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By Romy Carver; Photos by Don Backman for the Tillamook County Pioneer
On Saturday afternoon January 17, 2026, a crowd of concerned citizens enthusiastically gathered for a town hall with Senator Jeff Merkley at the Tillamook High School auditorium. The Senator began by honoring the work of Nehalem Bay Health Center, and presented a flag from the U.S. Capitol to NBHC President Marc Johnson. Mr. Johnson thanked Senator Merkley for securing three million dollars for the new facility.
He then devoted most of his time to addressing questions and concerns.
Merkley spoke about the “foundations for families to thrive,” including living wage jobs, housing, healthcare for all from cradle to grave, lower drug prices, and education.
Merkley has produced a publication called, “Ring the Alarm Bells,” which outlines “The Ten Rules of Trump’s Authoritarian Playbook.” It can be accessed here: Authoritarianism-Book_January-2026.pdf It addressed many of the issues that were brought up by attendees, particularly authoritarian overreach and the attack on American democracy.
The Senator declared that “families need to thrive and billionaires need to pay their fair share,” to a round of applause. He also decried the partisan divide in politics and spoke about teaming up with a Republican colleague to ensure that the plaque honoring January 6th Capitol Police would be hung in the Senate after Republican Speaker of the House Mike Johnson refused to display it as had been ordered by a bipartisan decision of Congress. It had been hidden in the basement.
Merkley asked to hear from local students, and a local TBCC student shared concerns about federal funding cuts to education and the impact that will have on people’s ability to achieve an education.
Other local concerns included a plea to “Save Hangar B” in the aftermath of the recent storm damage. Merkley talked about the historical significance of the building, and offered to help with the steps it would take to get federal assistance. When asked about rumors of the proposed closure of the two local Oregon Youth Authority facilities due to budgetary concerns, he deferred to State Representative Cyrus Javadi to give an updated response. Rep. Javadi shared that as of now, the two facilities are not currently on the chopping block, and noted that they are funded by the state. He emphasized that he could not guarantee anything because the state is still looking at 2.5-5% cuts, but for now, the OYA facilities will not close.
Other attendees expressed concerns about ICE activity, aggression in Venezuela, free and fair elections, and the Epstein Files. Merkley pointed out while his bill requiring the release of the Epstein Files was passed into law, only 1% of the Epstein Files have been released and those are heavily redacted. In addition, there is a second set of files in the Treasury Department that outline 1.5 billion dollars in suspicious transactions. Senator Ron Wyden is working to get them released.
He pointed out the role that everyday citizens play in saving democracy; while the courts have power, that can be a long process. When asked if he sees public sentiment turning, he shared that he is seeing unprecedented numbers of people in very conservative counties who are extremely frustrated with the current administration. He encouraged attendees to connect with local affinity groups and continue to make their voices heard.
Merkley closed by sharing his Oregon Treasures Quest Challenge. He wants Oregonians to experience the state’s beauty and culture. Read more about that here: 2026-OTQ-DRAFT_FINAL.pdf . To qualify for the challenge, participants must visit at least ten counties and take a selfie with one of the featured sites from the guide. Submission deadline is October 15th.
Senator Merkley’s visit to Tillamook County will be closely followed by a visit by Senator Ron Wyden on Thursday, January 22nd at 5pm at the Port of Tillamook Bay Mess Hall.