Press Releases
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
June 12, 2019
Senators Introduce Legislation to Encourage Innovation, Boost Next-Generation Hydro Power
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Sens. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., Angus King, I-Maine, Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii, and Jack Reed, D-R.I., today reintroduced legislation to increase domestic production of low-carbon, renewable energy from the natural power in ocean waves, tides and currents. The Marine Energy Research and Development Act provides federal resources to encourage private investments in renewable energy projects that use the power in oceans to produce electricity. "Americans … Continue Reading
June 12, 2019
Merkley, Wyden Introduce Major Package of Bills to Help Communities Harmed by Wildfire Smoke
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Oregon's U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden today introduced four bills to help the public, businesses and agricultural operations combat the effects of wildfire smoke, and recover from the damage it causes: the Smoke-Ready Communities Act, the Wildfire Smoke Emergency Declaration Act, the Farmworker Smoke Protection Act, and the Smoke Planning and Research Act. "Last August in the Rogue Valley, I looked up at a sun that was neon pink through the thick haze of smoke … Continue Reading
June 12, 2019
Wyden, Klobuchar Question FBI Response to Hack of Florida Election Software Company
Washington, D.C. - Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., a senior member of the Senate Intelligence Committee, and Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., ranking member of the Senate Rules Committee, today asked the FBI to explain its response to the potential Russian hack of VR Systems, a Florida-based election software company. Wyden and Klobuchar pressed the FBI to explain what steps it took to investigate a potential hack of VR Systems. The company provides election software, including electronic poll … Continue Reading
June 12, 2019
Merkley, Wyden Announce $5.6 Million Investment in Lake County Railroad
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Oregon's U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden today announced a $5.6 million investment in railroad safety and rehabilitation in Lake County. "This is the kind of significant investment our country needs to be making in infrastructure," Merkley said. "This grant will make railroad crossings safer and improve service reliability-creating jobs and economic opportunity for the entire Lake County region. As I've traveled around the state, I've seen firsthand the need for … Continue Reading
June 11, 2019
Wyden Statement on Senate Floor on Net Neutrality
Mr. President, today I'm joining my colleague Senator Markey on the floor to continue the fight for a free and open internet - what's known as net neutrality. Exactly one year ago, the repeal of net neutrality orchestrated by Ajit Pai and the Trump FCC went into effect. Let me explain what this is all about. Net neutrality -- the free and open internet -- says that once you have access to the internet, you get to go where you want, when you want and how you want. That's the basic principle … Continue Reading
June 10, 2019
Wyden, Merkley Introduce Bill Directing Trump Administration to Meet Paris Climate Agreement Standards
Washington, D.C. - Oregon's U.S. Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley have introduced legislation with a group of 44 senators, directing the Trump administration to meet the standards established by the historic Paris Climate Agreement. The legislation - the International Climate Accountability Act - would prevent the president from using funds to withdraw from the Paris Climate Accord. Instead, the bill directs the Trump administration to develop a strategic plan for the country to meet its … Continue Reading
June 07, 2019
Merkley, Wyden Join Colleagues in Calling on Trump Administration to Protect Consumers from Abusive Debt Collection Tactics
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Oregon's U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden have joined 24 colleagues in calling on Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) Director Kathy Kraninger to reverse a proposed rule that would, for the first time, allow debt collection companies to send unlimited texts and e-mails to consumers. Just last year, often abusive and threatening debt collection tactics led to some 82,000 consumer complaints to the CFPB and nearly 458,000 to the Federal Trade Commission. "By … Continue Reading
June 06, 2019
Merkley, Wyden Introduce Legislation to Help Communities Protect Coastal Shorelines
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Oregon's U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden have joined colleagues to introduce the Living Shorelines Act, legislation that would create a new grant program for nature-based shoreline protection projects known as living shorelines. As sea-level rise and coastal storms continue to threaten thousands of coastal communities and economies, investing in living shorelines can help reduce risk from floods and storms and increase the resiliency of Oregon's coast. "Coastal … Continue Reading
June 06, 2019
Wyden Reintroduces Legislation to Bolster Renewable Energy Development, Protect Power Grid from Natural Disasters
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., has reintroduced three pieces of legislation that would make renewable energy more reliable and affordable for consumers by providing federal funding to states to update the power grid and encouraging research and development of new technologies. All three bills also include a provision that protects the privacy of Americans' electric usage information from warrantless government surveillance. "Climate change is not some distant threat in the … Continue Reading
June 06, 2019
Merkley, Wyden, Bipartisan Senate Colleagues Team Up to Protect Civilian Conservation Corps from Closure
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Oregon's U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden are teaming up with a bipartisan group of Senate colleagues to protect the country's Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) centers from closure, introducing bipartisan legislation to prevent the removal of funds from these critical programs. CCC centers in Oregon provide job training to youth and young adults and provide critical wildfire prevention and response services. The U.S. Forest Service (USFS) employees 126 people at … Continue Reading
June 05, 2019
Wyden, Merkley, DeFazio Announce Improved Security for Eugene Airport
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley and U.S. Rep. Peter DeFazio today announced that Eugene Airport has been approved for a fourth explosives detection system (EDS) machine. The three Oregon lawmakers had written the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) in April in support of the airport's request for a fourth EDS machine, noting that eight straight years of passenger growth required the additional machine for airport security and efficiency. With the World Track … Continue Reading
June 04, 2019
Oregon Delegation Announces Millions of Dollars for Improvements at Oregon Airports
PORTLAND, OR - Oregon's U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden, and U.S. Congressmen Earl Blumenauer, Peter DeFazio and Greg Walden, today announced more than $16.2 million in grant funding for taxiway improvements at airports in Oregon. "Oregon's airports connect our state to economic opportunity-not to mention wildfire fighting resources, health care, and more," Merkley said. "This significant investment in airport taxiways will improve both safety and access for Oregon's airports, and I … Continue Reading
