Press Releases
In Preparation for Fire Season, Merkley and Wyden Join Western Senators in a Bipartisan Push To Increase Wildland Firefighter Recruitment and Retention
Washington, D.C. - Oregon's U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden joined Colorado U.S. Senator Michael Bennet in a bipartisan letter urging the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Government Affairs to consider a long-term solution to increase wildland firefighter recruitment and retention. In their letter, the Senators push for Congress to act before short-term pay increases for over 16,000 federal wildland firefighters funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law are set to expire on … Continue Reading
June 06, 2023
Merkley, Wyden Announce $1.55 Million to Improve Oregon Transportation by Tackling Problems Caused by Railroad Crossings
Washington, D.C. - Oregon's U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden announced today that the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) will be awarding Bend and Portland a combined total of $1,550,000 to support planning and projects that will eliminate railroad crossings, improving congestion, accessibility, and safety in the communities. "Freight and passenger trains are vital modes of transportation for businesses and communities, but when their tracks intersect with car, bike, and … Continue Reading
June 06, 2023
Wyden, Merkley: More than $642,000 to Oregon State University to Detect Plant Diseases
Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley today announced that Oregon State University will receive more than $642,000 from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to build out a tool that diagnoses invasive diseases in native plants. “Oregon is a leader in growing food and foliage that power and enrich our lives—from fruit, berries and hazelnuts to wheat, plant starts and grass seed,” Wyden said. “Countless Oregon-grown products are … Continue Reading
June 05, 2023
Wyden Presses FDA and DEA on ADHD Drug Shortage
Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., today announced he is urging regulators at two federal agencies to provide a comprehensive explanation for the continued shortage of affordable, generic ADHD medications and how the agencies are working together to tackle this national crisis. Wyden’s letters to Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) Administrator Anne Milgram and Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner Robert Califf follow an April 18 meeting between Wyden, the … Continue Reading
June 05, 2023
Merkley, Wyden Announce Nearly $1 Million Coming to Oregon for Housing Vouchers to Help Low-Income, Housing Insecure Residents Afford Rent
Washington, D.C. - Oregon's U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden announced today that the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) is awarding local housing authorities a combined total of $985,893 to help address the housing needs of communities in Portland, Albany, The Dalles, and Klamath Falls. "Too many Oregonians are struggling under the enormous weight of America's affordable housing crisis," said Senator Merkley. "This critical federal housing funding will help more … Continue Reading
June 05, 2023
Wyden, Colleagues Seek Answers from Twitter on FTC Compliance Following High Level Resignations
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden and Senate colleagues today asked Twitter to provide information regarding concerns that the company may have violated its consent decree with federal regulators and put consumer privacy and data security at risk. The letter comes days after Twitter's head of Trust and Safety and head of Brand Safety and Advertising Quality announced their resignations. "Regardless of his personal wealth, Mr. Musk is not exempt from the law, and neither is the … Continue Reading
June 05, 2023
Wyden, Merkley, Colleagues Press to Hold Companies Accountable for Unlawfully Employing Migrant Child Labor
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley said today that they and Senate colleagues are pressing to hold nine companies accountable that contracted with Packers Sanitation Services, Inc., which the Department of Labor found were unlawfully employing migrant child labor at these host companies' facilities. "We write in response to recent reports that your company employed a contractor, Packers Sanitation Services Inc. (PSSI), that violated the Fair Labor Standards Act's … Continue Reading
June 02, 2023
Merkley, Wyden Announce $10 Million Coming to Oregon for Fire Resiliency and Ecosystem Restoration
Washington, D.C. - Oregon's U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden announced today that the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) will be investing $10 million from the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) to help increase fire resiliency and protect native vegetation on public lands in Oregon. "Dynamic ecosystems have defined Oregon for ages, but with intensifying climate chaos, fires and other threats are putting Oregonians, our communities, and our natural treasures in danger,"?said Senator Merkley, … Continue Reading
June 02, 2023
Wyden, Colleagues Applaud Rule Change to Increase Transparency and Access to Capital for Small Businesses
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden today with colleagues praised the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) for implementing changes to the Equal Credit Opportunity Act to bring transparency to small business lending, combat unlawful discrimination, and provide increased access to fair capital. "The final rule issued by the CFPB is a significant step forward in promoting fair lending practices and dismantling barriers that hinder entrepreneurs, especially those from underserved … Continue Reading
June 02, 2023
Wyden, Colleagues Introduce Legislation to Increase Multilingual Content Moderation Enforcement and Transparency
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden said today he and Senate colleagues have introduced legislation that would improve multilingual large language models, automated decision-making systems, and content moderation practices to better protect non-English speaking communities online. "Big tech companies are failing millions of people by allowing scams, fraud and other slime to spread in Spanish, Vietnamese and Chinese, where the same posts in English would be filtered out. At the same … Continue Reading
June 02, 2023
Wyden, Merkley Reintroduce Bill Seeking Healing for Stolen Native Children and their Communities
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley said today they and Senate colleagues have reintroduced legislation that seeks healing for stolen Native children and their communities. "The Indian Boarding School was a shameful human rights violation perpetrated by the federal government," Wyden said. "Attempts to terminate Native cultures, assimilation practices, and other horrendous actions by the federal government have caused Indigenous communities to suffer unimaginable pain … Continue Reading
June 01, 2023
Wyden Secures Key Changes to National Broadband Map, Boosting Funding to Expand Oregon Broadband Access
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., today announced that a new version of the National Broadband Map fixed significant inaccuracies that could have cost Oregon hundreds of millions in federal funding to expand access to broadband. The new map added 48,000 unserved locations in Oregon, among the top ten states in the nation with corrected locations. The map will be used to determine how much funding for high-speed internet that states receive from the Bipartisan Infrastructure … Continue Reading
June 01, 2023
Wyden, Merkley Send Names of Six Finalists to White House for Upcoming Judicial Vacancy on U.S. District Court in Oregon
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley today sent to the White House the names of six finalists to fill an upcoming federal judicial vacancy in Oregon created by the announcement from U.S. District Court Judge Marco Hernandez that he will take senior status in August 2024. In alphabetical order, the six finalists sent by Wyden and Merkley to the White House for its consideration are as follows: Amy Baggio, Multnomah County Circuit Court Judge Nadia Dahab, … Continue Reading
June 01, 2023
Wyden, Merkley Push for Safe, Stable Staffing Levels at FCI Sheridan
Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley today urged federal officials to address understaffing and low pay at the federal correctional institution in Sheridan, Oregon. “In our discussions with prison staff and union representatives, they repeatedly raised concerns about low morale, high rates of attrition, and difficulties recruiting and retaining staff. We each discussed these issues with Bureau of Prisons (BOP) Director Colette Peters, who was familiar … Continue Reading
May 30, 2023
Wyden, Colleagues Send Bipartisan Letter to Secretary of Defense Urging Investigation of Price Gouging by Defense Contractors
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden said today that he and Senate colleagues from both parties have sent a letter urging the Secretary of Defense to conduct a thorough investigation after repeated instances of defense contractors overcharging the Department of Defense to secure excess profits of 40 to 50 percent, costing the U.S. taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars. "These companies have abused the trust government has placed in them, exploiting their position as sole suppliers … Continue Reading
May 26, 2023
Wyden Demands Answers About the International Trade Administration’s Promotion of Surveillance Technology to Foreign Markets and Governments
Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., called on the International Trade Administration (ITA) to answer questions about its promotion of dangerous surveillance technology in foreign markets, and explain what steps it is taking to prevent such technology sales from harming human rights. Wyden chairs the Senate Finance Committee, which has jurisdiction over international trade policy. He first requested information from ITA about its activity promoting the sale of … Continue Reading
May 24, 2023
Wyden Applauds New FERPA Regulations that Protects Students’ Data from Big Tech Companies
Washington, D.C.— U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., released the following statement applauding the Department of Education for protecting the privacy of students by updating FERPA regulations to provide best practice guidance to school districts regarding contracting with ed-tech vendors: “I’m pleased the Department of Education listened to my call to protect students’ data from big tech companies by updating FERPA regulations to help school districts negotiate with … Continue Reading
May 24, 2023
Wyden, Ross Announce Bill to Stop Judge Shopping and Prevent Rogue Judges From Wielding Undue Power Over Millions of Americans
Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., and U.S. Representative Deborah Ross, D-N.C., today announced the Fair Courts Act, legislation that makes it more difficult for litigants to seek out specific judges to guarantee their preferred outcome and requires a panel of judges to preside over cases that seek nationwide relief. “It’s fundamentally unjust for a special interest group to play hopscotch with American courts in search of one biased judge predisposed … Continue Reading
May 24, 2023
Wyden Applauds DHS’s New Body Camera Policy
Washington, D.C.— U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., applauded the Department of Homeland Security for releasing a new department-wide policy requiring use of body-worn cameras to improve accountability of DHS law enforcement personnel. The policy was recommended by DHS’s Law Enforcement Coordination Council, which was created following Wyden’s hold on the confirmation of former Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Chris Magnus in order to secure transparency and reforms … Continue Reading
May 24, 2023
Wyden, Merkley: Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde Earn $500,000 Federal Grant for Wireless Connections
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley today announced the Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde will receive a $500,000 federal investment to build a fixed wireless network providing high-speed Internet connections to 200 unserved households in their community. "Quality rural broadband is essential to quality of life, and that infrastructure priority must include Tribal communities," said Wyden, who recently pushed the FCC to ensure rural, Tribal communities receive a … Continue Reading
