Press Releases
Currently showing results related to Veterans
Wyden and Kohl Investigate Pension Poaching in VA’s Pension Program at Aging Committee Hearing
Washington, D.C. - Coinciding with the release of a Government Accountability Office (GAO) report investigating "pension poaching" practices by unscrupulous financial planners operating within the VA's pension program, U.S. Senators Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) and Senate Aging Committee Chairman Herb Kohl (D-Wisc.) held a hearing to discuss the program that has become a marketing tool to sell inappropriate financial instruments to elderly veterans. The Enhanced Pension with Aid and Attendance (or … Continue Reading
February 02, 2012
Wyden Cosponsors Bill to Compensate Servicemembers for Miscalculation of Leave Time Under PDMRA
Washington, D.C. - As the bureaucratic struggles over the Defense Department's handling of the Post-Deployment Mobilization Respite Absence (PDMRA) program continue, U.S. Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), has joined U.S. Senator Herb Kohl (D-Wisc.) and other Senate colleagues in introducing legislation to restore miscalculated leave time and compensate servicemembers for their missed leave. The Fair Military Leave Act will fix bureaucratic mistakes that miscalculated the leave time owed to … Continue Reading
January 03, 2012
Wyden Will Attend Salem Demobilization Ceremony on Saturday for Oregon Army National Guard's 1249th Engineer Battalion
Portland, OR - Oregon Senator Ron Wyden will participate in the demobilization ceremony for the 175 members of the Oregon Army National Guard's 1249th Engineer Battalion just returned from a year-long deployment in Afghanistan. WHO: Senator Ron Wyden WHAT: Demobilization of the Oregon Army National Guard's 1249th Engineering Battalion WHEN: 9 a.m., Saturday, January 7, 2012 WHERE: Oregon State Fairgrounds 2330 17th Street NE Salem, Ore. … 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, 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
October 05, 2011
Wyden, Merkley Send Letter to Secretary Panetta Seeking Medal of Honor for Henry Lincoln Johnson
Washington, D.C. - For more than 90 years, Sgt. Henry Lincoln Johnson - an African American World War I hero serving in an all-black unit under French Command - has been denied the Medal of Honor for single-handedly fighting off a German raiding party and saving the life of a fellow soldier. His actions earned him the French equivalent of the Medal of Honor in 1918. Today, U.S. Senators Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) and Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) have sent a letter to Defense Secretary Leon Panetta, urging … Continue Reading
September 16, 2011
Wyden Letter Prompts DoD to Change Policy Denying Injured Guard and Reserve Members Medical Assistance
Washington, D.C. - Coming on the heels of a letter sent to DoD undersecretary Dr. Clifford Stanley on Tuesday calling on the department to fix a policy severely inhibiting the access to healthcare injured National Guard and Reserve members receive after leaving the service, U.S. Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore) announced that Undersecretary Clifford has instituted changes to the Transitional Assistance Medical Program (TAMP) that will ensure separating servicemembers injured in combat receive the … Continue Reading
September 14, 2011
Wyden Calls on DoD Undersecretary to Change Policy Denying Injured Guard and Reserve Members Transitional Medical Assistance
Washington, D.C. - After admitting that the Pentagon's policy for providing transitional medical assistance to some of the most severely injured National Guard and Reserve members returning from combat and separating from active duty was flawed, the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness Dr. Clifford Stanley has yet to amend the policy more than 150 days after agreeing to change it. U.S. Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) sent a letter to Stanley calling on him to keep his promise to … Continue Reading
August 05, 2011
Merkley, Wyden Announce Grants for Veterans Job Training
WASHINGTON, DC - Today, Oregon's Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden announced two grants from the Department of Labor that will assist homeless veterans with job training for civilian careers. The grants, which were awarded on a competitive basis to state and local organizations, will go to Easter Seals in Portland and Central Oregon Veterans Outreach in Bend. "This is great news for our Oregon veterans," said Senator Jeff Merkley. "Servicemembers and their families have already made … Continue Reading
July 26, 2011
Wyden, Merkley, DeFazio Issue Statement on VA’s Announcement on the Future of the Roseburg VA Hospital
Washington, D.C. - In response to the Veterans Affairs Department's announcement today of its future plans for the VA Roseburg Health Care System, U.S. Senators Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) and Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) and U.S. Representative Peter DeFazio issued the following statement: "This is obviously not the decision we were hoping for. Keeping the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) closed will force veterans to travel further and, potentially, pay more for care that they should be receiving from the VA. … Continue Reading
May 26, 2011
Wyden Will Visit Oregon Veterans Home in The Dalles on June 3
Portland, OR - Oregon Senator Ron Wyden will tour the Oregon Veterans Home in The Dalles on Friday June 3. Ground was broken last fall for a 9,000-square-foot community center, named for Congressional Medal of Honor recipient Stan Adams and his wife, Jean. The community center should be finished this summer. Who: Senator Ron Wyden What: Tour of Oregon Veterans Home … Continue Reading
May 26, 2011
Wyden to Attend Memorial Day Ceremonies in Terrebonne, Redmond and Bend on Monday
Portland, OR - Oregon Senator Ron Wyden will attend Memorial Day services in three Central Oregon cities on Monday. The events honor fallen veterans will take place in Terrebonne, Redmond and Bend. Terrebonne: Date: Monday, May 30, 2011 Time: 9 a.m. Location: Pioneer Cemetery Smith Rock Way Terrebonne Redmond: Date: Monday, May 30, 2011 … Continue Reading
May 13, 2011
Wyden, Merkley Announce Funding for National Guard Yellow Ribbon Reintegration Program
PORTLAND, OR - Oregon's Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden announced today that the State of Oregon will receive $1.83 million to fund the Yellow Ribbon Reintegration Program for the Oregon National Guard through the next 12 months. The program helps Guard members and their families gain have access to physical and mental health care, substance abuse treatment and prevention and marriage and financial counseling as well as help finding employment. Oregon was one of only eight states to … Continue Reading
April 20, 2011
Military Takes Steps to Improve Treatment of Returning National Guard, Reserve Troops
Washington, D.C. - Responding to concerns raised over the last year by Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) and Representative Kurt Schrader (D-Ore.), the United States Army has announced changes designed to improve the treatment of National Guard and Reserve troops returning from combat in Iraq and Afghanistan. The changes announced in documents provided to Wyden's office include ensuring each soldier receives proper medical care, improving communication about entitlements and benefits and greater … Continue Reading
April 13, 2011
Merkley, Wyden, DeFazio Invite Veterans Affairs Secretary Shinseki to Visit Roseburg Veterans Medical Center
Washington, D.C. - Senators Jeff Merkley (D-OR) and Ron Wyden (D-OR), and Representative Peter DeFazio (OR-4) sent a letter to Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric Shinseki Wednesday requesting that he visit the Roseburg Oregon Veterans Medical Center before making any decisions about the future of medical services there. "In order to help you make a more informed decision, we invite you to visit the Roseburg hospital before deciding on VARHS's fate," wrote the Members. "We believe seeing the … Continue Reading
January 13, 2011
OREGON DELEGATION URGES SEC. SHINSEKI TO INTERVENE, REDIRECT ROSEBURG VA HOSPITAL STUDY
WASHINGTON, DC- Today, Representative Peter DeFazio (OR-4) and Senators Ron Wyden (D-OR) and Jeff Merkley (D-OR) sent a letter to Secretary of the Veterans Affairs Eric Shinseki requesting that he intervene and correct a Booz Allen Hamilton (BAH) study concerning the future of the Roseburg Oregon VA Medical Center (RVAMC). The letter states "We are troubled that the VA has spent $400,000 on this independent study that has little value for veterans or taxpayers. Rather it appears BAH worked … Continue Reading
January 12, 2011
Senator Wyden Urges Eligible Combat Vets to Enroll for VA Health Care Before Deadline
Washington, D.C. -U.S. Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) is encouraging eligible combat veterans to sign up for enhanced health care services before the January 27th deadline. The enhanced enrollment window gave combat veterans who separated from service before January 28, 2003, an extra three years to be grandfathered in under Veterans Affairs health care rules that have since changed. "Since these men and women served, the VA's healthcare rules have changed in ways that could affect them," Wyden … Continue Reading
February 24, 2010
VA Will Temporarily Halt Southern Oregon Health Care Reductions, Discuss Future Care with Local Residents
Washington, D.C. -- The Veterans Administration has agreed to halt any further reductions to emergency room or inpatient services at the Roseburg VA Medical Center until it discusses the changes with local communities and residents. The agreement was reached following a meeting between Oregon Senator Ron Wyden and Dr. Susan Pendergrass, director of the VA's VISN 20. VISN is the Veterans Integrated Services Network. "I appreciate the VAs willingness to halt any further changes in health care … Continue Reading
January 11, 2010
Wyden Calls For Suspension of Reductions at Roseburg VA Hospital
Washington, D.C.- In reacting to the news that the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs is considering the elimination of emergency and inpatient services at the Roseburg VA Medical Center, U.S. Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) sent a letter to Eric K. Shinseki, Secretary of Veterans Affairs, urging the department to suspend planned reductions pending a written plan for providing affected veterans services the facility previously provided. "I am especially disturbed that this loss of health care … Continue Reading
November 19, 2009
Wyden Supports Bill to Improve Health Care Services to Veterans and Their Families
Washington, D.C. - Continuing efforts to provide the highest quality health care for veterans and their families, U.S. Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) voted in support of legislation that passed the Senate today to expand support for families and caregivers of wounded servicemembers that also includes provisions Wyden has cosponsored to provide greater access to health care for veterans in rural areas and improved services for female veterans at all Veterans Affairs medical facilities. "The goal of … Continue Reading
