Press Releases
Merkley, Wyden, Colleagues Advocate for Dedicated and Flexible Emergency Funding for Tribal, State, and Local Governments
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Oregon's U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden, along with 31 of their colleagues, are advocating for state, local, and tribal governments to receive dedicated, flexible funding in the next COVID-19 emergency funding package. Their letter comes amid uncertainty among tribal, state, and local government officials in Oregon-and across America-regarding their financial stability as they work to respond to the coronavirus crisis. "On behalf of our state, local, and tribal … Continue Reading
April 20, 2020
Wyden Presses Trump Administration on the Health and Safety of Incarcerated People, Employees at Sheridan Prison
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., today in a letter to the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) demanded answers on steps the bureau is taking to protect federal prison facilities, and specifically the federal correctional institution in Sheridan, Oregon (FCI Sheridan). "My office has received numerous alarming reports from employees and family members of inmates at FCI Sheridan, alleging that proper precautions to prevent the spread of COVID-19 are not being followed," Wyden … Continue Reading
April 20, 2020
Wyden, Merkley: Oregon to Get $7.5 Million FEMA Reimbursement Grant for COVID-19
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley today announced that Oregon will receive a $7.5 million grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency as reimbursement for personal protective equipment bought in response to COVID-19. "Essential workers in Oregon are regularly risking their health during this public health crisis and cannot be sent into this daily battle without protection," Wyden said. "I am glad these resources will help reimburse Oregon for its work to get … Continue Reading
April 20, 2020
Wyden, Merkley Urge Trump Administration to Protect Food Supply, Essential Workers During COVID-19 Crisis
Washington, DC - U.S. Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley today urged Vice President Mike Pence and other members of the Trump Administration to take action that would help ensure the safety of the nation's food supply and protect essential workers in the food supply chain. "It is vital that we do everything we can to protect food supply workers," Wyden and Merkley wrote in a letter along with more than 30 Senate colleagues. "Breakdowns in the food supply chain could have significant economic … Continue Reading
April 20, 2020
Merkley, Wyden Announce Over $7.3 Million in Funding for Corvallis Transit System
Washington, D.C. - Oregon's U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden announced today that the City of Corvallis will receive over $7.3 million in funding to support its public transportation operations and projects-including coronavirus response efforts. The funding will be allocated to the Corvallis Transit System through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, which Congress approved last month. "Public transportation has been vital to communities throughout Oregon … Continue Reading
April 17, 2020
Merkley, Wyden Welcome Federal Investment in Oregon to Reduce Wildfire Risk, Improve Forest Conditions
Washington, D.C. - Oregon's U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden today announced nine federal grants awarded across Oregon that support innovation in the state's wood products industry-creating jobs in rural Oregon, advancing research at Oregon State University and the University of Oregon, and reducing wildfire risks and improving forest conditions statewide. The U.S. Forest Service grant program was created by the Timber Innovation Act; Merkley worked with Sen. Mike Crapo (R-ID) to … Continue Reading
April 17, 2020
Wyden, Cardin, Shaheen & Schumer Press Administration to Provide Taxpayers with Data on How Small Business Relief Funds are Being Distributed
Washington, D.C. - Senate Finance Committee Ranking Member Ron Wyden, D-Ore., Senate Committee on Small Business & Entrepreneurship Ranking Member Ben Cardin, D-Md., U.S Senator Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., a senior member of the Senate Small Business Committee, and Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., today sent a letter to U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) Administrator Jovita Carranza and U.S. Secretary of the Treasury Steven Mnuchin urging the administration officials to … Continue Reading
April 17, 2020
Wyden Presses Navy for Answers About COVID-19 Outbreak & Sailors’ Safety as More Test Positive
Washington, D.C. - With more than 600 USS THEODORE ROOSEVELT sailors testing positive for COVID-19 and outbreaks on four aircraft carriers, U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., today joined a group of 19 senators calling on the Navy to protect its personnel and to answer urgent questions about safety protocols to prevent further spread of the virus among others in its fleet. "[T]he Navy must reconsider its current assumption that servicemembers are at low-risk for serious COVID-19 cases after … Continue Reading
April 17, 2020
Wyden Works to Ensure Minority-Owned Small Businesses Are Not Shut Out From Paycheck Protection Program
Washington, D.C. -- U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden today called on the Small Business Administration (SBA) and Treasury Department to ensure that minority-owned businesses are not shut out of the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). In a letter with 22 Senate colleagues, Wyden also urged the Trump Administration to amend guidance on PPP, to reaffirm lending institutions' obligation to comply with fair lending laws and to require lenders to report on the demographics of any PPP lending. "As we work to … Continue Reading
April 17, 2020
Merkley, Wyden Announce Over $42 Million in Funding for Rural Oregon Transit Options
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Oregon's U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden today announced that the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) will receive nearly $42.7 million in funding to support rural public transportation operations and projects-including coronavirus response efforts-in communities throughout the state. The funding will be allocated through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, which Congress approved last month. "As we continue to battle the … Continue Reading
April 16, 2020
Merkley, Wyden Announce Over $38 Million in Child Care Development Block Grants
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Oregon's U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden today announced that Oregon will receive nearly $38.6 million in Child Care and Development Block Grant funding to help support families' child care needs and child care providers throughout the coronavirus pandemic. The funding, which will be administered by the Department of Health and Human Services, is authorized by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, which Congress approved last … Continue Reading
April 15, 2020
Wyden, Merkley Urge Feds to Support Oregon Request Helping Homeowners During COVID-19
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley today urged the federal Treasury Department to support a request by Oregon officials that could help Oregonians stay in their homes during the COVID-19 crisis. The senators' letter to Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin deals with the successful implementation of Treasury's Hardest Hit Fund (HHF) by Oregon Housing and Community Services (OHCS) after the 2009 financial crisis. Wyden and Merkley noted that the state's Oregon Homeownership … Continue Reading
April 15, 2020
Wyden to Introduce Bill to Make Small, Rural Communities Eligible for Relief Funds
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., today announced he will join U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich, D-N.M., to introduce legislation that would provide $250 billion in stabilization funds geared towards communities with populations under 500,000 that are struggling in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. "Rural communities across Oregon are facing huge health risks and stark economic uncertainty due to COVID-19," Wyden said. "It's critical that these small communities receive the relief … Continue Reading
April 14, 2020
Wyden, Merkley Announce $140 Million in COVID-19 Relief for Oregon Airports
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley today announced that Oregon airports will receive more than $140 million to help them respond to the economic fallout from the coronavirus public health crisis. The funding for airports from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and. Economic Security (CARES) Act allows them to cover operating expenses that arise from sharp air travel declines and other economic losses in the wake of COVID-19. "The economic impact from this global pandemic has … Continue Reading
April 14, 2020
Wyden, Merkley Urge Support in Future COVID-19 Legislation for Victims and Survivors of Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley today joined a bipartisan group of 38 colleagues requesting that any future legislation to address COVID-19 includes support for victims and survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault. The Oregon senators' request comes amid reports from service providers that abusers are using COVID-19 to isolate their victims, withhold financial resources, and refuse medical aid; rape crisis centers are seeing increased need for services; and … Continue Reading
April 14, 2020
Oregon Delegation Demands Trump Administration Provide Data Necessary to Address Health Disparities Amid Coronavirus Crisis
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Oregon's U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden, along with Representatives Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR-1), Earl Blumenauer (D-OR-3), Kurt Schrader (D-OR-5), and Peter DeFazio (D-OR-4), are pushing the Trump administration to monitor and address dangerous health inequities that are disproportionately causing coronavirus-related deaths in minority communities in Oregon and across the country. "We know that communities of color, LGBTQ+ individuals, women, and other currently and … Continue Reading
April 14, 2020
Wyden, Merkley Urge Trump Administration to Distribute COVID-19 Relief Funding Swiftly and Fairly to Tribes
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley today called on the Trump administration to swiftly and fairly distribute COVID-19 relief funding to Tribes, while providing Tribes with the flexibility they need to address this unprecedented pandemic. In a letter to U.S. Department of Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, U.S. Department of Interior Secretary David Bernhardt, and Indian Affairs Assistant Secretary Tara Sweeney, Wyden and Merkley requested that Treasury reject any … Continue Reading
April 13, 2020
Wyden Will Hold On-line Oregon Town Hall on April 17
Washington, D.C. -- U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden today announced he will have a live on-line town hall hosted by Town Hall Project open to all Oregonians beginning at 10:30 AM PT on Friday, April 17. A two-time winner of Town Hall Project's MVP Award, Wyden has held 970 town halls statewide in fulfillment of his pledge to hold at least one town hall each year in each of Oregon's 36 counties. "I always look forward very much to my open-to-all town halls where Oregonians in every part of our state can … Continue Reading
April 13, 2020
Wyden Will Hold On-line Oregon Town Hall on April 17
Washington, D.C. -- U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden today announced he will have a live on-line town hall hosted by Town Hall Project open to all Oregonians beginning at 10:30 AM PT on Friday, April 17. A two-time winner of Town Hall Project's MVP Award, Wyden has held 970 town halls statewide in fulfillment of his pledge to hold at least one town hall each year in each of Oregon's 36 counties. "I always look forward very much to my open-to-all town halls where Oregonians in every part of our state can … Continue Reading
April 13, 2020
Merkley, Wyden, Colleagues Demand Better Distribution of Critical Medical Supplies, Personal Protective Equipment
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Oregon's U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden, along with 45 Democratic colleagues, are raising serious concerns with the Trump administration about its reliance on private companies to distribute desperately needed medical supplies during the coronavirus pandemic, which has created a system that lacks transparency, is inefficient, and could put lives at risk. Health professionals across America and in every corner of Oregon are reporting shortages of critical supplies … Continue Reading
