Press Releases
Wyden, Colleagues Introduce Legislation to Increase Transparency of Supreme Court Shadow Docket Decisions
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden said today he has joined Senate colleagues to introduce legislation to increase transparency of decisions on the Supreme Court’s emergency docket, also known as the “shadow docket,”a backdoor way for the Supreme Court to hand down consequential rulings with limited public argument or transparency. “Trump’s hand-picked Supreme Court is increasingly relying on the shadow docket to legislate from the bench to push a far-right agenda,” Wyden said. “As the … Continue Reading
December 17, 2025
Wyden Votes No on Bloated Military Authorization Bill
Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., issued the following statement after voting against the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA): “I cannot support a bill that increases military spending by tens of billions of dollars and fails to include guardrails against Donald Trump and Secretary Hegseth’s authoritarian abuses. “Donald Trump has repeatedly used the military to occupy major U.S. cities, including Portland—endangering our servicemembers, disrupting our economy, and … Continue Reading
December 17, 2025
Wyden, Merkley, Colleagues Demand Answers from ICE on Racial Profiling of Tribal Members, Refusal to Accept Tribal IDs
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley today joined Senate colleagues to demand answers regarding the outrageous mistreatment of Tribal citizens by ICE in a number of recent incidents. In their letter, the lawmakers called out reports of ICE improperly stopping or detaining Tribal citizens for no apparent reason aside from their physical appearance, and urged Department of Homeland Secretary Kristi Noem to develop policy and trainings to ensure all ICE agents are trained … Continue Reading
December 17, 2025
Wyden Applauds Passage of Prescribed Fire Legislation Through Key Senate Committee
Senator’s bipartisan legislation would support hazardous fuels cleanup to reduce wildfire risk Watch Wyden deliver remarks at today’s Committee meeting here Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., today applauded the passage of his bipartisan legislation through the Senate Energy and Natural Resources (ENR) Committee that would increase funding and resources for prescribed fires during colder, wetter months, to reduce wildfire risk during the hotter, drier months of fire … Continue Reading
December 16, 2025
Wyden Leads Colleagues Calling on Trump Administration to Crack Down on Growing Threat of Synthetic Opioids
Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., today led his colleagues in pressing the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) on how it is prioritizing a federal response to the growing threat of synthetic opioids, specifically a class of drugs known as “nitazenes.” Although nitazenes were originally developed as pain relievers in the 1950s, these synthetic opioids are now illicitly manufactured abroad and then trafficked across the United States. Illicitly-manufactured nitazenes … Continue Reading
December 15, 2025
Wyden, Colleagues Press Lutnick on Administration’s Decision to Sell Out National and Economic Security by Greenlighting the Sale of Advanced Chips to China
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden said today he has joined Senate colleagues to raise concerns over the Trump Administration’s decision to disregard warnings from its own Department of Justice and allow NVIDIA to export its advanced H200 AI chips to China. “The President’s dangerous decision to give away critical national security controls represents a significant departure from longstanding bipartisan efforts to ensure that U.S. technology does not turbocharge China’s military and … Continue Reading
December 12, 2025
Merkley, Wyden, Hoyle Secure Written Commitment from Coast Guard Acting Commandant Lunday that Newport Helicopter Will Remain
Washington, D.C. - Today, Oregon’s U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley, along with Senator Ron Wyden and Congresswoman Val Hoyle (OR-04), announced that they secured written commitments from Admiral Kevin Lunday, Acting Commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard, to ensure the rescue helicopter located at the Newport Air Facility remains in the community, as well as a pledge from Lunday to visit the Newport area within one year. “After hearing from countless Oregonians about the importance of the search and … Continue Reading
December 12, 2025
Wyden, Colleagues Introduce Legislation to Codify Fee-Free Days of Public Service on Federal Lands
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden said today he has joined Senate and House colleagues to introduce legislation that would guarantee that visitors can enter National Parks and other federal lands free-of-charge six days a year. The Encouraging Public Service in Our National Parks and Public Land Act would direct the Secretary of the Interior to officially designate Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Birthday, the first day of National Park Week, Juneteenth, Great American Outdoors Day, … Continue Reading
December 12, 2025
Wyden, Colleagues Demand Answers from USFS on Stalled Hazardous Fuel Reduction Projects
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden said today he has joined Senate colleagues to demand information from the Trump administration on the number of hazardous fuels projects that have completed environmental reviews pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act, but have not yet been implemented - commonly referred to as “shelf stock.” “Recent reports indicate that the U.S. Forest Service’s (USFS) work to reduce hazardous fuels across the national forest system in Fiscal Year 2025 … Continue Reading
December 12, 2025
Wyden, Merkley, Colleagues Raise Alarm Over Trump Administration Siphoning At Least $2 Billion from Military Budget for Immigration Enforcement
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley said today they have joined Senate and House colleagues to release a new report detailing the Trump administration’s diversion of funds and resources from the Department of Defense to the Department of Homeland Security for immigration enforcement, and its impact on readiness and morale of U.S. troops. “The investigation found that the Department of Defense (DoD) has obligated over $2 billion in support of Department of Homeland … Continue Reading
December 11, 2025
Wyden, Colleagues Slam Trump Administration Over Plans to Slash Social Security Field Office Visits
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden said today he is joining his Senate colleagues in pressing the head of Social Security on reports about a new goal of slashing nearly 15 million field office visits every year in Oregon and nationwide. “We are concerned that these efforts are in fact part of a plan to ‘quietly kill[] field offices,’ implementing a back-door cut in benefits by making it harder for Americans to access the Social Security customer services they need,” the senators wrote … Continue Reading
December 11, 2025
Wyden Applauds House Passage of Bipartisan Bill to Reauthorize Secure Rural Schools Program
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., today applauded the House passage of his bipartisan legislation introduced with Senators Mike Crapo, R-Idaho, Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., and James Risch, R-Idaho, to reauthorize the Secure Rural Schools (SRS) program and ensure rural, forested communities across Oregon and the country receive funding for roads, schools, law enforcement and other critical services. “The Secure Rural Schools program has been a lifeline for rural communities across … Continue Reading
December 10, 2025
Wyden Reintroduces Bill to Keep Hemp on the Market with Strong Consumer Protections
Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., today reintroduced legislation that would return hemp to the market and create national safety standards for hemp-derived products, keep these products out of the hands of children, and ban unsafe, untested hemp products. Reintroduction of the Cannabinoid Safety and Regulation Act (CSRA) follows passage of last month’s government funding bill containing a provision to outlaw hemp products nationwide. Wyden has long pressed for common-sense … Continue Reading
December 10, 2025
Wyden, Colleagues Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Extend Tax Relief for Wildfire Victims
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden said today he has joined Senate colleagues to introduce legislation that would permanently ensure wildfire survivors in Oregon and nationwide are not taxed on compensation they receive for losses and damages suffered during a wildfire. “The last thing Oregonians need when they’re rebuilding after a wildfire is to get clobbered by a big tax bill on their financial settlements,” Wyden said. “This bill will make it possible for wildfire survivors to use … Continue Reading
December 10, 2025
Wyden Objects to Bill That Would Threaten Encryption, Calls for New Resources to Crack Down on Predators Online
I don’t often disagree with my colleague from Illinois, and I very much share the stated goals of the STOP CSAM Act. Child sexual abuse material is a toxic plague on the internet. There are real victims who need support, and criminals who need to be hunted down and locked up. I don’t take a backseat to anyone when it comes to helping kids and punishing predators. Last Congress, Senator Durbin and I compromised on a different version of this bill and agreed to let that version pass by … Continue Reading
December 10, 2025
Wyden, Colleagues Introduce Legislation to Protect Airline Passengers from Flight Cancellation and Delay Fees
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden said today he has joined colleagues in introducing legislation that would protect travelers by requiring airlines to provide cash compensation and free rebooking for passengers facing significant delays or cancellations caused by the airline. Introduction of the Flight Delay and Cancellation Compensation Act follows the decision by the Trump administration earlier this year to rescind a Biden-era rule that protected travelers against these fees and … Continue Reading
December 09, 2025
Wyden, Merkley Applaud House Passage of Bipartisan Bill to Reauthorize Secure Rural Schools Program
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., today applauded the House passage of his bipartisan legislation introduced with Senators Mike Crapo, R-Idaho, Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., and James Risch, R-Idaho, to reauthorize the Secure Rural Schools (SRS) program and ensure rural, forested communities across Oregon and the country receive funding for roads, schools, law enforcement and other critical services. “The Secure Rural Schools program has been a lifeline for rural communities across … Continue Reading
December 09, 2025
Wyden, Budd Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Support Family Farmers, Grow Agritourism
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senators Ron Wyden, D-Ore., and Ted Budd, R-N.C., today introduced bipartisan legislation to support the economic development and growth of agritourism businesses nationwide by increasing federal resources like loans, grants, broadband, and educational programs to small family farmers. “Small family farmers are the backbone of our country’s agricultural sector,” Wyden said. “There’s no question that the federal government needs to step up and support family farmers at … Continue Reading
December 09, 2025
Wyden, Merkley Introduce Bill to Stop Trump Administration Replacing Immigration Judges with Inexperienced Attorneys
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley said today they are joining their Senate colleagues in introducing legislation that would prevent Donald Trump from abusing loopholes to appoint inexperienced attorneys as temporary immigration judges. The Temporary Immigration Judge Integrity Act aims to close loopholes the Trump administration has been using to short-circuit due process and accelerate its mass deportation agenda. This bill follows Trump weaponizing U.S. immigration … Continue Reading
December 08, 2025
Wyden, Merkley Urge Trump Administration to Release Funds for Klamath Family Head Start
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley said today they are calling on the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Head Start to release grant funding essential to preventing the Klamath Family Head Start program from foreclosing on its main site in Klamath Falls, Oregon. “Despite the program submitting a full application for funding to pay off an outstanding loan and purchase their facility more than six months ago, Klamath Family Head Start still has yet … Continue Reading
