Press Releases
Wyden, Moran, Cantwell Introduce IP Protection Bill that Will Not Break the Net
Washington, D.C. - As the House Judiciary Committee considers a bill that sacrifices innovation and an open and secure Internet, U.S. Senators Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) and a bipartisan coalition of Senators including Jerry Moran (R-Kansas) and Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.) introduced legislation to use import trade laws to protect intellectual property without catastrophic effects to the Internet. The Online Protection and Enforcement of Digital Trade Act (OPEN) will build on the existing legal … Continue Reading
December 16, 2011
Kirk, Wyden Request Probe of FBI Usage of Wireless Tracking Software
WASHINGTON - Following reports that the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) may be using mobile tracking software to monitor Americans' cell phones and mobile devices without their knowledge, United States Senators Mark Kirk (R-IL) and Ron Wyden (D-OR) today sent a letter to the Acting Inspector General of the Department of Justice requesting an investigation of the alleged secret surveillance. The software, developed by Carrier IQ, has reportedly been pre-installed on nearly 150 million … Continue Reading
December 16, 2011
Wyden Introduces FRESH Act to Help Farmers and Improve Access to Healthier Foods
Washington, D.C. - Recognizing the need to improve programs that support farming and access to health food, Senator Ron Wyden today introduced the Fresh Regional Eating for Schools and Health Act (FRESH) to ensure that federal nutrition spending helps promote healthier eating and increases consumption of fruits and vegetables while helping local agriculture. "As Congress prepares to write a new Farm Bill, I believe it is important that it provide healthier choices for recipients of federal … Continue Reading
December 15, 2011
Congress Passes, Sends to President, Wyden-Merkley Amendment to Close Umatilla Chemical Depot Under BRAC Process
Washington, D.C. - The Congress today sent President Obama a Defensive Authorization Bill that includes an amendment by Oregon Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley that guarantees closure of the Umatilla Army Chemical Depot under the previously agreed upon base-closure process. If signed by the President, the bill will short circuit an 11th-hour Pentagon attempt to ignore the Base Realignment and Closure Authority and keep the Depot in federal ownership. "The Senate's action on the amendment … Continue Reading
December 15, 2011
Wyden Spokesperson Responds to Criticism of Wyden-Ryan Plan
Washington, D.C. - In response to criticism from the White House and others that Wyden-Ryan would "end Medicare as we know it" Jennifer Hoelzer, Communications Director and Deputy Chief of Staff for Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), issued the following statement: "It would appear that our critics did not read the Wyden-Ryan white paper before choosing to attack it. The White Paper that Senator Wyden authored with Representative Ryan makes it very clear that seniors will always be able to get … Continue Reading
December 15, 2011
Wyden and Merkley Introduce Bill to Protect 60K acres around Rogue River
Washington, D.C. - Continuing their efforts to preserve and protect Oregon's most wild and environmentally important areas, U.S. Senators Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) and Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) have introduced legislation that will add 60,000 acres of new wilderness to the existing Wild Rogue Wilderness area and protect an additional 143 miles of tributaries that feed into the iconic Rogue River. Representative DeFazio (D-Ore.) has introduced similar legislation in the House of Representatives. … Continue Reading
December 15, 2011
Wyden Statement on Passage of the Intelligence Authorization Act
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), a senior member of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, issued the following statement regarding the recent passage of the Intelligence Authorization Act: "I'm pleased that the final version of the 2012 Intelligence Authorization Act does not include the multi-year extension of the FISA Amendments Act that was included in the Senate version of the bill. I opposed the Senate version of the bill, and I announced a public hold on it, … Continue Reading
December 15, 2011
Wyden & Ryan Advance Bipartisan Plan to Strengthen Medicare and Expand Health Care Choices for All
WASHINGTON - This morning, U.S. Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR) and U.S. Representative Paul Ryan (R-WI) introduced a new proposal that represents a major advance in the effort to build a more secure future for the millions of seniors who rely on Medicare. The new report from Sen. Wyden and Rep. Ryan, titled "Guaranteed Choices to Strengthen Medicare and Health Security for All: Bipartisan Options for the Future," outlines a bipartisan path forward on expanding health care choices for seniors while … Continue Reading
December 13, 2011
Wyden Announces U.S. Postal Service Agreement to Delay Postal Facility Closures for Five Months
Washington, D.C. - Oregon Senator Ron Wyden announced today that the U.S. Postal Service has voluntarily agreed to put in place a five-month moratorium on closing postal facilities, including 41 in Oregon, which would give Congress more time to enact postal reform legislation. During the moratorium, scheduled to end on May 15, 2012, the Postal Service will continue to study the impact of proposed closures on service and costs and to solicit community input. "Post offices and the services … Continue Reading
December 13, 2011
Wyden Sends Letter to EPA Seeking Better Rules for Small Boilers
Washington, D.C. - With the Environmental Protection Agency proposing new rules governing which fuels are burned in boilers throughout the country, U.S. Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) has sent a letter to EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson calling on the agency to require additional disclosure of the fuels that are burned in smaller boilers, so that community members can know and weigh in on the types of fuels burned in small boilers in their neighborhoods. After a long process wherein Wyden urged … Continue Reading
December 10, 2011
Wyden Legislation Will Create Agricultural Jobs, Improve Food Stamp Program, and Increase School Access to Locally Grown Fruits and Vegetables
Washington, D.C. - Seeking to help Oregon farmers, improve the food stamp program and open up markets for locally grown fruits and vegetables, Senator Ron Wyden today rolled out a series of proposals aimed at creating more agriculture jobs and improving access of healthier foods. The legislative proposals were developed with the help of the 28 members of an agriculture advisory committee Wyden created earlier this year. "Since agriculture is one of the cornerstones of the Oregon economy and … Continue Reading
December 08, 2011
Wyden-Issa Release Draft Digital Trade Legislation
Washington, D.C. Unveiling a proposal that both fights the unauthorized sale of digital goods and protects Internet security, commerce and speech, U.S. Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) and U.S. Congressman Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) today released a draft text of legislation that would use trade laws to address the flow of infringing digital goods into the United States. The draft legislation is based on the broad legislative framework that U.S. Senators Cantwell, Moran, Warner and Wyden and U.S. … Continue Reading
December 08, 2011
Senate Tells Pentagon to Close Umatilla Chemical Depot Under BRAC Process
Washington, D.C. - The U.S. Senate has adopted a resolution authored by Oregon Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley telling the Defense Department that Umatilla Army Chemical Depot should be closed under the previously agreed upon base-closure process. The resolution passed on Wednesday reads: "In light of the clear history, the Senate reiterates its original intent and reaffirms its direction that the closure of the Umatilla Army Chemical Depot, Oregon, and subsequent management and disposal … Continue Reading
December 07, 2011
Wyden, Markey Call on CMS to Release Guidelines for Program That Experts Say Could Result in Substantial Medicare Savings by Better Coordinating Care
Washington, D.C. - A program providing home-based health care for the most chronically-ill veterans, saved the Veterans' Affairs Department more than 24 percent on the overall cost of caring for those patients, yet a similar program scheduled to be tested as part of Medicare has largely gone ignored by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). The Independence at Home pilot program -- originally authored by U.S. Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) and U.S. Representative Edward J. Markey … Continue Reading
December 02, 2011
Wyden Statement on Trade Commission Vote that Chinese Practices are Hurting the American Solar Industry
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) issued the following statement today after members of a U.S. trade commission voted unanimously in favor of SolarWorld's case that Chinese trade practices have harmed American solar manufacturing: "The vote today by the commissioners of the International Trade Commission formalizes what workers in the American solar industry already know: they are harmed by unfair trade practices employed by China. This is an important step forward toward … Continue Reading
December 02, 2011
Wyden Statement on “No” vote on the Defense Authorization Act
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) issued the following statement regarding his vote against the Senate passage of the Defense Authorization Act: "The current version of the 2012 Defense Authorization Act contains a number of provisions that I would like to support, and I respect the effort that many of my colleagues have put into this bill. Unfortunately, the bill also contains provisions that I believe are extremely unwise, and that risk undermining American values and … Continue Reading
November 23, 2011
Wyden, McGovern Statement on Release of Bahraini Human Rights Report
Washington, D.C. - Reaffirming their opposition to the sale of arms to the Kingdom of Bahrain until sustaining human rights improvements are made, U.S. Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) and U.S. Representative Jim McGovern (D-Mass) released the following statement on the Bahrain Independent Commission's report on human rights: "The Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry's (BICI) report confirms accounts from human rights groups and Bahrainis who have spoken out against the abuses of this year. … Continue Reading
November 16, 2011
Wyden Extends Deadline for Federal Judgeship Applicants to December 15, 2011
Portland, OR - Senator Ron Wyden's office today announced an extension of the deadline for applicants interested in filling a vacant federal district court judgeship in Oregon. The previous application deadline was this Thursday, November 17. The new deadline is Thursday, December 15. "Although there are already some excellent applicants for this opening, we want to make sure that everyone interested in the position has adequate time to apply and that the selection committee has the broadest … Continue Reading
November 16, 2011
Wyden SOPA Statement Warns of Severe Repercussions to a Free and Open Internet if Bills are Passed
Washington, D.C. - As the House Judiciary Committee held a hearing for the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA), U.S. Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) a former member of the House of Representatives, included a statement into the hearing record warning of the dangers SOPA will pose to a free and open Internet. Wyden has put a hold on similar legislation in the Senate known as PROTECT IP and has vowed to "fight this every step of the way." "I would like to take this opportunity to commend Chairman Smith … Continue Reading
November 10, 2011
Wyden/Merkley Devil’s Staircase and Oregon Caves Bills Passed by Energy and Natural Resources Committee
Washington, D.C. - Efforts to preserve some of Oregon's most pristine and valued natural resources moved closer to success today as two bills protecting Oregon's Devil's Staircase and Oregon Caves cleared the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee. Sponsored by Senators Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) and Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) the passage of these two bills by the committee clears the way for their consideration by the full Senate. "Devil's Staircase is rugged, wild, pristine and remote and Oregon … Continue Reading
