Senators Schatz and Merkley question Secretary Kennedy on IHS healthcare delivery delays, citing potential life-or-death consequences for patients.
Quiver AI Summary
U.S. Senators Brian Schatz and Jeff Merkley have expressed concerns in a letter to Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. about delays in healthcare delivery at the Indian Health Service (IHS). They attributed these delays to administrative policies from the Trump administration and emphasized that such delays could have "life-or-death consequences for patients."
The senators specifically criticized the "Presidential Appointee Approver and Departmental Efficiency Review" (PAA-DER) process for causing lengthy approvals that hinder essential health services. They urged Secretary Kennedy to exempt IHS from these burdensome procedures to prevent further disruptions in healthcare access for American Indians and Alaska Natives.
In their correspondence, they highlighted ongoing staffing shortages and the importance of addressing vacancies within IHS to improve healthcare access, particularly in rural areas. They have also requested a meeting to discuss their concerns and outlined specific questions regarding actions to enhance care delivery to Native communities.
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 Net Worth
Quiver Quantitative estimates that Jeff Merkley is worth $11.0M, as of September 26th, 2025. This is the 100th 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.
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Jeff Merkley Bill Proposals
Here are some bills which have recently been proposed by Jeff Merkley:
- S.2836: A bill to prohibit health insurance issuers and certain health care providers under Medicare from being under common ownership, and for other purposes.
- S.2684: United States-Taiwan Partnership in the Americas Act
- S.2571: Farmworker Smoke and Excessive Heat Protection Act of 2025
- S.2557: Epstein Files Transparency Act
- S.2525: Transnational Repression Policy Act
- S.2519: Medical Debt Relief Act of 2025
You can track bills proposed by Jeff Merkley on Quiver Quantitative's politician page for Merkley.
Jeff Merkley Fundraising
Jeff Merkley recently disclosed $176.9K of fundraising in a Q2 FEC disclosure filed on July 15th, 2025. This was the 480th most from all Q2 reports we have seen this year. 78.0% came from individual donors.
Merkley disclosed $141.2K of spending. This was the 394th most from all Q2 reports we have seen from politicians so far this year.
Merkley disclosed $4.7M of cash on hand at the end of the filing period. This was the 51st most from all Q2 reports we have seen this year.
You can see the disclosure here, or track Jeff Merkley's fundraising on Quiver Quantitative.
