Press Releases
Wyden Statement on Passage of the Intelligence Authorization Act
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), a senior member of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, issued the following statement regarding the recent passage of the Intelligence Authorization Act: "I'm pleased that the final version of the 2012 Intelligence Authorization Act does not include the multi-year extension of the FISA Amendments Act that was included in the Senate version of the bill. I opposed the Senate version of the bill, and I announced a public hold on it, … Continue Reading
December 15, 2011
Wyden & Ryan Advance Bipartisan Plan to Strengthen Medicare and Expand Health Care Choices for All
WASHINGTON - This morning, U.S. Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR) and U.S. Representative Paul Ryan (R-WI) introduced a new proposal that represents a major advance in the effort to build a more secure future for the millions of seniors who rely on Medicare. The new report from Sen. Wyden and Rep. Ryan, titled "Guaranteed Choices to Strengthen Medicare and Health Security for All: Bipartisan Options for the Future," outlines a bipartisan path forward on expanding health care choices for seniors while … Continue Reading
December 13, 2011
Wyden Announces U.S. Postal Service Agreement to Delay Postal Facility Closures for Five Months
Washington, D.C. - Oregon Senator Ron Wyden announced today that the U.S. Postal Service has voluntarily agreed to put in place a five-month moratorium on closing postal facilities, including 41 in Oregon, which would give Congress more time to enact postal reform legislation. During the moratorium, scheduled to end on May 15, 2012, the Postal Service will continue to study the impact of proposed closures on service and costs and to solicit community input. "Post offices and the services … Continue Reading
December 13, 2011
Wyden Sends Letter to EPA Seeking Better Rules for Small Boilers
Washington, D.C. - With the Environmental Protection Agency proposing new rules governing which fuels are burned in boilers throughout the country, U.S. Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) has sent a letter to EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson calling on the agency to require additional disclosure of the fuels that are burned in smaller boilers, so that community members can know and weigh in on the types of fuels burned in small boilers in their neighborhoods. After a long process wherein Wyden urged … Continue Reading
December 10, 2011
Wyden Legislation Will Create Agricultural Jobs, Improve Food Stamp Program, and Increase School Access to Locally Grown Fruits and Vegetables
Washington, D.C. - Seeking to help Oregon farmers, improve the food stamp program and open up markets for locally grown fruits and vegetables, Senator Ron Wyden today rolled out a series of proposals aimed at creating more agriculture jobs and improving access of healthier foods. The legislative proposals were developed with the help of the 28 members of an agriculture advisory committee Wyden created earlier this year. "Since agriculture is one of the cornerstones of the Oregon economy and … Continue Reading
December 08, 2011
Wyden-Issa Release Draft Digital Trade Legislation
Washington, D.C. Unveiling a proposal that both fights the unauthorized sale of digital goods and protects Internet security, commerce and speech, U.S. Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) and U.S. Congressman Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) today released a draft text of legislation that would use trade laws to address the flow of infringing digital goods into the United States. The draft legislation is based on the broad legislative framework that U.S. Senators Cantwell, Moran, Warner and Wyden and U.S. … Continue Reading
December 08, 2011
Senate Tells Pentagon to Close Umatilla Chemical Depot Under BRAC Process
Washington, D.C. - The U.S. Senate has adopted a resolution authored by Oregon Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley telling the Defense Department that Umatilla Army Chemical Depot should be closed under the previously agreed upon base-closure process. The resolution passed on Wednesday reads: "In light of the clear history, the Senate reiterates its original intent and reaffirms its direction that the closure of the Umatilla Army Chemical Depot, Oregon, and subsequent management and disposal … Continue Reading
December 07, 2011
Wyden, Markey Call on CMS to Release Guidelines for Program That Experts Say Could Result in Substantial Medicare Savings by Better Coordinating Care
Washington, D.C. - A program providing home-based health care for the most chronically-ill veterans, saved the Veterans' Affairs Department more than 24 percent on the overall cost of caring for those patients, yet a similar program scheduled to be tested as part of Medicare has largely gone ignored by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). The Independence at Home pilot program -- originally authored by U.S. Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) and U.S. Representative Edward J. Markey … Continue Reading
December 02, 2011
Wyden Statement on Trade Commission Vote that Chinese Practices are Hurting the American Solar Industry
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) issued the following statement today after members of a U.S. trade commission voted unanimously in favor of SolarWorld's case that Chinese trade practices have harmed American solar manufacturing: "The vote today by the commissioners of the International Trade Commission formalizes what workers in the American solar industry already know: they are harmed by unfair trade practices employed by China. This is an important step forward toward … Continue Reading
December 02, 2011
Wyden Statement on “No” vote on the Defense Authorization Act
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) issued the following statement regarding his vote against the Senate passage of the Defense Authorization Act: "The current version of the 2012 Defense Authorization Act contains a number of provisions that I would like to support, and I respect the effort that many of my colleagues have put into this bill. Unfortunately, the bill also contains provisions that I believe are extremely unwise, and that risk undermining American values and … Continue Reading
November 23, 2011
Wyden, McGovern Statement on Release of Bahraini Human Rights Report
Washington, D.C. - Reaffirming their opposition to the sale of arms to the Kingdom of Bahrain until sustaining human rights improvements are made, U.S. Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) and U.S. Representative Jim McGovern (D-Mass) released the following statement on the Bahrain Independent Commission's report on human rights: "The Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry's (BICI) report confirms accounts from human rights groups and Bahrainis who have spoken out against the abuses of this year. … Continue Reading
November 16, 2011
Wyden Extends Deadline for Federal Judgeship Applicants to December 15, 2011
Portland, OR - Senator Ron Wyden's office today announced an extension of the deadline for applicants interested in filling a vacant federal district court judgeship in Oregon. The previous application deadline was this Thursday, November 17. The new deadline is Thursday, December 15. "Although there are already some excellent applicants for this opening, we want to make sure that everyone interested in the position has adequate time to apply and that the selection committee has the broadest … Continue Reading
November 16, 2011
Wyden SOPA Statement Warns of Severe Repercussions to a Free and Open Internet if Bills are Passed
Washington, D.C. - As the House Judiciary Committee held a hearing for the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA), U.S. Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) a former member of the House of Representatives, included a statement into the hearing record warning of the dangers SOPA will pose to a free and open Internet. Wyden has put a hold on similar legislation in the Senate known as PROTECT IP and has vowed to "fight this every step of the way." "I would like to take this opportunity to commend Chairman Smith … Continue Reading
November 10, 2011
Wyden/Merkley Devil’s Staircase and Oregon Caves Bills Passed by Energy and Natural Resources Committee
Washington, D.C. - Efforts to preserve some of Oregon's most pristine and valued natural resources moved closer to success today as two bills protecting Oregon's Devil's Staircase and Oregon Caves cleared the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee. Sponsored by Senators Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) and Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) the passage of these two bills by the committee clears the way for their consideration by the full Senate. "Devil's Staircase is rugged, wild, pristine and remote and Oregon … Continue Reading
November 10, 2011
Wyden, Collins, Bingaman Legislation Will Increase Investments in the Storage of Renewable Energy
Washington, D.C. - As the nation takes steps to improve energy efficiency and develop renewable resource technologies, not enough is being done to ensure that electricity infrastructure is being used efficiently. The focus on building transmission and generation capacity to meet peak demand for electricity means that consumers pay more while producers are forced to rely on less cost-efficient energy sources. U.S. Senators Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Senate Energy … Continue Reading
November 10, 2011
Wyden Soft Landing Bill Will Ease Burden of Returning National Guard and Reserve Members
Washington, D.C. -It is important to remember -- especially on Veterans Day -- that National Guard and Reserve members have spent the last 10 years fighting the same wars as active duty soldiers. Yet when they return home from combat, they are treated strikingly different than active-duty servicemembers -- often being thrown back into civilian life after only a few days without the tools and services they need to reintegrate successfully. As part of U.S. Senator Ron Wyden's longstanding push … Continue Reading
November 09, 2011
Wyden Statement on Commerce Decision to Investigate Surging Solar Panel Imports from China
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), chair of the Senate Finance's Subcommittee on Trade, Customs and Global Competiveness issued the following statement in response the U.S. Commerce Department's announcement that it has initiated an investigation into surging solar panel imports from China. "I welcome the Commerce Department's decision to launch an investigation into whether or not China is adhering to global trade rules. I don't want to pre-judge the Department's … Continue Reading
November 09, 2011
Wyden, Merkley Announce Transportation Grants to aid Veterans
Portland, OR - Oregon Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley announced today that transit districts in Lane County and the Portland Metropolitan Area have received separate grants totaling more than $1.4 million to improve transportation for veterans. Lane Transit District will receive $1,088,000 and Tri-Met will receive $330,728 from the Federal Transit Administration's Veterans Transportation and Community Living Initiative. In both cases, the money will be used to connect veterans and their … Continue Reading
November 09, 2011
Wyden, Carper and Casey Bill Gives Entrepreneurs Breathing Room to Start Businesses
Washington, D.C. - As the nation's unemployment rate continues to hover around 9 percent many unemployed Americans could be taking advantage of the opportunity to start their own small businesses if not for rules governing unemployment insurance (UI). While not every unemployed American is a would-be-entrepreneur, giving unemployed Americans an opportunity to use their skills to build their own small businesses could be an exponential job creator, finding work not just for one unemployed … Continue Reading
November 07, 2011
“What We Do in Congress Should Be About More Than Winning Elections”
Washington, D.C. -- Each month, as part of its YouTube Town Hall series, YouTube invites Members of Congress to submit videos addressing the nation's most talked about issues, as decided by viewer votes and popular Google News topics. Videos are posted without party identification giving viewers a chance to weigh the many sides of an issue on its merits versus the political party of the speaker. // For the third consecutive month, U.S. Senator Ron Wyden of Oregon has submitted … Continue Reading
