Press Releases
Wyden Announces O&C Act Markup
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., today secured a commitment to mark up his O&C Act of 2014 in the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee on November 13. Energy Committee Chair Senator Mary Landrieu, D-La., issued an announcement Tuesday afternoon that she would hold a markup of a number of public lands bills, leading off with Senator Wyden's O&C legislation. Senator Wyden: "It is terrific news and strong leadership from Senator Landrieu that she is pushing … Continue Reading
August 15, 2014
Wyden: Bring Privacy Protections to the Digital Age
Washington, D.C. - Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., called for a renewed commitment to privacy and innovation in the 21st century, by reforming outdated laws undermine Americans' Constitutional privacy rights, in a speech at TechFestNW today in Portland. Wyden attacked the principle that sharing information with businesses waives the 4th Amendment protections of Americans' personal information - an idea known as the "third-party doctrine" - which has become painfully obsolete in the digital age. "It … Continue Reading
July 31, 2014
Wyden Statement on Unauthorized CIA Search of Senate Computer Files
Washington, D.C. - Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., today issued the following statement after the Central Intelligence Agency issued a statement confirming the agency's search of Senate Select Committee on Intelligence computer files: "The CIA Inspector General has confirmed what Senators have been saying all along: The CIA conducted an unauthorized search of Senate files, and attempted to have Senate staff prosecuted for doing their jobs," Wyden said. "Director Brennan's claims to the contrary were … Continue Reading
July 30, 2014
Wyden: Fix Wildfire Funding This Week
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., took to the Senate Floor today to press Congress on the urgent need to pass an emergency funding bill that would provide additional fire funding to fight the catastrophic wildfires ripping through the western United States. Wyden described the conditions in Oregon, where wildfires are currently burning almost 500,000 acres, following visits to the Medford Interagency Fire Center and the Northwest Interagency Coordination Center in Portland, … Continue Reading
July 30, 2014
Senate Resolution Marks Day to Honor Whistleblowers
WASHINGTON - A Senate Resolution designating July 30, 2014 as National Whistleblower Appreciation Day has passed the Senate. The resolution was sponsored by Senators Chuck Grassley and Ron Wyden, who will be the Chair and Vice-Chair of the Senate Whistleblower Protection Caucus when it begins next year. The resolution comes on the anniversary of the first ever whistleblower protection law enacted on July 30, 1778. The records of the Continental Congress show that the original resolution … Continue Reading
July 30, 2014
Hermiston Ag Research Bill Moves Forward in Committee
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden issued the following statement after a subcommittee of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee held a hearing on legislation that would bolster agricultural research opportunities near Hermiston: "We're lucky to have Oregon State University as a hub of agriculture research and innovation to train the next generation of farmers, ranchers, and foresters," Wyden said. "Hermiston, an important part of Oregon's rural life, has been well-served by … Continue Reading
July 29, 2014
Wyden, Thompson Introduce Common Sense Reforms To Rein in Runaway Over-Classification
July 29, 2014 (WASHINGTON) - At a time when the federal government spends more than $11 billion classifying more than 80 million documents each year, Rep. Bennie G. Thompson (D-MS) and Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR) introduced legislation to restore common sense to the classification and security clearance system, while strengthening protections against disclosure of information that could threaten national security. Thompson, the Ranking Member of the House Committee on Homeland Security, and Wyden, … Continue Reading
July 29, 2014
Wyden, Udall Will Work to Strengthen Newly Unveiled Surveillance Reform Legislation
U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Mark Udall, who have led efforts to confront violations of Americans' privacy rights, commended U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy for his work on legislation unveiled today to rein in overly broad NSA surveillance, end the bulk collection of Americans' phone records and strengthen other privacy protections. Udall and Wyden, who serve on the U.S. Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, also pledged to work to further strengthen the bill's … Continue Reading
July 23, 2014
Wyden Statement on Proposed DOT Oil Train Rule
Washington, D.C. -Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., issued the following statement on the Department of Transportation's proposed oil train safety rules: "This package includes some good elements, but I urge DOT to strengthen notification of first responders for oil trains moving through their communities and move this proposal quickly to the next stage," Wyden said. "The failure to broaden notification requirements is especially baffling since the DOT's proposal would classify all oil and ethanol … Continue Reading
July 15, 2014
Wyden Submits Net Neutrality Comments to FCC, Calls for Reclassification of Broadband
Washington, D.C. - Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., urged the Federal Communications Commission to preserve free and open competition on the Internet, in comments filed today. In his submission, Wyden called for the commission to do that by reclassifying broadband providers as Title II common carriers, enforcing rules to ban paid prioritization and ensuring more transparency for consumers. "It is impossible to permit pay-to-play discrimination without disadvantaging everyone who does not pay. … Continue Reading
July 10, 2014
Wyden: CIA Still Must Answer Questions About Searching Senate Files
Washington, D.C. - Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., issued the following statement in response to the Justice Department's decision not to investigate either Senate Intelligence Committee investigators who discovered an internal CIA review of interrogation records, or CIA officials who searched Senate files to find out if the Intelligence Committee had obtained that review: "I'm glad to hear that the Justice Department won't attempt to prosecute Senate staff for simply doing their jobs. The CIA … Continue Reading
July 10, 2014
Wyden-Merkley Oregon Caves Bill Passes U.S. Senate
Washington, D.C. - Oregon Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley announced the Senate passage of the Oregon Caves Revitalization Act, their bill to add new protection to one of Oregon's most unique natural treasures. The bill passed unanimously late Wednesday night. "This bill is another tribute to Oregon's bounty of precious natural places, and to the unique beauty of the Oregon Caves National Monument," Wyden said. "Passing this legislation will promote recreation in Southern Oregon, boost the … Continue Reading
July 09, 2014
Wyden Statement on The Intercept Report on the Surveillance of U.S. Muslims
Washington, D.C. - Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., issued the following statement in response to new allegations about surveillance of U.S. Muslims: "I am unfamiliar with the individuals named in this story, so I will let them speak for themselves. It is clearly appalling to see an ethnic slur used in what appears to be an internal NSA memo, but it would be even more troubling if that kind of prejudice were actually informing US surveillance activities. I appreciate the NSA spokeswoman's statement … Continue Reading
July 08, 2014
Wyden, Merkley Call on Congress to Pass Fire Funding
Washington, D.C. - Oregon Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley today called on Congress to pass a proposal from the White House to provide additional fire funding to treat the catastrophic wildfires already raging in states across the western United States. President Obama today asked Congress to include an additional $615 million dedicated to wildfire suppression costs as part of an emergency spending request. The request also includes language to allow some fire suppression funding to be … Continue Reading
July 08, 2014
Wyden, Udall Oppose Cybersecurity Bill Due to Lack of Privacy Protections
WASHINGTON-U.S. Senators Ron Wyden, D-Ore., and Mark Udall, D-Colo., issued the following statement after the U.S. Senate Select Committee on Intelligence's mark-up of the Cybersecurity Information Sharing Act: "Cyber-attacks on U.S. firms and infrastructure pose a serious threat to America's economic health and national security. We agree there is a need for information-sharing between the federal government and private companies about cybersecurity threats and how to defend against them. … Continue Reading
June 30, 2014
Wyden Releases Details of Backdoor Searches of Americans’ Communications
Washington, D.C. - Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., released the following statement in response to a letter provided by the Office of Director of National Intelligence, which details the number of backdoor searches performed by U.S. intelligence agencies. As this response makes clear, intelligence agencies are searching through communications collected under Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act - an authority that Congress intended to be used to target foreigners - and are … Continue Reading
June 26, 2014
Wyden, Merkley Highlight NTSB’s Call for Expanded Oil Trains Transparency
Washington, D.C. - First responders need more timely and detailed information about crude-by-rail trains in order to better protect communities, according to a letter from the National Transportation Board released today by Oregon Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley. The senators urged Department of Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx to use the information, recommendations and concerns raised by the NTSB to improve crude-by-rail safety, primarily by requiring increased communication … Continue Reading
June 26, 2014
Bipartisan Group of 14 Senators Calls for Senate Vote to Reform Wildfire Funding
Washington, D.C. - Sens. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., Mike Crapo, R-Idaho, and 12 Senate cosponsors pressed Senate leadership to allow a full Senate vote on their bipartisan bill to fix the broken system for funding wildfire suppression. In a letter to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D- Nev., and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., all 14 cosponsors of the Wildfire Disaster Funding Act of 2013 urged the Senate leaders to quickly bring the bill to the Senate Floor for a full vote or find … Continue Reading
June 26, 2014
Wyden, Udall, Heinrich Press Obama Administration for Additional Transparency on U.S. Drone Policy
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senators Ron Wyden, D-Ore., Mark Udall, D-Colo., and Martin Heinrich, D-N.M., pressed the Obama administration today for additional transparency on U.S. drone policy, including its interpretations of when it can take lethal action outside of declared war zones and against Americans. The senators - all members of the U.S. Senate Select Committee on Intelligence - also said the American people have a right to know the "limits and boundaries" of the president's power to … Continue Reading
June 25, 2014
Wyden Statement on Supreme Court Aereo Decision
Washington, D.C. - Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., issued the following statement after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that Aereo's services were illegal in ABC v. Aereo. "I am concerned by the Supreme Court's decision today in ABC v. Aereo. This country needs a legal regime that encourages innovation. Although the Court limited its holding to the specific service in question, its convoluted "public performance" finding creates uncertainty as to what other cloud-based technologies may run afoul of … Continue Reading
