Press Releases
Wyden, Ayotte Introduce Resolution to Protect Online Business from Unfair Taxation
Washington, D.C. - Whether by purchasing hand-made jewelry from Etsy, a sweater from an independent retailer on eBay or some vintage vinyl from a Portland record shop, millions of Americans each year utilize the internet to purchase products from small online retailers. However, there is movement in the Congress to give states the ability to create burdensome and unfair taxes on these transactions that cross state lines -- imposing taxes on businesses of other states selling goods online and … Continue Reading
November 01, 2011
Wyden Statement on House Passage of Wireless Tax Fairness Act
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) issued the following statement in response to the House of Representatives' passage of the Wireless Tax Fairness Act. In March 2011, Wyden and Senator Olympia Snowe (R-Maine) introduced the legislation in the U.S. Senate. "Wireless is a prime example of how every time a new innovation hits the market - governments invent new ways to tax it. We should be encouraging wireless usage as it continues to revolutionize the way Americans work, … Continue Reading
October 25, 2011
NEWS CONFERENCE: Senator Ron Wyden, Drug Enforcement Administration, U.S. Attorney and Portland Police on the Abuse and Proper Disposal of Prescription Drugs
WHO: Senator Ron Wyden DEA Special Agent in Charge Matthew G. Barnes U.S. Attorney Amanda Marshall Portland Police Chief Michael Reese Judy Cushing, Oregon Partnership WHAT: Press Conference on the importance of properly disposing of prescription drugs WHEN: 10 a.m., Thursday, October 27, 2011 WHERE: Portland Police Bureau, North Precinct, 449 N. Emerson, Portland Portland, OR - The abundance and abuse of prescription drugs … Continue Reading
October 21, 2011
Wyden Announces Statewide Committee to Recommend Names for Federal Judgeship
Portland, OR - Senator Ron Wyden announced today the names of 13 Oregonians who will serve on the Senator's Judicial Selection Committee that will recommend names to fill a federal district court judgeship for Oregon. The committee, selected by Wyden and Senator Jeff Merkley, will be chaired by Lou Savage, senior policy advisor with the Oregon Department of Consumer Business Services and a veteran of the federal judicial selection process. The committee is being asked to recommend names to … Continue Reading
October 18, 2011
Senator Kirk Joins Wyden as Cosponsor of Digital Surveillance Legislation
Washington, D.C. - Surrounded by technology that was considered cutting edge when major digital surveillance laws were written, U.S. Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) welcomed U.S. Senator Mark Kirk (R- Ill.) as a cosponsor of the Geolocation Privacy and Surveillance Act (GPS) which provides sorely needed legal clarity for the use of electronically-obtained location data that can be used to track and log the location and movements of individual Americans. The GPS Act was introduced in June by Wyden … Continue Reading
October 17, 2011
Wyden, Portman Lead Effort to Make Medicare Secondary Payer Program More Efficient, Save Taxpayer Dollars
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senators Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) and Rob Portman (R-Ohio) are leading a bipartisan effort that includes U.S. Senators Ben Nelson (D- Neb.) and Richard Burr (R-N.C.) to make the Medicare Secondary Payer (MSP) Program more efficient and cost effective to taxpayers. The Strengthening Medicare and Repaying Taxpayers (SMART) Act will speed up the rate by which Medicare and its beneficiaries are reimbursed for costs that should be borne by another party. "Streamlining third party … Continue Reading
October 12, 2011
Wyden to President: Isn’t Congress Supposed to Approve International Trade Agreements?
Washington, D.C. - As the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) prepares to ratify an international agreement related to the enforcement of intellectual property rights, U.S. Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) - chairman of the Senate Finance Committee's Subcommittee on Trade - sent a letter to President Obama today asking why the administration believes the Anti-Counterfeit Trade Agreement (ACTA) does not require Congress's formal approval. According to legal experts, cited by Wyden, if the USTR ratifies … Continue Reading
October 06, 2011
Wyden and McGovern Introduce Resolutions Blocking Arms Sale to Bahrain
Washington, D.C. - As the Arab Spring spread across the Arab world, ordinary citizens in the Kingdom of Bahrain began to rise up and demand political and economic rights from their government. The ruling family, members of a powerful Sunni minority, responded through violent suppression of dissent - jailing and sometimes killing those who spoke out against the regime and anyone who aided them. Today, U.S. Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) and U.S. Representative James McGovern (D-Mass.) have … Continue Reading
October 06, 2011
MERKLEY, MORAN, TESTER INTRODUCE PROTECTING RURAL POST OFFICES BILL
Washington, DC -A bipartisan coalition of Senators today introduced the Protecting Rural Post Offices Act, which would require that a post office closure cannot result in more than a ten mile distance between post offices, measured on roads with year-round access. The bill is sponsored by Senators Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Jerry Moran (R-KS), Jon Tester (D-MT), Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), Mark Begich (D-AK), and Ron Wyden (D-OR). "In Oregon, 80% of the post offices on the potential closure list are … Continue Reading
October 05, 2011
Oregon Leadership Unites Behind Legislation to Extend County Payments Program
Washington, D.C. - All six members of the Oregon Congressional delegation - U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden, U.S. Representatives Earl Blumenauer, Peter DeFazio, Kurt Schrader and Greg Walden - and Governor John Kitzhaber expressed unified support today for a county payments agreement they called "essential to ensuring a lifeline for Oregon's rural communities." For months, Oregon's Congressional delegation has been working with Senate Energy Committee Chairman Jeff Bingaman on a … Continue Reading
October 05, 2011
Wyden, Merkley Send Letter to Secretary Panetta Seeking Medal of Honor for Henry Lincoln Johnson
Washington, D.C. - For more than 90 years, Sgt. Henry Lincoln Johnson - an African American World War I hero serving in an all-black unit under French Command - has been denied the Medal of Honor for single-handedly fighting off a German raiding party and saving the life of a fellow soldier. His actions earned him the French equivalent of the Medal of Honor in 1918. Today, U.S. Senators Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) and Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) have sent a letter to Defense Secretary Leon Panetta, urging … Continue Reading
September 27, 2011
Wyden Statement on Amanda Marshall’s Confirmation as U.S. Attorney for Oregon
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) issued the following statement after the Senate unanimously confirmed Amanda Marshall, last night, to serve as the U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon. Marshall was unanimously approved by the Senate Judiciary Committee earlier this month. "Amanda Marshall was a tireless advocate for children and families while serving in the Oregon Department of Justice, was a superb nominee for the post of U.S. Attorney for Oregon and I believe will be … Continue Reading
September 16, 2011
Wyden Letter Prompts DoD to Change Policy Denying Injured Guard and Reserve Members Medical Assistance
Washington, D.C. - Coming on the heels of a letter sent to DoD undersecretary Dr. Clifford Stanley on Tuesday calling on the department to fix a policy severely inhibiting the access to healthcare injured National Guard and Reserve members receive after leaving the service, U.S. Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore) announced that Undersecretary Clifford has instituted changes to the Transitional Assistance Medical Program (TAMP) that will ensure separating servicemembers injured in combat receive the … Continue Reading
September 14, 2011
Wyden Calls for Ethics Rules to Prevent Revolving Door for Internet Domain Name Regulators
Washington, D.C. - As the online community prepares for a massive expansion in potential domain names and the expiration of the contract with the non-profit, non-governmental organization responsible for domain name regulation, U.S. Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore) raised concerns about the potential for bias and unfair favoritism stemming from a revolving door between internet regulators and the multi-million dollar domain name industry they formerly regulated. In a letter to Acting Commerce … Continue Reading
September 14, 2011
Wyden Calls on DoD Undersecretary to Change Policy Denying Injured Guard and Reserve Members Transitional Medical Assistance
Washington, D.C. - After admitting that the Pentagon's policy for providing transitional medical assistance to some of the most severely injured National Guard and Reserve members returning from combat and separating from active duty was flawed, the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness Dr. Clifford Stanley has yet to amend the policy more than 150 days after agreeing to change it. U.S. Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) sent a letter to Stanley calling on him to keep his promise to … Continue Reading
September 14, 2011
Bipartisan, House-Senate Coalition Introduces Legislation to Prevent Medicare Waste, Fraud and Abuse
New Medicare card protects identities, takes printed Social Security number off front of the new Medicare card WASHINGTON - To combat a reported $60 billion lost to waste, fraud and abuse within the Medicare system, U.S. Senators Mark Kirk (R-IL), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Marco Rubio (R-FL) and U.S. Representatives Jim Gerlach (R-PA-06), Earl Blumenauer (D-OR-03) and John Shimkus (R-IL-19) introduced legislation today to use existing "smart card" technology to protect seniors. Similar to the 20 … Continue Reading
September 08, 2011
Wyden Statement on The President’s American Jobs Act
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) issued the following statement in response to the President's American Jobs Act: "As we heard from the President tonight, there is no silver bullet for economic recovery. It is a fight to be fought on several fronts and to be successful we must make strides toward putting Americans back to work rebuilding crumbling transportation infrastructure, improving our manufacturing by getting tough on trade cheats and making the tax code simpler and … Continue Reading
September 08, 2011
Wyden Recommends Actions to Combat Unfair Chinese Practices Crushing the U.S. Solar Industry
Washington, D.C. - The global market for renewable energy technologies is increasingly being dominated by Chinese manufacturers reaping the benefits of unscrupulous trade practices that give them an unfair competitive advantage against U.S. industries. This is a critical problem for the U.S. solar industry facing an expected 240 increase in the import of Chinese solar panels this year. U.S. Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), chair of the Senate Finance Committee's Subcommittee on Trade, called on … Continue Reading
August 30, 2011
Wyden Statement on Mark Prater’s Appointment as Staff Director for Budget Supercommittee
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) released the following statement today in support of Mark Prater -- a Portland, Ore. native and long-time aide to the Senate Finance Committee -- being named the Staff Director for the budget supercommittee. Prater has spent more than 20 years working on the Senate Finance Committee on tax and health care issues and is considered an asset to members from both parties: "Mark is a superb choice to serve as staff director of the Joint … Continue Reading
August 18, 2011
Wyden, Merkley Announce $14 Million for Transportation and Recreational Infrastructure Projects
Washington, D.C. - Recognizing that investing in transportation infrastructure is among the most efficient and useful economic multipliers available, U.S. Senators Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) and Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) have announced more than $14 million in funding from the U.S. Department of Transportation for transportation and recreational infrastructure projects throughout Oregon. The grants awarded today will improve transportation and recreation for Oregonians throughout the state. Projects to … Continue Reading
