Press Releases
Wyden Votes No on Defense Authorization Bill
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., today released the following statement, after voting ‘no’ on the National Defense Authorization Act:“While there were provisions of this defense policy bill I supported—like a pay raise for our men and women in uniform and provisions to improve cybersecurity and protect whistleblowers in the intelligence community—I simply could not rubberstamp a bill to authorize more than $700 billion in military spending, which is precisely what the … Continue Reading
June 27, 2019
Wyden, Blumenauer Introduce Legislation to Protect State Cannabis Programs from Federal Interference, Allow for Interstate Commerce
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden and U.S. Rep. Earl Blumenauer today introduced the State Cannabis Commerce Act to permanently protect all state cannabis programs from federal interference and allow for interstate cannabis commerce between states like Oregon with legal cannabis programs. Since 2014, federal law has prohibited the Department of Justice (DOJ) from using taxpayer funds to prevent states from implementing their own state laws that authorize the use, distribution, possession … Continue Reading
June 27, 2019
Wyden Statement on Supreme Court’s Pro-Gerrymandering Ruling
Washington, D.C.- U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., today issued the following statement on the Supreme Court's pro-gerrymandering ruling in Rucho v. Common Cause: "Today the Roberts Court continued its unremitting bloodletting of American democracy. The precedent set in Rucho is appalling: If you don't support Republicans in power, they can effectively take away your vote. This court has demonstrated once again that it will not protect fundamental constitutional principles or the very idea of … Continue Reading
June 26, 2019
Wyden Statement on Border Supplemental Votes
Washington, D.C.- U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., today released the following statement after voting against the Senate version of legislation providing additional funding to the Trump administration for activities at the southern border: "The Trump administration is committing human rights abuses at our border against families and children fleeing to the United States for safety, greeting them with terror and jail cells. "Congress has a responsibility to ensure the safety and well-being of … Continue Reading
June 26, 2019
Wyden, Merkley Introduce Wildfire Smoke Relief Act
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley today introduced legislation that would provide federal emergency assistance to at-risk individuals in Oregon and nationwide suffering from unhealthy air quality caused by wildfire smoke. The Oregon senators said their Wildfire Smoke Relief Act of 2019 would help people most vulnerable to the health damages from wildfire smoke -- children, elderly people, pregnant women, low-income families that may lack filtration protections at home, … Continue Reading
June 26, 2019
Wyden Introduces Bill to Expand Disaster Relief to Fisheries Harmed by Tariffs
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., and U.S. Rep. Seth Moulton, D-Mass., today introduced legislation to expand disaster relief to fisheries harmed by tariffs. Currently, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association (NOAA) guidelines used to identify the causes of fishery disasters does not explicitly include tariffs. Wyden's bill would amend the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Act to require NOAA to evaluate the impacts of duties imposed on American seafood, ensuring the Department … Continue Reading
June 26, 2019
Senators Wyden and Markey Lead Colleagues in New Legislation to Protect Rail Safety
Washington (June 26, 2019) - Senators Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) and Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) today introduced the Safe Freight Act, legislation that would promote rail safety by mandating at least two-person crews on all freight trains in the United States. The bill is designed to correct the Federal Railroad Administration's recent rollback of a proposed rule that would have established these necessary safety standards. The Safe Freight Act will specifically require that all freight trains have … Continue Reading
June 25, 2019
Wyden, Ernst, Bishop, Dingell Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Improve Access to Outdoor Recreation Opportunities
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Sens. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., and Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, Ranking Member of the House Natural Resources Committee Rob Bishop, R-Utah, and Rep. Debbie Dingell, D-Mich., today reintroduced legislation in the Senate and House to remove barriers to outdoor recreation and boost rural economies across the country. Their bipartisan Recreation Not Red Tape (RNR) Act would promote access to outdoor recreation opportunities and allow more visitors to get outdoors. The RNR Act would … Continue Reading
June 25, 2019
Wyden Presses FDA to End the Uncertainty, Promptly Update Regulations on CBD, Other Hemp-based Derivatives
Washington, D.C.- U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., today urged the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to promptly issue guidance that ensures the regulatory pathway Congress intended for the lawful use of hemp-derived cannabidiol (CBD) as a food additive and as a dietary ingredient in dietary supplements. In a letter to Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Alex Azar and FDA Acting Commissioner Ned Sharpless, Wyden urged the FDA to issue its formal enforcement discretion policy … Continue Reading
June 25, 2019
Merkley, Wyden Announce Nearly $7.2 Million Investment in Oregon Airports
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Oregon's U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden today announced nearly $7.2 million in federal grants that will help Oregon airports fund critical rehabilitation, reconstruction, and installation projects. "Oregon's airports connect our state to economic opportunity and vital resources," Merkley said. "This investment in our airport infrastructure will improve safety for Oregon's airports, and I will continue to use my seat on the Senate Appropriations Committee to fight … Continue Reading
June 25, 2019
Wyden, Merkley Join Senators to Press FDA for Stronger Response to Teen Tobacco Use
Washington, D.C. - Oregon's U.S. Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley are urging the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to recognize the tenth anniversary of the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act with action that protects children from dangerous new tobacco products. In the letter addressed to Dr. Norman E. Sharpless, Acting FDA Commissioner, the senators urge the FDA to act quickly and do more to protect children from dangerous tobacco products, citing alarming statistics in a … Continue Reading
June 24, 2019
Wyden: If the Intelligence Community Won’t Release Report on Murder of U.S.-Based Journalist, Congress Must Release It
Washington, D.C.-If the Intelligence Community refuses to publicly release information about which Saudi officials are responsible for ordering the murder of Jamal Khashoggi, Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., today vowed to invoke a special Senate procedure to force the release of that information. In a speech on the Senate floor, Wyden, a senior member of the Senate Intelligence Committee, warned that the administration's inaction in response to the murder of a U.S.-based journalist puts reporters … Continue Reading
June 21, 2019
Wyden, Cortez Masto Introduce Geothermal Energy Opportunities Act
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Sens. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) and Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) this week introduced legislation that would promote the growth of geothermal energy. Wyden and Cortez Masto said their Geothermal Energy Opportunities (GEO) Act would develop stronger public-private geothermal partnerships, reduce barriers to leasing public land for geothermal energy use where certain energy extraction activities are already permitted, and promote the direct development and deployment of … Continue Reading
June 21, 2019
Wyden Joins Colleagues in Introducing Legislation to Guarantee Dreamers Access to Home Loans
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., this week joined 11 of his colleagues in introducing a bill to guarantee Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipients access to federally-backed home loans. The Homeownership for Dreamers Act clarifies DACA beneficiaries - also known as Dreamers - cannot be denied federally-backed mortgage loans solely because of their immigration status. "To deny individuals the opportunity to own a home based on their immigration status alone … Continue Reading
June 20, 2019
Wyden Acts to Protect Elections from Foreign Interference
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden today co-sponsored legislation that would help protect U.S. elections from foreign interference by requiring candidates, campaign officials and their family members to notify law enforcement if offered illegal assistance by a foreign national. "It shouldn't take a law for candidates to know they need to tell the FBI when foreigners try to illegally influence our elections," Wyden said. "But now that this administration has thrown every commonsense … Continue Reading
June 18, 2019
Senators Call on DOJ and DHS to Stop Implementation of Guidance Denying Citizenship Over Cannabis-related Activities
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., today led nine of his Senate colleagues in calling on the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) and U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to prevent implementation of United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) guidance considering cannabis-related activities as a factor for the "good moral character" standard required for citizenship-even in cases where there is no violation of state law. Wyden, along with U.S. Sens. Elizabeth … Continue Reading
June 18, 2019
Wyden, Merkley, DeFazio, Walden Seek Federal Disaster Help for Six Oregon Counties
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley and U.S. Reps. Peter DeFazio and Greg Walden today sought federal disaster assistance for spring storms that hit Curry, Douglas, Grant, Linn, Umatilla and Wheeler counties over a two-week stretch in April. The bipartisan letter from the Oregon lawmakers to the White House comes in support of Gov. Kate Brown's request for a presidential major disaster declaration for those counties' losses from heavy rain, snow melt, flooding, landslides … Continue Reading
June 18, 2019
Wyden, Merkley, Schrader Announce Federal Grant for Port of Toledo
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley and U.S. Rep. Kurt Schrader today announced that the Port of Toledo has earned a federal grant of $261,285 for its Shipyard Vocational Training Lab. The three Oregon lawmakers said the Transportation Department resources for the port's training lab are critical to maritime professional development and ensuring Oregon's fishery fleet has access to quality shipyard facilities nearby both for routine boat maintenance as well as more … Continue Reading
June 13, 2019
Wyden Presses Forest Service on Misguided Policy Change, Backlog of Wildfire Prevention Projects in Oregon
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., today raised serious concerns about a new U.S. Forest Service proposal to gut environmental rules for forest management projects at a time when there's a serious backlog of wildfire prevention work. At a U.S. Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources hearing Wyden questioned Forest Service Director of Fire Aviation and Management Shawna Legarza on the agency's decision. A senior member of the Committee, Wyden noted that the changes will … Continue Reading
June 13, 2019
Wyden, Merkley Urge Feds to Reconsider New Housing Rules
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley this week urged federal officials to reconsider a newly proposed public housing rule that could worsen homelessness and force some families of mixed citizenship status to separate. The Oregon senators' letter to Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Ben Carson comes in response to a rule proposed last month by the department that would prohibit families in which at least one member is undocumented from subsidized housing. … Continue Reading
