Press Releases
Merkley, Wyden Announce Nearly $6.5 Million in Airport Infrastructure Investments Across Oregon
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Oregon's U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden today announced that nearly $6.5 million will be distributed among 10 airports and the Oregon Department of Aviation for critical construction projects and planning. "As we continue to grapple with this public health crisis, it's all the more important that communities throughout Oregon have the resources they need to build a strong economic foundation for the future," said Merkley. "That includes making sure our … Continue Reading
April 30, 2020
Merkley, Wyden, Colleagues Announce Legislation to Meet Urgent Medical Supply Shortage
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Oregon's U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden, along with 44 of their Senate colleagues, have introduced legislation that fills the vacuum left by Trump administration inaction, laying out a framework for an effective, strong, national COVID-19 response. The bill would direct production of, and add critical oversight and transparency to the supply chain for, vital medical supplies and equipment. The Medical Supply Transparency and Delivery Act requires the president to … Continue Reading
April 30, 2020
Wyden Presses for Answers Following Ouster of Vaccine Development Head, Possible Political Interference in COVID-19 Response
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., today joined U.S. Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., and 18 other senators to express their concern regarding troubling reports of political influence in the Trump administration's COVID-19 response. In a letter to Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Alex Azar, the senators pressed for answers regarding staffing issues related to the COVID-19 response efforts at HHS. The senators specifically asked about the removal of Dr. Rick … Continue Reading
April 30, 2020
Wyden Presses Feds to Protect Workers During COVID-19 Pandemic
Washington, D.C. -- U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden today asked federal officials for information on their efforts to protect federal workers in Oregon and nationwide during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. In a letter with 21 colleagues to the federal Offices of Management and Budget (OMB) and Office of Personnel Management (OPM), Wyden and the senators sought information on efforts to ensure that agencies maximize telework across their workforce as a way to keep federal workers safe. "As the … Continue Reading
April 30, 2020
Merkley, Wyden, Colleagues Call For More Funding For Social Service Nonprofits In Upcoming Coronavirus Relief Legislation
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Oregon's U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden, along with 25 of their colleagues, are urging Senate leadership to include additional emergency funding for nonprofit organizations in the next COVID-19 relief bill. Nonprofits are an essential part of the frontline coronavirus pandemic response, providing important social services such as food assistance, shelter for those experiencing homelessness, child care and education programs, and care for victims of domestic and … Continue Reading
April 29, 2020
Wyden Statement on Google and Apple Contact-Tracing Plans
U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., today issued the following statement, on Google and Apple's plans to roll out Bluetooth-based contact tracing technology: "This plan appears to be a sincere effort to bring tech's resources to bear on the COVID-19 pandemic, and I appreciate Google and Apple's transparency about their contact-tracing technology. However, I remain pessimistic about the prospect that Bluetooth-based contact tracing will be a viable way to trace or contain the coronavirus anytime … Continue Reading
April 29, 2020
Wyden Calls for $50 Billion Childcare Investment in Next COVID-19 Relief Package
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., today called on Senate leadership to prioritize funding childcare in the next COVID-19 relief package. Wyden, along with 30 of his colleagues, also requested that the legislation ensures small businesses and nonprofits involved in caring for children receive support from the Small Business Administration's (SBA) Paycheck Protection Program. "We write to strongly urge you to prioritize funding childcare in the next legislative package that … Continue Reading
April 29, 2020
Wyden Calls for $50 Billion Childcare Investment in Next COVID-19 Relief Package
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., today called on Senate leadership to prioritize funding childcare in the next COVID-19 relief package. Wyden, along with 30 of his colleagues, also requested that the legislation ensures small businesses and nonprofits involved in caring for children receive support from the Small Business Administration's (SBA) Paycheck Protection Program. "We write to strongly urge you to prioritize funding childcare in the next legislative package that … Continue Reading
April 29, 2020
Merkley, Wyden, Bonamici, Blumenauer Demand CareOregon Board Ensure Continuity of Services for Oregon’s Medicaid Population
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Oregon's U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden, along with Representatives Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR-1) and Earl Blumenauer (D-OR-3), are demanding that Medicaid enrollees continue to receive the same quality and range of care from CareOregon after the state's largest Medicaid provider announced a new affiliation with Providence Plan Partners. "Over the years, CareOregon has unwaveringly shared our commitment and goal of providing access to the full range of reproductive … Continue Reading
April 29, 2020
Merkley, Wyden, Colleagues Urge Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to Help Low-Income Families Receive Broadband Services
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Oregon's U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden, along with 142 members of the U.S. House of Representatives and the Senate, are urging FCC Chairman Ajit Pai to work directly with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to ensure that the millions of Americans who have recently become eligible for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) or Medicaid are informed that they are also eligible for the … Continue Reading
April 29, 2020
Wyden, Merkley Call on DHS Inspector General to Review ICE Detention Facility COVID-19 Policies and Practices
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley today called for a full assessment, including site inspections, of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention facilities nationwide to evaluate whether the facilities' operations, management, standards, and conditions have adapted to address the threat of COVID-19 to both the staff and detainees. The letter asking Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Inspector General Joseph Cuffari for the review cites reports from across … Continue Reading
April 29, 2020
Merkley, Wyden, Colleagues Push to Strengthen Food Assistance Amid Coronavirus Crisis
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Oregon's U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley today led a group of twenty-two lawmakers-including Senator Ron Wyden-in urging Senate leadership to support and strengthen SNAP, or food stamps, to help ensure that families across America can keep food on their tables despite the mounting economic consequences of the coronavirus pandemic. "SNAP is the nation's first line of defense against hunger and is proven to help lifts millions of American families and children out of poverty," the … Continue Reading
April 29, 2020
Wyden Presses Bureau of Prisons to Release Critical Demographic Data on Incarcerated People and Staff Affected by COVID-19
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., today urged the Bureau of Prisons (BOP) to release system-wide demographic data on the number of incarcerated people and staff affected by COVID-19. In a letter to BOP Director Michael Carvajal, Wyden and 15 of his colleagues requested data on the age, race, ethnicity, religion, gender, pregnancy status, sexual orientation, and disability of all incarcerated people and BOP staff who have been tested for, contracted, recovered from, and died … Continue Reading
April 29, 2020
Wyden Urges Consumer Financial Protection Bureau to Reinstate Anti-Discrimination Safeguards in Mortgages
Washington, D.C. -- U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden today urged the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau to reverse its suspension of key information reporting and data required under the Home Mortgage Disclosure Act (HMDA) during the COVID-19 pandemic. In the letter to Bureau Director Kathy Kraninger, Wyden and 18 Senate colleagues wrote that eliminating these reporting requirements could allow discrimination in mortgage lending and servicing to go unchecked during a time when consumers are particularly … Continue Reading
April 28, 2020
Wyden Urges McConnell to Make Oversight of COVID-19 Relief Efforts a Priority
Washington, D.C. - As the Senate heads back into session next week, Senate Finance Ranking Member Ron Wyden, D-Ore., today joined his colleagues to urge Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., to make COVID-19 related matters and oversight of all COVID-related legislation the Senate's focus. Despite the severity of the COVID-19 public health and economic emergencies, no legislative or committee business related to the COVID-19 public health and economic emergencies has been scheduled. … Continue Reading
April 28, 2020
Merkley, Wyden Announce $103 Million in Funding for Oregon Hospitals and Health Care Providers
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Oregon's U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden announced today that over $103 million will be distributed among 141 health care providers across the state to boost their coronavirus response efforts. The funding is the second tranche distributed by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, which Congress approved last month. The first allocation was distributed the week of April 10. "Throughout this crisis, Oregon's dedicated health care workers … Continue Reading
April 28, 2020
Wyden, Merkley Blast Defense Secretary Esper Over DoD's Failure to Adequately Respond to COVID-19 Pandemic
Washington, D.C. - Oregon's U.S. Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley today expressed grave concern with the Department of Defense's (DoD) failure to adequately respond to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. "Civilian leadership of the Department has failed to act sufficiently quickly, and has often prioritized readiness at the expense of the health of servicemembers and their families," Wyden and Merkley wrote with eight other senators in a letter to Defense Secretary Mark Esper. "This failure has … Continue Reading
April 28, 2020
Merkley, Wyden, Colleagues Urge Administration to Take Action to Ensure Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) Funds Reach Small Businesses
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Oregon's U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden, along with 20 of their colleagues, are pushing Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and Small Business Administrator Jovita Carranza to develop strong supervisory mechanisms to identify instances of unjust enrichment and ensure that the just-passed Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) funding actually reaches struggling small businesses who truly need the money. The senators' letter comes amid recent reports indicating that the … Continue Reading
April 27, 2020
Wyden, Merkley Call for Establishing 9-8-8 Suicide Hotline in Next COVID-19 Relief Package
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley today urged that the next COVID-19 relief package include bipartisan legislation designating 9-8-8 as the three-digit number for a national suicide prevention and mental health crisis hotline. "The creation of this three-digit dialing code is essential in order to address the growing suicide crisis across the United States," Wyden and Merkley wrote in a letter with more than 20 colleagues from both parties to congressional leadership. … Continue Reading
April 27, 2020
Merkley, Wyden Announce “Hardest Hit” Funds Will Be Available to Help Oregonians with Coronavirus Housing Relief
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Oregon's U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden today announced that the U.S. Treasury Department will allow Oregon to use funding from its Hardest Hit fund to assist Oregonians facing housing challenges during the coronavirus pandemic. Previously, these programs were set to expire on April 30, 2020. The Hardest Hit fund was created during the aftermath of the 2008 financial crisis for states, like Oregon, that were the most severely impacted by the decline in the housing … Continue Reading
