Press Releases
Wyden Statement on FOSTA-SESTA Passing House
Washington, D.C. -Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., issued the following statement on the House passage of FOSTA-SESTA. "History shows that politicians have been remarkably bad at solving technological problems. I have written laws in the past, including Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act and the Internet Tax Freedom Act, that have kept politicians and special interests from sinking the internet. This bill will only prop up the entrenched players who are rapidly losing the public's trust. … Continue Reading
February 27, 2018
Wyden Co-sponsors Bill to Protect Veterans
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden announced today he is co-sponsoring legislation that would protect veterans from paying for the VA's accounting mistakes. The bill introduced by Sens. Jon Tester (D-Mont.), Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) follows a VICE news report that found overpayments from the VA have been on the rise since 2013. In 2016 alone, the VA issued upwards of 200,000 overpayment notices to veterans, often recouping funds by withholding some or all … Continue Reading
February 22, 2018
Wyden, Merkley, DeFazio Preserve Southwestern Oregon Mineral Withdrawal
Washington, D.C. - Oregon Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley and Rep. Peter DeFazio today announced that the U.S. Forest Service has told them it will not revisit a southwestern Oregon mineral withdrawal protecting more than 100,000 acres from development. That good news in a letter from Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue, who oversees the Forest Service, came in response to a Nov. 14, 2017 letter from Wyden, Merkley and DeFazio. The three lawmakers had urged the Trump administration in their … Continue Reading
February 22, 2018
Wyden, McCaskill Urge Customs and Border Protection to Turn On Anti-Forgery Features for e-Passports
Washington, D.C.-Senators Ron Wyden, D-Ore., and Claire McCaskill, D-Mo., ranking member of the Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee today urged U.S. Customs and Border Protection to take basic steps to improve U.S. border security by acquiring the capability to use anti-tampering and anti-forgery features built into e-Passports. The Enhanced Border Security and Visa Entry Reform Act of 2002 required foreigners participating in the Visa Waiver Program -which permits entry into … Continue Reading
February 15, 2018
Wyden, Merkley Push Zinke for Response to Five-Month-Old Sagebrush Request
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley today asked the Interior Department for a positive response to their Sept. 22 letter urging approval for a program that has inmates produce sagebrush plants to help restore sage grouse habitat after fires. Today's letter to Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke comes after the two Oregon senators received no response to their letter from nearly five months ago encouraging approval as soon as possible of the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) … Continue Reading
February 15, 2018
Wyden Votes to Protect Dreamers, Provide Funding for Effective Border Security
Washington, D.C. - Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., today voted in favor of a bipartisan compromise that would protect the estimated 11,000 Dreamers in Oregon as well as provide funding for effective border security measures. The bill failed to advance in the Senate today on a vote of 54 to 45. It needed 60 votes to advance. The bipartisan, compromise legislation the Senate voted on today would have granted permanent legal status to 1.8 million undocumented immigrants, including young people who … Continue Reading
February 15, 2018
Wyden, Merkley Urge Trump Administration to End Unlawful Attacks on Women’s Health Care
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley, along with 37 Senate Democrats urged the Trump Administration to reverse its decision to roll back protections that prevent states from excluding qualified women's health care providers from the Medicaid program. The letter to Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Alex Azar, comes after recent reports that in rescinding the guidance, the Administration worked with conservative outside groups to make it easier for states to defund … Continue Reading
February 13, 2018
Wyden Urges Appropriators to Respect State Marijuana Laws
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden, along with a bipartisan group of 17 senators, this week sent a letter to the Senate Committee on Appropriations Chairman Thad Cochran (R-MI) and Vice Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-VT), urging them to respect states' laws regarding the regulation of marijuana when finalizing fiscal year 2018 appropriations. Recognizing that the majority of states - including Oregon -- have some form of reduced restrictions on marijuana, the Department of Justice has issued a … Continue Reading
February 13, 2018
Wyden, Merkley Announce $464,000 Grant for Redmond School District
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley announced today that the Redmond School District will receive more than $464,000 in federal funding to reimburse the central Oregon district for snow removal costs incurred during a January 2017 storm. The $464,648 Federal Emergency Management Agency grant for removing snow from the roofs of Redmond school buildings comes in the wake of a similar grant announced last week for the Bend-LaPine School District. "I am gratified this … Continue Reading
February 13, 2018
Wyden Questions Intelligence Leaders About Release Of Misleading Nunes Memo and Burying of Russian Oligarchs Report
Washington, D.C. -Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., today questioned intelligence leaders on the administration's political and arbitrary decisions to release the misleading Nunes memo, while refusing to release a congressionally mandated public report on Russian oligarchs. Both NSA Director Mike Rogers and FBI Director Christopher Wray voiced concerns about the Nunes memo, they testified. The other intelligence leaders testified that they had not rendered an opinion. None of the intelligence … Continue Reading
February 12, 2018
Wyden: Trump Budget Promises to Raise Utility Bills for Pacific Northwesterners, Leaves Seniors, Children and American Families Behind
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., today released the following statement on the Trump administration's budget proposal to Congress: "Oregonians raised hell last year when Trump tried to raise power bills for Pacific Northwesterners by selling off Bonneville Power, and yet his administration is back at it again. Our investment shouldn't be put up for sale to free up money for runaway military spending or tax cuts for billionaires. I fought off efforts to privatize Bonneville a … Continue Reading
February 09, 2018
Merkley, Wyden Announce Funds for Chetco Bar Fire Recovery Plan
PORTLAND, OR - Oregon's U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden today announced a $50,000 federal grant to help develop an economic recovery plan for Curry County, which was severely impacted by the massive Chetco Bar wildfire that burned through the summer and fall last year. "This funding will help Brookings and other communities on the road to recovery from an historic wildfire season," Merkley said. "Meanwhile, I will continue to fight to fix broken wildfire policies and invest in fire … Continue Reading
February 09, 2018
Wyden, Merkley Announce $1.1 Million Grant for Bend-LaPine School District
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley announced today that the Bend-LaPine School District will receive more than $1 million in federal funding to reimburse the district for expenses stemming from the January 2017 storm that dumped snow on schools' roofs. The $1.1 million from the Federal Emergency Management Agency will cover costs for engineering evaluations and snow removal that the district incurred while protecting its buildings from heavy snow that piled on roofs and … Continue Reading
February 09, 2018
Wyden Votes No On Government Spending Package
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., issued the following statement after voting 'No' on a government spending package. "Leader Schumer deserves tremendous credit for securing a number of key Democratic priorities in this package. I'm particularly proud that this bill contains historic victories for Finance Committee priorities in terms of health care and human services, on everything from health care for children, to the most significant improvement in the child welfare system in … Continue Reading
February 08, 2018
Wyden, Bipartisan Senators Call for Senate Investigation into Larry Nassar Case
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden has joined a bipartisan group of Senators to urge the establishment of a special Senate committee to investigate the U.S. Olympic Committee (USOC) and USA Gymnastics regarding how team doctor Larry Nassar was allowed to sexually abuse female gymnasts over decades. "It's long overdue that those involved in the Larry Nassar case be held accountable for their inaction, and provide answers to the deeply troubling questions that linger for victims and their … Continue Reading
February 07, 2018
Senators Press Interior Department on Zinke’s Efforts to Dismantle Plans to Manage Sage Grouse Habitat, Mitigate Climate Change Impacts
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senators Ron Wyden, D-Ore., Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., Tom Udall, D-N.M., and Michael Bennet, D-Colo., today pressed Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke about the agency's recent efforts to dismantle land management plans to protect sage grouse habitat and mitigate climate change impacts. In a letter to Zinke, the senators expressed their concerns about guidelines issued at the end of December by the Bureau of Land Management … Continue Reading
February 06, 2018
Wyden Co-sponsors Landslide Safety Bill
Washington, DC- Senator Ron Wyden today announced he is co-sponsoring a bill that would establish a National Landslide Hazards Reduction Program to save lives and property by better identifying and understanding landslide risks. "Communities in Oregon and nationwide threatened by landslides should have access to the latest technology and needed resources that can mean the difference between life and death," Wyden said. "This legislation recognizes that need by improving the responses to … Continue Reading
February 02, 2018
Merkley, Wyden Join Introduction of New Legislation to Protect National Monuments from Trump Administration’s Attempts to Roll Back Protections
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Oregon's Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden announced today that they have joined a group of 18 senators in introducing legislation to enhance protections for national monuments against the Trump administration's unprecedented attacks on public lands. The America's Natural Treasures of Immeasurable Quality Unite, Inspire, and Together Improve the Economies of States (ANTIQUITIES) Act of 2018 reinforces Congress' intent in the Antiquities Act of 1906: Only Congress has the … Continue Reading
February 01, 2018
Wyden, Merkley Statement on Resignation of Roseburg VA Director Doug Paxton
Portland - U.S. Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley today issued the following statement about the resignation of Roseburg VA Director Doug Paxton: “It’s been clear from the growing number of troubling reports from veterans served in Roseburg’s VA system that change is needed to provide the top-notch care those veterans deserve,” Wyden and Merkley said. “We hope this change marks a needed step forward to achieve the goal of transforming the VA’s Roseburg system into a place worthy of the … Continue Reading
February 01, 2018
Wyden Urges Administration to Make Rural Broadband a Priority
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden and 15 of his colleagues are urging the Trump administration to include funding for broadband internet deployment in rural areas nationwide that lack access to high-speed broadband. "In an increasingly interconnected world and global economy, we must include in our discussion of infrastructure not just roads, bridges and waterways, but also high-speed internet access," Wyden and senators wrote in their letter. "While the vast majority of Americans have … Continue Reading
