Press Releases
Wyden urges swift action by U.S. Forest Service on proposed salvage timber agreement to aid economy, create timber jobs in Eastern Oregon
Washington, D.C. - Oregon Senator Ron Wyden urged the U.S. Forest Service today to act quickly on a proposed agreement to salvage valuable timber in fire-ravaged areas of Grant and Harney counties."The conservation community, the timber industry and the local elected officials in Eastern Oregon have proposed an agreement that will salvage valuable timber, provide needed product for local lumber mills and aid the ailing economies in a rural area of my state," Wyden said in a letter to the … Continue Reading
April 24, 2008
Wyden urges STB to investigate CORP's service reductions on Southern Oregon's Siskiyou rail line
Washington, D.C. - Oregon Senator Ron Wyden urged the Surface Transportation Board (STB) today to investigate the service reductions on the Southern Oregon Siskiyou rail line and to use its authority to ensure that all railroads are performing their obligation to invest in their long-term needs."Railroads have a duty to provide service upon reasonable request," Wyden said in testimony before the Board. "By law, a railroad may not refuse to provide service merely because to do so would be … Continue Reading
April 24, 2008
Senators Expand Employer and Employee Choices for Affordable, Universal Coverage Under the Healthy Americans Act
Washington DC - Continuing their effort to modernize the employer - employee healthcare relationship, U.S. Senators Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Bob Bennett (R-Utah), Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.) and Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) introduced an amendment to the Healthy Americans Act (S.334) that makes it clear that working within the HAA framework, employers can choose to continue offering health care as a benefit to their employees."We are pleased to be able to expand the array of choices that will be available … Continue Reading
April 16, 2008
Wyden Questions Planned Rural Health Care Funding Changes
WASHINGTON, DC - Working to preserve rural health care in all corners of Oregon, U.S. Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) sent a letter to U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Michael Leavitt today urging him to extend the public comment period on a proposed alteration to the formula for determining federal rural health care funding.If the rule is enacted, Oregon's rural health facilities stand to lose a disproportionate share of federal dollars as 79 percent of Oregon's existing … Continue Reading
April 16, 2008
Wyden Reminds Americans to Honor Health Care Decisions Day
Washington DC - In an effort to encourage more Americans to discuss important end-of-life medical decisions with their loved ones, U.S. Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) reminded his constituents and colleagues to join him in observing April 16th as National Health Care Decisions Day. Earlier this month, the Senate passed a resolution sponsored by Wyden and U.S. Senators Mike Enzi (R-WY), Roger Wicker (R-MS), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), and Sherrod Brown (D-OH) recognizing the importance of National … Continue Reading
April 15, 2008
Wyden to Hold Town Hall Meetings in Clackamas, Multnomah Counties
Portland, OR - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden will host town hall meetings on April 20, 2008, at West Linn City Hall and Jefferson High School. Clackamas and Multnomah county residents are invited to attend the open forums to ask questions and voice their concerns.During his 1996 U.S. Senate campaign, Wyden promised to hold town hall meetings in every Oregon county each year. The events in West Linn and Portland mark the 11th year of these meetings, which now total over 475.Also, during the Multnomah … Continue Reading
April 14, 2008
On Eve of Tax Day, Wyden Calls for Comprehensive Tax Reform
WASHINGTON, DC - As millions of Americans rush to file their taxes by the April 15th deadline, U.S. Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), author of the Fair Flat Tax Act (S.1111) illustrated the needless complexity of the Federal tax code. The full text of his remarks is below:U.S. Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore.)Speech on the Senate FloorMonday, April 14, 2008Mr. President, for the next 33 hours millions of Americans will face mindless, relentless, needless tax torture trying to shovel their way out from … Continue Reading
April 08, 2008
Wyden Calls for Accountability at the Hanford Nuclear Waste Treatment Plant
Washington, D.C. -- In a letter to the U.S. Secretary of Energy Samuel Bodman, U.S. Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) requested an explanation of the causes of the most recent "black cell" procurement problems at the Hanford Nuclear Waste Treatment Plant, located in Richland, Washington on the Columbia River. Citing reports from staff at the Defense Nuclear Facility Safety Board, Wyden noted that as many as 1000 pipe sections procured by the contractor - Bechtel National, Inc. (BNI) - for … Continue Reading
April 07, 2008
Wyden, Clinton, Lieberman, Dodd Seek Repeal of Federal Control Over LNG Terminal Siting
WASHINGTON, DC - Working to restore local control over liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal placement, U.S. Senators Ron Wyden (D-OR), Hillary Clinton (D-NY), Joe Lieberman (ID-CT), and Chris Dodd (D-CT) introduced legislation today to repeal portions of the Energy Policy Act of 2005, which gave that authority to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC). Such decisions had historically been decided by state siting agencies. "The end result of the Bush-Cheney energy bill is a Federal … Continue Reading
April 07, 2008
Wyden to hold town hall meetings in Grant, Harney counties
Portland, OR - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden will host town hall meetings on April 19, 2008, in John Day and Burns. Grant and Harney county residents are invited to attend the open forums to ask questions and voice their concerns.During his 1996 U.S. Senate campaign, Wyden promised to hold town hall meetings in every Oregon county each year. The events in John Day and Burns mark the 11th year of these meetings, which now total over 475.Harney County Town Hall MeetingDate: April 19, 2008Time: 1 … Continue Reading
April 07, 2008
Wyden: Reform is Needed to Fix America's Broken Health Care System
WASHINGTON, DC - Reaching out to key players in the debate over comprehensive health care reform, U.S. Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) spoke today at the 2008 American Hospital Association Annual Meeting about the Healthy Americans Act (S. 334), the first bipartisan, comprehensive health reform bill in more than 13 years.Wyden spoke about the mounting set of problems hospitals face:"Hospital administrators wrestle with the same huge problems every day: increasing amounts of bad debt, growing … Continue Reading
March 20, 2008
Wyden meets with SOU students, administrators about credit card debt, discusses legislation to help consumers cope with hidden fees and penalties
Ashland, Ore. -- U.S. Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR) met with college students and administrators at Southern Oregon University on Thursday to learn more about credit card solicitations and rising student debt and to discuss his credit card rating legislation.The meeting follows the recent introduction by Senator Wyden of the Credit Card Safety Star Act that will rate credit card applications based on how easy they are to understand. The bill is being co-sponsored by Illinois Senator Barack Obama. … Continue Reading
March 19, 2008
Wyden to discuss new credit card rating legislation at SOU on Thursday
Ashland, OR - Southern Oregon University students and administrators will join Oregon Senator Ron Wyden on Thursday, March 20, 2008, for a roundtable discussion and news conference on legislation that will give consumers, particularly college students, a valuable new tool to determine the difference between good and bad credit cards. Wyden introduced The Credit Card Safety Star Act of 2007 (S. 2411) along with co-sponsored Illinois Senator Barack Obama.At the news conference, students and … Continue Reading
March 17, 2008
Wyden to Host Health Care Town Hall on Wednesday in Salem
Salem, OR - On Wednesday, March 19, 2008, Oregon Senator Ron Wyden will be in Salem to host a community conversation on health care. Wyden, co-sponsor of the bipartisan Healthy Americans Act, is inviting Marion County and other mid-Willamette Valley residents to attend and share their personal experiences and perspective in dealing with the health care system."Health care consistently ranks at the top of the list of issues that concern all Americans," Wyden said. "Hearing the personal … Continue Reading
March 14, 2008
Senators Inouye and Corker Sponsor Healthy Americans Act
Washington DC - The bipartisan Senate effort to fix the nation's ailing health care system grew today as U.S. Senators Ron Wyden (D-OR) and Bob Bennett (R-UT) welcomed two key Senate sponsors of the Healthy Americans Act (S. 334). U.S. Senator Daniel Inouye (D-HI), the Chair of the Senate Commerce Committee and second-most senior member on the Senate Appropriations Committee and U.S. Senator Bob Corker (R-TN), a former mayor, state finance commissioner, and entrepreneur who knows first-hand … Continue Reading
March 12, 2008
Bipartisan Senate-House Resolution Recognizes the Importance of Advance Healthcare Decision-Making
Washington DC - In an effort to encourage all Americans, at all stages of their life, to discuss important end-of-life medical decisions with their loved ones, U.S. Senators Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) and Mike Enzi (R-WY) and U.S Representative Phil Gingrey (R-GA) today introduced a joint-resolution to recognize National Health Care Decisions Day. "It's not easy to talk to a family member or loved ones about what kind of medical care you'd want or not want at the end of your life. Yet everyday … Continue Reading
March 10, 2008
Wyden to hold Town Hall Meetings in Malheur, Baker and Morrow Counties
Portland, OR - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden will host three town hall meetings in two days beginning March 16th. Residents of Malheur, Baker and Morrow and counties are invited to attend the open forums to ask questions and voice their concerns.During his 1996 U.S. Senate campaign, Wyden promised to hold town hall meetings in every Oregon county each year. The events in Ontario, Baker City and Irrigon mark the 11th year of these meetings, which now total over 450.Malheur County Town Hall … Continue Reading
March 05, 2008
Wyden Urges FAA to Rescind New Rule on Kit Aircraft, Prevent Job Losses in Oregon Aircraft Manufacturing
Washington, D.C. - Oregon Senator Ron Wyden asked the Federal Aviation Administration today to immediately rescind a new rule that threatens kit aircraft manufacturers in Oregon and across the country with reduced sales and worker layoffs."We ask that you immediately rescind the moratorium on new kit evaluations," Wyden said in a letter to Robert A. Sturgell, acting FAA administrator. "Should the FAA proposals go forward, they could significantly affect important employers at a time when the … Continue Reading
March 05, 2008
Speech: Wyden Addresses America's Health Insurance Plans (AHIP) 2008 National Policy Forum
Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) delivered the following speech before the America's Health Insurance Plans 2008 National Policy Forum on Wednesday, March 5, 2008.In less than a year, America will watch a new president be sworn into office, and exactly one year from now that new president will be on day 44 of their first 100 days - their so-called "honeymoon" with the public. I don't think that I have to tell you, that for the cause of health care reform, those 100 days will be very important.I … Continue Reading
March 03, 2008
Wyden Co-Sponsors "21st Century GI Bill"
Washington, D.C. - Arguing that "soldiers who share the same foxhole for the same length of time should get the same benefit," U.S. Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) announced his support today for the "Post-9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Act" (S.22). Reintroduced late yesterday, the legislation commonly referred to as the "21st Century GI Bill" will provide service members who have served since September 11, 2001 with improved educational benefits similar to those provided to World War … Continue Reading
