Press Releases
Wyden, Merkley Urge FDA to Go Further In Combatting Youth Tobacco Use
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley are urging the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to act quickly to implement plans to ban flavored cigars and menthol cigarettes. In a letter sent this week by Wyden, Merkley and 19 other senators to FDA Commissioner Dr. Scott Gottlieb, the lawmakers also ask Gottlieb to follow the FDA's recent efforts to address rising youth e-cigarette use with additional steps. The lawmakers call for ending the marketing of all tobacco products to … Continue Reading
December 06, 2018
Merkley, Wyden, DeFazio Announce Major Federal Grants for Oregon Infrastructure
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Oregon's U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden, along with Congressman Peter DeFazio, today announced that the federal Department of Transportation is awarding two major grants to Oregon ports. The Better Utilizing Investments to Leverage Development (BUILD) grants will go to the Port of Morrow and the Port of Coos Bay. The Port of Morrow in Boardman, OR, will receive $19.4 million, while the Port of Coos Bay will receive $20 million, both for rail investments. "This is … Continue Reading
December 05, 2018
Wyden Calls on Senate Colleagues to Oppose FERC Nominee
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., today on the Senate floor urged his colleagues to oppose the nomination of Bernard L. McNamee to be a Member of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (the FERC or the Commission). Video of the floor speech is available here. In his speech, Wyden expressed serious concerns over McNamee's role in developing the U.S. Department of Energy policy that would have reached into American household budgets to pad the pockets of coal and nuclear … Continue Reading
December 05, 2018
Wyden Presses Justice Department on Whitaker, Benczkowski Conflicts of Interest
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden is asking the Department of Justice to detail its handling of the serious financial, professional, and political conflicts of interest of Acting Attorney General Matthew Whitaker and Assistant Attorney General for the Criminal Division, Brian Benczkowski. In a letter this week signed by 10 other senators, Wyden noted that the two officials' activities before arriving at the Justice Department present ethical concerns that agency ethics officials have … Continue Reading
December 03, 2018
Wyden, Merkley Demand Trump Revoke Illegal Proclamation Targeting Asylum Seekers
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley joined their colleagues in calling on Donald Trump to immediately revoke an illegal Presidential Proclamation that would drastically limit the ability of refugees to claim asylum. U.S. District Judge Jon Tigar recently granted a temporary restraining order blocking implementation of the Proclamation, which directly contradicts existing statute. "There is overwhelming evidence that this Proclamation is plainly illegal. Our immigration … Continue Reading
November 30, 2018
Wyden Calls for Assistance for Winegrape Growers Threatened by Wildfire Smoke Related Losses
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., today urged colleagues to provide additional federal assistance for winegrape growers facing serious losses from wildfire smoke damage. In a letter to Senate Appropriations Committee leadership, Wyden requested that any year-end funding bill include an extension of the Wildfires and Hurricanes Indemnity Program to provide a measure of compensation for winegrape growers and other producers affected by natural disasters. Wyden also requested … Continue Reading
November 28, 2018
Congress Sends Wyden, Merkley Earthquake Resilience Act to President’s Desk
Washington, D.C. - The House of Representatives has passed a bipartisan bill co-sponsored by Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley to improve earthquake preparedness in Oregon and nationwide. The National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program Reauthorization Act modernizes earthquake-safety programs that help states prepare for and respond to earthquakes. "Being as prepared as we can be for natural disasters is the name of the game. When the West Coast is struck by a large earthquake it is … Continue Reading
November 28, 2018
Wyden, Crapo Lead Bipartisan call to Reauthorize Secure Rural Schools Funding in Year-end Legislation
WASHINGTON - Citing the importance of the Secure Rural Schools (SRS) program, Oregon Senator Ron Wyden and Idaho Senator Mike Crapo today led a bipartisan call with 23 of their Senate colleagues calling for a one-year reauthorization of the program in any year-end funding measures. "Over the last nearly two decades, SRS has been a critical lifeline for over 775 counties in over 40 states across the country by helping fund more than 4,400 schools, road maintenance, law enforcement, and search … Continue Reading
November 27, 2018
Wyden, Heinrich, Reed Introduce Bill Requiring Public Report on Khashoggi Murder by Saudi Arabia
Washington, D.C. -Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., Sen. Martin Heinrich, D-N.M., and Sen. Jack Reed, D-R.I., introduced legislation today requiring a public report on the killing of Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi, following Donald Trump's announcement that his administration will not respond to Khashoggi's killing by Saudi officials. "Bowing to the Saudi government over the murder of a Washington Post columnist is unacceptable for any American president, let alone one who claims to put … Continue Reading
November 20, 2018
Wyden Statement In Response to Khashoggi Announcement
Washington, D.C. -Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., released the following statement in response to Donald Trump's announcement today giving Saudi Arabia a pass for the murder of Jamal Khashoggi: "Donald Trump's statement makes clear that he does not care who ordered the brutal murder of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi. "Putting America first does not include subservience to the leaders of an authoritarian and murderous monarchy. Under Donald Trump's reasoning, there is no atrocity Saudi … Continue Reading
November 19, 2018
Wyden, Crapo, Merkley, Risch Urge Re-authorization of Rural Resource Advisory Committees
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Sens. Ron Wyden (D-OR), Mike Crapo (R-ID), Jeff Merkley (D-OR) and James Risch (R-ID) today urged federal officials to reauthorize citizen committees that provide key advice for important natural resources work in national forests. The senators' bipartisan letter to Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue seeks prompt reauthorization of the national Resource Advisory Committee (RAC) charter under the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act … Continue Reading
November 19, 2018
Wyden Says Radioactive Waste Changes Need More Public Input
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden today asked the federal Department of Energy (DOE) to extend the public comment period about its proposed new definition of high-level radioactive waste. Wyden said in a letter to DOE that its 60-day public comment period starting Oct. 10 is far too short given the magnitude of the proposed changes. "You recently received a request by more than six dozen organizations from across the country requesting that you extend the comment period in this … Continue Reading
November 16, 2018
Wyden, Merkley Press Private Prison Companies on Compliance with Federal Immigration Detention Standards
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley today asked the country's two largest private immigration detention contractors for information about their compliance with federal immigration detention standards. The letters from Wyden, Merkley and nine other senators to contractors GEO Group and CoreCivic follows a troubling report by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Office of the Inspector General (OIG) about unsafe conditions and mistreatment of immigrants at a number of … Continue Reading
November 16, 2018
Wyden, Crapo Introduce Secure Rural Schools Extension Bill
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Sens. Ron Wyden and Mike Crapo today introduced bipartisan legislation to extend the Secure Rural Schools program by one year, through Fiscal Year 2019. The Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act (SRS) was first introduced in 2000 to assist counties containing tracts of federally-owned land that is tax-exempt. Critical services at the county level have historically been funded in part with a 25 percent share of timber receipts from federal Forest … Continue Reading
November 15, 2018
Wyden, Welch Introduce Legislation to Improve Child Nutrition
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., and U.S. Representative Peter Welch, D-Vt., today introduced the Local School Foods Expansion Act, legislation to improve child nutrition by expanding access to locally-grown, unprocessed fruits and vegetables for school meal programs. "No child should be hungry in school-it's devastating to their health and ability to learn. This bill will help address hunger and improve child nutrition in communities across America, all while supporting … Continue Reading
November 15, 2018
Wyden Opposes FERC Nominee Who Wants to Bailout Coal & Nuclear Corporations at the Expense of Everyday Americans
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., today announced that he will oppose the nomination of Bernard L. McNamee to be a Member of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (the FERC or the Commission). Wyden released the following statement: "It is clear that Mr. McNamee played a pivotal role in developing the U.S. Department of Energy policy that would have reached into American household budgets to pad the pockets of coal and nuclear corporations-a policy so outrageous that it … Continue Reading
November 15, 2018
Wyden, Markey, Blumenthal Query Mobile Carriers About Throttling Practices
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Sens. Ron Wyden, Edward J. Markey and Richard Blumenthal today sent letters to AT&T, Verizon, Sprint, and T-Mobile after a recent study revealed the companies were slowing down certain services on their networks. A study using data collected from an app called "Wehe" showed that each mobile carrier has been throttling at least one video streaming service. The research indicated that Netflix, YouTube, Amazon Prime, and NBC Sports have all been subject to … Continue Reading
November 15, 2018
Wyden, Merkley, DeFazio, Huffman Again Urge for Immediate Chetco River Protections
Washington, D.C. - Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley and Reps. Peter DeFazio and Jared Huffman today strongly urged federal officials to extend interim mineral withdrawal protections, which expired earlier this year, for the iconic Chetco River in southwest Oregon. In a letter to Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke and Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue, the lawmakers wrote: "Given the unique and valuable resource values of the Chetco River, the immediate and serious threat they face, and the … Continue Reading
November 14, 2018
Wyden, Merkley & DeFazio Announce Additional Protections for Lifesaving Coast Guard Facility in Newport
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley and U.S. Rep. Peter DeFazio today announced Senate passage of additional protections for the lifesaving Coast Guard air facility in Newport, Oregon that were included in the Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2018. "This facility is critical to the Coast Guard's search-and-rescue operations. It can make the difference between life and death both for central Oregon Coast residents and visitors to our state's beaches," said Wyden. "Today's … Continue Reading
November 14, 2018
Wyden, Harris Introduce Legislation to Improve Resettlement Process for Unaccompanied Children, Protect Sponsors
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Sens. Ron Wyden and Kamala D. Harris today introduced legislation that would provide for the safety and welfare of unaccompanied children. The Families Not Facilities Act would prohibit U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) from using information gathered in resettling unaccompanied immigrant children to take civil enforcement actions against individuals in the homes of prospective sponsors, while shifting ICE enforcement funds to the needs of at-risk … Continue Reading
