Press Releases
Wyden Blasts Republicans for Giving Big Banks the Green Light to Gouge American Families
Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., released the following statement today on Republicans voting to abolish a Biden-era rule that was set to reduce the cost of overdraft fees and improve transparency for consumers: “It comes as no surprise that Republicans have once again broken their promise to lower costs and handed big banks a victory on the backs of American families who are already struggling to keep their heads above water due to Trump’s chaos. Throwing this rule in the … Continue Reading
March 25, 2025
Wyden, Colleagues Slam Draconian Immigration Registration Order
Washington D.C.—U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., today joined Senate colleagues in a letter to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) opposing the Trump administration’s resurrection of a draconian and discriminatory immigration policy that forces immigrants to register with the federal government and carry proof of their registration at all times. “The Administration has explicitly linked this revived registration requirement to enforcement efforts, empowering federal … Continue Reading
March 24, 2025
Merkley, Risch, Wyden, Crapo Team Up for Bipartisan Bill to Boost Mass Timber Industry Nationwide
Washington, D.C. - Oregon’s U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley and Idaho’s U.S. Senator James Risch today launched a renewed bipartisan effort to promote the use of mass timber in federal building projects and military construction. The bipartisan Mass Timber Federal Buildings Act—which is cosponsored by Oregon’s U.S. Senator Ron Wyden and Idaho’s U.S. Senator Mike Crapo—would incentivize the use of mass timber building materials by providing a preference in federal building contracts for mass timber … Continue Reading
March 24, 2025
Wyden, Warren Press Social Security Commissioner Nominee on Trump, Musk Efforts to Gut Agency
Washington D.C.—U.S. Senators Ron Wyden, D-Ore., and Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., said today they are pressing the Social Security Commissioner nominee to commit to stopping the Trump Administration and the self-styled “Department of Government Efficiency’s” ongoing efforts to hollow out the Social Security Administration (SSA). Wyden, ranking member of the Senate Finance Committee; and Warren, a member of the Finance Committee, warned those Social Security schemes may be a “prelude to … Continue Reading
March 21, 2025
Merkley, Wyden Condemn President Trump’s Move to Revive Cruel Family Detention Policy
Washington, D.C. - Oregon’s U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden joined their colleagues in an effort led by Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee Dick Durbin (D-IL) to decry President Donald Trump and his Administration moving to revive family detention for migrant families. The Senators began with strenuous objection, writing in their letter: “We strongly object to the failed and inhumane practice of detaining migrant families. We are deeply disturbed by reports that your … Continue Reading
March 21, 2025
Bonamici, NW Members Demand Trump Admin Not Close Portland, Seattle Housing Offices
WASHINGTON DC [3/21/25] - Today Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici (OR-1) led Senators Patty Murray (D-WA), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Jeff Merkley (D-OR) and Representatives Adam Smith (WA-9), Suzan DelBene (WA-1), Val Hoyle (OR-4), Andrea Salinas (OR-6), and Maxine Dexter (OR-03) in demanding that the Trump administration abandon plans to close the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s field office in Portland and regional office in Seattle. The Trump administration is reportedly planning to … Continue Reading
March 21, 2025
Wyden, Merkley, Colleagues Demand Answers on DHS, DOGE Requests to Access Sensitive IRS Information
Washington D.C.—U.S. Senators Ron Wyden, D-Ore., and Catherine Cortez Masto, D-Nev., today led Senate colleagues, including Senator Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., in a letter to top officials with the Internal Revenue Service and Department of Homeland Security (DHS) demanding answers on reports that DHS and the self-styled “Department of Government Efficiency” have illegally requested sensitive taxpayer information from the IRS. “We write about alarming reports that the Department of Homeland … Continue Reading
March 20, 2025
Salinas Leads Oregon Delegation in Calling on Trump Administration to Protect American Manufacturing
Salinas Leads Oregon Delegation in Calling on Trump Administration to Protect American Manufacturing Washington, DC - Today, U.S. Representative Andrea Salinas (OR-06) led the Oregon delegation - including U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley, along with U.S. Reps. Suzanne Bonamici (OR-01), Val Hoyle (OR-04), Maxine Dexter (OR-03), and Janelle Bynum (OR-05) - in a letter to U.S. Department of Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, expressing concern about the Trump Administration’s decision … Continue Reading
March 20, 2025
Merkley, Wyden Join Bipartisan Legislation to Protect TSA’s Frontline Workforce
Washington, D.C. - Oregon’s U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden joined their colleagues to introduce bipartisan, bicameral legislation to ensure that over 65,000 Transportation Security Administration (TSA) employees—including frontline Transportation Security Officers (TSOs)—are afforded the same worker rights, protections, and pay system afforded to most other federal workers. The Rights for the TSA Workforce Act comes on the heels of the Trump Administration’s move to cancel TSA … Continue Reading
March 19, 2025
Merkley, Wyden Push to Protect Students from Bullying and Harassment
Washington, D.C. - Oregon’s U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden joined colleagues in introducing the Safe Schools Improvement Act, legislation that would provide protections against bullying and harassment in schools, especially for vulnerable students. “Every student deserves a school environment where they feel safe, welcomed, and supported, without fear of bullying or harassment,” said Merkley. "The Safe Schools Improvement Act takes steps to ensure schools implement strong, … Continue Reading
March 18, 2025
Merkley, Wyden: Bipartisan Deliver for Democracy Act Will Help Get Crucial Local News into the Hands of Oregonians
Washington, D.C. - Oregon’s U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden joined Vermont’s U.S. Senator Peter Welch and South Dakota’s U.S. Senator Mike Rounds to reintroduce the bipartisan, bicameral Deliver for Democracy Act. This legislation would incentivize reliable service from the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) and limit excessive rate increases. In recent years, the USPS has raised rates for periodicals under the guise of increased efficiency and improved service, but the changes have not … Continue Reading
March 17, 2025
Oregon Democrats Urge Trump Administration to Stop Undermining Pacific Northwest’s Power Grid
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley along with U.S. Reps. Suzanne Bonamici, Val Hoyle, Andrea Salinas, Janelle Bynum, and Maxine Dexter said today they are calling on the Trump administration to pay heed to concerns raised by Bonneville Power Administration workers that major and illegal job cuts at the agency will destabilize the power grid in Oregon and throughout the Pacific Northwest. “The weight of this destabilization will bear down on the entire region, most … Continue Reading
March 17, 2025
Wyden, Merkley, Colleagues Introduce Legislation to Reverse Damage from Trump Administration's Egregious Cuts at VA
Washington D.C.—U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley said today they have joined Senate colleagues in introducing comprehensive legislation that would protect veterans, military spouses and VA employees in Oregon and nationwide indiscriminately targeted in the Department of Government Efficiency’s (DOGE) cuts at VA and across the federal government. “Veterans and the benefits they earned with their service to our country are under indiscriminate and unjust attack by Trump, Musk and their … Continue Reading
March 13, 2025
Bipartisan Members of Congress to UK Spy Court: UK Gag Orders for Surveillance Backdoors Threaten Americans’ Security and Privacy, Impede Congressional Oversight
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., Rep. Andy Biggs, R-Ariz., Sen. Alex Padilla, D-Calif., Rep. Warren Davidson, R-Ohio, and Rep. Zoe Lofgren, D-Calif., today called for transparency from the U.K.’s top surveillance court about the UK government’s reported order to Apple to build a backdoor into encrypted iCloud backups to enable government surveillance of messages, photos and other files. Under U.K. law, Apple is barred from confirming the backdoor order to the public or even … Continue Reading
March 12, 2025
Merkley, Wyden Slam Trump’s Layoffs of Vital Agricultural Researchers for Rural and Coastal Communities
Washington, D.C. - Oregon’s U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden today continue to sound the alarm over staffing shortages at the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Agricultural Research Service (ARS) and the impacts of these disruptions on the livelihoods of farmers, fishermen, and ranchers in Oregon and around the country who rely on ARS findings to maintain productivity and competitiveness. Merkley and Wyden wrote to USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins after illegal mass layoffs by … Continue Reading
March 12, 2025
Wyden, Merkley Demand HHS Secretary Kennedy Launch National Vaccination Campaign to Stop Spread of Measles and Save Lives
Washington, D.C. -U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley today called for immediate action from Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F Kennedy, Jr. to stop the spread of measles and save lives after our country experienced the first measles deaths in a decade. Measles, once declared eliminated in the U.S. over two decades ago, has infected at least 223 individuals in 13 U.S. jurisdictions. “Unfortunately, two of these cases have resulted in the tragic deaths of a child in Texas … Continue Reading
March 12, 2025
Wyden, Merkley Demand Trump Halt and Reverse Contract Cancellations that Harm Veterans
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley said today they have joined 16 Senate colleagues to demand the Trump administration reverse its cancellation of 585 contracts with the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), including those that help veterans exposed to burn pits and other toxins access lifesaving health care. This care is guaranteed under the Sergeant First Class Heath Robinson Honoring Our PACT Act (PACT Act), which passed with overwhelming bipartisan support and … Continue Reading
March 11, 2025
Merkley, Wyden, 20+ Senators Swing Back at VA Secretary Collins' "Blatantly Dishonest" Claims that Cutting 83,000 VA Employees Will Have No Impact on Veterans' Care and Benefits
Washington, D.C. - Oregon’s U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden joined the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee Ranking Member Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) to blast Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Secretary Doug Collins’ plans to cut more than 80,000 VA employees this year—including at least 20,000 veterans—and stressing the harmful impact it will have on veterans’ earned care and benefits, which have been dramatically expanded since 2019 thanks to laws passed with bipartisan support such … Continue Reading
March 11, 2025
Wyden, Sanders Blast Trump Administration for Abruptly Freezing All Student Loan Repayment Programs
Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., and U.S. Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee Ranking Member Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., led 23 Democrats in sending a letter to the Department of Education blasting the Trump administration for abruptly freezing all income-driven student loan repayment programs, leaving Congress and the millions of working class borrowers in the dark. In their letter to Department of Education Secretary Linda McMahon, Wyden and Sanders … Continue Reading
March 11, 2025
Merkley, Wyden Push to Expand Smith River National Recreation Area to Include Oregon
Washington, D.C. - Oregon’s U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden today introduced the Smith River National Recreation Area Expansion Act, legislation to expand the Smith River National Recreation Area by 58,000 acres. This legislation is critical to protect the diverse ecosystems of the rivers, streams, and adjacent lands of the North Fork Smith River watershed and help boost the local fishing and recreation industries that many Oregonians rely on. This legislation is also cosponsored by … Continue Reading
