Press Releases
Wyden: NSA Must Answer Whether it is Buying Americans’ Location Data and Web Browsing Records Before New Director Is Confirmed
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., announced he will place a hold on the nomination of Lt. Gen. Timothy Haugh to serve as director of the National Security Agency (NSA) until the NSA discloses whether it is buying Americans’ location data and web browsing records. In a statement placed in the Congressional record this afternoon, Wyden said the Defense Department has refused to make public important information about purchases of Americans’ personal data — information that the … Continue Reading
November 29, 2023
Wyden, Colleagues Introduce Legislation to Address Rise in Attacks on Postal Workers
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden and Senate colleagues today introduced bipartisan legislation that would address the steep increase in armed robberies against postal workers, who are often targeted for their arrow keys that allow access to some mailboxes and their contents. “For over 200 years the United States Postal Service has been a central fixture of the American government. The recent cases of mail theft and the alarming uptick in assaults against postal workers is … Continue Reading
November 29, 2023
Wyden, Merkley and Colleagues issue Joint Statement on Proposed Threats to Asylum System in Supplemental Aid Package Negotiations
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley along with Senate colleagues today issued the following joint statement in response to reports of potentially harmful changes to the U.S. asylum system being considered in the ongoing bipartisan negotiations around the supplemental aid package: “As negotiations surrounding the supplemental aid package progress, we are concerned about reports of harmful changes to our asylum system that will potentially deny lifesaving humanitarian … Continue Reading
November 29, 2023
Merkley, Wyden: $500,000 to Harney County for Brownfield Cleanup
Washington, D.C. - Oregon’s U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden announced Harney County has received $500,000 from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to clean up hazardous materials at the two-acre former Lincoln School site in Burns. “This funding is a major win for Harney County’s natural resources, community member’s health, and the local economy,” said Merkley. “Redeveloping Brownfield sites ignites growth in communities, revitalizes properties long forgotten, and most … Continue Reading
November 28, 2023
Merkley, Wyden Announce Over $4 Million for Water Conservation Projects Coming to Oregon
Washington, D.C. - Oregon’s U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden today announced a total of $4.1 million in federal investments from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law are heading to the Crooked River Watershed Council and the Deschutes Land Trust. These funds will boost collaborative projects focusing on water conservation, management, and restoration efforts. “Our waterways and fish are the lifeblood of the Northwest,” said Merkley. “I’ll continue to do all I can to ensure Oregon has the … Continue Reading
November 27, 2023
Wyden, Merkley, Bonamici Applaud $43 Million Portland Business Contract to Support U.S. Antarctic Program
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley with U.S. Representative Suzanne Bonamici today welcomed the announcement that a Portland manufacturer secured a $43.5 million contract from the U.S. Army to develop equipment for research in the Antarctic. The Portland manufacturer, Gunderson Marine, LLC, will design and build a steel pier barge to support operations at McMurdo Station for the National Science Foundation’s U.S. Antarctic Program. “The Antarctic is one of the least … Continue Reading
November 22, 2023
Wyden, Merkley: USDA Invests $2.28 Million to Expand Health Care and Broadband Assistance in Rural Oregon
Washington D.C.—U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley today announced a federal investment of $2.28 million in rural telemedicine help for Clatsop, Hood River, Marion, Wasco, and Yamhill counties. The funding, from USDA Rural Development, includes a first-in-the-nation Broadband Technical Assistance Program investment of $500,000 for Rural Prosperity Partners that will help address fundamental barriers faced by rural communities, giving Oregonians everywhere a fair shot at receiving state … Continue Reading
November 20, 2023
Wyden Urges Justice Department to Release Information About ‘Hemisphere’ Phone Surveillance Program that would Outrage Americans and Congress
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., called on Attorney General Merrick Garland to make public documents related to the Hemisphere phone surveillance program, which allows federal, state, local and Tribal law enforcement agencies to request searches of trillions of U.S. phone records, usually without warrants. Although the documents are not classified, the Justice Department has marked them as “Law Enforcement Sensitive,” which is meant to prevent them from being publicly … Continue Reading
November 20, 2023
Wyden, Merkley, Colleagues Introduce Legislation to Protect Domestic Abuse Survivors from Gun Violence
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senators Ron Wyden, Jeff Merkley and Senate colleagues today announced they introduced legislation that would prevent domestic violence abusers from buying firearms. "The profound grief suffered by Nicolette's family is a tragedy no family should ever have to endure,” Wyden said. “Firearms must remain inaccessible to domestic violence abusers— lives should not be lost due to inexcusable loopholes these criminals take advantage of. Congress must help break the cycle of … Continue Reading
November 17, 2023
Wyden, Merkley: South Oregon Coast Earns $300,000 Federal Investment for Tech Entrepreneurs
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley today announced that the South Coast Development Council, Inc. in Coos Bay has secured a $300,000 federal investment to nurture local tech-based start-ups. “This federal investment in the South Coast will generate jobs, innovation and economic activity that will ripple out for years to come,” Wyden said. “I’m gratified that key business, education and civic leaders in this rural Oregon community have teamed up to earn these … Continue Reading
November 16, 2023
Wyden, Colleagues Call for Implementation of Critical Provisions to End Road Safety Crisis
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden along with Senate colleagues has sent a letter to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration requesting an update on the implementation of critical road safety provisions for Oregon and the country in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. “Last year, nearly 43,000 people died in motor vehicle crashes. While this number represents a slight decrease from 2021 — the deadliest year on the road in sixteen years — bold action is necessary to address … Continue Reading
November 16, 2023
Merkley, Wyden Announce Nearly $32 Million for Columbia River Basin Projects and Programs in Oregon
Washington, D.C. - Oregon’s U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden announced today the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is investing $31,768,530 million across seven Oregon projects and programs to reduce toxics in fish and water, address climate chaos, and help restore the health of the Columbia River Basin. The federal investments come from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law’s historic $79 million total funding infusion into the Columbia River Basin Restoration Program, which is … Continue Reading
November 15, 2023
Blumenauer, Wyden Introduce Groundbreaking Tribal Co-Stewardship Model
WASHINGTON, D.C.—Today, Congressman Earl Blumenauer and Senator Ron Wyden, along with Senator Jeff Merkley, reintroduced the Wy’east Tribal Resources Restoration Act. The legislation directs the U.S. Forest Service to partner with the Confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs to develop a co-management plan for agreed-upon Treaty Resource Emphasis Zones. The legislation would establish one of the first placed-based co-management strategies in the nation. This legislation was introduced last … Continue Reading
November 15, 2023
Wyden, Merkley Announce Nearly $400,000 for Bend Small Business to Research Environmental Solutions
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley today announced a nearly $400,000 federal grant to LeapFrog Designs in Bend to develop a nature-based treatment technology to reuse onsite non-potable graywater. Graywater is wastewater from sources like kitchen sinks, bathtubs, showers and washing machines that do not include human waste. “Smart and effective solutions to water shortages generated by the climate crisis will often come from small businesses just like LeapFrog Designs … Continue Reading
November 15, 2023
Wyden, Merkley Statement on White House Nomination of Amy M. Baggio for U.S. District Court in Oregon
Washington, D.C. -U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley today issued the following statement on the White House nomination of Multnomah County Circuit Court Judge Amy M. Baggio for a seat on the U.S. District Court in Oregon. “Judge Baggio’s experience in our state both on the Multnomah County Circuit Court and as a public defender at the federal and local levels add up to an extremely qualified candidate for the U.S. District Court for Oregon. We look forward to moving her nomination … Continue Reading
November 09, 2023
Wyden, Jayapal Introduce Legislation to Provide Alternatives to Incarceration for Parents and Caregivers to Keep Families Together, Children Out of Foster Care
Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., and U.S. Representative Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., today reintroduced legislation that would create an alternative to incarceration for eligible parents and caregivers and provide them the resources needed to keep their children safely at home instead of in the foster care system. “Children should not be subjected to trauma and uncertainty caused by a broken criminal justice system, which at times needlessly splits up families,” Wyden said. … Continue Reading
November 09, 2023
Wyden, Merkley Statement on Judiciary Committee Vote Advancing Magistrate Mustafa Kasubhai’s U.S. District Court Nomination to the Full Senate
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley issued the following statement after the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee today voted to advance to the full Senate U.S. Magistrate Mustafa Kasubhai’s nomination to the U.S. District Court. “Judge Kasubhai’s stellar legal record, his judicial temperament, and his ground-breaking experience as the first Muslim-American to serve on the federal bench, will add up to an outstanding addition to the U.S. District Court," Wyden and Merkley … Continue Reading
November 08, 2023
Wyden, Merkley Announce Nearly $3.8 Million in Federal Funds for Ione
Washington, D.C. -U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley today announced the city of Ione will receive nearly $3.8 million in federal funds to build a sewer system for the Eastern Oregon town. “Ensuring Oregon’s rural communities have the infrastructure their residents and small businesses need to grow and develop is paramount for our state’s overall economic health,” Wyden said. “In my Morrow County town hall and others in every corner of the state, I’ve heard how the need to modernize … Continue Reading
November 07, 2023
Wyden, Lee, Davidson and Lofgren Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Reauthorize and Reform Key Surveillance Law, Secure Protections for Americans’ Rights
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, Rep. Warren Davidson, R-Ohio, and Rep. Zoe Lofgren, D-Calif., today introduced the bipartisan, bicameral Government Surveillance Reform Act, to reauthorize Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act with important new protections for Americans’ constitutional rights. The legislation is cosponsored by Senators Tammy Baldwin, D-Wisc., Steve Daines, R-Mont., Mazie Hirono, D-Hawaii, Cynthia Lummis, R-Wy., Jon … Continue Reading
November 07, 2023
Merkley, Wyden Announce $31 million Investment for Oregon Air National Guard Training Facilities Passes Senate
Washington, D.C. - Oregon’s U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden today announced Senate passage of two critical community-initiated projects totaling $31 million for the Oregon Air National Guard. The investments were included in the FY24 Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies funding bill, which cleared the chamber with strong bipartisan support, putting the Oregon Air National Guard closer than ever to completing phases 3 and 4 of their project to consolidate … Continue Reading
