Press Releases
Wyden, Fetterman, Cassidy, Bipartisan Members of Congress Introduce Bill to Protect SNAP Benefits Against Theft
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senators Ron Wyden, D-Ore., Bill Cassidy, R-La., and John Fetterman, D-Pa., today introduced their bipartisan, bicameral Enhanced Cybersecurity for SNAP Act to boost security of electronic SNAP benefit cards amid a sharp rise in theft by hackers and scammers. Representatives Dan Goldman, D-N.Y., and Mike Lawler, R-N.Y. are leading the legislation in the House. Tens of millions of dollars in Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits have been stolen by … Continue Reading
February 26, 2026
Wyden Presses Trump’s Commerce Secretary on Conflict of Interest After Family’s Firm Brokers Investment in Critical Minerals
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden today pressed U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick on the extent of his involvement with his department’s recent investment in a rare earth mineral company that also conducts business with his former firm, which is now managed by his two sons. Last month, the Commerce Department announced a tentative deal worth up to $1.6 billion with USA Rare Earth, Inc. (USAR), acquiring around 10% stake in the critical mineral company. On the same day, USAR … Continue Reading
February 25, 2026
Wyden, Merkley Call on Supreme Court to Protect Birthright Citizenship Against Trump’s Unconstitutional Attacks
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley today joined 27 colleagues in calling on the Supreme Court to protect birthright citizenship by striking down Donald Trump’s unconstitutional attempts to roll back a 150-year-old precedent. “Children born in this country have only called the United States their home, and they are no different than any other U.S. citizen,” Wyden said. “The Supreme Court must uphold the U.S. Constitution and long-settled precedent to stop Donald … Continue Reading
February 25, 2026
Wyden, Daines, Booker and Lee Reintroduce Bill to Create Transparency for Court-Ordered Surveillance
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senators Ron Wyden, D-Ore., and Steve Daines, R-Mont., today reintroduced legislation to require public reporting and notice of the hundreds of thousands of criminal surveillance orders issued by courts each year. Those orders are typically sealed, indefinitely, keeping government surveillance hidden for years, even when the targets are never charged with any crime. Unlike phone wiretaps or bank record subpoenas, there is no requirement for people to be notified when … Continue Reading
February 25, 2026
Wyden Demands Answers on the White House Hiding the Financial Cost of Tariffs to American Families
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden today demanded answers from the White House about its interference with an independent report concluding that tariffs are harming businesses and consumers in Oregon and nationwide. In a letter with eight Senate colleagues, Wyden demanded that White House National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett formally retract his suggestion that Federal Reserve staff be “disciplined” for producing data demonstrating the true cost of Trump’s tariffs. “We are … Continue Reading
February 23, 2026
Wyden, Merkley, Salinas Announce $3 Million for Salem Bus Transit Center
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley with U.S. Representative Andrea Salinas today announced $3 million to support the construction of a bus transit center in Salem. “Ensuring safe and reliable public transportation is essential for Oregonians to easily get from Point A to Point B,” Wyden said. “This federal award for Salem will help keep Oregon communities connected and local economies rolling, and I will continue to fight for more resources to support transportation … Continue Reading
February 23, 2026
Wyden, Merkley Announce Nearly $49 Million in Retroactive Secure Rural Schools Funds for Oregon Counties
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley today announced that nearly $49 million in retroactive federal funding from the U.S. Forest Service for fiscal year 2024 will be coming to Oregon counties following the passage of their bipartisan bill late last year to reauthorize the Secure Rural Schools (SRS) program, with more to come when the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) announces its payments for the 18 Oregon & California counties. Wyden first authored the law that … Continue Reading
February 20, 2026
Wyden, Colleagues Launch Investigation into Trump Labor Department Slashing Worker Protections, Putting American Workers at Risk
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden said today he has joined Senate colleagues in launching a new investigation into the federal Department of Labor after releasing new data revealing the Trump administration’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) performed 20% fewer inspections and issued 42% fewer fines for severe workplace violations in 2025. Both figures indicate that the Department of Labor may be discouraging inspectors from enforcing workplace safety laws. The … Continue Reading
February 20, 2026
Wyden, Merkley, Dexter, Colleagues Demand Accountability for Israel’s Detention and Abuse of Palestinian-American Teenager Mohammed Ibrahim
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley with U.S. Representative Maxine Dexter today joined Senate and House colleagues to demand accountability for the Israeli military’s nearly ten-month detention of Mohammed Ibrahim, a Palestinian-American minor. On February 16, 2025, U.S. citizen and Florida resident Mohammed Ibrahim was arrested in his home in the town of al-Mazraa ash-Sharqiya, near Ramallah in the West Bank, at 3 am by heavily armed Israeli soldiers. For nearly ten … Continue Reading
February 19, 2026
Wyden Announces Town Halls in Multnomah, Benton counties
Portland - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden today announced he will hold open-to-all town halls next week in Multnomah and Benton counties. Heading into these two town halls on Saturday, Feb. 28 and Sunday, March 1, Wyden has held 1,149 open-to-all town halls statewide - including 11 so far in 2026 -- in keeping his promise to hold at least one town hall each year in each of Oregon’s 36 counties. “I’ve kept this town hall pledge because the First Amendment is a vital American muscle that builds … Continue Reading
February 19, 2026
Wyden, Merkley Won’t Attend State of The Union, Will Instead Hold Virtual Town Hall for Oregonians on February 24
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley today announced they will not attend the State of the Union speech on Tuesday, February 24 and will instead co-host a live on-line town hall that day with People’s Town Hall to offer all Oregonians the opportunity to ask questions as well as share their ideas and viewpoints. “Sitting through Donald Trump’s unhinged ramblings about his unconstitutional schemes does nothing to help Oregonians justifiably concerned about his attacks on … Continue Reading
February 19, 2026
Wyden, Merkley, Colleagues Investigate Trump’s Repeal of Bedrock Climate Safeguard
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley said today they have joined Senate colleagues in launching an investigation into Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lee Zeldin’s decision to repeal the bedrock scientific determination underpinning the EPA’s ability to regulate greenhouse gas emissions. The endangerment finding, which was finalized in 2009, was repealed as a part of the Trump administration’s rollback of pollution standards for vehicles. The repeal … Continue Reading
February 18, 2026
Merkley, Wyden Announce Over $4.2 Million for Virginia Garcia Memorial Health Centers
Washington, D.C. - Oregon’s U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden announced that $4,250,606 in federal funding is coming to Virginia Garcia Memorial Health Center to support critical health services for uninsured and underinsured Oregonians in Washington and Yamhill counties. "Access to quality health care should never depend on your ZIP code or ability to pay,” said Merkley. “These federal dollars will help Virginia Garcia continue delivering essential care to Oregon families—especially … Continue Reading
February 14, 2026
Wyden, Markey Urge Trump’s CBP to Reverse Course on Proposed Rule to Collect Social Media History from Visitors to the United States
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senators Ron Wyden, D-Ore., and Edward J. Markey, D-Mass., said today they are urging Donald Trump to reverse the U.S. Customs and Border Patrol’s (CBP) dangerous proposed rule that would require visitors eligible for visa-free travel to the U.S. to provide five years of social media history before entering the country. The senators warned that such a policy would constitute a sweeping invasion of privacy and represent an unacceptable expansion of government data … Continue Reading
February 13, 2026
Wyden, Merkley Push FAA to Implement Emergency Safety Regulations Following Deadly Helicopter Crash
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley today pressed the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to explain what it’s doing now to prevent another deadly helicopter crash like the one last month in Arizona that killed four Oregonians. “While a thorough investigation is necessary to develop comprehensive, data-based recommendations, it’s clear that immediate action must be taken to prevent another similar tragedy,” the senators wrote in their letter to FAA Administrator … Continue Reading
February 12, 2026
Wyden, Merkley, Colleagues Demand Administration Immediately End Deportation Flights to Iran
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley today joined Senate colleagues to demand Donald Trump immediately end deportation flights to Iran. Last month, reports confirmed that Trump resumed the deportation of dozens of Iranians, many of whom could be persecuted, tortured, or even executed if forced to return to Iran. That reporting came amid massive demonstrations in Iran, the Iranian government’s violent crackdown on protesters, and threats from Trump to use U.S. military … Continue Reading
February 12, 2026
Wyden, Merkley Introduce Bill to Expand Mental Health Care Workforce
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley today said that they are introducing a bill that would bolster the behavioral and mental health care workforce by providing high school and community college students with educational opportunities to learn about and pursue good-paying jobs in the health care industry. “A broken mental health care system is leaving millions of Americans struggling,” Wyden said. “This bill takes a solid step to tackling our country’s growing mental … Continue Reading
February 11, 2026
Wyden, Lummis Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Protect Attorney-Client Privilege in the Digital Age
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senators Ron Wyden, Cynthia Lummis, R-Wyo., today introduced bipartisan, bicameral legislation to protect digital communications between incarcerated individuals and their attorneys. “Attorney-client privilege is a constitutional right, not a suggestion,” Wyden said. “It’s time for the federal government to bring its outdated laws into the 21st century, which is why today’s legislation would once and for all ensure that all communications between incarcerated … Continue Reading
February 11, 2026
Wyden Celebrates End of Government Payouts to Deceased Americans
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden today celebrated the enactment of his legislation that would save Americans’ hard-earned taxpayer dollars by curbing erroneous payments to individuals who have died. “Today is the final lap of getting this bill across the finish line so that the personal data and Social Security benefits of millions of Americans are protected,” Wyden said. ““I am pleased to see the signing of our bipartisan bill into law, fixing our federal government’s payment … Continue Reading
February 11, 2026
Wyden, Colleagues Introduce Legislation to Give Federal Workers Pay Raise
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden said today he has joined Senate colleagues to introduce legislation that would provide federal employees with a 4.1 percent pay increase in calendar year 2027. “The work that federal employees do day-in and day-out keeps Americans safer and healthier,” Wyden said. ”These workers have dedicated their lives to public service, but are shortchanged far too often. The FAIR Act would do just what its title says - ensure hard-working public employees in … Continue Reading
