Press Releases
Wyden, Merkley Tell Ag Dept. That Proposed New Rule Could Hurt Oregon Onion Producers
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley today raised concerns with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) that a proposed new federal rule could hurt U.S. onion growers in Eastern Oregon and nationwide by letting foreign producers unfairly flood the domestic market. The letter from Wyden and Merkley to USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack covers the proposed elimination of what's known as Federal Marketing Order 959. "Eastern Oregon and Idaho together make up one of the largest … Continue Reading
October 04, 2021
Wyden, Merkley Urge DHS and USCIS to Waive Afghan Humanitarian Parole Application Fees
Washington, D.C. - Oregon's U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley urged Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Mayorkas and United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) Director Jaddou to implement a blanket waiver on fees for Afghans applying for humanitarian parole to come to the United States. They, along with 25 other senators, also requested that the agencies issue guidance to provide clarity on the current status of these types of applications. Afghans applying … Continue Reading
October 01, 2021
Merkley, Wyden, DeFazio, Bonamici Announce $16.5 Million Purchase of Pacific Seafood
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Oregon's U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden, along with Representatives Peter DeFazio (D-OR-4) and Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR-1), today announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) will purchase $16.5 million of Pacific seafood through its commodities purchasing program, with over 80 percent of the fish and shrimp coming from Oregon. "Not only do our fisheries deliver incredible products all around the world, they have also been the lifeblood of communities up … Continue Reading
October 01, 2021
Wyden, Merkley Cosponsor Bill to Seek Healing for Stolen Native Children and Their Communities
Washington, D.C. -U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley said today they are co-sponsoring legislation that seeks healing for stolen Native children and their communities by establishing a formal commission that would investigate, document, and acknowledge past injustices of the federal government's Indian Boarding School policies. The Truth and Healing Commission on Indian Boarding School Policies in the United States Act also would cover attempts to terminate Native cultures, religions, … Continue Reading
October 01, 2021
Wyden, Merkley: More than $1.2 Million to Oregon Institutions of Learning to Help with Economic Recovery from COVID-19
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley today announced that four educational institutions in Oregon will receive a combined more than $1.2 million from the National Endowment for the Humanities to help programs recover from the economic burdens of the COVID-19 pandemic. "Our museums, colleges and universities continue to struggle to stay financially viable as this pandemic rages on," Wyden said. "As our nation builds back better, cultural and educational institutions must … Continue Reading
October 01, 2021
Wyden: New Report Shows Stunning Incompetence and Abuse of Power By Trump DHS in Portland
Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., issued the following statement on a newly public report that reviewed the activities of the Trump Department of Homeland Security Office of Intelligence and Analysis in Portland, beginning in the summer of 2020: "This report is 76 pages of stunning incompetence, mismanagement, and abuse of power by the Trump Administration's Department of Homeland Security, in order to politicize and inflame conflict in Portland. Independent investigators confirmed that DHS … Continue Reading
October 01, 2021
Wyden, Merkley: Creswell Airport to Receive Nearly $3.3 Million in Federal Funds
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley today announced that Hobby Field Airport in Creswell will receive about $3.3 million in federal funds to reconstruct its runway as well as rebuild its runway lighting and airfield guidance signs. "Small community airports like Hobby Field in Creswell play a key role in the quality of life in rural communities, creating jobs and economic activity by providing recreation opportunities like skydiving as well as supporting flight … Continue Reading
October 01, 2021
Wyden Asks Forest Service to Answer Questions About Proposed New Helicopter Contracting Systems for Wildfire Fighting
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden this week asked the U.S. Forest Service to answer several questions about its proposed modifications to contracts for helicopters that fight wildfires in Oregon and nationwide. "Helicopters play a critical role in America's wildland firefighting arsenal and it is important to ensure they remain a viable tool for fire managers," Wyden wrote in his letter to U.S. Forest Service Chief Randy Moore. "I have heard a number of concerns raised about proposed … Continue Reading
September 30, 2021
Merkley, Wyden Announce Passage of Major Funding for Wildfire Response and Drought Relief
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Oregon's U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden today announced that key legislation to fund the federal government until December and respond to recent natural disasters has passed both chambers of Congress and will be signed into law. Merkley serves as Chair of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on the Interior, one of the key subcommittees directing the funding. This legislation includes billions of dollars in funding for wildfire disaster response, drought relief, … Continue Reading
September 30, 2021
Wyden, Veasey Lead Resolution to Designate September as ‘National Voting Rights Month’
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., today introduced a resolution with Congressman Marc Veasey, D-Texas, to designate September as "National Voting Rights Month." The resolution will encourage voter registration in the month of September, and push Congress to restore the Voting Rights Act of 1965 to preserve the right to vote amid Republican-led voter suppression attempts. "There is no right more essential to the functioning of our democratic nation than the right to vote," … Continue Reading
September 30, 2021
Wyden, Colleagues Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Fund Urban Parks Projects
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden today joined colleagues to introduce bipartisan legislation that would create a dedicated source of funding for projects that expand outdoor recreational opportunities in urban and low-income communities in Oregon and nationwide. "Appreciation of the outdoors is in Oregon's DNA, and we must make sure green spaces and local parks are accessible to everyone," Wyden said. "Cementing the Outdoor Recreation Legacy Partnership program into federal law … Continue Reading
September 29, 2021
Wyden Secures Review of DHS Law Enforcement Policies, Answers to Questions About Trump Administration Use of Force; Finance Committee Will Begin Consideration of Magnus Nomination for U.S. CBP Commissioner
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden today announced the Finance Committee will begin advancing the nomination of Chris Magnus to be the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Commissioner, following a call today with Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas. "I have heard firsthand from Oregonians how Donald Trump's dispatch of troops to Portland back in the summer of 2020 led to tear gas damaging their health and from school officials how tear gas canisters … Continue Reading
September 29, 2021
Wyden, Merkley: More than $1.3 Million to Oregon Housing Services for Transitional Living & Outreach
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley today announced that housing services organizations in five Oregon counties have earned a combined $1.3 million in grant dollars for street outreach and transitional services to help young Oregonians facing housing insecurity. "The epidemic of housing insecurity among young Oregonians puts them at risk on the streets and undermines their opportunity to learn in school so they can lead stable and successful lives," Wyden said. "I'm … Continue Reading
September 29, 2021
Merkley, Wyden Announce $18 Million in American Rescue Plan Funding for Oregon Health Centers
Washington, D.C. - Oregon's U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden today announced that the federal department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has awarded more than $18 million in funding for health centers all across Oregon. The funding-provided through the American Rescue Plan, which Merkley and Wyden helped to pass last spring-comes as Oregon is facing its most difficult COVID-19 surge yet, fueled by the Delta variant. Health centers will use this funding to help pay for new needs … Continue Reading
September 28, 2021
Following a Summer of Massive Heat Waves, Merkley and Wyden Press FEMA on Extreme Heat Preparedness
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Following a summer of scorching heat waves that set record temperatures in many parts of Oregon, Oregon's U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden are joining a bipartisan effort to push the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for better assistance in dealing with extreme heat events. "This summer has produced historic heat waves and high temperatures across the United States, particularly in the West, devastating communities and causing hundreds of heat-related … Continue Reading
September 24, 2021
Wyden, Merkley, Blumenauer, Bonamici Applaud $99.9 Million Award to TriMet to Expand Red Line to Hillsboro
Washington, D.C. -U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley and U.S. Representatives Earl Blumenauer and Suzanne Bonamici today announced that TriMet will receive $99.9 million from the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) to support the expansion of the MAX Red Line beyond Beaverton to Hillsboro. "Investments in mass transit reduce vehicle traffic and emissions with the added benefit of ensuring that Oregonians have the most direct and expedient way to get where they need to go," Wyden said. … Continue Reading
September 24, 2021
Merkley, Wyden Join Introduction of the Tyler Clementi Higher Education Anti-Harassment Act
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Oregon's U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden announced today they are co-sponsoring the Tyler Clementi Education Anti-Harassment Act, introducing it alongside Senators Patty Murray (D-WA) and Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), and Representative Mark Pocan (D-WI-02). Named after Tyler Clementi, a freshman at Rutgers University who died by suicide after being harassed and bullied online, the legislation calls on colleges and universities to implement anti-harassment policies … Continue Reading
September 24, 2021
Wyden, Rubio, Colleagues Urge Biden to Press Bahrain on Human Rights Violations
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senators Ron Wyden, D-Ore., and Marco Rubio, R-Fla., today led colleagues in urging Secretary of State Antony Blinken to press Bahrain about their human rights abuses and pushing for more accountability. Joining Wyden and Rubio on the letter were Sens. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., Tammy Baldwin, D-Wis., Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., and Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio. "For the past decade, the State Department and major human rights advocates have detailed a long list … Continue Reading
September 24, 2021
Wyden, Merkley, Booker, Ossoff and Van Hollen Urge Justice Department to Protect Journalists First Amendment Rights at Public Events
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senators Ron Wyden, D-Ore., Cory Booker, D-N.J., Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., Jon Ossoff, D-Ga., and Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., urged the Department of Justice to strengthen its policies to protect the rights of reporters, and to drop its challenge to court-ordered protections for reporters covering demonstrations and other First Amendment-protected activities. "Protecting the rights established by the First Amendment is crucial to our democracy's functioning. The federal … Continue Reading
September 22, 2021
Wyden Introduces Bill to Improve Watershed Resilience and Health
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., today introduced a bill to improve the resilience and health of the nation's watersheds - the land leading into streams, rivers or lakes. Watersheds play an essential role in the health and economic livelihood of local communities, supporting safe drinking water for communities, outdoor recreation and productive fisheries. "As the American West continues to face unprecedented heat waves and droughts due to the climate crisis, it's more … Continue Reading
