Senators Cantwell and Merkley demand answers on NIST's funding delays affecting manufacturing support programs.
Quiver AI Summary
Senators demand clarity from NIST: Senators Maria Cantwell and Jeff Merkley are leading a coalition of 27 Senate Democrats in requesting information from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) regarding the withholding of funds for the Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) Program. They express concern over the impact on American manufacturers and state that nearly 90% of MEP Centers have been forced to lay off employees due to the uncertainty surrounding funding.
Concerns over program dismantling: In their letter to Acting Under Secretary Craig Burkhardt, the Senators highlight that NIST's actions contradict Congressional support for the MEP Program and point to job losses among U.S. manufacturers. They reiterate the program's role in enhancing productivity and supporting technological advancements, arguing that undermining it contradicts the Administration's claims of prioritizing American manufacturing.
Request for immediate information: The Senators demand specific details about the funding status and organizational structure of the MEP Program by January 5, 2026. They emphasize the importance of transparency and consultation with Congress to ensure the continuity of a program vital for supporting over 600,000 American manufacturers.
Disclaimer: This is an AI-generated summary of a press release. The model used to summarize this release may make mistakes. See the full release here.
Jeff Merkley Fundraising
Jeff Merkley recently disclosed $781.2K of fundraising in a Q3 FEC disclosure filed on October 15th, 2025. This was the 72nd most from all Q3 reports we have seen this year. 83.7% came from individual donors.
Merkley disclosed $364.0K of spending. This was the 142nd most from all Q3 reports we have seen from politicians so far this year.
Merkley disclosed $5.1M of cash on hand at the end of the filing period. This was the 47th most from all Q3 reports we have seen this year.
You can see the disclosure here, or track Jeff Merkley's fundraising on Quiver Quantitative.
Jeff Merkley Net Worth
Quiver Quantitative estimates that Jeff Merkley is worth $11.0M, as of December 19th, 2025. This is the 102nd highest net worth in Congress, per our live estimates.
Merkley has approximately $0 invested in publicly traded assets which Quiver is able to track live.
You can track Jeff Merkley's net worth on Quiver Quantitative's politician page for Merkley.
Jeff Merkley Bill Proposals
Here are some bills which have recently been proposed by Jeff Merkley:
- S.3506: A bill to amend the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act to authorize the use of fire management assistance grants for debris removal, and for other purposes.
- S.3435: A bill to amend the Public Health Service Act to authorize grants to support schools of nursing in increasing the number of nursing students and faculty and in program enhancement and infrastructure modernization, and for other purposes.
- S.3408: A bill to prohibit a United States currency featuring the likeness of a living or sitting President.
- S.3344: A bill to prohibit the unauthorized use of United States Armed Forces in hostilities with respect to Venezuela.
- S.2836: POP Act
- S.2684: United States - Taiwan Partnership in the Americas Act
You can track bills proposed by Jeff Merkley on Quiver Quantitative's politician page for Merkley.
