Press Releases
Wyden, Merkley Praise Eastern Oregon Forest Stewardship
Washington, D.C. - Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley today encouraged federal officials to build upon the proven job and economic gains from the forest stewardship contract in the Malheur National Forest to create similar successes elsewhere in rural Oregon and nationwide. A long-term stewardship contract lets the government design projects that focus less on short-term economic gains and allows proceeds from timber sold to be reinvested into a healthier landscape. In a letter today to U.S. … Continue Reading
July 23, 2018
Wyden, Merkley announce $14 Million for Five Oregon Airports
Washington, D.C. - Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley today announced that airports in Hillsboro, Albany, Klamath Falls, Bend and Grants Pass will receive a combined $14.3 million in federal grants for facility improvements and aviation training. "Quality of life throughout Oregon requires secure and reliable movement of products and the people who transport those goods," Wyden said. "These transportation resources will help to provide much-needed safety and dependability improvements for … Continue Reading
July 20, 2018
Wyden, Merkley, Brown Make Urgent Request for Federal Emergency Aid
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley and Gov. Kate Brown today asked federal officials to provide emergency aid for farmers affected by wildland fires raging in Oregon. The letter from Wyden, Merkley and Brown to Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue comes as the Substation Fire is engulfing wheat fields in Wasco and Sherman County and nearly 200 lightning-start fires are burning in southern and central Oregon. "This type of fire has not been seen in decades and has done … Continue Reading
July 20, 2018
Wyden, Merkley Oppose Trump Administration’s Rollback of Environmental Protections for Offshore Oil and Gas Drilling
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley today joined their Senate colleagues in opposing the Trump administration's proposed rollback of environmental regulations that enhance the safety of offshore drilling operations. In a letter to Department of the Interior Secretary Zinke, the senators wrote that administration's proposal would erode key safety and environmental regulations, which require the oil and gas industry to meet minimum standards when drilling. Those essential … Continue Reading
July 19, 2018
Wyden Statement on Withdrawal of Ryan Bounds Nomination
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden issued the following statement after Senate Republican leadership today withdrew the nomination of Ryan Bounds for the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals: "I am gratified that the Senate has come to its senses and that long-time, proven practices of bipartisanship for judicial nominations have prevailed over partisan efforts to force through a deeply flawed and compromised nominee," Wyden said. "I want Chairman Grassley, Ranking Member Feinstein and the … Continue Reading
July 18, 2018
Wyden Co-sponsors Bill to Stop Trump Administration from Detaining and Shackling Pregnant Women
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden said today he is co-sponsoring legislation that would protect the health and safety of pregnant women and young people in immigration detention. The Stop Shackling and Detaining Pregnant Women Act introduced by U.S. Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA) would reinstitute the Obama-era policy that presumed the release of pregnant women and youth from immigration custody. The Trump administration had secretly ended the policy last year before announcing its new policy … Continue Reading
July 18, 2018
Wyden, Fischer Introduce Bipartisan Resolutions Honoring Pioneering Women in Computer Science and STEM
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Sens. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., and Deb Fischer, R-Neb., today introduced two resolutions to the Senate, honoring the lifelong dedication of Ada Lovelace and Grace Hopper, two pioneering women in computer science whose ingenuity led the world into the computing age. "Ada Lovelace and Grace Hopper imagined the ways computing could shape our world and played fundamental roles in bringing those dreams to life," Wyden said. "Their impact has too often been overlooked given that … Continue Reading
July 17, 2018
Wyden Introduces Legislation to Hold Gun Dealers Accountable for Illegal Gun Sales
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden said today that he has joined his Senate colleagues in introducing legislation that would ensure gun dealers are not engaging in illegal sales and provide the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) with clear enforcement mechanisms. "Gun violence deserves more than just thoughts and prayers, it demands real action by Congress," Wyden said. "This legislation takes a long-overdue critical step in the right direction, holding gun … Continue Reading
July 13, 2018
Wyden, Gardner Ask DOJ to Investigate Cyber Harassment of U.S. Military Families by Russian Intelligence
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Sens. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., and Cory Gardner, R-Colo. sent a letter earlier this week to Attorney General Jeff Sessions urging the Department of Justice to investigate cyber harassment of U.S. military families by Russian intelligence services. "If substantiated, the claims about APT28 posing as the Cyber Caliphate could be the first public evidence that influence operations have specifically targeted American military families," the senators wrote. "If left unchecked, … Continue Reading
July 11, 2018
Wyden, Durbin, Feinstein, Murray Call for Removal of Office of Refugee Resettlement Director
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, the top Democrat on the Senate Finance Committee, along with Sens. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., and Patty Murray, D-Wash., today called on Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) Alex Azar to remove the director of the Office of Refugee Resettlement. Their letter comes just a day after the administration failed to meet a court-ordered deadline to reunify children separated from their parents under Trump's inhumane … Continue Reading
July 11, 2018
Wyden, Merkley Introduce Legislation to Help Disadvantaged Communities Rebuild Water Infrastructure
Washington, D.C. - Oregon's U.S. Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley today joined colleagues in introducing the Contaminant and Lead Electronic Accounting and Reporting Requirements (CLEARR) for Drinking Water Act, which would authorize $1 billion in federal funding to help small and disadvantaged communities replace contaminated water infrastructure to comply with Safe Drinking Water Act requirements. "Access to safe drinking water is a human right, and public health for all Americans requires … Continue Reading
July 11, 2018
Wyden: Paper Ballots and Audits are Essential to Secure American Elections Against Foreign Hackers
Washington, D.C. - Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., sounded the alarm about the urgent need for paper ballots to secure American elections against foreign hackers, in testimony at the Senate Rules Committee today. Wyden called on the Senate to pass his Protecting American Votes and Elections Act, which requires paper ballots and effective audits for all federal elections, and has been endorsed by leading cybersecurity experts. View his full testimony here. "At least 44 million Americans - and … Continue Reading
July 09, 2018
Wyden Statement on Trump Supreme Court Nominee
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., tonight expressed grave concerns about the nomination of Judge Brett Kavanaugh to serve on the U.S. Supreme Court:“Tonight the president begins a forced march back to the days when women’s health care choices were made by government,” Wyden said. “There can be no mistaking Trump’s Supreme Court nomination for anything but what it is: a direct attempt to overturn Roe v. Wade. American women could lose the right to chart the courses of their own … Continue Reading
July 03, 2018
Wyden, Merkley Introduce Legislation to Strengthen Workers’ Rights in Wake of Supreme Court Janus Decision
Washington, D.C. - Oregon's U.S. Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley last week introduced legislation to guarantee the right for public employees to organize, and bargain collectively in states that currently do not afford these basic protections, in the wake of the Supreme Court's decision to weaken the power of labor unions in Janus v. AFSCME. "The Supreme Court's ruling last week marks a dangerous and devastating attack on unions and equality for workers," Wyden said. "The Public Service … Continue Reading
June 29, 2018
Wyden Calls for Plan to Help Oregon Small Businesses Meet New, Complex Tax Requirements
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden today called on the Small Business Administration (SBA) to develop a plan for small businesses that will be hurt by the recent Supreme Court decision to allow states to collect internet sales taxes. The Court's decision will require Oregon businesses to comply with more than 12,000 state, county and city tax jurisdictions across the United States. Wyden, along with Senator Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., asked in a letter to SBA Administrator Linda McMahon … Continue Reading
June 29, 2018
Wyden, Merkley Announce Americorps for Oregon To Receive $6.8 Million
Washington, D.C. -Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley said today that Oregon organizations will receive more than $6.8 million in funding from the federal agency that administers AmeriCorps and other national service programs. "Americorps volunteers build stronger communities with their service and earn experience for a lifetime," Wyden said. "These programs in Portland, Eugene and Bend exemplify the Americorps spirit, and deserve congratulations for earning these resources that will help … Continue Reading
June 28, 2018
Wyden Secures Wins for Hemp, Hops and Oregon Farmers in Senate Farm Bill
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., announced the Senate today passed several measures he fought to include in the Senate Farm Bill, including the bipartisan Hemp Farming Act, as well as several provisions to help hop growers and provide drought relief to Oregon farmers. "Oregon does a lot of things well. What we do best is grow things, whether it's berries in the Willamette Valley, potatoes in Klamath Falls or watermelons in Hermiston," Wyden said. "I fought to ensure this bill … Continue Reading
June 28, 2018
Wyden, Castro, Van Hollen, Sanders Introduce Measure to Restore Oversight of Federal Facilities
Washington, D.C. - Oregon Sen. Ron Wyden and Rep. Joaquin Castro, today were joined by Sens. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., and Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., to introduce the Restoring Oversight for Members of Congress Act in the U.S. Senate and the House of Representatives. Following the Trump administration's policy of separating migrant children from their parents and housing them in federal facilities across the nation, this legislation allows members of Congress immediate access to federal … Continue Reading
June 27, 2018
Wyden Fights to Take “Dark Money” out of Politics
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore. today joined Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I., and every Senate Democrat to introduce legislation shining a light on the unlimited, "dark money" that's flooding U.S. elections and giving special interests an undue influence in government. The DISCLOSE Act would require organizations spending money in federal elections to disclose their donors, and help guard against hidden foreign interference in our democracy. Wyden also urged the Senate … Continue Reading
June 27, 2018
Wyden: New tax report shows Trump tax scam hurts Oregon homeowners
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden today said a Senate Finance Committee Democratic staff report detailing widespread financial damage to Oregon homeowners from Donald Trump's tax scheme shows the "deeply troubling" results of the tax changes signed into law by Trump late last year. The report estimates about 190,000 Oregon homeowners with combined state and local property and income taxes exceeding $10,000 would be unable to deduct their full state and local taxes including their … Continue Reading
