Press Releases
Oregon Delegation Members Announce Transportation Grant for 82nd Avenue
PORTLAND, OR - Today, members of the Oregon Congressional delegation announced that TriMet's 82nd Avenue Transit Project is receiving a $630,000 grant from the Federal Transit Administration. The award follows a visit to 82nd Avenue by U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg this month. Buttigieg joined Representative Blumenauer, Senator Merkley, TriMet representatives and local stakeholders for an 82nd Avenue bus tour where he saw first-hand the opportunities for improvement. 82nd … Continue Reading
July 19, 2023
Wyden Announces Inclusion of Anti-Fentanyl Legislation in Major Annual Defense Bill
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden today with colleagues announced the inclusion of major anti-fentanyl legislation in the Senate's annual defense bill that would impose new sanctions and cut off illicit fentanyl at the source. "Despite diligent law enforcement work, overdoses and deaths from fentanyl and fentanyl-laced drugs in Oregon have continued unabated, and now it's time to stop the trafficking of fentanyl at a major source: China," said Wyden, who has been pressing U.S. Customs … Continue Reading
July 19, 2023
Wyden, Colleagues Introduce Bill to Expand and Improve Access to Clean Water in Tribal Communities
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden today with colleagues reintroduced legislation that would dramatically expand Tribal access to clean water by investing in water infrastructure. "Clean drinking water is a human right. Yet, The Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs and other Native American Tribes nationwide have been making do with inadequate water infrastructure that has left many with limited or no access to clean water," said Wyden, who successfully fought for $250 million in the … Continue Reading
July 19, 2023
Wyden Applauds Bipartisan Passage of His Fourth Amendment Is Not For Sale Act in the House Judiciary Committee
Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., today praised the House Judiciary Committee, and lead sponsors Rep. Warren Davidson, R-Ohio, Chairman Jerry Nadler, D-N.Y., and Rep. Zoe Lofgren, D-Calif., for passing the Fourth Amendment is Not For Sale Act out of committee and advancing strong new protections for Americans’ rights. The Fourth Amendment is Not For Sale Act was authored by Wyden and Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., and first introduced in 2021 “The Fourth Amendment … Continue Reading
July 18, 2023
Wyden, Murray, Jacobs Lead Bicameral Effort Urging Biden Administration to Protect Reproductive and All Other Health Records Against Warrantless Law Enforcement Access
Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Ron Wyden, D-Ore., and Patty Murray, D-Wash., and U.S. Representative Sara Jacobs, D-Calif., today led colleagues in urging the Biden administration to go further in its proposed update of federal privacy regulations under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) and ensure that Americans’ protected health information (PHI) – for all categories of medical care – receive the same protections that emails and location … Continue Reading
July 13, 2023
Wyden, Jayapal, Brown, Welch Introduce Legislation to Improve Child Nutrition
Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Ron Wyden, D-Ore., Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, Peter Welch, D-Vt., and U.S. Representative Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., today introduced legislation that would improve child nutrition by expanding access to locally-grown, unprocessed fruits and vegetables for school meal programs. “Every child should have access to healthy, fresh meals, no matter their ZIP code or their family’s income,” Wyden said. “A fresh nutritious meal is key to … Continue Reading
July 13, 2023
Wyden, Merkley, Colleagues Urge EPA to Finalize Strongest Possible Vehicle Emissions Standards this Year
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley today with their colleagues urged the EPA to finalize the strongest feasible multi-pollutant vehicle emission standards for light- and medium-duty vehicles before the end of this year. In 2021, U.S. passenger cars and light-duty trucks contributed more than half of all transportation emissions in the U.S. The 2020 passenger fleet produces more than one million tons of nitrogen oxide emissions and 33,400 tons of particulate matter … Continue Reading
July 13, 2023
Wyden, Merkley: Oregon to Receive Nearly $20 Million for Crucial Electrical Grid Improvements for Low-Income Communities and Tribal Land
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley announced this week that Oregon will receive nearly $20 million to perform crucial updates to the electrical grid in low-income communities and on Tribal land. "Oregon families without means and Tribal families in Oregon have been on the front lines of the climate emergency in their communities - some losing power for days due to winter storms, and others losing acres of land from wildfires sparked by aging power lines," said Wyden, … Continue Reading
July 12, 2023
Wyden Stresses Preserving the Owyhee, Introducing Flexibility in the Grazing Management System
Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Ron Wyden secured an important step forward for the Malheur Community Empowerment for the Owyhee Act— legislation informed by Eastern Oregon ranchers, tribes and environmental organizations convened by Wyden that would preserve the Owyhee and introduce more flexibility into the established grazing management system. “We have a piece of legislation that preserves not just a treasured landscape for its incredible beauty and ecological … Continue Reading
July 11, 2023
Merkley, Wyden Announce Over $46,000 for Air Quality Tracking Headed to the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation
Washington, D.C. - Oregon's U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden today announced that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is awarding a total of $46,356 to the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation (CTUIR) for air monitoring to help improve public health data.? "One of the most important steps in protecting frontline communities from bad air pollution is actually monitoring their air, so that we can see where there are problems and take steps to address them," … Continue Reading
July 10, 2023
Wyden, Merkley Call for Temporary Continued Maternal Care at Baker City Hospital
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley today urged St. Alphonsus Health Systems to continue maternal care services at the Baker City hospital to let the Eastern Oregon community work with federal and state agencies to develop alternative solutions. St. Alphonsus Hospital in Baker City announced in June its intent to cease maternity care and birthing services starting July 30. "We have heard from doctors and nurses, parents and expectant parents, and large Baker … Continue Reading
July 10, 2023
Merkley, Wyden Announce Nearly $20 Million Coming to Oregon for Forest Conservation and Management
Washington, D.C. - Oregon's U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden announced today that the U.S. Forest Service will be awarding $19,999,000 for the Tualatin Mountain Forest project and the Minam Conservation and Connectivity project through the Forest Legacy Program at the U.S. Department of Agriculture. These projects will help conserve and manage economically and ecologically significant forestlands in Oregon. "It's great news that these two amazing Oregon sites will be protected … Continue Reading
July 07, 2023
Merkley, Wyden Announce Over $2 Million for Manufacturing Extension Services
Washington, D.C. - Oregon's U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden announced today that the Oregon Manufacturing Extension Program (OMEP) was awarded $2,217,708 to provide public-private partnerships to small- and medium-sized manufacturers in Oregon. The funding comes from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). "If we don't make things in America, we won't have a middle class in America, and when Oregon's manufacturing industry does well, all Oregonians benefit," said … Continue Reading
July 03, 2023
Wyden, Merkley: Mosier Community School One of 24 Schools Nationwide to Earn Funding for Resilient, Energy Efficient Renovation
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley today announced that Mosier Community School has earned a nearly $870,000 federal grant to support resilient, energy efficient improvements to the building. "Schools are pillars of every community, often serving as public meeting spaces, playgrounds, gyms, as well as classrooms. And yet, too many schools in Oregon lack the resources to make crucial improvements to their buildings," Wyden said. "I am proud that MCS has earned the … Continue Reading
June 30, 2023
Wyden Statement on the Supreme Court Striking Down Student Loan Forgiveness
Washington, D.C.— U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., released the following statement on the Supreme Court’s decision to strike down President Biden’s student loan forgiveness plan: “Once again, the far-right extremist Supreme Court has decided to radically alter people’s lives for the worse and this time it’s chosen to shackle millions of working-class borrowers in financial handcuffs. By throwing student loan forgiveness out the window, Americans will now be … Continue Reading
June 30, 2023
Wyden Presses Feds to Crack Down Harder on Fentanyl Flowing into Oregon via I-5, I-84
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden today urged top federal officials to crack down harder on the flow of fentanyl and other drugs pouring into Oregon communities on the I-5 and I-84 corridors. In a letter to Acting U.S. Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Troy A. Miller that followed the senator's recent meeting with agency officials, Wyden noted that traffic stops on northbound I-5 and west along I-84 in just one month this year revealed "deeply disturbing" volumes of deadly … Continue Reading
June 29, 2023
Merkley, Wyden Announce Over $800,000 for Access to Safe and Clean Drinking Water in Small, Underserved, and Disadvantaged Communities
Washington, D.C. - Oregon's U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden announced today that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is awarding $826,000 to the state of Oregon to support projects and activities that will help underserved, small and disadvantaged communities to access and invest in water infrastructure and comply with the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA). "Water is the elixir of life. Providing access to clean, safe drinking water - particularly in our most vulnerable … Continue Reading
June 29, 2023
All Eight Members of Oregon Delegation Call on U.S. Department of State to Address the Passport Application Backlog for Oregonians
WASHINGTON, DC - Today, U.S. Representative Val Hoyle (OR-04) called on the U.S. Department of State with U.S. Senators Ron Wyden, Jeff Merkley, and Representatives Earl Blumenauer (OR-03), Suzanne Bonamici (OR-01), Andrea Salinas (OR-06), Cliff Bentz (OR-02), and Lori Chavez-DeRemer (OR-05) to continue working to address the passport backlog for Oregonians by driving down wait times, increasing communication with Oregon applicants, and informing Congress of any additional resources the … Continue Reading
June 28, 2023
Merkley, Wyden Announce $17 Million for Climate-Friendly Transit in Oregon
Washington, D.C. - Oregon's U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden announced today that the Federal Transportation Administration is awarding transit districts in Oregon $17,129,662 for the purchase or lease of low- or no-emission vehicles, and related equipment or facilities. "As climate chaos intensifies, we must act boldly and quickly to transition to clean and renewable strategies,"?Merkley said.?"Low- and no-emission buses mean better health for our communities and less pollution in … Continue Reading
June 27, 2023
Wyden, Merkley, Colleagues Introduce Resolution Recognizing June as LGBTQ Pride Month
Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley said today they have joined with colleagues in introducing a Senate resolution recognizing June as LGBTQ Pride Month. “As we celebrate Pride this month, we must continue the fight for equal rights and justice for LGBTQ people in Oregon and nationwide,” Wyden said. “With extreme right-wing attacks escalating on fundamental rights to health care and bodily autonomy, we must continue to say it loud and … Continue Reading
