Press Releases
Wyden, Merkley Call on FDA to Change Discriminatory Blood Donation Policies to Address National Blood Supply Shortage
Washington, D.C. - Oregon's U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley this week joined colleagues to call on federal officials to act on the most up to date science and update its discriminatory blood donor deferral policies for men who have sex with men (MSM). With the Red Cross declaring its first-ever national blood shortage that is posing risks to patient care, with as much as one-quarter of hospital blood needs not currently being met, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) can take the … Continue Reading
January 13, 2022
Wyden Releases Statement on Obstructionist Nord Stream 2 Legislation
Washington, D.C. - Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., issued the following statement after voting no on obstructionist legislation by Republican Senator Ted Cruz, of Texas, related to the Nord Stream 2 pipeline: "Senator Cruz had an opportunity to come up with serious legislation dealing with Nord Stream 2, but instead he wrote a bill that would hogtie the Senate with procedural votes and obstruct progress on all the other issues that matter to American families. This is the latest example in a pattern … Continue Reading
January 12, 2022
Wyden, Merkley Join Colleagues to Introduce Legislation to Give Every American Lifesaving Masks
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley today joined U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and more than 50 Democratic colleagues in the Senate and House to reintroduce lifesaving legislation to manufacture and distribute highly-protective N95 masks to every person in Oregon and nationwide. Under Sanders' Masks for All Act - first introduced in 2020 and developed in consultation with health experts including Andy Slavitt, former COVID-19 advisor to President Biden and the former … Continue Reading
January 12, 2022
Wyden, Colleagues Call on Biden Administration to Make Permanent OSHA’s Emergency Covid-19 Protections for Health Care Workers
Washington, D.C. -As the rise of the Omicron variant continues to threaten the safety of our nation's health care workforce, U.S. Senator Ron Wyden today joined colleagues in a letter calling on the Biden administration to continue and make permanent the Occupational Safety and Health Administration's (OSHA) emergency COVID-19 protections for health care workers in Oregon and nationwide. "We are writing to urge you to move forward with a permanent, enforceable standard that would … Continue Reading
January 11, 2022
Wyden, Merkley: More than $3.6 Million for Fire Suppression Efforts during White River Fire
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley this week announced that more than $3.6 million from the Federal Emergency Management Administration (FEMA) will go toward recovery from the White River Fire that burned in the Mt. Hood National Forest in August 2020. "The White River Fire demonstrated how quickly wildfire can spread with a changing climate causing high winds and drought," Wyden said. "Wildfire season is starting earlier, lasting longer and destroying more of our … Continue Reading
January 10, 2022
UPDATED: Wyden Announces His First Online Town Halls of 2022
Due to the updated Senate schedule, Senator Wyden's virtual town halls that had been scheduled for Clackamas County on Jan. 18; Jefferson County on Jan. 19; and Crook County on Jan. 20 must be postponed and rescheduled. The virtual town halls for Marion County on Jan. 16; Douglas County on Jan. 21; and Josephine County on Jan. 22 will proceed as scheduled. Portland - U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden today announced he will have six live on-line town halls hosted by People's Town Hall from Jan. 16-22 for … Continue Reading
January 10, 2022
Merkley, Wyden Announce Reimbursement of More Than $1.5 Million in Federal Funds for Oregon National Guard’s Wildfire Response
Washington, D.C. - Oregon's U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden today announced $1,560,777.06 in federal funds to cover the deployment of the Oregon National Guard (ORNG) in response to the catastrophic wildfires Oregon experienced in 2020. These funds, allocated by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), will reimburse ORNG's efforts in assisting the overwhelmed staff of the Oregon Office of Emergency Management, state and local law … Continue Reading
January 06, 2022
Wyden Delivers Floor Speech on Protecting Democracy and Expanding the Right to Vote
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., delivered the following remarks on the floor of the U.S. Senate in support of protecting democracy and expanding the right to vote. "A year ago today, not far from where we stand this afternoon, domestic terrorists tried to beat our democracy to the ground. They might have been successful were it not for the police officers who defended our democracy as they were viciously attacked and beaten. Before anything else we must salute these … Continue Reading
January 05, 2022
Merkley, Wyden Announce Nearly $1 Million to Prevent School Violence in Multnomah County
Washington, D.C. - Oregon's U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden announce $999,931 million in federal funds to assist in the prevention of school violence in Multnomah County. Multnomah County Health Department (MCHD) has proposed a Category 2 STOP School Violence projected aimed at empowering students and school personnel to prevent and respond appropriately to violence and mental health crises. "Prioritizing mental health care will allow our children to thrive and provide necessary … Continue Reading
January 05, 2022
Wyden, Colleagues Urge Biden Administration to Protect Consumers from High Heating and Energy Costs This Winter
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden today joined colleagues from both the House and Senate in sending a letter to Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) Chairman Richard Glick urging the agency to use its authority to protect consumers from skyrocketing energy costs. "We write to express our concern in regard to the effect that anticipated increases in heating and energy costs will have on our constituents this winter," wrote the lawmakers. "As the entity tasked with the regulatory … Continue Reading
January 04, 2022
Wyden, Merkley: More than $8.2 Million to Oregon for Rural Development Project
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley today announced that Oregon will receive more than $8.2 million in grants and loans from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development program. "These investments lay critical foundations in our rural communities so Oregonians can continue to live, work, and raise families in all corners of our state," Wyden said. "Broadband and municipal water infrastructure are non-negotiables for quality of life, and I will continue … Continue Reading
January 04, 2022
Wyden Welcomes Postponement of Changes That Would Hurt Small Brewers in Oregon and Nationwide
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden today welcomed a response from the Ball Corp. that it will postpone action previously scheduled to go into effect Jan. 1, which could have hurt small brewers in Oregon and nationwide who order printed beer cans from the company. Wyden, the Senate Finance Committee chair, had asked Ball in a Dec. 22 letter to postpone implementation of policy changes for its non-contracted customers that would quintuple the minimum number of printed beer cans - from … Continue Reading
December 28, 2021
Wyden on the Passing of Former Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden tonight issued the following statement on the passing of former Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid: "Harry Reid was a vintage Westerner who had an uncommon skill for common-sense solutions that made life better for millions of Americans. He was a plainspoken man whose hardscrabble upbringing and boxer's training instilled in him an unmatched work ethic, a sixth sense of what made people tick and a compassion for anybody who needed a fighter in their … Continue Reading
December 23, 2021
Wyden, Merkley: $2.2 Million in Federal Funds to Oregon Department of Forestry for 2020 Mosier Creek Fire Costs
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley today announced the Oregon Department of Forestry will receive more than $2.2 million in federal funds to help cover costs from fighting the Mosier Creek Fire that destroyed eight homes and threatened hundreds of others in the Columbia River Gorge.in August 2020. "The frightening threat to lives and property from the Mosier Creek Fire last year required hard work and sacrifice by firefighters and cost our state millions of dollars," … Continue Reading
December 23, 2021
Merkley, Wyden Announce $20 Million Federal Grant to Support Oregon’s Roads and Highway Recovery from Devastating 2020 Wildfires
Washington, D.C. - Oregon's U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden today announced a $20 million grant from the Department of Transportation (DOT) heading to Oregon to assist in the roads and highway recovery efforts from 2020's massively destructive wildfires. "The effects of the devastating fire season in 2020 are still being felt by Oregonians all over the state," said Merkley. "Our roads and highways connect us all, and need to be accessible to all Oregonians. I am grateful that Oregon … Continue Reading
December 23, 2021
Wyden, Merkley, Colleagues Condemn Reimplementation of ‘Remain in Mexico’ Policy; Urge Biden-Harris Administration to Reverse Expansion of the Program
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley this week joined colleagues in expressing their deep disappointment in the reimplementation of the Migrant Protection Protocols (MPP), also known as the 'Remain in Mexico' program, and strongly urged the Biden-Harris Administration to reverse course on the program's expansion. The re-implementation of MPP subjects more vulnerable asylum seekers to a program that Secretary Mayorkas terminated for imposing "unjustifiable human costs." … Continue Reading
December 22, 2021
Merkley, Wyden Announce $500,000 in Build Back Better Regional Challenge Funds for Mass Timber
Washington, D.C. - Oregon's U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley and Senator Ron Wyden today announced $500,000 in Economic Development Administration (EDA) funds to research and develop further opportunities for mass timber development in Oregon, through the Biden administration's Build Back Better Regional Challenge program. These funds will be administered by the Port of Portland as part of a regional coalition to expand the mass timber industry. "I am glad the EDA recognizes the importance of … Continue Reading
December 22, 2021
Wyden, Colleagues Urge HHS to Help Protect Families this Winter During Energy Crisis
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden today joined colleagues in a letter urging the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to address the ongoing energy crisis and its impact on families served by the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) in Oregon and nationwide. "As the world economy recovers from the pandemic, global energy markets are struggling to keep up with a surge in demand and prolonged supply shortages," Wyden and the lawmakers wrote. "For low-income … Continue Reading
December 22, 2021
Wyden Raises Concerns About Changes That Will Hurt Small Brewers in Oregon and Nationwide
Washington, D.C. -U.S. Senator Ron Wyden today asked the Ball Corp. to postpone recent action it's taken that will hurt small brewers in Oregon and nationwide who order printed beer cans from the company starting in the new year. Wyden noted that his concerns follow Ball's notification last month to its existing non-contracted customer base that, effective January 1, 2022, it will quintuple the minimum number of printed beer cans - from 200,000 to 1 million cans -- that non-contracted brewers … Continue Reading
December 22, 2021
Wyden, Padilla, Hassan, Feinstein, Gillibrand and Schatz Ask White House and DOJ to Reinvigorate Work to Prevent, Investigate and Prosecute the Sexual Exploitation of Children
Washington, D.C. - Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., with Sens. Alex Padilla, D-Calif., Maggie Hassan, D-N.H., Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., and Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii, asked the Biden administration to take action to ensure a whole-of-government strategy to dismantle the scourge of commercial sexual exploitation of children (CSEC). Despite cases of CSEC skyrocketing, the federal government's strategy for years has been a patchwork of efforts - some statutorily required, some … Continue Reading
