Press Releases
Senate Tells Pentagon to Close Umatilla Chemical Depot Under BRAC Process
Washington, D.C. - The U.S. Senate has adopted a resolution authored by Oregon Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley telling the Defense Department that Umatilla Army Chemical Depot should be closed under the previously agreed upon base-closure process. The resolution passed on Wednesday reads: "In light of the clear history, the Senate reiterates its original intent and reaffirms its direction that the closure of the Umatilla Army Chemical Depot, Oregon, and subsequent management and disposal … Continue Reading
December 07, 2011
Wyden, Markey Call on CMS to Release Guidelines for Program That Experts Say Could Result in Substantial Medicare Savings by Better Coordinating Care
Washington, D.C. - A program providing home-based health care for the most chronically-ill veterans, saved the Veterans' Affairs Department more than 24 percent on the overall cost of caring for those patients, yet a similar program scheduled to be tested as part of Medicare has largely gone ignored by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). The Independence at Home pilot program -- originally authored by U.S. Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) and U.S. Representative Edward J. Markey … Continue Reading
December 02, 2011
Wyden Statement on Trade Commission Vote that Chinese Practices are Hurting the American Solar Industry
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) issued the following statement today after members of a U.S. trade commission voted unanimously in favor of SolarWorld's case that Chinese trade practices have harmed American solar manufacturing: "The vote today by the commissioners of the International Trade Commission formalizes what workers in the American solar industry already know: they are harmed by unfair trade practices employed by China. This is an important step forward toward … Continue Reading
December 02, 2011
Wyden Statement on “No” vote on the Defense Authorization Act
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) issued the following statement regarding his vote against the Senate passage of the Defense Authorization Act: "The current version of the 2012 Defense Authorization Act contains a number of provisions that I would like to support, and I respect the effort that many of my colleagues have put into this bill. Unfortunately, the bill also contains provisions that I believe are extremely unwise, and that risk undermining American values and … Continue Reading
November 23, 2011
Wyden, McGovern Statement on Release of Bahraini Human Rights Report
Washington, D.C. - Reaffirming their opposition to the sale of arms to the Kingdom of Bahrain until sustaining human rights improvements are made, U.S. Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) and U.S. Representative Jim McGovern (D-Mass) released the following statement on the Bahrain Independent Commission's report on human rights: "The Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry's (BICI) report confirms accounts from human rights groups and Bahrainis who have spoken out against the abuses of this year. … Continue Reading
November 16, 2011
Wyden Extends Deadline for Federal Judgeship Applicants to December 15, 2011
Portland, OR - Senator Ron Wyden's office today announced an extension of the deadline for applicants interested in filling a vacant federal district court judgeship in Oregon. The previous application deadline was this Thursday, November 17. The new deadline is Thursday, December 15. "Although there are already some excellent applicants for this opening, we want to make sure that everyone interested in the position has adequate time to apply and that the selection committee has the broadest … Continue Reading
November 16, 2011
Wyden SOPA Statement Warns of Severe Repercussions to a Free and Open Internet if Bills are Passed
Washington, D.C. - As the House Judiciary Committee held a hearing for the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA), U.S. Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) a former member of the House of Representatives, included a statement into the hearing record warning of the dangers SOPA will pose to a free and open Internet. Wyden has put a hold on similar legislation in the Senate known as PROTECT IP and has vowed to "fight this every step of the way." "I would like to take this opportunity to commend Chairman Smith … Continue Reading
November 10, 2011
Wyden/Merkley Devil’s Staircase and Oregon Caves Bills Passed by Energy and Natural Resources Committee
Washington, D.C. - Efforts to preserve some of Oregon's most pristine and valued natural resources moved closer to success today as two bills protecting Oregon's Devil's Staircase and Oregon Caves cleared the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee. Sponsored by Senators Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) and Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) the passage of these two bills by the committee clears the way for their consideration by the full Senate. "Devil's Staircase is rugged, wild, pristine and remote and Oregon … Continue Reading
November 10, 2011
Wyden, Collins, Bingaman Legislation Will Increase Investments in the Storage of Renewable Energy
Washington, D.C. - As the nation takes steps to improve energy efficiency and develop renewable resource technologies, not enough is being done to ensure that electricity infrastructure is being used efficiently. The focus on building transmission and generation capacity to meet peak demand for electricity means that consumers pay more while producers are forced to rely on less cost-efficient energy sources. U.S. Senators Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Senate Energy … Continue Reading
November 10, 2011
Wyden Soft Landing Bill Will Ease Burden of Returning National Guard and Reserve Members
Washington, D.C. -It is important to remember -- especially on Veterans Day -- that National Guard and Reserve members have spent the last 10 years fighting the same wars as active duty soldiers. Yet when they return home from combat, they are treated strikingly different than active-duty servicemembers -- often being thrown back into civilian life after only a few days without the tools and services they need to reintegrate successfully. As part of U.S. Senator Ron Wyden's longstanding push … Continue Reading
November 09, 2011
Wyden Statement on Commerce Decision to Investigate Surging Solar Panel Imports from China
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), chair of the Senate Finance's Subcommittee on Trade, Customs and Global Competiveness issued the following statement in response the U.S. Commerce Department's announcement that it has initiated an investigation into surging solar panel imports from China. "I welcome the Commerce Department's decision to launch an investigation into whether or not China is adhering to global trade rules. I don't want to pre-judge the Department's … Continue Reading
November 09, 2011
Wyden, Merkley Announce Transportation Grants to aid Veterans
Portland, OR - Oregon Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley announced today that transit districts in Lane County and the Portland Metropolitan Area have received separate grants totaling more than $1.4 million to improve transportation for veterans. Lane Transit District will receive $1,088,000 and Tri-Met will receive $330,728 from the Federal Transit Administration's Veterans Transportation and Community Living Initiative. In both cases, the money will be used to connect veterans and their … Continue Reading
November 09, 2011
Wyden, Carper and Casey Bill Gives Entrepreneurs Breathing Room to Start Businesses
Washington, D.C. - As the nation's unemployment rate continues to hover around 9 percent many unemployed Americans could be taking advantage of the opportunity to start their own small businesses if not for rules governing unemployment insurance (UI). While not every unemployed American is a would-be-entrepreneur, giving unemployed Americans an opportunity to use their skills to build their own small businesses could be an exponential job creator, finding work not just for one unemployed … Continue Reading
November 07, 2011
“What We Do in Congress Should Be About More Than Winning Elections”
Washington, D.C. -- Each month, as part of its YouTube Town Hall series, YouTube invites Members of Congress to submit videos addressing the nation's most talked about issues, as decided by viewer votes and popular Google News topics. Videos are posted without party identification giving viewers a chance to weigh the many sides of an issue on its merits versus the political party of the speaker. // For the third consecutive month, U.S. Senator Ron Wyden of Oregon has submitted … Continue Reading
November 03, 2011
Wyden, Ayotte Introduce Resolution to Protect Online Business from Unfair Taxation
Washington, D.C. - Whether by purchasing hand-made jewelry from Etsy, a sweater from an independent retailer on eBay or some vintage vinyl from a Portland record shop, millions of Americans each year utilize the internet to purchase products from small online retailers. However, there is movement in the Congress to give states the ability to create burdensome and unfair taxes on these transactions that cross state lines -- imposing taxes on businesses of other states selling goods online and … Continue Reading
November 01, 2011
Wyden Statement on House Passage of Wireless Tax Fairness Act
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) issued the following statement in response to the House of Representatives' passage of the Wireless Tax Fairness Act. In March 2011, Wyden and Senator Olympia Snowe (R-Maine) introduced the legislation in the U.S. Senate. "Wireless is a prime example of how every time a new innovation hits the market - governments invent new ways to tax it. We should be encouraging wireless usage as it continues to revolutionize the way Americans work, … Continue Reading
October 25, 2011
NEWS CONFERENCE: Senator Ron Wyden, Drug Enforcement Administration, U.S. Attorney and Portland Police on the Abuse and Proper Disposal of Prescription Drugs
WHO: Senator Ron Wyden DEA Special Agent in Charge Matthew G. Barnes U.S. Attorney Amanda Marshall Portland Police Chief Michael Reese Judy Cushing, Oregon Partnership WHAT: Press Conference on the importance of properly disposing of prescription drugs WHEN: 10 a.m., Thursday, October 27, 2011 WHERE: Portland Police Bureau, North Precinct, 449 N. Emerson, Portland Portland, OR - The abundance and abuse of prescription drugs … Continue Reading
October 21, 2011
Wyden Announces Statewide Committee to Recommend Names for Federal Judgeship
Portland, OR - Senator Ron Wyden announced today the names of 13 Oregonians who will serve on the Senator's Judicial Selection Committee that will recommend names to fill a federal district court judgeship for Oregon. The committee, selected by Wyden and Senator Jeff Merkley, will be chaired by Lou Savage, senior policy advisor with the Oregon Department of Consumer Business Services and a veteran of the federal judicial selection process. The committee is being asked to recommend names to … Continue Reading
October 18, 2011
Senator Kirk Joins Wyden as Cosponsor of Digital Surveillance Legislation
Washington, D.C. - Surrounded by technology that was considered cutting edge when major digital surveillance laws were written, U.S. Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) welcomed U.S. Senator Mark Kirk (R- Ill.) as a cosponsor of the Geolocation Privacy and Surveillance Act (GPS) which provides sorely needed legal clarity for the use of electronically-obtained location data that can be used to track and log the location and movements of individual Americans. The GPS Act was introduced in June by Wyden … Continue Reading
October 17, 2011
Wyden, Portman Lead Effort to Make Medicare Secondary Payer Program More Efficient, Save Taxpayer Dollars
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senators Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) and Rob Portman (R-Ohio) are leading a bipartisan effort that includes U.S. Senators Ben Nelson (D- Neb.) and Richard Burr (R-N.C.) to make the Medicare Secondary Payer (MSP) Program more efficient and cost effective to taxpayers. The Strengthening Medicare and Repaying Taxpayers (SMART) Act will speed up the rate by which Medicare and its beneficiaries are reimbursed for costs that should be borne by another party. "Streamlining third party … Continue Reading
