Press Releases
Wyden Joins Legislation to Protect Education Programs for Students with Disabilities
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden said today that he has joined legislation to ensure the continuation of special education programs for students with disabilities, following the Trump administration’s draconian cuts to the U.S. Department of Education. “Every kid in America deserves equal education opportunities, no matter their background,” Wyden said. “As the Trump administration takes a wrecking ball to special education programs that children with disabilities rely on, our … Continue Reading
September 24, 2025
Wyden, Merkley Call on Trump Administration to Back Off Plan to Gut Vehicle Emissions Standards
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley today said that they are joining nine of their Senate colleagues in calling for the Trump administration to reverse course on its disastrous decision to eliminate federal standards for greenhouse gas emissions from passenger cars and medium and heavy-duty trucks that curb air pollution. The Environmental Protection Agency recently walked away from decades worth of settled science that greenhouse gas emissions threaten Americans’ … Continue Reading
September 24, 2025
Merkley, Wyden Announce Over $18 Million Invested into Oregon Airports
Washington, D.C. - Oregon’s U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden today announced that the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is investing $18,352,590 into airports throughout Oregon through the Airport Improvement Program (AIP). “Our regional airports are vital hubs for Oregonians, supporting local businesses and providing essential lifelines during natural disasters,” Merkley said. “Investing in critical airport improvements like taxiways and lighting strengthens our infrastructure. … Continue Reading
September 24, 2025
Wyden Helps Secure the Release of Oregon Firefighter from ICE Facility
Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., announced today that he has helped secure the release of an Oregon firefighter, Mr. Rigoberto Hernandez, who was arrested by U.S. Border Patrol and subsequently detained at an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention facility in Tacoma, Washington, while fighting the Bear Gulch fire in Washington state last month. “Today’s release makes clear that ICE had no business in detaining someone who has followed all the laws and put their … Continue Reading
September 23, 2025
Wyden, Merkley, Colleagues Announce Bill to Restore NOAA’s Extreme Weather Database, Keep Americans Informed of Natural Disasters
Washington D.C.—U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley said today they have joined senate colleagues to introduce legislation that would reverse the Trump Administration’s reckless decision to terminate the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) extreme weather database which has been vital to keeping families, researchers, and policy makers informed on the cost of natural disasters. The Measuring the Cost of Disasters Act would require NOAA to restore and maintain the … Continue Reading
September 19, 2025
Wyden, Merkley Call on Trump Administration to Secure Oregonians’ Food Benefits Against Hackers and Thieves
Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley today called on the Trump administration to take immediate action to protect Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits against theft and hacking, and implement minimum cybersecurity standards for essential food assistance nationwide following recent reports of a spike in SNAP skimming in Malheur County earlier this month. “To prevent instances like this from recurring, and to earnestly cut down on the organized … Continue Reading
September 19, 2025
Wyden, Neguse, Dexter Introduce Legislation to Protect Western Communities from Wildfire Smoke
Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., and Representatives Joe Neguse D-Colo., and Maxine Dexter, D-Ore., today reintroduced legislation to provide federal emergency assistance to people in Oregon and nationwide who are harmed by unhealthy air quality due to wildfire smoke. The Wildfire Smoke Relief Act would protect people lacking air filtration at home or with chronic health conditions by authorizing the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to provide at-risk people with … Continue Reading
September 19, 2025
Wyden, Merkley Announce $2.2 Million For Rural Mental Health
Washington D.C.—U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley today announced more than $2.2 million to support mental health and acute care workforce development at the Grande Ronde Hospital in Union County. “Rural health care recently has seen extraordinary cuts due to Republicans gutting Medicaid, and it is absolutely essential to support hospital systems and providers to ensure folks get the mental health care they need,” Wyden said. “I applaud Grande Ronde Hospital for receiving this award, … Continue Reading
September 19, 2025
Wyden, Merkley Announce $7.47 Million to Reduce Wildfire Risk and Boost Timber Production
Washington D.C.—U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley today announced more than $7.4 million to support removal and transport of 417,308 tons of low-value trees and woody debris from national forests to processing facilities, including a critical $4.6 million award to support the forest products industry in Grant County. “Responsible forestry is at the center of Oregon’s identity, and multiple-use of our national forests is critical for combatting the effects of the ongoing climate crisis … Continue Reading
September 18, 2025
Democratic Committee Leaders Introduce Legislation to Protect Free Vaccines for Americans
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, ranking member of the Senate Finance Committee, and bicameral Democratic health committee leaders introduced legislation today that would protect free vaccine coverage for Americans. The Protecting Free Vaccines Act would require private health insurance companies, Medicaid, and Medicare to continue covering recommended vaccines free of cost-sharing for Americans. In addition to Wyden, the legislation was introduced in the Senate by Health, … Continue Reading
September 18, 2025
Wyden, Colleagues Reintroduce Legislation to Challenge Trump’s Tariffs on Canada
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden refiled legislation to undo Donald Trump’s tariffs on Canada, he announced today. Since Trump exploited an emergency law - that is nearly half a century old - to launch a trade war with Canada, U.S. distilled spirits declined about 62 percent, while tourism from Canada to the U.S. fell by nearly 34 percent. The International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) tariffs on countries across the globe are the largest tax increase on American families in … Continue Reading
September 18, 2025
Wyden, Merkley, Colleagues Introduce Legislation to Provide Universal Paid Leave
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley said today that they joined their colleagues in introducing legislation that would guarantee up to 12 weeks of partial income for workers who are forced to take leave for serious medical and family events. Paid medical and family leave is especially helpful for new parents and older Americans who are more likely to have health issues or caregiving obligations. Despite research showing that paid leave improves workers’ mental health, … Continue Reading
September 18, 2025
Wyden Introduces Legislation Banning Corporations from Bypassing Courts to Settle Legal Disputes Behind Closed Doors
Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., today said that he is joining legislation that would stop corporations from bypassing the court system to settle legal disputes behind closed doors. From workplace discrimination and sexual harassment to consumer complaints, corporations are writing forced arbitration clauses in the fine print of contracts, allowing them to escape accountability for any harms they may have caused workers or consumers. Since corporations have made it … Continue Reading
September 17, 2025
Merkley, Dexter, Oregon Delegation Sound the Alarm Over EPA’s Proposal to Declassify Greenhouse Gases as Public Health Threat
Washington, D.C. - Today, Oregon’s U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley and U.S. Representative Maxine Dexter (OR-03) led a letter with their Oregon delegation colleagues—U.S. Senator Ron Wyden and U.S. Representatives Suzanne Bonamici (OR-01), Val Hoyle (OR-04), Andrea Salinas (OR-06), and Janelle Bynum (OR-05)—in raising the alarm over the threat of the Trump Administration’s proposal to eliminate the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) finding that greenhouse gases are harmful and a contributor … Continue Reading
September 17, 2025
Wyden Announces Town Halls in Multnomah and Lane Counties
Portland - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden today announced he will hold open-to-all town halls next week in Multnomah and Lane counties. Heading into these two town halls on Sept. 24th and 26th. Wyden has held 1,135 open-to-all town halls in keeping his promise to hold at least one town hall each year in each of Oregon’s 36 counties, including 34 so far this year. “It’s more important than ever that our state show the entire country the “Oregon Way” where open-to-all town halls provide everybody the … Continue Reading
September 17, 2025
Wyden, Veasey Reintroduce Bicameral Resolution Recognizing September as National Voting Rights Month
Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., and U.S. Representative Marc Veasey, D-Texas, reintroduced their resolution recognizing September as “National Voting Rights Month.” This resolution follows Republicans’ recent attacks on voting rights from the halls of Congress to state legislatures. In July, Donald Trump ordered states like Texas to draw new gerrymandered Republican congressional districts, and Trump recently began threatening to prevent people from voting at home. … Continue Reading
September 16, 2025
Wyden, Merkley Lead Colleagues in Calling on Senate Leaders to Protect Hemp Legalization in Government Funding Bill
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley today led their Senate colleagues in calling on Senate leadership to make sure no government spending bill re-criminalizes hemp products, and instead work together to consider legislation that would fully regulate these products and improve consumer safety. In 2018, Wyden and Merkley worked closely with then-Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and Senator Rand Paul to secure language in the Farm Bill to legalize hemp products at … Continue Reading
September 15, 2025
Wyden Cosponsors Bipartisan Legislation to Protect Fair Pay for Workers with Disabilities
Washington, D.C. - Senator Ron Wyden said today that he has cosponsored bipartisan legislation that would end subminimum wage and prohibit employers from under-paying workers with disabilities. Under current law, employers are able to under-pay workers with disabilities below the federal minimum wage. The Biden administration previously issued a proposed rule prohibiting this practice. In July, the Trump administration announced its plans to withdraw that proposed Biden-era rule, allowing … Continue Reading
September 15, 2025
Wyden Leads 11 Members of Congress Urging Appeals Court to Uphold Independence of Privacy Oversight Board
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., led 11 members of Congress calling on a federal appeals court to uphold the independence of a critical privacy and surveillance watchdog, in an amicus brief they filed on Friday. Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board (PCLOB) members Travis LeBlanc and Edward Felten are challenging their illegal firing by Donald Trump. In May, the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia ruled that Trump could not fire LeBlanc and Felten, and … Continue Reading
September 15, 2025
Wyden, Merkley Introduce Tax Fairness Bill for Striking Workers
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley (both D-OR) said today they have introduced legislation that would ensure workers in Oregon and nationwide are not taxed on the small stipends they receive while on strike. “Americans battling for fair wages, working conditions and benefits count on strike funds from their union to keep providing food, shelter and more for their families,” said Wyden, ranking member of the Senate Finance Committee. “This bill provides a fair shake … Continue Reading
