Press Releases
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
June 27, 2018
Wyden, Murkowski, Bennet, Gardner Fight for Hop Growers in Senate Farm Bill
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Sens. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, Michael Bennet, D-Colo., and Cory Gardner, R-Colo., this week introduced an amendment to the Senate Farm Bill to allow the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to fight plant diseases that most threaten the livelihoods of hop growers. Their bipartisan amendment would encourage ongoing work at the USDA to address two diseases - powdery mildew and downy mildew - that can wipe out as much as 15 percent of a hop field, … Continue Reading
June 27, 2018
Wyden, Walden Urge Feds to Help Protect Baker City Water Supply
Washington, D.C. - Sen. Ron Wyden and Rep. Greg Walden today urged federal officials to help protect Baker City's water supply from wildfires by putting a priority on hazardous fuel treatments on and near the city's watershed. "We have both heard from community leaders who are concerned about the potential for large scale fire within the watershed and the impacts that would have on the city's drinking water," Wyden and Walden wrote the United States Forest Service. "The community stands … Continue Reading
June 26, 2018
Wyden Secures Key Provisions in 2019 Intelligence Authorization Act
Washington, D.C. - Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., a senior member of the Senate Intelligence Committee, secured key amendments to the Intelligence Authorization Act for the 2019 fiscal year. "This bill represents progress when it comes to standing up to the financial and intelligence threat from Russia and securing Intelligence Community communications. And while I wish this went farther, the committee is now on the record as acknowledging that it is unacceptable for intelligence nominees to hold … Continue Reading
June 26, 2018
Wyden, Crapo, Push for Northwest Small Fruits Growers
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Sens. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., and Mike Crapo, R-Idaho, today introduced an amendment to the Senate Farm Bill to allow federal funding to go toward the kind of research that propels the agricultural competitiveness of Oregon, Idaho and the Pacific Northwest forward. The senators' bipartisan amendment would bolster the Northwest Center for Small Fruits Research's ability to receive federal grant funding for research into crop resilience for agricultural products like grapes, … Continue Reading
June 26, 2018
Wyden Presses HHS Secretary to Protect and Reunify Children Separated from Their Parents at the Border
WASHINGTON - U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., the top Democrat on the Senate Finance Committee, today pressed Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) Alex Azar over the urgent need to protect and reunify children and families separated at the border because of the Trump administration's inhumane "zero-tolerance" policy. At a hearing before the Senate Finance Committee, Wyden pressed Azar to answer two basic questions about asylum-seekers: how many children HHS has reunited with parents or … Continue Reading
June 25, 2018
Wyden Praises Increased Funds for Rural Health Care Program
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden said today's announcement of increased federal funding for the Rural Health Care Program will help to meet the growing demand for telehealth services in rural parts of Oregon and nationwide. Wyden said he's heard firsthand in town halls and meetings with medical providers throughout Oregon how badly needed today's FCC action to lift the decades-old $400 million cap is to improving telecommunications and broadband services for rural health care providers. … Continue Reading
June 25, 2018
Wyden Announces “First Amendment” Schedule for Fourth of July Work Period
Portland - U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden will highlight the First Amendment's freedoms of speech, religion, press and assembly during the upcoming Fourth of July congressional work period in Oregon from June 29-July 5. "The Founding Fathers knew the First Amendment's freedoms were core to our country and to creating the values that have made America a destination for all who hunger to be free of fear and liberated to pursue their dreams," Wyden said. "As the son of a reporter, I learned early on about … Continue Reading
June 25, 2018
Wyden Hosts 900th Town Hall Next Week
Portland - Senator Ron Wyden will hold his 900th Oregon town hall on Monday, July 2 in Lane County, returning to the city of Eugene where he attended law school and began his public service advocating on behalf of seniors. The noon town hall will be at the Roosevelt Middle School cafeteria (500 E 24th Ave. in Eugene). Wyden wanted to hold his 900th town hall in Eugene because he attended the University of Oregon Law School. "I promised Oregonians when I was elected that I would hold annual … Continue Reading
June 22, 2018
Wyden Cheers Supreme Court Decision on Warrantless Government Searches of Americans’ Location Records
Washington, D.C. - Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., today applauded the Supreme Court's ruling, authored by Chief Justice John Roberts, that requires the government to obtain a warrant before searching Americans' historical location records: "Today's ruling strikes a blow against the creeping expansion of government intrusion into the most personal parts of Americans' lives. The court's recognition that digital devices can generate 'near-perfect surveillance' of a person's private life is a validation … Continue Reading
June 21, 2018
Finance Democrats Demand Plan to Reunite Children Separated from Their Parents at the Border
WASHINGTON - U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., the top Democrat on the Senate Finance Committee, led Finance Committee Democrats today in demanding to know how the Trump administration is ensuring the safety of children separated from their parents under Trump's zero-tolerance policy and how the administration plans to reunify children and families. In a letter to Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) Alex Azar, the senators noted that many of the children separated from their families … Continue Reading
June 20, 2018
Oregon Lawmakers Demand Sessions and Nielsen Reverse Zero Tolerance Policy
Washington, D.C. - Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley and Reps. Suzanne Bonamici, Earl Blumenauer and Kurt Schrader today demanded Attorney General Jeff Sessions and Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen immediately reverse the Trump administration's zero-tolerance policy that's left asylum seekers dumped in federal prisons. The Oregon lawmakers said their letter follows a troubling meeting Saturday, June 16 with many of the 123 asylum seekers held at the Federal Correctional Institution … Continue Reading
June 19, 2018
Following Wyden’s Investigation, Verizon Pledges to End Contracts With Companies that Sell Americans’ Location
UPDATE - Following news reports that Verizon would end its contracts with major location aggregators, AT&T announced it would follow suit. Please see Sen. Wyden's latest statement on twitter: While @Verizon & @ATT have now pledged to stop selling customer location data to shady middlemen, @TMobile & @sprint seem content to keep selling customers' private information, Americans' privacy be damned. - Ron Wyden (@RonWyden) June 19, 2018 Washington, D.C. - Following an … Continue Reading
June 18, 2018
Wyden Votes No on Defense Authorization Bill
Washington, D.C. - Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., today released the following statement on the passage of the National Defense Authorization Act: "After Republicans in Congress spent almost $2 trillion in tax breaks that are overwhelmingly skewed to multinational corporations, they're now pushing through legislation that green-lights billions more for open-ended military commitments," Wyden said. "While I applaud the Senate's rejection of Donald Trump's ZTE giveaway and I support pay raises for … Continue Reading
June 18, 2018
Wyden, Merkley Warn Secretary Zinke Not to Skirt Environmental Laws with Plan to Drill in Arctic
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley joined 28 of their Senate colleagues in sending a letter to Secretary Zinke in response to the Department of the Interior's notice it will begin an Environmental Impact Statement for drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. The letter, sent in response to Interior's plan to move forward with drilling, demands that any actions taken in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge be in full compliance with environmental laws in order to … Continue Reading
June 15, 2018
Merkley, Wyden Join New Legislation To Provide A Better Deal For Workers
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Oregon's U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden today joined their colleagues in the Senate and House to introduce the Workers' Freedom to Negotiate Act, legislation that would strengthen workers' freedom to join unions and negotiate collectively to win better pay and conditions; stiffen penalties on corporations; protect workers' right to strike; streamline procedures to secure worker freedoms; and protect the integrity of union elections. "When workers get together to … Continue Reading
June 13, 2018
Wyden Applauds Step Forward for His Soil Health Provision in Senate Farm Bill
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., today applauded a step forward for a provision he secured in the Senate Farm Bill that would improve soil health and crop resilience and address climate change. Wyden's provision would establish a pilot project for farmers across the country to implement advanced farming practices to capture carbon in soil. These farming practices have been shown to improve soil health and crop resilience while lowering the amount of carbon in the … Continue Reading
