Press Releases
Wyden Wins Protection of Privacy Rights in Intelligence Authorization Bill
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) today announced that the FY2006 Intelligence Authorization bill has been rewritten to address serious concerns he expressed earlier this month about provisions that would have compromised the privacy rights of American citizens, and that he will remove the "hold" he placed on the legislation earlier this month to force a debate on the provisions. This move means that the legislation is likely to be passed by the full Senate today. … Continue Reading
December 05, 2006
Wyden, Smith Praise BRAC Commission Vote to Save 142nd Fighter Wing
Washington, DC - U.S. Senators Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) and Gordon Smith (R-Ore.) today praised the vote of the Base Closure and Realignment (BRAC) Commission to reject a Pentagon proposal to gut the 142nd Fighter Wing of the Air National Guard in Portland. Senators Wyden and Smith testified against the proposal at a June 17 hearing, telling the Commission that the plan to reduce the number of alert fighter jets at the air base would seriously compromise Northwest and national security; state … Continue Reading
December 05, 2006
Wyden Provides Real Tax Relief for Middle Classin Simpler, Flatter, Fairer Reform Plan
Washington, DC At a press conference today, U.S. Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) introduced comprehensive tax reform legislation that contains major tax relief for Americas middle class as it makes the U.S. income tax code simpler, flatter and fairer. Wydens bill, the Fair Flat Tax Act of 2005, allows every taxpayer to file taxes on a simplified, one-page 1040 form, collapses individual tax brackets from the current six down to three and sets one, flat corporate rate. It also ends the Alternative … Continue Reading
December 05, 2006
Senate Approves New Efforts to Fight Oregon's Growing Meth Problem
Washington, DC - U.S. Senators Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) and Gordon Smith (R-Ore.) today announced that the U.S. Senate has approved legislation they championed to stop the creation, distribution and use of methamphetamine. The Combat Meth Act, which Wyden and Smith cosponsored along with U.S. Senators Jim Talent (R-Mo.) and Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), has been included as part of the Fiscal Year 2006 Commerce, Justice Science (CJS) Appropriations legislation. The CJS appropriations bill now moves … Continue Reading
December 05, 2006
Congress Will Not Preempt State Measures in Federal Methamphetamine Legislation
Washington, DC - U.S. Senators Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) and Gordon Smith (R-Ore.) today announced that the Combat Meth Act approved by the Senate Judiciary Committee today will not preempt tougher state laws restricting access to cold medicines containing methamphetamine precursors. The preemption provision, opposed by both senators, was removed from the bill prior to committee approval. "Federal legislation is desperately needed to confront the country's growing methamphetamine crisis, but it … Continue Reading
December 05, 2006
Wyden, Smith Announce Funding to Fight Methamphetamine in Oregon
Washington, DC - U.S. Senators Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) and Gordon Smith (R-Ore.) today announced that a number of Oregon community-based anti-methamphetamine programs will soon receive Federal funding as part of appropriations legislation to be approved by Congress this week. Additionally, the Pacific Coast Salmon Recovery Fund and oceanic observation research efforts at Oregon State University (OSU) are slated to receive funding. The Federal dollars approved for the projects were included in the … Continue Reading
December 05, 2006
Wyden Testifies on Strategies to Reduce Gasoline Price Gouging
Washington, DC - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), a longtime advocate for American consumers hit by unfairly high gasoline prices, testified today before the U.S. Senate Commerce Committee at a hearing on energy pricing. In a 2004 report, Wyden sharply criticized the Federal Trade Commission for its failure to act on behalf of American consumers when oil company practices caused price spikes; in light of huge price increases following Hurricane Katrina he is suggesting more aggressive measures … Continue Reading
December 05, 2006
Wyden, Emanuel Join Forces for Middle Class Tax Reliefand Simpler, Flatter, Fairer Tax Plan
Washington, DC At a press conference today, U.S. Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) and U.S. Representative Rahm Emanuel (D-Ill.) touted their comprehensive, bicameral tax reform legislation that contains major tax relief for Americas middle class as it makes the U.S. income tax code simpler, flatter and fairer. Wyden introduced the Fair, Flat Tax Act of 2005 in the Senate in October; Emanuel announced plans today to introduce companion legislation in the House of Representatives. Specifically, the … Continue Reading
December 04, 2006
Wyden, Smith Take Aim at Oregon's Growing Meth Problem
Washington, DC - U.S. Senators Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) and Gordon Smith (R-Ore.) today took steps to stop the creation, distribution and use of methamphetamine, now the second most-treated drug addiction among Oregon teens. Wyden and Smith joined U.S. Senators Jim Talent (R-Mo.) and Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) to unveil the "Combat Meth Act." The legislation would provide resources and tools to help law enforcement officials and prosecutors to pursue and punish producers and distributors of meth, … Continue Reading
December 04, 2006
Wyden, Finance Committee Colleagues Seek Alternative Minimum Tax Repeal
Washington, DC - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) and a bipartisan coalition of his U.S. Senate Finance Committee colleagues, including Chairman Charles Grassley (R-Iowa), Ranking Member Max Baucus (D-Mont.) and Jon Kyl (R-Ariz.), today introduced legislation to repeal the Federal individual alternative minimum tax (AMT). The AMT requires taxpayers to figure their tax bills both with and without certain deductions, then to pay the higher amount. It was originally enacted in 1969 to ensure that … Continue Reading
December 04, 2006
Wyden Opposed Patriot Act Legislation in Intel Committee, Will Seek Further Changes
Washington, DC - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) opposed the Patriot Act legislation that was completed in a closed hearing of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence yesterday, and says today that the bill as drafted fails to meet his goal of preserving Americans' privacy and civil liberties while protecting the nation aggressively against terrorism. On Monday, Wyden spoke on the floor of the U.S. Senate to detail his concerns, particularly with a proposal to grant broad administrative … Continue Reading
December 04, 2006
Wyden, NW Senators Win Budget Provisions to Strike down BPA rate Hike Proposals
Washington, DC - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) today announced that the Senate's FY2006 budget resolution now contains language that rejects the Bush Administration's proposal to force the Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) to increase rates to consumers. The budget language, coauthored by Wyden and U.S. Senator Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) and agreed to by Senate Budget Committee Chairman Judd Gregg, (R-N.H.), explicitly states that there should be no additional income in the Federal budget from … Continue Reading
December 04, 2006
Grants from Healthy Forests Law Fund Oregon Biomass Projects
Washington, DC - The U.S. Forest Service (USFS) today announced more than $1 million in grants to fund forest projects in Oregon, thanks to a provision championed by U.S. Senators Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) and Gordon Smith (R-Ore.) in the 2003 Healthy Forests Restoration Act. Section 201 of the law authorized $5 million annually until 2008 to improve research and processing of smaller-diameter wood from forests, to create commercial value from this woody debris for Oregon's forest-related businesses … Continue Reading
December 04, 2006
Wyden, Smith announce $50 million in tax credits for Ecotrustto develop sustainable forest management projectsin rural communities
Portland, OR U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Gordon Smith today announced that Ecotrust, a Portland-based non-profit organization focused on sustainable economic growth in the Northwest, has been awarded $50 million in federal tax credits to invest in sustainable forest management projects in rural communities under the New Markets Tax Credit (NMTC) Program. The awards were officially announced this morning.Ecotrusts experience shows that ecological forest management can create sustainable, … Continue Reading
December 04, 2006
Wyden Seeks to Expose Ongoing Corporate Investment in Iran
Washington, DC - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) today outlined planned legislation to publicize information about American and foreign companies that continue to do business with Iran's energy sector. Wyden's legislation, "The Investor in Iran Accountability Act," seeks to curb corporate energy investment in Iran, one of the world's most dangerous and tyrannical nations, and to help the American public make informed choices about investing with companies still doing business there. The bill … Continue Reading
December 04, 2006
Wyden, Smith Sponsor New Legislation to Keep Higher Education Saving Tax-Free
Washington, DC - U.S. Senators Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) and Gordon Smith (R-Ore.) joined a bipartisan coalition of their Senate Finance Committee colleagues today to introduce legislation extending the tax-free status of programs that help families save for college, professional and vocational education. Wyden and Smith committed to work together on expanding tax breaks for the savings plans - known … Continue Reading
December 04, 2006
Wyden's 'Build America Bonds' Would Ease Transportation Budget Crunch
Washington, DC - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) today introduced the bipartisan Build America Bonds proposal with U.S. Senator Jim Talent (R-Mo.). This major transportation construction initiative has the potential to create nearly 1.5 million new jobs, generate $171 billion in economic activity and save thousands of lives by improving transportation safety. Wyden and Talent were able to include a similar proposal in the Senate highway bill last year, and are working with bipartisan … Continue Reading
December 04, 2006
Wyden Introduces Budget Amendment to Allow HHS SecretaryTo Negotiate for Prescription Drugs
WASHINGTON, DC - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) today introduced an amendment to the Budget Reconciliation Act that would strengthen the drug coverage offered to seniors under the 2003 Medicare prescription drug benefit. The amendment, offered with Senator Olympia Snowe (R-Maine), is based on the Medicare Enhancement for Needed Drugs (MEND) legislation Wyden and Snowe introduced earlier this … Continue Reading
December 04, 2006
Wall Street to Washington: Social Security Privatization Would Endanger American's Retirement Security
New York, NY - Today, U.S. Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) joined members of Wall Street's financial services industry as they caution Congress against the privatization of Social Security. Financial leaders - including rising stars on Wall Street - unveiled a letter to Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-Tenn.) and Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) in which they detail the significant financial risks for individual Americans if Federal payroll taxes are diverted from Social Security … Continue Reading
December 04, 2006
BPA Customers Would Pay $2.5 Billion More Under President's Budget Proposal, Wyden Says
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden today blasted the President's proposed budget for the Bonneville Power Administration (BPA), which would lead to higher electricity rates and less reliable service for customers of the BPA. "The Administration is proposing a $2.5 billion hit to the Northwest economy through BPA rate increases, while at the same time taking away the BPA's ability to improve the reliability of its transmission grid," Wyden said. "Low-cost power is the lifeblood of our … Continue Reading
