Press Releases
With Unprecedented Disruptions From Coronavirus, Wyden And Merkley Introduce Bill to Expand Oregon-Style Vote-By-Mail and Ensure Americans are Still Able to Vote
Washington, D.C. - Oregon's U.S. Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley today joined Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., to introduce legislation that would ensure Americans are able to vote this year, despite disruptions caused by COVID-19. The bill would expand early in-person voting and no-excuse absentee vote-by-mail to all states, and allowing voters who did not receive an absentee ballot to use a printable ballot currently only provided for military and overseas voters. The legislation comes as five … Continue Reading
March 18, 2020
Wyden, Merkley Announce Senate Passage of Families First Coronavirus Response Act
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley today announced the Senate passage of bipartisan legislation to strengthen the federal government's response to the coronavirus pandemic and support Oregon families. "There are families across Oregon who are too worried to go to the doctor because they can't afford to get hit with a massive medical bill, and individuals who can't stay home when they or their families are sick because it means lost wages and bills unpaid," Wyden said. … Continue Reading
March 18, 2020
Wyden Introduces $17B Bill to Relieve Small Business Loan Payments for 6 Months
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR) today joined U.S. Senators Chris Coons (D-DE) and Ben Cardin (D-MD), to introduce legislation that would be a lifeline for a wide range of Oregon small businesses fighting for their survival during the COVID19 public health crisis. The Small Business Debt Relief Act would ensure every small business with a loan from the Small Business Administration (SBA) would be relieved of their loan payments-including principal, interest, and fees-for the … Continue Reading
March 18, 2020
Wyden Demands Answers on Coronavirus Preparedness in Immigration Detention Facilities
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., today joined colleagues to demand information about the policies and procedures U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) have in place to prepare for and manage a potential spread of the novel coronavirus infectious disease (COVID-19) among detainees and staff in DHS facilities. In a letter to DHS Acting Secretary Chad F. Wolf, ICE Acting Director … Continue Reading
March 18, 2020
Wyden Introduces Bill to Hold Off on REAL ID Enforcement During Coronavirus Outbreak
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden today announced he is introducing a bipartisan bill that would direct the Secretary of Homeland Security to delay enforcement of REAL ID for at least one year in response to the coronavirus outbreak. "In the middle of this public health crisis, it would be irresponsible and dangerous to ask Oregonians to crowd into lines at their Department of Motor Vehicles to receive the REAL ID documents they need," Wyden said. "This legislation would postpone this … Continue Reading
March 17, 2020
Wyden to Introduce Updated Emergency Paid Leave, Small Business Support Bill
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden today announced plans to introduce a comprehensive emergency paid sick days and paid family and medical leave bill-fully funded by the federal government during this public health emergency-to provide additional support to workers and businesses during the coronavirus outbreak and future public health emergencies. "Working Oregonians must not be forced into making an impossible choice between going to work and risking their health or their family's … Continue Reading
March 17, 2020
Wyden to Introduce Updated Emergency Paid Leave, Small Business Support Bill
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden today announced plans to introduce a comprehensive emergency paid sick days and paid family and medical leave bill-fully funded by the federal government during this public health emergency-to provide additional support to workers and businesses during the coronavirus outbreak and future public health emergencies. "Working Oregonians must not be forced into making an impossible choice between going to work and risking their health or their family's … Continue Reading
March 17, 2020
Wyden, Merkley Call on FEMA to Mobilize Land Management Agencies to Support COVID-19 Emergency Response in Rural Communities
Washington, D.C. - Oregon's U.S. Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley today called on the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to coordinate with other federal agencies so thousands of federal civil servants, who have experience with rapid emergency response, can help rural communities that are increasingly overwhelmed by the challenge of responding to the novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak. "We write to request your immediate assistance in mobilizing your agencies to offer … Continue Reading
March 17, 2020
Merkley, Wyden Urge President Trump to Boost American Manufacturing of Critical Coronavirus Safety Equipment
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Oregon's U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden, along with Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH), are pressing President Donald Trump to use an existing authorization, the Defense Production Act (DPA), to strengthen America's domestic manufacturing capacity and supply to meet the nation's urgent pandemic safety equipment needs. "It is critical that we substantially and immediately bolster domestic testing capacity to identify cases and, accordingly, help slow the spread of … Continue Reading
March 17, 2020
Wyden Demands Answers from Trump Administration on Shortage of COVID-19 Diagnostic Testing Kits
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., today, along with 15 of his colleagues, sent a letter to Vice President Mike Pence and federal health officials requesting information on the Trump administration's failure to ensure that diagnostic tests are available for the novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). "This failure has resulted in a significant delay in detecting and responding to the first cases of COVID-19 in the United States, dramatically increasing the scope of the … Continue Reading
March 16, 2020
Wyden Statement on FISA Debate Agreement
U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., a senior member of the Senate Intelligence Committee, issued the following statement on the Senate agreement today to a short-term extension of expiring surveillance authorities in exchange for an agreement to consider amendments. The first amendment, offered by Senator Wyden, would prohibit warrantless collection of web browsing and internet search history. A second amendment provides for independent oversight of FISA by granting the amicus access to everything … Continue Reading
March 16, 2020
Wyden Urges Trump to Immediately Maximize Telework for Federal Workers
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., today, along with 26 of his colleagues, sent a letter to Donald Trump urging him to immediately issue an executive order directing agencies to utilize telework capabilities to the maximum possible extent. While the administration has issued guidance recommending agencies expand their telework capabilities, too many federal employees are still required to come to work in-person when they can do their job from home. As the Centers for Disease … Continue Reading
March 16, 2020
Merkley, Wyden, Colleagues Push Veterans Health Administration For Comprehensive Plans to Protect Veterans Against Coronavirus
Washington, D.C. - Oregon's U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden teamed up with 10 of their Senate colleagues to push the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to ensure that the agency is taking appropriate measures to protect those who served our nation from the coronavirus health crisis. Merkley co-led the letter along with U.S. Senator Jon Tester (D-MT), the Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Veterans Affairs. The Senators' letter comes amid reports that additional … Continue Reading
March 13, 2020
Merkley, Wyden, Colleagues Urge Internet Service Providers to Suspend Policies Limiting Americans’ Access to Internet Amid Coronavirus Outbreak
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Oregon's U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden today joined 17 of their Senate colleagues in sending a letter to the CEOs of eight major internet service providers (ISPs), calling on the companies to take steps to accommodate the unprecedented reliance America will likely have on internet-supported services-including telework, online education, telehealth, and remote support services-in the coming days. "As organizations around the country formulate their responses to … Continue Reading
March 13, 2020
Wyden, Merkley, Blumenauer, DeFazio, Bonamici Request Urgently Needed Federal COVID-19 Aid for Oregon
Washington, DC - U.S. Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley joined with U.S. Reps. Earl Blumenauer, Peter DeFazio and Suzanne Bonamici in a letter to Vice President Pence seeking urgently needed COVID-19 aid for Oregon, including surgical masks, respirators, ventilators and more. The Oregon lawmakers' letter sent late Thursday noted that Governor Brown has declared a state of emergency in Oregon in response to COVID-19, and that the state has growing and unmet needs from previous state requests. … Continue Reading
March 13, 2020
Wyden Introduces Bill to Expand Free Coronavirus Testing
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden - along with Sens. Tina Smith (D-Minn.) Gary Peters (D-Mich.), Democratic Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), and Patty Murray (D-Wash.) -led a number of their Democratic Senate colleagues in introducing legislation that would expand free tests to confirm coronavirus (COVID-19) infections. "Adequate testing for COVID-19 is a critical step to stem the tide of the pandemic," Wyden said. "Beyond increasing the availability of the test, it needs to be … Continue Reading
March 12, 2020
Wyden Statement on Claims The President Can Spy on Americans Without Congressional Approval
U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., a senior member of the Senate Intelligence Committee, issued the following statement following Intelligence Committee Chairman Richard Burr's claim that the president can spy on Americans without Congressional approval, even if Section 215 of the PATRIOT Act expires: "On the floor of the U.S. Senate today, Intelligence Committee Chairman Burr said that the president can disregard the FISA law altogether and spy on Americans with no judicial or congressional … Continue Reading
March 12, 2020
Wyden Statement on Confirmation of Another Republican FERC Nominee
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., released the following statement on the Senate confirmation of James P. Danly to be a member of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC): "The confirmation of Danly to the FERC creates a wholly unbalanced Commission and such an unbalanced and partisan Commission threatens the validity of its decisions by defying the commonsense meaning of a bipartisan commission. I question the legitimacy of such a Commission in violation of its … Continue Reading
March 12, 2020
Three Oregon Town Halls Postponed
Portland - U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden's town halls that had been scheduled for this weekend in Baker, Union and Gilliam counties are postponed in the interest of minimizing potential health risks to Oregonians from COVID-19. At this time, Wyden said it is prudent to be proactive and postpone these town halls until there are clear-cut public health guidelines that an open-to-all public meeting poses no unusual health risk for Oregonians. In fulfillment of his pledge to hold at least one town hall … Continue Reading
March 12, 2020
Wyden, Merkley Introduce Legislation to Permanently Fund the Land and Water Conservation Fund
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley this week joined a bipartisan group of their colleagues to introduce landmark legislation to permanently and fully fund the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) and address the nearly $12 billion maintenance backlog in our national parks and other land management agencies. Thanks to the broad bipartisan coalition supporting the Great American Outdoors Act the bill is expected to get White House approval, if passed. "LWCF is … Continue Reading
