Press Releases
Wyden Amendment to Make CIA Inspector General Report Public
Washington, DC -- Believing that the American people have a right to know how the CIA performed prior to the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, U.S. Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR), a senior member of the U.S. Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, today offered an amendment that would require the Director of the CIA to declassify the Executive Summary of the CIA Inspector General's report on 9/11. The CIA report is the only major 9/11 government review that has not been made public.Wyden's … Continue Reading
April 04, 2007
Renewed Hope for Salmon Fisherman Aid
Washington, DC - To aid Oregon fishermen impacted by last year's restricted salmon fishing season, U.S. Senators Gordon H. Smith (R-OR) and Ron Wyden (D-OR) are pushing for $60.4 million in disaster assistance for West Coast salmon fishermen to be included in an emergency spending bill the Senate is drafting."Last year's closure was devastating to Oregon's salmon fishermen," Smith said. "We will do everything we can to secure this long-awaited funding. Struggling fishermen and businesses … Continue Reading
April 04, 2007
Wyden, Feingold: Put Money Where the Reform Is When it Comes to Health Care
Washington, DC - U.S. Senators Ron Wyden (D-OR) and Russ Feingold (D-WI), both members of the Budget Committee, today offered an amendment during consideration of the 2008 budget to create a reserve fund to cover different types of health reform that may be approved during the congressional session."There are a wide variety of views about what's needed to fix health care. I have a plan - the Healthy Americans Act - that would provide every American with affordable, private health care … Continue Reading
April 04, 2007
U.S. Senate Approves Wyden-Grassley Plan to Get Rid of Secret Holds; Provision Now Goes to Conference Committee
Washington, D.C. - The U.S. Senate last night approved a critical ethics and reform bill, S.1 that includes a provision authored by U.S. Senators Ron Wyden (D-OR) and Chuck Grassley (R-IA) to prohibit a single Senator from blocking legislation or a nominee without revealing his or her identity.Wyden and Grassley have worked for more than a decade to end the practice of secret holds. Their amendment requiring a Senator who places a hold to make it public within three days was included in the … Continue Reading
April 04, 2007
Intelligence Authorization Bill Clears Committee
Washington, D.C. - After two years of the Senate failing to pass an Intelligence Authorization bill, the U.S. Senate Select Committee on Intelligence today approved the Intelligence Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2007. Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR), a senior member of the Committee, lauded the agreed-upon legislation as "vital to fortifying the U.S.'s intelligence capabilities." "Passage of this legislation is proof positive that Congress can improve accountability in the intelligence … Continue Reading
April 04, 2007
Wyden Applauds Chairman's Decision to Formally Ask for Review of Possible Hardwood Plywood Abuses
Washington, DC -- U.S. Senator Ron Wyden of Oregon applauded Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus' decision to formally request that the International Trade Commission (ITC) conduct a review of the U.S. hardwood plywood and wood flooring industry. Nearly 2,000 Oregonians work in the hardwood plywood industry."I applaud Chairman Baucus' decision to request an International Trade Commission study to investigate unfair Chinese trade practices that are hurting U.S. hardwood plywood … Continue Reading
April 04, 2007
Wyden Introduces the "Stop Arming Iran Act"
Washington , D.C. - Working to end the Iranian government's acquisition of sensitive military equipment, Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR), a senior member of the U.S. Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, introduced legislation today that would prohibit the Pentagon from selling surplus parts and equipment for F-14 fighter aircraft. Wyden's legislation would also prohibit the export of F-14 parts already sold. "There is no good reason for the United States to be putting surplus F-14 parts on the … Continue Reading
April 04, 2007
Wyden to Head Senate Subcommittee on Public Lands and Forests
Washington , D.C. - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR) was today appointed chairman of the U.S. Senate's Energy and Natural Resources Subcommittee. The chairmanship will provide an important platform for Wyden to act on the nation's foremost environmental and natural resource issues."I am honored by this opportunity to assist Chairman Bingaman in protecting our nation's wilderness and public lands, promote sustainable and wise use of our natural resources, and champion important legislation like … Continue Reading
April 04, 2007
Bipartisan Budget Language Inserted to Protect BPA Customers from Rate Hike
Washington, DC - Today, U.S. Senators Patty Murray (D-WA), Ron Wyden (D-Oregon) and Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) successfully included language in the Fiscal Year 2008 Budget Resolution that is a critical first step to defeating an administration proposal to increase the rates of Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) consumers. Murray, Wyden, and Crapo, all members of the Senate Budget Committee, have been supported in their efforts by a unified, bipartisan delegation of Northwest Senators. On … Continue Reading
April 04, 2007
Wyden, Smith Introduce "Mount Hood Wilderness Act of 2007"
Washington, D.C. - Working for the permanent preservation of an additional 128,600 acres surrounding Mount Hood and the Columbia River Gorge, U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Gordon Smith today introduced the "Lewis and Clark Mount Hood Wilderness Act of 2007." The legislation builds on previous efforts to establish a Mount Hood wilderness area, incorporating comments from over 100 community groups and local governments, members of the Oregon Congressional delegation, the governor and the Bush … Continue Reading
April 04, 2007
Bipartisan Blueprint for Health ReformTen Senate Leaders Say, "Let's Fix Health Care Now."Senators of Both Parties Hope to Work with the President
Washington, D.C. - In an strong message to President George W. Bush, 10 senators - five from each party - today sent a straightforward letter to the President inviting him to work with them to fix the nation's health care system. The Senators, from different parts of the country and different parts of the political spectrum, have one thing in common: each of them believes that that the status quo on health care is unacceptable. Further delay is intolerable as costs continue to skyrocket, our … Continue Reading
April 04, 2007
Senate Moves to Declassify CIA Report on 9/11
Washington, DC - U.S. Senate legislation to implement unfinished recommendations of the 9/11 commission includes a bipartisan amendment to declassify the Executive Summary of the CIA Inspector General's Report on 9/11. The CIA report is the only major 9/11 government review that has not been made public, a fact that the Vice Chairman of the U.S. Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, Kit Bond (R-MO) and U.S. Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR), a senior member of the Intelligence Committee, have spent … Continue Reading
April 04, 2007
EPA Bows to Northwest Senators' Concerns on Airborne Benzene
Washington, D.C. - After months of pressuring the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to adopt a standard for airborne benzene that didn't "turn the Northwest into an environmental sacrifice zone," U.S. Senator Ron Wyden announced today that the EPA is instituting a nationwide cap on the amount of benzene in gasoline that will reduce benzene levels in the Northwest threefold. The EPA had previously proposed a rule that could have left levels in the Northwest higher than other parts of the … Continue Reading
April 04, 2007
Snowe, Wyden Act to Require HHS Secretaryto Negotiate or Medicare Prescription Drugs
Washington D.C. - U.S. Senators Olympia Snowe (R-ME) and Ron Wyden (D-OR), both members of the Senate Finance Committee, are slated tomorrow to introduce legislation to make the Medicare program a "smarter shopper" by requiring the U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to negotiate with drug companies for prices under certain circumstances."The rapidly escalating price of prescription drugs threatens to undermine the very drug benefit Congress passed to deliver real savings to … Continue Reading
April 04, 2007
Senators Introduce Multi-Year County Payments Renewal
Washington, D.C. - Struggling rural schools and communities were thrown a lifeline today by a bipartisan coalition of U.S. Senators, when they offered a multi-year proposal to restore funding for the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self Determination Act, commonly known as the county payments law. U.S. Senator Ron Wyden offered the amendment to the 2007 Emergency Supplemental Appropriations bill with the support of U.S. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) and U.S. Senators Max Baucus … Continue Reading
April 04, 2007
Senators Demand that EPA Protect Northwesterners' Health in Setting National Benzene Standards
Washington, D.C. - Citing how an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposed rule could fail to significantly reduce levels of a cancer-causing chemical in the Pacific Northwest, U.S. Senators Ron Wyden (D-OR), Gordon Smith (R-OR), Maria Cantwell (D-WA) and Patty Murray (D-WA) today wrote EPA Administrator Stephen Johnson questioning why the agency is proposing to regulate the chemical in a way that could leave levels in the Northwest higher than other parts of the country.EPA currently … Continue Reading
January 24, 2007
West Coast Senators Put County Payments on Senate Agenda
Washington, D.C. - A bipartisan coalition of West Coast Senators today announced the introduction of the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self Determination Reauthorization Act of 2007, legislation that would restore funding for the critical "county payments" law by reauthorizing the successful program for seven years. U.S. Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR), Chairman of the Senate Subcommittee on Public Lands and Forests, introduced a bill with U.S. Senators Ted Stevens (R-AK), Patty Murray (D-WA), … Continue Reading
January 23, 2007
Wyden Reacts to the State of the Union
Statement of U.S. Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR) in response to President George W. Bush's State of the Union speech:"At community meetings from Oregon to Maine, two topics dominate: Iraq and health care. I want to work in a bipartisan manner on both issues and I want to keep my door open to the Bush Administration on both of these issues."Thus far, the President has not convinced me that overstretching our military even further is going to make a bit of difference in Iraq and I will oppose the … Continue Reading
December 06, 2006
Pension Reform Bill with Key Provision for PGE Employees Now Heads to President
Washington, DC A provision by U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Gordon Smith to help Portland General Electric (PGE) employees catch up on their retirement savings was included in a major pension reform bill passed by the full U.S. Senate late last night.Many PGE employees lost much of their retirement savings through Enrons unforgivable actions, Wyden said. This catch-up language will help the folks hurt by Enron to rebuild their retirement savings."No one should be faced with a loss of their … Continue Reading
December 06, 2006
Wyden, Dorgan Raise Security Concerns at Army Explosives Plant
Washington, DC - After learning of disturbing allegations of lax security at the Holston Army Ammunition Plant in Kingsport, Tennessee, U.S. Senators Ron Wyden (D-OR) and Byron Dorgan (D-ND) are calling for an immediate investigation into the practices of Wackenhut Corporation, the private contractor responsible for security at the facility. The Holston plant produces explosives used in U.S. weapons systems, including the Sidewinder, Hellfire, Tomahawk and Javelin missiles. As one Army … Continue Reading
