Press Releases
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
April 14, 2025
Oregon Delegation Urges Fishery Disaster Declaration
Washington, D.C. - Today, U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley led his Democratic colleagues in the Oregon delegation—Senator Ron Wyden and U.S. Representatives Suzanne Bonamici (OR-01), Val Hoyle (OR-04), Andrea Salinas (OR-06), Maxine Dexter (OR-03), and Janelle Bynum (OR-05)—in urging the U.S. Department of Commerce to declare a federal fishery resource disaster for the 2024 Oregon troll salmon fishery. “This declaration is critical to provide economic relief to Oregon’s fisheries and coastal … Continue Reading
April 14, 2025
Merkley, Wyden, Hoyle Push VA to Build Roseburg Veterans’ Home
Washington, D.C. - Oregon’s U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden, alongside U.S. Representative Val Hoyle (OR-04), are calling on the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to prioritize funding for the Oregon Department of Veterans’ Affairs (ODVA) proposed Roseburg Veterans’ Home project. Currently, ODVA operates two high-quality, award-winning Oregon Veterans’ Homes: the Oregon Veterans’ Home in The Dalles, a 151-bed skilled nursing facility, and the Edward C. Allworth Veterans’ Home … Continue Reading
April 11, 2025
Wyden, Salinas, Pingree, Tokuda Lead Colleagues in Slamming Trump Administration for Censoring Agricultural Research Crucial to Rural Communities
Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., and U.S. Representatives Andrea Salinas, D-Ore., Chellie Pingree, D-Maine, and Jill Tokuda, D-Hawai’i, warned the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) that Donald Trump’s politically motivated list of banned words - including “climate,” “affordable housing,” and “safe drinking water” — in research agreements being considered for federal funding would harm rural communities facing wildfires, drought, food insecurity, among other … Continue Reading
April 11, 2025
Wyden Co-Sponsors Bills Aimed at Protecting Communities from Gun Violence
Washington D.C.—U.S. Senator Ron Wyden today announced he is co-sponsoring two bills that would protect schools and communities from mass gun violence while underscoring Americans’ constitutional right to own firearms for legitimate self-defense, hunting, and sporting purposes. “The Second Amendment’s right to bear arms doesn’t preclude common-sense gun laws regulating high capacity assault weapons designed solely for mass casualties and warfare,” Wyden said. “Our children, our families, our … Continue Reading
