Press Releases
Wyden, Colleagues Make Bipartisan Push to End Wasteful Pentagon Spending
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Sens. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), and Mike Lee (R-Utah) today introduced the Audit the Pentagon Act of 2021, which would require the Department of Defense (DOD) to finally pass a full independent audit beginning in fiscal year 2022. "Taxpayers can't afford to keep writing blank check after blank check for the Pentagon to cash," Wyden said. "If the Department of Defense cannot pass a clean audit, as required by law, there ought … Continue Reading
May 19, 2021
Wyden, Paul, Merkley Introduce Bill to Update Regulations to Ensure Equal and Safe Access to Hemp-derived CBD Products
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Sens. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., Rand Paul, R-Ky., and Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., today introduced legislation to ensure hemp-derived CBD products are regulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) like other legal products used in dietary supplements, foods and beverages - an action that is essential to protecting consumer safety and treating hemp producers fairly. Currently, the Food, Drug, and Cosmetics Act prohibits any new dietary ingredient, food, or beverage from … Continue Reading
May 19, 2021
Wyden, Merkley: Lane Electric to Receive $3.7 Million FEMA Grant for Repairs from 2019 Winter Storm
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley today announced that Lane Electric Cooperative will receive a $3.72 million federal grant for repairs from the February 2019 snowstorm that left customers without power and caused severe damage to the utility's power distribution lines and systems. "Oregonians who experienced the loss of electricity in their homes and businesses for weeks on end from this winter storm remember all too well the damage this snowfall inflicted on Lane … Continue Reading
May 18, 2021
Wyden, Merkley Support Title X Rule to Reverse the Trump Administration’s Gag Rule
Washington, D.C. - Oregon's U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley today joined colleagues in a letter urging Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) Xavier Becerra to quickly finalize the proposed rule for the Title X family planning program that would reverse the Trump Administration's gag rule, commit to health equity, and ensure that patients who depend on Title X providers can get the care they need-including for birth control, STD screenings, cancer screenings, and more. "For … Continue Reading
May 18, 2021
Wyden, Raskin Urge DOJ to End Practice of Spying on Journalists To Identify their Sources
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., and U.S. Representative Jamie Raskin, D-Md., urged the Department of Justice (DOJ) to end its practice of spying on reporters to secretly identify their sources, in a letter to Attorney General Merrick Garland sent today. The members' letter follows recent news that the Trump administration, under former Attorney General William Barr, secretly obtained phone records and attempted to obtain email records from three Washington Post reporters … Continue Reading
May 17, 2021
Wyden Co-Sponsors Legislation to Expand, Make Permanent Minority Business Development Agency
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden said today he is co-sponsoring legislation that would make permanent and expand the reach of the Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA), placing MBDA regional offices in more communities as well as increasing the agency's grant-making capacity and creating a Senate-confirmed post for Minority Business Development. "Entrepreneurs of color have for generations faced significant barriers as they work to get their ideas and businesses off the ground," … Continue Reading
May 15, 2021
Wyden, Merkley and Bentz Urge Unity In Klamath Basin
Washington, D.C. - Oregon's U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley and U.S. Rep. Cliff Bentz issued the following joint statement today about the Klamath Basin. "The latest chapter of the ongoing challenge in the Klamath Basin requires a unified approach locally and within the Oregon delegation to secure every possible short-term resource to help the Basin. That same unity is required in the work on the long-term solution that all responsible parties in the region know is needed so … Continue Reading
May 14, 2021
Wyden, Merkley: Eugene Airport to Receive $5.5 Million Federal Grant
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley today announced that the city of Eugene will receive a $5.5 million federal grant to help rebuild the runway as well as make lighting and taxiway improvements at Mahlon Sweet Field. "Eugene's airport plays a huge role for Oregonians needing convenient travel options, and for local businesses as well as the U-of-O and OSU welcoming visitors from around the globe," Wyden said. "I'm gratified these federal resources are heading to … Continue Reading
May 14, 2021
Bipartisan Group of Senators Announce “Kids to Parks Day” Resolution
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senators Ron Wyden, D-Ore., Rob Portman, R-Ohio, Martin Heinrich, D-N.M., Mazie K. Hirono, D-Hawaii, Cory Booker, D-N.J., Susan Collins, R-Maine, and Richard Burr, R-N.C., today announced their bipartisan resolution that encourages children to get outdoors and promote healthy outdoor recreation by designating May 15, 2021 National Kids to Parks Day. First celebrated by the National Park Trust in 2011, the eleventh annual Kids to Parks Day marks the beginning of a … Continue Reading
May 14, 2021
Wyden, Merkley: Three Oregon Counties to Receive Housing Vouchers for Foster Youth
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley today announced that three Oregon counties will receive more than $62,000 in Housing and Urban Development (HUD) vouchers to end and prevent homelessness among young adults aging out of foster care. "Housing as a human right requires critical support to make that goal a reality for young Oregonians during the incredibly vulnerable transition from foster care to adulthood," Wyden said. "Young people aging out of foster care oftentimes … Continue Reading
May 14, 2021
Wyden, Colleagues Reintroduce PREPARE Act to Reauthorize SBA Pre-Disaster Mitigation Program
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden said today he has joined Senate colleagues in reintroducing bipartisan legislation that would provide small businesses with low-interest loans to proactively protect their property from future disaster-related damage. "With natural disasters posing greater and greater risk to our communities, it's critical the federal government provide small businesses with the resources they need to protect themselves against disaster-related damage," Wyden said. … Continue Reading
May 13, 2021
Wyden, Merkley Reintroduce Legislation to Help Recreation and Wildfire Prevention Work in SW Oregon and Near Molalla River
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley today announced the reintroduction of their legislation that would boost recreation opportunities in Southwestern Oregon and on the Molalla River in Clackamas County, while ensuring wildfire prevention work in both of those regions. The senators' Oregon Recreation Enhancement (ORE) Act would create the Rogue Canyon Recreation Area and the Molalla Recreation Area, expand the Wild Rogue Wilderness Area, and prohibit destructive mining on … Continue Reading
May 13, 2021
Wyden, Welch Introduce Legislation to Improve Child Nutrition
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., and U.S. Representative Peter Welch, D-Vt., today introduced the Local School Foods Expansion Act, legislation to improve child nutrition by expanding access to locally-grown, unprocessed fruits and vegetables for school meal programs. "Students deserve every resource to ensure their academic success, and their physical well-being is a key piece to the puzzle. Every child should have access to healthy, fresh meals, no matter their zip-code or … Continue Reading
May 13, 2021
Wyden, Merkley: Coquille Indian Tribe to Receive $180,000 Grant for Economic Development
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley today announced that the Coquille Indian Tribe will receive $180,000 from the Economic Development Administration (EDA) to build an economic development planning framework that supports private capital investment and job creation in the Coos County region. "Investments like this are key to continued tribal sovereignty in Coos County and throughout our state," Wyden said. "After more than a year of the pandemic that has been … Continue Reading
May 12, 2021
Merkley, Wyden Announce Over $1.6 Million in Federal Investments in Mass Wood Products
Washington, D.C. - Oregon's U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden today announced that $1,611,351 in federal funds to support mass wood product production and affordable housing construction are headed to Oregon through a program Merkley spearheaded in 2018. "We have been working to establish Oregon as a hub for mass timber products, using local timber and bolstering our forest products economy," said Merkley, who is the Chair of the Senate Appropriations subcommittee that funds the U.S. … Continue Reading
May 12, 2021
Wyden: Colonial Pipeline Hack Shows New Cyber Standards and Accountability for Lax Cybersecurity Are Needed to Protect American Critical Infrastructure
U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., a senior member of the Senate Intelligence Committee, today issued the following statement on responding to the Colonial Pipeline ransomware attack: "The shutdown of the Colonial Pipeline by cyber-criminals highlights a massive problem - many of the companies running our critical infrastructure have left their systems vulnerable to hackers through dangerously negligent cybersecurity. These corporate failures pose a severe threat to national security. Congress … Continue Reading
May 12, 2021
Wyden, Merkley: Oregon Communities Will Receive Nearly $13 Million For Emergency Housing Vouchers
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley today announced that 31 Oregon counties and cities will receive about $12.8 million in federal resources from the American Rescue Plan to provide emergency housing vouchers for individuals and families who are homeless; at risk of homelessness; fleeing, or trying to flee, domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, stalking, or human trafficking. "The economic devastation touched off by this public health crisis has magnified … Continue Reading
May 10, 2021
Wyden, Merkley: Oregon to Receive More than $220 Million in Additional Emergency Rental Assistance
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley today announced that Oregon will receive about $222.5 million in federal resources from the American Rescue Plan for emergency rental assistance. "Housing is a human right, and building back better from the economic impact of this health crisis demands addressing the year of past due rent piling up on thousands of Oregonians struggling to make ends meet," Wyden said. "With nearly 7 million Americans reportedly behind on rent, this … Continue Reading
May 07, 2021
Wyden, Merkley: Eugene Water and Electric Board to Receive More than $1 Million for Crucial Updates
Washington, D.C. - Oregon's U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley today announced that the Eugene Water and Electric Board (EWEB) has earned a $1.14 million grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to harden the power grid in areas that were devastated in recent years by ice storms and wildfire. "This is a public safety issue. The 2020 Labor Day fires as well as recent ice storms have reinforced the need for a significant investment in a resilient power grid," Wyden said. … Continue Reading
May 07, 2021
Merkley, Wyden Announce $255,000 Federal Investment in Lincoln County Broadband Expansion
Washington, D.C. - Oregon's U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden today announced that the Economic Development Administration is investing $255,200 in broadband expansion projects in Lincoln County. "As we set out to recover and rebuild in the wake of this pandemic, we need to make sure that every Oregonian-no matter where they live, where they work, or what they look like-has the tools they need to be healthy and thrive," said Merkley. "Those tools must include access to telehealth … Continue Reading
