Press Releases
Wyden Co-Sponsors Bill to Protect Firefighters During COVID-19 Pandemic
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., today announced his co-sponsorship of the COVID-19 as a Presumptive Disease in Wildland Firefighters Act to protect firefighters during the COVID-19 public health emergency. "Every year our wildland firefighters put their lives on the line to protect our communities in Oregon and nationwide from destruction and dangerous wildfire smoke. In the face of COVID-19, a disease that threatens the health of our lungs, their work has never been more … Continue Reading
July 02, 2020
Merkley, Wyden, Colleagues to Trump Administration: Don’t Rip Away Health Care from Millions During Public Health Crisis
Washington, D.C. - As the Trump administration keeps working to dismantle the health care law that provides coverage for millions of Americans, Oregon's U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden have joined 45 of their Senate colleagues in introducing a resolution condemning that reckless effort. The senators also demanded the Department of Justice (DOJ) defend existing law in court, and halt its efforts to repeal the health care protections for millions of Americans-including 133 million … Continue Reading
July 02, 2020
Wyden, Merkley Introduce Legislation to Improve Water Access for Agriculture and Conservation as West Continues to Face Drought
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., today introduced legislation to help communities in Oregon and across the West experiencing high levels of drought. Their bill will improve water access for agriculture and conservation by funding projects that improve dam safety, create more resilient watersheds and benefit agricultural and urban water users. "At a time when the nation is suffering increased droughts that are hurting critical habitats and forcing farmers and … Continue Reading
July 02, 2020
Wyden Co-sponsors Amendment Requiring Trump Organization Disclose Income and Licensing Agreements for Its Foreign Properties
Washington, DC - U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden today co-sponsored an amendment to the Fiscal Year 2021 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) that would require Donald Trump and the Trump Organization to disclose full financial information for foreign properties owned by Trump's family business. That information would include the total income earned by the Trump Organization from any licensing agreements. "This isn't complicated - the American people deserve to know if presidents are making … Continue Reading
July 02, 2020
Wyden, Merkley: Greater Eastern Oregon Development Corporation Receives $400,000 CARES Award
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley today announced the Greater Eastern Oregon Development Corporation (GEODC) has earned a $400,000 federal economic development aard that would help the Pendleton-based private non-profit cover costs for staff, planning, training and equipment in support of rural and frontier communities hit hard by COVID-19. The $400,000 award is part of the funding allocated by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act that Congress … Continue Reading
July 02, 2020
Wyden Co-sponsors Bill to Ensure Seniors in Federal Housing Can Live Safely, Stay Healthy during Pandemic
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., today co-sponsored legislation that would provide $1.2 billion to ensure federally-assisted senior housing facilities have the resources to protect residents during the COVID-19 pandemic. "Seniors in Oregon and across the country face serious dangers from both COVID-19 and inaction from the federal government to protect them," Wyden said. "Congress must ensure seniors can remain in their homes and have the proper safeguards to stay healthy. … Continue Reading
July 02, 2020
Wyden Presses Federal Health Officials for Answers On Nursing Homes Evicting Residents Amid COVID-19 Pandemic
Washington, DC - U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden joined with 11 colleagues in calling on federal health officials to act in response to nursing homes evicting residents during the COVID-19 pandemic. The letter to the Department of Health and Human Services and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) cites New York Times reports that nursing homes have evicted more than 6,400 residents since the beginning of the pandemic. "Such evictions have been of great concern for many years, but they … Continue Reading
July 01, 2020
Wyden Joins Colleagues on the Senate Floor to Demand Assistance for Renters During COVID-19
Madam President, I'm joining my colleagues here this afternoon to talk about the avalanche of evictions that may be headed our way in a matter of weeks if the Senate does not act. The pandemic is getting worse. Yesterday Dr. Fauci talked about soon possibly seeing 100,000 new cases a day. You cannot have a healthy economy in a country suffering from mass illness and death. There are already tens of millions of Americans out of work as a result of a pandemic that's only continuing to spread. … Continue Reading
July 01, 2020
Wyden Statement on First Publicly Reported COVID-19 Cases at Oregon Child Care Center
U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., today released the following statement on Oregon's first publicly reported cases of COVID-19 at a child care center in the state: "Tragically, this issue is not unique to Oregon or to this specific center, as child care centers across America are grappling with how to keep children and families safe. Like most businesses, child care centers have lost revenue with kids staying home and higher operational costs to keep their centers safe. As the country slowly … Continue Reading
July 01, 2020
Wyden: New Version of EARN IT Would Do Little to Stop CSAM; Continues to Threaten Encryption and Free Speech Online
Washington, D.C. - Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., issued the following statement, after Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., and Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., pulled the EARN IT Act today and replaced it with an entirely new bill, one day before a scheduled markup in the Senate Judiciary Committee. "After widespread condemnation of the EARN IT Act as a dangerous attack on encryption and free speech, the bill's authors are attempting to replace their deeply flawed bill with an entirely new piece of … Continue Reading
July 01, 2020
Wyden, Merkley to Barr: Reverse Anti-LGBTQ Position, Protect Transgender Workers from Discrimination
Washington, D.C. - Following the U.S. Supreme Court's landmark decision in Bostock v. Clayton County, Ga., which held that Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 protects LGBTQ workers from discrimination, Oregon's U.S. Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley joined their colleagues to demand the Department of Justice (DOJ) reverse its anti-LGBTQ position that federal law does not shield transgender workers. In a letter to Attorney General William Barr, the senators called for DOJ to immediately … Continue Reading
July 01, 2020
Merkley, Wyden Announce Passage of Critical Fix to Help Klamath Irrigators
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Oregon's U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden today announced that the Senate has passed a critically needed fix to the 2018 Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) that will provide relief to Klamath Basin irrigators who have been hard-hit by drought. In 2018, WRDA included language that was essential for irrigators in the Klamath Basin to effectively use $10 million in drought relief funds that the lawmakers had previously secured. The new technical correction … Continue Reading
July 01, 2020
Wyden Statement on Senate Passage of Legislation to Extend PPP Loan Application Deadline
U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., today released the following statement on Senate passage of legislation to extend the Paycheck Protection Program loan application deadline through August 8, 2020. The legislation now advances to the U.S. House of Representatives for consideration. "Oregon's small businesses are struggling to stay afloat as the COVID-19 public health emergency continues," Wyden said. "The Paycheck Protection Program has proven to be a lifeline for these businesses and the workers … Continue Reading
July 01, 2020
Merkley, Wyden Announce $6.5 Million in Federal Funding to Support Aircraft Rescue and Firefighting Capabilities in Southwest Oregon
Washington, D.C. - Oregon's U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden announced today that the Southwest Oregon Regional/Coos County Airport District will receive $6.5 million in federal funding to construct a 12,863-square-foot aircraft rescue and firefighting building. "As our communities continue fighting to keep the lights on while slowing the spread of the coronavirus, it's critical that we focus on doing everything we can to build a strong foundation for a prosperous and safe future," … Continue Reading
June 30, 2020
Wyden, Cardin Lead Senate Finance Democrats Urging Treasury/IRS to Send Missed COVID Relief Payments to Non-filers with Dependents
Washington, DC - U.S. Sens. Ron Wyden (D-OR) and Ben Cardin (D-MD) today led their Senate Finance Committee colleagues in a letter urging Trump administration officials to immediately distribute further supplemental economic impact payments to those who are in need rather than make them wait until tax time next year. The senators wrote in their letter to Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Commissioner Charles Rettig that Economic Impact Payment recipients who … Continue Reading
June 30, 2020
Merkley, Wyden Announce Nearly $200,000 in Farm to School Grants for Oregon
Washington, D.C. - Oregon's U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden announced today that Oregon will receive nearly $200,000 in Farm to School grants to support partnerships between local farms and school districts. The funding will allow farms to supply schools with local produce, support hands-on agricultural education, and promote healthy eating through family programming, including cooking demonstrations and farm work parties. The funding is being distributed by the U.S. Department of … Continue Reading
June 30, 2020
Wyden Co-sponsors Bill to Support Homeowners, Renters Struggling Amid COVID-19 Pandemic and Economic Fallout
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., has joined colleagues in introducing the Coronavirus Housing Counseling Improvement Act to expand access to critical information, assistance programs and services for millions of families struggling to remain in their homes because of the COVID-19 pandemic and economic fallout. "COVID-19 is forcing families in Oregon and across the country to make tough decisions - balancing how to get food on the table and keep a roof over their heads, all … Continue Reading
June 29, 2020
Wyden Leads Colleagues on Senate Floor in Calling for Greater Assistance for State and Local Governments During COVID-19 Crisis
Mr. President, the COVID-19 pandemic has thrown this country into a nightmare-level crisis of joblessness. The Congress has not done enough to stop it and to save people's jobs. I've come to the floor this evening with the Democratic Leader to call for the Senate to pass legislation that's all about saving key public-sector jobs that form the backbone of our local communities - our teachers, firefighters, first responders and many others. They need our help, and they need it now. Democrats … Continue Reading
June 29, 2020
Wyden, Blumenthal, Hirono and Schumer Introduce Bill To Ensure Americans Keep Broadband Access During the Pandemic
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senators Ron Wyden, D-Ore., Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., Mazie Hirono, D-Hawaii, and Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., today introduced a bill to ensure that millions of Americans can access essential broadband access in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Emergency Broadband Connections Act - sponsored by 26 Senate Democrats - would provide a $50/month benefit to workers who have been laid off or furloughed during the pandemic, along with a range of other assistance to … Continue Reading
June 29, 2020
Wyden, Merkley Co-sponsor Legislation to Extend Nationwide Moratorium on Evictions
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley today co-sponsored legislation that would extend the federal eviction moratorium by nearly eight months to March 27, 2021, and expand it to cover nearly all renters. The Protecting Renters from Evictions and Fees Act extends the federal eviction moratorium from July 24, 2020 to one year after the March 27, 2020 enactment of the CARES Act, and would also prohibit fees, fines and extra charges due to nonpayment of rent. The HEROES Act, … Continue Reading
