Press Releases
Wyden, Sanders, Warren Demand Answers About Big Pharma Influence on RFK Jr. Following “Million-Dollar” Dinners at Mar-a-Lago
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senators Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), and Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), today demanded answers from Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. about his promises to “clean up corruption” and “stop the revolving door between industry and government.” Despite Kennedy proclaiming himself a Big Pharma critic, the Wall Street Journal has reported that Kennedy attended several dinners with healthcare executives who paid millions of dollars to … Continue Reading
March 10, 2025
Merkley, Wyden, Colleagues Call for Investigation into Trump’s Purge of Workers Protecting Americans’ Health and Safety
Washington, D.C. - Oregon’s U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden urged the non-partisan Government Accountability Office (GAO) to launch an investigation into how the recent mass firings of probationary federal workers have impacted Americans’ health and safety. In recent weeks, President Trump has fired at least 25,000 probationary federal employees. Despite termination letters from many agencies citing “poor performance,” probationary employees appear to have been fired in … Continue Reading
March 07, 2025
Wyden, Colleagues Sound Alarm on EPA’s Plot to Rollback Decades of Scientific Findings on Greenhouse Gases
Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., today led 12 Senate Democrats in raising the alarm over reports that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) intends to roll back its findings that greenhouse gases endanger people’s health and welfare. In their letter to EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin, the senators emphasized, “It is difficult to understand how the nation’s lead official responsible for protecting human health and the environment could seriously entertain the idea of undoing … Continue Reading
March 07, 2025
Merkley, Wyden, Bipartisan Colleagues Push to Protect the Rights of Oregon, America’s Workers
Washington, D.C. - Oregon’s U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden joined Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Congressional and labor leaders to reintroduce the Richard L. Trumka Protecting the Right to Organize Act (PRO Act). This bipartisan legislation protects the rights of workers in Oregon and nationwide to stand together and bargain for fairer wages, better benefits, and safer workplaces. The legislation was named in honor of late AFL-CIO President Richard L. Trumka. “As the son of a … Continue Reading
March 07, 2025
Wyden, Merkley Co-Sponsor Legislation to Update Antiquated Mining Law to Protect Public Lands and Taxpayers
Washington, D.C. -U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley today announced they are co-sponsoring legislation that would modernize the 1872 Mining Law that has let mining companies exploit public resources for free, pass environmental costs on to taxpayers, and engage in speculation with minimal government oversight. “This bill makes responsible mining possible, while protecting Oregon’s treasured public lands from irresponsible mining companies and foreign nations with no respect for the … Continue Reading
March 07, 2025
Wyden Announces Town Halls in Linn, Clackamas, Crook and Deschutes Counties
Portland - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden today announced he will hold town halls on Sunday, March 16 in Linn and Clackamas counties with U.S. Rep. Janelle Bynum, and two more on Tuesday, March 18 in Crook and Deschutes counties. Heading into these four open-to-all town halls, Wyden has held 1,106 open-to-all town halls in keeping his promise to hold at least one town hall each year in each of Oregon’s 36 counties. “Given the unprecedented times, it’s more important than ever that elected officials … Continue Reading
March 07, 2025
Merkley, Wyden, Colleagues Demand FEMA Responds to Questions about Disaster Victim Data, Mass Firings, and Funding Freezes
Washington, D.C. - Oregon’s U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden joined their colleagues to call on the leadership of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to respond to unanswered questions about Elon Musk’s so-called “Department of Government Efficiency” (DOGE) and its reported access to sensitive disaster victim data. The Senators also demanded answers about how FEMA's firing of hundreds of personnel and freezing of certain grants will impact the agency’s capacity to mitigate … Continue Reading
March 06, 2025
Wyden, Colleagues Introduce Legislation to Secure Fair Pay for Truckers Working Overtime
Washington D.C.— U.S. Senator Ron Wyden said today he has joined Senate colleagues to introduce bipartisan legislation that would ensure truckers are compensated fairly for the hours that they are on the clock, including overtime. “Truck drivers are a central part of Oregon’s fast-moving economy, and they should be fairly compensated for their labor,” said Wyden. “I’ve heard throughout my nearly 1100 town halls how rural areas especially need career opportunities for young Oregonians and … Continue Reading
March 06, 2025
Wyden, Merkley Reintroduce Legislation to Help Recreation and Wildfire Prevention Work in SW Oregon and Near Molalla River
Washington D.C.— - U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley today reintroduced their legislation that would boost recreation opportunities in Southwestern Oregon and on the Molalla River in Clackamas County, while ensuring wildfire prevention work in both regions. The senators’ Oregon Recreation Enhancement (ORE) Act would create the Rogue Canyon Recreation Area and the Molalla Recreation Area, expand the Wild Rogue Wilderness Area, and prohibit destructive mining on pristine rivers in … Continue Reading
March 05, 2025
Wyden, Merkley, Colleagues Reaffirm Congress’ Authority to Maintain Trade Restrictions on Russia
Washington D.C.—U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Catherine Cortez Masto, D-Nev., today led Senate colleagues, including Senator Jeff Merkley, in a letter to Donald Trump reaffirming Congress’ authority to maintain trade restrictions on the Russian Federation while it continues its war of aggression against Ukraine. “Vladimir Putin is a ruthless dictator who has led the Russian Federation into a war of aggression against Ukraine with the explicit goal of denying Ukraine and its people their … Continue Reading
March 05, 2025
Lawmakers Raise Questions about Proposed Trump Administration Selloff of Federal Properties in Oregon
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley along with U.S. Reps. Suzanne Bonamici, Val Hoyle, Andrea Salinas, Janelle Bynum and Maxine Dexter today asked why the Trump administration proposed earlier this week to dispose of federal properties paid for by taxpayers in Baker City, Eugene, Medford, Portland and Troutdale. “Given Donald Trump’s checkered legacy in the private sector of multiple bankruptcies and real estate deals gone awry, forgive me if I’m more than a little … Continue Reading
March 04, 2025
Wyden, Castor, Tonko Unveil Legislation to Rescind Trump’s Day-One Executive Orders on Energy
Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., along with U.S. Representatives Kathy Castor, D-Fla., and Paul Tonko, D-N.Y., today introduced legislation to nullify Donald Trump’s day-one executive orders on energy. The Defending American Jobs and Affordable Energy Act would reassert America’s clean energy leadership, keep energy costs for families as low as possible, and unfreeze critical Inflation Reduction Act and Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funds to protect jobs and support rural … Continue Reading
March 03, 2025
Oregon Delegation Demands Reversal of Trump Attacks on Programs Serving Tribal Communities
Washington, D.C. - Oregon’s U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden—along with U.S. Representatives Suzanne Bonamici (OR-01), Val Hoyle (OR-04), Andrea Salinas (OR-06), Maxine Dexter (OR-03), and Janelle Bynum (OR-05)—joined over 100 Members of Congress to demand that the Trump Administration stop and reverse its dangerous efforts to fire employees and defund programs that serve Tribes and Tribal members. The lawmakers directed President Donald Trump, U.S. Department of the Interior … Continue Reading
February 28, 2025
Merkley, Wyden, Colleagues Sound the Alarm Over EPA Clean School Bus Program Funds Freeze
Washington, D.C. - Oregon’s U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden joined their colleagues in demanding an update from U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lee Zeldin on the distribution of funding for the Clean School Bus program to recipients with signed agreements and urging the EPA to immediately release any withheld funding. In the letter, the lawmakers write, “To provide these health and cost savings benefits to our children and continue supporting the boom in … Continue Reading
February 28, 2025
Wyden Announces Open-to-all Town Hall for Oregonians on March 4
Washington, DC - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden today announced he will co-host a live on-line town hall Tuesday night, March 4 with People’s Town Hall to offer all Oregonians the opportunity to ask questions, share their ideas and offer their views during the State of the Union speech. “In this unprecedented time in American history, my top priority is making sure Oregonians from every corner of our state can keep weighing in directly with me,” said Wyden, who’s held 1,105 open-to-all town halls … Continue Reading
February 28, 2025
Wyden Demands Answers Regarding the Harmful Termination of Contracts at U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
Washington DC—U.S. Senator Ron Wyden today demanded answers from the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs about the termination of contracts that will cause the shutdown of x-rays, computed tomography scans (CT scans), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), interventional radiology (IR) rooms, cardiac catheterization laboratories (cath labs), nuclear medicine, positron emission tomography (PET)-CT scans, fluoroscopy, mammography, and other essential services at VA hospitals in Oregon and across … Continue Reading
February 28, 2025
Wyden, Merkley Demand HHS Secretary Kennedy Reverse Drastic Cuts to Critical Health Care Assistance Program
(Washington, DC) - U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley today demanded U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. reverse extreme and harmful funding cuts to the Affordable Care Act Navigator program. In a letter to Secretary Kennedy, Wyden and Merkley joined Senate colleagues to point out how the drastic nearly 90 percent funding cut threatens to leave millions of Americans without vital access to the medical care they need. These cuts will disrupt … Continue Reading
February 27, 2025
Wyden, Merkley Join Bill to Codify DOJ’s Office of Environmental Justice
Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley said today they are joining legislation that would permanently codify the Office of Environmental Justice within the Department of Justice’s Environment and Natural Resources Division, in the wake of Attorney General Pam Bondi’s recent order eliminating all environmental justice efforts at the department. Bondi’s directive followed Donald Trump’s executive order ending all Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion initiatives across federal … Continue Reading
February 27, 2025
Wyden, Merkley, Colleagues Press Feds on Threat of Rising Housing Costs from Plan to Reprivatize Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac
Washington D.C.—U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley said today they have joined Senate colleagues to press the Department of Housing and Urban Development on whether its plan to reprivatize Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac will make mortgages more expensive. “During your confirmation process, you repeatedly spoke of the desire to reduce housing costs, a goal we share. However, right out of the gate, you are actively advocating for policy changes that would likely raise housing costs for hard … Continue Reading
February 27, 2025
Wyden, Colleagues Introduce Legislation to Help Make College Textbooks More Affordable
Washington D.C.— U.S. Senator Ron Wyden said today he has joined Senate colleagues to introduce legislation designed to help students manage costs by making high quality textbooks easily accessible to students, professors, and the public for free. “With the cost of college attendance skyrocketing, students shouldn’t also have to spend hundreds, or in some cases thousands, of dollars extra to access textbooks that they will use for a few classes,” Wyden said. “Open textbooks will ensure that … Continue Reading
