Press Releases
Merkley, Wyden Announce $20 Million Federal Grant to Support Oregon’s Roads and Highway Recovery from Devastating 2020 Wildfires
Washington, D.C. - Oregon's U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden today announced a $20 million grant from the Department of Transportation (DOT) heading to Oregon to assist in the roads and highway recovery efforts from 2020's massively destructive wildfires. "The effects of the devastating fire season in 2020 are still being felt by Oregonians all over the state," said Merkley. "Our roads and highways connect us all, and need to be accessible to all Oregonians. I am grateful that Oregon … Continue Reading
December 23, 2021
Wyden, Merkley, Colleagues Condemn Reimplementation of ‘Remain in Mexico’ Policy; Urge Biden-Harris Administration to Reverse Expansion of the Program
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley this week joined colleagues in expressing their deep disappointment in the reimplementation of the Migrant Protection Protocols (MPP), also known as the 'Remain in Mexico' program, and strongly urged the Biden-Harris Administration to reverse course on the program's expansion. The re-implementation of MPP subjects more vulnerable asylum seekers to a program that Secretary Mayorkas terminated for imposing "unjustifiable human costs." … Continue Reading
December 22, 2021
Merkley, Wyden Announce $500,000 in Build Back Better Regional Challenge Funds for Mass Timber
Washington, D.C. - Oregon's U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley and Senator Ron Wyden today announced $500,000 in Economic Development Administration (EDA) funds to research and develop further opportunities for mass timber development in Oregon, through the Biden administration's Build Back Better Regional Challenge program. These funds will be administered by the Port of Portland as part of a regional coalition to expand the mass timber industry. "I am glad the EDA recognizes the importance of … Continue Reading
December 22, 2021
Wyden, Colleagues Urge HHS to Help Protect Families this Winter During Energy Crisis
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden today joined colleagues in a letter urging the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to address the ongoing energy crisis and its impact on families served by the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) in Oregon and nationwide. "As the world economy recovers from the pandemic, global energy markets are struggling to keep up with a surge in demand and prolonged supply shortages," Wyden and the lawmakers wrote. "For low-income … Continue Reading
December 22, 2021
Wyden Raises Concerns About Changes That Will Hurt Small Brewers in Oregon and Nationwide
Washington, D.C. -U.S. Senator Ron Wyden today asked the Ball Corp. to postpone recent action it's taken that will hurt small brewers in Oregon and nationwide who order printed beer cans from the company starting in the new year. Wyden noted that his concerns follow Ball's notification last month to its existing non-contracted customer base that, effective January 1, 2022, it will quintuple the minimum number of printed beer cans - from 200,000 to 1 million cans -- that non-contracted brewers … Continue Reading
December 22, 2021
Wyden, Padilla, Hassan, Feinstein, Gillibrand and Schatz Ask White House and DOJ to Reinvigorate Work to Prevent, Investigate and Prosecute the Sexual Exploitation of Children
Washington, D.C. - Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., with Sens. Alex Padilla, D-Calif., Maggie Hassan, D-N.H., Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., and Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii, asked the Biden administration to take action to ensure a whole-of-government strategy to dismantle the scourge of commercial sexual exploitation of children (CSEC). Despite cases of CSEC skyrocketing, the federal government's strategy for years has been a patchwork of efforts - some statutorily required, some … Continue Reading
December 22, 2021
Merkley, Wyden Announce Nearly $22 Million in Federal Grants Headed to Oregon to Assist in Roads and Highway Recovery Efforts from Severe Storms and Flooding
Washington, D.C. - Oregon's U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden today announced $21.7 million in grants from the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) to assist in recovery efforts from severe storms and flooding that devastated many roads, highways, and communities throughout Oregon in 2020 and 2021. "From the February 6, 2020 storm that hit Northeast Oregon, to the torrential rains and severe flooding we experienced earlier this year, our communities still need support covering the … Continue Reading
December 22, 2021
Wyden, Merkley Join West Coast Senators to Press USGS on Future of Earthquake Early Warning System
Washington, DC - U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley today joined their West Coast colleagues in the Senate to request details from the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) on future plans and funding needs for the West Coast Early Earthquake Warning (EEW) system. "After years of strong congressional and state-level support, we are glad to see the EEW system has advanced to having nearly 70 percent of seismic stations in place and active across the West Coast," the senators wrote in a letter to … Continue Reading
December 21, 2021
Merkley, Wyden, Bentz Announce $10 Million in Additional Funding for Klamath Drought Relief
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Oregon's U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden, along with Congressman Cliff Bentz, today announced that $10 million in additional federal funding is headed to the Klamath Basin to help with drought relief and resiliency. This funding from the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation adds to the $33 million that the lawmakers secured earlier this year for water users-including irrigators, Klamath Tribes, and wetlands-in the Klamath Basin. "This has been an extremely difficult water … Continue Reading
December 21, 2021
Wyden, Colleagues Urge Dept. of Education to Suspend Wage Garnishment for Student Loans
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden this week joined colleagues in urging the U.S. Department of Education (USDOE) to suspend administrative wage garnishment of student loan borrowers. The letter comes nearly a month before student loan and interest payments are set to resume on January 31, 2022. "Currently, over 9 million borrowers are in default on more than $180 billion in federal student loan debt," Wyden and lawmakers wrote to USDOE Secretary Miguel Cardona. "A disproportionate … Continue Reading
December 20, 2021
Wyden, Colleagues Demand Answers from Amazon after Tornado Collapses Warehouse and Kills Six Employees
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden said today he has joined colleagues in calling out anti-worker and anti-union practices in a letter to Amazon demanding answers about the circumstances that led to the death of six employees after an Amazon warehouse in Edwardsville, Illinois collapsed during a tornado on December 10, 2021. "We have heard alarming reports about the events that took place in the warehouse moments prior to the tragedy, and these reports fit a larger pattern: Amazon … Continue Reading
December 20, 2021
Wyden, Merkley: Nearly $50 Million to the Santiam Canyon for Post-Wildfire Power Line Repair and Debris Removal
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley today announced that Oregon will receive nearly $50 million in funds from the Federal Emergency Management Administration (FEMA) for debris removal and power line repair in the Santiam Canyon for recovery from the devastating 2020 Labor Day fires. "Oregon has made incredible progress recovering from the catastrophic Labor Day fires, but these efforts have been challenging and expensive," Wyden said. "As we anticipate more and more … Continue Reading
December 20, 2021
Wyden, Blunt Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Strengthen Protections for Small, Rural TV Stations
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senators Ron Wyden (D-OR) and Roy Blunt (R-MO) today announced they have introduced bipartisan legislation that would strengthen spectrum rights for certain low power television (LPTV) stations, which fill important gaps in broadcast service, particularly in those rural communities outside the reach of a full power signal. "Low power television stations provide diverse, locally-oriented broadcasting in small communities across Oregon, especially in rural and remote … Continue Reading
December 20, 2021
Wyden, Merkley: Federal Funds to Help Homeless Veterans With Housing in Washington, Klamath and Lake Counties
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley today announced that the Housing Authority of Washington County and the Klamath Housing Authority - serving Klamath and Lake counties -- will receive nearly $515,000 in combined federal resources to provide rental assistance for homeless veterans. "Housing is a human right, and that's especially true for America's veterans when they return from their service," Wyden said. "I'm gratified these federal funds will help veterans in … Continue Reading
December 20, 2021
Merkley, Wyden Announce $289 Million in American Rescue Plan Act Funds Headed to TriMet
Washington, D.C. - Oregon's U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden today announced $289.1 million dollars in American Rescue Plan (ARP) funds to help support the Tri-County Metropolitan Transportation District (TriMet) in Portland, Oregon. This funding is awarded by the U.S. Department of Transportation's Federal Transit Administration (FTA), and will help TriMet stay afloat and recover from the major impacts the COVID-19 pandemic has had on public transit. "Our public transportation … Continue Reading
December 17, 2021
Merkley, Wyden Announce Major IIJA Funding for Oregon’s Airports
WASHINGTON, D.C. - As the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) begins to make an impact across the nation, Oregon's U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden today announced the allocation of $43 million in federal funding to Oregon's airports for key infrastructure needs. "Having safe and sustainable airports benefits Oregonians who want to stay connected to out-of-state loved ones, and businesses that rely on the airways to expand economic opportunity," said Merkley. "We … Continue Reading
December 16, 2021
Wyden Welcomes Federal Response to His Call for Action on Rising Fees Hitting Pharmacies
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden today welcomed notification from the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) that it's responding to his call for action tackling the troubling growth in unfair fees imposed by middlemen known as pharmacy benefit managers on small independent pharmacies and Medicare Part D beneficiaries in Oregon and nationwide. The letter to Wyden from CMS saying it plans to issue proposed rulemaking addressing price concessions and direct and … Continue Reading
December 15, 2021
Wyden Votes No on Massive Military Policy Bill
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) issued the following statement after voting against the National Defense Authorization Act today. "I appreciate my colleagues' hard work to assemble this bill, which makes important improvements to U.S. defense policy. In particular, I support increasing pay for service members and civilians employees of the Defense Department, improved mental health services, extending paid parental leave and increasing funding for children and military … Continue Reading
December 15, 2021
Wyden, Schiff, Meeks and Maloney Lead House and Senate Democrats in Calling for Magnitsky Act Sanctions Against Companies That Enable Human Rights Abuses
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., and House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff, D-Calif., today called on the Biden Administration to sanction four mercenary hacking corporations under the Global Magnitsky Act, for enabling human rights violations by authoritarian regimes. House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Gregory Meeks, D-N.Y., House Committee on Oversight and Reform Chairwoman Carolyn B. Maloney, D-N.Y., Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., Sen. Brian Schatz, … Continue Reading
December 14, 2021
Wyden Renews Call to End Secret Law and Pass the Fourth Amendment is Not for Sale Act
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) delivered the following remarks at the Cato Institute in support of defending Americans' civil liberties and urging comprehensive federal action to protect Fourth Amendment rights. "In my view, it's essential to prevent data brokers from acting like so many termites and chewing through the framework of our fundamental rights," Wyden said. "…Restoring a system that puts our rights and freedom first will take change in every part of our … Continue Reading
