UPDATE: Senator Jeff Merkley (D. OR) said he will vote against the McCain/Levin plan that waters down filibuster reform:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/...
“If Levin-McCain comes to the floor in its current form, I’ll vote against it,” Merkley told me today. “I’ll certainly encourage others to oppose it.” Indeed, Merkley adds that the current package of reforms would further enable minority obstructionism — and constitutes a gift to Republicans. - Washington Post, 1/2/13
Be sure to put the pressure on your Senator to vote for real filibuster reform:
http://www.reformthefilibuster.com/...
To all the Kossacks in Oregon, keep your calendar clear on Wednesday, January 9th and Thursday, January 10th because Senator Jeff Merkley (D. OR) is coming to Oregon to hold Town Hall meetings with constituents:
http://theskanner.com/...
“Talking directly to Oregonians in every county is a great way to hear about the issues folks want me to fight for in Washington,” said Merkley in a press release. - The Skanner News, 1/2/13
So if you have any questions you would like to ask the Senator or any concerns you would like to bring up, here's the info for the Town Hall Meetings:
http://www.statesmanjournal.com/...
U.S. Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., will hear from the Mid-Valley public next week during one of his first two town hall meetings of the new year.
The meeting will start at 1:30 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 9, at the Keizer Civic Center, 930 Chemawa Road NE.
Merkley plans this and another meeting later that day in West Linn.
What:
Oregon’s Senator Jeff Merkley holds town hall in Multnomah County.
When:
Thursday, Jan. 10, at 2 pm
Where:
Gresham City Hall Council Chambers, 1333 Northwest Eastman Parkway, Gresham, OR 97030
Senator Merkley, who has been a leading voice for filibuster reform and Wall Street accountability was named the Most Valued Senator in The Nation's 2012 Progressive Honor Roll:
http://www.thenation.com/...
Among the new generation of Democratic senators elected in the past several years, none has been so steadfastly determined to forge progressive solutions as Oregon’s Jeff Merkley. A frequent ally of stalwarts like Sanders and Tom Harkin, Merkley has also been willing to strike out on his own to pick big fights for big reforms. On the Banking Committee, he has pushed hard for crackdowns on Wall Street abuses and for aid to Americans struggling to keep their homes. As a key member of the Environment and Public Works Committee, he’s battled to increase spending on vital infrastructure projects and worked to prevent the closing of rural post offices. Above all, Merkley is fighting to “Fix the Senate Now.” Increasingly frustrated by the Republicans’ “fake filibusters,” which have blocked action on popular legislation, Merkley teamed up with Senator Tom Udall to develop a way to end these abuses. Under their plan, the filibuster would be restored as an honest and transparent tool whereby senators who dissent must do so publicly. Think Jefferson Smith, Jimmy Stewart’s iconic character in Mr. Smith Goes to Washington—who, much like Merkley, hailed from a Western state and refused to compromise his principles to get along in the Senate. - The Nation, 12/19/12
I too consider him to be one of our most valued Senators and I would like to keep him in the Senate. Lets make that happen in 2014:
https://secure.actblue.com/...