Press Releases
Wyden, Schatz Urge FCC to Prepare for Deluge of Comments On Net Neutrality Day of Action, July 12
Washington, D.C.-Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., and Sen. Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii, asked the Federal Communications Commission to ensure its commenting system is prepared to withstand a cyberattack as well as a surge of comments expected on July 12, a day of action for supporters of net neutrality. "The FCC must be able to accept all comments filed to ensure that all voices are heard," the senators wrote in a letter to FCC Chairman Ajit Pai. The senators emphasized the FCC must prepare for the type … Continue Reading
July 06, 2017
Wyden, Boozman, Brown Push for Tactile Feature on Paper Currency for Americans who are Blind or Visually Impaired
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senators Ron Wyden, D-Ore., John Boozman, R-Ark., and Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, today pushed for the United States to begin producing paper currency that includes tactile features to allow Americans who are blind or visually impaired to quickly differentiate between different monetary values. In a letter to the director of the Bureau of Engraving and Printing, the senators noted there are more than 180 countries that issue paper money, but the United States alone … Continue Reading
June 28, 2017
Wyden, Merkley Join Colleagues in Introducing Senate Resolution Recognizing June as Pride Month
Washington, D.C. - Oregon's U.S. Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley joined their colleagues today in introducing the Senate's first resolution recognizing June as LGBTQ Pride Month. The resolution notes major milestones in the fight for equal treatment of LGBTQ Americans and resolves to continue efforts to achieve full equality for LGBTQ individuals. Today, June 28, marks the 48th anniversary of the Stonewall riots. "This resolution is an important milestone in recognizing the courage and … Continue Reading
June 27, 2017
Wyden Criticizes Trump Administration for Covering Up Surveillance Report
Washington, D.C. - Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., today slammed the Trump Administration for denying his request to publicly release a federal report on surveillance policies. On February 15, 2017, Wyden asked the then-Acting Director of National Intelligence to release to the public a report on Presidential Policy Director (PPD) 28, which establishes policies and procedures for safeguarding personal information collected from government surveillance. The report was written by the Privacy and Civil … Continue Reading
June 21, 2017
Wyden, Merkley Push FERC for More Public Engagement on Jordan Cove
Washington, D.C. - Oregon's U.S. Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley today pressed the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to hold more public meetings and extend the public comment period as the agency considers the proposed Jordan Cove LNG project and Pacific Connector Gas Pipeline. In a letter to FERC Acting Chair Cheryl LaFleur, Wyden and Merkley requested the agency extend the public comment period from 30 days to 90 days-the typical length of public review for a project of this … Continue Reading
June 15, 2017
Wyden Emphasizes Costs of Congressional Inaction on Wildfire Funding
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., today emphasized the costs of congressional inaction when it comes to fixing the broken system of wildfire funding, in a hearing before the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee this morning. Wyden, together with Sens. Mike Crapo and James Risch, both R-Idaho, has been working on a long-term solution since 2013 to fix the way the federal government funds wildfire suppression, in order to free up more funding for fire prevention and … Continue Reading
June 13, 2017
Wyden Introduces Bill to Encourage Charitable Giving
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore,. today introduced the Charities Helping Americans Regularly Throughout the Year (CHARITY) Act, a bipartisan bill that would encourage charitable giving and make it easier for foundations and other tax-exempt organizations to conduct their charitable mission in Oregon and nationwide. Joined by Sens. John Thune, R-SD, Bob Casey, D-Pa., and Pat Roberts, R-Kan., this legislation (S. 1343) builds on several significant charitable tax provisions that … Continue Reading
June 13, 2017
Wyden: Sessions’ Attacks on Medical Marijuana Again Show He only Values States’ Rights When He Thinks States Are Right
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., today issued the following statement after news reports that U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions requested that Congressional leaders reverse protections provided to legal marijuana states, which would allow the Justice Department to prosecute legal medical marijuana users. According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, about 90 percent of states allow for legal medical marijuana use in some form. "Jeff Sessions is again showing … Continue Reading
June 12, 2017
Wyden Statement on Puerto Rico’s Vote for Statehood
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., today issued the following statement on Puerto Rico's statehood referendum vote on June 11: "Those who stand to gain financially from a continuation of the status quo will seek to delegitimize the results of this federally authorized plebiscite. I wrote the law making this plebiscite possible so Congress could get a clear understanding of the wishes of the American citizens of Puerto Rico," Wyden said. "They have now sent a clear and … Continue Reading
June 09, 2017
Wyden, Harris, Merkley, Feinstein Call for Disaster Aid for Oregon and California Fisheries
Washington, D.C. - Oregon's and California's senators in a letter today to Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross called for a federal salmon fishery disaster declaration for both states to support economic recovery for coastal communities. The letter from Oregon Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley and California Sens. Kamala Harris and Dianne Feinstein follows a request from Oregon Gov. Kate Brown and California Gov. Jerry Brown for the federal government to issue a fisheries disaster declaration to … Continue Reading
June 09, 2017
Bipartisan Coalition of Senators Designates Hemp History Week
Washington, D.C. - To highlight the vast economic potential of industrial hemp for America's agricultural industry, the Senate passed a bipartisan resolution designating June 5-11, "Hemp History Week." Sens. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., and Rand Paul, R-Ky., introduced the bipartisan resolution Wednesday. The Hemp History Week resolution passed the Senate unanimously last night. The United States is the world's largest consumer of industrial hemp, but … Continue Reading
June 08, 2017
Wyden, Merkley Resolution Honoring MAX Attack Heroes Passes Senate
Washington, DC - U.S. Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley praised the Senate's passage today of their joint resolution to honor Oregon heroes Rick Best, Taliesin Myrddin Namkai-Meche, and Micah David-Cole Fletcher. Best and Namkai-Meche were fatally stabbed on May 26 defending two young women targeted by threatening anti-Muslim hate speech on the MAX train in Portland. Fletcher was seriously wounded in the attack. "These three Oregonians stood up courageously against terrorism -- and for … Continue Reading
June 08, 2017
Wyden Blasts Interior Department’s Attempt to Undo Federal Sage Grouse Plans
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., today blasted Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke's announcement that the department would review federal land management plans for the Greater Sage-grouse for their potential to impede oil and gas development on public lands. The review, issued in the form of a secretarial order, could undo federal sage grouse habitat management plans, which farmers, ranchers, environmentalists, and industry stakeholders spent years establishing to prevent an … Continue Reading
June 07, 2017
Wyden Marks National Hemp History Week
Washington, D.C. - Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., today pressed his colleagues in Congress to support a bipartisan effort to lift the federal ban on growing industrial hemp in the United States. Industrial hemp farming holds vast potential for job creation and economic benefits in Oregon and nationwide. Sales of hemp-based products in the U.S. total almost $600 million each year, but current federal law bans farmers from growing hemp in the U.S. Wyden said the federal prohibition on growing hemp is … Continue Reading
June 07, 2017
Wyden Blasts Trump Administration for Refusal to Disclose Number of Americans Swept Up Under FISA 702, Covering up The True Impact on Innocent Americans
Washington, D.C. - Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., blasted Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats today for announcing that the Trump administration will not provide an estimate of how many Americans' emails, calls and other communications are swept up under section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, despite the fact Congress has sought this number since 2011. View Wyden's questions here. "What the director said today is in my view a 180-degree retreat from what he said … Continue Reading
June 06, 2017
Wyden on Energy Department Nominee: Selling off Bonneville Power is a Nonstarter
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., today voted against four Trump administration nominees that would have sweeping control over energy costs, future energy infrastructure projects and public lands, in a Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee business meeting. Wyden said he voted against the nominee to be the deputy secretary of Energy, Dan Brouillette, because Brouillette did not commit to working to keep Bonneville Power Administration in public ownership, in a written … Continue Reading
June 05, 2017
Wyden to Vote “No” on FERC Nominees
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., today announced he will vote against two nominees to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), after they failed to commit to avoiding political interference from the White House or to protecting the interests of local residents in making decisions about future energy projects. In written responses to questions from Wyden, the two FERC nominees, Neil Chatterjee and Robert Powelson, did not commit to remaining independent from White House … Continue Reading
June 02, 2017
Oregon Delegation Honors Heroes of Portland Terrorist Attack
Portland, Ore. - Representative Earl Blumenauer, Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley, and Representatives Suzanne Bonamici, Peter DeFazio, Kurt Schrader, and Greg Walden today announced that they will introduce a joint resolution to honor the heroism of Rick Best, Taliesin Myrddin Namkai-Meche, and Micah David-Cole Fletcher. On Friday, May 26, these brave individuals were brutally stabbed on local transit in Portland, OR as they protected two young women who were the targets of threatening … Continue Reading
May 25, 2017
Wyden Joins Shaheen, Colleagues to Introduce Legislation to Boost Public Participation at FERC
Washington, D.C. - Today, U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., joined Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., and their colleagues to reintroduce legislation to create an Office of Public Participation and Consumer Advocacy at the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC). As one of the lead agencies responsible for developing energy infrastructure and ensuring reliability of the electric grid, FERC has sweeping authority over the wholesale power markets and ultimate jurisdiction in the federal siting and … Continue Reading
May 25, 2017
Wyden, Blumenauer Introduce Vote-by-Mail Bill to Fight Growing Tide of Voter Suppression
Washington, D.C. - Senator Ron Wyden and Representative Earl Blumenauer, Oregon Democrats, today introduced their bill to expand Oregon-style vote-by-mail nationwide and knock down the mounting obstacles that voters across the country are facing, just to cast their ballots. "This administration is fixated with making it harder for Americans to vote," Wyden said. "And when regular Americans can't vote, lobbyists, special interests everyone else who wants to profit off of the government win. … Continue Reading
