Press Releases
Wyden, Merkley Announce Funds for Sagebrush Program
Washington, D.C. - Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley today announced restored funding for a program that puts inmates to work producing sagebrush plants that help restore sage grouse habitat after wildfires. The announcement by the Oregon senators of $600,000 in funding for the Sagebrush in Prisons Project follows their requests for the Interior Department to support the longstanding, successful program. "This program consistently demonstrates multiple benefits -- restoring fragile sagebrush … Continue Reading
September 27, 2018
Wyden, Merkley Announce Oregon Coastal Fisheries Receive Federal Disaster Aid Declaration
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley today announced that federal officials have determined the Klamath River fall Chinook salmon fisheries in Oregon and California qualified as disasters in the 2016 and 2017 seasons. The Oregon senators noted that the disaster determination by the Commerce Department is a significant development because it opens up the opportunity for federal disaster aid from the National Marine Fisheries Service in the 2018 omnibus spending bill that … Continue Reading
September 26, 2018
Wyden, Cornyn Introduce Bill to Help Human Trafficking Survivors
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Sens. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) and John Cornyn (R-TX) today introduced a bill that would exempt civil damages, restitution, and other monetary awards given to human trafficking survivors from federal income taxes. The bipartisan Human Trafficking Survivor Tax Relief Act of 2018 would fix a provision in the Internal Revenue Code that considers civil damages awarded to human trafficking victims as taxable income. Wyden said survivors should be able to file their taxes without … Continue Reading
September 25, 2018
Congress Clears Wyden Bill to Help Oregonians Get Lower Drug Prices at the Pharmacy Counter
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., today applauded congressional passage of a bill that cracks down on pharmacy benefit manager (PBM) practices restricting consumers' ability to get the lowest possible price on their prescriptions. The bill, called the "Know the Lowest Price Act," cleared the House of Representatives and now goes to the president's desk for signature. "I'm glad Oregonians will be able to find out if they can get a better deal on their prescriptions," Wyden … Continue Reading
September 25, 2018
Wyden Co-sponsors Student Mental Health Bills
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden today announced he is co-sponsoring legislation that would provide more mental health screening and services for students in Oregon and nationwide. Wyden said the bill would authorize $200 million for a federal Health and Human Services program to give much-needed support to state and local education agencies working to bolster mental health for students. "Providing help in schools for students facing undiagnosed mental health challenges is a must to … Continue Reading
September 25, 2018
Wyden Targets “Dark Money” in New Legislation
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden today introduced legislation that would overturn the U.S. Treasury Department's controversial new decision that allows "dark money" groups to hide the identities of their major donors from law enforcement officials. Wyden and Sen. Jon Tester (D-Mont.) introduced a Congressional Review Act resolution, an expedited legislative tool that can force a Senate vote on the issue. "This measure reverses course on an undemocratic Trump agenda to empower shadowy … Continue Reading
September 19, 2018
Wyden, Merkley Announce $7 Million for Oregon Community Health Centers
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley today announced that 25 community health centers throughout Oregon will get more than $7 million in federal resources to expand access to treatment for substance use and mental health treatment. "Oregonians battling substance use and mental health challenges need access to quality care throughout our state," Wyden said. "This federal support provides essential help for Oregon clinics to bolster that care for patients and provide their … Continue Reading
September 19, 2018
Merkley, Wyden Announce Investments in Health Care, Education in Spending Bill
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Oregon's U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden today announced key provisions in education and health care in the Labor, Health and Human Services and Education bill that will help Oregon communities. The bill passed the full Senate on Tuesday and is expected to pass the U.S. House of Representatives next week. "This bill provides important support for Oregonians' priorities, including women's health, career training, and Community Development Block Grants for rural … Continue Reading
September 19, 2018
Wyden Urges Hops Protections Stay in Farm Bill
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden today asked key congressional leaders to maintain provisions in the Farm Bill that support key protections against diseases threatening hops production in Oregon and nationwide. Wyden and three other senators wrote leaders of the Senate and House Agriculture committees that their request comes as the U.S. hops industry faces the costly problem of crop diseases like powdery mildew and downy mildew. "This threat means the signature hop used in a very … Continue Reading
September 18, 2018
Wyden Applauds Senate Passage of Legislation to Address Opioid Crisis
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., today applauded Senate passage of a package of 70 bipartisan bills to tackle the nation's growing opioid crisis, including bills Wyden led through the Senate Finance Committee, where he is the ranking Democrat. "As the opioid epidemic continues to reach further into the hearts of communities and families in Oregon and across the country, this legislation represents an important step towards alleviating the devastation left behind by this … Continue Reading
September 18, 2018
Wyden, Merkley Seek Bilingual Wildfire Training Manuals
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley today urged federal officials to publish training materials in Spanish as well as English for wildfire crews battling dangerous blazes in Oregon and the West. The letter from Wyden and Merkley as well as California Senators Dianne Feinstein and Kamala Harris follows a disturbing report that the National Wildfire Coordinating Group no longer publishes training materials in Spanish for wildland fire crews risking their lives in steep and … Continue Reading
September 14, 2018
Wyden, Merkley Condemn DeVos Proposal to End Student Protections from Predatory Career Training Programs
Washington, D.C. - Oregon's U.S. Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley urged Secretary Betsy DeVos to reverse her decision to rescind student protections from predatory career training programs. "The Department's proposal will weaken higher education accountability at a time when more and more students are taking out substantial levels of student debt but are unable to find good-paying jobs to pay back their loans," the senators wrote in a letter this week. "Career training programs that cannot … Continue Reading
September 14, 2018
Wyden Raises Concerns over ICE Plans to Reopen Closed Deportation Cases
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden expressed concerns about reports that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) intends to re-open 350,000 deportation cases that are currently closed, in a letter with 17 other senators released today. "In the past, immigration judges and the BIA have used administrative closure for a number of reasons," the senators wrote in their letter to Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen. "Administrative closure helped overburdened immigration judges … Continue Reading
September 14, 2018
Wyden, Merkley Announce More Than $2.7 Million for Oregon airports
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley today announced more than $2.7 million in federal transportation grants for Oregon airports in Lakeview, Florence, The Dalles, Albany, Astoria, Corvallis, Independence, McMinnville, Salem, Mulino and Scappoose. "Infrastructure investment, like these grants, is essential for secure and reliable Oregon airports throughout our state," Wyden said. "These transportation resources help to maintain quality of life for Oregonians living and … Continue Reading
September 14, 2018
Wyden, Merkley Announce More than $2 Million to Help Homeless Veterans
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley today announced that housing authorities in Multnomah, Washington, Clackamas and Marion counties will receive more than $2 million to provide homeless veterans with rental assistance. The 249 Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing (VASH) vouchers from the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) enable homeless veterans in the four counties to get access to affordable housing as well as to supportive services from the Department … Continue Reading
September 13, 2018
Merkley, Wyden Announce Key Funding for Oregon’s Coastal Communities, Renewable Energy
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Oregon's U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley, who serves on the Senate Appropriations Committee, and Ron Wyden today announced key provisions in the Energy and Water 2019 spending bill that will help Oregon's coastal communities and will advance innovation in clean, renewable energy. The bill passed the full Senate on Wednesday. "Fighting for Oregon's priorities is my top responsibility as a member of the Appropriations Committee," Merkley said. "From preventing the sale of … Continue Reading
September 12, 2018
Wyden Presses Verizon on its Wildfire Communications Policy
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden today asked Verizon to explain why it endangered communities threatened by wildfires and first responders by recently throttling the data speeds of firefighters' communications. Wyden's letter to Verizon comes in the wake of troubling reports that Verizon slowed - or "throttled" -- the data speeds on fire officials' unlimited Verizon plans while they were battling one of the biggest blazes devastating the West. "Even more alarming was that at one point … Continue Reading
September 12, 2018
Merkley, Wyden Announce Provisions to Help Klamath Basin Farmers and Ranchers
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Oregon's U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden today announced that the Water Resources Development Act includes drought relief language to assist Klamath Basin farmers and ranchers, who have been hard-hit by drought in recent years. This language is essential for the irrigators to effectively use $10 million in drought relief funds that Merkley, Wyden and Congressman Greg Walden secured in 2018. "Klamath Basin irrigators have been working collaboratively with the many … Continue Reading
September 12, 2018
Merkley, Wyden Announce Nearly $6 Million to Support Oregon Airports
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Oregon's U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden today announced more than $5.8 million in U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) grants to fund repairs, upgrades and more at airports across Oregon. "These grants provide much-needed support to rural airports across the state," said Merkley, who serves on the Senate Appropriations Committee. "That is why I fought to adequately fund transportation, and I will continue to push for the infrastructure funding our communities … Continue Reading
September 12, 2018
Bipartisan Senators Voice Concern over State Department Cybersecurity
Washington, D.C. - Sens. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., Cory Gardner, R-Colo., Ed Markey, D-Mass., Rand Paul, R-Ky., and Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., today called on the State Department to adopt basic cybersecurity measures to protect against phishing, hacks and other cyberattacks, in a letter released today. Following multiple reports from outside auditors highlighting the department's failure to adopt measures like multifactor authentication and regular security audits which are mandated by the … Continue Reading
