Press Releases
U.S. Senate Approves Wyden-Grassley Plan to Get Rid of Secret Holds; Provision Now Goes to Conference Committee
Washington, D.C. - The U.S. Senate last night approved a critical ethics and reform bill, S.1 that includes a provision authored by U.S. Senators Ron Wyden (D-OR) and Chuck Grassley (R-IA) to prohibit a single Senator from blocking legislation or a nominee without revealing his or her identity.Wyden and Grassley have worked for more than a decade to end the practice of secret holds. Their amendment requiring a Senator who places a hold to make it public within three days was included in the … Continue Reading
April 04, 2007
Intelligence Authorization Bill Clears Committee
Washington, D.C. - After two years of the Senate failing to pass an Intelligence Authorization bill, the U.S. Senate Select Committee on Intelligence today approved the Intelligence Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2007. Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR), a senior member of the Committee, lauded the agreed-upon legislation as "vital to fortifying the U.S.'s intelligence capabilities." "Passage of this legislation is proof positive that Congress can improve accountability in the intelligence … Continue Reading
April 04, 2007
Wyden Applauds Chairman's Decision to Formally Ask for Review of Possible Hardwood Plywood Abuses
Washington, DC -- U.S. Senator Ron Wyden of Oregon applauded Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus' decision to formally request that the International Trade Commission (ITC) conduct a review of the U.S. hardwood plywood and wood flooring industry. Nearly 2,000 Oregonians work in the hardwood plywood industry."I applaud Chairman Baucus' decision to request an International Trade Commission study to investigate unfair Chinese trade practices that are hurting U.S. hardwood plywood … Continue Reading
April 04, 2007
Renewed Hope for Salmon Fisherman Aid
Washington, DC - To aid Oregon fishermen impacted by last year's restricted salmon fishing season, U.S. Senators Gordon H. Smith (R-OR) and Ron Wyden (D-OR) are pushing for $60.4 million in disaster assistance for West Coast salmon fishermen to be included in an emergency spending bill the Senate is drafting."Last year's closure was devastating to Oregon's salmon fishermen," Smith said. "We will do everything we can to secure this long-awaited funding. Struggling fishermen and businesses … Continue Reading
April 04, 2007
Wyden, Feingold: Put Money Where the Reform Is When it Comes to Health Care
Washington, DC - U.S. Senators Ron Wyden (D-OR) and Russ Feingold (D-WI), both members of the Budget Committee, today offered an amendment during consideration of the 2008 budget to create a reserve fund to cover different types of health reform that may be approved during the congressional session."There are a wide variety of views about what's needed to fix health care. I have a plan - the Healthy Americans Act - that would provide every American with affordable, private health care … Continue Reading
April 04, 2007
Wyden Lauds Passage of County Payments Amendment
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR) issued the following statement today after the U.S. Senate voted in favor of his multi-year proposal to restore funding for the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self Determination Act. The Wyden-Reid-Baucus-Bingaman Amendment, which is now included in the 2007 Emergency Supplement Appropriations bill, passed the Senate by a vote of 75 to 22. "Thanks to the wise action of the U.S. Senate today, rural communities across the country can rest a … Continue Reading
April 04, 2007
Wyden Statement on the President'sSurge Force Plan for Iraq
Washington, D.C. - Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR), a senior member of the U.S. Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, released the following statement in response to President Bush's remarks on the war in Iraq: "I am not convinced that overstretching our military further is going to produce success in Iraq, and I oppose the President's plan."When it comes to ending the violence in Iraq, only the Iraqis can make the tough choices necessary to stop the civil war. The Iraqis won't make these tough … Continue Reading
April 04, 2007
Wyden: Health Care Change Must Come at Federal Level
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, a member of the Senate Finance Committee, today introduced legislation that would give every American the same kind of coverage that Members of Congress receive for the same amount being spent on health care today.Under the legislation, all Americans - including the 46 million uninsured - would be covered by health care insurance for no more than is spent today. The legislation also contains tough cost containment and according to the influential … Continue Reading
April 04, 2007
White House Budget Stiffs Rural Schools and Communities
Washington, DC. - The Administration today released its FY2008 budget plan, which slashes funding for the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act. Funding for the successful program-most commonly known as the "county payments" law-was allowed to expire in September 2006, thus forcing rural communities to examine school and law enforcement lay-offs, library closures and other cut backs necessarily to balance their budgets. The President's budget recommends more than a 50% … Continue Reading
April 04, 2007
Oregon National Guard to be Reimbursed for Assisting with Hurricane Katrina Aftermath
WASHINGTON, DC-The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) today announced a grant to the state of Louisiana for approximately $2.7 million to cover the costs of reimbursing the Oregon National Guard (ONG) for services provided in New Orleans following Hurricane Katrina. The state of Louisiana must now reimburse the ONG for this amount. The funds are expected to be transferred to the ONG this week.Oregon's entire congressional delegation sent a letter to FEMA Acting Director R. David … Continue Reading
April 04, 2007
Wyden Applauds U.S. Trade Rep's Decision to Challenge Chinese Subsidies Hurting US Hardwood Plywood Industry
Washington, D.C. - Noting that approximately 70 percent of North America's hardwood plywood is manufactured by companies headquartered in Oregon, U.S. Senator Ron Wyden today applauded the decision by U.S. Trade Representative Susan Schwab to file a World Trade Organization (WTO) case against China over prohibited subsidies that adversely affect the US hardwood plywood industry. Nearly 2,000 Oregonians work in the hardwood plywood industry. In separate letters in … Continue Reading
April 04, 2007
Wyden Proposes Historic New Health Care Plan;Effort Has Business and Labor Support
Washington, D.C. - Following 60 years of gridlock on a desperately-needed overhaul of the nation's health care system, U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, a member of the Finance Committee, today unveiled a groundbreaking new proposal to provide affordable, high quality, private health coverage for everyone regardless of where they work or live.The plan, known as the Healthy Americans Act:-- guarantees private health care coverage that cannot be taken away for all Americans;-- provides benefits for all … Continue Reading
April 04, 2007
Oregon Senators Press for County Payments
Washington, D.C. - As the White House prepares to issue its yearly budget request to Congress, U.S. Senators Ron Wyden (D-OR) and Gordon Smith (R-OR) today asked the Administration to include funding for an extension of the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self Determination Act of 2000, commonly known as the county payments law.The letter, addressed to the director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), Rob Portman, detailed the severity of the situation facing Oregon's rural … Continue Reading
April 04, 2007
Wyden's Talks with Reid, Baucus and Bingaman Yield Multi-Year County Payments Fix
Washington, DC - U.S. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) joined U.S. Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR) today in announcing a multi-year proposal to restore funding for the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self Determination Act, commonly known as the county payments law. The proposalwhich includes about $5 billion for rural schools, counties and communities through 2012is being offered for bipartisan consideration by Reid, Wyden and U.S. Senators Max Baucus (D-MT) and Jeff Bingaman (D-NM), the … Continue Reading
April 04, 2007
Wyden Blasts DoD Response on "Don't Ask, Don't Tell"
Washington, D.C. -U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden, a senior member of the Intelligence Committee, today said he was extremely troubled by the response he received last night in a letter from the Pentagon concerning its "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy. This is the second time the Pentagon has avoided answering the question of whether there is any military reason for maintaining the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy."As we send men and women to fight overseas, it is more important than ever that we address … Continue Reading
April 04, 2007
Senators Continue Fight for Rural Communities
Washington, D.C. - Working to reinstate vital funding for the nation's rural schools, roads and services, U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Gordon Smith are filing amendments to authorize and fully fund a one-year extension of the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self Determination Act of 2000, commonly known as the county payments law.Despite the Administration's commitment to enact a one-year … Continue Reading
April 04, 2007
Wyden, Davis Push Vote by Mail
Washington, DC - U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR) and U.S. Rep. Susan Davis (D-CA) today announced that they have introduced legislation to help states transition to vote by mail (VBM) election systems. S. 979, the Vote Mail Act of 2007 and its House companion, H.R.1667, would create a three year, $18 million grant program to help states adopt vote by mail election systems like the one that Oregon voters have been successfully using for some time now."As the Oregon experience demonstrates, vote by … Continue Reading
April 04, 2007
Wyden Protests Advanced Closure of the 939th Air Refueling Wing "Pulling the rug out from underneath these brave reservists is unfair"
Washington, D.C. - Protesting the Air Force Reserve Command's announcement today that it is accelerating the closure of the 939th Air Refueling Wing, based in Portland, U.S. Senator Ron Wyden sent the following letter to Air Force Reserve Chief, Lieutenant General John A. Bradley:February 2, 2007Lieutenant General John A. BradleyChief, Air Force Reserve 1150 Air Force PentagonRoom 4E160Washington, DC 20030-1150Dear Lt. Gen. Bradley:I am writing to formally protest your announcement that the … Continue Reading
April 04, 2007
Snowe, Wyden Act to Require HHS Secretaryto Negotiate or Medicare Prescription Drugs
Washington D.C. - U.S. Senators Olympia Snowe (R-ME) and Ron Wyden (D-OR), both members of the Senate Finance Committee, are slated tomorrow to introduce legislation to make the Medicare program a "smarter shopper" by requiring the U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to negotiate with drug companies for prices under certain circumstances."The rapidly escalating price of prescription drugs threatens to undermine the very drug benefit Congress passed to deliver real savings to … Continue Reading
April 04, 2007
Senators Introduce Multi-Year County Payments Renewal
Washington, D.C. - Struggling rural schools and communities were thrown a lifeline today by a bipartisan coalition of U.S. Senators, when they offered a multi-year proposal to restore funding for the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self Determination Act, commonly known as the county payments law. U.S. Senator Ron Wyden offered the amendment to the 2007 Emergency Supplemental Appropriations bill with the support of U.S. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) and U.S. Senators Max Baucus … Continue Reading
