Press Releases
Wyden, Fetterman, Cassidy and Bipartisan Members of Congress Introduce Enhanced Cybersecurity for SNAP Act to Secure Food Benefits Against Hackers and Thieves
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., with Sens. John Fetterman, D-Penn., and Bill Cassidy, R-La., today introduced the Enhanced Cybersecurity for SNAP Act to upgrade the security of electronic benefit cards and protect families in need from thieves that have stolen millions worth of essential food benefits. Reps. Andy Kim, D-N.J., and Mike Lawler, R-N.Y., are leading the bill in the House of Representatives. To date, tens of millions of dollars in Supplemental Nutrition … Continue Reading
March 05, 2024
Wyden Remarks Celebrating the 20th Anniversary of the 21st Century Nanotechnology Research & Development Act
It is such a pleasure to join an event featuring so many brilliant and dedicated individuals all working to further scientific understanding and solve real problems with your work. You all are probably the last people who need a lecture on the importance of nanotechnology, but I do have about 45 minutes of remarks here, so settle in. I’m kidding, of course. Friends don’t filibuster friends. Today I’m going to describe how the 21st Century Nanotechnology Research and Development Act came … Continue Reading
March 04, 2024
Wyden Statement on New Concessionaire Contract for Crater Lake
U.S. Senator Ron Wyden today released the following statement after the National Park Service (NPS) announced Aramark’s concessionaire contract to manage Crater Lake National Park is in the process of being transferred to a new operator: “I want to thank National Park Service Director Chuck Sams for his leadership and the decisive steps he has taken to address concessionaire failures and make the much-needed transition to a new operator. It is clear as Crater Lake that from the beginning the … Continue Reading
February 29, 2024
Wyden Urges Biden Administration to Crack Down on Surveillance Companies and Shore up Security of Wireless Networks
Washington D.C. - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., today called on the Biden Administration to address the threat posed by wireless carriers’ lax cybersecurity, which expose U.S. citizens to surveillance by foreign governments. The letter to President Biden urges the administration to set minimum cybersecurity standards for carriers, and to direct government agencies to take further action to protect U.S. citizens and foreign journalists, dissidents, and human rights activists from surveillance … Continue Reading
February 29, 2024
Wyden: “Utterly Ridiculous” to Renew Warrantless FISA Surveillance Without Congressional Approval
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., today blasted the Department of Justice for seeking a year-long extension of government surveillance under Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, even though the law expires in less than two months. “A broad bipartisan, bicameral coalition agrees that FISA Section 702 should be reauthorized with reforms to protect the rights of Americans.,” Wyden said. “Yet rather than seriously engage with congressional reformers, the … Continue Reading
February 29, 2024
Wyden Announces Four Town Halls in Polk and Northern Coastal Counties
Portland, OR - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden today announced he will continue his 2024 town hall schedule with four in-person town halls in Polk, Lincoln, Tillamook, and Clatsop counties in March. These town halls were postponed due to unscheduled Senate votes in February. Including his seven town halls in January, Wyden has held a total of 1,072 town halls throughout Oregon in fulfillment of his pledge to hold at least one town hall each year in each of Oregon’s 36 counties. “I promised to hold … Continue Reading
February 28, 2024
Wyden Calls on Colleagues to Support Legislation to Protect IVF Nationwide
Watch a video of Wyden deliver remarks on the Senate floor here As prepared for delivery I come to the floor today to express my strong support for Senator Duckworth’s legislation to create protections for IVF under the law. I think many of my colleagues would agree with me when I say this wasn’t an issue I thought I’d have to stand on the Senate floor debating in 2024, and yet, here we are. Just a few days ago, Alabama’s far-right Supreme Court handed down a first-of-its-kind ruling, which … Continue Reading
February 28, 2024
Wyden Statement on Data Export Executive Order
Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., today praised the White House for acting to curb exports of sensitive U.S. Data to unfriendly foreign countries, and called on Congress to pass his Protecting Americans’ Data from Foreign Surveillance Act to further defend our information from foreign criminals and spies. “Shady data brokers funnel Americans’ private data to spies and criminals overseas, and President Biden deserves praise for taking the first step in fighting back. I appreciate that the executive … Continue Reading
February 28, 2024
Wyden issues statement on BLM's updated management strategy for public lands in SE Oregon
Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., released the following statement today after the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) released its updated management strategy for public lands in southeastern Oregon: “I continue to work intensely in Malheur County to find solutions that will preserve both a treasured way of life and a treasured landscape, and I’m glad to see the BLM hit this milestone. I look forward to giving the agency’s plan a good hard look and will continue to look for ways … Continue Reading
February 28, 2024
Wyden responds to FTC blocking Kroger-Albertson merger
Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., released the following statement today after the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announced it sued to block the proposed merger of Kroger Company and Alberstons Companies, Inc.: “I called for the FTC to block this merger because it would raise grocery and prescription costs for Oregonians across our state, and it’s clear the FTC agrees. Another strike against this merger is the toll it would take on our veterans and servicemembers who will be … Continue Reading
February 26, 2024
Merkley, Wyden, Bonamici: $2 Million for Community Health Clinic Training and Professional Development
Washington, D.C. - Oregon’s U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden and Representative Suzanne Bonamici (OR-01) announced that OCHIN, Inc has received $2,001,642 from the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) to support OCHINS’s health information technology recruitment and training program for health clinics in underserved communities. Together, Merkley, Wyden, and Bonamici secured this funding for OCHIN in Congress’ fiscal year 2023 omnibus appropriations package as a community-initiated project … Continue Reading
February 22, 2024
Wyden, Merkley Announce $27 Million to Support Pacific Salmon Recovery in Oregon
Washington, D.C. - Oregon’s U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley today announced an investment of $27 million from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to help support recovery efforts for Pacific salmon populations. The federal funds are available due to the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act. This investment builds on several projects Senator Wyden has supported, including a $2.5 million grant in 2022 to replace larger culverts on five rivers in the Tillamook … Continue Reading
February 22, 2024
EPA announces $74M for Oregon drinking water, wastewater and stormwater infrastructure upgrades
Contact: EPA Region 10 Press Office (R10_Press_Team@epa.gov) Seattle, W.A. - Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced over $74,444,000 from President Biden’s Investing in America agenda for Oregon drinking water and clean water infrastructure upgrades. The funding is part of the over $50 billion investment in water infrastructure upgrades from President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law - the largest such investment in American history. Today’s announcement will … Continue Reading
February 22, 2024
Merkley, Wyden Announce Over $38 Million Coming to Oregon to Combat Growing Wildfire Crisis
Washington, D.C. - Oregon’s U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden announced today that Oregon is receiving over $38 million from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) for wildfire resilience efforts under the U.S. Forest Service’s Wildfire Crisis Strategy. This significant federal investment, provided as part of the Biden administration’s National Climate Resilience Framework, will be used to minimize wildfire threats to Oregon’s communities, vital infrastructure, and natural … Continue Reading
February 22, 2024
U.S. Senator Ron Wyden Addresses National Park Service’s Intent to Terminate Crater Lake Concessionaire Contract
In December, U.S. Senator Ron Wyden urged federal officials to act immediately to prevent concessionaire mismanagement from posing safety risks to Crater Lake National Park, its visitors, and the employees who live and work at this world-renowned natural treasure in southern Oregon. Today, Senator Wyden followed up with a letter to National Park Service Director Charles “Chuck” Sams III after NPS announced its intent to terminate the contract with Aramark due to an inability to live up to its … Continue Reading
February 16, 2024
Wyden, Merkley Announce $70,000 for the Oregon Food Bank
Washington, D.C. - Oregon’s U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley today announced an investment of $70,000 for the Oregon Food Bank from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food and Nutrition Service to connect local producers with emergency feeding organizations. “Nothing is more important than making sure folks in need have food to eat, and the resources to thrive,” Wyden said. “Making sure this food is locally sourced and processed helps connect our Oregon farmers to the communities … Continue Reading
February 15, 2024
Merkley, Wyden Announce Over $15 Million Headed to Redmond and Portland Airports
Washington, D.C. - Oregon’s U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden announced a total of $15,214,286 in Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funds will be heading to the Redmond Municipal Airport (RDM) and Portland International Airport (PDX). Today’s funding comes from Fiscal Year 2024 (FY24) Airport Terminal Grants program. These federal grants are intended to fund safe, sustainable, and accessible airport terminals, on-airport rail access projects, and airport-owned air traffic control … Continue Reading
February 14, 2024
Merkley, Wyden: $72 Million Coming to the Klamath Basin to Boost Ecosystem Restoration and Support Collaboration that Drives Water Reliability Solutions
Today, Oregon’s U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden announced that $72 million in new federal funding is headed to the Klamath Basin for critical ecosystem restoration projects and agricultural infrastructure modernization. Additionally, the U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) announced a historic agreement with the Klamath Tribes, Yurok Tribe, Karuk Tribe, and Klamath Water Users Association (KWUA) that cements their commitment to working together to drive long-term solutions to the … Continue Reading
February 14, 2024
Wyden, Merkley, Colleagues Urge Education Department to Address FAFSA Rollout Issues
Washington D.C. - U.S. Senators Ron Wyden, Jeff Merkley and Senate colleagues today called on the U.S. Department of Education to urgently address the operational issues with the new Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form that impacts many students in Oregon and nationwide. “We are supportive of the Department’s decision to make these adjustments in the updated form, but were disappointed to hear these adjustments would lead to even further delays in this year’s FAFSA … Continue Reading
February 13, 2024
Wyden Reveals Phone Data Used to Target Abortion Misinformation at Visitors to Hundreds of Reproductive Health Clinics
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., revealed today that an anti-abortion political group used mobile phone location data to send targeted misinformation to people who visited any of 600 reproductive health clinics in 48 states. In a letter to the Federal Trade Commission and Securities and Exchange Commission, Wyden urged the government to act quickly to protect the privacy of patients, and to hold the data broker accountable for misleading statements about its actions. As a … Continue Reading
