Press Releases
Wyden Fights for Better End-of-Life Health Care
Washington, DC As part of his ongoing efforts to improve healthcare for all Americans, U.S. Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) today introduced two pieces of legislation aimed at providing better care options for dying patients. The first Wyden bill, the Palliative Care Training Act, recognizes the need for a larger pool of health care professionals who know how to help terminally ill patients to have a better quality of life. The second bill, the Medicare Hospice Demonstration Act, seeks to test … Continue Reading
November 09, 2004
Statement of U.S. Senator Ron Wyden on Department of Justice challenge to Oregon's physician-assisted suicide law
"I am extremely disappointed that Attorney General Ashcroft has chosen to continue ignoring the will of the voters of Oregon. The people of our state have spoken twice on the matter, and so have the Federal courts. I certainly plan to look into how many taxpayer dollars Mr. Ashcroft has wasted in his attempt to disenfranchise Oregon … Continue Reading
October 28, 2004
Oregon counties to receive $113 million today in installment of 2004 county payments
Portland, Ore. U.S. Senators Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) and Gordon Smith (R-Ore.) announced today that Oregon counties will receive more than $113 million through the 2004 county payments funds provided by The Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act. Wyden and Smith have worked together to ensure continued funding to rural Oregon counties since passage in 2000 of the law, also authored by U.S. Senator Larry Craig (R-Idaho), to secure a stable source of funding for rural schools and … Continue Reading
October 08, 2004
Wyden, Smith Announce Grant for Oregon Health Clinic
WASHINGTON, DC - U.S. Senators Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) and Gordon Smith (R-Ore.) today announced that La Clinica del Carino Family Health Center will receive a $200,000 federal grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The funds are being provided through the HHS Community Program to Improve Minority Health to support outreach services and access for minorities in high-risk, low-income communities. "It is critical to support health centers like La Clinica del Carino … Continue Reading
October 06, 2004
GAO Drug Price Analysis Finds Huge Cost Jump for Seniors, All Americans
Washington, DC - New information from the non-partisan Government Accountability Office (GAO) details skyrocketing prescription drug costs, particularly among brand-name medicines, and is prompting calls for action in Congress to reduce the cost of drugs for senior citizens and all Americans. U.S. Senators Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) and Byron Dorgan (D-N.D.) released the GAO analysis today and pointed to increases of more than 20 percent in drug prices from January 2000 to June of this year - 26.4 … Continue Reading
October 06, 2004
Four Wyden Provisions Strengthen Final SenateIntelligence Reform Bill
WASHINGTON, D.C. Intelligence reform legislation approved by the Senate today includes four key amendments offered by U.S. Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore.). Wyden, a member of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, worked on a bipartisan basis to win approval of significant reforms to the intelligence classification system, oversight on data-mining of Americans personal information in Federal agencies, and two significant consumer protection provisions related to airline safety and passenger … Continue Reading
October 06, 2004
Senate Approves Wyden Amendment to Protect Economic Development Projects in Oregon's Small Communities
Washington, DC - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) today announced Senate approval of his amendment to keep Oregon's distressed and rural communities from losing economic development opportunities because of burdensome financial requirements recently imposed by the U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA). Wyden's amendment was included in the EDA reauthorization legislation passed by the Senate today. Earlier this year EDA told communities that beginning immediately, they would need to … Continue Reading
October 05, 2004
Wyden Combats Childhood Obesity Epidemic in Oregon, Nationwide
Washington, DC - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) today testified before the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee on his bipartisan legislation to combat childhood obesity. In today's hearing, Wyden talked at length about the serious epidemic of obesity among children in Oregon and throughout the nation, and urged that Congress take the lead in curbing the epidemic by passing the "Childhood Obesity Reduction Act." The legislation, which Wyden introduced earlier this … Continue Reading
October 01, 2004
Wyden Successfully Includes Key Airline Passenger Provision in Intelligence Reform Bill
WASHINGTON, D.C. Airline passengers holding tickets on bankrupt airlines would continue to be able to trade in those tickets flights on other airlines, thanks to an amendment cosponsored by U.S. Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) and included today in the pending National Intelligence Reform Act of 2004. The amendment, offered by Wyden and U.S. Senator Bill Frist (R-Tenn.), would provide a one-year extension of the consumer protection provision, which was first enacted in the fall of 2001 and is due … Continue Reading
September 29, 2004
Intelligence Reform Bill to Include Key Wyden Measure on Classification
Washington, DC - An amendment by U.S. Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) to name an Independent National Security Classification Board to reexamine classification decisions at the request of Congress was included today in the National Intelligence Reform Act of 2004. The bipartisan amendment, offered with Senators Trent Lott (R-Miss.), Bob Graham (D-Fla.), Olympia Snowe (R-Maine) and John Cornyn (R-Tex.), would also give Congress a role in the development of the National Intelligence Director's new … Continue Reading
September 29, 2004
Wyden Urges Quick Passage Of Indian Healthcare Improvement Act
Washington, DC U.S. Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) this week urged Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-Tenn.) to bring the Indian Health Care Improvement Act (IHCIA) to the floor as soon as possible for a vote. Wyden joined Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle (D-S.D.) and 17 other Senators in sending a letter to Senator Frist urging that the Senate reauthorize IHIA, which expired in 2001, leaving tribes across the country without access to healthcare.It is critical that Native American … Continue Reading
September 24, 2004
Wyden, Smith, DeFazio Announce Federal Grant of $348,703 for Eugene Fire & EMS Department
Washington, DC U.S. Senators Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) and Gordon Smith (R-Ore.) and U.S. Representative Peter DeFazio (D-Ore.) today announced that the Eugene Fire & EMS Department will receive $348,703 from the Office of Domestic Preparedness (ODP) for Operations and Firefighter Safety.Eugenes first responders put their lives on the line every day to keep their community safe and these federal funds will help make them safer as well, said Wyden. I am pleased to see Eugene benefit from this … Continue Reading
September 16, 2004
Wyden Secures Funding Approval for Community Groups, Drug Prevention Programs
Washington, DC - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) announced today that Oregon could receive nearly $7 million for drug prevention and rehabilitation programs, as well as funding for fishery-related programs. The funding was included in the Senate FY 2005 Commerce/Justice/State (CJS) funding bill approved by the Senate Appropriations Committee this week; it will next be considered by the full Senate. "These federal funds will help give Oregon law enforcement the tools to fight crime and wage … Continue Reading
September 16, 2004
Senate Passes Smith-Wyden Ft. Clatsop Bill
Washington, DC Last night, the Senate passed the Lewis and Clark National Historical Park Designation Act, co-sponsored by Senators Gordon Smith and Ron Wyden. The bill would create a Lewis and Clark National Historic Park, encompassing Fort Clatsop National Memorial, other state parks, and sites proposed for protection.This legislation will give Oregonians a fitting tribute to the journey of Lewis and Clark, said Smith. The new National Park will make the rich history and life lessons … Continue Reading
September 15, 2004
Senate Passes Smith-Wyden Wallowa Dam Bill
WASHINGTON, D.C. Today, the Senate passed the Wallowa Lake Dam Rehabilitation and Water Management Act introduced by Senators Gordon Smith and Ron Wyden. The Senate passed similar legislation, also sponsored by Smith and Wyden, in 2002.The projects authorized by this bill represent a positive approach to resolving the water issues facing the Wallowa River Basin, said Smith. The hard work put into these projects by federal, state, and local interests is one step closer to being rewarded."The … Continue Reading
September 15, 2004
Wyden, Smith Secure More Than $17 Million For Oregon Natural Resource Projects
Washington, DC U.S. Senators Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) and Sen. Gordon Smith (R-Ore.) today announced that Oregon could soon receive more than $17 million, and share in an additional $3 million, for natural resource projects across the state. Wyden and Smith secured this funding as part of the Senates FY2005 Interior funding bill which passed the Appropriations Committee this week. Included in the bill is funding for land acquisitions at the Columbia River Gorge and the Fort Clatsop National … Continue Reading
September 14, 2004
Local community, mountain bikers, environmental groups supportive of Wyden wilderness bill
Washington, DC At a U.S. Senate hearing today, witnesses from the Mount Hood area, mountain biking organizations, and environmental groups expressed support for the Lewis and Clark Mount Hood Wilderness Act of 2004 (S. 2723), introduced by U.S. Senator Ron Wyden in July. The hearing in the Subcommittee on Public Lands and Forests, on which Wyden is the top-ranked Democrat, began the Senates formal review of the wilderness bill. Wyden introduced the wilderness bill following several public … Continue Reading
September 13, 2004
Wyden, ex-Nebraska Football Coach Osborne, and Rep. Gordon pass law to clean up sports agents recruitment of college athletes
Washington, DC Legislation stopping sports agents from using unfair tactics when attempting to sign student-athletes to contracts has passed the U.S. Senate and will now become law. Wyden introduced the Sports Agent Responsibility and Trust Act (SPARTA) on June 3, 2003; the House and Senate have now passed identical legislation authored on the House side by former University of Nebraska football coach Rep. Tom Osborne (R-Neb.) and Rep. Bart Gordon (D-Tenn). Student-athletes can lose … Continue Reading
September 09, 2004
Oregon Lawmakers Urge Sec. Thompson to Approve Governor's Drug Reimportation Plan
WASHINGTON, DC-Several Oregon lawmakers today sent a letter to Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson, asking that he expeditiously approve Oregon's Pioneer Prescription Drug Project, a plan proposed by Oregon Governor Ted Kulongoski which permits Oregon pharmacists to reimport drugs from licenced and inspected Canadian drug wholesalers. The signers-Senator Ron Wyden, and Reps. Peter DeFazio, Darlene Hooley, David Wu and Earl Blumenauer-hope for speedy approval of the … Continue Reading
August 26, 2004
Wyden, Smith Announce $750,000 For Klamath FallsInternational Airport
Washington, DC U.S. Senators Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) and Gordon Smith (R-Ore.) today announced that the City of Klamath Falls will receive $750,000 for a pavement study and rehabilitation of the runway at the Klamath Falls International Airport. These federal funds are being provided by the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT).This runway construction project will not only increase safety and convenience for many citizens in this region, but will contribute to the areas accessibility and … Continue Reading
