Press Releases
Wyden, Merkley, Senate Democrats Unveil Plans to Lower Health Costs Amid Trump's Broken Promises to Americans
Text of the Letter (PDF) Washington, D.C. - Senate Finance Committee Ranking Member Ron Wyden, D-Ore., and eleven Senate Democrats - including Senator Jeff Merkley, D-Ore. -- today announced a new initiative to lower the cost of health care and improve health coverage for American families. The letter, sent to Senate colleagues and signed by Senators Mark Warner, D-Va.; Jon Ossoff, D-Ga.; Raphael Warnock, D-Ga.; Lisa Blunt Rochester, D-Del.; Tammy Baldwin, D-Wis.; Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I.; … Continue Reading
March 19, 2026
Wyden, Warren, Schumer Demand Trump Terminate Illegal Tariffs, Deliver Relief From Iran War’s Higher Costs
Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Ranking Member of the Senate Finance Committee; U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs (BHUA) and a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee; and U.S. Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) today released the following statement: “Donald Trump’s economy is a full-blown disaster, and working families need relief now. Trump promised to lower costs ‘on … Continue Reading
March 18, 2026
Wyden Announces Town Halls in Columbia Gorge; Eastern, Central and Southern Oregon
Portland - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden today announced he will hold 10 open-to-all town halls starting March 28 in eastern, central and southern Oregon as well as in the Columbia Gorge. Heading into these 10 town halls from March 28-April 2, Wyden has held 1,152 open-to-all town halls statewide in keeping his promise to hold at least one town hall each year in each of Oregon’s 36 counties. “I made my town hall pledge because all Oregonians’ voices matter,” Wyden said. “I very much look forward to … Continue Reading
March 18, 2026
Wyden, Merkley Demand Transparency from Meta on Facial Recognition Technology in Smart Glasses
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley (both D-Ore.) today demanded transparency from Meta on the company’s plans to integrate facial recognition into its smart glasses. Smart glasses are designed to be worn throughout the day as their user passes hundreds, if not thousands, of people whose faces could be scanned without any practical way for a bystander to consent to or even know about this real-time identification. While facial recognition may offer real benefits for … Continue Reading
March 12, 2026
Wyden, Lee, Davidson and Lofgren Introduce Bill to Reform FISA Section 702, Protect Americans’ Constitutional Rights and Plug Data Broker Surveillance Loophole
Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., with Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, Rep. Warren Davidson, R-Ohio, and Rep. Zoe Lofgren, D-Calif., today introduced an updated version of the Government Surveillance Reform Act to enact new protections for Americans’ rights, including stopping the Federal government from buying data on Americans from shady data brokers, while reauthorizing and reforming Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA). The Government Surveillance Reform … Continue Reading
March 12, 2026
Wyden, Colleagues Introduce Bill to Restore Student Loan Assistance for Students, Boost Health Care Workforce
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden today said he has joined his colleagues in introducing legislation that would reverse a provision in the Republicans’ Big Ugly Bill that reduced federal student loan availability for graduate and professional students, including social workers, nurses, and educators. “Buried in the Republicans’ Big Ugly Bill was a provision to make it harder for students to pursue careers in industries that are in desperate need of expanded workforces, like social … Continue Reading
March 12, 2026
Wyden Presses Trump Administration Over USPS Changes Jeopardizing Americans’ Tax Returns, Mail-In Ballots
Washington, D.C. - Senate Finance Committee Ranking Member Ron Wyden, D-Ore., today pressed the Trump administration over how its recent postmarking rule change and consolidation of mail processing facilities will undermine the timing of Americans' tax returns and mail-in ballots. “Donald Trump and Republicans will stop at nothing to suppress the rights of Americans to make their voices heard this November,” Wyden said. “Between Trump’s feverish attempts to coerce Congress into passing the … Continue Reading
March 11, 2026
Wyden, Merkley Demand Answers from Defense Department on the School Bombing and Civilian Casualties in Iran
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley today pressed the Department of Defense to provide answers to the American people regarding the airstrikes on a school and civilian casualties in Iran. Trump’s Defense Department airstrikes on a girls’ elementary school reportedly killed 168 people - mostly children - in Minab, Iran, during the opening attack from the United States and Israel on February 28. In their letter to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, the senators … Continue Reading
March 11, 2026
Wyden, Merkley Join Colleagues in Introducing Bipartisan Bill to Update, Expand Lifeline Benefits for Seniors, Americans with Disabilities
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley today joined their colleagues in introducing a bipartisan bill that would strengthen critical Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits that support nearly 8 million seniors and people with disabilities, including over 80,000 Oregonians. The Supplemental Security Income Restoration Act would make much-needed updates to the benefits program — much of which hasn’t been updated since it was first established over five decades ago. The … Continue Reading
March 11, 2026
Wyden, Merkley, Crapo Call on Trump to Prioritize Opening Japanese Market to U.S. Potatoes
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senators Ron Wyden, ranking member of the Senate Finance Committee, and Jeff Merkley, ranking member of the Senate Budget Committee, with Finance Committee Chairman Mike Crapo, R-Idaho, today asked Donald Trump to prioritize gaining market access for U.S. fresh potatoes during Japanese Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae’s upcoming visit to the United States. Ending Japan’s restrictions on U.S. fresh potatoes would result in an estimated $150 million a year in new U.S. … Continue Reading
March 10, 2026
Wyden Calls on Senate to Reform Mass Surveillance, Protect Americans' Rights and Reject Rudd to lead NSA
Watch a video of Wyden deliver his remarks here As prepared for delivery Yesterday I rose to explain my opposition to the nomination of Joshua Rudd to be director of the National Security Agency and to lead U.S. Cyber Command. During his confirmation hearing, General Rudd failed to demonstrate a bare minimum understanding of the constitutional constraints on NSA activities. His responses to questions about privacy rights and transparency were deeply troubling. He would not commit to the … Continue Reading
March 09, 2026
Wyden Calls on Colleagues to Oppose Gen. Rudd to Lead NSA
Rudd lacks “familiarity with basic constitutional rights” on surveillance of Americans Watch a video of Wyden deliver his remarks here As prepared for delivery I rise to speak in opposition to the nomination of Joshua Rudd to be Director of the National Security Agency. During his confirmation hearing, General Rudd demonstrated a lack of familiarity with basic constitutional rights, which should be a bare minimum qualification for this extremely powerful position. His responses to … Continue Reading
March 06, 2026
Merkley, Wyden, Colleagues Reintroduce Updated DISCLOSE Act to End Corrupting Influence of Dark Money in American Elections
Washington, D.C. - Oregon’s U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden joined a bicameral group of Democrats in reintroducing the DISCLOSE Act, legislation to shine a bright light of transparency on the scourge of dark money in politics and make government more accountable to the will of voters. “Billionaires should not be able to buy our elections—full stop,” said Senator Merkley. “Passing the DISCLOSE Act will bring transparency to the dark money poured into our elections and give the power … Continue Reading
March 05, 2026
Wyden, Schumer Demand Consumers and Small Businesses Be Made Whole After Trump’s Reckless Tariffs
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senators Ron Wyden, D-Ore., and Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., today demanded that big businesses and corporations use any tariff refunds they receive to compensate small businesses and U.S. consumers for any costs they incurred from Donald Trump’s reckless tariffs. Trump’s trade war and reckless tariffs have resulted in higher prices, lost jobs, and chaos for businesses up and down the supply chain. Estimates show the average U.S. family paid nearly $2,000 because of the … Continue Reading
March 05, 2026
Wyden, Brown Call on Federal Watchdog to Investigate Risks of Little-Known Surveillance Technique, Warn of Serious Threat to National Security
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., and Rep. Shontel Brown, D-Ohio, today called on a federal watchdog agency to investigate whether the federal government and consumer electronics manufacturers have adequate defenses against so-called “side-channel” attacks, a surveillance technique that exploits the signals that leak from computers and other electronics. The U.S. government has failed to warn the American public about the risks from this vulnerability. According to a … Continue Reading
March 05, 2026
Wyden Announces March 14 Town Hall in Washington County
Portland - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden today announced he will hold an open-to-all town hall on Saturday, March 14 in Washington County. Heading into this 1 pm town hall on March 14 at the Century High School gym (2000 SE Century Blvd, Hillsboro), Wyden has held 1,151 open-to-all town halls statewide in fulfillment of his promise to hold at least one town hall each year in each of Oregon’s 36 counties. This Washington County town hall will be his 12th so far in 2026. “I’ve kept this town hall … Continue Reading
March 05, 2026
Wyden Questions Major AI Companies About Federal Contracts After Pentagon Bans Anthropic
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden questioned four major American artificial intelligence companies about their government contracts, after the Defense Department banned government agencies from using Anthropic, reportedly over a disagreement about whether the company’s AI software could be used to conduct mass surveillance of Americans, in a letter released today. Wyden requested information from Anthropic, Google, OpenAI and X.AI about how the companies’ government customers — in the … Continue Reading
March 04, 2026
Wyden Votes Against Trump’s War With Iran
Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., the longest-serving member of the Senate Intelligence Committee, today voted against giving Donald Trump authority to wage war with Iran and criticized Republicans for handing Trump a blank check to wage yet another open-ended war in the Middle East. “Despite campaigning against forever wars, Donald Trump has dragged our country into yet another costly and counterproductive war in the Middle East that is already costing American lives. Rather … Continue Reading
March 04, 2026
Amid Record-Low Snowpack, Wyden Presses Trump Administration Over Wildfire Preparedness Ahead of Fire Season
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., today called on the Trump administration to provide a detailed plan for how it plans to help communities in Oregon and the West prepare for what has the potential to be a catastrophic fire season amid record-low snowpack and worsening drought conditions. Most regions of Oregon have just one-third of their average annual snowpack. In his letter, Wyden highlighted that Donald Trump’s staffing and budget cuts in 2025 led directly to a reduction … Continue Reading
March 03, 2026
Wyden, Espaillat and 70 Democrats Call for Investigation of ICE, DHS Warrantless Purchases of Americans’ Location Data
Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., Rep. Adriano Espaillat, D-NY., and 70 Democrats called for a new investigation of Department of Homeland Security (DHS) agencies, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), over warrantless purchases of Americans’ location data. The members called on DHS Inspector General Joseph Cuffari to investigate ICE and other DHS agencies restarting warrantless purchases of Americans’ location data. The DHS Inspector General previously found … Continue Reading
