Press Releases
Senators Wyden, Udall, Heinrich Statement on President’s Announcement on Surveillance Reform
Washington, D.C. - Senators Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Mark Udall (D-Colo.), and Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), members of the U.S. Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, reacted to today's speech by President Obama outlining his directive on reforming surveillance powers. The senators have been longtime advocates for reining in overbroad surveillance powers and protecting Americans' privacy. They issued the following statement: "After the long push to rein in overbroad surveillance powers, we are … Continue Reading
January 16, 2014
Wyden Announces Hearing on O&C Lands Bill
Washington, D.C. - Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., announced the Energy and Natural Resources Committee will hold a hearing on the O&C Lands Act of 2013 on February 6. The bill will double the timber harvest on O&C Lands in 18 Oregon counties, giving mills and rural communities a predictable, sustainable source of timber from federal lands. And it uses proven science from two renowned Northwest foresters to design harvests in a way that mimics natural processes, without resorting to clear … Continue Reading
January 16, 2014
Wyden Begins 19th Year of Town Halls with 11 Meetings
Jefferson County Town Hall: Date: Time: Location: Saturday, January 18, 2014 10 a.m. Madras City Hall 125 SW "E" Street Madras Deschutes County Town Hall: Date: Time: Location: Saturday, January 18, 2014 1 p.m. Bend Senior Center 1600 SE Reed Market Road Bend Crook County Town Hall: Date: Time: Location: Saturday, January 18, 2014 4 p.m. Prineville Senior Center 180 NE Belknap Street Prineville Marion County … Continue Reading
January 15, 2014
Bipartisan, Bicameral Medicare Reforms Seek to Improve Care and Lower Costs
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Ron Wyden, D-Ore., and Johnny Isakson, R-Ga., and U.S. Representatives Erik Paulsen, R-Minn., and Peter Welch, D-Vt., today introduced bipartisan, bicameral legislation aimed at providing better care at lower cost for the millions of Medicare beneficiaries with multiple chronic conditions. The Better Care, Lower Cost Act seeks to improve care coordination for beneficiaries with multiple chronic conditions, the most-expensive and fastest-growing portion of the … Continue Reading
January 14, 2014
Sens. Paul, Wyden and Gillibrand Introduce Bill to Repeal AUMF for Iraq
WASHINGTON - Sens. Rand Paul (R-Ky.), Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) today introduced S.1919, which would repeal the Authorization of Military Force (AUMF) for Iraq and officially bring the Iraq war to a close. This bipartisan effort is co-sponsored by Sens. Mike Lee (R-Utah), Jon Tester (D- Mont.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Chris Murphy (D-Conn.). "Two years ago, President Obama declared the war in Iraq over. With the return of our troops and … Continue Reading
January 10, 2014
Udall, Wyden, Heinrich Press White House to Make Common-Sense, Constitutional Reforms to NSA Surveillance, Protect Privacy
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Mark Udall (D-Colo.), Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) and Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) - all members of the U.S. Senate Select Committee on Intelligence - in a letter pressed the White House today to take swift action to rein in the National Security Agency's pervasive and constitutionally flawed domestic surveillance activities and to adopt reforms that protect privacy while ensuring American security. The senators urged the president in their letter to adopt many of the … Continue Reading
December 20, 2013
Wyden Statement on Senator Baucus’ Nomination to be Ambassador to China
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) issued the following statement regarding Senator Baucus' nomination to be Ambassador to China: "I want to congratulate my friend and colleague Max Baucus on the next step in his career in public service. Like his personal mentor Mike Mansfield, he has served Montana and the nation with great distinction for decades and has left his mark on the Senate and the Finance Committee. Our diplomatic relationships in East Asia are some of the most … Continue Reading
December 19, 2013
Energy Committee Passes Wyden Eastside Forest Bill
Washington, D.C. - The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee today passed legislation sponsored by Committee Chairman Ron Wyden, D-Ore., that would boost timber harvests while protecting and restoring old growth forests in Oregon. "The eastern part of my state is down to only a small handful of surviving timber mills," Wyden said. "Yet without them, there's going to be no restoration of Oregon's eastside forests, and none of the jobs - none of the jobs - that they provide in rural … Continue Reading
December 19, 2013
Wyden, Crapo Introduce Bipartisan Wildfire Funding Reform Legislation
Washington, D.C. - Today Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., Chairman of the Energy and Natural Resources Committee, and Sen. Mike Crapo, R-Idaho, introduced a bill to reform federal wildfire policy, target more funding for fire prevention, and treat the largest wildfires as natural disasters. "This is about as common-sense as it gets: Congress needs to fund the biggest, most catastrophic wildfires like the natural disasters they are, and free up funding to break the destructive cycle that underfunds … Continue Reading
December 18, 2013
Wyden Statement on Report from the President’s Review Group on Intelligence and Communications Technologies
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) issued the following statement regarding today's report from the President's Review Group on Intelligence and Communications Technologies. "I was particularly pleased with the Review Group's finding that the information collected by the NSA bulk phone records collection program 'was not essential to preventing attacks and could readily have been obtained in a timely manner using conventional section 215 orders.'* I have been arguing for two … Continue Reading
December 16, 2013
Wyden Statement on U.S. District Court Ruling on Bulk Collection of Phone Records
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) issued the following statement regarding the U.S. District Court's ruling on bulk collection of phone records. "Judge Leon's ruling hits the nail on the head. It makes clear that bulk phone records collection is intrusive digital surveillance and not simply inoffensive data collection as some have said. The court noted that this metadata can be used for 'repetitive, surreptitious surveillance of a citizen's private goings on,' that creates a … Continue Reading
December 12, 2013
Chaffetz, Wyden Ask Holder to Release Unredacted Geolocation Memos
WASHINGTON- Today, Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR) and Congressman Jason Chaffetz (R-UT) sent a letter to Attorney General Eric Holder requesting the release of the two Department of Justice (DOJ) legal memoranda written in the wake of the 2012 Supreme Court case, United States v. Jones. In Jones, the Supreme Court ruled unanimously that physically attaching a GPS device to a vehicle constituted a search under the 4th Amendment. However, the Court did not specify whether the government was required … Continue Reading
December 12, 2013
Wyden, Portman Anti-Trafficking Measures Move Forward
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senators Ron Wyden, D-Ore., and Rob Portman, R-Ohio today applauded the inclusion of provisions aimed at fighting domestic child sex trafficking within a larger child welfare bill. The Senate Finance Committee today marked up the Supporting At-Risk Children Act, which includes key provisions from the Wyden-Portman Child Sex Trafficking Data and Response Act of 2013. The Wyden-Portman provisions require state child welfare workers to identify and document victims of sex … Continue Reading
December 12, 2013
Grassley, Wyden Applaud SGR’s Medicare Payment Transparency Provisions
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, and Ron Wyden, D-Ore., today applauded inclusion of language that would make Medicare claims data available to the public as part of legislation aimed addressing the Medicare's physician payment formula. Both the House and Senate versions of legislation addressing the Medicare physician payment formula include the key provisions from Grassley and Wyden's Medicare Data Access for Transparency and Accountability Act (Medicare DATA Act). This … Continue Reading
December 10, 2013
Wyden, Thune Introduce Bill to Promote Strong Rules to Protect the Digital Economy and Global, Open Internet
WASHINGTON-Senator John Thune (R-S.D.), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation and member of the Senate Finance Committee, and Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Chairman of the Senate Finance Subcommittee on International Trade, Customs and Global Competitiveness, today introduced legislation to protect the Internet from restrictive measures that obstruct the free flow of data in the global economy. The Digital Trade Act of 2013 would establish negotiating … Continue Reading
November 26, 2013
Wyden, Udall, Heinrich: Use of Lethal Force Against Anwar al-Aulaqi Was Legal; Public and Congress Deserve More Info on Targeted Killing Rules
Washington, D.C. - After considerable review of both the decision to use lethal force against Anwar al-Aulaqi and the rules governing such "targeted killings," U.S. Senators Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Mark Udall (D-Colo.) and Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) have concluded that the use of lethal force against al-Aulaqi - an American -- met legal standards. In a letter to Attorney General Eric Holder, the senators - all members of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence - said the lethal action against … Continue Reading
November 26, 2013
Wyden Releases O&C Legislation that Increases Timber Harvest, Creates Private-Sector Jobs, Protects Old Growth and Sensitive Areas
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Seeking to improve the management of O&C lands and boost timber harvests while upholding bedrock environmental laws, Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR) today announced legislation that takes a science-first approach to managing 2.1 million acres of federal land, streamline environmental review of timber sales and protect old growth trees, clean water, fish and endangered species. "This new foundation will more than double our timber harvest across 18 timber counties and ensure … Continue Reading
November 21, 2013
Udall, Wyden, Heinrich Urge Solicitor General to Set Record Straight on Misrepresentations to U.S. Supreme Court in Clapper v. Amnesty
WASHINGTON- U.S. Senators Mark Udall (D-Colo.), Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) and Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) urged U.S. Solicitor General Donald Verrilli today to answer a series of questions regarding statements and oral arguments the government made to the U.S. Supreme Court. Statements made in the recent case Clapper v. Amnesty International inaccurately described how the government collects Americans' private communications, specifically omitting recently declassified collection criteria. Udall, Wyden … Continue Reading
November 19, 2013
Udall, Wyden, Heinrich Challenge Effectiveness of Dragnet Surveillance Program in NSA Court Case
WASHINGTON- U.S. Senators Mark Udall (D-Colo.), Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) and Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), members of the U.S. Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, today challenged the effectiveness of the National Security Agency's bulk phone records collection program. The senators' amicus curiae brief, filed in theFirst Unitarian Church vs. National Security Agency U.S. District Court case, questioned a central premise of the government's argument. The brief argues that after extensive review, … Continue Reading
November 19, 2013
Wyden Continues to Lead Fight Against Child Trafficking
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Ron Wyden, D-Ore., and John Cornyn, R-Texas, and U.S. Representatives Ted Poe, R-Texas, and Carolyn Maloney, D-N.Y., today introduced bipartisan, bicameral legislation aimed at combatting child trafficking. The Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act would support and protect victims of child trafficking with increased resources for law enforcement and victim services that would be funded through fines on offenders. The bill would establish a "Domestic Trafficking … Continue Reading
