Press Releases
Wyden’s Owyhee Bill Passes Senate
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden’s bill to preserve more than 1 million acres of wilderness in the Owyhee Canyon Lands in Eastern Oregon and introduce more flexibility into its established grazing management system passed the U.S. Senate by unanimous consent Friday night. “The holiday celebrations can start a few days early with tonight’s historic and huge victory for the Eastern Oregon ranchers, Tribal leaders, conservationists and recreation lovers who worked with me to design this … Continue Reading
December 20, 2024
Wyden, Merkley Celebrate Passage of Bipartisan Bill to Support Farmers and Ranchers Facing Severe Drought in Klamath Basin
Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., and Senator Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., celebrated the Senate unanimously passing a bipartisan bill to support farmers and ranchers in the Klamath Basin with improved tools to respond to severe drought, while restoring fish and wildlife habitat in the region. The Klamath Basin Water Agreement Support Act, introduced by Republican Congressman Cliff Bentz, R-Ore., is companion legislation to Wyden’s Klamath Power and Facilities Agreement Support Act. … Continue Reading
December 20, 2024
Merkley, Wyden: $19.7 Million in Federal Housing Funding Coming to Oregon for Statewide, Tribal Initiatives
Washington, D.C. - Oregon’s U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden announced today that the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) awarded $19,742,170 to revitalize and modernize manufactured housing and eligible manufactured housing communities across Oregon. “As communities and Tribes in every corner of the state face their biggest housing affordability crises in decades—with rents dramatically outpacing incomes—we must do everything we can to invest in solutions to the … Continue Reading
December 20, 2024
Merkley, Wyden Announce Over $4 Million for High-Speed Broadband Infrastructure Headed to Lane
Washington, D.C. - Oregon’s U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden announced today a $4,419,306 grant for high-speed broadband internet infrastructure in Lane County. This federal investment for Pioneer Telephone Cooperative will be used to deploy a fiber-to-the-premises network to provide high-speed internet. This network will benefit 75 people, 12 businesses, and eight farms in Lane County. The funding is provided through the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) ReConnect … Continue Reading
December 20, 2024
Merkley, Wyden Announce Over $33 Million for Southern Oregon Critical Wildlife Crossing
Washington, D.C. - Oregon’s U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden announced today that the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) is receiving $33,182,188 in federal funding to construct the Mariposa Preserve Wildlife Crossing over I-5 in Southern Oregon through the heart of the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument. Once complete, the wildlife crossing will be among the largest in the nation to significantly improve the movement of a wide-array of animals, while increasing the safety of … Continue Reading
December 20, 2024
Merkley, Wyden: Critical Water Infrastructure Bill Headed to the President’s Desk
Washington, D.C. - Oregon’s U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden announced today that critical projects and policy initiatives for Oregon included in the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) of 2024 have passed Congress and now head to the president’s desk to be signed into law. Their authorization sets the stage for Oregon to secure essential water infrastructure funding. “Water is the lifeblood of our state. Updating and modernizing aging water infrastructure - including ports, … Continue Reading
December 20, 2024
Wyden, Merkley Announce Nearly $4.6 Million for Drought and Resiliency Programs in the Klamath Basin
Washington D.C.—U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley today announced a federal investment of $4.6 million for six Klamath Basin Tribes to support 14 projects aimed at combating drought and building resilience in Tribal communities across the region. “Resiliency in the face of drought is essential for rural communities to thrive like those that depend on the Klamath Basin,” Wyden said. “This investment is critical to combat persistent drought caused by the climate crisis, and maintaining … Continue Reading
December 19, 2024
Wyden Recreation Provisions Pass Congress
Washington, D.C. — The U.S. Senate today advanced the EXPLORE Act, a bipartisan bill that includes key provisions authored by U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., to make the outdoors more accessible and to support the recreation economy in Oregon and nationwide. The bill now heads to the president’s desk to be signed into law. “As an Oregonian, I know the power of outdoor recreation in uplifting rural economies. From the time a visitor drops their bags at their hotel to wrapping up a long hike … Continue Reading
December 19, 2024
Wyden, Bentz Statement on Owyhee Legislation
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden and U.S. Rep. Cliff Bentz issued the following joint statement today about their work to pass bipartisan legislation for the Owyhee Canyon Lands in Eastern Oregon: “You cannot get an acre of wilderness, an ounce of Tribal protection, or any meaningful grazing reforms for ranchers in the Owyhee without black-letter law passed by Congress. So we want Oregonians to hear us loud and clear: We will continue in 2025 to push for legislation that accomplishes … Continue Reading
December 19, 2024
Wyden, Lummis Reintroduce Bipartisan Bill to Protect Attorney-Client Privilege for Incarcerated People
Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senators Ron Wyden, D-Ore., and Cynthia Lummis, R-Wyo., today reintroduced their bipartisan bill to protect the confidentiality of email communications between incarcerated individuals and their attorneys. Despite mail, phone calls, and in-person meetings at federal prisons being protected against government surveillance, current federal policies require that inmates at Bureau of Prison facilities must allow the government to review all their attorney-client emails. … Continue Reading
December 18, 2024
Wyden Votes No on Bloated Military Budget Bill
Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., issued the following statement after voting against the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA): “This bill gives our military servicemembers a needed raise. And I support efforts to bolster our democratic allies and partners in Israel, Taiwan, and Ukraine. “But I cannot greenlight wasteful defense spending that will do more harm than good. “While the Pentagon continues failing audits, this bill makes no effort at all to hold the … Continue Reading
December 18, 2024
U.S. Senators Wyden and Crapo Applaud Their Bipartisan Legislation Honoring Medal of Honor Recipients Becoming Law
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Mike Crapo today celebrated the passage of their bipartisan bill designating U.S. Highway 20 between Newport, Ore. and New England as the “National Medal of Honor Highway.” "It’s fitting that our country’s longest continuous highway, stretching from the Pacific to the Atlantic, is now dedicated to our veterans who have continuously served and protected our country from sea to shining sea,” Wyden said. “I’m gratified the National Medal of Honor … Continue Reading
December 18, 2024
Merkley, Wyden Announce Federal Funding to Boost Private Forest Management and Build Resilience
Washington, D.C. - Oregon’s U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden announced the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Forest Service is funding projects that will assist Tribes, nonprofits, and private forest landowners in Oregon with their efforts to manage forests sustainably and permanently conserve private forests in partnership with the state. “Oregon’s forestlands—public and private—need investments to remain healthy, and to withstand wildfires that impact us all,” said Merkley. “I’ve … Continue Reading
December 17, 2024
Wyden, Merkley Announce Columbia Gorge Education Service District to Receive EPA “Community Change Grant”
Washington D.C.—U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley today announced the Columbia Gorge Education Service District and Columbia Gorge Community College Foundation have been selected to receive a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) grant to create the Columbia Gorge Early Learning and Resilience Center in The Dalles. “Early education, childcare, workforce development, and places for communities to gather- whether for celebration or respite-are needs I hear about directly from … Continue Reading
December 17, 2024
Wyden, Fetterman Urge USDA to Stop Hackers and Fraudsters from Stealing Low-Income Families’ Food Benefits
Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senators Ron Wyden, D-Ore., and John Fetterman, D-Pa., urged the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to swiftly release its proposed rule to upgrade the security of electronic cards used by low-income families to receive food benefits at grocery stores. The USDA has not made any security upgrades to these cards since 2010. With older and more insecure magnetic strips remaining in Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) … Continue Reading
December 16, 2024
Wyden, Merkley Introduce Bill to Decommission Offshore Oil & Gas Wells, Pipelines and Platforms
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley said today they have introduced legislation that would address the growing threat of abandoned offshore oil and gas infrastructure to marine ecosystems and the environment. “Neglected oil wells off our coasts are a ticking time bomb that threaten our coastal communities and environment in Oregon and nationwide,” Wyden said. “It’s unacceptable that Big Oil has dodged responsibility to clean up drilling sites and pollution. This … Continue Reading
December 16, 2024
Wyden, Merkley, Murray, Cantwell Ask BPA to Carefully Evaluate Timeline and Costs and Benefits of Joining Bigger Electricity Market
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senators Ron Wyden, Jeff Merkley, Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell said today they are asking the Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) to answer questions about the financial impact to consumers in the Pacific Northwest from its upcoming decision whether to join the California Independent System Operator extended day-ahead market or the Southwest Power Pool Markets+ day-ahead market. These markets provide opportunities for power suppliers like BPA to meet customers’ … Continue Reading
December 13, 2024
Wyden, Merkley, Colleagues Call on Regulators to Protect Student Borrowers from Navient’s Flawed Cancellation Process
Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley today joined Senate colleagues in sending a letter to federal regulators that revealed the results of their investigation into Navient about its cancellation process for the predatory, for-profit student loans in its portfolio and urging the agencies to ensure the student loan servicer is providing borrowers all relief that they are entitled to. In its response to an initial letter from Wyden, Merkley and other lawmakers, Navient … Continue Reading
December 13, 2024
Wyden, Merkley: Molalla Earns $35 Million for Improved Wastewater Treatment
Washington D.C.—U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley today announced that the city of Molalla has secured a $33.25 million loan and a $2 million grant to update its wastewater treatment facility. “Federal investment in modern infrastructure is a must for Oregonians counting on public health and for communities statewide needing to operate efficiently,” Wyden said. “These federal funds achieve both objectives for residents and small businesses in Molalla, and I’ll keep battling for similar … Continue Reading
December 12, 2024
Wyden, Merkley, Salinas Announce $20 Million for Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde Resident Resilience Center
Washington D.C.—U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley as well as U.S. Rep. Andrea Salinas today announced a federal investment of $20 million through the Inflation Reduction Act for the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde to build a safe, accessible shelter that will provide services during extreme weather. “The problems created by the ongoing climate crisis overlap with many issues already threatening Oregonians such as housing and access to essential medical services,” Wyden said. “This … Continue Reading
