Press Releases
With audio: Wyden Statement on Malheur Wildlife Refuge Arrests
Washington, DC - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) today issued the following statement: "My overriding priority is that the remaining militants will leave the refuge peacefully and in short order. Oregonians expect their safety and the rule of law to be preserved, so I commend the FBI for moving to arrest the leaders of this illegal occupation. It is deeply unfortunate that these militants' actions have resulted in violence. There was an immediate threat that the occupation in Harney County … Continue Reading
January 21, 2016
Wyden, Democratic Senators and Leading Researchers Push for Funding Gun Violence Research
Washington, DC - U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) today called for immediate funding of a gun violence research agenda at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Joining a group of Democratic senators and renowned national researchers, Wyden noted how a 1996 Republican appropriations rider prohibiting federal funds from being used to advocate or promote gun control has been misconstrued as a ban on funding scientific research into the causes of gun violence. "The discussion around … Continue Reading
January 21, 2016
Wyden, Heinrich and Hirono Ask for Straight Answers About Unauthorized CIA Search of Senate Files
Washington, D.C.- Senate Intelligence Committee Senators Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) and Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), today called on the president and CIA director to finally acknowledge that the CIA's search of Senate files was improper and will not happen again. CIA officials secretly searched Senate Intelligence Committee files in January 2014, while the committee was investigating the agency's use of torture from 2002-2007. Director Brennan repeatedly denied that the search … Continue Reading
January 15, 2016
Wyden Statement on Federal Coal Leasing Environmental Review
Washington, D.C. - Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., today issued the following statement after the Interior Department announced it would conduct an environmental review of the federal coal leasing program: "A wholesale review of the federal coal program is long overdue," Wyden said. "This provides an opportunity to make sure taxpayers get a fair return for coal mined on public lands, take action against climate change and ensure our clean water and clean air are protected. This review should examine … Continue Reading
January 12, 2016
Wyden Response to the State of the Union Address
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., today issued the following statement after the president's State of the Union address: "My hope is that Congress uses this moment of reflection to renew our commitment to creating opportunity for all, while protecting and upholding American values. "Congress must to do more to help working families in Oregon and across the country get ahead by tackling the tough, fundamental issues that are critical to the health of our economy. "Education has … Continue Reading
January 07, 2016
Senators Urge Executive Action to Limit Anonymous Campaign Contributions
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senators Ron Wyden, D-Ore., and Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I., were joined by 27 other senators today in urging the president limit anonymous political spending in elections by requiring new transparency for previously secret campaign contributions. In a letter to President Barack Obama, the senators called on the president to issue a final Executive Order to require federal contractors to disclose their political donations before submitting bids for government work. The … Continue Reading
January 05, 2016
Democrats File Amicus Brief Standing Up for Women’s Access to Constitutionally Protected Health Care
Washington, D.C. - Today, U.S. Senators Ron Wyden, D-Ore., and Patty Murray, D-Wash., and Representatives Diana DeGette, D-Colo., Louise Slaughter, D-N.Y., Judy Chu, D-Calif., and Marc Veasey, D-Texas, led a group of 155 Democrats and 2 Independents in filing an amicus brief in the case of Whole Woman's Health v. Cole. The case is currently pending before the Supreme Court of the United States and represents the most comprehensive challenge to the Supreme Court's historic ruling in Roe v. Wade … Continue Reading
December 23, 2015
Wyden Kicks Off New Year With Town Halls
Portland, Ore. - Senator Ron Wyden next month will hold town halls starting on Jan. 3, including his 750th town hall. Fulfilling his promise to hold annual town halls in each of Oregon's 36 counties, Wyden will kick off 2016 with town halls between Jan. 3 and Jan. 6 in Crook, Deschutes, Jefferson, Wasco, Wheeler, Gilliam, Sherman and Hood River counties. On Jan. 5, Wyden will be in Wheeler County for his 750th town hall - the location of his first town hall 20 years ago in Fossil when he … Continue Reading
December 21, 2015
Wyden, Merkley Seek Further Information About Federal Efforts to Facilitate Medical Marijuana Research
Washington, DC -Oregon's Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley joined with Sens. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Barbara Mikulski (D-Md.), Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), and Cory Booker (D-N.J.) to send a follow-up letter to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP), and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) seeking additional information about the agencies' efforts to … Continue Reading
December 18, 2015
Wyden, 7 Senators Call for Transparency for LGBT Students at Schools Seeking Religious Exemptions
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senators Ron Wyden, D-Ore., Patty Murray, D-Wash., Al Franken, D-Minn., Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., Edward J. Markey, D-Mass., Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., Tammy Baldwin, D-Wis., and Bernard Sanders, I-Vt., today called for greater transparency and accountability after a recent rise in the number of colleges and universities seeking religious exemptions under the law that protects students from discrimination on the basis of sex, sexual orientation and gender identity. Congress … Continue Reading
December 18, 2015
Wyden Votes ‘No’ on Harmful Cyber Bill and Weakening Oversight of Surveillance Programs
Washington, D.C. -Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., today voted against a legislative package containing a dangerous "cybersecurity" bill and provisions to undermine independent oversight of government surveillance programs. Republican leaders inserted an extreme version of the Cybersecurity Information Sharing Act (CISA) and the flawed 2016 Intelligence Authorization Act into a broader package of spending and tax bills. "These unacceptable surveillance provisions are a black mark on a worthy package … Continue Reading
December 17, 2015
Wyden, Blumenauer Win Battle for Cidermakers
Washington, D.C. - Sen. Ron Wyden and Rep. Earl Blumenauer (both D-Ore.) said today their work to update outdated regulations and taxes for cider-makers in new legislation will promote continued job creation in Oregon's growing cider industry. The provisions included in the bipartisan Protecting Americans from Tax Hikes (PATH) Act approved Thursday by the House would modernize outdated cider regulations by broadening the definition of hard cider to remove the punitive tax on ciders containing … Continue Reading
December 16, 2015
Wyden, Merkley, Schrader Applaud FCC’s Decision to Continue Support to Rural Oregon Telecom Companies
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Oregon Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley and Representative Kurt Schrader applauded the Federal Communications Commission's (FCC) decision to continue the eligibility of the Gervais, Mt. Angel, Monitor and St. Paul Telephone Companies for universal service support. These rural providers were under threat of losing high cost support, which would jeopardize service to rural Oregonians. "Access to telephone and broadband service is essential for safety, learning, … Continue Reading
December 16, 2015
Wyden, Crapo, Merkley and Risch: Spending Bill Boosts Wildfire Funds, But Much More Work to Do
Washington, D.C. -A bipartisan group of Oregon and Idaho senators praised congressional leaders for boosting wildfire funding in a year-end spending bill, and vowed to continue pushing for a long-term solution. Oregon Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley, joined with Idaho Sens. Mike Crapo and James Risch to renew their call for a long-term solution to wildfire funding. The bill directly funds firefighting at 100 percent of the 10-year average of firefighting costs. Additionally, it contains … Continue Reading
December 16, 2015
Wyden Wins Fight for Charitable Donations in Tax Legislation
Washington, D.C. - Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., said today that his successful fight to include expanded and permanent charitable deductions in new tax legislation will provide food banks with much-needed certainty about the donations that support their essential work to fight hunger in Oregon and nationwide. "We cannot afford to play games when it comes to hunger. Oregonians who need food assistance and the people working so hard to help them deserve a tax policy that supports this lifeline for … Continue Reading
December 16, 2015
Wyden Slams Latest, Worse Version of Cybersecurity Bill
Washington, D.C. - Today, U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden, D - Ore., issued the following statement on the latest version of the Cybersecurity Information Sharing Act, which has been included in the omnibus appropriations bill. "This 'cybersecurity' bill was a bad bill when it passed the Senate and it is an even worse bill today. Americans deserve policies that protect both their security and their liberty. This bill fails on both counts. Cybersecurity experts say CISA will do little to prevent major … Continue Reading
December 15, 2015
Wyden Secures Major Provision of Recently Introduced College Affordability Bill
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., today announced a bipartisan deal on a major part of a bill he introduced to lower the cost of college by providing much-needed tax relief and greater economic certainty for students and their families in Oregon and across the country. A centerpiece of Wyden's PARTNERSHIPS Act was included in the Protecting Americans from Tax Hikes (PATH) Act of 2015, which congressional leaders released tonight. The bill helps working families and makes … Continue Reading
December 15, 2015
Wyden Responds to Misstatements on USA Freedom Act and Mass Surveillance
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., issued the following statement in response to multiple misstatements about the USA Freedom Act during tonight's debate: "Senator Rubio is mistaken when he says that the USA Freedom Act does not let the government do anything that it could not do before. Section 102 of the USA Freedom Act, which I first proposed in 2013, gave law enforcement and intelligence agencies new authorities to obtain records in an emergency and get court approval … Continue Reading
December 15, 2015
Wyden Presses FBI to Step Up Efforts Against ‘Ransomware’ Hackers
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., asked FBI Director James Comey how the FBI is tackling the increasing problem of "ransomware" attacks in a letter sent today. Ransomware attacks refer to the growing criminal practice of hacking Americans' devices, encrypting personal information and holding it for ransom through ransomware software commonly known as Cryptolocker and Cryptowall. "With this problem becoming increasingly widespread, the FBI should explore all legal options for … Continue Reading
December 14, 2015
Wyden Questions FBI ID Policy on Freedom of Information Act Requests
Washington, D.C. -Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., asked FBI Director James Comey to explain the purpose of a new FBI policy requiring people to upload copies of government-issued identification when filing Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests, in a letter sent today. "I write to express my strong concern that the ID requirement presents serious legal and privacy concerns," Wyden wrote to Director Comey. "The FBI's new eFOIA system imposes a requirement that can neither be found in statutory law … Continue Reading
