Senate Republicans Block Merkley and Wyden’s Effort to Require Identification, Accountability for Federal Law Enforcement, Armed Forces

Washington, D.C. – Oregon’s U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley today denounced Senate Republicans for voting down his amendment with his Oregon colleague, Senator Ron Wyden, to prevent unidentifiable federal law enforcement and armed forces from being deployed against Americans.

“I led an amendment with Senator Wyden to require federal military and law enforcement agents to display their agency and name or badge number at protests. There is a name for unidentified security forces throwing protesters into unmarked vans at the direction of an authoritarian government: fascism. This happened under Trump in 2020 and is happening now,” said Merkley. “While Senate Democrats supported my amendment, 50 Senate Republicans blocked this common-sense amendment to help hold federal forces accountable for their tactics. I’ll continue to explore all avenues to stand up for our civil rights and oppose Trump’s illegal attempts to use federal law enforcement and armed forces against Americans.”

“Imagine the terror any adult or child suffers when somebody who’s masked and unidentified swoops in to snatch them away in Oregon or anywhere else in America,” said Wyden. “Senate Republicans showed their true colors this week when they rejected this amendment that would have restored common sense and common decency to Donald Trump’s un-American scheme to squelch transparency, accountability and legality. I’ll keep pressing for legislation that would require federal agents to go unmasked, along with battling back just as hard against Trump’s plot to plunk troops needlessly into Portland.”

Merkley filed an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act based on his legislation, the Preventing Authoritarian Policing Tactics on America’s Streets Act. He teamed up with Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici (OR-01) and Senator Wyden in 2020 to introduce the bill after unmarked federal forces grabbed protestors off the street in Portland. The Oregon lawmakers renewed their effort to bring attention to the issue by reintroducing the bill in July.

###