Press Releases
Wyden, Merkley Demand Answers and Actions from Feds as Many Head Start Programs in Oregon and Nationwide Still Face Funding Disruptions
Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley said today they are joining colleagues to demand answers and action from the Trump administration about the acute financial impacts and lingering uncertainty faced by Head Start programs in Oregon and nationwide following the Office of Management and Budget’s memo that froze funding government-wide, and as many Head Start programs continue to be locked out of their funding. The letter signed by Wyden, ranking member of the Senate … Continue Reading
February 04, 2025
Wyden Votes “No” on Director of National Intelligence Nominee Tulsi Gabbard in Senate Intelligence Committee
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., voted against advancing Tulsi Gabbard’s nomination to serve as director of national intelligence in the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence today. “Tulsi Gabbard’s statements, writings, and record since she left Congress show that she views issues of national security and foreign intelligence primarily through an extreme partisan lens. Disturbingly, Ms. Gabbard refused to commit to opposing an illegal order from Donald Trump, in response … Continue Reading
February 04, 2025
Merkley, Wyden Join Effort Raising Alarm Over Trump Administration Chaos at Critical National Security Agencies
Washington, D.C. - Today, Oregon’s U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley -- a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee - and Ron Wyden joined an effort led by Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA) that raises the alarm of the growing chaos and dysfunction at the U.S. Department of State and the Trump Administration’s illegal attempt to destroy the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). USAID is a critical pillar of U.S. national security strategy, providing lifesaving aid and development support … Continue Reading
February 04, 2025
Wyden, Merkley, Crapo, and Risch Push to Reauthorize Program Supporting Rural Counties in Oregon, Idaho and Nationwide
Washington, D.C.-- U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley (both D-Ore.) said today that they along with U.S. Senators Mike Crapo and Jim Risch (both R-Idaho) and 17 other Senate colleagues have reintroduced bipartisan legislation that would reauthorize the Secure Rural Schools and Self-Determination Program (SRS) administered for counties hosting both U.S. Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management forested lands through Fiscal Year 2026. “This is urgent business for the Oregonians … Continue Reading
February 03, 2025
Wyden Announces Town Halls in Washington and Columbia Counties
Portland - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden today announced he will hold town halls on Saturday, Feb. 15 in Washington and Columbia counties. Heading into these two town halls on Feb. 15, Wyden has held 1,103 open-to-all town halls in keeping his promise to hold at least one town hall each year in each of Oregon’s 36 counties. “Oregonians deserve and expect elected officials to come to them in their communities to voice their opinions, ask how they can make our state and country stronger, and … Continue Reading
February 03, 2025
Wyden, Merkley Call for Reinstatement of Inspectors General Illegally Fired by Trump
WASHINGTON, DC - U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley said today they are demanding the immediate reinstatement of Inspectors General (IGs) from at least 18 government agencies, in a letter to Donald Trump strongly condemning his recent decision to remove them from their crucial posts. The IGs who were removed included those overseeing the Departments of Defense, State, Education, Transportation, Veterans Affairs, Housing and Urban Development, Interior, Energy, Commerce, Agriculture, … Continue Reading
January 30, 2025
Wyden, Bonamici Reintroduce Bill to Connect Child Care with Affordable Housing
Washington, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., with five colleagues in the Senate, reintroduced legislation to help working families access affordable housing and child care. U.S. Representative Suzanne Bonamici, D-Ore., introduced companion legislation in the House. The Build Housing with Care Act would invest $500 million to construct child care centers co-located in affordable housing developments and cover the costs of retrofitting to help family child care providers operate in … Continue Reading
January 29, 2025
Merkley, Wyden Blast President Trump’s Illegal Federal Funding Cuts That Harm American Families
Washington, D.C. - Oregon’s U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden today issued the following statements in response to a federal judge blocking the Trump Administration’s executive order immediately stopping all federal loans and grants: “The attack on these programs that allow families to get on their feet and thrive is the great betrayal coming from President Trump, who campaigned on helping working families, said Merkley, Ranking Member of the Senate Budget Committee and a senior member … Continue Reading
January 28, 2025
Wyden Joins 46 Lawmakers in Urging Supreme Court to Stop Flow of American Firearms to Mexican Drug Cartels
Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., said today he has joined 46 lawmakers in an amicus brief to the U.S. Supreme Court concerning a legal case that would hold gun manufacturers accountable for their role in the illegal trafficking of firearms to Mexico. “As the American firearm industry continues to rake in more profit from selling firearms to Mexican drug cartels, people continue to suffer at the hands of gun violence every day in Oregon and in our country,” Wyden said. “Gun … Continue Reading
January 28, 2025
Wyden, Dexter Urge Trump to Make Good on Campaign Promises to Lower Food Prices for American Families
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden and U.S. Representative Maxine Dexter today announced they have joined 19 legislative colleagues in a letter to Donald Trump urging him to take meaningful steps to lower grocery prices for American families.During his campaign, Trump repeatedly promised he would lower food prices “immediately” if elected. However, during his first week, none of the many executive orders he signed addressed any sort of plan to lower food costs. “Your sole action on … Continue Reading
January 28, 2025
Wyden, Merkley Co-Sponsor Resolution Condemning Pardons of Criminals Convicted of Assaulting Capitol Police Officers
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley today announced they have joined 47 of their Senate colleagues to introduce a resolution condemning the pardons of individuals found guilty of assaulting Capitol Police Officers on Jan. 6, 2021. “America continues to suffer the scars of Jan. 6 as nothing less than a violent assault on democracy, our Capitol and those who protect and serve our country,” Wyden said. “Donald Trump encouraged that assault four years ago and last week … Continue Reading
January 27, 2025
Wyden, Merkley Co-sponsor Climate Resolution
Washington DC—U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley today announced they have joined 20 U.S. Senate colleagues to reintroduce the We Are Still In resolution in response to Donald Trump’s withdrawal of the United States from the Paris Climate Agreement through a day-one executive order. “With increasingly severe weather consistently threatening Oregon and the wildfires now ravaging southern California, it’s clear the climate is in crisis and it’s no time to retreat on clean energy … Continue Reading
January 27, 2025
Wyden Joins Bipartisan Legislation to Support Firefighters with Service-Related Cancers
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden said today that he joined the reintroduction of legislation that would expand access to federal support for the families of firefighters and other first responders who died or became permanently disabled from service-related cancers. The Honoring Our Fallen Heroes Act would also extend disability benefits in cases where these first responders become permanently and totally disabled due to cancer. “In the wake of record wildfires last year in Oregon … Continue Reading
January 27, 2025
Wyden Blasts Trump’s Midnight Massacre of Independent Government Watchdogs
Washington, D.C. - Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., co-chair of the Senate Whistleblower Protection Caucus, blasted Donald Trump’s firing of 17 federal inspectors general last night. IGs are independent watchdogs that investigate waste and fraud within government agencies, and have been a nonpartisan check on abuse of federal taxpayer resources. “Donald Trump is systematically dismantling the protections against abuse, corruption and fraud within the federal government,” Wyden said. “Courts should … Continue Reading
January 24, 2025
Bonamici, Wyden, Merkley, Salinas, Hoyle, Dexter, Bynum Call for Providence, Oregon Nurses Association to Reach Agreement
WASHINGTON DC - Today Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici (OR-01), Val Hoyle (OR-04), Andrea Salinas (OR-06), Maxine Dexter (OR-03), Janelle Bynum (OR-05), and Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley sent a letter urging Providence and the Oregon Nurses Association to reach agreement on new employment contracts for doctors, certified nurse midwives, nurse practitioners, registered nurses, and clinical staff. The health care workers have been on strike since January 10th. The full text of the letter … Continue Reading
January 24, 2025
Merkley, Wyden: Over $15 Million for Natural Disaster Recovery in Oregon
Washington, D.C. - Oregon’s U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden today announced that the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) is sending a total of $15,064,295 to reimburse the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) for their vital repairs to roads and other critical infrastructure that were deeply damaged during several years of severe weather events. “Oregonians in every corner of the state have faced dangerous storms in recent years, which have taken a heavy toll on the … Continue Reading
January 23, 2025
Wyden Votes No on Advancing DOE and DOI Nominees in Energy and Natural Resources Committee
Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., issued the following statement after voting no to advance the nominations of Doug Burgum to be Secretary of the Department of the Interior and Chris Wright to be Secretary of the Department of Energy: “After years and years of Republicans standing in the way, Congress finally passed my technology neutral clean energy tax credits as a centerpiece of the Inflation Reduction Act. The clean energy tax credits are the biggest investment in … Continue Reading
January 23, 2025
Wyden to Streaming Services: It’s Time to Carry C-SPAN & Support Public Access to Government
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., said today that he and U.S. Representative Mike Flood, R-Neb., are urging FuboTV, Hulu, and YouTube to carry C-SPAN on their pay TV live streaming services. Their bipartisan letter to the streaming service companies notes that C-SPAN has been a part of packages sold by cable and satellite providers for more than 40 years yet major live TV streaming services have unfortunately failed to carry C-SPAN as they’ve entered the market. “We write … Continue Reading
January 22, 2025
Merkley, Wyden Join 20 Senators to Introduce Resolution Recognizing the Service of Women in Combat
Washington, D.C. - Oregon’s U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden announced today that they joined Senate Democrats in introducing a resolution honoring the service of women in combat roles in the U.S. Armed Forces. The resolution comes as President Donald Trump’s nominee to lead the Department of Defense (DoD), Pete Hegseth, continues to face scorching criticism for, among many other reasons, his long record of denigrating women servicemembers who bravely serve our nation in combat … Continue Reading
January 22, 2025
Wyden Slams Republicans for Prioritizing Anti-Abortion Extremism Over Legislation to Lower Costs and Help Families
Watch a video of Wyden’s remarks here Washington, D.C. — Senator Ron Wyden spoke out on the Senate floor against Republicans’ escalated assault on reproductive freedom in the first days of the Trump administration, showing their true priorities are undermining healthcare and reproductive freedoms, rather than lowering costs for working families. Wyden’s remarks this week came ahead of the Senate’s expected vote on S.6, legislation that would create a new government mandate that overrides the … Continue Reading
