Abandoning Our Troops: Oregon's Merkley and Wyden

As a proud U.S. Marine veteran running for the United States Senate against incumbent Jeff Merkley, I am deeply troubled by the actions of Oregon's two Democratic senators—Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden—in December 2025.

On December 17, the Senate passed the Fiscal Year 2026 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), a critical bipartisan bill authorizing $901 billion for our military, including a well-deserved pay raise for our troops and essential resources to modernize our defenses. This legislation passed with overwhelming bipartisan support, 77-20, reflecting broad agreement that strengthening our national security is a top priority.

Yet both Oregon's senators Merkley and Wyden chose to vote against it, placing partisan concerns above the needs of our service members and the safety of our nation.

Senator Merkley's opposition stemmed in part from his failed attempt to amend unrelated legislation earlier in the year with provisions that would force federal law enforcement officers, including those with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), to publicly display their full names and remove any face coverings during operations.

While accountability is important, such requirements in high-risk enforcement actions—particularly deportations of individuals who may pose threats—could endanger officers and their families by exposing them to doxing, harassment, or retaliation from extremists. Merkley's amendment was rightly defeated, but his frustration with that outcome appears to have influenced his "no" vote on the NDAA, prioritizing protections for those facing deportation over the urgent needs of our military personnel.

Senator Wyden, for his part, criticized the bill for containing what he called "authoritarian" elements and lacking sufficient guardrails against potential abuses. However, this characterization rings hollow when the NDAA garnered strong support from many of his fellow Democrats who recognize the bill's core mission: honoring our troops and ensuring their missions are safer and more effective.

If the bill truly had authoritarian flaws severe enough to warrant rejection, it is unlikely that a majority of Democrats would have joined Republicans in supporting it.

The extreme votes of Merkley and Wyden align more closely with the priorities of far-left groups, such as the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), who have long opposed robust military funding and traditional national defense measures. By rejecting this bipartisan bill, our senators effectively abandoned the men and women in uniform who risk everything to protect our freedoms—troops who deserve better than their ideological gamesmanship in Washington.

My vote would have proudly joined the overwheliming majority of senators to fund the NDAA which was a bipartisan bill. As a veteran who served overseas and understands first-hand the sacrifices of military service firsthand, I believe we must always put our service members safety first with funding.

This bill provides critical pay increases, modernizes weapons systems, and enhances readiness—making our troops' missions more successful and keeping them safer in an increasingly dangerous world. Oregon families, veterans, and active-duty personnel deserve senators who stand firmly and honorably with our military, not against it.

In 2026, we have a chance to elect leadership that honors our troops, secures our borders, and prioritizes American strength over extremist agendas. I am committed to being that voice in the Senate for Oregon.