Press Releases
Wyden, Colleagues Reintroduce Bipartisan Legislation to Address the Housing Affordability Crisis
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden today with colleagues introduced bipartisan legislation that would help build nearly two million new affordable homes over the next decade. "When it comes to solutions for affordable housing there's no substitute for increasing supply. The centerpiece of this proposal is the largest-ever expansion of the Low Income Housing Tax Credit, which is the most effective program on the books for getting more affordable units built in Oregon and nationwide," … Continue Reading
May 15, 2023
Wyden, Colleagues Push to Provide Quality Reproductive Health Care to Military Families
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden said today that he and Senate colleagues have introduced legislation that would ensure military families in Oregon and nationwide receive the quality reproductive health care they deserve. "Military families in Oregon and nationwide deserve access to equitable reproductive health care and contraception-without having to pay hundreds of dollars per year out of pocket," Wyden said. "I'll fight with all my heart to ensure military families have the … Continue Reading
May 11, 2023
UO, OSU and PSU Each Earn $1 Million Innovation Awards from National Science Foundation
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley, and U.S. Reps. Earl Blumenauer, Suzanne Bonamici, Val Hoyle and Andrea Salinas said today that the University of Oregon, Oregon State University and Portland State University have each secured $1 million, two-year federal research grants that were authorized in the CHIPS and Science Act. The National Science Foundation regional innovation engines grants earned by the Oregon universities are for research into semiconductor, mass timber … Continue Reading
May 11, 2023
Bonamici, Wyden Announce Bill to Connect Child Care with Affordable Housing
WASHINGTON, DC – Today Representative Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR) and Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR) announced legislation to help working families access affordable housing and child care. The Build Housing with Care Act would invest $500 million to construct child care centers in affordable housing buildings and cover the costs of retrofitting to help family child care providers operate in housing developments. Priority will be given to projects that are located in child care deserts or rural … Continue Reading
May 11, 2023
Wyden, Merkley: Community Park in Dundee to Receive $630,000 Federal Grant
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley today announced the Chehalem Park and Recreation District will receive a $630,310 federal investment to develop Sander Estate Park in Dundee. "Oregonians living and working in Dundee deserve the opportunity to enjoy the outdoors with a park in their community," Wyden said. "I'm glad the Land and Water Conservation Fund that I've been proud to support continues to make these quality-of-life investments in important local amenities … Continue Reading
May 10, 2023
Wyden, Colleagues Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Reform the Security Classification System
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden today with colleagues announced bipartisan legislation that would reform the security classification system to reduce overclassification, prevent mishandling of classified information, promote better use of intelligence, and enhance public trust. "Public access to government information is vital to a democratic society. Yet, as has been the case for many years, far too many records are classified. And, because of obsolete technology, far too few of … Continue Reading
May 10, 2023
Wyden, Merkley: Nearly $1.2 Million to Marion County Parks for Fire Recovery
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley today announced that Marion County Parks will receive a combined nearly $1.2 million from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to repair and restore parks damaged in the 2020 Labor Day fires. "Enjoying our neighborhood parks and the outdoors is hardwired into the DNA of Oregon families, and while our state continues to make progress recovering our natural treasures after the catastrophic 2020 Labor Day fires, these efforts … Continue Reading
May 10, 2023
Wyden Encourages Census Bureau to Expand Access to New Tool Showing Prospective College Students Expected Earnings After Graduation
Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Ron Wyden today commended the Census Bureau for creating a pilot website to help prospective college students and their families in Oregon and nationwide better understand employment and earnings outcomes after graduation. Wyden asked the Census Bureau to partner with the Department of Education (DoEd) to expand access to this tool, which builds on the ideas in his Student Right to Know Before You Go Act. “For many Americans, the decision to … Continue Reading
May 10, 2023
Wyden To Hold Town Halls in Crook and Josephine Counties
Portland - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden today announced he will have open-to-all, in-person town halls on May 22 in Crook County and on May 24 in Josephine County. Wyden has already held 23 town halls so far throughout Oregon in 2023 - and 1,050 town halls overall statewide in fulfillment of his pledge to hold at least one town hall each year in each of Oregon's 36 counties. "The 'Oregon Way' is all about throwing open the doors of democracy so everybody in every part of our state has the … Continue Reading
May 10, 2023
Merkley, Wyden Support Bill to Boost America’s Public School Teachers
Washington, D.C. - Oregon's U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden are cosponsoring the EDUCATORS for America Act, major legislation that would help raise student achievement and rebuild the educator pipeline by supporting the development and retention of effective educators. The bill would strengthen the educator workforce, address the shortage of teachers, and support comprehensive educator preparation. "Teachers and educators have the ability to inspire, encourage, and spark creativity … Continue Reading
May 09, 2023
Sens. Wyden, Crapo, Reps. Kelly, Higgins Lead Legislation to Honor Medal of Honor Recipients
Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Ron Wyden, D-Ore., and Mike Crapo, R-Idaho, and U.S. Representatives Mike Kelly, R-Pa., and Brian Higgins, D-N.Y., today led members of Congress to introduce legislation in the Senate and House designating U.S. Highway 20 between Newport, Ore. and New England as the “National Medal of Honor Highway.” “I’m proud to have worked closely with veterans in Oregon and nationwide in the grassroots movement to designate America’s … Continue Reading
May 09, 2023
Wyden, Colleagues Urging ATF to Fully Implement Federal Rules to Help Close the Gun Seller Background Check Loophole
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden today joined colleagues to urge the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives to implement federal rules to help close the gun seller background check loophole. "Today, we write to highlight one directive in particular: the President's clarion call to clarify the definition of who is "engaged in the business" of dealing in firearms-a step that moves us closer to closing the background check loophole. The background check loophole in … Continue Reading
May 09, 2023
Merkley, Wyden Announce Support for Bill to Boost Child Care and Pre-K Access for Families
Washington, D.C. - Oregon's U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden are cosponsoring the Child Care for Working Families Act, comprehensive legislation to tackle the child care crisis and ensure families across America can find and afford the high-quality child care they need. "Child care is essential for the success of working families across Oregon, but I hear at nearly every town hall from hardworking families about the burdens of the extremely high costs and lack of high-quality child … Continue Reading
May 08, 2023
Oregon Lawmakers: $52 Million USDA Seafood Purchasing Agreement to Boost Oregon’s Economy
Washington, D.C. - Oregon's U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden, along with Oregon's U.S. Representatives Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR-01), Val Hoyle (D-OR-04), Lori Chavez-DeRemer (R-OR-05), and Andrea Salinas (D-OR-06), announced today that the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has approved $52 million to purchase Pacific Groundfish and Seafood Products. This approved funding comes after Merkley led colleagues this past February in a letter to USDA pushing for more support to … Continue Reading
May 05, 2023
Wyden, Brown, Sanders, Warren, Fetterman and Markey Call For Delay in New Rural Carrier Evaluation System, Raise Concerns about Use of Flawed Technology to Track Carriers
Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., with Senators Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., John Fetterman, D-Pa., and Edward Markey, D-Mass., called on Postmaster General Louis DeJoy to delay pay cuts for thousands of rural letter carriers slated to go into effect under a new U.S. Postal Service policy. The senators voiced concerns about the Rural Route Evaluated Compensation System (RRECS), an automated system to determine carrier … Continue Reading
May 04, 2023
Wyden, Merkley: Rogue Valley International Airport Earns Federal Investment of More than $800,000
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley today announced that Rogue Valley International Airport has earned more than $800,000 in federal funds from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to rebuild its contract tower. "Safe air travel for residents of southern Oregon and visitors to the region requires regular infrastructure investments just like this one," Wyden said. "I'm glad the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law that I worked to pass is paying immediate dividends for the Rogue … Continue Reading
May 03, 2023
Wyden, Merkley Ask Feds to Help Oregon Communities with National Flood Insurance Program
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley today asked federal officials to provide technical assistance to Oregon communities working through the potential local impacts to housing, ports and small businesses from a draft plan proposing changes in the state to the National Flood Insurance Program. The senators also requested in their letter to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) that the upcoming May 5 deadline for public comment during the scoping process on the … Continue Reading
May 02, 2023
Wyden, Colleagues Urge IRS to Address Threat of Tax Scams Generated by ChatGPT
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., today along with Senators Maggie Hassan, D-N.H., Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, and James Lankford, R-Okla., sounded the alarm on the potential use of artificial intelligence such as ChatGPT, to generate persuasive, tailored scams intended to rob Americans by getting access to their personal financial information. "In previous tax filing seasons, many scam messages could be identified by spelling mistakes, grammatical errors, and inaccurate … Continue Reading
May 02, 2023
Wyden, Merkley, Democratic Colleagues File Amicus Brief Urging Fifth Circuit to Reverse Texas District Court’s Ruling on Mifepristone
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley, along with 253 members of Congress, submitted an amicus brief to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit today in the case of Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine v. FDA, urging the Court to reverse the district court's stay on the FDA's more than 20-year-old approval of mifepristone. In April, the Supreme Court issued a stay of the lower court ruling that allows mifepristone to remain on the market while the case is under … Continue Reading
May 02, 2023
Sen. Wyden, Reps. Matsui, McHenry Urge Bakers to Stop Unnecessarily Adding Sesame to Baked Goods
Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., and U.S. Representatives Doris Matsui, D-Calif., and Patrick McHenry, R-N.C., today led a letter urging bakers to stop unnecessarily adding sesame to baked goods and protect consumers with sesame allergies. “The dangerous practice of adding sesame to baked goods that have not previously contained the ingredient, often without notice, undermines the trust that people with food allergies place in the food industry,” the … Continue Reading
