This just in from Sen. Jeff Merkley’s staff:

Today Oregon’s Senator Jeff Merkley announced he will vote for the Murray-Ryan budget compromise, which will offer some relief from sequestration for the next two fiscal years.

“For the last three years, Congress has been governing from crisis to crisis, hurting the economy and the American families who depend on Congress to take on the big challenges we face as a nation. This plan, though not one I would’ve written, will help prevent a government shutdown and provide some relief from the draconian sequestration cuts that have been keeping kids out of Head Start, halting deliveries of meals-on-wheels,  and stopping cutting-edge research and development.

“I am deeply disturbed that the deal changes the cost of living adjustments for retiring military personnel, yet fails to eliminate a single tax loophole for powerful special interests.  It is also shameful that this deal does not extend unemployment benefits for our millions of jobless Americans looking for work.  I hope that we address this issue as soon as possible, preferably before we leave for the year.  We cannot leave millions of families out in the cold.

“Compromise means we don’t get everything we want; instead  we work with our colleagues across the aisle to get the best deal we can.  We must stop governing from crisis to crisis, and we must mitigate the sequester’s damaging impacts on programs that are critical for working families. This budget will put us on the path towards doing that.  That is why I will vote yes.”

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