Press Releases

January 08, 2015

Wyden, Merkley Introduce Bills to Double Timber Harvest, Protect Oregon’s Treasures And Settle Water Disputes

Washington, D.C. - Oregon Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley reintroduced two bills today that renew their commitment to pass common-sense solutions for decades-old issues facing rural Oregon: creating new timber jobs, and ending long-running disputes over water supplies. "Oregonians are not going to settle for the status quo stalemate when it comes to timber and natural resources policy, and neither will I," Wyden said. "Rural Oregon communities need jobs, they need certainty and they need … Continue Reading


January 08, 2015

Senators Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Roll Back Hemp Restrictions

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Ron Wyden, D-Ore., Rand Paul, R-Ky., and Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., today introduced legislation that would allow American farmers to grow and profit from industrial hemp. The Industrial Hemp Farming Act of 2015 would remove federal restrictions on the domestic cultivation of industrial hemp. The bill would remove hemp from the Schedule I controlled substance list under the Controlled Substances Act of 1970, and would define it as a non-drug so long as it contained less … Continue Reading


December 29, 2014

Wyden Kicks Off New Year With Seven Town Halls

Portland, OR - Continuing his pledge since 1996 to hold a town hall each year in each of Oregon's counties, Senator Ron Wyden will begin the new year with town halls this week in seven counties. Senator Wyden starts his 20th year of holding annual town halls in each of Oregon's 36 counties with his 710th town hall in Deschutes County on Jan. 2. He will hold six more town halls through Jan. 5 before traveling to Washington DC later next week for the start of the 114th Congress. "Even with … Continue Reading


December 19, 2014

Wyden: Coal Companies Must Stop Shortchanging Taxpayers

Washington, D.C. - Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., praised the Interior Department announcement that it will close loopholes that have allowed mining companies to dodge royalties when federal coal is exported overseas. Wyden called for an investigation of questionable royalty practice in January 2013, after a series of Reuters articles detailed how some companies were using financial arrangements - often selling coal to their own subsidiaries at a low price - to avoid paying full royalties on coal … Continue Reading


December 17, 2014

Wyden Statement on Policy Changes to Open Relations with Cuba

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden issued the following statement today, praising President Obama's announcement of new steps to open up relations with the Cuban people: "I applaud the President for today's announcement and for taking these historic steps to normalize relations with Cuba. I have long believed that trade and engagement are liberalizing forces and I look forward to working with my colleagues and with our diplomats to bring about the progress in Cuba that we all want to see. I … Continue Reading


December 16, 2014

Wyden Demands Plan to Address Radioactive Waste Leaks at Hanford

Washington, D.C. - Sen. Ron Wyden, D- Ore., today asked the Energy Department to come up with a plan and a strict timeline to address storage tanks leaking radioactive nuclear waste at the Hanford Site in Southeast Washington. Wyden requested the plan in response to a Government Accountability Office report released today that describes the continuing deterioration of Hanford tanks. The GAO report found that both the older single-shell and newer double-shell tanks at Hanford are continuing to … Continue Reading


December 10, 2014

Oregon Lawmakers Secure Provision to Keep Newport Coast Guard Air Facility Open until January 2016

Washington, D.C. - Following their repeated calls to ensure the safety of residents in coastal areas, Oregon Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley and Representatives Peter DeFazio, Kurt Schrader, Earl Blumenauer and Suzanne Bonamici today announced the Congress has passed legislation that will keep the U.S. Coast Guard's air facility at Newport open through the coming year. The Oregon lawmakers worked to include language in the Coast Guard reauthorization bill that would keep the Coast Guard's … Continue Reading


December 10, 2014

Wyden: Rural Counties Lose Out After County Payments Left Out Of Spending Bill

Washington, D.C. - Today House Republican leaders rejected Sen. Ron Wyden's efforts to fund and pass county payments for one more year. The decision will leave cash-strapped Oregon counties with little money to fund law-enforcement, schools and roads. "Rural Oregonians deserve better than to have politics put on hold this essential lifeline for funding roads, firefighters and schools," Wyden said. "I will not stop fighting for Oregon's rural counties. I'll be back at it when Congress returns … Continue Reading


December 09, 2014

Wyden: Senate Report Shows CIA Torture Did Not Work and America Should Never Torture Again

Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., today responded to the release of the Senate Intelligence Committee report on torture by the Central Intelligence Agency. "Following the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, a small number of CIA officials decided to listen to the advice of outside contractors who told them that the way to quickly get important information from captured terrorist suspects was by using coercive interrogation techniques that had been developed and used by … Continue Reading


December 08, 2014

Oregon Selected for Pilot Program Helping Schools and Farmers

Washington, DC - Oregon Senator Ron Wyden today announced that Oregon has been chosen by the U.S. Department of Agriculture as one of eight states in a pilot project that will allow them to increase purchases of locally-grown fruits and vegetables for their school meal programs. The Pilot Project for Procurement of Unprocessed Fruits and Vegetables, was introduced by Senator Wyden as an amendment to the Agricultural Act of 2014, also known as the Farm Bill. "Today's news is a win for … Continue Reading


December 08, 2014

Wyden: Ensure Fair Trade for Oregon Workers and Businesses

Washington, D.C. - Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., testified today before the International Trade Commission to ensure fair trade practices and a level playing field for Oregon workers and businesses, including SolarWorld. The commission is examining the impact of unfair trade practices by Chinese and Taiwanese businesses as a result of a trade case filed by SolarWorld. The Oregon-based business successfully demonstrated that China was providing illegal subsidies to its solar producers, and filed … Continue Reading


December 04, 2014

Wyden Introduces Bill To Ban Government-Mandated Backdoors Into Americans’ Cellphones and Computers

Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., today introduced the Secure Data Act to protect Americans' privacy and data security. The bill prohibits government mandates to build backdoors or security vulnerabilities into U.S. software and electronics. U.S. government officials have recently proposed to compel companies to build backdoors in the security features of their products. These proposals threaten to undermine the development and deployment of strong data security technologies … Continue Reading


November 25, 2014

Wyden Asks FAA to Update Unmanned Aircraft Rules

Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., called on the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to speed up approvals for Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) test permits, and to ensure the agency's plans to regulate these aircraft don't fall behind schedule, in a letter sent today. The FAA created six test sites across the country to study unmanned aircraft in response to a request from Congress in 2012 to craft regulations that meet the unique safety challenges posed by UAS. The agency, … Continue Reading


November 25, 2014

Wyden, Burr, 39 Other Senators Urge Funding Solution for LWCF

Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senators Ron Wyden, D-Ore., Richard Burr, R-N.C., and a bipartisan coalition of 39 of their Senate colleagues urged Senate leaders Harry Reid, D-Nev., and Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., to work with them to find a permanent funding solution for the Land and Water Conservation Fund before the end of the current Congress on Dec. 31, in a letter sent yesterday. The LWCF program, which helps ensure access to outdoor recreation areas by providing funding to protect public lands … Continue Reading


November 18, 2014

Wyden Statement on USA Freedom Act Vote

Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., issued the following statement after the Senate failed to advance its version of the USA Freedom Act: "Today's vote showed a strong bipartisan majority of the U.S. Senate is ready to debate intelligence reform and start the process of ending the mass surveillance dragnet," Wyden said. "They join a chorus of Americans who oppose these programs, which violate the privacy of millions of Americans without making our country safer. Although I'm … Continue Reading


November 18, 2014

Bipartisan, Bicoastal Group of Lawmakers Calls on Coast Guard to Keep Facilities Open

Washington, D.C. - In a continued effort to ensure the safety of residents living and working in coastal areas, members of Congress from South Carolina today joined Oregon lawmakers in calling on the U.S. Coast Guard to keep facilities in Oregon and South Carolina from closing next month. Senators Ron Wyden, D-Ore., Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., Tim Scott, R-S.C., and Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., and Representatives Kurt Schrader, D-Ore., Peter DeFazio, D-Ore., Suzanne Bonamici, D-Ore., Earl Blumenauer, … Continue Reading


November 14, 2014

Wyden Bill to Implement Landmark Klamath Basin Agreement Passes Energy Committee

Washington, D.C. - Legislation by Oregon Senator Ron Wyden to implement landmark water resources agreements in the Klamath Basin passed out of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee today. It now moves to the full Senate. The Klamath Water Recovery and Economic Restoration Act (S. 2379) would comprehensively settle water rights disputes in favor of collaborative solutions to water management in the basin. The bill provides an end to the water wars that made the Klamath Basin a … Continue Reading


November 14, 2014

Wyden: White House Contribution to Climate Fund "Sets the Bar High”

Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., issued the following statement after it was reported that the White House will contribute $3 billion to a United Nations fund to help developing countries combat climate change: "I commend the President on this significant commitment to support the world's poorest countries in tackling climate change through a public-private partnership that carries forward work begun by the Bush Administration," Wyden said. "This sets the bar high for other … Continue Reading


November 13, 2014

Energy Committee Passes Wyden O&C Bill that Significantly Boosts Timber Harvests

Washington, D.C. - Washington, D.C. -Oregon Sen. Ron Wyden's O&C forestry bill passed out of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee today, with new provisions to dramatically increase timber harvests, ensure unprecedented certainty for timber sales and create the strongest legislative protection ever for Northwest old growth. "I am proud to announce this bill is now expected to generate more than 400 million board feet every year for 50 years on O&C lands - more than … Continue Reading


November 13, 2014

Marine Hydropower Bill Passes Committee

Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., announced that his bill to encourage development of electricity from the water power in oceans, rivers and lakes took a step forward when it passed the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee today. The Marine and Hydrokinetic Renewable Energy Act of 2014 (S. 1419) facilitates marine hydrokinetic (MHK) technologies that generate emissions-free renewable energy from ocean tides and waves, and the free-flowing water in rivers and lakes. … Continue Reading

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