Press Releases
Wyden: U.S. should reconsider rubber-stamping LNG exports as part of a 21st-Century energy policy
Washington, D.C. - In response to questions about the impact of trade negotiations on U.S. natural gas exports, U. S. Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) issued the following statement: "The provision of the Natural Gas Act that grants automatic approval of natural gas exports to countries that share free trade agreements with the U.S. was adopted before newly-accessible shale gas became a strategic asset for the U.S. This policy needs reconsideration," Wyden said. "It could harm the nation's ability … Continue Reading
November 01, 2012
Wyden, Roe Seek Justice Department Investigation into Pseudoephedrine Tracking Program
Washington, D.C. - In a letter to the U.S. Justice Department today, U.S. Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) and U.S. Representative Phil Roe (R-Tenn.) raised concerns that the National Precursor Log Exchange (NPLEx), a nation-wide program tracking sales of pseudoephedrine, may violate the Combat Methamphetamine Epidemic Act (CMEA). NPLEx was created as a tool for pharmacies and law enforcement to investigate and crack down on the illegal production of methamphetamine. The lawmakers are seeking an … Continue Reading
October 10, 2012
Wyden statement on Commerce Department’s Chinese solar panel enforcement decision
Washington, D.C. - U. S. Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) issued a statement following the U.S. Commerce Department's decision on counteracting illegal trade practices by Chinese solar panel manufacturers: "I am glad the administration intends to act against cheating by Chinese solar producers, but fear today's ruling leaves a loophole that will enable these companies to sidestep the impacts. That gap exempts panels from tariffs when only a small portion of panels is made outside of China," Senator … Continue Reading
September 27, 2012
Senate and House members call on Commerce Department to stop Chinese solar companies from dodging U.S. trade laws
Washington, D.C. - Eight members of U.S. Congress, led by Sen. Ron Wyden, (D-Ore.) asked the Commerce Department to close a loophole in its preliminary decision to crack down on illegal trade practices by Chinese solar panel manufacturers, in a letter sent Thursday. House Ways and Means Committee Ranking member Sandy Levin (D-Mich.), Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), Rep. Suzanne Bonamici (D-Ore.), Rep. Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-Ore.), and Rep. Diana … Continue Reading
September 26, 2012
Wyden, Merkley, Schrader Announce $4 Million Federal Grant to Wave Energy Test Facility off the Oregon Coast
PORTLAND, OR -- In a move that will further establish Oregon as a leader in alternative energy development, the Department of Energy has awarded a $4 million grant to create a world class, grid-connected ocean energy test facility off the Oregon Coast. The grant announced today by Oregon Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley and Congressman Kurt Schrader was awarded to the Northwest National Marine Renewable Energy Center (NNMREC), one of three DOE-sponsored ocean energy centers in the country. … Continue Reading
September 24, 2012
Wyden, Merkley bills block taxpayer money from aiding foreign companies that violate trade rules
Washington, D.C. - Oregon Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley have introduced two bills to prevent taxpayer money from aiding foreign companies that benefit from illegal trade practices, including many Chinese-manufactured solar panels. "China is enabling solar panels and wind energy property to be sold in the U.S. at below market value due to the illegal subsidies provided by China's government," Wyden said. "Taxpayer money should not be used to buy property that the Department of Commerce … Continue Reading
September 21, 2012
Legislation Ends Discrimination Against Internet Radio in the Digital Marketplace
Washington, D.C. - Since the passage of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act in 1998, Internet Radio providers have been forced to pay royalty rates for the songs they broadcast that are considerably higher than their competitors in this digital marketplace. These unfair and discriminatory royalty rates have stifled innovation, competition and the growth of the music marketplace. In order to ensure fair and consistent treatment for the online radio industry and its competitors, U.S. Senators … Continue Reading
September 13, 2012
Wyden Defends Corvallis Mural as Free Speech, Calls Chinese Attempts to Remove it “a Grave Affront”
WASHINGTON, D.C. - In a letter today to the Chinese Ambassador to the United States, Oregon Senator Ron Wyden called Chinese government efforts to remove a mural from a Corvallis building an attempt to limit free speech and a "grave affront." "Limitations on speech and expression are incompatible with fundamental human rights anywhere in the world, and an attempt by your representatives to limit freedom of speech in the United States is a grave affront," Wyden said in a letter to Ambassador … Continue Reading
September 11, 2012
Wyden, Merkley announce Malheur Lumber to postpone closure
Washington, D.C. - U. S. Senators Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) and Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) announced on Tuesday that Malheur Lumber has agreed to remain open past its planned November closure, thanks to a commitment by the US Forest Service (USFS) to make more timber volume available on the Malheur national forest. In response to requests from Senators Wyden and Merkley, the Governor, county government, and local community groups, Regional Forester Kent Connaughton, who oversees Region 6, including the … Continue Reading
September 10, 2012
Wyden Statement on Japanese Promise to Contribute to Tsunami Debris Cleanup
Washington, D.C. - U. S. Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) issued the following statement after the Japanese government agreed to contribute $5 million to clean up tsunami debris washing up on the west coast of the United States. "For the nation of Japan to offer to contribute funds to America's effort to protect our shores from tsunami debris that devastated their nation is a sign of the deep friendship between our two nations. Japan is still recovering from this terrible disaster, and will be … Continue Reading
August 27, 2012
Senators Wyden, Murkowski tour array of Alaska energy sites
Washington, D.C. - U. S. Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), traveled to Alaska this week to visit a range of the state's energy resources, as part of an ongoing tour of energy-producing regions of the US. Senator Wyden made the trip at the invitation Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), the top-ranking Republican on the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. Senator Wyden is poised to be the committee's top Democrat next year and currently chairs the Public Lands and Forests … Continue Reading
August 16, 2012
Wyden Visit to Jackson County on Next Thursday Includes Stops at Brammo, Ashland Rotary, and SORCC Annual Women Veterans Celebration
Portland, Or - Senator Ron Wyden's visit to Jackson County on Thursday, August 23, 2012, will include a press availability on a tax credit for the purchase of new electric motorcycles at Brammo, a speech on tax reform to the Ashland Rotary and addressing annual SORCC Annual Women Veterans Celebration. At 11:30 a.m., Brammo President Craig Bramscher will join Senator Wyden for a press availability on legislation that will extend and streamline a tax credit to help consumers and the electric … Continue Reading
August 16, 2012
After Oil Refinery Fire, Wyden Sends Letters to FTC/EIA Seeking Extra Vigilance Against Gas Price Gouging
Washington, D.C. - With the effect on gas prices of last week's fire at the Chevron Oil refinery in California already being felt by Oregonians at the pump, U. S. Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) sent a pair of letters to the Chairman of the Federal Trade Commission and the Administrator of the Energy Information Administration asking them to increase vigilance "to ensure that oil companies are not taking unfair advantage of the situation to jack up prices." A fire at Chevron's Richmond, Calif. oil … Continue Reading
August 10, 2012
Trade with Asia-Pacific Nations, Energy Exports Topics of Wyden Meeting on Monday, August 13
WHO: Senator Ron Wyden, Chairman, Senate Finance Subcommittee on International Trade; Tom Chamberlain, President, Oregon AFL-CIO; Karla Chambers, Vice President, Stahlbush Farms; Greg Slater, Director of Global Trade, Intel; Matthew Schruers, Vice President Computer & Communications Industry Assn. ( members include Google, Microsoft, Yahoo, Facebook) Mark Powers, Vice President, NW Horticultural Council; Arthur Stamoulis, Director, Oregon Fair Trade Campaign; Brett … Continue Reading
August 02, 2012
Wyden Amendment Extends Tax Credit for Electric Motorcycle Purchases
Washington, D.C. - With the electric motorcycle industry poised to create thousands of American jobs over the next five years, U.S. Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) was able to successfully extend and streamline the tax credit for the purchase of new electric motorcycles as part of the tax extenders package being debated in the Senate Finance Committee. "Right now, companies like Brammo in Oregon are keeping the American electric vehicle industry on the cutting edge," Wyden said. "But without an … Continue Reading
August 02, 2012
Wyden Statement on Vote Against Cloture of the Cybersecurity Act
Washington, D.C. - U. S. Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) issued the following statement today regarding his vote against the motion to invoke cloture on the Cybersecurity Act: "Today's vote was one in which Senators were asked to sacrifice Internet users' privacy and civil liberties for weak proposals to improve cyber security; I voted no. In its current form, the Cybersecurity Act does not sufficiently safeguard Internet users' privacy and civil liberties, nor would it create the correct … Continue Reading
August 02, 2012
Pair of Wyden, Merkley Land Management Bills Pass the House of Representatives
Washington, D.C. - Continuing efforts to boost tourism and improve the economies of local communities in eastern and central Oregon, legislation to transfer federal land to the cities of La Pine and Wallowa passed the United States House of Representatives. Introduced in the Senate by U.S. Senators Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) and Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), the pair of bills will provide the communities of La Pine and Wallowa as well as Deschutes County, with access to hundreds of acres of federal land for … Continue Reading
July 31, 2012
Wyden Statement on Commitments from Chairman Bingaman and Bureau of Reclamation Commissioner Connor for Funding of a Long-term Klamath Basin Solution
Washington, D.C. -U. S. Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) issued the following statement after commitments to pursue funding of a long-term solution for the Klamath Basin's water issues were agreed to by both Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee Chairman Jeff Bingaman (D-NM) and Bureau of Reclamation Commissioner Michael Connor during a committee hearing today. "The commitments from the Bureau of Reclamation and Chairman Bingaman are an important step toward finding the funding to … Continue Reading
July 31, 2012
Wyden Amendments to Cyber Bill Clarify Rules for GPS Tracking; Seek Privacy Protection in the Cloud
Washington, D.C. - As the technological capabilities of cloud storage and location tracking continue to grow, U.S. Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) has filed amendments to the Cybersecurity Act being debated in the Senate to provide clear rules for how and when the government can access location tracking data from individuals' cell phones and other electronic devices, limit government access to private information stored by cloud storage services alongside government data, and strengthen limits on … Continue Reading
July 26, 2012
Senators Seek Answers from DNI on How Many of Americans’ Communications Have Been Monitored
Washington, D.C. - As the U.S. Senate debates the renewal of the FISA Amendments Act of 2008, a letter from U.S. Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) and a bipartisan group of legislators including Mark Udall (D-Colo.) Rand Paul (R-Ky.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Mark Begich (D-Alaska), Mike Lee (R- Utah), Bernie Sanders (I-VT.), Tom Udall (D-NM), Jon Tester (D-Mont.), Chris Coons (D-Del.), Dick Durbin (D-Il.) and Jeff Bingaman (D-NM) requests more information about the number of Americans' communications … Continue Reading
