Press Releases
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
August 27, 2026
Wyden, Merkley Urge Netanyahu to Immediately Halt Settler Violence in West Bank
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley, along with 45 of their Senate colleagues, urged Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to take immediate actions to reduce violence in the West Bank and prevent further incidents amidst a significant increase in harassment, threats, and acts of violence in recent weeks. They also called on the government of Israel to complete investigations into the deaths of nine American citizens who have been killed by settlers or security … Continue Reading
August 26, 2026
Wyden, Brown Seek GAO Investigation Into DOT Failure to Protect Airline Passenger Data
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore. and Ranking Member of the House Oversight Subcommittee on Cybersecurity, Information Technology, and Government Innovation Rep. Shontel Brown, D-Ohio., requested the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to investigate the Department of Transportation’s (DOT) ongoing failure to protect passenger privacy using its authority to regulate the practices of commercial airlines and ticket agents. DOT has had the sole authority to protect passenger … Continue Reading
August 26, 2026
Wyden, Brown Seek GAO Investigation Into DOT Failure to Protect Airline Passenger Data
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore. and Ranking Member of the House Oversight Subcommittee on Cybersecurity, Information Technology, and Government Innovation Rep. Shontel Brown, D-Ohio., requested the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to investigate the Department of Transportation’s (DOT) ongoing failure to protect passenger privacy using its authority to regulate the practices of commercial airlines and ticket agents. DOT has had the sole authority to protect passenger … Continue Reading
August 26, 2026
Wyden, Merkley, Bonamici Announce Nearly $6 Million to Support Oregon Entrepreneurs and University Startups
Washington, D.C.—U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley with U.S. Representative Suzanne Bonamici today announced a federal investment of $5.9 million to Portland State University to help turn institutional research into commercial products. “Oregon’s public universities produce top-tier scientific breakthroughs, and lab discoveries shouldn't sit on a shelf when they could be creating good-paying jobs and growing our local economy,” Wyden said. “This federal award will help reward faculty … Continue Reading
August 25, 2026
Bipartisan Members of Congress Call on Commerce Department to Block Americans from Working For Russian and Chinese Intelligence Agencies
Washington, D.C. -Bipartisan members of Congress today called on the Commerce Department to stop American companies and citizens from aiding Russian and Chinese civilian intelligence agencies, by implementing a 2022 bipartisan law that the executive branch has never fully enforced. U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, Sen. Peter Welch, Rep. Pat Harrigan, R-N.C., Rep. Sara Jacobs, D-Calif., and Rep. Michael McCaul, R-Texas, urged Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick to close … Continue Reading
August 25, 2026
Wyden, Merkley, Bonamici, Hoyle, Dexter, Colleagues Oppose Rescission of Key Energy Leasing and Public Lands Protections
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley, along with U.S. Representatives Suzanne Bonamici, Val Hoyle and Maxine Dexter, today opposed the recent rescission of two key Bureau of Land Management (BLM) oil and gas rules on leasing and waste prevention that will harm public lands, reduce community input, increase pollution, and raise taxpayer costs. In the first of two letters, the Oregon lawmakers denounce the BLM’s proposal to rescind the 2024 Fluid Mineral Leases and … Continue Reading
August 21, 2026
Wyden, Casar Demand GAO Investigation Into Federal Law Enforcement’s Use of Hacking and Spyware on Americans
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore. and Ranking Member of the House Oversight Subcommittee on Federal Law Enforcement Greg Casar, D-Tex., requested that the Government Accountability Office (GAO) conduct a comprehensive review of federal law enforcement agencies’ hacking of Americans’ electronic devices. In their letter, the lawmakers highlighted the need for transparency from federal law enforcement regarding its use of hacking and spyware, which it has used for more than 25 … Continue Reading
August 21, 2026
Wyden, Merkley Introduce Bicameral Bill to Protect Domestic Violence Survivors from Gun Violence
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley today said they have joined their Senate and House colleagues in introducing legislation to close a dangerous loophole that allows domestic abusers to legally obtain firearms. “Keeping guns out of the hands of domestic violence abusers is common sense,” Wyden said. “It's past time to help end the cycle of gun violence and provide domestic violence survivors with bare minimum protection against their abusers, and our bill is the way … Continue Reading
August 18, 2026
Wyden, Merkley Demand Federal Agencies Stop Sharing Medicaid Data With ICE
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley today demanded that the federal departments of Health and Human Services (HHS) and Homeland Security (DHS) as well as the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) immediately stop unlawfully transferring Medicaid data to DHS and the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). “Congress has a responsibility to ensure that the personal health information of the tens of millions of people who rely on Medicaid is protected … Continue Reading