Press Releases
Wyden statement on approval of $170 million in salmon disaster relief
Washington, D.C. -- Oregon Senator Ron Wyden issued the following statement today following Senate approval of a Farm Bill that includes $170 million in disaster assistance to help commercial fishers and businesses that have been affected by the salmon closure in Oregon, California, Washington and Idaho. "The disaster relief funding included for our commercial fishing industry is a much-needed lifeline for lots of Oregon communities and families," said Wyden. "We look forward to working with … Continue Reading
May 15, 2008
Farm Bill Passes with Illegal Logging Provision Intact
Washington, D.C. - Protecting ecosystems across the globe and businesses here at home that are being devastated by the practice of illegal logging, U.S. Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) today praised the inclusion of an amendment to the Farm Bill based on the "Combat Illegal Logging Act of 2007" which the senator introduced last year to halt the trade of illegal timber. American manufacturers are increasingly struggling to compete with the low-priced wood and wood products being harvested from … Continue Reading
May 14, 2008
Wyden calls the EPA's Refusal to Meet with the City of Portland "Flagrantly Wrong"
Washington, D.C. U.S. Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) today criticized the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) refusal to meet with the City of Portland to discuss the city's sewer reconstruction program. The City has been working for over 20 years on a program to meet the requirements of the Clean Water Act and reduce water pollution from its sewer system. "After the City of Portland and its ratepayers have shown their good faith by committing to years of effort and over $1.4 … Continue Reading
May 08, 2008
Senate Committee Assigns $400 Million for County Payments
Washington, D.C. - In a continued effort to provide lasting relief for the nation's rural schools and communities, U.S. Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) announced today that $400 million is included in the Senate's Iraq supplemental spending bill for the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self Determination Act, commonly known as the "county payments" law. The bill which includes all of the government's emergency supplemental funding for FY 2008 is expected to pass the Senate … Continue Reading
May 07, 2008
Wyden, Smith Move Siskiyou Grazing Buy Out Forward
Washington, DC - Oregon's U.S. Senators today succeeded in pushing forward a bipartisan compromise to buy out cattlemen's grazing leases on the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument, protecting over 24,000 acres of new wilderness. Smith and Wyden's legislation, which has strong local backing, was unanimously approved by the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources today."At a crossroad that required balance and long-term vision, ranchers and environmentalists came together and found a way to … Continue Reading
May 01, 2008
CLOSURE OF SALMON SEASON DECLARED A "FISHERIES FAILURE"
In light of the near complete cancellation of all commercial salmon fishing off of the West Coast this year, the Department of Commerce today declared a "fishery failure" for the 2008 season. This declaration will provide the authorization needed for Congress to provide disaster assistance for affected communities. Oregon Senators Gordon Smith and Ron Wyden urged the declaration in a letter to the Department of Commerce earlier this month."A season without work is devastating for families who … Continue Reading
May 01, 2008
CBO and Joint Tax Find Healthy Americans Act Would Lead to Surpluses after 2014
WASHINGTON, DC - After analyzing the bipartisan Healthy Americans Act (S. 334), the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) and the Joint Committee on Taxation (Joint Tax) today released a report that found the Act would be roughly budget neutral in 2014 and found that implementation of the Act would actually create surpluses after that year. The findings were released by CBO Director, Peter Orszag, in a closed-door briefing with a bipartisan group of cosponsors. Copies of the CBO/Joint Tax Report … Continue Reading
April 30, 2008
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 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 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 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 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, 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: 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
