Press Releases
Wyden Introduces Package to Boost Transparency, Oversight, Enforcement and Oregon Values in Trade Agreements
Washington, D.C. - Oregon Sen. Ron Wyden today introduced a bipartisan bill to send the message that our country should only accept trade deals that will boost middle-class U.S. families and advance Oregon values. The bicameral bill includes unprecedented new provisions to improve transparency, boost Congressional oversight and require stronger enforcement for existing trade agreements, U.S. trade laws, any new trade agreement. The Bipartisan Congressional Trade Priorities and … Continue Reading
April 16, 2015
Wyden, Polis Introduce Breaking Down Barriers to Innovation Act to Modernize Outdated Copyright Laws
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., and Representative Jared Polis, D-Colo., today introduced a bill to boost security research, journalism and freedom of expression by reforming outdated provisions of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA). "The DMCA's copyright restrictions make us more vulnerable to cyberattacks and stifle innovation," Wyden said. "Today Rep. Polis and I introduced the Breaking Down Barriers to Innovation Act. It reforms a bad law that inhibits … Continue Reading
April 14, 2015
Wyden: Senate Renews a Lifeline for Rural Oregon Roads, Schools and First Responders
Washington, D.C. -U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., praised the Senate's move tonight to extend a lifeline to rural Oregon communities with passage of a two-year renewal of the Secure Rural Schools program. "This extension ends months of uncertainty for Oregon's rural communities, who have grappled with on-again, off-again funding for roads, schools and first responders," Wyden said. "Renewed county payments buy us time to build support for solutions that address the broader economic issues … Continue Reading
April 09, 2015
Representative Blumenauer and Senator Wyden Announce Commonsense Tax Reform for Legal Marijuana Businesses
PORTLAND, Ore. - Today, Representative Earl Blumenauer (D-OR-03) and Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR) announced plans to introduce bicameral legislation next week that would reconcile state marijuana laws and federal tax law. The Small Business Tax Equity Act, which was introduced last Congress by Congressman Blumenauer, would create an exception to Internal Revenue Code Section 280E to allow marijuana businesses operating in compliance with state law to take deductions associated with the sale of … Continue Reading
April 08, 2015
Wyden, Klobuchar Call on Administration to Conduct National Report Detailing Economic Benefits of Outdoor Economy
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senators Ron Wyden, D-Ore., and Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., today called on the Interior and Commerce Departments to conduct a national report detailing the economic benefits of our country's outdoor economy. While the federal government currently collects certain data on the benefits of the outdoor economy, we lack clear and comprehensive data on its contributions to growth and job creation at the national level. In a letter to the Secretaries of the Departments of … Continue Reading
April 06, 2015
Wyden: NTSB Recommendations Show Need for New Rail Tank Car Standards
Washington, D.C. - Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., today issued the following statement after the National Transportation Safety Board issued urgent recommendations for trains carrying crude oil and other flammable liquids: "Six weeks ago, I asked the White House to take a hard look at the newer, supposedly safer rail tank cars hauling crude oil and other hazardous materials through communities," Wyden said. "Today, I'm encouraged the watchdogs at the NTSB echoed my call for increased safety by … Continue Reading
April 04, 2015
Wyden: Cyber Bill Allows Massive Increase in Government Surveillance, Fails on Security
Washington, D.C. -U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., today reiterated his concerns about a cybersecurity bill that would create new ways for the government to comb through Americans' private information without a warrant, without addressing the real threats to U.S. networks. "Any information-sharing legislation that lacks adequate privacy protections is not simply a cybersecurity bill, but a surveillance bill by another name," Wyden said, in dissenting views on the bill released today. "I … Continue Reading
March 27, 2015
Wyden, Crapo Move Wildfire Funding Fix Forward
Washington, D.C. - Sens. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., and Mike Crapo, R-Idaho, early this morning moved another step forward in providing a bipartisan wildfire funding solution that will ensure vital resources in the fight against catastrophic wildfires across the West. The senators attached a provision to the Senate budget that sets the stage for passing the Wildfire Disaster Funding Act, which Wyden and Crapo reintroduced on Jan. 22. The bill ends the cycle of underfunding fire suppression, which … Continue Reading
March 26, 2015
Wyden, Heinrich Introduce Budget Amendment To Protect America's Treasured Public Lands From Being Sold Off
WASHINGTON, D.C. (March 26, 2015) - U.S. Senators Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) and Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) introduced an amendment to the Senate's budget resolution that would protect America's parks and public lands, including national forests, wildlife refuges, and conservation lands, from being sold off as a deficit reduction tactic. The amendment is cosponsored by U.S. Senators Tom Udall (D-N.M.), Michael Bennet (D-Colo.) and Jon Tester (D-Mont.). "Americans depend on clean water and treasure … Continue Reading
March 24, 2015
Wyden: Glad House Leadership Decided to Stop Playing Politics with Rural Oregon Safety Net
Washington, D.C. -U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., issued the following statement on the importance of extending the Secure Rural Schools and County Self-Determination Act. "It is good news the House Leadership has decided to stop playing politics with the safety net for Oregon counties. Their decision is a concrete recognition that linking the safety net to unsustainable and unacceptable logging practices can never become law," Wyden said. "As the author of the bipartisan Secure Rural … Continue Reading
March 19, 2015
Wyden Fights to Renew Rural Oregon Safety Net
Washington, D.C. - Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., fought to restore a crucial lifeline for roads, schools and first-responders in Oregon's cash-strapped rural communities, in an amendment he attached to the federal budget bill today. Wyden's amendment is a first step to renewing the expired Secure Rural Schools (SRS) program, which provided more than $107 million to 32 Oregon counties last year. It also supports the extension of the Payment in Lieu of Taxes (PILT) program and full funding for the … Continue Reading
March 19, 2015
Wyden, Merkley Introduce Bill to Spur Geothermal Energy
Washington, D.C. - Oregon Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley today introduced legislation to encourage geothermal energy production on public lands. The Geothermal Production Expansion Act prevents speculative bidders from driving up the price of leases for developers seeking to use the land for geothermal projects. The bill streamlines the federal geothermal leasing program by allowing for the non-competitive leasing of a limited amount of federal land at fair market value to spur the … Continue Reading
March 19, 2015
For Sunshine Week, Wyden Renews Calls for Answers from DOJ on Drones, Secret Law, Torture Report
Washington, D.C. -For Sunshine Week, U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., renewed his call for Attorney General Eric Holder to answer crucial questions on everything from when the government believes it has the right to kill an American to secret interpretations of law. The Justice Department has ignored these questions or declined to answer them, in some cases for years. Sen. Wyden previously called on Holder to answer these questions in a Feb. 3 letter, which is available here. "It is never … Continue Reading
March 12, 2015
Wyden: Cybersecurity Bill Lacks Privacy Protections, Doesn’t Secure Networks
Washington, D.C. -U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore. issued the following statement after voting against the Cybersecurity Information Sharing Act during a Senate Intelligence Committee markup today: "Cyber-attacks and hacking against U.S. companies and networks are a serious problem for the American economy and for our national security. It makes sense to encourage private firms to share information about cybersecurity threats. But this information sharing is only acceptable if there are strong … Continue Reading
March 10, 2015
Statement on the passing of Dave Frohnmayer
"I am deeply saddened by the passing of my longtime friend and former law professor Dave Frohnmayer. His career is the gold standard for public service in this state. He worked tirelessly to make Oregon a better place and he will be sorely missed by all of us who came to depend on his wise counsel and selfless nature. My thoughts and prayers are with Lynn, Mark, Jonathan, Amy and the entire Frohnmayer … Continue Reading
March 09, 2015
Wyden Announces Release of Oregonian Carrie Russell
Washington, DC - U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) tonight announced the release of Carrie Russell from a Japanese detention center. "I'm thrilled that common sense has won the day and that Carrie is being released to her family,'' Senator Wyden said. "I want to thank Ambassador Kennedy and her staff for working closely with our office and their Japanese counterparts to get her released." Japanese authorities took Ms. Russell into custody on Feb. 20 after she shipped herself medication as part … Continue Reading
March 03, 2015
Wyden Introduces Bill to Spur Investment in Short Line Railroads
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) and Sen. Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) today introduced the Short Line Railroad Rehabilitation and Investment Act of 2015, which would extend the short line railroad track maintenance tax credit that expired in 2014. "Small railroads provide a critical service to communities and businesses across Oregon, and this bill means continued investment in important infrastructure," said Wyden, the top Democrat on the Senate Finance Committee. "The short line … Continue Reading
March 03, 2015
Wyden Statement on Stacey Addison Coming Home to Oregon
Washington, D.C. - Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., celebrated the release of Stacey Addison, who boarded a plane to the U.S. after passport was returned by authorities in Timor Leste late last night. "I am so happy and relieved to know Stacey is finally coming home from Timor-Leste to her loved ones in Oregon. Huge thanks are in order for Ambassador Stanton and everybody at the State Department who worked to bring this situation to a successful conclusion for … Continue Reading
February 26, 2015
Wyden Secures Commitment from Forest Service Chief to Work on Oregon Priorities
Washington, D.C. - Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., today secured a commitment from U.S. Forest Service Chief Thomas Tidwell to provide much-needed funding to resource-dependent counties in Oregon, take the next step toward a solution in the Klamath River Basin and fix the broken funding system for fighting wildfires. In a hearing before the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee today, Wyden pushed to make permanent the funding for the Secure Rural Schools (SRS) and Payments in Lieu of Taxes … Continue Reading
February 26, 2015
Wyden Bill Requires Most Up-To-Date Military Medical Training, Ends Unnecessary Use of Live Animals
Washington, D.C. - Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., today introduced legislation that would require the Defense Department to use the most up-to-date military medical training methods, and to phase out the outdated and unnecessary use of live animals in combat trauma courses for U.S. armed forces. Even while new high-tech simulators, like the "Cut Suit," can reproduce the feeling, appearance and even smell of combat injuries, the Department of Defense still relies on outdated training methods that … Continue Reading
