Press Releases
Wyden Co-sponsors Bill to Support Homeowners, Renters Struggling Amid COVID-19 Pandemic and Economic Fallout
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., has joined colleagues in introducing the Coronavirus Housing Counseling Improvement Act to expand access to critical information, assistance programs and services for millions of families struggling to remain in their homes because of the COVID-19 pandemic and economic fallout. "COVID-19 is forcing families in Oregon and across the country to make tough decisions - balancing how to get food on the table and keep a roof over their heads, all … Continue Reading
June 29, 2020
Wyden Leads Colleagues on Senate Floor in Calling for Greater Assistance for State and Local Governments During COVID-19 Crisis
Mr. President, the COVID-19 pandemic has thrown this country into a nightmare-level crisis of joblessness. The Congress has not done enough to stop it and to save people's jobs. I've come to the floor this evening with the Democratic Leader to call for the Senate to pass legislation that's all about saving key public-sector jobs that form the backbone of our local communities - our teachers, firefighters, first responders and many others. They need our help, and they need it now. Democrats … Continue Reading
June 29, 2020
Wyden, Blumenthal, Hirono and Schumer Introduce Bill To Ensure Americans Keep Broadband Access During the Pandemic
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senators Ron Wyden, D-Ore., Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., Mazie Hirono, D-Hawaii, and Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., today introduced a bill to ensure that millions of Americans can access essential broadband access in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Emergency Broadband Connections Act - sponsored by 26 Senate Democrats - would provide a $50/month benefit to workers who have been laid off or furloughed during the pandemic, along with a range of other assistance to … Continue Reading
June 29, 2020
Wyden, Merkley Co-sponsor Legislation to Extend Nationwide Moratorium on Evictions
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley today co-sponsored legislation that would extend the federal eviction moratorium by nearly eight months to March 27, 2021, and expand it to cover nearly all renters. The Protecting Renters from Evictions and Fees Act extends the federal eviction moratorium from July 24, 2020 to one year after the March 27, 2020 enactment of the CARES Act, and would also prohibit fees, fines and extra charges due to nonpayment of rent. The HEROES Act, … Continue Reading
June 26, 2020
Wyden, Merkley: Four Oregon Airports to Receive More Than $9 Million in Federal Grants
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley today announced that airports in La Grande, Cave Junction, Prineville and Gleneden Beach have earned a total of more than $9.1 million in federal grants for improvements to runways, taxiways, guidance systems and more. "Oregonians living and working in rural communities throughout our state know full well that small airports are essential centerpieces to build their economy and quality-of-life," Wyden said. "These federal investments … Continue Reading
June 26, 2020
Wyden, Merkley Call for HIV/AIDS Treatment and Prevention Funding in Next COVID-19 Response Package
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley today called on Senate leadership to include federal funding for HIV/AIDS treatment, prevention, and housing programs in the next COVID-19 pandemic response package. The letter with 18 colleagues comes on the eve of the 25th anniversary of National HIV Testing Day on June 27. "This additional support for HIV/AIDS treatment, prevention, and housing programs is critical for ensuring that we can respond to two different pandemics that … Continue Reading
June 26, 2020
Merkley, Wyden Announce Over $500,000 Investment to Help Oregon School Districts Replace Old Diesel School Buses
Washington, D.C. - Oregon's U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden today announced that the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (ODEQ) will receive $507,425 in federal funding to support the repowering or replacement of 15 diesel powered school buses, and at least three other pieces of diesel powered equipment, with lower emitting alternatives. The switch to more sustainable buses and equipment will reduce emissions of diesel particulate matter, in addition to other pollutants like … Continue Reading
June 25, 2020
Merkley, Wyden, Colleagues, Introduce Legislation to Rename All Bases, Other Military Assets Named for the Confederacy Within One Year
Washington, D.C. - Oregon's U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden, along with 34 of their colleagues, have introduced legislation requiring the Pentagon to remove all names, symbols, displays, monuments, and paraphernalia that honor or commemorate the Confederate States of America and anyone who voluntarily served it from all military bases and other assets of the Department of Defense. The bill would require the Pentagon to rename the assets within one year. The senators emphasized that … Continue Reading
June 25, 2020
Senate Indian Affairs Committee Holds Hearing on Wyden and Merkley's Bills to Support Oregon Tribes
Washington, D.C. - The U.S. Senate Committee on Indian Affairs yesterday held a hearing on the Western Tribal Water Infrastructure Act of 2019, legislation introduced by U.S. Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley to improve water quality and services for tribal communities in Oregon. The Committee also discussed legislation sponsored by Merkley and Wyden that seeks to correct an error made in a 1994 piece of legislation to correct an old survey error. This legislation would allow the Confederated … Continue Reading
June 25, 2020
Wyden, Murray Demand End to Seizure of Tax Refunds from Americans Shouldering Federal Student Debt During COVID-19 Crisis
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Sens. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., and Patty Murray, D-Wash. today led a group of 26 other Senate Democrats in demanding the Trump administration halt the seizure of tax refunds from federal student loan borrowers in default and refund any payments seized contrary to CARES Act requirements. In a letter to Education Secretary Betsy DeVos and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, the senators raised concerns about the reported garnishment of federal tax and state refunds from … Continue Reading
June 25, 2020
Merkley, Wyden Announce $215,000 Federal Investment to Keep Oregon’s Beaches Clean
Washington, D.C. - Oregon's U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden today announced that the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (ODEQ) will receive $215,000 in federal funding to support additional monitoring to help protect Oregonians from possible waterborne diseases at Oregon's beaches. The grant will fund the collection and testing of water samples from designated recreational beaches in Oregon. The water will be tested for bacteriological water quality, and the public will be … Continue Reading
June 24, 2020
Merkley, Wyden, Colleagues Call for Answers on Wayfair Sales Tax Compliance Software, Impact on Small Businesses
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Oregon's U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden, along with U.S. Senators Maggie Hassan (D-NH) and Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), have written to seven tax compliance software companies about the affordability and accuracy of their products, which many small businesses use to comply with the Supreme Court's Wayfair decision requiring businesses making online sales to submit sales taxes to every state in which they have customers. The letters are the senators' latest effort to … Continue Reading
June 24, 2020
Wyden, Colleagues Demand Answers on Open Technology Fund Purge
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden today led a group of his colleagues to demand answers, following reports that the newly appointed head of the U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM) purged the Open Technology Fund's (OTF) CEO, President and board in order to politicize the nonprofit OTF, and direct resources to wasteful, secretive projects. In a letter to USAGM CEO Michael Pack, the lawmakers wrote, "Recent press reports indicate that you ousted the OTF's CEO and fired the President and … Continue Reading
June 24, 2020
Wyden, Merkley, Blumenauer, Bonamici, Schrader Ask Feds for Answers About Surveillance Flight Over Portland Protest
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley, and U.S. Reps. Earl Blumenauer, Suzanne Bonamici and Kurt Schrader today asked federal officials for answers about a recent flight of a possible law enforcement aircraft in Portland over a protest about the police killing of George Floyd and Black Americans. The Oregon lawmakers' letter to the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS) comes after a media report that an aircraft previously linked to the USMS circled over Portland for about three … Continue Reading
June 23, 2020
Wyden Delivers Floor Speech on Senate Republican Police Reform Bill
Madam President, across the country, there has been a national outcry for justice - for real changes in law to address police brutality and reflect the undeniable truth that Black lives matter. This week should be our opportunity in the United States Senate to come together - Republicans and Democrats - to begin to fix our broken policing system. That's what so many people in big cities and small towns in Oregon and every state across America are demanding of us. But instead of allowing that … Continue Reading
June 23, 2020
Merkley, Wyden, Colleagues Introduce Resolution Recognizing June as LGBTQ Pride Month
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Oregon's U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden have joined the Democratic caucus in introducing a Senate resolution recognizing June as LGBTQ Pride Month. The resolution highlights the contributions LGBTQ individuals have made to American society, notes several major milestones in the fight for equal treatment of LGBTQ Americans and resolves to continue efforts to achieve full equality for LGBTQ individuals. Additionally, the resolution recognizes how the coronavirus … Continue Reading
June 23, 2020
Wyden, Merkley: $175 Billion Education Investment Urgently Needed to Save the 2020-2021 School Year & U.S. Economy
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley said today that Congress and the Trump Administration must provide at least $175 billion in additional federal funding to help K-12 students in Oregon and nationwide safely return to the classroom this fall. Without swift, comprehensive congressional action, it will be impossible for America's 100,000 K-12 public schools -- which are already facing severe budget cuts -- to adequately prepare to protect students, teachers, staff, … Continue Reading
June 23, 2020
Merkley, Wyden Announced Nearly $100,000 in Transportation Grant Funding for the Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde Community
Washington, D.C. - Oregon's U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden today announced that the Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde will receive nearly $100,000 to support the community's transportation needs amid the coronavirus crisis. The funding is being allocated by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, which Congress passed in March. "The coronavirus public health emergency has created serious challenges in every corner of our state. Some of those obstacles … Continue Reading
June 23, 2020
Wyden, Merkley Call for Senate Vote on Bipartisan House-Passed Dream and Promise Act
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley today called on Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell to immediately take up the bipartisan House-passed American Dream and Promise Act, which will establish a path to citizenship for Dreamers and immigrants with Temporary Protected Status (TPS) or Deferred Enforced Departure (DED). "It is not too late to change course. As Majority Leader, you can immediately schedule a vote in the Senate for the American Dream and Promise Act," the … Continue Reading
June 23, 2020
Wyden, Grijalva, Haaland Welcome Interior Watchdog Probe into Excessive Use of Force Against Peaceful Lafayette Park Protesters for Trump Photo Op
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., and U.S. Reps. Raúl M. Grijalva, D-Ariz., and Deb Haaland, D-N.M., today welcomed the decision of the Office of the Inspector General (OIG) for the U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) to review the U.S. Park Police's excessive use of force against peaceful protesters and journalists in Lafayette Park to clear the way for a staged photo of Donald Trump in front of St. John's Episcopal Church. Inspector General Mark Greenblatt wrote in a … Continue Reading
