Press Releases
Wyden to hold Town Halls in Washington, Columbia Counties on May 24
Portland, OR - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden will host town hall meetings on May 24, 2009, in Vernonia and Forest Grove. Columbia and Washington county residents are invited to attend the open forums to ask questions and voice their concerns. Senator Wyden has been holding town halls in each Oregon county every year since 1996. The events in Vernonia and Forest Grove are numbers 513 and 514 respectively Columbia County Town Hall Meeting Date: May 24, 2009 … Continue Reading
May 14, 2009
Wyden to hold Town Halls in Lincoln, Tillamook Counties on May 30
Portland, OR - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden will host town hall meetings on May 30, 2009, in Lincoln City and Tillamook. Lincoln and Tillamook county residents are invited to attend the open forums to ask questions and voice their concerns. Senator Wyden has been holding town halls in each Oregon county every year since 1996. The events in Lincoln City and Tillamook are numbers 515 and 516 respectively Lincoln County Town Hall Meeting Date: May 30, 2009 … Continue Reading
May 13, 2009
FEMA Agrees to Delay Eviction of Vernonia Residents from Trailers
Washington, D.C. - In a letter to Senator Ron Wyden, the Federal Emergency Management Agency today agreed to give Vernonia families left homeless by a December 2007 flood an additional four months to stay in their FEMA-provided trailers. FEMA was planning to evict the families on June 8, but in a letter sent last Thursday to Dennis Hunsinger, FEMA deputy administrator for Region X, Wyden requested a delay to give the families more time to finish rebuilding. In a response to Wyden, Hunsinger … Continue Reading
May 12, 2009
Wyden, Merkley Urge Funding for Salmon Disaster Relief
Washington, D.C. - Working to save Oregon's salmon industry and the coastal communities that rely on it, U.S. Senators Ron Wyden (D- Ore.) and Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) asked the Senate Appropriations Committee today for an additional $9.8 million in federal disaster assistance."This is the third year out of the last four years that commercial salmon fishing has been virtually eliminated along the Oregon coastline due to low salmon return numbers from one of the major salmon runs," Wyden and … Continue Reading
May 08, 2009
Statement on Efforts to End Offshore Corporate Tax Loopholes
U.S. Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) issued the following statement on efforst to end offshore corporate tax loopholes: Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE … Continue Reading
May 07, 2009
Wyden Asks FEMA to Delay EvictingVernonia Residents from Trailers
Washington, D.C. - Oregon Senator Ron Wyden asked the Federal Emergency Management Agency today to give Vernonia families ravaged by a December 2007 flood another four months to finish fixing their homes before being evicted from their FEMA trailers. Under FEMA regulations, there is an 18-month limit on the use of the trailers. The period began in December 2007 when the disaster declaration was signed and ends on June 8 of this year. However, the trailers did not arrive in Vernonia until April … Continue Reading
April 30, 2009
Wyden Statement on Approval of $53 Million in Salmon Disaster Relief for Oregon Coastal Communities
Washington, D.C. Oregon Senator Ron Wyden issued the following statement today following Commerce Secretary Gary Locke's announcement that he was making $53 million available to communities in Oregon and Washington affected by the loss of the 2009 salmon season."The Secretary of Commerce made exactly the right decision in declaring this year's salmon season a continuation of the disastrous season Oregon faced in 2008. Secretary Gary Locke's designation ensures that $53 million in unspent … Continue Reading
April 30, 2009
Federal Economic Recovery Money will Help Retrain Workers Laid Off from Fleetwood Enterprises
Washington, D.C. - Oregon Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley announced today that Oregon has been awarded an initial $943,669 in economic recovery funds to help retrain 240 workers who lost their jobs following closure of travel trailer manufacturing plants in Umatilla and Union counties. "Nothing could be more important than helping workers who have lost their jobs through no fault of their own," Wyden said. "It is important that we invest in these skilled, productive workers so they are … Continue Reading
April 21, 2009
Snowe, Wyden Introduce Bill to Further Safeguard Taxpayer Dollars
Washington, D.C. - Continuing with their efforts to enforce strong protections in the use of taxpayer dollars, U.S. Senators Olympia J. Snowe (R-Maine) and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) last night introduced bipartisan legislation to provide the Congressional Oversight Panel (COP) with subpoena authority so that it can effectively conduct oversight on behalf of American taxpayers. "With $700 billion in TARP funds at stake, providing the Congressional Oversight Panel with the tools and resources it … Continue Reading
April 16, 2009
Wyden's Proposal to Increase Thinning of Federal Forests and Protect Old Growth Moves Closer to Introduction
Portland, OR - Citing the need to jumpstart federal efforts to make forests healthier and more fire resistant, Senator Ron Wyden today released draft legislation that will create jobs through increased thinning of over-grown federal forests while permanently ending the harvest of old-growth trees in Oregon. "We believe that the Wyden proposal will create well in excess of 5,000 new family-wage jobs. Equally as important, it will, if pursued consistently, eliminate the backlog of threatened … Continue Reading
April 14, 2009
Wyden Announces Statewide Committee to Recommend Names for Two Federal Judgeships
Portland, OR - Senator Ron Wyden announced today the names of 13 Oregonians who will serve on the Senator's Judicial Selection Committee, a committee that will recommend names to fill two federal district court judgeships for Oregon. Wyden also said that he is extending the deadline to May 4, 2009, in order to ensure that qualified candidates from throughout Oregon are given the opportunity to be considered. The committee, selected by Wyden and Senator Jeff Merkley, will be chaired by Lou … Continue Reading
April 09, 2009
Wyden, Merkley Cite Environmental and Economic Concerns of Expanded Warfare Training Off the Oregon Coast
Washington, DC- Echoing comments made by many Oregonians, Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley raised concerns today about the environmental and economic impacts of United States Navy's plans to expand warfare training off the Pacific coast. "Based on a number of comments we have received from a variety of interested stakeholders and constituents, we are concerned that many of the Navy's training proposals, including underwater minefield testing, explosive ordinance use, expanded land and … Continue Reading
April 02, 2009
Wyden Urges End to Ban on Using Forest Waste for Alternative Fuels
Washington, D.C. - As a way of reducing America's dependence on foreign oil, Senator Ron Wyden is urging Congress to change "the current myopic policies" that prohibit the use of biomass taken from federal lands for renewable fuel."Right now, instead of being part of the solution to our nation's dependence on foreign oil, biomass from federal lands is allowed to build up in the woods or worse become fuel for catastrophic fires." Wyden said in testimony on Wednesday before a Senate … Continue Reading
March 31, 2009
Wyden Amendment for Renewable Energy Job Training Included in Energy Bill
Washington, D.C. - In a bold step to dramatically improve our nation's preparedness to compete in the renewable energy industry, the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources today voted to include an amendment authored by U.S. Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) in the 2009 energy bill to fund job-training programs at community colleges in renewable and alternative energy fields. U.S. Senator John Barrasso (R-Wy) joined Wyden as a cosponsor of the amendment."The United States will not to be … Continue Reading
March 31, 2009
Amendment Would Increase Funding for Forest Health Projects in Oregon
Washington, D.C. - Pursuing long-promised tools to help prevent wildfires, U.S. Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) joined U.S. Senators John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) and Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) to introduce an amendment to the FY 10 Budget Resolution in the Senate today to fully fund the Healthy Forests Restoration Act of 2003 (HFRA) for the first time since its implementation. The amendment will authorize an additional $200 million in funding for Hazardous Fuel Reduction on Federal land, in order to fully … Continue Reading
March 30, 2009
President Signs Public Lands Bill into Law
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden issued the following statement today after witnessing President Obama sign the Omnibus Public Lands Management Act of 2009 (H.R. 146) into law. The legislation contains seven Wyden-authored provisions designating more than 200,000 Oregon acres as Wilderness. Wyden joined President Obama in the East Room of the White House today for the signing ceremony."With a stroke of the pen today, President Obama cemented Oregon's Wilderness legacy for generations … Continue Reading
March 30, 2009
Wyden to hold Town Hall Meeting in Deschutes County
Portland, OR - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden will host a town hall meeting in Bend on Monday, April 6, 2009. Residents of Deschutes County are invited to attend the open forums to ask questions and voice their concerns. Senator Wyden has been holding town halls in each Oregon county every year since 1996. The event in Bend is town hall number 509. Deschutes County Town Hall Meeting Date: Monday, April 6, 2009 Time: 12:30 p.m. … Continue Reading
March 30, 2009
25 Oregon Health Clinics to Receive $5.2 Million in Federal Economic Recovery Funds
Washington, D.C. - Recognizing the importance of improved health care to a strong economy, Oregon Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley announced today that $5.2 million in funds from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act will be going to 25 health clinics in 20 Oregon communities. "Addressing our nation's health care crisis is an essential element in having a healthy nation and a healthy economy," Wyden said. "This money will be used to expand health care services throughout Oregon, … Continue Reading
March 25, 2009
Public Lands Bill Achieves Final Passage
Washington, D.C. - Seven public lands bills authored by U.S. Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) achieved final passage in the House of Representatives as part of the Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009 (H.R. 146): "The Lewis and Clark Mount Hood Wilderness Act of 2007," "The Copper Salmon Wilderness Act," "The Oregon Badlands Wilderness Act of 2008," "The Cascade Siskiyou National Monument Voluntary and Equitable Grazing Conflict Resolution Act," … Continue Reading
March 24, 2009
Wyden to hold Town Halls in Benton, Linn Counties
Portland, OR - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden will host town hall meetings in Corvallis and Albany on Saturday, April 4, 2009. Residents of Benton and Linn counties are invited to attend the open forums to ask questions and voice their concerns. Senator Wyden has been holding town halls in each Oregon county every year since 1996. The events in Corvallis and Albany are town halls numbers 506 and 507. Benton County Town Hall MeetingDate: April 4, 2009 Time: 11:30 … Continue Reading
