Introducing U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley

Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-OR), is a current senator from Oregon and will be on the Foreign Relations committee for purposes of the simulation. Merkley grew up in Myrtle Creek, Oregon as part of a blue-collar family. He attended only public schools until reaching college, where he enrolled as an Internation Relations student at Stanford University and a Master of Public Affairs from the Woodrow Wilson School at Princeton University. Merkley filled many roles before choosing a career path as a public servant, working as a Presidential Management Fellow and working at the Office of the Secretary of Defense. He then was elected in 1998 to represent the 47th District of Oregon, where he served as a five-term House representative before defeating incumbent Gordon Smith in 2009 as an Oregon Senator. Merkley is considering running against Donald Trump in the 2020 election.

Merkley is known for his highly progressive stance. He was the only U.S. Senator to advocate for Bernie Sanders in the 2016 election and is ranked the 3rd most liberal senator according to GovTrack.us. Merkley is also one of the least bipartisan members of the Senate; of the 487 bills that Merkley cosponsored, only 20% were introduced by a Republican legislator. He primarily sponsors bills in the Health and International Affairs issue areas (40%), and he serves on the Committee for Foreign Relations Members and Committee on Environment and Public Works. Merkley's website says his main priority is creating jobs and laying the foundation for economic growth that benefits working families, not just the stock market. Merkley is a staunch LGBTQ supporter, has sponsored several environment-focused bills and has focused on Wall Street reform as a member of the Senate Banking Committee.

Merkley was a largely behind-the-scenes member of Congress until a video surfaced of him being refused entry at an abandoned Walmart where migrant children were being held. His media savvy -- Merkley streamed the ordeal on Facebook Live -- went viral, resulting in President Trump to issue an executive order stating that apprehended families must be kept together when caught. Merkley self-proclaims himself as a politician without "extensive charisma" but prides himself on his blue-collar approach and determination. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CN) writes that "he's like a dog with a bone. He will just not let it go."