Press Releases
Wyden, Peters, Paul, and Crapo Press DHS on Use of Authority to Download Personal Device Data at Borders
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., said today that he has joined U.S. Sens. Gary Peters, D-Mich., Rand Paul R-Ky., and Mike Crapo, R-Idaho to press the Department of Homeland Security about its use of border search authority on electronic devices, including details on what data is retained from these searches, how it is stored, and who has access. The senators’ letter inquired about how U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement … Continue Reading
April 26, 2024
Wyden Joins Markey, Colleagues in Urging Affordable Connectivity Program Providers to Support Households in May with Additional Funding
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore. today joined U.S. Senator Edward J. Markey, D-Mass., and colleagues in a letter to NCTA - The Internet & Television Association, and the CTIA, urging their member companies to ensure their Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) subscribers receive the full $30 benefit in May. The Federal Communications Commission recently announced it only has enough funding to provide ACP subscribers with a $14 benefit in May, rather than the full $30. In … Continue Reading
April 26, 2024
Wyden, Markey Celebrate FCC’s Approval of Net Neutrality Rule
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senators Ron Wyden, D-Ore., and Edward J. Markey, D-Mass., today issued the following statement after the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) voted to approve its rule reclassifying broadband as a telecommunications service under Title II of the Communications Act and reinstating net neutrality protections: “Net neutrality is simple; it’s about nondiscrimination. Net neutrality ensures that anyone can use the internet without being blocked or obstructed by … Continue Reading
April 26, 2024
Merkley, Wyden Introduce Bill to Fund Agriculture Research in Oregon, Support its Industry
Washington, D.C. - Oregon’s U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden today announced the introduction of the Oregon Research Bounty Act, legislation to authorize funding for 11 research projects that benefit Oregon’s agriculture and forest product sectors. As the former top Democrat on the Appropriations subcommittee that writes our nation’s agriculture funding bill, Merkley used his position to create and fund several of the programs included in this bill. The Oregon Research Bounty Act … Continue Reading
April 24, 2024
Wyden Statement on Aid to Israel and Ukraine, Crackdown on Fentanyl Trafficking and TikTok Divestment Legislation
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., today applauded the passage of legislation to provide Ukraine, Israel, and America’s Indo-Pacific partners with $95 billion in security assistance to support their national defense, including $9.15 billion in lifesaving humanitarian aid, and to stem the flow of fentanyl into the United States. “It is shameful that House Republicans slow-walked vital aid to America’s allies and partners and humanitarian relief for worsening conflicts, but I’m … Continue Reading
April 24, 2024
Wyden, Merkley Announce $6.9 Million for Oregon Coastal Resilience and Ecosystem Recovery
Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley this week announced that Oregon will receive more than $6.9 million in federal funds from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the Inflation Reduction Act to support coastal ecosystem restoration and resilience. “The worsening damage from the climate crisis slams our coastal communities with ecosystems absorbing some of the harshest effects such as rising sea levels,” Wyden said. “I’m glad this federal investment from legislation … Continue Reading
April 23, 2024
Wyden Joins Colleagues in Calling Out Postal Leadership for Unsustainable Price Hikes and Poor Service
WASHINGTON, D.C. - As more and more Oregonians grow dissatisfied with the United States Postal Service for its price hikes coupled with inefficiency under Postmaster General Louis DeJoy, U.S. Senator Ron Wyden joined his Senate colleagues in pushing for change to protect the jobs, businesses, and Americans who rely on the service. In a letter to the USPS Board of Governors, the senators noted DeJoy’s tenure has produced higher prices and poor service. USPS announced earlier this month that … Continue Reading
April 23, 2024
Wyden Releases Draft Legislation to End Federal Dependence on Insecure, Proprietary Software In Response to Repeated Damaging Breaches of Government Systems
Washington, D.C. - Following a new report about how shambolic cybersecurity practices by a federal technology contractor enabled a massive hack of the U.S. government systems, Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., released draft legislation today to set mandatory cybersecurity standards, save taxpayers money, and break the anti-competitive lock-in effect caused by proprietary, walled-garden software. Multiple disastrous hacks of U.S. government systems have been enabled by poor cybersecurity practices … Continue Reading
April 22, 2024
Wyden, Colleagues Urge Department of Agriculture to Update Management of Old-Growth Forests, Incorporate Historic Indigenous Practices
Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., today led Senate colleagues in encouraging federal officials to prioritize a Forest Service amendment that would update the management of old-growth forests, and incorporate modern science and historic Indigenous practices that would protect forests from the effects of climate change, including wildfires and biodiversity loss. With more than two centuries of logging, over a century of fire suppression, and decades of increasing effects from … Continue Reading
April 22, 2024
Wyden, Heinrich, Padilla Introduce Legislation to Strengthen America’s Electric Grid, Improve Data and Models for Energy Reliability
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) said today that he and U.S. Sens. Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), and Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) have introduced two bills that would bolster the nation’s power grid by improving data and models to better understand and predict electric reliability. More granular data is needed to better understand weather impacts on energy resources and demands, especially as extreme weather events exacerbated by climate change increase in frequency. Reliability … Continue Reading
April 21, 2024
Senate Votes Now Expected on Tuesday Force Postponement of This Week’s Town Halls
Portland - U.S. Senate votes now expected for this week will force the postponement of U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden’s town halls that had been scheduled in Josephine, Curry, Coos and Douglas counties on April 23-24. All four town halls will be … Continue Reading
April 20, 2024
Wyden Statement on Reauthorization of FISA 702 Without Reforms to Warrantless Surveillance of Americans
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., today issued the following statement after voting No on a bill to reauthorize Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act for two years. “The Senate waited until the 11th hour to ram through renewal of warrantless surveillance in the dead of night. But I’m not giving up. The American people know that reform is possible and that they don’t need to sacrifice their liberty to have security. It is clear from the votes on very … Continue Reading
April 19, 2024
Wyden and Lummis Introduce Amendment to Roll Back Unprecedented Expansion of Warrantless FISA Surveillance
Bipartisan Amendment Strips Provision of House Bill that Requires Anyone who can Access a Server, Cable Box, Wifi Router, Phone or Laptop to Assist in Warrantless 702 Surveillance Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., and Sen. Cynthia Lummis, R-Wyo., today introduced an amendment to reverse a major expansion of warrantless surveillance under Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act that was included in the House-passed bill. The Wyden-Lummis amendment is … Continue Reading
April 19, 2024
Wyden Urges Senate to Reject Expansion of FISA 702 Surveillance
Watch a video of Wyden deliver his remarks here As prepared for delivery I rise today to describe what happened at the end of the House debate on Section 702 and the sweeping new surveillance authorities that were slipped into the bill by the chair of the House Intelligence Committee. Then I’m going to respond to all of the arguments that were given to justify these expanded authorities in this provision and why they don’t hold water. The chair of the House Intelligence Committee called … Continue Reading
April 19, 2024
Wyden, Merkley Announce $47.7 Million in Secure Rural Schools Funds to Oregon Counties
Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley this week announced that 30 Oregon counties will receive more than $47.7 million in federal payments under the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act (SRS) for schools and road maintenance, youth job training, wildfire prevention, watershed restoration and habitat conservation. These funds are allocated from the U.S. Forest Service, with more expected from the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) soon. “The Secure Rural … Continue Reading
April 18, 2024
Merkley, Wyden Join Colleagues in Bipartisan Letter to USPS Opposing Consolidations, Operational Changes Across the Country
Washington, D.C. - Oregon’s U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden joined a bipartisan group of their colleagues in Congress in a letter led by U.S. Senators Susan Collins (R-ME) and Joe Manchin (D-WV) to United States Postmaster General Louis DeJoy, opposing the United States Postal Service’s (USPS) recent nationwide consolidation and review announcements that could severely diminish mail service reliability for postal networks across the country. “A common theme of these announcements is … Continue Reading
April 18, 2024
Senators Wyden, Markey, Cantwell, Eshoo Join FCC Chair Rosenworcel to Highlight Upcoming FCC Net Neutrality Rule
Rule would reclassify broadband as a telecommunications service and reinstate net neutrality protections Washington (April 18, 2024) - Senators Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) and Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), along with Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel, Senator Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), and Representative Anna Eshoo (CA-16), today at a press conference praised the upcoming FCC rule reclassifying broadband as a telecommunications service under Title II of the … Continue Reading
April 18, 2024
Wyden, Merkley Urge Feds to Support Oregon’s School-Based Health Services Financed by Medicaid
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley this week urged federal health officials to award a planning grant up to $2.5 million to Oregon that would strengthen school-based health services financed by Medicaid in the state. The senators’ letter to the federal Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services comes in support of the Oregon Health Authority’s (OHA) grant application. “This planning grant would help OHA and the Oregon Department of Education (ODE) to prepare … Continue Reading
April 17, 2024
Merkley, Wyden: Immediate Drought Relief Headed to the Klamath Basin, Pushing for Long-Term Recovery Solutions
Washington, D.C.- Oregon’s U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden released the following statement today following the Bureau of Reclamation’s recently announced water allocation for the Klamath Project, as well as $8.5 million in immediate drought relief aid for Klamath Basin communities and $5 million in technical assistance for Klamath Basin Tribes impacted by prolonged drought: “We remain committed as ever to working together to ensure Klamath Basin communities have the resources they … Continue Reading
April 16, 2024
Wyden Urges Colleagues to Reject Expanding Warrantless FISA 702 Surveillance
Watch a video of Wyden deliver his remarks here As prepared for delivery Washington, D.C. — I rise in strong opposition to this FISA bill. There is a key question here: who should be forced to help their government spy? The legislation coming from the House gives the government unchecked authority to order millions of Americans to spy on behalf of the government. Under current law - section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act - the government can order the telephone … Continue Reading
