Press Releases
Wyden, Merkley, Colleagues Call out Trump Administration’s Dismantling of Education Offices Responsible for Supporting People with Disabilities
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley (both D-OR) today called out the Trump administration’s efforts to dismantle U.S. special education with its decision to illegally fire Department of Education workers who provide education services and resources in Oregon and nationwide for people with disabilities and their families. “We write today with outrage at your reported decision to fire nearly everyone at the Department of Education (the Department) dedicated to delivering … Continue Reading
October 23, 2025
Wyden, Merkley, Colleagues Urge Donald Trump to Reinforce Opposition to West Bank Annexation
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley said today they have joined Senate colleagues to urge Donald Trump to reinforce his stated opposition to Israel’s annexation of territory in the West Bank amid the ongoing focus on implementing and sustaining the much-needed ceasefire in Gaza. Trump previously expressed his opposition to annexations, saying he would “not allow Israel to annex the West Bank.” The recent ceasefire plan for Gaza omits any mention of the West Bank. “In … Continue Reading
October 23, 2025
Wyden, Merkley, Colleagues Urge Trump USDA to Immediately Release November SNAP Benefits
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley (both D-OR) today urged the Trump administration to release the billions of dollars at its disposal to ensure Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits continue next month in Oregon and nationwide. “We were deeply disturbed to hear that the USDA has instructed states to stop processing SNAP benefits for November and were surprised by your recent comments that the program will ‘run out of money in two weeks,’” the … Continue Reading
October 23, 2025
Wyden, Merkley, Colleagues Urge Trump USDA to Immediately Release November SNAP Benefits
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley (both D-OR) today urged the Trump administration to release the billions of dollars at its disposal to ensure Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits continue next month in Oregon and nationwide. “We were deeply disturbed to hear that the USDA has instructed states to stop processing SNAP benefits for November and were surprised by your recent comments that the program will ‘run out of money in two weeks,’” the … Continue Reading
October 22, 2025
Dexter, Wyden, Merkley, Bonamici Press ICE to Release Portland Mother After Court Clears Her Case
PORTLAND, OR— Today, Congresswoman Maxine Dexter, M.D. (OR-03) led a letter with Senators Ron Wyden, Jeff Merkley, and Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici (OR-01) calling on Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to immediately release Jackie Merlos, a Portland mother who remains detained at the Northwest ICE Processing Center (NWIPC) despite an immigration judge terminating her removal proceedings. “Ms. Merlos holds U-Deferred Action status, a valid work permit through 2029, and has not been … Continue Reading
October 21, 2025
Wyden, Welch, Cortez Masto Introduce Bill to Block Republicans’ Big Pharma Bailout, Protect Access to Life-Saving Prescription Drugs
WASHINGTON, D.C.—Senate Finance Committee Ranking Member Ron Wyden, D-Ore., and committee members Senator Peter Welch, D-Vt., and Catherine Cortez Masto, D-Nev., today introduced the No Big Blockbuster Bailouts Act (NOBBBA), a bill to reverse Republicans’ policies in the so-called ‘One Big Beautiful Bill Act’ that block Medicare from negotiating the price of blockbuster drugs. The NOBBBA will ensure seniors, people with disabilities on Medicare, and families can access the lower-priced … Continue Reading
October 20, 2025
Wyden, Merkley, Colleagues Request Department of Defense Inspector General Inquiry into Domestic Deployment of Military in American Cities
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley said today they have joined Senate colleagues to demand an inquiry from the U.S. Department of Defense into the recent domestic deployments of active-duty and National Guard troops to Portland; Los Angeles; Washington, D.C.; Chicago; and Memphis. In the letter, the Senators underscore the illegality of the domestic troop deployments, which undermine military readiness and politicize the nation’s military. “The military’s expanded use … Continue Reading
October 20, 2025
Wyden, Merkley, Colleagues Question YouTube, Google on Potential Quid-Pro-Quo Settlement With Trump Administration
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley said today they have joined Senate colleagues to demand answers from Google and YouTube regarding whether Google’s recent $22 million settlement with Donald Trump represented a quid-pro-quo agreement in exchange for favors from his administration. “If …YouTube settled President Trump’s legally dubious lawsuit to discourage the President’s Justice Department from appealing a ruling favorable to Google, the company and its executives … Continue Reading
October 17, 2025
Wyden Slams New Pentagon Press Restrictions Forcing Reporters to Obtain Government Approval of Coverage
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., called on the Department of Defense to rescind its outrageous new restrictions on independent reporters, after every major independent news organization walked out of the Pentagon and refused to sign on to unprecedented government censorship of their reporting. The new Pentagon press policy requires reporters to pledge not to publish information without the authorization of a department official, a flagrant violation of the First Amendment … Continue Reading
October 16, 2025
Wyden, Merkley, Bonamici, Bynum and Dexter Tell Trump Administration to Withdraw Agents Deployed to Portland Outside ICE Facility
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley along with U.S. Reps. Suzanne Bonamici, Janelle Bynum and Maxine Dexter today demanded the Trump administration withdraw the federal agents it’s deployed outside the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility in Portland in response to the agents’ excessive use of force that’s needlessly and dangerously inciting violence. “Your federal agents weren't invited, they aren't needed, and their presence has fomented the very violence … Continue Reading
October 16, 2025
Wyden Slams Surveillance Tech Company for Ineffective Protections for Oregonians Against Abuses by Federal Agencies and Out-of-State Law Enforcement
Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., slammed surveillance tech company Flock for failing to meet its pledge to protect Oregonians against immigration and abortion-related searches by out-of-state law enforcement agencies and for deceiving state and local law enforcement customers about its sharing of their data with the Department of Homeland Security and other federal agencies. After troubling press reports surfaced about law enforcement agencies accessing Flock’s data to crack … Continue Reading
October 16, 2025
Wyden Calls on Trump DEA to Crack Down on Fentanyl Middlemen
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., today called on the Trump administration to take swift action to crack down on foreign middlemen known as “chemical brokers” that play a growing role in procuring the materials necessary for illicit fentanyl production for drug cartels. “Through a complex web of illegitimate shell companies as well as legitimate chemical import-export businesses, chemical brokers are able to clandestinely supply drug cartels with the precursor chemicals that … Continue Reading
October 15, 2025
Merkley, Wyden, Colleagues Call Out Noem’s Blatant Violation of Federal Law with Partisan Airport Video
Washington, D.C. - Oregon’s U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden today joined their colleagues to call out U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem for potentially violating federal law by asking airports to play blatantly partisan videos at Transportation Security Administration (TSA) checkpoints. The Senators demanded that DHS immediately remove the videos and provide information about the resources that were used to create and disseminate them. “Federal law … Continue Reading
October 14, 2025
Wyden, Merkley, Colleagues Demand Trump Administration Restore $8 Billion in Funding for Energy Projects It Illegally Canceled
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley said today they have joined Senate colleagues to demand the Trump administration restore funding for 223 energy projects in Democratic-led states that were unlawfully canceled even though Congress had approved and appropriated funding for them. “We write in strong opposition to the Trump administration unlawfully cancelling $8 billion in federal investments in 223 energy projects,” the senators wrote to U.S. Department of Energy … Continue Reading
October 10, 2025
Senate Republicans Block Merkley and Wyden’s Effort to Require Identification, Accountability for Federal Law Enforcement, Armed Forces
Washington, D.C. - Oregon’s U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley today denounced Senate Republicans for voting down his amendment with his Oregon colleague, Senator Ron Wyden, to prevent unidentifiable federal law enforcement and armed forces from being deployed against Americans. “I led an amendment with Senator Wyden to require federal military and law enforcement agents to display their agency and name or badge number at protests. There is a name for unidentified security forces throwing protesters … Continue Reading
October 10, 2025
As Trump Unconstitutionally Deploys Military into American Cities, Senators from Illinois, Oregon & California Oppose NDAA
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Amid Donald Trump’s escalating deployments of troops to American cities, the six U.S. Senators representing states that Donald Trump is targeting with troop deployments over state and local officials’ strong objections—U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ron Wyden (D-OR), and Adam Schiff (D-CA)—released the following statement announcing they will vote against the Fiscal Year 2026 National Defense … Continue Reading
October 09, 2025
Bonamici, Wyden, Merkley, Dexter Demand Answers about Portland ICE Facility
WASHINGTON DC - Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici (OR-01) led Oregon Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley and Maxine Dexter (OR-03) demanding that the Trump administration provide answers about the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility in Portland. The requests follow the lawmakers’ visit to the ICE facility on S. Macadam Avenue on September 25, when ICE officials failed to thoroughly respond to lawmakers’ questions, including questions about detainments and processing, tactics … Continue Reading
October 07, 2025
Illinois, Oregon, & California Senators Issue Warning About Trump’s Dangerous, Unconstitutional Deployments of National Guard Troops into Their States
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - The six United States Senators representing states that Donald Trump has sought to force National Guard deployments to, against state and local officials’ objections, without any coordination and in the absence of adequate justification—U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ron Wyden (D-OR), and Adam Schiff (D-CA)—today issued the following statement condemning the President’s threats against their … Continue Reading
October 04, 2025
Wyden Response to Judge Immergut Ruling
Portland -- U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden issued the following statement today in response to U.S. District Judge Karin Immergut's ruling that grants a temporary restraining order blocking Donald Trump's deployment of National Guard troops in Portland: “Today’s victory clearly supports what Oregonians already know: we don’t need or want Donald Trump to provoke conflict by deploying federal troops in our state,” Wyden said. “I will keep working with local and state officials to ensure Trump does not … Continue Reading
October 03, 2025
Wyden, Colleagues Request Records from Trump Administration Abusing Mortgage Fraud Investigations to Target Political Opponents
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, ranking member of the Senate Finance Committee, today said he is joining colleagues to request records from the Trump administration on exploiting mortgage fraud investigations to target perceived political opponents. In a letter to the Federal Housing Finance Agency, Wyden and other ranking members of Senate committees wrote that perceived political opponents of Donald Trump - including New York Attorney General Letitia James, Senator Adam Schiff, … Continue Reading
