Press Releases
Merkley and Wyden Announce Passage of Critical Affordable Housing, Transportation Infrastructure Investments for Oregon in 2024 Funding Package
Washington, D.C. - Oregon’s U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden today announced major investments to expand affordable, rural, and veterans housing options and boost transportation infrastructure—including over $75 million in funding for 44 critical community-initiated projects across the state—have passed through the fiscal year 2024 (FY24) minibus funding package. This six-bill package cleared both chambers of Congress last week and was quickly signed into law by President … Continue Reading
March 11, 2024
Merkley, Wyden Strengthen Oregon’s Wildfire Resiliency, Water Infrastructure, and Climate Action in Passage of 2024 Funding Package
Washington, D.C. - Oregon’s U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden today announced they secured major investments to strengthen forest health and wildfire resiliency, protect public lands and the environment, secure important programs for Tribes, and support critical projects for communities across the state through the fiscal year 2024 (FY24) minibus funding package. This six-bill package cleared both chambers of Congress and was signed into law by President Biden. Merkley, as Chair of the … Continue Reading
March 08, 2024
Wyden Statement on the United Health Group Hack
Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., today issued the following statement on the hack of United Health Group: "A hack of this magnitude is inexcusable and every American who is impacted has a right to be outraged. It is completely unacceptable that neither United Health Group, nor federal agencies were prepared for the fallout despite years of evidence that the health care sector is a prime target for criminal hackers." "There’s no shortage of blame to go around. United Health … Continue Reading
March 08, 2024
Blumenauer, Wyden, Merkley Announce Nearly Half a Billion for Albina Vision Infrastructure Projects
WASHINGTON, D.C.—Today, Congressman Earl Blumenauer, Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley announced the Department of Transportation is awarding $450,000,000 in federal funding for the I-5 Rose Quarter improvement project. The funding will go toward the construction of a highway cover over a portion of I-5, reconnecting the Lower Albina neighborhood. In addition, the Department of Transportation is awarding $38,394,000 to the Portland Bureau of Transportation for the redesign of N/NE Broadway … Continue Reading
March 08, 2024
Wyden, Casey, Fetterman, Merkley Urge CDC to Update HIV Testing Guidelines
Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senators Ron Wyden, D-Ore., Bob Casey, D-Pa., John Fetterman, D-Pa., and Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., today called on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to update HIV testing guidelines. The senators’ letter to CDC Director Mandy Cohen also requests the agency remove the upper age limit of HIV testing recommendations to protect the health of older Americans. Currently, the CDC guidelines recommend routine HIV testing for people between the ages of 13 and 64 years … Continue Reading
March 07, 2024
Wyden, Merkley Applaud Passage of Radiation Exposure Compensation Act
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley today praised the Senate passage of legislation they supported that would compensate people exposed to radiation during certain nuclear testing or uranium mining who then developed medical conditions, including cancers. The Radiation Exposure Compensation Act passed Thursday by the Senate would extend the time for eligibility under the act from 1971 to 1990 for uranium miners, millers, core drillers, and ore transporters in Oregon, … Continue Reading
March 07, 2024
Wyden, Durbin, Sanders, Brown, Blumenthal Urge Convenience Stores, Wholesalers to Follow the Law and Remove Unauthorized Vaping Products From Their Shelves
WASHINGTON - U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR), Chair of the Senate Finance Committee, said today that he has joined four other Senate committee chairs to send letters to 22 major convenience stores and their wholesalers reminding them of their obligations and legal liability under the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act. The letters from Wyden along with U.S. Sens. Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee; Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Chair of the Senate Health, … Continue Reading
March 07, 2024
Wyden, Fetterman, Cassidy and Bipartisan Members of Congress Introduce Enhanced Cybersecurity for SNAP Act to Secure Food Benefits Against Hackers and Thieves
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., with Sens. John Fetterman, D-Penn., and Bill Cassidy, R-La., today introduced the Enhanced Cybersecurity for SNAP Act to upgrade the security of electronic benefit cards and protect families in need from thieves that have stolen millions worth of essential food benefits. Reps. Andy Kim, D-N.J., and Mike Lawler, R-N.Y., are leading the bill in the House of Representatives. To date, tens of millions of dollars in Supplemental Nutrition … Continue Reading
March 05, 2024
Wyden Remarks Celebrating the 20th Anniversary of the 21st Century Nanotechnology Research & Development Act
It is such a pleasure to join an event featuring so many brilliant and dedicated individuals all working to further scientific understanding and solve real problems with your work. You all are probably the last people who need a lecture on the importance of nanotechnology, but I do have about 45 minutes of remarks here, so settle in. I’m kidding, of course. Friends don’t filibuster friends. Today I’m going to describe how the 21st Century Nanotechnology Research and Development Act came … Continue Reading
March 04, 2024
Wyden Statement on New Concessionaire Contract for Crater Lake
U.S. Senator Ron Wyden today released the following statement after the National Park Service (NPS) announced Aramark’s concessionaire contract to manage Crater Lake National Park is in the process of being transferred to a new operator: “I want to thank National Park Service Director Chuck Sams for his leadership and the decisive steps he has taken to address concessionaire failures and make the much-needed transition to a new operator. It is clear as Crater Lake that from the beginning the … Continue Reading
February 29, 2024
Wyden Urges Biden Administration to Crack Down on Surveillance Companies and Shore up Security of Wireless Networks
Washington D.C. - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., today called on the Biden Administration to address the threat posed by wireless carriers’ lax cybersecurity, which expose U.S. citizens to surveillance by foreign governments. The letter to President Biden urges the administration to set minimum cybersecurity standards for carriers, and to direct government agencies to take further action to protect U.S. citizens and foreign journalists, dissidents, and human rights activists from surveillance … Continue Reading
February 29, 2024
Wyden: “Utterly Ridiculous” to Renew Warrantless FISA Surveillance Without Congressional Approval
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., today blasted the Department of Justice for seeking a year-long extension of government surveillance under Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, even though the law expires in less than two months. “A broad bipartisan, bicameral coalition agrees that FISA Section 702 should be reauthorized with reforms to protect the rights of Americans.,” Wyden said. “Yet rather than seriously engage with congressional reformers, the … Continue Reading
February 29, 2024
Wyden Announces Four Town Halls in Polk and Northern Coastal Counties
Portland, OR - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden today announced he will continue his 2024 town hall schedule with four in-person town halls in Polk, Lincoln, Tillamook, and Clatsop counties in March. These town halls were postponed due to unscheduled Senate votes in February. Including his seven town halls in January, Wyden has held a total of 1,072 town halls throughout Oregon in fulfillment of his pledge to hold at least one town hall each year in each of Oregon’s 36 counties. “I promised to hold … Continue Reading
February 28, 2024
Wyden Calls on Colleagues to Support Legislation to Protect IVF Nationwide
Watch a video of Wyden deliver remarks on the Senate floor here As prepared for delivery I come to the floor today to express my strong support for Senator Duckworth’s legislation to create protections for IVF under the law. I think many of my colleagues would agree with me when I say this wasn’t an issue I thought I’d have to stand on the Senate floor debating in 2024, and yet, here we are. Just a few days ago, Alabama’s far-right Supreme Court handed down a first-of-its-kind ruling, which … Continue Reading
February 28, 2024
Wyden Statement on Data Export Executive Order
Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., today praised the White House for acting to curb exports of sensitive U.S. Data to unfriendly foreign countries, and called on Congress to pass his Protecting Americans’ Data from Foreign Surveillance Act to further defend our information from foreign criminals and spies. “Shady data brokers funnel Americans’ private data to spies and criminals overseas, and President Biden deserves praise for taking the first step in fighting back. I appreciate that the executive … Continue Reading
February 28, 2024
Wyden issues statement on BLM's updated management strategy for public lands in SE Oregon
Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., released the following statement today after the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) released its updated management strategy for public lands in southeastern Oregon: “I continue to work intensely in Malheur County to find solutions that will preserve both a treasured way of life and a treasured landscape, and I’m glad to see the BLM hit this milestone. I look forward to giving the agency’s plan a good hard look and will continue to look for ways … Continue Reading
February 28, 2024
Wyden responds to FTC blocking Kroger-Albertson merger
Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., released the following statement today after the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announced it sued to block the proposed merger of Kroger Company and Alberstons Companies, Inc.: “I called for the FTC to block this merger because it would raise grocery and prescription costs for Oregonians across our state, and it’s clear the FTC agrees. Another strike against this merger is the toll it would take on our veterans and servicemembers who will be … Continue Reading
February 26, 2024
Merkley, Wyden, Bonamici: $2 Million for Community Health Clinic Training and Professional Development
Washington, D.C. - Oregon’s U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden and Representative Suzanne Bonamici (OR-01) announced that OCHIN, Inc has received $2,001,642 from the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) to support OCHINS’s health information technology recruitment and training program for health clinics in underserved communities. Together, Merkley, Wyden, and Bonamici secured this funding for OCHIN in Congress’ fiscal year 2023 omnibus appropriations package as a community-initiated project … Continue Reading
February 22, 2024
Wyden, Merkley Announce $27 Million to Support Pacific Salmon Recovery in Oregon
Washington, D.C. - Oregon’s U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley today announced an investment of $27 million from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to help support recovery efforts for Pacific salmon populations. The federal funds are available due to the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act. This investment builds on several projects Senator Wyden has supported, including a $2.5 million grant in 2022 to replace larger culverts on five rivers in the Tillamook … Continue Reading
February 22, 2024
EPA announces $74M for Oregon drinking water, wastewater and stormwater infrastructure upgrades
Contact: EPA Region 10 Press Office (R10_Press_Team@epa.gov) Seattle, W.A. - Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced over $74,444,000 from President Biden’s Investing in America agenda for Oregon drinking water and clean water infrastructure upgrades. The funding is part of the over $50 billion investment in water infrastructure upgrades from President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law - the largest such investment in American history. Today’s announcement will … Continue Reading
