Press Releases
Wyden Joins Colleagues in Introducing Legislation to Give American Workers Time Off to Vote
WASHINGTON, DC - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden said today he has joined 11 Senate colleagues in introducing legislation that would require employers—upon the employee’s request—to provide at least two consecutive hours of paid leave in order to participate in federal elections. Under the Time Off to Vote Act, this allotted time could be used to vote at a polling place, return a mail-in ballot, or take time for “other voting-related activities,” such as making technical corrections to a mail-in … Continue Reading
March 13, 2024
Wins for Water: Merkley and Wyden Announce Boost in Water Conservation, Small Ports, and Renewable Energy in 2024 Funding Package
Washington, D.C. - Oregon’s U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden today announced major investments to enhance water infrastructure and conservation and supercharge renewable energy projects in Oregon—including over $12.5 million in funding for 8 critical community-initiated projects across the state—have passed through the fiscal year 2024 (FY24) minibus funding package. This six-bill package cleared both chambers of Congress last week and was quickly signed into law by President … Continue Reading
March 13, 2024
Wyden Urges NCSC to Warn Public About Backdoor Codes to Commercial Locks and Safes
Washington, D.C. - Oregon Senator Ron Wyden today urged National Counterintelligence and Security Center Director Michael Casey to alert the public to the possibility that the Chinese government may possess backdoor codes to electronic locks made in China, by updating public educational materials to recommend that businesses upgrade their safe locks to meet U.S. government security standards. It is a common, albeit not widely known industry practice for manufacturers of locks used by … Continue Reading
March 13, 2024
Merkley, Wyden Announce $31 million Investment for Oregon Air National Guard Facilities in Portland Secured in 2024 Funding Package
Washington, D.C. - Oregon’s U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden today announced two critical community-initiated projects totaling $31 million for the Oregon Air National Guard in Portland have passed through the fiscal year 2024 (FY24) minibus funding package. This six-bill package cleared both chambers of Congress last week and was quickly signed into law by President Biden. The investments are part of the FY24 Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies funding bill … Continue Reading
March 12, 2024
Wyden, Merkley, Hoyle Press Feds to Extend Comment Period for Wind Energy off Oregon Coast
Washington, DC -- U.S. Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley along with U.S. Rep. Val Hoyle today asked federal officials to extend the initial comment period for the development of environmental assessment of leasing activities in the Coos Bay Wind Energy Area and the Brookings Wind Energy Area off the south Oregon Coast. The three Oregon lawmakers wrote in their letter to the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) that the potential impacts from the two wind energy areas warrant additional … Continue Reading
March 12, 2024
Merkley, Wyden & Hoyle Announce $165,252 to Southern Coos Hospital & Health for Telemedicine in Coos County
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Oregon’s U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden and U.S. Representative Val Hoyle (OR-04) today announced Southern Coos Hospital & Health Center was awarded a federal grant of $165,252 to deliver health care services via telemedicine, directly benefiting 3,066 patients on Oregon’s rural South Coast. “Rural communities deserve access to affordable, easy-to-get health care,” Merkley said. “Telemedicine is essential for delivering care to patients across Oregon, and … Continue Reading
March 12, 2024
Farms, Food, and Fiber: Merkley and Wyden Announce Big Investments for Oregon Agriculture and Rural Communities in 2024 Funding Package
Washington, D.C. - Oregon’s U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden today announced major investments in Oregon agriculture, rural housing, food assistance, and rural business priorities—along with nearly $12.7 million in funding for 14 Oregon community-initiated projects—have passed through the fiscal year 2024 (FY24) minibus funding package. This six-bill package cleared both chambers of Congress last week and was quickly signed into law by President Biden. Successfully pushing back … Continue Reading
March 12, 2024
Merkley, Wyden Announce Oregon Projects Promoting Economic Development and Community Safety Pass in 2024 Funding Package
Washington, D.C. - Oregon’s U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden today announced major economic development and community safety improvement investments for Oregon—including over $16 million in funding for 15 critical community-initiated projects across the state—have passed through the fiscal year 2024 (FY24) minibus funding package. This six-bill package cleared both chambers of Congress last week and was quickly signed into law by President Biden. Successfully pushing back against the … Continue Reading
March 11, 2024
Merkley and Wyden Announce Passage of Critical Affordable Housing, Transportation Infrastructure Investments for Oregon in 2024 Funding Package
Washington, D.C. - Oregon’s U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden today announced major investments to expand affordable, rural, and veterans housing options and boost transportation infrastructure—including over $75 million in funding for 44 critical community-initiated projects across the state—have passed through the fiscal year 2024 (FY24) minibus funding package. This six-bill package cleared both chambers of Congress last week and was quickly signed into law by President … Continue Reading
March 11, 2024
Merkley, Wyden Strengthen Oregon’s Wildfire Resiliency, Water Infrastructure, and Climate Action in Passage of 2024 Funding Package
Washington, D.C. - Oregon’s U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden today announced they secured major investments to strengthen forest health and wildfire resiliency, protect public lands and the environment, secure important programs for Tribes, and support critical projects for communities across the state through the fiscal year 2024 (FY24) minibus funding package. This six-bill package cleared both chambers of Congress and was signed into law by President Biden. Merkley, as Chair of the … Continue Reading
March 08, 2024
Wyden Statement on the United Health Group Hack
Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., today issued the following statement on the hack of United Health Group: "A hack of this magnitude is inexcusable and every American who is impacted has a right to be outraged. It is completely unacceptable that neither United Health Group, nor federal agencies were prepared for the fallout despite years of evidence that the health care sector is a prime target for criminal hackers." "There’s no shortage of blame to go around. United Health … Continue Reading
March 08, 2024
Blumenauer, Wyden, Merkley Announce Nearly Half a Billion for Albina Vision Infrastructure Projects
WASHINGTON, D.C.—Today, Congressman Earl Blumenauer, Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley announced the Department of Transportation is awarding $450,000,000 in federal funding for the I-5 Rose Quarter improvement project. The funding will go toward the construction of a highway cover over a portion of I-5, reconnecting the Lower Albina neighborhood. In addition, the Department of Transportation is awarding $38,394,000 to the Portland Bureau of Transportation for the redesign of N/NE Broadway … Continue Reading
March 08, 2024
Wyden, Casey, Fetterman, Merkley Urge CDC to Update HIV Testing Guidelines
Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senators Ron Wyden, D-Ore., Bob Casey, D-Pa., John Fetterman, D-Pa., and Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., today called on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to update HIV testing guidelines. The senators’ letter to CDC Director Mandy Cohen also requests the agency remove the upper age limit of HIV testing recommendations to protect the health of older Americans. Currently, the CDC guidelines recommend routine HIV testing for people between the ages of 13 and 64 years … Continue Reading
March 07, 2024
Wyden, Merkley Applaud Passage of Radiation Exposure Compensation Act
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley today praised the Senate passage of legislation they supported that would compensate people exposed to radiation during certain nuclear testing or uranium mining who then developed medical conditions, including cancers. The Radiation Exposure Compensation Act passed Thursday by the Senate would extend the time for eligibility under the act from 1971 to 1990 for uranium miners, millers, core drillers, and ore transporters in Oregon, … Continue Reading
March 07, 2024
Wyden, Durbin, Sanders, Brown, Blumenthal Urge Convenience Stores, Wholesalers to Follow the Law and Remove Unauthorized Vaping Products From Their Shelves
WASHINGTON - U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR), Chair of the Senate Finance Committee, said today that he has joined four other Senate committee chairs to send letters to 22 major convenience stores and their wholesalers reminding them of their obligations and legal liability under the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act. The letters from Wyden along with U.S. Sens. Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee; Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Chair of the Senate Health, … Continue Reading
March 07, 2024
Wyden, Fetterman, Cassidy and Bipartisan Members of Congress Introduce Enhanced Cybersecurity for SNAP Act to Secure Food Benefits Against Hackers and Thieves
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., with Sens. John Fetterman, D-Penn., and Bill Cassidy, R-La., today introduced the Enhanced Cybersecurity for SNAP Act to upgrade the security of electronic benefit cards and protect families in need from thieves that have stolen millions worth of essential food benefits. Reps. Andy Kim, D-N.J., and Mike Lawler, R-N.Y., are leading the bill in the House of Representatives. To date, tens of millions of dollars in Supplemental Nutrition … Continue Reading
March 05, 2024
Wyden Remarks Celebrating the 20th Anniversary of the 21st Century Nanotechnology Research & Development Act
It is such a pleasure to join an event featuring so many brilliant and dedicated individuals all working to further scientific understanding and solve real problems with your work. You all are probably the last people who need a lecture on the importance of nanotechnology, but I do have about 45 minutes of remarks here, so settle in. I’m kidding, of course. Friends don’t filibuster friends. Today I’m going to describe how the 21st Century Nanotechnology Research and Development Act came … Continue Reading
March 04, 2024
Wyden Statement on New Concessionaire Contract for Crater Lake
U.S. Senator Ron Wyden today released the following statement after the National Park Service (NPS) announced Aramark’s concessionaire contract to manage Crater Lake National Park is in the process of being transferred to a new operator: “I want to thank National Park Service Director Chuck Sams for his leadership and the decisive steps he has taken to address concessionaire failures and make the much-needed transition to a new operator. It is clear as Crater Lake that from the beginning the … Continue Reading
February 29, 2024
Wyden Urges Biden Administration to Crack Down on Surveillance Companies and Shore up Security of Wireless Networks
Washington D.C. - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., today called on the Biden Administration to address the threat posed by wireless carriers’ lax cybersecurity, which expose U.S. citizens to surveillance by foreign governments. The letter to President Biden urges the administration to set minimum cybersecurity standards for carriers, and to direct government agencies to take further action to protect U.S. citizens and foreign journalists, dissidents, and human rights activists from surveillance … Continue Reading
February 29, 2024
Wyden: “Utterly Ridiculous” to Renew Warrantless FISA Surveillance Without Congressional Approval
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., today blasted the Department of Justice for seeking a year-long extension of government surveillance under Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, even though the law expires in less than two months. “A broad bipartisan, bicameral coalition agrees that FISA Section 702 should be reauthorized with reforms to protect the rights of Americans.,” Wyden said. “Yet rather than seriously engage with congressional reformers, the … Continue Reading
