican Platform

Republicans support school choice, including voucher programs for private and religious schools, and local control over curriculum decisions. The party generally opposes federal education mandates and broadly supports parental rights in schooling. Many Republicans oppose student loan forgiveness as unfair to borrowers who repaid their loans.

Democratic Platform

Democrats broadly support stricter gun safety measures, including universal background checks, red flag laws, and restrictions on assault-style weapons and high-capacity magazines. The party frames these regulations as consistent with the Second Amendment and necessary to reduce mass shootings.

Jeff Merkley

Senator Merkley is a consistent supporter of gun safety legislation, including universal background checks, red flag laws, and restrictions on assault-style weapons and high-capacity magazines. He voted for the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act but has continued pushing for more comprehensive gun safety measures.Source →

Republican Platform

Republicans strongly defend Second Amendment rights and generally oppose new gun control legislation, arguing that existing laws should be enforced more effectively. The party emphasizes mental health intervention, the right to self-defense, and opposes what they view as infringement on law-abiding gun owners.

Democratic Platform

Democrats view climate change as an urgent crisis requiring immediate government action. The party supports transitioning to clean energy through federal investment and regulation, reducing carbon emissions across the economy, and meeting international climate commitments. Democrats generally oppose expanding fossil fuel development on public lands.

Jeff Merkley

Senator Merkley is among the most vocal climate advocates in the Senate. He supported the Inflation Reduction Act and has pushed for more aggressive action, including ending fossil fuel subsidies and rapidly transitioning to 100 percent clean energy. He has highlighted the toll of wildfires, drought, and heat on Oregon as evidence of urgent climate risk.Source →

Republican Platform

Republicans emphasize American energy independence through domestic production of oil, gas, and coal alongside renewable development. Many in the party are skeptical of aggressive climate regulations they argue harm economic growth and jobs. Republicans generally prefer market-based energy solutions over government mandates and oppose restrictions that raise energy costs for families.

Democratic Platform

Democrats generally support a multilateral approach to foreign policy, emphasizing alliances, international institutions, and diplomacy as the first line of engagement. The party broadly supports maintaining NATO commitments, providing aid to democratic allies, and engaging international bodies to address shared challenges.

Jeff Merkley

Senator Merkley supports U.S. alliances and continued backing for Ukraine while also calling for greater scrutiny of military spending and foreign commitments. He has been more skeptical than many colleagues of open-ended military engagements and has advocated for diplomacy-first approaches to international conflicts.Source →

Republican Platform

Republicans emphasize American sovereignty, a strong military as a deterrent, and bilateral relationships over multilateral institutions. The party broadly supports robust defense spending and is skeptical of international agreements they view as constraining American action or requiring open-ended foreign commitments.

Democratic Platform

Democrats oppose cuts to Social Security or Medicare benefits and support expanding both programs. The party generally favors raising the Social Security payroll tax cap on high earners to ensure long-term solvency and opposes any form of privatization.

Jeff Merkley

Senator Merkley strongly opposes any cuts to Social Security or Medicare and supports expanding both programs. He favors lifting the payroll tax cap entirely to ensure long-term solvency and has been a consistent opponent of privatization proposals.Source →

Republican Platform

Republicans support reforming Social Security and Medicare to ensure long-term fiscal solvency, which some in the party argue requires adjusting benefits or eligibility ages. The party opposes tax increases to fund the programs and some members have supported personal investment account options.

Democratic Platform

Democrats broadly support criminal justice reform, including reducing mandatory minimum sentences, addressing racial disparities in policing and incarceration, and investing in community-based alternatives. The party generally supports police accountability measures and evidence-based approaches to reducing recidivism.

Jeff Merkley

Senator Merkley supports significant criminal justice reform, including reducing mandatory minimum sentences, ending private prisons, and addressing systemic racial disparities in policing and incarceration. He has backed community-based alternatives to incarceration for nonviolent offenses and investment in reentry programming.Source →

Republican Platform

Republicans emphasize law and order, strong support for law enforcement, and tough penalties for crime. The party generally opposes reducing mandatory minimum sentences for violent offenses and supports prosecutors pursuing strong sentences. Republicans broadly oppose policies they view as undermining police authority or creating leniency for criminals.