Press Releases
Wyden, Merkley Introduce Bill to Block Immigration Enforcement at Sensitive Locations
Washington, D.C. - Oregon's U.S. Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley this week introduced legislation to block immigration enforcement actions at sensitive locations like schools, hospitals and religious institutions without prior approval and exigent circumstances. The Protecting Sensitive Locations Act codifies the Department of Homeland Security's existing policies and expands them to ensure that immigrants are able to access education, criminal justice and social services without fear of … Continue Reading
July 11, 2019
Wyden Joins Merkley and Schumer to Introduce Legislation To Stop Cruel And Neglectful Treatment Of Children At Border
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., today joined U.S. Sens. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., Charles E. Schumer, D-N.Y., and Senate Democrats to introduce the Stop Cruelty to Migrant Children Act. This new legislation, supported by more than three dozen Senators, would put an end to the Trump administration's cruel and neglectful treatment of children at the U.S.-Mexico border and reform how children fleeing persecution are treated between the moment at which they arrive at our borders to … Continue Reading
July 11, 2019
Merkley, Wyden Announce Over $7.5 Million Investment in Oregon Airports
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Oregon's Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden today announced over $7.5 million in federal grants that will help Oregon airports fund installation, rehabilitation, and reconstruction projects to modernize facilities and improve safety. "Airports across our state play a critical role in connecting Oregonians with economic opportunities and critical resources," Merkley said. "I'm going to keep using my position on the Senate Appropriations Committee to secure investments that … Continue Reading
July 11, 2019
Wyden: Don’t Deport Military Families
Washington, D.C. - Following reports that the Trump administration is ending protections against the deportation of military families whose loved ones are deployed, U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden today joined with 21 Senate colleagues to demand the administration reverse course immediately. The Trump administration is reportedly planning on ending the "Parole in Place" (PIP) program, which prevents undocumented immigrants who are spouses, parents and children of active-duty servicemembers and veterans … Continue Reading
July 10, 2019
Wyden, Merkley, DeFazio, Walden Announce Six Oregon Counties Receive Federal Disaster Declaration
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley, U.S. Reps. Peter DeFazio and Greg Walden today announced that federal officials have determined the spring storms that hit Curry, Douglas, Grant, Linn, Umatilla and Wheeler counties qualified as major disasters. This announcement follows the Oregon lawmakers recent letter to the White House in support of Gov. Kate Brown's request for a presidential major disaster declaration for those counties' losses from heavy rain, snow melt, … Continue Reading
July 10, 2019
Merkley, Wyden Push VA Secretary Wilkie to Protect Veterans’ Health Care as New Program Goes Into Effect
Washington, D.C. - Oregon's U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden today pressed the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Secretary Robert Wilkie to not repeat the same mistakes of the Veterans Choice Program when establishing the new Veterans Community Care Program. Congress passed the VA MISSION Act in 2018 to strengthen VA Community Care programming, after critical issues within the Veterans Choice Program jeopardized the quality of veterans' care. "We believe strongly that … Continue Reading
June 28, 2019
Wyden, Merkley and Colleagues: Census Should Stay on Schedule, Omit Citizenship Question
Washington, D.C. - Today U.S. Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley joined colleagues in calling for Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross to meet the administration’s previously set deadline of July 1 to begin printing materials for the 2020 Census and move forward without adding a politically-motivated question about citizenship. Their call comes a day after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the Trump administration’s rationale for adding the question “appears to have been contrived.” Donald … Continue Reading
June 28, 2019
Merkley, Wyden Announce Bill to Nullify Fraudulent Tribal Treaty Passes Senate
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Oregon’s U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden today announced that the 1865 Treaty Nullification Act, to formally and finally nullify a fraudulent treaty with the Confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs Reservation, has passed the U.S. Senate. The next step is to go to the U.S. House of Representatives, where Rep. Greg Walden (R-OR 2) supports the legislation. The bill would nullify a fraudulent treaty and clearly validate an 1855 treaty that establishes … Continue Reading
June 28, 2019
Wyden, Castro, Van Hollen, Sanders Reintroduce Measure to Restore Oversight of Federal Facilities
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., and Rep. Joaquin Castro, D-Texas, this week were joined by Sens. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., and Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., to reintroduce legislation to allow members of Congress immediate access to federal facilities, including those under contract or lease, and to give members of Congress an avenue to report their findings. This legislation follows reports detailing horrific conditions for migrant children and families in government care. "Trump and … Continue Reading
June 28, 2019
Outraged by Trump Administration’s Inhumane Treatment of Children and Families at the Border, Senators Wyden and Murray Demand Accountability
Washington, D.C. - Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR), ranking member of the Senate Finance Committee , and Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), ranking member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, sent a letter to President Trump expressing their alarm and outrage over the recent reports of neglect and mistreatment of children in government custody at the border. The senators' letter cited numerous recent reports about the alarmingly poor conditions at the Trump … Continue Reading
June 28, 2019
Wyden, Merkley Reintroduce Legislation to Restore Honor to Service Members Discharged Due to Sexual Orientation
Washington, D.C. - Oregon's U.S. Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley this week reintroduced legislation that would correct the military records of service members discharged solely due to their sexual orientation to reflect their honorable service and reinstate the benefits they earned. "Don't Ask Don't Tell may be a thing of the past, but far too many Americans are still fighting to correct their military records and receive the benefits they've earned," Wyden said. "Our bill would help correct … Continue Reading
June 28, 2019
Merkley, Murray, Wyden, Cantwell Announce Passage of Bill to Improve Safety and Sanitation at Columbia River Tribal Fishing Sites
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Patty Murray (D-WA), Ron Wyden (D-OR) and Maria Cantwell (D-WA) today announced that, with unanimous support, the U.S. Senate has passed the Columbia River In-Lieu and Treaty Fishing Access Sites Improvement Act. The legislation would enable the Bureau of Indian Affairs to make important safety and sanitation improvements at the tribal treaty fishing access sites along the Columbia River, which are on lands held by the United States … Continue Reading
June 27, 2019
Wyden Votes No on Defense Authorization Bill
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., today released the following statement, after voting ‘no’ on the National Defense Authorization Act:“While there were provisions of this defense policy bill I supported—like a pay raise for our men and women in uniform and provisions to improve cybersecurity and protect whistleblowers in the intelligence community—I simply could not rubberstamp a bill to authorize more than $700 billion in military spending, which is precisely what the … Continue Reading
June 27, 2019
Wyden, Blumenauer Introduce Legislation to Protect State Cannabis Programs from Federal Interference, Allow for Interstate Commerce
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden and U.S. Rep. Earl Blumenauer today introduced the State Cannabis Commerce Act to permanently protect all state cannabis programs from federal interference and allow for interstate cannabis commerce between states like Oregon with legal cannabis programs. Since 2014, federal law has prohibited the Department of Justice (DOJ) from using taxpayer funds to prevent states from implementing their own state laws that authorize the use, distribution, possession … Continue Reading
June 27, 2019
Wyden Statement on Supreme Court’s Pro-Gerrymandering Ruling
Washington, D.C.- U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., today issued the following statement on the Supreme Court's pro-gerrymandering ruling in Rucho v. Common Cause: "Today the Roberts Court continued its unremitting bloodletting of American democracy. The precedent set in Rucho is appalling: If you don't support Republicans in power, they can effectively take away your vote. This court has demonstrated once again that it will not protect fundamental constitutional principles or the very idea of … Continue Reading
June 26, 2019
Wyden Statement on Border Supplemental Votes
Washington, D.C.- U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., today released the following statement after voting against the Senate version of legislation providing additional funding to the Trump administration for activities at the southern border: "The Trump administration is committing human rights abuses at our border against families and children fleeing to the United States for safety, greeting them with terror and jail cells. "Congress has a responsibility to ensure the safety and well-being of … Continue Reading
June 26, 2019
Wyden, Merkley Introduce Wildfire Smoke Relief Act
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley today introduced legislation that would provide federal emergency assistance to at-risk individuals in Oregon and nationwide suffering from unhealthy air quality caused by wildfire smoke. The Oregon senators said their Wildfire Smoke Relief Act of 2019 would help people most vulnerable to the health damages from wildfire smoke -- children, elderly people, pregnant women, low-income families that may lack filtration protections at home, … Continue Reading
June 26, 2019
Wyden Introduces Bill to Expand Disaster Relief to Fisheries Harmed by Tariffs
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., and U.S. Rep. Seth Moulton, D-Mass., today introduced legislation to expand disaster relief to fisheries harmed by tariffs. Currently, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association (NOAA) guidelines used to identify the causes of fishery disasters does not explicitly include tariffs. Wyden's bill would amend the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Act to require NOAA to evaluate the impacts of duties imposed on American seafood, ensuring the Department … Continue Reading
June 26, 2019
Senators Wyden and Markey Lead Colleagues in New Legislation to Protect Rail Safety
Washington (June 26, 2019) - Senators Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) and Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) today introduced the Safe Freight Act, legislation that would promote rail safety by mandating at least two-person crews on all freight trains in the United States. The bill is designed to correct the Federal Railroad Administration's recent rollback of a proposed rule that would have established these necessary safety standards. The Safe Freight Act will specifically require that all freight trains have … Continue Reading
June 25, 2019
Wyden, Ernst, Bishop, Dingell Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Improve Access to Outdoor Recreation Opportunities
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Sens. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., and Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, Ranking Member of the House Natural Resources Committee Rob Bishop, R-Utah, and Rep. Debbie Dingell, D-Mich., today reintroduced legislation in the Senate and House to remove barriers to outdoor recreation and boost rural economies across the country. Their bipartisan Recreation Not Red Tape (RNR) Act would promote access to outdoor recreation opportunities and allow more visitors to get outdoors. The RNR Act would … Continue Reading
