Press Releases
Portland Community Development Projects to Receive Nearly $200 Million in Tax Credits
Washington, DC - Today, Senators Gordon Smith and Ron Wyden announced that three Portland community development programs have been awarded federal tax credits totaling almost $200 million to invest in Oregon's low-income communities under the New Markets Tax Credit (NMTC) Program. The awards will be announced officially tomorrow, May 6. "This is a great example of how private enterprise can be used in the public interest," Smith said. "These credits will make it possible to restore historic … Continue Reading
May 05, 2004
Portland to Receive $8 Million for Homeland Security
Washington, DC - U.S. Senators Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) and Gordon Smith (R-Ore.) today announced that the Oregon Department of State Police will receive $8,112,992 for homeland security preparedness in the Portland area. Funds are being awarded to help Portland prevent, deter, respond to, and recover from threats and incidents of terrorism. This grant is being awarded by the Urban Area Security Initiative Grant Program through the Department of Homeland Security's Office for Domestic Preparedness. … Continue Reading
April 29, 2004
Senate Approves 4-Year Extensions of Ban on Unfair Discriminatory Internet Taxes
Washington, DC -- U.S. Senators George Allen (R-Va.), Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) and Commerce Committee Chairman Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz) today hailed full Senate passage of the Internet Tax Non-Discrimination Act (S. 150), legislation extending the ban on multiple and discriminatory taxation on Internet access and online sales. The legislation bans three types of taxes that unfairly single out the Internet, including taxes on Internet access, double taxation (for example, by two or more states) of a … Continue Reading
April 13, 2004
Wyden Calls for Declassification of Bin Laden Documents Since 1998
Washington, DC - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) this week called for the declassification of "all documents distributed to or created by officials of both the current and former [presidential] administrations regarding the threat posed by Osama bin Laden and his al Qaeda organization, and the way in which policymakers perceived, considered, planned and responded to this threat, dating back to the August 1998 bombings of the United States Embassies in Kenya and Tanzania." In a letter to the … Continue Reading
April 08, 2004
Forest Service accepts Wydens proposal to create a Prineville forest health research center
Washington, DC U.S. Senator Ron Wydens proposal to create a forest health research center at the headquarters of the Ochoco National Forest in Prineville has been accepted by the Administration. The Prineville center will be established under existing authority and could begin operations as soon as late 2005.After all the twists and turns of working to get this facility established, Im extremely pleased the Forest Service accepted my proposal to create a forest health research center in … Continue Reading
April 02, 2004
Wyden calls on Administration to move quicklyand protect Oregon jobs in Biscuit salvage
Washington, DC Saying that "time is clearly of the essence," U.S. Senator Ron Wyden today called on the Administration to move quickly on salvage operations in the Biscuit fire area. In doing so, Wyden also urged the Administration to give a "strong preference" in jobs to Oregonians, who bore the brunt of the Biscuit fire."I believe the people of my state, who bore the burden and fears of the Biscuit fire, and who now bear the burden of a half million acre burn area, should have a strong … Continue Reading
March 25, 2004
Prepared remarks of U.S. Senator Ron Wyden
Two-thousand four is a momentous year for wilderness in Oregon. It marks the 40th anniversary of the 1964 Wilderness Act and the 20th anniversary of the last Oregon Wilderness bill (1984).But perhaps most importantly, 2004 marks the bicentennial of the single most important exploratory committee ever to be launched by this Federal government: the Lewis and Clark Expedition.I can see no better way to mark this auspicious year than by enacting a new Oregon Wilderness bill: the "Lewis and Clark … Continue Reading
March 24, 2004
U.S. Senate committee approves Wyden's bill to establish Prineville forest health research center
Washington, DC U.S. Senator Ron Wyden's bill (S. 1910) to establish a forest health research center at the Ochoco National Forest headquarters in Prineville, Oregon today passed the U.S. Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.The Prineville facility will be charged with carrying out an inventory and assessment of forest stands on federal land and, with the consent of owners, private forest land. The assessment will evaluate forest health conditions now and in the future, and … Continue Reading
March 23, 2004
Wyden Presses FTC Chair to Review Agencys Orders on Bakersfield Refinery
Wyden Presses FTC Chair to Review Agencys Orders on Bakersfield RefinerySenator calls on Muris to provide answers, determine whetherFTC orders from Chevron-Texaco merger make facility less viableMarch 23, 2004Washington, DC Continuing his strong criticism of the Federal governments inaction on rising gas prices across the country, U.S. Senator Ron Wyden today called on Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Chairman Timothy Muris to review previous oil company mergers and FTC orders that may be … Continue Reading
March 22, 2004
Smith-Wyden Bill Means Forestry Revenues Stay Home
Washington, DC Today, Senators Gordon Smith (R-OR) and Ron Wyden (D-OR) introduced The Umpqua National Forest Land Management Act which authorizes the sale of certain surplus Umpqua National Forest Service property to exclusively fund the expansion of local U.S. Forest Service facilities and the acquisition of additional tracts of Umpqua National Forest land."Oregonians should see the benefits from the Forest Service land sales in their backyard," said Smith. "This bill enables the Forest … Continue Reading
March 19, 2004
Wyden joins students & educators to celebrate arrival of $56,000 in computer equipment at River Road / El Camino del Rio Elementary School
March 19, 2004Eugene, OR - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden today joined students and educators at River Road/El Camino del Rio Elementary School in Eugene to celebrate the arrival of more than $55,000 in state-of-the-art computer equipment donated by the Beaumont Foundation of America.In February 2003, Wyden and Frank Newton, Executive Director of the Beaumont Foundation, encouraged Oregon schools and … Continue Reading
March 17, 2004
Smith, Wyden Announce Emergency Agriculture Aid
WASHINGTON, D.C. Today, Senators Gordon Smith (R-OR) and Ron Wyden (D-OR) announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture is providing $620,500 through the Emergency Conservation Program (ECP) to Oregon farmers and ranchers facing the consequences of natural disaster.This aid is another clear example of the Bush Administrations steadfast support of American family farmers, Smith said. Oregons farmers and ranchers deserve that, especially when facing unforeseeable disaster.The damages and … Continue Reading
March 10, 2004
Senate Committee Approves Wallowa Lake Dam Legislation
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senators Gordon Smith (R-Ore.) and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) today announced Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resource approval of the Wallowa Dam Rehabilitation and Water Management Act (S. 1355) to provide funding for dam improvements, tribal fish restoration, and for water management in the Wallowa Valley. Currently, the dam cannot be used to full capacity because of its age and condition. Local groups have developed projects with the participation of numerous state … Continue Reading
March 10, 2004
Wyden: First Suits under Can-Spam Good News for Oregon E-Mail Users
Washington, DC - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) today applauded the announcement by major Internet service providers (ISPs) of six lawsuits against alleged violators of the CAN-SPAM Act of 2003. Wyden, with U.S. Senator Conrad Burns (R-Mont.), wrote the first-ever Federal anti-spam law to protect Oregonians and all Internet users from unsolicited and often offensive e-mail. America Online, Earthlink, Microsoft and Yahoo! announced their legal action at a press conference this morning, … Continue Reading
March 04, 2004
Wyden, Smith Introduce Bill to Create Lewis and Clark National Historical Park
Washington, D.C. Today, Senators Gordon Smith (R-OR) and Ron Wyden (D-OR) introduced legislation to create the Lewis and Clark National Historical Park, which would expand the Fort Clatsop Memorial area near Astoria and incorporate three historic sites in adjacent southwest Washington.Fort Clatsop is one of Oregons important tourism treasures, said Smith. Further commemorating one of Oregons great contributions to American history is a special invitation to travelers far and wide.Renaming and … Continue Reading
March 03, 2004
Wyden-Stevens Legislation Will Stop Sale of Children's Names, Addresses to Marketers
Washington, DC - The names, ages and home addresses of millions of American children - some as young as two years old - are being bought and sold every day, often online, for the purpose of commercial marketing. Today in Congress, U.S. Senators Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) and Ted Stevens (R-Alaska) introduced the Children's Listbroker Privacy Act to make that practice unlawful. "The wholesale trafficking in specific information about individual children is something that I think most parents would … Continue Reading
March 02, 2004
Wyden, Castillo Unveil Proposals to Improve "No Child Left Behind" Law
Washington, DC - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) and Oregon Superintendent of Public Instruction Susan Castillo today unveiled a five-point proposal for improving the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) law. The proposal is synthesized from the concerns and suggestions of parents, teachers, school and community leaders; Wyden has held numerous "listening sessions" on NCLB across Oregon in recent months and during her first year in office, Castillo visited 35 school districts in the state and gathered … Continue Reading
February 26, 2004
Senators Seek to Protect Computer Users from "Spyware," Hidden Downloads
Washington, DC - U.S. Senators Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Conrad Burns (R-Mont.) and Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) today introduced legislation to prohibit spyware, adware, and other invasive software from being secretly installed on Americans' computers. For the first time, the SPYBLOCK (Software Principles Yielding Better Levels of Consumer Knowledge) Act would prohibit installing software on somebody else's computer without notice and consent, and requires reasonable "uninstall" procedures … Continue Reading
February 25, 2004
Wyden Questions Ridge in Data-Mining by Department of Homeland Security
Washington, DC - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) today called on Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Tom Ridge to provide information on all data-mining activities currently being undertaken by the Department. Wyden, who questioned Ridge during the morning's Budget Committee hearing on homeland security funding, has long worked to ensure that the Federal government's data-mining efforts respect Americans' privacy and civil liberties. "A whole host of information is being … Continue Reading
February 24, 2004
Oregon Dunes, Winchester Bay Land Conveyance to Become Law
Washington, DC - U.S. Senators Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) and Gordon Smith (R-Ore.) today announced final congressional approval of their Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area land transfer legislation, aimed at improving access to the site and boosting the tourism economy of the South Coast. The Wyden-Smith bill (S. 714) directs the Secretary of the Interior to convey approximately 68.5 acres from the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to Douglas County to be managed for open space and for recreational … Continue Reading
