Press Releases
Wyden, Merkley, Walden Urge Feds to Ensure Long-serving Local Fire Departments Can Continue to Battle Blazes on Federal Lands
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley, and U.S. Rep. Greg Walden today expressed concern that a number of local fire departments may no longer be able to serve as partners to the federal government in fighting wildfires. The three Oregon lawmakers' letter to Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue and Interior Secretary David Bernhardt follows the recent determination that Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and the Forest Service will allow existing cooperative agreements between … Continue Reading
July 22, 2019
Wyden Statement on Equifax Settlement
Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., today released the following statement regarding the federal government's settlement with Equifax in response to the firm's 2017 data breach: "Equifax leaders knew its security was pitifully weak and yet did nothing to correct it, according to the FTC. In a just world, these executives would be going to jail. No one should be able to collect deeply sensitive information on 200 million people without their consent, treat it with reckless disregard and then just pay a … Continue Reading
July 19, 2019
Wyden Statement on Visit to Southern Border to Investigate, Inspect and Evaluate Conditions at Facilities
U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., today with a delegation of 12 Senate Democrats visited the southern border to investigate, inspect and evaluate conditions of facilities as the Trump administration continues its cruel immigration policies. Senator Wyden released the following statement following the visit: "Once again, today's visit illustrated that zero tolerance makes zero sense and has zero connection to American values. I saw conditions that no child, no family and no person should ever … Continue Reading
July 16, 2019
Wyden, Brown Call on Department of Homeland Security to Fully Enforce the Law, Crack Down on Imported Cocoa Produced With Child Labor
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senators Ron Wyden (D-OR) and Sherrod Brown (D-OH) sent a letter to Kevin McAleenan, Acting Secretary of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, calling on the Administration to enforce existing law and investigate and block any cocoa imports produced with forced child labor. The Senators' letter follows a Washington Post report detailing the prevalence of child labor in the production of cocoa imported to the U.S. by large chocolate companies. These companies, … Continue Reading
July 15, 2019
Wyden Questions EAC: How Will You Address Widespread Use of Insecure Election Systems?
Washington, D.C. - Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., asked the Election Assistance Commission how it plans to address a new looming election security crisis - the fact that most new election management systems depend on out-of-date software that will soon be highly vulnerable to hackers, in a letter sent Friday. The Associated Press reported this weekend that most new election management systems - the machines that program voting machines and count votes - run on Windows 7, an old, outdated operating … Continue Reading
July 12, 2019
Wyden, Merkley Introduce Bill to Block Immigration Enforcement at Sensitive Locations
Washington, D.C. - Oregon's U.S. Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley this week introduced legislation to block immigration enforcement actions at sensitive locations like schools, hospitals and religious institutions without prior approval and exigent circumstances. The Protecting Sensitive Locations Act codifies the Department of Homeland Security's existing policies and expands them to ensure that immigrants are able to access education, criminal justice and social services without fear of … Continue Reading
July 11, 2019
Wyden Joins Merkley and Schumer to Introduce Legislation To Stop Cruel And Neglectful Treatment Of Children At Border
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., today joined U.S. Sens. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., Charles E. Schumer, D-N.Y., and Senate Democrats to introduce the Stop Cruelty to Migrant Children Act. This new legislation, supported by more than three dozen Senators, would put an end to the Trump administration's cruel and neglectful treatment of children at the U.S.-Mexico border and reform how children fleeing persecution are treated between the moment at which they arrive at our borders to … Continue Reading
July 11, 2019
Merkley, Wyden Announce Over $7.5 Million Investment in Oregon Airports
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Oregon's Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden today announced over $7.5 million in federal grants that will help Oregon airports fund installation, rehabilitation, and reconstruction projects to modernize facilities and improve safety. "Airports across our state play a critical role in connecting Oregonians with economic opportunities and critical resources," Merkley said. "I'm going to keep using my position on the Senate Appropriations Committee to secure investments that … Continue Reading
July 11, 2019
Wyden: Don’t Deport Military Families
Washington, D.C. - Following reports that the Trump administration is ending protections against the deportation of military families whose loved ones are deployed, U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden today joined with 21 Senate colleagues to demand the administration reverse course immediately. The Trump administration is reportedly planning on ending the "Parole in Place" (PIP) program, which prevents undocumented immigrants who are spouses, parents and children of active-duty servicemembers and veterans … Continue Reading
July 10, 2019
Wyden, Merkley, DeFazio, Walden Announce Six Oregon Counties Receive Federal Disaster Declaration
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley, U.S. Reps. Peter DeFazio and Greg Walden today announced that federal officials have determined the spring storms that hit Curry, Douglas, Grant, Linn, Umatilla and Wheeler counties qualified as major disasters. This announcement follows the Oregon lawmakers recent letter to the White House in support of Gov. Kate Brown's request for a presidential major disaster declaration for those counties' losses from heavy rain, snow melt, … Continue Reading
July 10, 2019
Merkley, Wyden Push VA Secretary Wilkie to Protect Veterans’ Health Care as New Program Goes Into Effect
Washington, D.C. - Oregon's U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden today pressed the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Secretary Robert Wilkie to not repeat the same mistakes of the Veterans Choice Program when establishing the new Veterans Community Care Program. Congress passed the VA MISSION Act in 2018 to strengthen VA Community Care programming, after critical issues within the Veterans Choice Program jeopardized the quality of veterans' care. "We believe strongly that … Continue Reading
June 28, 2019
Wyden, Merkley and Colleagues: Census Should Stay on Schedule, Omit Citizenship Question
Washington, D.C. - Today U.S. Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley joined colleagues in calling for Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross to meet the administration’s previously set deadline of July 1 to begin printing materials for the 2020 Census and move forward without adding a politically-motivated question about citizenship. Their call comes a day after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the Trump administration’s rationale for adding the question “appears to have been contrived.” Donald … Continue Reading
June 28, 2019
Merkley, Wyden Announce Bill to Nullify Fraudulent Tribal Treaty Passes Senate
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Oregon’s U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden today announced that the 1865 Treaty Nullification Act, to formally and finally nullify a fraudulent treaty with the Confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs Reservation, has passed the U.S. Senate. The next step is to go to the U.S. House of Representatives, where Rep. Greg Walden (R-OR 2) supports the legislation. The bill would nullify a fraudulent treaty and clearly validate an 1855 treaty that establishes … Continue Reading
June 28, 2019
Wyden, Castro, Van Hollen, Sanders Reintroduce Measure to Restore Oversight of Federal Facilities
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., and Rep. Joaquin Castro, D-Texas, this week were joined by Sens. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., and Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., to reintroduce legislation to allow members of Congress immediate access to federal facilities, including those under contract or lease, and to give members of Congress an avenue to report their findings. This legislation follows reports detailing horrific conditions for migrant children and families in government care. "Trump and … Continue Reading
June 28, 2019
Outraged by Trump Administration’s Inhumane Treatment of Children and Families at the Border, Senators Wyden and Murray Demand Accountability
Washington, D.C. - Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR), ranking member of the Senate Finance Committee , and Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), ranking member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, sent a letter to President Trump expressing their alarm and outrage over the recent reports of neglect and mistreatment of children in government custody at the border. The senators' letter cited numerous recent reports about the alarmingly poor conditions at the Trump … Continue Reading
June 28, 2019
Wyden, Merkley Reintroduce Legislation to Restore Honor to Service Members Discharged Due to Sexual Orientation
Washington, D.C. - Oregon's U.S. Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley this week reintroduced legislation that would correct the military records of service members discharged solely due to their sexual orientation to reflect their honorable service and reinstate the benefits they earned. "Don't Ask Don't Tell may be a thing of the past, but far too many Americans are still fighting to correct their military records and receive the benefits they've earned," Wyden said. "Our bill would help correct … Continue Reading
June 28, 2019
Merkley, Murray, Wyden, Cantwell Announce Passage of Bill to Improve Safety and Sanitation at Columbia River Tribal Fishing Sites
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Patty Murray (D-WA), Ron Wyden (D-OR) and Maria Cantwell (D-WA) today announced that, with unanimous support, the U.S. Senate has passed the Columbia River In-Lieu and Treaty Fishing Access Sites Improvement Act. The legislation would enable the Bureau of Indian Affairs to make important safety and sanitation improvements at the tribal treaty fishing access sites along the Columbia River, which are on lands held by the United States … Continue Reading
June 27, 2019
Wyden Votes No on Defense Authorization Bill
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., today released the following statement, after voting ‘no’ on the National Defense Authorization Act:“While there were provisions of this defense policy bill I supported—like a pay raise for our men and women in uniform and provisions to improve cybersecurity and protect whistleblowers in the intelligence community—I simply could not rubberstamp a bill to authorize more than $700 billion in military spending, which is precisely what the … Continue Reading
June 27, 2019
Wyden, Blumenauer Introduce Legislation to Protect State Cannabis Programs from Federal Interference, Allow for Interstate Commerce
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden and U.S. Rep. Earl Blumenauer today introduced the State Cannabis Commerce Act to permanently protect all state cannabis programs from federal interference and allow for interstate cannabis commerce between states like Oregon with legal cannabis programs. Since 2014, federal law has prohibited the Department of Justice (DOJ) from using taxpayer funds to prevent states from implementing their own state laws that authorize the use, distribution, possession … Continue Reading
June 27, 2019
Wyden Statement on Supreme Court’s Pro-Gerrymandering Ruling
Washington, D.C.- U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., today issued the following statement on the Supreme Court's pro-gerrymandering ruling in Rucho v. Common Cause: "Today the Roberts Court continued its unremitting bloodletting of American democracy. The precedent set in Rucho is appalling: If you don't support Republicans in power, they can effectively take away your vote. This court has demonstrated once again that it will not protect fundamental constitutional principles or the very idea of … Continue Reading
