Press Releases
Wyden, Merkley: More than $82 Million in Secure Rural Schools Funds to go to Oregon Counties
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley this week announced that Oregon counties will receive more than $82 million in payments under the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act (SRS) for school and road maintenance, youth job training, wildfire prevention, watershed restoration and habitat conservation. "For the better part of two decades, SRS payments have maintained an economic lifeline for Oregonians counting on quality schools, dependable … Continue Reading
May 05, 2022
Wyden, Merkley: Native American Rehabilitation Association of the Northwest to Receive More than $295,000 for Health Services
Washington, D.C. -U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley today announced the Native American Rehabilitation Association of the Northwest (NARA) will receive $295,112 from the Indian Health Service (IHS) for providing crucial mental, physical and behavioral health services for Native Americans in Portland. "It is critical that Native American communities have access to quality, culturally appropriate healthcare whether living in a city, rural community or on a reservation," Wyden said. … Continue Reading
May 04, 2022
Merkley, Wyden Announce Critical Step Forward to Modernize Oregon’s Waterways and Ports for Those Who Rely on Them
Washington, D.C. - Oregon's U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden today announced a raft of critical projects and policy initiatives for Oregon that have been written into the Water Resources Development Act?(WRDA) of 2022 which passed out of a key Senate committee today. The bill will next head to the Senate floor for a full vote. "Every one of us wants to know that we can rely on safe water coming from our taps and that other key water infrastructure will be there to keep us and our … Continue Reading
May 04, 2022
Wyden Votes For Non-Binding Resolution on Iran Policy
Washington, D.C. - Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., voted in favor of a non-binding Motion to Instruct, urging the executive branch not to disregard Iran's nuclear weapons program or human rights violations when negotiating an new agreement with Iran. Wyden, who voted in favor of the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action with Iran, and opposed Donald Trump's withdrawal from the deal, issued the following statement today: "Today, I joined a bipartisan group of senators to vote for a non-binding … Continue Reading
May 04, 2022
Wyden, Murray, Casey, Hassan Demand Answers From Top Companies Illegally Delaying or Denying Patients Insurance Coverage for Birth Control
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senators Ron Wyden (D-OR), Patty Murray (D-WA), Bob Casey (D-PA) and Maggie Hassan (D-NH) this week pressed the nation's largest pharmacy benefits managers (PBMs) to answer deeply troubling reports that they are breaking the law by illegally delaying or denying patient insurance coverage for birth control. "We have heard numerous accounts of PBMs requiring prior authorization, denying claims, or asking patients to try multiple forms of contraceptives before approving … Continue Reading
May 03, 2022
ENR Committee Passes Wyden’s Recreation Not Red Tape Act
Washington, D.C. - The U.S. Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources today passed a bipartisan recreation bill that included key components of U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden's Recreation Not Red Tape Act to remove barriers to outdoor recreation, increase equitable access to public lands, and boost rural economies and jobs. "No matter who you are or where you're from, everyone should be able to have equitable access to enjoy our public lands," Wyden said. "Breaking down the burdensome … Continue Reading
May 03, 2022
Wyden statement on reported draft Supreme Court decision to overturn Roe v. Wade
Washington, D.C. -- Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., today released the following statement on the leaked draft Supreme Court majority opinion to overturn Roe v. Wade: "The Republican party has set the stage for a total erosion of Americans' constitutional rights. They have made clear they won't stop at gutting the right for a woman to make decisions about her own body. Republicans know that the majority of Americans don't support eroding fundamental rights like privacy, so instead, they packed the … Continue Reading
April 29, 2022
Wyden: “Surveillance Transparency Report” Fails To Explain How Many Americans’ Communications Are Searched By the FBI
Washington, D.C. - Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., a senior member of the Senate Intelligence Committee, called on the FBI to explain the increase in the number of searches of Americans' communications, and to stop providing essentially meaningless statistics to the American people. "For anyone outside the U.S. government, the astronomical number of FBI searches of Americans' communications is either highly alarming or entirely meaningless," Wyden said. "Somewhere in all that over-counting are real … Continue Reading
April 29, 2022
Wyden, Colleagues Introduce Resolution Recognizing the Importance of Local News
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden joined colleagues this week in introducing a resolution to support the designation of April 2022 as "Preserving Local News Month." The resolution recognizes local news as a public good that serves an essential function in the democracy of the United States. "As the son of a journalist, I am proud to introduce legislation recognizing the importance of local news in our democracy," said Wyden, who also has introduced the Local Journalism Sustainability … Continue Reading
April 29, 2022
Wyden, Cornyn Bill to Exempt Trafficking Survivors’ Restitution from Taxes Passes Senate
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senators Ron Wyden, D-Ore., and John Cornyn, R-Texas, released the following statements after the Senate this week unanimously passed their bipartisan Human Trafficking Survivor Tax Relief Act, which would exempt civil damages, restitution, and other monetary awards given to human trafficking survivors from federal income taxes as well as codify Internal Revenue Service (IRS) guidance that makes restitution payments to survivors in criminal cases free from federal … Continue Reading
April 28, 2022
Wyden to FTC: Publicize Fraud Hotline so Consumers Can Report Price Gouging and Fight Back Against Corporate Greed
Washington, D.C. - Amid numerous allegations of corporations padding their profits by raising prices to gouge consumers, U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., today urged the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to ensure Americans are aware they can report suspected price gouging to the FTC, either at ReportFraud.FTC.gov or the fraud telephone hotline at 877-382-4358, or via traditional mail. "I write to express my concern that large corporations, particularly those in consolidated industries, appear … Continue Reading
April 28, 2022
Merkley, Wyden Lead Colleagues in Push to Extend Federal Purchasing of West Coast Seafood
Washington, D.C. - Oregon's U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden today led colleagues in a letter to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) urging the Department to continue purchasing seafood from the West Coast. Senator Merkley and Wyden were joined by Senators Alex Padilla (D-CA), Maria Cantwell (D-WA), and Patty Murray (D-WA), and Representatives Jared Huffman (D-CA), Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR), Peter DeFazio (D-OR), Earl Blumenauer (D-OR), Kurt Schrader (D-OR), and Derek Kilmer (D-WA) … Continue Reading
April 28, 2022
Wyden, Merkley: More than $1 Million to Oregon for Conservation Efforts and to Protect Vulnerable Wildlife
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley this week announced Oregon has earned more than $1 million for conservation and protection of vulnerable wildlife from U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. "From preserving the habitats of the Western pond turtle to mapping wildlife connectivity corridors, I am gratified to see more federal dollars go toward the conservation of some of the animals, plants and insects that inhabit Oregon's world-renowned natural treasures," Wyden said. … Continue Reading
April 27, 2022
Wyden, Colleagues Support Biden Proposal to Reverse Harmful Trump Immigration Rule
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden and Senate colleagues today sent a letter to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in support of the Biden administration's proposal to better support immigrants by updating the "public charge" regulation. The Biden administration's proposed regulation would replace the public charge rule enacted by the Trump administration in 2019, which made it significantly more difficult for many immigrants to become lawful permanent residents by lowering … Continue Reading
April 27, 2022
Merkley, Wyden Announce Irrigation Project Funding Headed to Rural Oregon
Washington, D.C. - Oregon's U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden today announced the Tumalo, Owyhee, East Fork, and Ochoco Irrigation District projects will be receiving critical federal funding that will help drought-stricken communities make the most of limited water supplies. These projects-funded through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) and Fiscal Year 2022 appropriations bill, both of which Senators Merkley and Wyden strongly supported-will combine strategies supporting … Continue Reading
April 26, 2022
Wyden Tests Positive for COVID-19
Washington, D.C. - The office of U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., issued the following statement on Senator Wyden testing positive for COVID-19: "As part of routine testing, Senator Wyden tested positive today for COVID-19. He is fully vaccinated and experiencing minor symptoms. He is in Washington, D.C. and working from his residence while following CDC guidance to … Continue Reading
April 22, 2022
Wyden, Blumenauer, DeFazio Applaud Administration’s Actions to Focus Efforts on Science to Support Actions to Protect Old Growth Forests
PORTLAND - Today, Senator Ron Wyden (OR), Congressman Earl Blumenauer (OR-03), and Congressman Peter DeFazio (OR-04) commended the Biden Administration's executive order to protect old growth and mature forests. The announcement follows letters sent in 2021 and 2022 by the lawmakers urging the U.S. Department of Agriculture and U.S. Department of the Interior to include protection for old growth and mature forests as part of the agencies' carbon reduction planning efforts. Text of the … Continue Reading
April 19, 2022
Wyden, Merkley: $1.8 Million to Grant County to Increase Broadband Connectivity
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley this week announced that the City of John Day has earned a $1.8 million CARES Act Recovery Assistance grant to increase broadband connectivity in Grant County. "Reliable broadband is essential infrastructure for Eastern Oregon, just like the Rural Electrification Act opened new opportunities across the nation nearly a century ago," said Wyden, who supported the Bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act which included $65 … Continue Reading
April 14, 2022
Merkley, Wyden Announce $1.2 Million to Columbia Gorge Community College
Washington, D.C. - Oregon's U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden today announced a total of $1.2 million in CARES Act funds will be headed to Columbia Gorge Community College to expand their health science workforce. These federal funds will be used to train, support, and fund the health care workforce in the Columbia Gorge Region. "Health care workers have been the cornerstone of our COVID-19 response over the last two years," said Senator Merkley. "I'm pleased this federal funding is … Continue Reading
April 13, 2022
Merkley, Wyden Announce over $40 Million in Federal Funds Headed to Central Oregon to Combat Extreme Wildfires
Washington, D.C. - Oregon's U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden today announced a total of $41.3 million headed to Central Oregon to reduce the risk of catastrophic wildfire. Senator Merkley, as Chairman of the Appropriations Subcommittee that funds the U.S. Forest Service, and Senator Wyden, who is a senior member of the Energy and Natural Resources Committee, had a key role in authoring wildfire-related sections of the bipartisan infrastructure law, which is the source of this … Continue Reading
