Press Releases
Wyden Urges Congress to Provide Housing Support for Domestic Violence Survivors During COVID-19 Pandemic
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., today urged Senate leadership to include resources to meet domestic and sexual violence survivors' urgent housing needs, which have been exacerbated by stay-at-home orders, social distancing and the ongoing economic upheaval caused by COVID-19 in any future relief package. "Communities need a surge of resources to meet survivors' diverse housing needs, increase the capacity of local programs to address those needs, and be responsive to the … Continue Reading
April 24, 2020
Merkley, Wyden Announce Higher Education Emergency Relief Funding Application is Live
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Oregon's U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden today announced that funding is now available for accredited public and nonprofit private higher education institutions throughout Oregon, to help schools mitigate tuition losses and upfront costs of adopting remote learning technology amid the coronavirus crisis. The funding will be distributed by the U.S. Department of Education, and was allocated by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, which … Continue Reading
April 24, 2020
CORRECTED: Wyden, Merkley: OHSU to Receive $2.7 Million in COVID-19 Aid
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley today announced that OHSU will receive about $2.7 million in grants to help provide quality rural health care during the COVID-19 crisis. "Our state's health care heroes caring for Oregonians need all possible federal resources to keep themselves and their patients safe in the middle of this public health crisis," Wyden said. "I am glad OHSU has earned these grants to support their life-and-death work, and will continue to fight for … Continue Reading
April 24, 2020
Wyden Announces Plans to Re-introduce Community Broadband Act in Wake of Coronavirus Emergency
Washington, D.C. -- U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden today announced he will reintroduce the Community Broadband Act to improve internet access in underserved communities as millions of students and families find themselves struggling to learn and work remotely during the coronavirus public health emergency. "Access to broadband is a must for communities to thrive in Oregon and nationwide. Oregon communities like Maupin and The Dalles have proven that municipal broadband can be a game changer in places … Continue Reading
April 24, 2020
Wyden Calls on Trump Administration to Fully Use Defense Production Act & Protect Veterans from COVID-19
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., called on the Trump administration to make full use of the Defense Production Act (DPA) in order to better protect veterans, health care professionals, Oregonians and all Americans during the COVID-19 pandemic. The depletion of medical supplies nationally and a broken federal procurement and distribution process has left the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)-the nation's largest health care system-scrambling to secure Personal Protective … Continue Reading
April 23, 2020
Merkley, Wyden Announce Key Resources for K-12, Higher Education Institutions in Oregon
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Oregon's U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden today announced that $153.5 million in funding will be distributed to schools throughout Oregon, as a part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act that was approved by Congress last month. "Every student-regardless of the color of their skin, their zip code, or their parents' income-deserves a shot at a great education," said Merkley. "We can't let the coronavirus pandemic jeopardize our children's … Continue Reading
April 23, 2020
Wyden Calls for $3.6B to Expand Vote-By-Mail, Early Voting in Next COVID-19 Relief Package
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Sens. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., Chris Coons, D-Del., and Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., today urged Congressional leadership to include $3.6 billion to help states expand vote-by-mail and early voting in the next COVID-19 relief package. "Officials in sixteen states have already postponed presidential primary elections or transitioned their elections to all mail-in voting. We must take action now to plan for upcoming elections. Voters across Wisconsin can attest to the fact that … Continue Reading
April 23, 2020
Wyden Pushes to Ensure Families Receive Promised COVID-19 Stimulus Payments for Their Children as Quickly as Possible
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., today called on the Trump administration to ensure that families who are not required to file taxes, like families who receive Social Security benefits, do not need to wait until next year to receive the additional $500 payment per dependent child they were promised. "We write to express our concern that without additional action from your agencies, many families who receive Social Security benefits and have young children may not receive … Continue Reading
April 23, 2020
Wyden Pushes Trump Administration to Ensure Americans Without Broadband Can Receive Stimulus Payments
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., today urged the Trump administration to increase efforts to make stimulus payments available to the most vulnerable populations-including those without access to the internet who cannot file a tax return electronically. In a letter to Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, Wyden and 22 other senators highlighted that at least 21 million Americans are without high-speed internet access and face a significant barrier in their ability to file a … Continue Reading
April 23, 2020
Merkley, Wyden Announce Over $430,000 in Nutrition and Supportive Services Grants for Tribes
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Oregon's U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden today announced that tribal communities in Oregon will receive over $430,000 to support the needs of elders and in an effort to curtail the spread of the coronavirus. The funding is being allocated by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, which Congress approved last month. "The coronavirus poses unique risks and challenges to elders in communities across Oregon-and some of these challenges are … Continue Reading
April 22, 2020
Wyden Demands Release of Detained Children Amid COVID-19 Crisis
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., today joined 15 of his Senate colleagues demanding the release of detained children amid the COVID-19 pandemic. In a letter to Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Alex Azar and Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Acting Secretary Chad Wolf, the lawmakers stress the need to protect the health and safety of children in U.S. custody as the number of children in HHS custody infected with COVID-19 continues to … Continue Reading
April 22, 2020
Wyden, Merkley Call for Broad Investigations of the Trump Administration's COVID-19 Response
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley today called for investigations into the Trump Administration's COVID-19 response, including whether political expediency rather than urgent public health needs has driven the distribution of life-saving medical supplies and equipment and other key public health and economic decisions. The letter from Wyden, Merkley and eight other senators to the Inspectors General for the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and Federal … Continue Reading
April 22, 2020
Rosen, Wyden Lead Call on Congressional Leaders to Ensure Cannabis Small Businesses Can Access Emergency SBA Loan and Grant Programs
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, U.S. Senators Jacky Rosen (D-NV) and Ron Wyden (D-OR), led 8 of their Senate colleagues, including Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV) and Jeff Merkley (D-OR), in a letter to Congressional leadership calling for forthcoming COVID-19 relief legislative packages to allow state-legal cannabis small businesses and indirect cannabis small businesses to access loan and emergency grant programs administered by the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA). In the letter, the … Continue Reading
April 22, 2020
Wyden Pushes for New Employment Program to Help Workers and Businesses Recover from COVID-19
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., today called for a new federal employment program that will help workers and businesses recover from the economic devastation caused by the COVID-19 crisis. In a letter to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., and Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., Wyden joined with four other senators to propose a national subsidized employment program to provide unemployed and underemployed workers wage-paying jobs to help them get through … Continue Reading
April 22, 2020
Wyden, Colleagues Push for Access to Digital Resources for State and Local Governments Managing COVID-19 Crisis
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden today led a letter with 15 of his colleagues urging Congressional leadership to provide additional digital resources for state and local governments managing the impacts of the COVID-19 crisis on local communities. In a letter to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., the legislators wrote: "The COVID-19 … Continue Reading
April 21, 2020
Wyden Statement on Senate Passage of the Interim Emergency Package
U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., today released the following statement on Senate passage of the interim emergency package: "My phone has been ringing off the hook in the last several weeks with small business people in Oregon needing federal relief, and health care providers and hospitals desperate for more PPE, testing, and other support to protect themselves and Oregonians in their care. The interim agreement passed by the Senate today provides essential funding to help now for all of these … Continue Reading
April 21, 2020
Merkley, Wyden Push for Urgent Workforce Development Investment
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Oregon's U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden, along with 22 of their colleagues, are pressing Senate leadership to include critical workforce development and career and technical education (CTE) funding in the next coronavirus relief bill. In their letter to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, the senators echoed the concerns of 38 labor and education advocacy groups calling for immediate assistance from Congress, and requested a … Continue Reading
April 21, 2020
Trump Administration Responds to Wyden’s and Casey’s Call to Publicly Release Names of Nursing Homes with COVID-19 Cases
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR), Ranking Member of the Senate Finance Committee, and U.S. Senator Bob Casey (D-PA), Ranking Member of the Senate Special Committee on Aging, secured a commitment by the Trump Administration to publicly release the names of nursing homes across the country that have cases of COVID-19. This decision follows a letter sent earlier this month from the Senators urging the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) and the Centers for Disease … Continue Reading
April 21, 2020
Merkley, Wyden, Bonamici, DeFazio Push for FEMA Disaster Plans Amid Pandemic
Washington, D.C. - As the 2020 wildfire season rapidly approaches, Oregon's U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden, along with Representatives Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR-1), Peter DeFazio (D-OR-4), and 78 of their congressional colleagues, are demanding that the Trump administration outline disaster preparation and recovery plans for a variety of potential disasters that may occur while the nation simultaneously addresses the coronavirus pandemic. In their letter urging Federal Emergency … Continue Reading
April 20, 2020
In Midst of COVID-19 Crisis, Wyden, Crapo, Merkley, Risch, Colleagues Call for Financial Security for Rural Communities
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Sens. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., Mike Crapo, R-Idaho, Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., and James Risch, R-Idaho, today led a bipartisan group of 23 other senators on a letter calling for the Senate to finally provide much-needed financial certainty during the COVID-19 crisis for rural communities to ensure long-term funding needed for essential services. In a letter addressed to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., the senators … Continue Reading
