Press Releases
Wyden, Colleagues Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Promote Free Speech, Crack Down on Frivolous “Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation”
Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., today introduced the Free Speech Protection Act, bipartisan legislation to protect individuals and organizations from frivolous lawsuits designed to chill free speech and political action. Representatives Jamie Raskin, D-Md., and Kevin Kiley, R-Calif., led companion legislation in the House. Corporations and special interests have used strategic lawsuits against public participation, or “SLAPPs,” since the 1980s to target their opponents … Continue Reading
December 05, 2024
Merkley, Wyden, Hoyle Announce FEMA Funding for Earthquake Resilience in Lane County
Washington, D.C. - Oregon’s U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden along with U.S. Representative Val Hoyle announced today that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is sending a total of $1,758,536 to fund Lane County’s project to seismically retrofit the Hayden Bridge, a pedestrian bridge in northeast Springfield. “As I hold a town hall in each of Oregon’s 36 counties every year, I hear firsthand from folks about what matters most to them, including ensuring our communities are … Continue Reading
December 04, 2024
Wyden Statement on Senate Passage of Tax Relief for Wildfire Survivors
Washington, D.C. -U.S. Senator Ron Wyden issued the following statement after working successfully to secure tonight’s Senate passage of tax relief for wildfire survivors in Oregon and nationwide. “This is great news for Oregonians whose lives and livelihoods have been ripped apart by wildfires,” said Wyden, Chair of the Senate Finance Committee that oversees tax policy. “Today’s vote restores common sense and common decency to tax policy by making sure that survivors of these infernos … Continue Reading
December 04, 2024
Following Devastating “Salt Typhoon” Hack, Wyden and Schmitt Call for Investigation of the Pentagon’s Failure to Secure its Phone Systems Against Foreign Spies
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., and Senator Eric Schmitt, R-Mo., called for the Defense Department’s top watchdog to investigate the Pentagon’s failure to secure its communications from foreign spies, following the devastating “Salt Typhoon” hack of major telecom companies by Chinese government hackers. In a letter to Department of Defense Inspector General Robert Storch, Wyden and Schmitt highlighted the DOD’s failure to secure its communications from foreign spies. The … Continue Reading
December 04, 2024
Wyden, Colleagues Seek Additional Progress on Federal Cannabis Reforms Before End of Biden Administration
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden said today he is urging the Biden administration to make further progress on the federal government’s approach to cannabis before the end of its term. In a letter to the Biden administration, Wyden joined with lawmakers from the Senate and House to applaud the historic steps the administration has taken to lessen the harm of cannabis criminalization and push the Administration to take additional steps before the end of its term, including issuing … Continue Reading
December 04, 2024
Wyden, Colleagues Seek Additional Progress on Federal Cannabis Reforms Before End of Biden Administration
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden said today he is urging the Biden administration to make further progress on the federal government’s approach to cannabis before the end of its term. In a letter to the Biden administration, Wyden joined with lawmakers from the Senate and House to applaud the historic steps the administration has taken to lessen the harm of cannabis criminalization and push the Administration to take additional steps before the end of its term, including issuing … Continue Reading
December 03, 2024
Wyden Applauds Privacy Agencies for New Actions In Response to His Calls to Protect Americans’ Personal Information From Data Brokers
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., today applauded two federal privacy regulators for announcing new actions to limit data brokers’ ability to sell the personal data of regular Americans, including U.S. service members overseas. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau proposed a rule on Tuesday to limit the information that can be sold under the so-called “credit header” loophole, which allows Social Security numbers, phone numbers and other information from mortgage, … Continue Reading
December 02, 2024
Merkley, Wyden Offer Opportunity for Oregonians to Request Tickets to Inauguration
Washington, D.C. - Oregon’s U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden open the opportunity for Oregonians to request tickets to the 60th Inaugural Ceremonies on January 20, 2025. The ceremony is at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C. Each Oregonian requesting tickets may request up to four tickets. Requestors must include their full name, a home address, and phone number, along with city and state of residence for all individuals requesting tickets. Tickets are not guaranteed and are subject … Continue Reading
November 26, 2024
Wyden, Moran Urge Biden Administration to Complete Revisions of Executive Order Necessary to Reform America’s Broken Classification and Declassification System
Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senators Ron Wyden, D-Ore., and Jerry Moran, R-Kan., today urged President Joe Biden to complete necessary revisions of the executive order governing America’s classification and declassification system. “The failures of the current obsolete system have been extensively documented in reports from the Information Security Oversight Office (ISOO) of the National Archives and the Public Interest Declassification Board (PIDB). The need for reform has also been stressed … Continue Reading
November 26, 2024
Wyden, Merkley Announce Nearly $1.2 Million for Ecosystem Restoration in Oregon
Washington D.C.—U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley today announced a federal investment of $1.18 million for the Tillamook Estuaries Partnership to help fix the Burton-Fraser Road along the Tillamook River that is limiting fish passage. “Letting our infrastructure crumble over time to a point where it hurts the environment is unacceptable, especially when battling the increasing consequences of the climate crisis,” Wyden said. “I consider federal investments like this that connect … Continue Reading
November 26, 2024
Merkley, Wyden Announce Funding for Monarch Butterfly and Pollinator Conservation in Oregon
Washington, D.C. - Oregon’s U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden announced today a total of $758,810 in funding from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF)’s Monarch Butterfly and Pollinators Conservation Fund (Pollinator Fund) for two projects that will increase and improve western monarch butterfly and pollinator habitats in Oregon. “We’ve all experienced the moment of excitement when we spot a monarch butterfly fluttering through the air. If we allow the iconic western … Continue Reading
November 25, 2024
Wyden, Colleagues Urge Feds to Quickly Implement Life-Saving Traffic Safety Provisions
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden said today he has joined his colleagues in a letter to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) , urging a swift implementation of life-saving traffic safety provisions in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA). “The IIJA included numerous provisions designed to hit the brakes on the nation’s traffic safety crisis by addressing alcohol-impaired driving, seatbelt non-use, and distracted driving. The law also required … Continue Reading
November 25, 2024
Wyden Joins Legislation to Shore up Labor Protections for Minor League Baseball Players
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden said today he has introduced legislation that would roll back exemptions from federal worker rights for Minor League Baseball players. The new Fair Ball Act would enact a narrowly tailored exemption that would only apply if the players are being compensated under the terms of a collective bargaining agreement. If the players are not covered by a collective bargaining agreement, then they would have the same federal wage protections as all other … Continue Reading
November 25, 2024
Wyden, Durbin Oppose FIFA’s Plan to Award Saudi Arabia as 2034 World Cup Host Citing Human Rights Concerns
Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senators Ron Wyden, D-Ore., and Dick Durbin, D-Ill., today called on Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) to select a 2034 World Cup host country with a record of upholding human rights, as human rights watchdogs continue sounding the alarm on Saudi Arabia’s deteriorating human rights conditions. “The Saudi regime has long violated human rights and has made no progress toward meaningful reform and accountability. The Kingdom continues to torture … Continue Reading
November 19, 2024
Wyden Applauds Key Senate Committee for Advancing His Legislation to Combat Catastrophic Wildfires
Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., today applauded the Senate Energy and Natural Resources (ENR) Committee for advancing his bipartisan National Prescribed Fire Act to support prescribed burns during the colder and wetter months as an essential, science-based strategy proven to save lives and property. “Today’s vote takes us much closer toward my goal of stopping wildfires before they devastate communities in Oregon and nationwide,” Wyden said. “With wildfires hitting record … Continue Reading
November 19, 2024
Wyden Statement on Trump Announcing DOE and DOI Nominations
Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., issued the following statement on Donald Trump picking Chris Wright to be nominated for Department of Energy secretary and Doug Burgum to be nominated for Department of Interior secretary. “It’s sadly not the least bit surprising that Trump’s picks to do his bidding at the Department of Energy and the Department of the Interior have long track records cheerleading for Big Oil, corporate America, and the ultra-wealthy gas executives plotting … Continue Reading
November 19, 2024
Merkley, Wyden: ODOT Receives $31.9 Million to Slash Pollution from Construction Projects
Washington, D.C. - Oregon’s U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden announced today that the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) is receiving $31,933,577 to use cleaner construction materials on federally-funded projects statewide. The funding comes from the historic Inflation Reduction Act’s Low Carbon Transportation Materials Discretionary Grant Program, which supports continued growth in American manufacturing to boost the competitiveness of clean U.S. industries and the creation of … Continue Reading
November 19, 2024
Wyden, Merkley Statement on Senate Confirmation of Magistrate Mustafa Kasubhai to U.S. District Court in Oregon
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley issued the following statement after the U.S. Senate voted today to confirm Magistrate Mustafa Kasubhai’s nomination to the U.S. District Court. “This is a great day for justice in America. Judge Kasubhai brings to the U.S. District Court an all-star résumé of legal accomplishment, judicial temperament and personal integrity," Wyden and Merkley said. "We are gratified the Senate has acted to confirm this standout jurist and are fully … Continue Reading
November 18, 2024
Merkley, Wyden Announce Over $6 Million Heading to Oregon to Improve Street Safety
Washington, D.C. - Oregon’s U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden announced today that a total of $6,150,000 is heading to Polk, Wheeler, and Wasco counties for the development of safety action plans to improve road safety and to Metro for the identification of Safe Routes to School in Portland. “Whether walking, driving, or biking, Oregonians in every corner of the state deserve safe streets and roads in their communities to get where they need to go,” said Merkley. “These investments … Continue Reading
November 14, 2024
Merkley, Wyden Announce $5.4 Million for Hazardous Fuels Transportation Projects to Reduce Wildfire Risk in Oregon
Washington, D.C. - Oregon’s U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden announced $5,416,405 is coming to Oregon from the Inflation Reduction Act—the largest investment in clean energy and climate action ever—for hazardous fuels transportation projects across the state. The federal funding awarded by the U.S. Forest Service will reduce the risk of wildfires by moving hazardous fuels—smaller trees, live or dead brush, tree limbs, and other natural debris—from national forests and grasslands to … Continue Reading
