Press Releases
Merkley, Wyden Join Bipartisan Legislation to Protect TSA’s Frontline Workforce
Washington, D.C. - Oregon’s U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden joined their colleagues to introduce bipartisan, bicameral legislation to ensure that over 65,000 Transportation Security Administration (TSA) employees—including frontline Transportation Security Officers (TSOs)—are afforded the same worker rights, protections, and pay system afforded to most other federal workers. The Rights for the TSA Workforce Act comes on the heels of the Trump Administration’s move to cancel TSA … Continue Reading
March 20, 2025
Salinas Leads Oregon Delegation in Calling on Trump Administration to Protect American Manufacturing
Salinas Leads Oregon Delegation in Calling on Trump Administration to Protect American Manufacturing Washington, DC - Today, U.S. Representative Andrea Salinas (OR-06) led the Oregon delegation - including U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley, along with U.S. Reps. Suzanne Bonamici (OR-01), Val Hoyle (OR-04), Maxine Dexter (OR-03), and Janelle Bynum (OR-05) - in a letter to U.S. Department of Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, expressing concern about the Trump Administration’s decision … Continue Reading
March 19, 2025
Merkley, Wyden Push to Protect Students from Bullying and Harassment
Washington, D.C. - Oregon’s U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden joined colleagues in introducing the Safe Schools Improvement Act, legislation that would provide protections against bullying and harassment in schools, especially for vulnerable students. “Every student deserves a school environment where they feel safe, welcomed, and supported, without fear of bullying or harassment,” said Merkley. "The Safe Schools Improvement Act takes steps to ensure schools implement strong, … Continue Reading
March 18, 2025
Merkley, Wyden: Bipartisan Deliver for Democracy Act Will Help Get Crucial Local News into the Hands of Oregonians
Washington, D.C. - Oregon’s U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden joined Vermont’s U.S. Senator Peter Welch and South Dakota’s U.S. Senator Mike Rounds to reintroduce the bipartisan, bicameral Deliver for Democracy Act. This legislation would incentivize reliable service from the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) and limit excessive rate increases. In recent years, the USPS has raised rates for periodicals under the guise of increased efficiency and improved service, but the changes have not … Continue Reading
March 17, 2025
Oregon Democrats Urge Trump Administration to Stop Undermining Pacific Northwest’s Power Grid
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley along with U.S. Reps. Suzanne Bonamici, Val Hoyle, Andrea Salinas, Janelle Bynum, and Maxine Dexter said today they are calling on the Trump administration to pay heed to concerns raised by Bonneville Power Administration workers that major and illegal job cuts at the agency will destabilize the power grid in Oregon and throughout the Pacific Northwest. “The weight of this destabilization will bear down on the entire region, most … Continue Reading
March 17, 2025
Wyden, Merkley, Colleagues Introduce Legislation to Reverse Damage from Trump Administration's Egregious Cuts at VA
Washington D.C.—U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley said today they have joined Senate colleagues in introducing comprehensive legislation that would protect veterans, military spouses and VA employees in Oregon and nationwide indiscriminately targeted in the Department of Government Efficiency’s (DOGE) cuts at VA and across the federal government. “Veterans and the benefits they earned with their service to our country are under indiscriminate and unjust attack by Trump, Musk and their … Continue Reading
March 13, 2025
Bipartisan Members of Congress to UK Spy Court: UK Gag Orders for Surveillance Backdoors Threaten Americans’ Security and Privacy, Impede Congressional Oversight
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., Rep. Andy Biggs, R-Ariz., Sen. Alex Padilla, D-Calif., Rep. Warren Davidson, R-Ohio, and Rep. Zoe Lofgren, D-Calif., today called for transparency from the U.K.’s top surveillance court about the UK government’s reported order to Apple to build a backdoor into encrypted iCloud backups to enable government surveillance of messages, photos and other files. Under U.K. law, Apple is barred from confirming the backdoor order to the public or even … Continue Reading
March 12, 2025
Merkley, Wyden Slam Trump’s Layoffs of Vital Agricultural Researchers for Rural and Coastal Communities
Washington, D.C. - Oregon’s U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden today continue to sound the alarm over staffing shortages at the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Agricultural Research Service (ARS) and the impacts of these disruptions on the livelihoods of farmers, fishermen, and ranchers in Oregon and around the country who rely on ARS findings to maintain productivity and competitiveness. Merkley and Wyden wrote to USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins after illegal mass layoffs by … Continue Reading
March 12, 2025
Wyden, Merkley Demand HHS Secretary Kennedy Launch National Vaccination Campaign to Stop Spread of Measles and Save Lives
Washington, D.C. -U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley today called for immediate action from Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F Kennedy, Jr. to stop the spread of measles and save lives after our country experienced the first measles deaths in a decade. Measles, once declared eliminated in the U.S. over two decades ago, has infected at least 223 individuals in 13 U.S. jurisdictions. “Unfortunately, two of these cases have resulted in the tragic deaths of a child in Texas … Continue Reading
March 12, 2025
Wyden, Merkley Demand Trump Halt and Reverse Contract Cancellations that Harm Veterans
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley said today they have joined 16 Senate colleagues to demand the Trump administration reverse its cancellation of 585 contracts with the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), including those that help veterans exposed to burn pits and other toxins access lifesaving health care. This care is guaranteed under the Sergeant First Class Heath Robinson Honoring Our PACT Act (PACT Act), which passed with overwhelming bipartisan support and … Continue Reading
March 11, 2025
Merkley, Wyden, 20+ Senators Swing Back at VA Secretary Collins' "Blatantly Dishonest" Claims that Cutting 83,000 VA Employees Will Have No Impact on Veterans' Care and Benefits
Washington, D.C. - Oregon’s U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden joined the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee Ranking Member Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) to blast Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Secretary Doug Collins’ plans to cut more than 80,000 VA employees this year—including at least 20,000 veterans—and stressing the harmful impact it will have on veterans’ earned care and benefits, which have been dramatically expanded since 2019 thanks to laws passed with bipartisan support such … Continue Reading
March 11, 2025
Wyden, Sanders Blast Trump Administration for Abruptly Freezing All Student Loan Repayment Programs
Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., and U.S. Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee Ranking Member Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., led 23 Democrats in sending a letter to the Department of Education blasting the Trump administration for abruptly freezing all income-driven student loan repayment programs, leaving Congress and the millions of working class borrowers in the dark. In their letter to Department of Education Secretary Linda McMahon, Wyden and Sanders … Continue Reading
March 11, 2025
Merkley, Wyden Push to Expand Smith River National Recreation Area to Include Oregon
Washington, D.C. - Oregon’s U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden today introduced the Smith River National Recreation Area Expansion Act, legislation to expand the Smith River National Recreation Area by 58,000 acres. This legislation is critical to protect the diverse ecosystems of the rivers, streams, and adjacent lands of the North Fork Smith River watershed and help boost the local fishing and recreation industries that many Oregonians rely on. This legislation is also cosponsored by … Continue Reading
March 10, 2025
Wyden, Sanders, Warren Demand Answers About Big Pharma Influence on RFK Jr. Following “Million-Dollar” Dinners at Mar-a-Lago
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senators Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), and Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), today demanded answers from Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. about his promises to “clean up corruption” and “stop the revolving door between industry and government.” Despite Kennedy proclaiming himself a Big Pharma critic, the Wall Street Journal has reported that Kennedy attended several dinners with healthcare executives who paid millions of dollars to … Continue Reading
March 10, 2025
Merkley, Wyden, Colleagues Call for Investigation into Trump’s Purge of Workers Protecting Americans’ Health and Safety
Washington, D.C. - Oregon’s U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden urged the non-partisan Government Accountability Office (GAO) to launch an investigation into how the recent mass firings of probationary federal workers have impacted Americans’ health and safety. In recent weeks, President Trump has fired at least 25,000 probationary federal employees. Despite termination letters from many agencies citing “poor performance,” probationary employees appear to have been fired in … Continue Reading
March 07, 2025
Wyden, Colleagues Sound Alarm on EPA’s Plot to Rollback Decades of Scientific Findings on Greenhouse Gases
Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., today led 12 Senate Democrats in raising the alarm over reports that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) intends to roll back its findings that greenhouse gases endanger people’s health and welfare. In their letter to EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin, the senators emphasized, “It is difficult to understand how the nation’s lead official responsible for protecting human health and the environment could seriously entertain the idea of undoing … Continue Reading
March 07, 2025
Merkley, Wyden, Bipartisan Colleagues Push to Protect the Rights of Oregon, America’s Workers
Washington, D.C. - Oregon’s U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden joined Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Congressional and labor leaders to reintroduce the Richard L. Trumka Protecting the Right to Organize Act (PRO Act). This bipartisan legislation protects the rights of workers in Oregon and nationwide to stand together and bargain for fairer wages, better benefits, and safer workplaces. The legislation was named in honor of late AFL-CIO President Richard L. Trumka. “As the son of a … Continue Reading
March 07, 2025
Wyden, Merkley Co-Sponsor Legislation to Update Antiquated Mining Law to Protect Public Lands and Taxpayers
Washington, D.C. -U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley today announced they are co-sponsoring legislation that would modernize the 1872 Mining Law that has let mining companies exploit public resources for free, pass environmental costs on to taxpayers, and engage in speculation with minimal government oversight. “This bill makes responsible mining possible, while protecting Oregon’s treasured public lands from irresponsible mining companies and foreign nations with no respect for the … Continue Reading
March 07, 2025
Wyden Announces Town Halls in Linn, Clackamas, Crook and Deschutes Counties
Portland - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden today announced he will hold town halls on Sunday, March 16 in Linn and Clackamas counties with U.S. Rep. Janelle Bynum, and two more on Tuesday, March 18 in Crook and Deschutes counties. Heading into these four open-to-all town halls, Wyden has held 1,106 open-to-all town halls in keeping his promise to hold at least one town hall each year in each of Oregon’s 36 counties. “Given the unprecedented times, it’s more important than ever that elected officials … Continue Reading
March 07, 2025
Merkley, Wyden, Colleagues Demand FEMA Responds to Questions about Disaster Victim Data, Mass Firings, and Funding Freezes
Washington, D.C. - Oregon’s U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden joined their colleagues to call on the leadership of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to respond to unanswered questions about Elon Musk’s so-called “Department of Government Efficiency” (DOGE) and its reported access to sensitive disaster victim data. The Senators also demanded answers about how FEMA's firing of hundreds of personnel and freezing of certain grants will impact the agency’s capacity to mitigate … Continue Reading
