Press Releases
Senate Passes Bipartisan Wyden Resolution Condemning the Persecution of Baha’is by the Iranian Government
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., applauded the passage of his bipartisan resolution to acknowledge the religious persecution of the Baha’i community in Iran, and to call for the U.S. government to take action against those responsible. “The Iranian government’s long history of harassing, dehumanizing, and persecuting the Baha’i community in all forms is only getting longer, and worse. I’m proud the Senate took a stand and said today that Iran’s heinous treatment of the … Continue Reading
December 06, 2024
Wyden Introduces Bill to Make Health Care Apprenticeship Programs More Accessible to Address Labor Shortage
Washington, D.C. — As America faces nationwide health care worker shortages, U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., introduced a bill that would make it easier for health care employers to create new registered apprenticeship programs to train the next generation of health professionals. “America is desperate for more health care providers after the burnout of the COVID-19 pandemic,” Wyden said. “Apprenticeship programs are instrumental in getting new workers a foot in the door by giving them the … Continue Reading
December 06, 2024
Wyden, Merkley Call on Department of Education to Discharge Loans for Defrauded Borrowers
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley said today they have joined with lawmakers from the Senate and House to urge the Department of Education to discharge student loan debt for hundreds of thousands of students in Oregon and nationwide defrauded by predatory schools. During the first Trump administration, defrauded borrowers’ applications for debt relief were left to languish for years, and if reviewed, were often denied. In their letter, the lawmakers called for the … Continue Reading
December 05, 2024
Wyden, Colleagues Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Promote Free Speech, Crack Down on Frivolous “Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation”
Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., today introduced the Free Speech Protection Act, bipartisan legislation to protect individuals and organizations from frivolous lawsuits designed to chill free speech and political action. Representatives Jamie Raskin, D-Md., and Kevin Kiley, R-Calif., led companion legislation in the House. Corporations and special interests have used strategic lawsuits against public participation, or “SLAPPs,” since the 1980s to target their opponents … Continue Reading
December 05, 2024
Merkley, Wyden Announce Over $10 Million for Critical Conservation and Restoration Projects in Oregon
Washington, D.C. - Oregon’s U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden announced today a total of $10,105,326 in funding from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF)’s America the Beautiful Challenge for four projects that will boost essential ecosystem conservation and restoration efforts in the state. “Our delicate ecosystems, waterways, and wildlife are the lifeblood of the Pacific Northwest, and we need to do everything we can to protect them as climate chaos threatens permanent … Continue Reading
December 05, 2024
Merkley, Wyden, Hoyle Announce FEMA Funding for Earthquake Resilience in Lane County
Washington, D.C. - Oregon’s U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden along with U.S. Representative Val Hoyle announced today that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is sending a total of $1,758,536 to fund Lane County’s project to seismically retrofit the Hayden Bridge, a pedestrian bridge in northeast Springfield. “As I hold a town hall in each of Oregon’s 36 counties every year, I hear firsthand from folks about what matters most to them, including ensuring our communities are … Continue Reading
December 04, 2024
Wyden Statement on Senate Passage of Tax Relief for Wildfire Survivors
Washington, D.C. -U.S. Senator Ron Wyden issued the following statement after working successfully to secure tonight’s Senate passage of tax relief for wildfire survivors in Oregon and nationwide. “This is great news for Oregonians whose lives and livelihoods have been ripped apart by wildfires,” said Wyden, Chair of the Senate Finance Committee that oversees tax policy. “Today’s vote restores common sense and common decency to tax policy by making sure that survivors of these infernos … Continue Reading
December 04, 2024
Following Devastating “Salt Typhoon” Hack, Wyden and Schmitt Call for Investigation of the Pentagon’s Failure to Secure its Phone Systems Against Foreign Spies
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., and Senator Eric Schmitt, R-Mo., called for the Defense Department’s top watchdog to investigate the Pentagon’s failure to secure its communications from foreign spies, following the devastating “Salt Typhoon” hack of major telecom companies by Chinese government hackers. In a letter to Department of Defense Inspector General Robert Storch, Wyden and Schmitt highlighted the DOD’s failure to secure its communications from foreign spies. The … Continue Reading
December 04, 2024
Wyden, Colleagues Seek Additional Progress on Federal Cannabis Reforms Before End of Biden Administration
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden said today he is urging the Biden administration to make further progress on the federal government’s approach to cannabis before the end of its term. In a letter to the Biden administration, Wyden joined with lawmakers from the Senate and House to applaud the historic steps the administration has taken to lessen the harm of cannabis criminalization and push the Administration to take additional steps before the end of its term, including issuing … Continue Reading
December 04, 2024
Wyden, Colleagues Seek Additional Progress on Federal Cannabis Reforms Before End of Biden Administration
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden said today he is urging the Biden administration to make further progress on the federal government’s approach to cannabis before the end of its term. In a letter to the Biden administration, Wyden joined with lawmakers from the Senate and House to applaud the historic steps the administration has taken to lessen the harm of cannabis criminalization and push the Administration to take additional steps before the end of its term, including issuing … Continue Reading
December 03, 2024
Wyden Applauds Privacy Agencies for New Actions In Response to His Calls to Protect Americans’ Personal Information From Data Brokers
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., today applauded two federal privacy regulators for announcing new actions to limit data brokers’ ability to sell the personal data of regular Americans, including U.S. service members overseas. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau proposed a rule on Tuesday to limit the information that can be sold under the so-called “credit header” loophole, which allows Social Security numbers, phone numbers and other information from mortgage, … Continue Reading
December 02, 2024
Merkley, Wyden Offer Opportunity for Oregonians to Request Tickets to Inauguration
Washington, D.C. - Oregon’s U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden open the opportunity for Oregonians to request tickets to the 60th Inaugural Ceremonies on January 20, 2025. The ceremony is at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C. Each Oregonian requesting tickets may request up to four tickets. Requestors must include their full name, a home address, and phone number, along with city and state of residence for all individuals requesting tickets. Tickets are not guaranteed and are subject … Continue Reading
November 26, 2024
Wyden, Moran Urge Biden Administration to Complete Revisions of Executive Order Necessary to Reform America’s Broken Classification and Declassification System
Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senators Ron Wyden, D-Ore., and Jerry Moran, R-Kan., today urged President Joe Biden to complete necessary revisions of the executive order governing America’s classification and declassification system. “The failures of the current obsolete system have been extensively documented in reports from the Information Security Oversight Office (ISOO) of the National Archives and the Public Interest Declassification Board (PIDB). The need for reform has also been stressed … Continue Reading
November 26, 2024
Wyden, Merkley Announce Nearly $1.2 Million for Ecosystem Restoration in Oregon
Washington D.C.—U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley today announced a federal investment of $1.18 million for the Tillamook Estuaries Partnership to help fix the Burton-Fraser Road along the Tillamook River that is limiting fish passage. “Letting our infrastructure crumble over time to a point where it hurts the environment is unacceptable, especially when battling the increasing consequences of the climate crisis,” Wyden said. “I consider federal investments like this that connect … Continue Reading
November 26, 2024
Merkley, Wyden Announce Funding for Monarch Butterfly and Pollinator Conservation in Oregon
Washington, D.C. - Oregon’s U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden announced today a total of $758,810 in funding from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF)’s Monarch Butterfly and Pollinators Conservation Fund (Pollinator Fund) for two projects that will increase and improve western monarch butterfly and pollinator habitats in Oregon. “We’ve all experienced the moment of excitement when we spot a monarch butterfly fluttering through the air. If we allow the iconic western … Continue Reading
November 25, 2024
Wyden, Colleagues Urge Feds to Quickly Implement Life-Saving Traffic Safety Provisions
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden said today he has joined his colleagues in a letter to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) , urging a swift implementation of life-saving traffic safety provisions in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA). “The IIJA included numerous provisions designed to hit the brakes on the nation’s traffic safety crisis by addressing alcohol-impaired driving, seatbelt non-use, and distracted driving. The law also required … Continue Reading
November 25, 2024
Wyden Joins Legislation to Shore up Labor Protections for Minor League Baseball Players
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden said today he has introduced legislation that would roll back exemptions from federal worker rights for Minor League Baseball players. The new Fair Ball Act would enact a narrowly tailored exemption that would only apply if the players are being compensated under the terms of a collective bargaining agreement. If the players are not covered by a collective bargaining agreement, then they would have the same federal wage protections as all other … Continue Reading
November 25, 2024
Wyden, Durbin Oppose FIFA’s Plan to Award Saudi Arabia as 2034 World Cup Host Citing Human Rights Concerns
Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senators Ron Wyden, D-Ore., and Dick Durbin, D-Ill., today called on Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) to select a 2034 World Cup host country with a record of upholding human rights, as human rights watchdogs continue sounding the alarm on Saudi Arabia’s deteriorating human rights conditions. “The Saudi regime has long violated human rights and has made no progress toward meaningful reform and accountability. The Kingdom continues to torture … Continue Reading
November 19, 2024
Wyden Applauds Key Senate Committee for Advancing His Legislation to Combat Catastrophic Wildfires
Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., today applauded the Senate Energy and Natural Resources (ENR) Committee for advancing his bipartisan National Prescribed Fire Act to support prescribed burns during the colder and wetter months as an essential, science-based strategy proven to save lives and property. “Today’s vote takes us much closer toward my goal of stopping wildfires before they devastate communities in Oregon and nationwide,” Wyden said. “With wildfires hitting record … Continue Reading
November 19, 2024
Wyden Statement on Trump Announcing DOE and DOI Nominations
Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., issued the following statement on Donald Trump picking Chris Wright to be nominated for Department of Energy secretary and Doug Burgum to be nominated for Department of Interior secretary. “It’s sadly not the least bit surprising that Trump’s picks to do his bidding at the Department of Energy and the Department of the Interior have long track records cheerleading for Big Oil, corporate America, and the ultra-wealthy gas executives plotting … Continue Reading
