Press Releases
Wyden, Duckworth, Murray and Booker Lead Colleagues in Demanding Answers About Firings of Congressionally-Mandated CDC IVF Team
Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senators Ron Wyden, D-Ore., Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., Patty Murray, D-Wash., and Cory Booker, D-N.J., today led colleagues in demanding answers from Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. for eliminating the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) team responsible for making sure people who are trying to become pregnant have the information they need to thoughtfully and safely grow their families - despite Donald Trump’s … Continue Reading
May 08, 2025
Wyden, Crapo Introduce Legislation to Modernize Short Line and Regional Railroad Tax Credit
Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., said today he has reintroduced legislation with U.S. Sen. Mike Crapo, R-Idaho, to expand the Short Line Railroad Tax Credit that provides operators with essential resources to ensure communities and small businesses can rely on safe infrastructure. The bipartisan Short Line Railroad Tax Credit Modernization Act would increase the tax credit available for track rehabilitation and maintenance from $3,500 per mile to $6,100 per mile. The bill … Continue Reading
May 07, 2025
Amid Trump Tariff Uncertainty, Oregon’s Entire Democratic Delegation Rallies Behind West Coast Seafood Industry
Washington D.C.—U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley, along with U.S. Representatives Suzanne Bonamici, Janelle Bynum, Maxine Dexter, Val Hoyle and Andrea Salinas today rallied behind the West Coast seafood industry by asking the U.S. Department of Agriculture to buy Oregon pink shrimp as soon as possible to help lessen the damage from Donald Trump’s tariffs. “Commercial fishing, seafood processing, and distribution is an integral part of the numerous small ports and rural communities … Continue Reading
May 06, 2025
Wyden Calls on DOJ to Investigate National Security Risks Posed by White House Officials Using Insecure Messaging App and Apparent False Claims from App Provider
Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., requested an immediate investigation of the security and counterintelligence risks posed by White House personnel using TeleMessage Signal Archiver, and the apparent false claims that the app provider made to secure federal contracts, after a senior Trump administration official was seen using the app late last week. TeleMessage is a foreign company that claims to offer a secure tool to archive messages sent through Signal, the popular and … Continue Reading
May 06, 2025
Wyden, Crapo Introduce Bill to Improve Wetland Habitats in the Pacific Northwest
Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senators Ron Wyden, D-Ore., and Mike Crapo, R-Idaho, today introduced bipartisan legislation that would improve wetland habitats in the Pacific Northwest. “Restoring our wetlands is about more than just providing habitat for birds and other wildlife living along the Pacific Northwest coast. It is about investing in the watersheds where Tribes, farmers, and other local Pacific Northwest communities have maintained their way of life for generations,” Wyden said. “Our … Continue Reading
May 05, 2025
Wyden Presses State Department for Update on Use of Fallon Smart Policy, Urges Trump to Reset U.S.-Saudi Policy
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden today asked the Trump administration to provide an update on the State Department’s implementation of the Fallon Smart Policy, which requires the department to identify and revoke visas of any foreign official helping foreign criminal suspects evade prosecution by absconding from the United States. The State Department policy secured by Wyden two years ago takes its name from a 15-year-old Portland girl struck and killed by a speeding car in 2016. The … Continue Reading
May 02, 2025
Wyden Demands Investigation into Trump Administration’s Potential Criminal Activity Against Harvard University
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) today demanded an investigation into the Trump Administration for potential criminal activity related to its threat to weaponize the IRS to revoke the non-profit status of Harvard University. Wyden, along with Senators Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and Ed Markey (D-MA), called on Acting Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration, Heather Hill to conduct an immediate investigation into whether Trump is targeting … Continue Reading
May 01, 2025
Wyden, Merkley, Colleagues Demand Trump Administration Halt Illegal Student Visa Revocations
Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley, both D-Ore., said today they have joined Senate colleagues to demand the Trump Administration stop its illegal slashing of student visas. After learning federal agencies have been revoking student visas and terminating Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) records across the country in violation of existing laws and policies that protect students’ status, the senators demanded the Trump Administration fully reverse … Continue Reading
April 30, 2025
Wyden, Merkley Demand Trump Administration Reverse Public Safety Cuts in Oregon and Nationwide
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley today demanded the Trump administration reverse cuts to vital federal public safety and law enforcement grants that help communities fight fentanyl and more throughout Oregon and nationwide. “These grants provide crucial funds for local law enforcement in Oregon and nationwide to support victims of crime, combat fentanyl trafficking, and prevent gun violence,” Wyden and Merkley wrote to U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi. “Hundreds of … Continue Reading
April 30, 2025
Wyden, Colleagues Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Tackle Housing Affordability Crisis
Washington D.C.—U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore today joined Senate colleagues in reintroducing a bipartisan bill that would expand the existing, successful Low-Income Housing Tax Credit and increase the supply of affordable housing units in Oregon and nationwide. “It’s time for Congress to meet the housing crisis with the bold solutions it demands and that starts with increasing housing supply,” said Wyden, Ranking Member of the Senate Finance Committee. “Our bill will deliver some much-needed … Continue Reading
April 30, 2025
Merkley, Wyden, Colleagues Slam Illegal DOGE Cuts to AmeriCorps
Washington, D.C. - Oregon’s U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden joined their Congressional colleagues in an effort led by Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.) to defend AmeriCorps and AmeriCorps National Civilian Community Corps (NCCC) members. The lawmakers are calling on President Trump to immediately reverse cuts to the critical national service agency made by the so-called Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). Central Oregon-based nonprofit Heart of Oregon Corps (HOC), which … Continue Reading
April 29, 2025
Wyden Urges Commerce Department to Establish Clear Guidelines to Prevent the Illegal Diversion of Firearms Sold Abroad
Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., today called on the Commerce Department to establish clear guidelines to prevent the illegal diversion of American-made firearms sold abroad. Wyden’s letter to Commerce Department Secretary Howard Lutnick follows recent reports indicating that staffing shortages at the Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS), a subagency of Commerce, have hampered its ability to effectively vet foreign companies purchasing U.S.-made firearms and prevent them … Continue Reading
April 28, 2025
Wyden, Merkley Demand Trump Walk Back Dangerous Claims He Will Transfer U.S. Citizens to a Foreign Prison
Washington D.C. - U.S. Senators Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) and Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) today demanded Donald Trump immediately rescind the dangerous and offensive claim that he may transfer incarcerated U.S. citizens to El Salvador. In a letter to Trump, the senators also urged him to follow the law and adhere to all applicable court orders to immediately facilitate the return of Kilmar Abrego Garcia to the United States. The senators underscore how these unprecedented actions threaten the … Continue Reading
April 25, 2025
Wyden Demands Trump Administration Restore Travelers’ Rights
Washington D.C. -U.S. Senator Ron Wyden today demanded the Trump Administration restore the rights of the one million travelers who routinely enter the U.S each day, taking note of major upcoming global sporting events like the World Cup, Summer Olympics and Paralympics to be hosted in our country In today’s letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem, Wyden noted, “Over the past couple months, there have been numerous troubling reports of due … Continue Reading
April 23, 2025
Wyden, Merkley Co-Sponsor Bills to Permanently Protect the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans from Offshore Drilling
Washington, D.C. —U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley today announced they are co-sponsoring two bills that would permanently protect the Pacific and Atlantic oceans from the environmental and economic costs of fossil fuel drilling off our coastal shores. Merkley also led a bill to prohibit drilling in the Arctic, which Wyden also co-sponsored. “The U.S. simply does not need to drill in the coastal waters of the Pacific. We have more than enough clean energy resources without putting … Continue Reading
April 23, 2025
Wyden, Merkley Demand Trump Administration Restore Funding for National Endowment for the Humanities
Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley said today they have joined Senate and House colleagues to demand the Trump administration reverse its termination of congressionally-appropriated funding for grants administered by the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH). Their letter follows the Oregon Democratic delegation’s denouncement of this administration’s egregious attacks on humanities funding earlier this month. In this latest letter to Donald Trump and NEH … Continue Reading
April 23, 2025
Merkley, Wyden, Colleagues Condemn Trump and Hegseth’s Trans Military Service Ban
Washington, D.C. - Oregon’s U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden joined colleagues in condemning President Trump’s un-American and unconstitutional transgender military service ban, calling it a blatant violation of our brave servicemembers’ civil rights and a threat to national security. The lawmakers demanded answers from Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth on whether the Administration is complying with the nationwide injunctions that halted the unconstitutional ban, and asked the … Continue Reading
April 16, 2025
Merkley, Wyden Join Senate Democrats to Warn About Republicans Raising Food Costs to Give Tax Breaks to Billionaires
Washington, D.C. - Oregon’s U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden, Ranking Members of the Senate Budget and Finance Committees, respectively, joined their colleagues in sending an open letter to the American public warning that Congressional Republicans are trying to take food away from hungry families in order to give tax breaks to the wealthiest Americans. After promising to lower prices for families, Republicans in Congress are instead raising grocery costs and making it harder for … Continue Reading
April 14, 2025
Wyden Announces Town Halls in Wasco, Umatilla, Grant, Harney, Lake, Klamath and Douglas Counties
Portland - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden today announced he will hold town halls later this month in Wasco, Umatilla, Grant, Harney, Lake, Klamath and Douglas counties. Heading into these seven open-to-all town halls between April 23-26, Wyden has held 1,110 open-to-all town halls in keeping his promise to have at least one town hall each year in each of Oregon’s 36 counties. “I promised Oregonians in every nook and cranny of our state that I would always make myself available to answer questions … Continue Reading
April 14, 2025
Oregon Delegation Condemns Trump Administration’s Decision to Eliminate Key Manufacturing Program
Washington, DC - Today, U.S. Representative Andrea Salinas (OR-06) led the Oregon delegation - including U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley, along with U.S. Reps. Suzanne Bonamici (OR-01), Val Hoyle (OR-04), Maxine Dexter (OR-03), and Janelle Bynum (OR-05) - in a letter to U.S. Department of Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, condemning the Trump Administration’s decision to eliminate the Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) program. The MEP program is a public-private partnership … Continue Reading
