Press Releases
Dexter, Wyden, Merkley Announce Nearly $1 Million for Clean Water Infrastructure in Gresham
GRESHAM, OR — Today, Congresswoman Maxine Dexter, M.D. (OR-03) and U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley announced that the City of Gresham received $959,752 from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for essential upgrades to Gresham’s Wastewater Treatment Plant to remove ammonia in the waste streams created by growth in the semiconductor industry. The funding was secured by members of the Oregon delegation as an essential community project included in the Fiscal Year 2024 government … Continue Reading
August 01, 2025
Wyden Seeks Answers from Key Financial Regulator on Trump’s Crypto Conflicts of Interest
Washington, D.C. - Amid the Trump family’s explosion in wealth from its activity in cryptocurrency, U.S. Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) wrote this week to the head of the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC), a key stablecoin regulator, seeking detailed information about any steps the agency is taking to ensure Donald Trump’s enormous conflicts of interest do not interfere with its work to help maintain the stability of the U.S. financial system. “The launch of a stablecoin directly … Continue Reading
August 01, 2025
Wyden, Merkley, Colleagues Urge Administration to Reinstate EPA Employees Retaliated Against for Exercising Free Speech Rights
Washington, DC- U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley (both D-Ore.) said today they have joined 15 Senate colleagues in pressing the federal Environmental Protection Agency to reinstate employees placed on administrative leave after signing a “Declaration of Dissent” expressing concern with the agency’s direction under the Trump administration. “We write to you with deep concerns regarding recent reporting that you placed more than 140 Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) employees on … Continue Reading
August 01, 2025
Wyden, Merkley, Colleagues Call for Restoration of Voting Rights Act
Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley, both D-Ore., said today they have joined Senate colleagues in reintroducing legislation that would update and restore critical safeguards of the original Voting Rights Act of 1965 that federal court rulings have eroded in recent years. “Six decades after Congress passed the landmark Voting Rights Act, Americans face new barriers blocking their fundamental right to vote,” Wyden said. “Passing voting rights protections has never been … Continue Reading
July 31, 2025
Wyden, Lieu, Daines, and McClintock Reintroduce Legislation to Protect Americans from Warrantless Government Surveillance
Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., with Senator Steve Daines, R-Mont., and Representatives Ted Lieu, D-Calif., and Tom McClintock, R-Calif., reintroduced bipartisan, bicameral legislation today to defend Americans’ rights by requiring warrants to deploy cell site simulators, also known as “stingray” devices, which are used by law enforcement agencies to track individuals and identify all phones in an area. The Cell Site Simulator Warrant Act creates clear legal standards for … Continue Reading
July 30, 2025
Wyden Calls for Investigation Into Reported Diversion of Resources From Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Investigations By Department of Homeland Security
Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., called for an immediate investigation of reports the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has drastically diverted resources away from investigations into serious crimes against children, including child sexual abuse and human trafficking, in order to devote more resources to rounding up immigrants. “Instead of locking up rapists, child predators and other violent criminals, Trump appears to be diverting investigators to target cooks, farm … Continue Reading
July 29, 2025
Wyden, Merkley, Colleagues Call for Large-Scale Expansion of Humanitarian Aid in Gaza, and Resumption of Diplomatic Efforts to Secure a Ceasefire and End the War
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) today joined more than 40 other senators in a letter to the Trump administration expressing alarm about the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, calling for the large-scale expansion of humanitarian aid and urging the administration to resume diplomatic efforts to secure a ceasefire agreement and end the war. “The acute humanitarian crisis in Gaza is also unsustainable and worsens by the day,” the senators wrote. “Hunger and … Continue Reading
July 29, 2025
Senate Passes Wyden Bill to Release Unclassified Report on Phone Network Security Threats
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., today unanimously passed legislation requiring the release of an unclassified report containing important details about U.S. telephone network security. “Congress and the American people deserve to read this report. It includes frankly shocking details about national security threats to our country’s phone system that require immediate action,” Wyden said on the Senate floor on Monday. Wyden took to the Senate floor following years of … Continue Reading
July 29, 2025
Update: Merkley, Wyden, Hoyle: Federal Disaster Relief Coming to Southern Oregon Flooding Recovery
UPDATE: Merkley, Wyden, and Hoyle have been informed that FEMA denied Governor Kotek’s Major Disaster Declaration request to provide support to eligible individuals and households in Coos, Curry, and Douglas counties through the Individual Assistance (IA) program. Additionally, FEMA denied the Oregon lawmakers’ request to make the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) available in the three counties and statewide. Washington, D.C. - Oregon’s U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden and U.S. … Continue Reading
July 29, 2025
Wyden, Welch Lead Bill to Repeal Trump ‘Sick Tax’ and Big Pharma Handouts in ‘One Big Beautiful Bill’
Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senators Ron Wyden, D-Ore., and Peter Welch, D-Vt., said today they have introduced legislation to repeal changes to Medicaid cost-sharing requirements and handouts to Big Pharma in the Republicans’ reconciliation tax and spending bill. The Repealing the Trump Sick Tax Act would repeal the “sick tax” imposed by Trump and congressional Republicans’ recently passed budget bill, which forces Medicaid enrollees to pay an out-of-pocket fee every time they need to see a … Continue Reading
July 29, 2025
Wyden Joins Bipartisan Legislation to Protect Small Businesses from Trump Tariffs on Canada
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., today announced he has joined his colleagues in the Senate to introduce legislation that would exempt United States-owned small businesses from tariffs imposed on Canada. “Trump’s Canada tariffs don’t make sense for ANYONE, but especially not for American small businesses. Taxes on products from Canada means small businesses in America will pay more for the inputs they use to make things here in the United States - meaning prices will go up, … Continue Reading
July 28, 2025
Wyden Calls for Release of Unclassified Report on National Security Threats to U.S. Phone System
Watch a video of Wyden deliver his remarks here Since July 2022, I’ve repeatedly urged CISA to release an important, unclassified report by independent cybersecurity experts that the agency commissioned, titled “U.S. Telecommunications Insecurity 2022.” Congress and the American people must read this report. It includes frankly shocking details about national security threats to our country’s phone system that require immediate action. CISA permitted my staff to read the report at the … Continue Reading
July 28, 2025
Merkley, Wyden Announce Over $9.6 Million Heading to Oregon to Protect Forests and Advance Wood Product Innovation
Washington, D.C. - Oregon’s U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden announced today the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) is investing $9,622,000 in 17 projects in Oregon to boost the creation of innovative wood products, develop more markets for uses of mass timber and renewable wood energy, and increase the capacity of wood processing and manufacturing facilities. This federal funding is critical to ensuring the state’s leadership in the wood products industry, while helping to restore healthy … Continue Reading
July 28, 2025
Merkley, Wyden Advocate for Affordable Child Care
Washington, D.C. - Oregon’s U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden said today they cosponsored the Child Care for Working Families Act, comprehensive legislation to ensure families across America can find and afford the high-quality child care they need. “Child care is essential for the success of working families, but as I hold town halls in all of Oregon’s 36 counties, I hear from hardworking families about child care being too hard to find and too expensive,” said Merkley. “We need to … Continue Reading
July 25, 2025
Wyden Announces Agreement by License Plate Surveillance Tech Company to Protect Oregonians’ Data from Immigration and Abortion-Related Abuses
Washington, D.C. -U.S. Senator Ron Wyden today announced that Flock, a license plate surveillance technology company, has agreed to his request that it protect Oregonians’ data from abusive access by out-of-state law enforcement agencies as part of their states’ anti-abortion investigations, and to assist federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement. “Oregonians should never be driving in fear that automatic license plate reader cameras installed by police departments could be abused by … Continue Reading
July 24, 2025
Wyden, Ruiz Introduce Senate Resolution to Honor Community Health Workers
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., and U.S. Representative Raul Ruiz, MD, D-Calif., today introduced a resolution to recognize the contributions of community health workers and support their work to improve health outcomes in underserved and high-need communities by establishing the week of August 25 to August 29, 2025, as “National Community Health Worker Awareness Week.” “Community health workers put in long, tireless hours to make sure people and families living in rural … Continue Reading
July 23, 2025
Wyden Blasts Republicans Over Manufactured Energy Crisis
Washington, D.C. - Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., today blasted congressional Republicans during a committee hearing for ending clean energy tax credits in their disastrous budget bill, triggering a significant decrease in energy supply when demand is skyrocketing. “The Republicans have been doing favors for their Big Oil buddies at the consumers’ expense, and that’s a major reason why energy bills are going through the roof,” Wyden said at a Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee hearing. … Continue Reading
July 22, 2025
Wyden, Colleagues Investigate Skydance’s Role in Potential Secret Trump Payoff Connected to Paramount Deal
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., pressed Skydance Media about reports of a secret deal between Skydance and Donald Trump that may be related to Paramount’s recent multi-million-dollar settlement agreement with the Trump administration, in a letter with Senate colleagues. Skydance and Paramount are awaiting approval from the Trump administration on their proposed mega-merger, raising concerns about potential bribery related to the deal. In May, following reports of a … Continue Reading
July 22, 2025
Merkley, Wyden, Bonamici Introduce Bill to Stop Occupation of American Cities by Federal Law Enforcement, Armed Forces
Washington, D.C. - Today, Oregon’s U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden, along with Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici (OR-01), announced legislation to block the Trump Administration from deploying federal law enforcement and armed forces against Americans. Merkley and Bonamici introduced the Preventing Authoritarian Policing Tactics on America’s Streets Act after the chaos in Los Angeles and in light of reports of increasing numbers of federal officers around the U.S. Immigration and Customs … Continue Reading
July 21, 2025
Wyden, Merkley Introduce Legislation Targeting The Use of Presidential Libraries as Tools for Corruption
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley, both D-Ore., said today they have joined colleagues in introducing legislation that would close loopholes letting presidential libraries be used for corruption and bribery. From mega-merger approvals to the preservation of the U.S. military base in Qatar, giant corporations, at least one foreign government, and several other entities have promised donations collectively worth hundreds of millions of dollars to Donald Trump’s future … Continue Reading
