Press Releases
Merkley, Wyden Announce Expanded Collaborative Forest Investment in the Farm Bill
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Oregon's U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden today announced that the 2018 Farm Bill proposed by the Senate doubles the size of the Collaborative Forest Landscape Restoration Program (CFLRP) and extends it through 2023. This critical program, which helps fund collaborative and community-based forest management, has a proven track record of improving forest health, reducing wildfire risk, and supporting rural communities. In May, Merkley and Sen. Mike Crapo (R-ID) led a … Continue Reading
June 11, 2018
Merkley, Wyden Announce Mass Wood Products Provisions Included in Farm Bill
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Oregon's U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden today announced that most provisions in the Timber Innovation Act are included in the 2018 Farm Bill proposed by the Senate, supporting the development of mass timber products for building construction. In May, Merkley co-led a letter with Sen. Mike Crapo (R-ID) which urged the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry to include the Timber Innovation Act in the 2018 Farm Bill. Other cosigners included Sens. Wyden, … Continue Reading
June 08, 2018
Wyden Introduces Bill to End Trump Administration’s Cruel Policy of Separating Families at the Border
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., today joined 31 of his Senate colleagues in introducing legislation to keep immigrant families together by preventing the Department of Homeland Security from taking children from their parents at the border. "Children and their parents seeking asylum and safety in the United States should not have to live in fear that they will be forcibly separated once they reach the border," Wyden said. "This bill will put an end to the Trump … Continue Reading
June 08, 2018
Wyden, Merkley Call on Speaker Ryan to Hold House Vote on Net Neutrality
Washington, D.C. - Oregon's Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley today joined their Democratic colleagues in the Senate in urging House Speaker Paul Ryan to schedule a vote on the Senate resolution to overturn the Federal Communications Commission's (FCC) disastrous decision to repeal the agency's net neutrality rules. "Without these protections, broadband providers can decide what content gets through to consumers at what speeds and could use this power to discriminate against their competitors … Continue Reading
June 08, 2018
Wyden, Merkley Secure Provision to Legalize Hemp in Senate Farm Bill
WASHINGTON - U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden today announced he and Sen. Jeff Merkley secured a provision in the Senate Farm Bill to legalize industrial hemp. Wyden worked with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., to ensure their bipartisan Hemp Farming Act of 2018 was included in legislation released today. The Senate Agriculture Committee will officially consider the legislation on Wednesday, June 13. In April, Wyden, Merkley and McConnell introduced the bill with Rand Paul, R-Ky. The … Continue Reading
June 08, 2018
Wyden Secures Provision in Senate Farm Bill to Improve Soil Health, Address Climate Change
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., announced he secured a provision in the Senate Farm Bill released today to improve soil health, in a way that helps Oregon agriculture and addresses climate change. Wyden’s provision would establish a pilot project managed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to promote the use of advanced farming practices to capture carbon in soil. These practices improve soil health and crop resilience while lowering the amount of carbon in the … Continue Reading
June 07, 2018
Wyden, Merkley Statement on Karin Immergut
Washington, D.C. - Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley issued the following statement about today's White House announcement that Karin Immergut has been nominated to fill a vacancy for the U.S. District Court for the District of Oregon. "Karin Immergut has a long and distinguished record of public service as U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon and most recently on the bench in Multnomah County Circuit Court. The choice of Judge Immergut for the U.S. District Court for the District of … Continue Reading
June 07, 2018
Wyden, Merkley Statement on Ryan Bounds
Washington, D.C. - Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley issued the following statement on today's 11-10 vote in the Senate Judiciary Committee to send the nomination of Ryan Bounds to the full Senate for a vacancy on the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals: "It's a sad day for justice when Senator Grassley feels free to shatter an agreed-upon process that has long proved itself as a fair and bipartisan way to ensure nominees for a lifetime appointment to the bench meet the highest standards for … Continue Reading
June 06, 2018
Wyden, McConnell, Merkley, Paul Lead Senate in Designating Hemp History Week
Washington, D.C. - Sens. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., and Rand Paul, R-Ky., cheered the passage of their bipartisan Senate resolution designating June 4-10, "Hemp History Week." Federal law currently prohibits American farmers from growing hemp on U.S. soil, except in certain limited circumstances. That means American farmers cannot capitalize on a retail industry for which sales in the United States totaled $820 million last year. The United States is the … Continue Reading
June 05, 2018
Wyden to Forest Service: Ensure Enough Air Tankers Are Ready to Fight Fires This Wildfire Year
Washington, D.C. - Oregon's Sen. Ron Wyden today pressed Interim Forest Service Chief Vicki Christiansen to ensure enough air tankers are available to fight fires in another significant fire year facing western communities. At a hearing before the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee today, Wyden highlighted ongoing concerns he heard from Oregonians last week at town halls and other public meetings about how the agency will protect communities from wildfires using air tankers. Wyden … Continue Reading
June 04, 2018
Wyden Presses Forest Service on Wildfire Policy
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden today asked the U.S. Forest Service to explain its changes to use of air tankers during wildfires and to detail what safeguards exist to ensure a quick and effective response to those blazes. Wyden's letter to Interim U.S. Forest Service Chief Vicki Christiansen comes after the Forest Service announced contracting changes to its use of air tankers and the concerns Wyden has heard about that change from Oregonians at his town halls and meetings across … Continue Reading
June 04, 2018
Wyden Statement on Masterpiece Cakeshop Supreme Court Decision
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., issued the following statement today in response to the Supreme Court's decision in the case of Masterpiece Cakeshop v. Colorado Civil Rights Commission, in which the court ruled in favor of a bakery owner who refused to serve a same-sex couple: "The only thing the Supreme Court's decision makes clear is that we must keep working to ensure our country does not slip back to the dark days when pure prejudice forced LGBTQ Americans to be afraid and … Continue Reading
June 01, 2018
Wyden: Secretary Perry is Doubling Down on Padding Coal Executives’ Pockets at the Expense of American Families
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., today slammed a proposal being circulated by the Department of Energy to issue an emergency order that would bail out coal companies, blowing up energy markets and raising utility rates for American families. "It's bad enough gas prices have already risen under the Trump administration, but now the latest reports show Secretary Perry is doubling down on his absurd plan to blow up energy markets and raise utility rates to pad the wallets of his … Continue Reading
June 01, 2018
Wyden Demands Action from Phone Companies and FCC Following New Proof of Threats to Americans’ Phones
Washington, D.C. -Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., demanded action from telephone companies and the Federal Communications Commission today, following release of a letter from the Department of Homeland Security that makes public new evidence that foreign spies and hackers are attacking the poorly secured U.S. phone system. "I've spent the past year fighting to reveal what a terrible job the telephone companies and FCC are doing at protecting Americans from being spied on, tracked, or scammed. This … Continue Reading
June 01, 2018
Wyden, Merkley Co-sponsor Bill to Protect Children Left Alone When Parents Arrested or Detained By Immigration Officials
Washington, D.C. -Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley said today they are co-sponsoring legislation that would protect the safety and well-being of minor children left alone and vulnerable after their parents have been arrested or detained by U.S. immigration authorities. "Innocent children shouldn't face a sudden and mysterious sense of abandonment when their mothers and fathers are swept up by immigration officials in communities across the United States," Wyden said. "This bill would restore … Continue Reading
May 30, 2018
Wyden Calls on FCC to Expand Wireless Coverage Eligibility for Rural Communities
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden joined a bipartisan group of senators today in sending a letter to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), requesting an extension of the challenge process for the mapping of areas eligible for Mobility Fund Phase II support, which would help expand wireless coverage to rural communities. "While you have noted that state, local, and Tribal governments can participate in the challenge process, absent additional direction, they may remain unaware or … Continue Reading
May 24, 2018
Wyden Statement on Rising Gas Prices Ahead of Memorial Day Weekend
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., issued the following statement on soaring gas prices ahead of the upcoming holiday weekend. Gas prices have risen more than 25 percent since Trump took office, hitting nearly $3 a gallon on average nationwide. "Since Trump has taken the wheel, he's driven gas prices in one direction - straight up," Wyden said. "Seven of the largest U.S. oil companies announced $13 billion in stock buybacks after Trump signed his tax bill into law. These … Continue Reading
May 24, 2018
Wyden, Udall, Leahy, Blumenthal Demand Answers over FAA’s Delay in Addressing Safety Concerns Prior to Fatal Southwest Airlines Explosion
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Sens. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., Tom Udall, D-N.M., Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., and Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., today demanded the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) explain the agency's delay in addressing concerns over faulty airline engines prior to the explosion of a Southwest Airlines engine earlier this year that killed a passenger. "It is hard to imagine a more important duty at the FAA than ensuring passenger safety during air flight, and with that, the importance of … Continue Reading
May 24, 2018
Wyden Leads Bipartisan Effort to Address National Opioid Crisis
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden today welcomed the introduction of 22 bipartisan Medicare, Medicaid and Human Services bills by his colleagues on the Senate Finance Committee as essential pieces of the work to tackle the growing opioid epidemic in Oregon and nationwide. "Congress must take real and lasting action to confront this epidemic that's devastated far too many people and their loved ones," said Wyden, the committee's ranking Democrat. "I am gratified by today's good news … Continue Reading
May 23, 2018
Wyden Proposes New Policy to Bring More Americans into the Workforce, Reduce Barriers to Employment
Washington, D.C. - Senate Finance Committee Ranking Member Ron Wyden, D-Ore., today released draft legislation to boost job prospects for the long-term unemployed and other Americans struggling to make ends meet. This proposed policy, called the ELEVATE Act, works to close the workforce gap that is preventing many Americans from getting a job. It provides states with federal funding to design and implement subsidized jobs programs, which help workers access training and supports to achieve … Continue Reading
