Press Releases
Wyden, Merkley Demand Investigation into Trump Administration Voter Data Misconduct
WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley today demanded the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Office of Inspector General (OIG) immediately and independently investigate wrongdoings detailed in a recent whistleblower’s disclosure alleging DHS is directing U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) Fraud Detection and National Security officers to impersonate voters in violation of state laws to access online voter data as part of its effort aimed at … Continue Reading
September 18, 2026
Merkley, Wyden Join Bipartisan Congressional Push to Stop Proposed Yosemite Land Transfer to Trump Donor
Washington, D.C. - Oregon’s U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden, the lead Democrat on the Appropriations subcommittee overseeing funding for the U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) and former Chair of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, respectively, joined a bipartisan group of over 150 lawmakers in urging DOI to abandon a proposed transfer of federally managed public land within Yosemite National Park that would facilitate private access to and development of an 83-acre … Continue Reading
September 17, 2026
Wyden, Schiff Press Flock CEO for Answers on Troubling Abuse of Technology Amid Surveillance Network Concerns, Push to Protect Americans’ Privacy
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senators Ron Wyden, D-Ore., and Adam Schiff, D-Calif., said today they are pressing Flock for information regarding allegations of abuse of its surveillance platforms and whether its existing protocols are failing to protect Americans’ privacy. The inquiry follows increasingly troubling and documented reports of law enforcement officials abusing Flock’s nationwide license plate readers, camera network and sensors to carry out extensive, unauthorized … Continue Reading
September 17, 2026
Merkley, Wyden, Hoyle, Dexter Announce $12 Million to Oregon for Habitat Restoration Projects
PORTLAND, OR - Oregon’s U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden joined U.S. Representatives Val Hoyle (OR-04) and Maxine Dexter (OR-03) today to announce $12 million in federal funds for Oregon habitat restoration and coastal resilience projects through the Community-based Restoration Program at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). NOAA’s Community-based Restoration Program provides technical assistance and funding to partners implementing habitat restoration projects … Continue Reading
September 16, 2026
Wyden, Merkley, Hoyle, Salinas Announce $9.1 Million for Affordable Housing and Water Infrastructure Upgrades
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley, along with U.S. Representatives Val Hoyle and Andrea Salinas, today announced $9.1 million in federal awards and loans for water infrastructure and affordable housing projects in Curry, Yamhill and Union counties. “Every Oregonian deserves access to clean, reliable drinking water and an affordable place to call home,” Wyden said. “This federal investment will directly support rural communities across our state by upgrading critical … Continue Reading
September 15, 2026
Wyden, Veasey Introduce Resolution Recognizing September as National Voting Rights Month Ahead of Midterm Elections
Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., and U.S. Representative Marc Veasey, D-Texas, announced today they have introduced a bicameral resolution recognizing September as “National Voting Rights Month.” “Trump is doing everything he can to disenfranchise American voters in this year’s midterms because he’s afraid his platform of jacking up costs is about to lose Republicans the midterms,” Wyden said. “Access to the ballot and the right to vote are the bedrock of our democracy, and … Continue Reading
September 15, 2026
Merkley, Wyden, Bonamici, Dexter: Nearly $8 Million Coming to Portland-Area Airports for Infrastructure Improvements
Portland, OR - Oregon’s U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden, as well as U.S. Representatives Suzanne Bonamici (OR-01) and Maxine Dexter (OR-03), announced that the Port of Portland has been awarded $7,657,874 in federal funding for Hillsboro Airport and Portland International Airport (PDX). “Portland’s airports connect our communities, businesses, and travelers to the rest of the world,” said Merkley. “As Hillsboro Airport and PDX continue to grow, we must invest in critical airport … Continue Reading
September 15, 2026
Wyden, Merkley Introduce Bill to Protect Agricultural Water Access Amid Worsening Drought in Oregon
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley today introduced legislation that would help improve water resilience in communities across Oregon and the West as drought in the region persists after last year’s record-low snowpack. “Water scarcity in the West isn’t a question of if, it’s when,” Wyden said. “The federal government needs to get serious about protecting water resources before it’s too late, and my legislation will help Oregon’s farmers and producers remain even more … Continue Reading
September 14, 2026
Merkley, Wyden, Colleagues Urge Supreme Court to Block Postal Service Rule Limiting Mail-In Voting
Washington, D.C. - Oregon’s U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden joined a bipartisan, bicameral coalition of 261 current and former Members of Congress challenging the legality of President Trump’s Executive Order and U.S. Postal Service (USPS) rule seeking to exert control over mail-in ballots ahead of the 2026 midterm elections. “Millions of Americans cast their ballots with vote-by-mail, and Donald Trump is trying to make it harder for folks to vote just weeks before an election,” said … Continue Reading
September 11, 2026
Wyden Presses Trump Administration on Lack of Firefighting Resources During the 2026 Wildfire Season
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden said today he and four other senators are calling out the Trump administration’s failures to prepare and adequately respond to the ongoing 2026 fire season throughout the West. A record 2.5 million acres-plus have burned in Oregon so far this year, and temperatures for much of Oregon next week are forecast to be in the 80s. “[...] Record-breaking high temperatures and historic drought have led to catastrophic fires across the West, destroying … Continue Reading
September 11, 2026
Wyden and Davidson to UK Spy Court: Let Apple Tell Congress About Reported UK Secret Demand for Encryption Backdoor
WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., and Rep. Warren Davidson, R-Ohio, urged a U.K. court to lift the secrecy around a reported order from the U.K. government that Apple create a secret backdoor in its products to allow surveillance. Wyden and Davidson urged the Investigatory Powers Tribunal, which oversees government surveillance in the UK, to allow more transparency in the matter, in a letter sent today. “The U.K. government’s unprecedented demands for secrecy in this matter … Continue Reading
September 09, 2026
Merkley, Wyden Tout Nearly $10 Million For Oregon Tribes’ Affordable Housing Efforts
PORTLAND, OR - Oregon’s U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden announced today that the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) is awarding a combined nearly $9,917,680 to the Cow Creek Band of Umpqua Tribe of Indians and the Warm Springs Housing Authority to build more affordable housing for Tribal members. “It’s critical that Tribal families have affordable, safe places to live that will foster community and connect them to their land,” said Merkley. “This nearly $10 … Continue Reading
September 09, 2026
Wyden, Harrigan and Whitehouse Call on Commerce Department to Sanction Mercenary Foreign Hacking Firms
WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, D- R.I. and Rep. Pat Harrigan, R-N.C., called for Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick to take action against three companies based in India that have hacked and stolen data from thousands of Americans and U.S. companies. “Several India-based cyber-mercenary groups have spent more than fifteen years conducting targeted espionage against U.S. citizens, businesses and the lawyers representing them,” Wyden, Harrigan and … Continue Reading
September 04, 2026
Wyden and Harrigan Call for Investigation into DOD Efforts to Protect US Servicemembers from Commercial Location Data Threats
WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., and Rep. Pat Harrigan, R-N.C., called for an investigation by the Inspector General into the Defense Department’s policies intended to protect U.S. servicemembers from being tracked and targeted by adversaries based on commercial location data collected from cell phones. Wyden, Harrigan and 12 other members of Congress revealed in May that adversaries targeted U.S. servicemembers in the Middle East using commercial location data, which can be … Continue Reading
September 03, 2026
Wyden, Merkley Announce $650,000 Loan for Improvements at Anthony Lakes Ski Area to Enhance Safety and Support Local Economy
Washington D.C.—U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley today announced a federal loan of $650,000 for the Anthony Lakes Outdoor Recreation Association (ALORA) to build a new rental shop to support ski programs and the local economy. “Anthony Lakes is a crown jewel of Eastern Oregon drawing skiers, snowshoers, and outdoor enthusiasts whose visits directly fuel the local economy in Baker and Union counties,” Wyden said. “Investing in this new rental shop ensures ALORA can continue expanding … Continue Reading
September 02, 2026
Wyden Calls on NSA to Update Federal Cybersecurity Guidance for VPNs
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., today urged General Joshua M. Rudd, the Director of the National Security Agency (NSA) to update federal cybersecurity guidance for Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) to address surveillance threats posed by foreign intelligence agencies. A Congressional Research Service (CRS) memo, requested by Senator Wyden and released along with the letter, highlights the vulnerability of consumer VPNs to surveillance by intelligence agencies capable of … Continue Reading
September 01, 2026
Wyden and Jayapal Call for GAO Investigation of DHS Surveillance; Courts Must Protect Public from Subpoena Abuses and Government Intimidation Tactics Used to Keep Surveillance of Americans Secret
Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., and Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., called for an investigation into decades-long abuses of authority by federal law enforcement agencies to coerce silence from subpoenaed private companies and on federal courts to protect the public from misleading demands for secrecy related to government surveillance. In a letter to Chief Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court (SCOTUS), John Roberts, and Acting Comptroller of the U.S. Government Accountability … Continue Reading
September 01, 2026
Wyden Urges Google, Meta and TikTok To Stop Putting Small Businesses At Risk of Violating State Privacy Laws
WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., urged major tech companies to stop putting small businesses at risk of violating state privacy laws and to let Americans more easily opt-out of invasive surveillance by their advertising tracking tools, in a letter sent on Tuesday. Writing to the heads of Google, Meta and TikTok, Wyden noted that the companies’ advertising tracking tools are designed to collect information on users by default to capture what websites they view, and what … Continue Reading
August 28, 2026
Wyden, Klobuchar, Heinrich Demand Answers from Trump Official that Diverted Federal Firefighting Resources to Private Ranch
Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senators Ron Wyden, D-Ore., Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Finance, Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry, and Martin Heinrich, D-N.M., Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, today demanded answers from the Trump administration following reports that U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Undersecretary of Agriculture for Natural Resources and Environment, Michael … Continue Reading
August 27, 2026
Wyden, Merkley, Colleagues Demand Trump Administration Reverse Unlawful Cuts to School-Based Mental Health Services
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley today joined Senate colleagues to demand the Department of Education disburse funds that were abruptly and unlawfully canceled for School-Based Mental Health Services (SBMH) and Mental Health Service Professional Demonstration (MHSP) grant programs and halt its attempts to end the grant programs. Upon canceling over 200 of these grants in April 2025, the Trump administration attempted to justify their cuts to school-based mental … Continue Reading