Press Releases
Surface Transportation Bill Includes Senate-Passed County Payments Extension
WASHINGTON, D.C. - This morning, conferees on the House-Senate surface transportation bill announced that the final negotiated legislation includes the one-year $346 million extension of the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act - commonly known as the country payments law -- that passed the U.S. Senate March 14. More than $100 million of the $346 million goes to 33 of Oregon's 36 counties. U.S. Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), who authored the original county payments law and … Continue Reading
June 25, 2012
Wyden Calls on FBI Director to Release Information That Could Help Combat Sex Trafficking
Washington, D.C. - As news outlets, advocates, and policymakers continue to draw attention to the need to address the trafficking of minors for sex, it is important to underscore the necessity of cross-sector and inter-agency cooperation, collaboration, and data sharing in addressing this unconscionable crime. Too often, victims face violence up to and including murder, and data collected by the FBI as part of the Bureau's Highway Serial Killings Initiative could help law enforcement and … Continue Reading
June 21, 2012
Wyden Statement on Hemp Amendment to the Farm Bill
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) issued the following statement on the amendment to the Farm bill he introduced lifting prohibitions on the growing of industrial hemp: "I firmly believe that American farmers should not be denied an opportunity to grow and sell a legitimate crop simply because it resembles an illegal one. I fought for an amendment that would have recognized industrial hemp as a legitimate crop, but since doing so requires amending the Controlled Substances … Continue Reading
June 20, 2012
Wyden Secures Farm-to-School and Microloan Amendments to the Senate Farm Bill
Washington, D.C. - A pair of amendments to the Senate Farm Bill authored by U.S. Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) that establishes multiple farm-to-school demonstration projects across the United States and helps gleaners access USDA operating loans to assist their efforts to alleviate food insecurity in their communities have been approved. The Farm-to-School amendment will for the first time create a competitive pilot program with at least 5 farm-to-school demonstration projects, each … Continue Reading
June 13, 2012
Wyden Statement on President Obama Signing Air Tanker Legislation
Washington, D.C. - Senator Ron Wyden issued the following statement today after President Obama signed legislation (introduced on June 4th by Senator Wyden and cosponsored by Senators Bingaman, Mark Udall, Tester, and Feinstein) allowing the U.S. Forest Service to speed up contracting of additional air tankers needed to fight forest fires. "Congress and the President acted quickly to address the need to get more planes in the air to fight forest fires that are getting larger and more … Continue Reading
June 11, 2012
Wyden Places Hold on FISA Amendments Act Extension
Washington, D.C. - Continuing his career-long practice of publicly announcing his holds on legislation, U.S. Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), a senior member of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence (SSCI), announced that he will block unanimous consent requests to pass a five-year extension of the FISA Amendments Act of 2008 (FAA). Wyden identified two specific concerns that he believes Congress must address before agreeing to a long-term extension of FAA's authorities. The first … Continue Reading
June 08, 2012
Wyden Urges President to Quickly Sign Bill Expediting Contracts for Wildfire Suppression Air Tankers
Washington, D.C. - With the House passage today of Wyden-authored legislation expediting the contracting process for seven new air tankers needed by the Forest Service to fight wildfires, U.S. Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) sent a letter to President Obama urging him to quickly sign the bill that would waive a 30-day waiting period for awarding contracts for new planes. The legislation was introduced by Wyden in the Senate on Monday after news that two tragic accidents caused the loss of one and … Continue Reading
June 07, 2012
Wyden/Bingaman Legislation Will Expedite Delivery of Much-Needed New Air Tankers
Washington, D.C. - Responding quickly to fill the hole left in the nation's fleet of wildfire suppression air tankers after accidents last weekend caused the loss of one and the grounding of another of the 11 available air tankers, the U.S. Senate unanimously passed legislation introduced by U.S. Senators Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) and Jeff Bingaman (D-NM) to expedite the contracting process so that at least seven new air tankers can be added to the fleet. The U.S. Forest Service has made decisions … Continue Reading
June 07, 2012
Wyden Amendment Will Encourage SNAP Recipients to Eat Healthier
Washington, D.C. - Looking to make it easier for food stamp recipients to eat healthier food, Senator Ron Wyden introduced an amendment to the Farm Bill today that would assist low-income families in meeting federal nutrition guidelines. The amendment would require the Secretary of Agriculture to carry out five-year pilot projects in five or more states designed to incentivize healthier food purchases of beneficiaries of the $75 billion-a-year Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program … Continue Reading
June 06, 2012
Wyden Statement on the First Tsunami Debris to Reach Oregon
Portland, Or - Oregon Senator Ron Wyden issued the following statement today on the confirmation by the Japanese Consulate in Portland that the huge dock found on the Oregon Coast is debris from last year's tsunami. "The huge dock that washed ashore in Agate Beach is clear evidence that debris from last year's tsunami in Japan is reaching the Oregon Coast much sooner than anyone predicted. This massive dock, which crossed the Pacific Ocean undetected in 15 months, may be the vanguard of more … Continue Reading
June 06, 2012
Wyden and Kohl Investigate Pension Poaching in VA’s Pension Program at Aging Committee Hearing
Washington, D.C. - Coinciding with the release of a Government Accountability Office (GAO) report investigating "pension poaching" practices by unscrupulous financial planners operating within the VA's pension program, U.S. Senators Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) and Senate Aging Committee Chairman Herb Kohl (D-Wisc.) held a hearing to discuss the program that has become a marketing tool to sell inappropriate financial instruments to elderly veterans. The Enhanced Pension with Aid and Attendance (or … Continue Reading
May 31, 2012
Wyden Calls on Forest Service to Add More Air Tankers Prior to 2012 Forest Fire Season
Madras, Or - With another forest fire season about to start, Oregon Senator Ron Wyden is calling on the U.S. Forest Service to add more planes to its air tanker fleet and consider using other types of aircraft in fighting wildland fires. "Despite the magnitude and destructiveness of recent forest fires, the agency most responsible for fighting them - the Forest Service - has allowed the air tanker fleet to atrophy," Wyden said during a visit Thursday to Butler Aircraft in Madras, Oregon, … Continue Reading
May 24, 2012
Wyden Encourages States to Create Self-Employment Assistance Program as Labor Department Releases Guidelines
Washington, D.C. - The U.S. Department of Labor issued guidelines today for state workforce agencies to create Self-Employment Assistance Programs (SEA) that would give their state's unemployed an opportunity to not only get back to work but to become job creators themselves. The program connects unemployment insurance (UI) recipients who have proven to be good candidates for self-employment and allows them to collect their unemployment benefits as they work to build credible businesses. In … Continue Reading
May 23, 2012
Wyden: KBR is Wasting Taxpayer Money While Avoiding Responsibility for Exposure of Oregon Guard to Toxic Chemicals
Washington, D.C. - In a letter to Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta, U.S. Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) called on the DoD to investigate the excessive expenses racked up by the legal team of Kellogg, Brown and Root (KBR) - a defense contractor that operated in Iraq with the contractual ability to pass all of their legal costs to American taxpayers. A lawsuit against KBR brought by a group of Oregon National Guard members assigned to provide security for KBR personnel claims that KBR management … Continue Reading
May 22, 2012
Wyden Schedules Annual Jefferson County Town Hall in Madras on May 31st
Portland, OR - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden will hold his annual Jefferson County town hall meeting on Thursday, May 31th, at Madras High School. Senator Wyden has held town hall meetings in every Oregon county every year since he was elected to the Senate in 1996. This town hall will be No. 636. Jefferson County Town Hall Meeting Date: Thursday, May 31, 2012 Time: 10 a.m. Location: Madras High School Gymnasium 390 SE 10th … Continue Reading
May 21, 2012
Wyden Schedules Annual Benton County Town Hall in Philomath on May 30th
Portland, OR - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden will hold his annual Benton County town hall meeting on Wednesday, May 30th, at Philomath Middle School. Senator Wyden has held town hall meetings in every Oregon county every year since he was elected to the Senate in 1996. This town hall will be No. 635. Benton County Town Hall Meeting Date: Wednesday, May 30, 2012 Time: 1 p.m. Location: Philomath Middle School 2021 Chapel Drive … Continue Reading
May 18, 2012
Wyden to Hold Annual Clackamas, Multnomah County Town Halls on Saturday, May 26th
Portland, OR - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden will hold his annual town hall meetings in Clackamas and Multnomah counties on Saturday, May 26th. The Clackamas town hall will be held in the auditorium at Camp Withycombe. The Multnomah town hall will be in Gresham. Senator Wyden has held town hall meetings in every Oregon county every year since he was elected to the Senate in 1996. These will be town halls number 633 and 634. Clackamas County Town Hall Meeting Date: Saturday, May 26, 2012Time: 12:30 … Continue Reading
May 17, 2012
Wyden Statement on Commerce Dept. Ruling That Chinese Solar Companies Violated Trade Rules, Will Face Tariffs
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Chairman of the Senate Finance Committee's subcommittee on Trade, issued the following statement after the U.S. Commerce Department ruled today that Chinese-made Solar panel producers were violating trade rules and that the U.S. would impose tariff remedies on imported panels: "I know there will be a temptation to portray today's ruling as a win for U.S. Solar Manufacturers and a loss for Chinese producers, but the impact of Commerce's … Continue Reading
May 17, 2012
Merkley, Wyden Announce $85 Million for Portland to Milwaukie Light Rail Line
PORTLAND, OR - Oregon's Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden announced today that Trimet has been awarded $85 million from the U.S. Department of Transportation to help complete the Portland to Milwaukie light rail line. "The Portland to Milwaukie line will expand Portland's world class public transit system even further throughout the metropolitan region," said Merkley. "As a nation we must reduce our addiction to overseas oil. The MAX's success has proven that when people have good transit … Continue Reading
May 17, 2012
Wyden Letter Raises Concerns about Effect of Afghan Air Pollution on U.S. Servicemembers
Washington, D.C. - Servicemembers deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan have faced hazardous and dangerous work conditions outside the scope of combat including health risks posed from toxic burn pits and hexavalent chromium exposure. In order to bring attention to another serious health risk posed to U.S. Servicemembers, U.S. Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) has sent a letter to Defense Secretary Leon Panetta urging him to minimize servicemember exposure to the high levels of air pollution in the Afghan … Continue Reading
