Press Releases
Wyden Bill To Help Veterans Passes Senate
Washington, D.C . - A bill co-sponsored by Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., that would expand access to health care for veterans who live far away from VA facilities passed the Senate today. The Veterans Access, Choice, and Accountability Act of 2014 that Senator Wyden strongly supported last year was interpreted by the VA to enable veterans to seek local care only if they live more than 40 miles from any VA facility. The legislation passed today expands many veterans' healthcare options by making … Continue Reading
May 21, 2015
Wyden, Merkley Laud FAA Decision on Unmanned Aircraft
Washington, D.C . - Oregon Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley praised today's announcement by federal regulators that cuts red tape for unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) test sites in Pendleton, Tillamook and Warm Springs to conduct research that creates jobs in an innovative industry. The announcement by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) follows a letter Wyden and Merkley wrote the FAA on Nov. 25 strongly urging regulators to speed up approvals for UAS test permits, and to ensure the … Continue Reading
May 21, 2015
Wyden & Broad Coalition of Democratic Lawmakers Fight to Outlaw Unfair Consumer Contracts
WASHINGTON, D.C.-Today, U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) along with Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.), Rep. Hank Johnson (D-Ga.) and a broad coalition of more than 50 members of Congress continued to fight to protect the rights of consumers in Oregon and across the country who are being hurt by forced arbitration contracts in the financial services industry. In a letter to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB)-the top consumer agency in the country-the lawmakers called on the CFPB to swiftly … Continue Reading
May 21, 2015
Wyden, Merkley Commemorate Frank Moore Legacy with Salmon Sanctuary
Washington, D.C. - Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley today recognized a fellow Oregonian's long and distinguished legacy of conservation and habitat preservation by introducing a bill to designate more than 100,000 acres of public lands in Oregon as the "Frank Moore Wild Steelhead Sanctuary." The Oregon senators named their legislation in honor of Frank Moore because of his outstanding accomplishments starting in World War II and then continuing for nearly two decades as the proprietor of … Continue Reading
May 21, 2015
Wyden Introduces Bill to Aid Small Business
Washington, DC - Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., today introduced a bill that would support new jobs and economic growth by providing small businesses greater access to business capital from credit unions. "Small businesses generate jobs, and access to capital is the lifeline that keeps those businesses running and growing both in Oregon and nationwide," Wyden said. "This bill would increase opportunities for small businesses to receive loans from credit unions, eliminating an unfair hurdle to that … Continue Reading
May 19, 2015
Wyden Statement on Oregon Guardsmen’s KBR Lawsuit
Washington, D.C. - Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., today issued the following statement in response to the ruling by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit in the lawsuit filed by Oregon guardsmen against KBR alleging they were exposed to toxic chemicals in Iraq: "The latest development in this lawsuit will only continue the legal water torture that these Oregon Guardsmen have already endured in their struggle for justice. I call yet again on the Department of Defense to step in and make … Continue Reading
May 15, 2015
Senate Designates May 16 Kids to Parks Day
Washington, DC -- U.S. Senators Ron Wyden, D-Ore., Rob Portman, R-Ohio, Mazie Hirono, D-Hawaii, Cory Booker, D-N.J., Martin Heinrich, D-N.M., Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., and Mike Lee, R-Utah, today applauded the Senate's passage of their resolution to promote active lifestyles for America's children by designating May 16 as National Kids to Parks Day. Started in 2011 with the National Park Trust, the fifth annual Kids to Parks Day kicks off a summer-long series of events at local, state and … Continue Reading
May 15, 2015
Wyden Statement on Sgt. Henry Johnson Medal of Honor
Washington, D.C. - Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., today issued the following statement after the announcement that Sgt. Henry Johnson would posthumously receive the Medal of Honor: "I am thrilled that Sergeant Johnson has finally received his long overdue Medal of Honor for his heroism in World War I. This award at long last pays proper tribute to a true American hero who served our country so bravely despite the prejudice he and countless others endured at the time in the military as well as at … Continue Reading
May 13, 2015
Wyden Statement on House Passage of USA Freedom Act
Washington, D.C. - Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., today issued the following statement after the U.S. House of Representatives passed its version of the USA Freedom Act by a 338 to 88 vote: "Today, the House of Representatives took an important step for protecting the privacy of Americans by voting to end the bulk collection of millions of Americans' personal information under Section 215 of the Patriot Act. I am also encouraged that the version of the USA Freedom Act passed today increases … Continue Reading
May 13, 2015
Senate Coalition To Introduce Bill Providing Access To Epilepsy Treatment
Washington, DC - Senators Cory Gardner (R-CO) and Ron Wyden (D-OR), along with Senate co-sponsors Johnny Isakson (R-GA), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Orrin Hatch (R-UT), and Michael Bennet (D-CO), announced today they are introducing the Therapeutic Hemp Medical Access Act of 2015 in the United States Senate to exempt from the Controlled Substances Act strains of therapeutic hemp used to fight seizures in children and adults suffering from intractable epilepsy. These strains, which include the … Continue Reading
May 13, 2015
Wyden, Welch, Lummis Introduce Legislation to Require Transparency in Intelligence Budgets
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., and Reps. Peter Welch, D-Vt., and Cynthia Lummis, R-Wyo., have introduced legislation that would require the president to disclose in the annual budget request to Congress the top line spending levels at the 16 federal agencies known to conduct intelligence activities. Top-line spending levels for federal intelligence activities are currently treated as classified information. The Intelligence Budget Transparency Act implements a recommendation … Continue Reading
May 12, 2015
Wyden Introduces Bill to Boost Biomass Energy, Promote Healthy Forests
Washington, D.C. - Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., today introduced a bill that would spur the use of low-carbon biomass energy to heat and power homes and businesses, while reducing the risk of wildfires and creating jobs in rural areas. The BioEnergy Act of 2015 would establish a competitive, cost-share grant program at the Department of Energy to improve technologies for drying and compressing woody biomass, which improves fuel quality and allows biomass producers to more easily transport wood … Continue Reading
May 08, 2015
Wyden Praises FAA Selection of UAS Excellence Center
Washington, DC - Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., welcomed today's Federal Aviation Administration announcement that a consortium including Oregon State University has been chosen to be a Center of Excellence for Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS). Wyden urged the FAA in an Oct. 16, 2014 letter organized by Sen. Thad Cochran, R-Miss. to select the Alliance for System Safety of UAS through Research Excellence (ASSURE) Consortium, which includes OSU. "Unmanned aviation carries huge potential to support a … Continue Reading
May 08, 2015
Wyden, Heinrich, Hirono to Director Brennan: CIA Must Admit Secret Search of Senate Files Was Improper
Washington, D.C. - CIA Director John Brennan must admit the CIA improperly searched Senate files, and commit to never again threatening the Constitutional separation between Congress and the executive branch, Senate Intelligence Committee members Ron Wyden, D-Ore., Martin Heinrich, D-N.M., and Mazie Hirono, D-Hawaii, wrote today. "It is vitally important for the American public to have confidence that senior intelligence officials respect US laws and the Constitution, including our democratic … Continue Reading
May 08, 2015
Wyden Demands New Disclosure Rules for Political Ads
Washington, DC - Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., this week co-sponsored legislation that would direct federal regulators to update and expand disclosure rules that govern commercial and political ads. Wyden said the Sunshine in Sponsorship Identification Act introduced by Sen. Bill Nelson (D-Fla.) and also cosponsored by Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.), and Gary Peters (D-Mich.) is a must because it directs the Federal … Continue Reading
May 07, 2015
Wyden Introduces Bill to Let States Set Electricity Rates for Small Power Projects
Washington, D.C. - Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., introduced a bill to spur development of more small-scale renewable power projects, like wind turbines on farms and rooftop solar panels on homes and businesses, by letting states determine prices for power from such small renewable energy projects. Currently, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) regulates the price that utility companies pay for electricity from small, independent power providers. Under the Public Utility Regulatory … Continue Reading
May 07, 2015
Wyden Introduces Bill to Modernize America’s Power Grid
Washington, D.C. - Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., introduced legislation to update America's aging power grid and provide more reliable, low-cost, renewable energy to consumers in the Pacific Northwest and across the country. The Smart Grid Act of 2015 establishes a Department of Energy program that provides competitive, cost-share grants to cities, electric utilities, and local businesses seeking to invest in innovative smart grid technologies, such as smart household appliances and plug-in … Continue Reading
May 07, 2015
Wyden, Heinrich: Second Circuit Court of Appeals Rules NSA Dragnet Is Illegal – One More Reason to End the Dragnet
Washington, D.C. - Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., and Sen. Martin Heinrich, D-N.M., today called on the White House to finally end the mass surveillance of Americans, following a decision by the Second Circuit Court of Appeals that the National Security Agency is violating the law by collecting millions of Americans' phone records. "This is a huge step for individual Americans' rights," Wyden said. "This dragnet surveillance program violates the law and tramples on Americans' privacy rights without … Continue Reading
May 06, 2015
Bicameral Lawmakers Call on Interior Department to Stop Natural Gas Waste
Washington, D.C. - A group of House and Senate lawmakers today asked the Interior Department to limit the unnecessary releases of natural gas from oil and gas wells on public lands in light of a new Government Accountability Office (GAO) report finding that federal officials have not improved natural gas capture standards despite two previous reports urging reforms. In a letter sent today, Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., and Reps. Peter DeFazio, D-Ore., and Raúl M. Grijalva, D-Ariz., asked … Continue Reading
May 05, 2015
Wyden-Crapo Wildfire Disaster Funding Act Gains Support of More than 250 Organizations
Washington, D.C. - More than 250 groups from across the country joined Sens. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., and Mike Crapo, R-Idaho, to express support for passing the Wildfire Disaster Funding Act to ensure vital resources in the fight against catastrophic wildfires in the West ahead of this year's fire season. The 261 organizations, including the National Cattlemen's Beef Association, the Nature Conservancy and the National Rifle Association, wrote to all 535 members of the U.S. Senate and the House of … Continue Reading
