Press Releases
Wyden to Host Health Care Town Hall on Wednesday in Medford
Medford, OR - On Wednesday, February 20, 2008, Oregon Senator Ron Wyden will host a community conversation on health care in Medford. Wyden, co-sponsor of the bipartisan Healthy Americans Act, is inviting Southern Oregon residents to attend and share their personal experiences in dealing with the health care system."Health care consistently ranks at the top of the list of issues that concern average Americans," Wyden said. "Hearing the personal experiences of those who deal with today's health … Continue Reading
February 14, 2008
Wyden to Address City Club of Central Oregon on Health Care
Bend, OR - "Now Is the Time to Fix Health Care" is the topic for Senator Ron Wyden's address to the City Club of Central Oregon on Monday, February 18, 2008. Wyden is the author of the Healthy Americans Act, which has gained bipartisan support and is being co-sponsored by Sen. Bob Bennett (R) of Utah. HAA would get employers out of the business of providing health care for their workers, require Americans to buy a basic health insurance policy for themselves, reduce health care costs, slash … Continue Reading
February 13, 2008
Wyden: "Congress is finally back to doing its job"
Washington, D.C. - Following today's filing of the House-Senate conference report on the FY'08 Intelligence Authorization Act (H.R. 2082), U.S Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) released the following statement. Wyden, a senior member of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence was one of the members negotiating on behalf of the Senate. H.R. 2082 is the annual bill authorizing spending for each of the nation's sixteen national intelligence agencies."This legislation restores Congressional … Continue Reading
February 12, 2008
Senate Votes to Expand Privacy Rights To Americans Abroad
Washington, D.C. - In passing the FISA Amendments Act of 2007 (S.2248), the U.S. Senate today voted to approve one of the largest expansions of privacy rights in the last thirty years. S.2248 which makes a number of changes to U.S. surveillance law contains a provision originally written by U.S. Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) that will ensure that Americans who travel outside the United States possess the same privacy rights that they enjoy on U.S. soil. "In the digital age, an American's … Continue Reading
January 30, 2008
Senate Committee Passes Copper Salmon Wilderness Act
Washington, D.C. - The U.S. Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee today passed S. 2034, the Copper Salmon Wilderness Act. In advance of the committee's vote, U.S. Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), who introduced S. 2034 in the Senate, submitted the below statement for the hearing record: Statement of Senator Ron Wyden ENR Business Meeting January 30, 2008 On S. 2034, the Copper Salmon Wilderness ActI am pleased that today we will be voting to move out of the Committee legislation that will … Continue Reading
January 30, 2008
Senate Committee Passes Legislation to Restore Northwest Fisheries
Washington, D.C. - The U.S. Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee today passed S. 1522, the Fisheries Restoration and Irrigation Mitigation Act (FRIMA). Introduced by U.S. Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), S.1522 extends the Fisheries Restoration and Irrigation Mitigation Act of 2000, which over the last six years has cost-shared funds for improved fish passage to protect more than 550 river miles of fish habitat and species throughout the Northwest. In advance of the committee's vote, … Continue Reading
January 29, 2008
Senators Say Infrastructure Investments are Key to Economic Stimulus
WASHINGTON, D.C. - A bipartisan coalition of twenty U.S. Senators joined U.S. Senators Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) and John Thune (R-S.D.) today to urge congressional leaders to include $5 billion in the economic stimulus package for transportation infrastructure projects that can be started immediately.In a letter addressed to both House and Senate leadership, the senators wrote: "Infrastructure spending is one of the best investments the federal government can make in the economy: every dollar spent … Continue Reading
January 28, 2008
Wyden Statement on the State of the Union Address
WASHINGTON, DC - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR) issued the following statement in response to President George W. Bush's State of the Union address: "I agree with the President when he says that Democrats and Republicans have a responsibility to work together for the American people. While I agree with his sentiment, I disagree with his approach. When it comes to the economy, Americans need more than tax cuts for the most fortunate few and one-time rebates - they need a long-term economic … Continue Reading
January 24, 2008
Wyden, Smith Remind Storm Victims that Disaster Assistance Deadline is Approaching
PORTLAND, Ore - Victims of December's storm have until February 7, 2008 to register for disaster assistance with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and for filing applications with the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) for loans to repair physical damage.Oregonians who live in Clatsop, Columbia, Polk, Tillamook, Washington or Yamhill Counties who suffered damage resulting from the severe storms, wind, mudslides, landslides and flooding of December 1-17, 2007 should call the … Continue Reading
January 11, 2008
Smith, Wyden Announce $1.2 Million for Flood Recovery
Washington D.C. - Working to assist Oregon communities devastated by recent flooding, U.S. Senators Gordon Smith (R-OR) and Ron Wyden (D-OR) announced today that up to $1.2 million in federal funds will be available for clean-up and recovery efforts in the affected counties. The money will target Clatsop, Columbia, Lincoln, Polk, Tillamook, Washington, and Yamhill counties. "This funding will help those Oregonians impacted by the devastating flood," said Smith. "Senator Wyden and I will … Continue Reading
January 08, 2008
Wyden Says Pacific Northwest Forests in Trouble, Thinning Will Help Increase Forest Health, Reduce Fires, Increase Jobs
Medford, Or -- Thinning the Pacific Northwest's troubled federal forests will increase forest health, decrease the chances of catastrophic forest fires and create more timber industry jobs for Oregonians, Senator Ron Wyden said today. "Thinning creates a healthier forest, a healthier economy and a healthier environment," Wyden said during opening remarks at a roundtable discussion on how to improve federal forests in the Pacific Northwest. "Trees going up in smoke do nothing for the quality of … Continue Reading
December 14, 2007
Combat Illegal Logging Legislation Passes Senate
Washington DC - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore) announced today that an amendment based on the Combat Illegal Logging Act was included in the Farm bill (H.R.2419) which passed the Senate by a vote of 79 to 14. Wyden introduced the "Combat Illegal Logging Act of 2007" earlier this year in order to halt the trade of illegal timber and timber products. American manufacturers are increasingly struggling to compete with the low-priced wood and wood products being harvested from illegal sources … Continue Reading
December 07, 2007
Baker's Dozen for the Healthy Americans Act
Washington D.C. - The bipartisan Senate effort to reform the nation's ailing health care system continued to move forward today as U.S. Senators Ron Wyden (D-OR) and Bob Bennett (R-UT) welcomed U.S. Senator Tom Carper (D-DE) as a cosponsor of the "Healthy Americans Act" (S.334). Departing Senate Minority Whip Trent Lott (R-MS) also announced his support bringing the growing list of co-sponsors to 13 senators. Previously announced cosponsors include: U.S. Senators Lamar Alexander (R-TN), Bill … Continue Reading
December 06, 2007
Smith, Wyden Urge Immediate Disaster Relief
Washington, DC - Today, Oregon Senators Gordon Smith and Ron Wyden took to the Senate floor to call for immediate federal assistance in the aftermath of storms and flooding that ravaged Oregon's north coast earlier this week. In the wake of the storm, hundreds of Oregonians were in shelters, Interstate Five was shutdown and emergency communication lines failed."Mother nature struck the North Coast with an unrelenting fury of rain and wind this week. Homes are destroyed, roads are blocked and … Continue Reading
December 05, 2007
County Payments Deal Promises $1.8 Billion Dollars for Rural Schools and Communities
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR) joined U.S. Senator Max Baucus (D-MT), Chairman of the U.S. Senate Finance Committee, today in announcing that the Senate has reached an Agreement with the House of Representatives to extend funding for the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self Determination Act, commonly known as the county payments law. The agreement - which contains more than $1.8 billion for the nation's rural schools, counties and communities through 2011 - is included … Continue Reading
December 05, 2007
Wyden, Obama Introduce "Credit Card Safety Star Act of 2007"
Washington, D.C. - Working to give consumers the tools to make informed choices about complex credit card agreements, U.S. Senators Ron Wyden (D-OR) and Barack Obama (D-IL) today introduced the "Credit Card Safety Star Act of 2007." The legislation creates a five-star safety rating system for credit cards in order to increase the transparency of credit card agreements and encourage issuers to abandon abusive practices by offering consumers fair terms they can understand. "This legislation … Continue Reading
December 03, 2007
Wyden Calls for Increased Thinning of Federal Forest Lands to Create jobs, Reduce Fire Danger, Improve Forest Health
Portland, Ore. - Senator Ron Wyden today called for new federal legislation to increase the thinning of trees on federal forest land as part of a comprehensive effort to create more jobs, reduce the danger of expensive forest fires and improve the health of timber stands."What I am proposing here today is a new initiative to address the bureaucratic and political roadblocks to thinning the millions of acres of choked, second growth forest all across our state, and put thousands of Oregonians … Continue Reading
November 13, 2007
Senators Lieberman and Crapo Sponsor Healthy Americans Act
Washington DC - The bipartisan Senate effort to reform the nation's ailing health care system took a step forward today as U.S. Senators Ron Wyden (D-OR) and Bob Bennett (R-UT) welcomed two more influential senators as sponsors of the Healthy Americans Act (S.334). U.S. Senators Joe Lieberman (ID-CT) and Mike Crapo (R-ID), a member of the Senate Finance Committee, join a growing list of co-sponsors which now totals 11 senators. Previously announced cosponsors include: U.S. Senators Judd … Continue Reading
November 08, 2007
Veto Override Authorizes More Than $95 Million for Oregon Water Projects
Washington DC - U.S. Senators Ron Wyden (D-OR) and Gordon Smith (R-OR) joined more than two-thirds of the U.S. Senate today in voting to override President Bush's veto of the Water Resources Development Act of 2007 (H.R. 1495), which includes authorization for more than $96 million in federal funding for water projects across the state of Oregon. With both the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives voting to override the President's veto, H.R. 1495 becomes law. This is the first … Continue Reading
October 30, 2007
Specter, Wyden Introduce Saudi Arabia Accountability Act of 2007
Washington, D.C.- U.S. Senators Arlen Specter, Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and Ron Wyden, member of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, introduced legislation that expresses the sense of Congress that the Government of Saudi Arabia must cooperate with the United States in the war against terrorism.The legislation calls on Saudi Arabia to immediately and unconditionally: permanently close all organizations in Saudi Arabia that fund, train, incite, encourage, or … Continue Reading
