Press Releases
Merkley, Wyden Blast President Trump’s Illegal Federal Funding Cuts That Harm American Families
Washington, D.C. - Oregon’s U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden today issued the following statements in response to a federal judge blocking the Trump Administration’s executive order immediately stopping all federal loans and grants: “The attack on these programs that allow families to get on their feet and thrive is the great betrayal coming from President Trump, who campaigned on helping working families, said Merkley, Ranking Member of the Senate Budget Committee and a senior member … Continue Reading
January 28, 2025
Wyden Joins 46 Lawmakers in Urging Supreme Court to Stop Flow of American Firearms to Mexican Drug Cartels
Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., said today he has joined 46 lawmakers in an amicus brief to the U.S. Supreme Court concerning a legal case that would hold gun manufacturers accountable for their role in the illegal trafficking of firearms to Mexico. “As the American firearm industry continues to rake in more profit from selling firearms to Mexican drug cartels, people continue to suffer at the hands of gun violence every day in Oregon and in our country,” Wyden said. “Gun … Continue Reading
January 28, 2025
Wyden, Dexter Urge Trump to Make Good on Campaign Promises to Lower Food Prices for American Families
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden and U.S. Representative Maxine Dexter today announced they have joined 19 legislative colleagues in a letter to Donald Trump urging him to take meaningful steps to lower grocery prices for American families.During his campaign, Trump repeatedly promised he would lower food prices “immediately” if elected. However, during his first week, none of the many executive orders he signed addressed any sort of plan to lower food costs. “Your sole action on … Continue Reading
January 28, 2025
Wyden, Merkley Co-Sponsor Resolution Condemning Pardons of Criminals Convicted of Assaulting Capitol Police Officers
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley today announced they have joined 47 of their Senate colleagues to introduce a resolution condemning the pardons of individuals found guilty of assaulting Capitol Police Officers on Jan. 6, 2021. “America continues to suffer the scars of Jan. 6 as nothing less than a violent assault on democracy, our Capitol and those who protect and serve our country,” Wyden said. “Donald Trump encouraged that assault four years ago and last week … Continue Reading
January 27, 2025
Wyden, Merkley Co-sponsor Climate Resolution
Washington DC—U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley today announced they have joined 20 U.S. Senate colleagues to reintroduce the We Are Still In resolution in response to Donald Trump’s withdrawal of the United States from the Paris Climate Agreement through a day-one executive order. “With increasingly severe weather consistently threatening Oregon and the wildfires now ravaging southern California, it’s clear the climate is in crisis and it’s no time to retreat on clean energy … Continue Reading
January 27, 2025
Wyden Joins Bipartisan Legislation to Support Firefighters with Service-Related Cancers
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden said today that he joined the reintroduction of legislation that would expand access to federal support for the families of firefighters and other first responders who died or became permanently disabled from service-related cancers. The Honoring Our Fallen Heroes Act would also extend disability benefits in cases where these first responders become permanently and totally disabled due to cancer. “In the wake of record wildfires last year in Oregon … Continue Reading
January 27, 2025
Wyden Blasts Trump’s Midnight Massacre of Independent Government Watchdogs
Washington, D.C. - Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., co-chair of the Senate Whistleblower Protection Caucus, blasted Donald Trump’s firing of 17 federal inspectors general last night. IGs are independent watchdogs that investigate waste and fraud within government agencies, and have been a nonpartisan check on abuse of federal taxpayer resources. “Donald Trump is systematically dismantling the protections against abuse, corruption and fraud within the federal government,” Wyden said. “Courts should … Continue Reading
January 24, 2025
Bonamici, Wyden, Merkley, Salinas, Hoyle, Dexter, Bynum Call for Providence, Oregon Nurses Association to Reach Agreement
WASHINGTON DC - Today Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici (OR-01), Val Hoyle (OR-04), Andrea Salinas (OR-06), Maxine Dexter (OR-03), Janelle Bynum (OR-05), and Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley sent a letter urging Providence and the Oregon Nurses Association to reach agreement on new employment contracts for doctors, certified nurse midwives, nurse practitioners, registered nurses, and clinical staff. The health care workers have been on strike since January 10th. The full text of the letter … Continue Reading
January 24, 2025
Merkley, Wyden: Over $15 Million for Natural Disaster Recovery in Oregon
Washington, D.C. - Oregon’s U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden today announced that the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) is sending a total of $15,064,295 to reimburse the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) for their vital repairs to roads and other critical infrastructure that were deeply damaged during several years of severe weather events. “Oregonians in every corner of the state have faced dangerous storms in recent years, which have taken a heavy toll on the … Continue Reading
January 23, 2025
Wyden Votes No on Advancing DOE and DOI Nominees in Energy and Natural Resources Committee
Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., issued the following statement after voting no to advance the nominations of Doug Burgum to be Secretary of the Department of the Interior and Chris Wright to be Secretary of the Department of Energy: “After years and years of Republicans standing in the way, Congress finally passed my technology neutral clean energy tax credits as a centerpiece of the Inflation Reduction Act. The clean energy tax credits are the biggest investment in … Continue Reading
January 23, 2025
Wyden to Streaming Services: It’s Time to Carry C-SPAN & Support Public Access to Government
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., said today that he and U.S. Representative Mike Flood, R-Neb., are urging FuboTV, Hulu, and YouTube to carry C-SPAN on their pay TV live streaming services. Their bipartisan letter to the streaming service companies notes that C-SPAN has been a part of packages sold by cable and satellite providers for more than 40 years yet major live TV streaming services have unfortunately failed to carry C-SPAN as they’ve entered the market. “We write … Continue Reading
January 22, 2025
Merkley, Wyden Join 20 Senators to Introduce Resolution Recognizing the Service of Women in Combat
Washington, D.C. - Oregon’s U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden announced today that they joined Senate Democrats in introducing a resolution honoring the service of women in combat roles in the U.S. Armed Forces. The resolution comes as President Donald Trump’s nominee to lead the Department of Defense (DoD), Pete Hegseth, continues to face scorching criticism for, among many other reasons, his long record of denigrating women servicemembers who bravely serve our nation in combat … Continue Reading
January 22, 2025
Wyden Slams Republicans for Prioritizing Anti-Abortion Extremism Over Legislation to Lower Costs and Help Families
Watch a video of Wyden’s remarks here Washington, D.C. — Senator Ron Wyden spoke out on the Senate floor against Republicans’ escalated assault on reproductive freedom in the first days of the Trump administration, showing their true priorities are undermining healthcare and reproductive freedoms, rather than lowering costs for working families. Wyden’s remarks this week came ahead of the Senate’s expected vote on S.6, legislation that would create a new government mandate that overrides the … Continue Reading
January 22, 2025
Merkley, Wyden Support Legislation to Lower Health Care Costs for Millions by Permanently Extending Affordable Care Act Premium Tax Credits
Washington, D.C. - Oregon’s U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden announced today they joined House and Senate Democrats in an effort to keep tax credits that lower health care premium costs by reintroducing the Health Care Affordability Act. The bicameral legislation makes permanent the Affordable Care Act’s (ACA) enhanced premium tax credits (PTCs) for Marketplace coverage as extended through the Inflation Reduction Act. According to the Congressional Budget Office (CBO), if the PTCs are … Continue Reading
January 21, 2025
Wyden: CIA Nominee Ratcliffe "has a record of ignoring the law ... and misrepresenting basic facts"
Watch a video of Wyden deliver his remarks here I speak today to oppose the nomination of John Ratcliffe to be the Director of the CIA. I often vote for nominees who have different policy views than I do, but my concerns with Mr. Ratcliffe are much deeper than that. In 2020, I opposed his confirmation to be Director of National Intelligence because of his partisanship and willingness to say whatever might please Donald Trump. Unfortunately, John Ratcliffe’s actions as DNI only confirmed my … Continue Reading
January 21, 2025
Merkley, Wyden Announce $1.4 Million in Federal Funding to Help Homeless Veterans with Housing
Washington, D.C. - Oregon’s U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden announced today that $1,449,067 is coming to Oregon to help homeless veterans secure affordable housing through federal housing assistance. “Oregon’s servicemembers deserve the full measure of our appreciation for serving and sacrificing for our nation, and that includes ensuring they have a safe, decent roof overhead after returning home,” Merkley said. “These federal housing vouchers will help homeless veterans across … Continue Reading
January 17, 2025
Wyden Introduces Bill to Protect American Consumers from Tariff-Imposed Tax Hikes
(Washington, DC) - U.S. Senators Ron Wyden, Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) and Tim Kaine (D-VA) today introduced legislation that would protect American consumers and small business owners from rising prices caused by tariffs imposed on goods imported into the United States. The Protecting Americans from Tax Hikes on Imported Goods Act would keep costs down by limiting the authority of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA)—which allows a President to immediately place unlimited … Continue Reading
January 17, 2025
Wyden, Fetterman Urge FDIC to Keep Consumers’ Ability to Access their Savings Safe and Secure
Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senators Ron Wyden, D-Ore., and John Fetterman, D-Pa., urged the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) to better protect consumers’ timely access to their savings in the event of a market disruption. Specifically, Wyden and Fetterman called on the FDIC to quickly finalize its newly proposed rule requiring banks to keep a daily record showing the true owners of consumer deposits received through non-bank financial technology (fintech) companies. There is … Continue Reading
January 17, 2025
Senators Wyden, Merkley & Representative Hoyle Applaud Federal Investment in Lane County Water System Infrastructure
Washington D.C.— U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley, along with U.S. Rep. Val Hoyle, today announced a $925,000 investment in Mapleton Water District of Lane County to improve the district’s raw water transmission line, protecting it from potential landslides. “These types of infrastructure improvements are crucial for the health of Oregonians and the land we live on,” Wyden said. “I’m gratified this big investment in the small community of Mapleton will shore up potential issues … Continue Reading
January 17, 2025
Merkley, Wyden Announce $50 Million to Support Drought Resilience in the Klamath Basin
Washington, D.C. - Oregon’s U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden announced today that a $50 million federal investment from the Inflation Reduction Act is headed to the Klamath Basin to largely fund a new agreement that supports irrigators facing prolonged drought conditions. The programs receiving funding today will support the region’s farmers and ranchers under a new Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the Bureau of Reclamation and the Klamath Water Users Association (KWUA), as … Continue Reading
