Press Releases
Bonamici, Wyden, Merkley, Salinas, Hoyle, Dexter, Bynum Call for Providence, Oregon Nurses Association to Reach Agreement
WASHINGTON DC - Today Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici (OR-01), Val Hoyle (OR-04), Andrea Salinas (OR-06), Maxine Dexter (OR-03), Janelle Bynum (OR-05), and Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley sent a letter urging Providence and the Oregon Nurses Association to reach agreement on new employment contracts for doctors, certified nurse midwives, nurse practitioners, registered nurses, and clinical staff. The health care workers have been on strike since January 10th. The full text of the letter … Continue Reading
January 24, 2025
Merkley, Wyden: Over $15 Million for Natural Disaster Recovery in Oregon
Washington, D.C. - Oregon’s U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden today announced that the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) is sending a total of $15,064,295 to reimburse the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) for their vital repairs to roads and other critical infrastructure that were deeply damaged during several years of severe weather events. “Oregonians in every corner of the state have faced dangerous storms in recent years, which have taken a heavy toll on the … Continue Reading
January 23, 2025
Wyden Votes No on Advancing DOE and DOI Nominees in Energy and Natural Resources Committee
Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., issued the following statement after voting no to advance the nominations of Doug Burgum to be Secretary of the Department of the Interior and Chris Wright to be Secretary of the Department of Energy: “After years and years of Republicans standing in the way, Congress finally passed my technology neutral clean energy tax credits as a centerpiece of the Inflation Reduction Act. The clean energy tax credits are the biggest investment in … Continue Reading
January 23, 2025
Wyden to Streaming Services: It’s Time to Carry C-SPAN & Support Public Access to Government
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., said today that he and U.S. Representative Mike Flood, R-Neb., are urging FuboTV, Hulu, and YouTube to carry C-SPAN on their pay TV live streaming services. Their bipartisan letter to the streaming service companies notes that C-SPAN has been a part of packages sold by cable and satellite providers for more than 40 years yet major live TV streaming services have unfortunately failed to carry C-SPAN as they’ve entered the market. “We write … Continue Reading
January 22, 2025
Merkley, Wyden Join 20 Senators to Introduce Resolution Recognizing the Service of Women in Combat
Washington, D.C. - Oregon’s U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden announced today that they joined Senate Democrats in introducing a resolution honoring the service of women in combat roles in the U.S. Armed Forces. The resolution comes as President Donald Trump’s nominee to lead the Department of Defense (DoD), Pete Hegseth, continues to face scorching criticism for, among many other reasons, his long record of denigrating women servicemembers who bravely serve our nation in combat … Continue Reading
January 22, 2025
Wyden Slams Republicans for Prioritizing Anti-Abortion Extremism Over Legislation to Lower Costs and Help Families
Watch a video of Wyden’s remarks here Washington, D.C. — Senator Ron Wyden spoke out on the Senate floor against Republicans’ escalated assault on reproductive freedom in the first days of the Trump administration, showing their true priorities are undermining healthcare and reproductive freedoms, rather than lowering costs for working families. Wyden’s remarks this week came ahead of the Senate’s expected vote on S.6, legislation that would create a new government mandate that overrides the … Continue Reading
January 22, 2025
Merkley, Wyden Support Legislation to Lower Health Care Costs for Millions by Permanently Extending Affordable Care Act Premium Tax Credits
Washington, D.C. - Oregon’s U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden announced today they joined House and Senate Democrats in an effort to keep tax credits that lower health care premium costs by reintroducing the Health Care Affordability Act. The bicameral legislation makes permanent the Affordable Care Act’s (ACA) enhanced premium tax credits (PTCs) for Marketplace coverage as extended through the Inflation Reduction Act. According to the Congressional Budget Office (CBO), if the PTCs are … Continue Reading
January 21, 2025
Wyden: CIA Nominee Ratcliffe "has a record of ignoring the law ... and misrepresenting basic facts"
Watch a video of Wyden deliver his remarks here I speak today to oppose the nomination of John Ratcliffe to be the Director of the CIA. I often vote for nominees who have different policy views than I do, but my concerns with Mr. Ratcliffe are much deeper than that. In 2020, I opposed his confirmation to be Director of National Intelligence because of his partisanship and willingness to say whatever might please Donald Trump. Unfortunately, John Ratcliffe’s actions as DNI only confirmed my … Continue Reading
January 21, 2025
Merkley, Wyden Announce $1.4 Million in Federal Funding to Help Homeless Veterans with Housing
Washington, D.C. - Oregon’s U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden announced today that $1,449,067 is coming to Oregon to help homeless veterans secure affordable housing through federal housing assistance. “Oregon’s servicemembers deserve the full measure of our appreciation for serving and sacrificing for our nation, and that includes ensuring they have a safe, decent roof overhead after returning home,” Merkley said. “These federal housing vouchers will help homeless veterans across … Continue Reading
January 17, 2025
Wyden Introduces Bill to Protect American Consumers from Tariff-Imposed Tax Hikes
(Washington, DC) - U.S. Senators Ron Wyden, Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) and Tim Kaine (D-VA) today introduced legislation that would protect American consumers and small business owners from rising prices caused by tariffs imposed on goods imported into the United States. The Protecting Americans from Tax Hikes on Imported Goods Act would keep costs down by limiting the authority of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA)—which allows a President to immediately place unlimited … Continue Reading
January 17, 2025
Wyden, Fetterman Urge FDIC to Keep Consumers’ Ability to Access their Savings Safe and Secure
Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senators Ron Wyden, D-Ore., and John Fetterman, D-Pa., urged the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) to better protect consumers’ timely access to their savings in the event of a market disruption. Specifically, Wyden and Fetterman called on the FDIC to quickly finalize its newly proposed rule requiring banks to keep a daily record showing the true owners of consumer deposits received through non-bank financial technology (fintech) companies. There is … Continue Reading
January 17, 2025
Senators Wyden, Merkley & Representative Hoyle Applaud Federal Investment in Lane County Water System Infrastructure
Washington D.C.— U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley, along with U.S. Rep. Val Hoyle, today announced a $925,000 investment in Mapleton Water District of Lane County to improve the district’s raw water transmission line, protecting it from potential landslides. “These types of infrastructure improvements are crucial for the health of Oregonians and the land we live on,” Wyden said. “I’m gratified this big investment in the small community of Mapleton will shore up potential issues … Continue Reading
January 17, 2025
Merkley, Wyden Announce $50 Million to Support Drought Resilience in the Klamath Basin
Washington, D.C. - Oregon’s U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden announced today that a $50 million federal investment from the Inflation Reduction Act is headed to the Klamath Basin to largely fund a new agreement that supports irrigators facing prolonged drought conditions. The programs receiving funding today will support the region’s farmers and ranchers under a new Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the Bureau of Reclamation and the Klamath Water Users Association (KWUA), as … Continue Reading
January 17, 2025
Wyden Presses Federal Regulators to Fix Mistake Costing St. Charles Health System $6 Million
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden today urged federal health regulators to fix their mistake that’s unfairly cost St. Charles Health System $6 million over a nearly three-year period. In his letter to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), Wyden noted the agency’s error dates back to 2022 when St. Charles Health System (SCHS) responded to financial stresses from the COVID-19 pandemic by merging its Medicare-certified hospitals in Bend and Redmond. The merged hospital … Continue Reading
January 17, 2025
Wyden, Colleagues Reintroduce Bill to Promote Competition and Improve Antitrust Enforcement
Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senator Ron Wyden said today he has joined Senate colleagues in reintroducing legislation that would reinvigorate America’s antitrust laws and restore competition to American markets. The Competition and Antitrust Law Enforcement Reform Act would give federal enforcers the resources they need to uphold the law, strengthen prohibitions on anticompetitive conduct and mergers, and make additional reforms to improve enforcement. “The effects of mega-mergers are felt … Continue Reading
January 16, 2025
Wyden Applauds FTC Settlement with GM Over Tracking Driver Locations and Selling Data to Insurance Companies
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., applauded the FTC’s action today to stop General Motors from sharing detailed location data about drivers without customer consent. The settlement follows reporting by the New York Times and an investigation by Wyden last year. “FTC Chair Lina Khan is the Steph Curry of privacy regulators with this buzzer-beating settlement to protect Americans privacy against automakers who sold detailed location data to insurance companies,” Wyden said. … Continue Reading
January 16, 2025
Merkley, Wyden Announce $7 Million Heading to Portland for Affordable Housing
Washington, D.C. - Oregon’s U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden announced the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) is awarding the City of Portland a total of $7 million in federal funding to support the city’s efforts to enhance affordable housing accessibility. “I hear from Oregonians during my town halls in every corner of our state about how challenges from the housing crisis are leaving many without affordable options or resources,” said Merkley. “This federal … Continue Reading
January 16, 2025
Merkley, Wyden Announce $1.75 Million to Bolster Regenerative Agriculture on Working Lands
Washington, D.C. - Oregon’s U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden announced today the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) approved 3 grants—totaling $1,755,163.61—to fund conservation efforts in Oregon and across the region. This funding from the Conservation Partners Program will provide farmers, ranchers, and forest landowners with targeted technical assistance to improve stewardship on working lands and achieve specific conservation outcomes. “Dynamic lands and ecosystems have … Continue Reading
January 16, 2025
Wyden Secures Commitment from Treasury Secretary Nominee for IRS Direct File to Continue This Tax Season
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden today secured a commitment from Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to continue IRS Direct File this tax filing season in Oregon and 24 other states participating in the agency’s free alternative to paid tax preparation software. “This is the program that helps people who use it to save hundreds of dollars when they file their tax returns,” Wyden said during the Senate Finance Committee’s confirmation hearing for Bessent. “It’s enormously popular among … Continue Reading
January 16, 2025
In Wake of California’s Wildfires, Wyden and Colleagues Call on Treasury Department to Swiftly Publish Data about Impact of Climate Crisis on Homeowners Insurance
Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., and seven of his Senate colleagues urged the U.S. Department of the Treasury and Federal Insurance Office (FIO) to immediately publish data and analysis about how the climate crisis impacts homeowners insurance nationwide. They also called for the data to be shared with the Financial Stability Oversight Council (FSOC), which includes key federal and state financial regulators whose decisions about housing and insurance policy could be shaped … Continue Reading
