Press Releases
Merkley, Wyden Unveil Bills to Protect Americans from Increasingly Frequent Extreme Heat Events, Hazardous Wildfire Smoke
Washington, D.C. - Oregon's U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley is leading U.S. Senators Ron Wyden (D-OR), Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), and Alex Padilla (D-CA) today in unveiling five bills aimed at battling wildfires, protecting workers, and helping the public, businesses, and agricultural operators combat the effects of extreme heat and wildfire smoke. The bills follow a summer of drought and numerous triple-digit temperature spikes in Oregon, one of which claimed the life of a 38-year-old farmworker in … Continue Reading
August 17, 2021
Wyden, Merkley: More than $465,000 to Go to Rural Firefighters and First Responders
Washington, D.C. - Oregon's U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley today announced that Oregon fire districts have earned a combined more than $465,000 in federal Assistance to Firefighters Grants (AFG). "Every day, firefighters in local fire districts-both union and volunteer-put their lives on the line to protect our communities in Oregon," Wyden said. "These brave firefighters deserve the equipment and training they need to do their jobs to the best of their abilities and keep our … Continue Reading
August 16, 2021
Oregon Delegation Urges FEMA to Help State Respond to Recent Surge in COVID-19 Cases, Hospitalizations
Washington, D.C. - Oregon's entire congressional delegation today urged the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to help the state cope with the latest surge in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations by providing medical personnel. In a letter to FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell signed by U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley and U.S. Representatives Peter DeFazio, Earl Blumenauer, Kurt Schrader, Suzanne Bonamici and Cliff Bentz, the Oregon lawmakers asked the agency to give "swift … Continue Reading
August 13, 2021
Wyden Will Hold Online Town Hall for Rural Oregon on River Democracy Act
Portland - U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden today announced he will have a live on-line town hall hosted by People's Town Hall on Tuesday, Aug. 31 beginning at 1 pm PT for rural Oregonians about his River Democracy Act - legislation that would designate about 4,700 miles of rivers and streams as wild-and-scenic as well as expand access to jobs-creating recreation statewide, reduce wildfire risks and protect existing property, grazing and irrigation rights. The virtual town hall is the latest public … Continue Reading
August 12, 2021
Wyden, Merkley: Federal Grants to Support “Stand Down” Events that Provide Services to Homeless Veterans
Washington, D.C. - Oregon's U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley today announced that organizations in Coos, Curry, Klamath, Lake and Washington counties earned more than $17,000 in grants from the Department of Labor Veterans' Employment and Training Service (DOL VETS) to host events that provide supplies and services homeless veterans. "Oregonians who put their lives on the line abroad to protect the communities we hold most dear should get the support they've earned for a smooth … Continue Reading
August 10, 2021
Wyden, Colleagues Urge Administration to Combat Jet Fuel Shortages Affecting Wildland Firefighting Amid Another Devastating Wildfire Season
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., led a bipartisan group of Western senators pressing the Biden administration to coordinate and develop a strategy to combat jet fuel shortages that undercut wildland firefighting as wildfires burn across the West. U.S. Sens. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., Alex Padilla, D-Calif., Jim Risch, R-Idaho, Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., Mike Crapo, R-Idaho, Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., and Patty Murray, D-Wash., joined Wyden in sending the letter to Interior … Continue Reading
August 10, 2021
Wyden Secures Priorities for Oregon and the West in Senate-passed Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill
Washington, D.C. - The U.S. Senate today passed bipartisan infrastructure legislation that includes essential priorities for Oregon and the West from U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore. The bill now advances to the U.S. House of Representatives for consideration. "For far too long, the phrase 'infrastructure week' was nothing but a cruel joke for communities throughout Oregon and the American West needing significant investments to deal with catastrophic wildfires, severe drought, hard-hit rural … Continue Reading
August 10, 2021
Wyden, Colleagues Honor the Service of World War II Ritchie Boys
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden today along with U.S. Sens. Ben Cardin, D-Md., Mike Crapo, R-Idaho, Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., and Jim Risch, R-Idaho, lauded unanimous passage by the Senate Monday evening of their resolution (S. Res. 349) that honors the contributions and service of the Ritchie Boys during World War II. A U.S. Army unit named for Camp Ritchie in Maryland where they trained, Ritchie Boys included individuals of many faiths who were both American- and foreign-born, … Continue Reading
August 09, 2021
Wyden Cosponsors Legislation to Spur Local Economic Growth, Job Creation by Connecting Affordable Housing and Access to Public Transit
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden said today he is cosponsoring legislation that would provide incentives to the coordinated development of affordable housing and transit in Oregon and nationwide. The Livable Communities Act of 2021 encourages local communities to partner strategically to develop bold, innovative solutions that reflect their unique character, while leveraging existing assets, including access to transit to help revitalize neighborhoods, spur economic development, create … Continue Reading
August 04, 2021
Wyden Introduces Bill to Reform Federal Court Record System to Ensure Easy & Free Use For All Americans
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden today introduced a bill that would make federal court records free and easily accessible for all Americans. The bipartisan Open Courts Act, introduced by Wyden and U.S. Sen. Rob Portman, R-Ohio, would reform the federal government's Public Access to Court Electronic Records (PACER), a database of federal judicial filings. "For far too long, unnecessary paywalls have kept the American people from freely accessing public court records. The Open Courts … Continue Reading
August 04, 2021
Wyden, Merkley: $2.5 Million to Go to Oregon College Prep Programs for Underserved Students
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley today announced that seven college preparation programs all over the state will receive a combined more than $2.5 million to increase the number of young Oregonians from disadvantaged backgrounds who complete high school and enroll in postsecondary education. "Programs like these can make the difference in an Oregon student's life between starting out with a high school diploma or as a high school dropout," Wyden said. "Every student … Continue Reading
August 03, 2021
Wyden Urges Labor Department to Establish Federal Heat Standard to Protect Workers
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden today demanded the Department of Labor's (DOL) Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) take action to establish a federal heat stress standard to protect workers exposed to excessive heat. "With the increasing prevalence of extreme weather conditions as well as employers who neglect to invest in their workplaces, the risk this danger poses for our workers, communities, and the economy is at a pressure point," Wyden and 12 other senators … Continue Reading
August 03, 2021
Merkley, Wyden Announce Nearly $35 Million in Federal Grants Headed to Oregon to Support Wildfire Recovery Efforts
Washington, D.C. - Oregon's U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden announced today that nearly $35 million in federal grant funding is headed to Marion, Jackson, Lane, Lincoln, and Douglas counties to help cover the cost of wildfire debris removal efforts. "When the Labor Day fires hit last year, I criss-crossed our state to meet with impacted communities and assess the damage," said Merkley. "It's impossible to put into words how heartbreaking it is to see the rubble of cherished homes and … Continue Reading
August 02, 2021
Wyden, Colleagues Call on Leadership to Fund Violence Against Women Act Programs in Reconciliation Package
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden today joined Senate colleagues in a letter to Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., urging him to include funding for Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) programs in the upcoming reconciliation package. "As the country reopens, more evidence has emerged that the pandemic caused the rates and severity of incidents of domestic violence to increase across the country. Social isolation, economic uncertainty, and general anxiety about the virus added … Continue Reading
August 02, 2021
Merkley, Wyden, Bentz Announce Additional $15 Million Headed to Klamath Basin to Address Historic Water Crisis
Washington, D.C. - Oregon's U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden, along with Representative Cliff Bentz (R-OR-2), announced today that an additional $15 million in drought relief will be delivered to help irrigators in the Klamath Basin who are suffering through historic, severe drought. This funding from the U.S. Department of Agriculture adds to the $18 million that the lawmakers secured earlier this summer for water users-including irrigators, Klamath Tribes, and wetlands-in the … Continue Reading
August 02, 2021
Wyden, Merkley: More than $5 Million to go to Community Colleges in Willamette Valley and Eastern Oregon
Washington, D.C. - Oregon's U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley today announced that Mt. Hood Community College, Chemeketa Community College, and Treasure Valley Community College will receive a combined more than $5 million to respond to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. "With the advent of more contagious variants of the COVID-19 virus, colleges around the state need support to continue adapting to keep their students safe," Wyden said. "These CARES Act dollars will go a long way to help … Continue Reading
July 30, 2021
Wyden, Merkley: Central Oregon Airports to Receive More than $6.1 Million in Federal Grants
Washington, D.C. - Oregon's U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley said today that airports in Redmond and Prineville have earned a combined $6.1 million from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) for operations, concessions, personnel, and sanitation. "Rural airports serve as critical connectors for every nook and cranny of Oregon, and ARPA dollars will serve to benefit the local economy as more and more people travel to experience Central Oregon's world-class recreation," Wyden said. "I'm … Continue Reading
July 30, 2021
Wyden, Brown Introduce Bill to Lower Cost of Rent for Workers and Families
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Sens. Ron Wyden (D-OR) and Sherrod Brown (D-OH) have introduced legislation that would lower the cost of rent for families across the country. Their Renters Tax Credit Act of 2021 would establish a new renters tax credit to make housing more affordable for low-income households. These households, which include many low-wage workers, seniors, and people with disabilities living on low, fixed incomes, are far more likely than other households to pay very high shares of … Continue Reading
July 30, 2021
Wyden Co-Sponsors Legislation to Examine History of Racially Restrictive Covenants
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden said today he is co-sponsoring legislation that would examine the history of racially restrictive covenants-which were used as tools of discrimination to keep Black families and households of color from moving into certain neighborhoods-so we can better understand the scope of these covenants. "Many of the 21st century neighborhoods we know were fundamentally and cruelly shaped by racist red-lining and discriminatory covenants," said Wyden. "The … Continue Reading
July 29, 2021
Wyden, Merkley: $54,000 in American Rescue Plan Act Funds to go to Gold Beach and La Grande/Union County Airports
Washington, D.C. - Oregon's U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley today announced that Gold Beach Municipal Airport and La Grande/Union County Airport will receive a combined $54,000 in federal grants for operations, sanitation, and personnel. "Rural airports serve as critical connectors for every nook and cranny of Oregon and provide crucial support for wildfire suppression via aircraft," Wyden said. "I'm gratified that Gold Beach and La Grande have secured these federal dollars, and will … Continue Reading
