Press Releases
Wyden Presses Federal Regulators to Fix Mistake Costing St. Charles Health System $6 Million
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden today urged federal health regulators to fix their mistake that’s unfairly cost St. Charles Health System $6 million over a nearly three-year period. In his letter to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), Wyden noted the agency’s error dates back to 2022 when St. Charles Health System (SCHS) responded to financial stresses from the COVID-19 pandemic by merging its Medicare-certified hospitals in Bend and Redmond. The merged hospital … Continue Reading
January 17, 2025
Wyden, Colleagues Reintroduce Bill to Promote Competition and Improve Antitrust Enforcement
Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senator Ron Wyden said today he has joined Senate colleagues in reintroducing legislation that would reinvigorate America’s antitrust laws and restore competition to American markets. The Competition and Antitrust Law Enforcement Reform Act would give federal enforcers the resources they need to uphold the law, strengthen prohibitions on anticompetitive conduct and mergers, and make additional reforms to improve enforcement. “The effects of mega-mergers are felt … Continue Reading
January 16, 2025
Wyden Applauds FTC Settlement with GM Over Tracking Driver Locations and Selling Data to Insurance Companies
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., applauded the FTC’s action today to stop General Motors from sharing detailed location data about drivers without customer consent. The settlement follows reporting by the New York Times and an investigation by Wyden last year. “FTC Chair Lina Khan is the Steph Curry of privacy regulators with this buzzer-beating settlement to protect Americans privacy against automakers who sold detailed location data to insurance companies,” Wyden said. … Continue Reading
January 16, 2025
Merkley, Wyden Announce $7 Million Heading to Portland for Affordable Housing
Washington, D.C. - Oregon’s U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden announced the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) is awarding the City of Portland a total of $7 million in federal funding to support the city’s efforts to enhance affordable housing accessibility. “I hear from Oregonians during my town halls in every corner of our state about how challenges from the housing crisis are leaving many without affordable options or resources,” said Merkley. “This federal … Continue Reading
January 16, 2025
Merkley, Wyden Announce $1.75 Million to Bolster Regenerative Agriculture on Working Lands
Washington, D.C. - Oregon’s U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden announced today the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) approved 3 grants—totaling $1,755,163.61—to fund conservation efforts in Oregon and across the region. This funding from the Conservation Partners Program will provide farmers, ranchers, and forest landowners with targeted technical assistance to improve stewardship on working lands and achieve specific conservation outcomes. “Dynamic lands and ecosystems have … Continue Reading
January 16, 2025
Wyden Secures Commitment from Treasury Secretary Nominee for IRS Direct File to Continue This Tax Season
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden today secured a commitment from Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to continue IRS Direct File this tax filing season in Oregon and 24 other states participating in the agency’s free alternative to paid tax preparation software. “This is the program that helps people who use it to save hundreds of dollars when they file their tax returns,” Wyden said during the Senate Finance Committee’s confirmation hearing for Bessent. “It’s enormously popular among … Continue Reading
January 16, 2025
In Wake of California’s Wildfires, Wyden and Colleagues Call on Treasury Department to Swiftly Publish Data about Impact of Climate Crisis on Homeowners Insurance
Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., and seven of his Senate colleagues urged the U.S. Department of the Treasury and Federal Insurance Office (FIO) to immediately publish data and analysis about how the climate crisis impacts homeowners insurance nationwide. They also called for the data to be shared with the Financial Stability Oversight Council (FSOC), which includes key federal and state financial regulators whose decisions about housing and insurance policy could be shaped … Continue Reading
January 15, 2025
Wyden, Colleagues File Amendments to Protect Dreamers in the Laken Riley Act
Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senator Ron Wyden said today he has joined Senate colleagues in filing an amendment to the Laken Riley Act that would protect Dreamers, including Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival (DACA) recipients and individuals eligible for DACA. “We know that Dreamers are determined, inspiring, hard-working young people who belong in America and deserve the protections promised them by the U.S. government,” Wyden said. “There is bipartisan support for permanent pathways to … Continue Reading
January 15, 2025
Wyden, Colleagues Announce Legislation to Extend TikTok Ban Deadline
Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senator Ron Wyden said today he has joined congressional colleagues in introducing legislation that would delay the January 19 deadline when ByteDance must sell TikTok or face a ban, by an additional 270 days. “The rushed divestment of Tiktok is a huge giveaway to Donald Trump and his cronies, who are poised to scoop up a massive social media company and turn it into another partisan mouthpiece. I don't take a backseat to anyone when it comes to protecting American's … Continue Reading
January 14, 2025
Oregon Delegation Announces $45 Million Award to Oregon State University-led Regional Tech Hub For Microfludics
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, U.S. Representative Val Hoyle (OR-04), along with U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley, Rep. Suzanne Bonamici (OR-01), Rep. Andrea Salinas (OR-06), Rep. Maxine Dexter (OR-03), and Rep. Janelle Bynum (OR-05) announced $45 million in funding to Oregon State University for the Corvallis Microfluidics Tech Hub (CorMic). These funds will be used to develop microfluidics technologies and help businesses commercialize their discoveries. "Creating rural jobs in the … Continue Reading
January 14, 2025
Wyden Announces Town Halls in Marion and Yamhill counties
Portland - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden today announced he will hold his first open-to-all town halls of 2025 this weekend in Marion and Yamhill counties. Heading into these two town halls on Saturday, Jan. 18, Wyden has held 1,101 town halls in keeping his promise to hold at least one town hall each year in each of Oregon’s 36 counties. “These town halls providing Oregonians in-person opportunities to ask questions directly of their elected representatives and to voice their opinions about … Continue Reading
January 14, 2025
Wyden, Merkley Join 39 Colleagues in Introducing D.C. Statehood Bill
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley said today they have joined 39 colleagues in introducing the District of Columbia statehood bill for the 119th Congress in the Senate. “Year after year, nearly 700,000 people living in our nation’s capital are being taxed without receiving the same representation in Congress as their fellow Americans,” Wyden said. “When District of Columbia residents cannot have a vote in the Senate, they are being denied the right to fair and equal … Continue Reading
January 13, 2025
Wyden, Merkley, Hoyle Welcome $53 Million CHIPS Investment in HP in Corvallis
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley along with U.S. Rep. Val Hoyle welcomed today’s Biden administration announcement of a $53 million award from the federal CHIPS and Science Act to HP for its Corvallis facility. “This is great news for HP and its employees who are an essential brigade in Oregon’s battle plan to build an even stronger chip industry that keeps generating jobs in the Willamette Valley, the Silicon Forest and statewide,” Wyden said. “I’m proud to have … Continue Reading
January 09, 2025
Merkley, Wyden Announce $2.6 Million to Boost EV Charging Infrastructure in Warm Springs
Washington, D.C. - Oregon’s U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden announced today that $2,556,496 is coming to the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs to supercharge electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure in Oregon. This federal investment from the historic Bipartisan Infrastructure Law will improve the reliability and accessibility of charging infrastructure for Tribal communities. “Electric vehicles mean cleaner air, healthier communities, and a whole lot less climate pollution, … Continue Reading
January 09, 2025
Wyden, Merkley, Bonamici, Dexter Announce $5 Million for Sustainable Community Development Projects in Portland Metro Area
Washington D.C.—U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley with U.S. Representatives Suzanne Bonamici and Maxine Dexter today announced a federal investment of $5 million for projects in the Portland metro area that develop zero-emission transit to connect disadvantaged communities to jobs, education, economic opportunity, public spaces and parks. “Having reliable and sustainable access to transportation is essential for residents and small businesses in any community to thrive,” Wyden said. “I … Continue Reading
January 08, 2025
Merkley, Wyden Announce Over $6 Million for Efforts to Modernize Old Pacific Highway 99 in Douglas County
Washington, D.C. - Oregon’s U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden announced today that the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) is awarding $6,027,873 to Douglas County for the planning and design of critical transportation, safety, and accessibility improvements to Old Pacific Highway 99. Securing these federal investments through the Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) grant program is a key step toward modernizing the stretch of Old Pacific … Continue Reading
January 07, 2025
Wyden, Merkley, Bonamici, Hoyle Applaud Biden Administration Ban on New Offshore Oil and Gas Drilling Off of U.S. Coasts
Washington D.C.—U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley with U.S. Representatives Suzanne Bonamici and Val Hoyle today applauded the Biden Administration’s executive action to permanently ban offshore oil and gas drilling on 625 million acres of coastal waters along the entire West Coast, East Coast, the eastern Gulf of Mexico, and portions of Alaska’s Northern Bering Sea. “Combating the climate crisis demands bold and decisive action like this that help to curb the use of harmful fossil … Continue Reading
January 07, 2025
Wyden, Merkley Announce Nearly $726,000 for School-Based Mental Health Programs in Multnomah County
Washington D.C.—U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley today announced a federal investment of $726,100 for the Multnomah Education Service District to support school-based mental health programs for students. “I have heard directly from students and educators in the wake of the COVID pandemic and even earlier that a top priority is making mental healthcare more accessible for young Oregonians,” Wyden said. “I applaud this federal investment that builds on the work I have done to better … Continue Reading
January 02, 2025
Senators Wyden and Markey Blast Sixth Circuit Ruling on FCC’s Authority to Issue Net Neutrality Rules
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senators Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) and Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) released the following statement after the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit ruled that the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) lacks the authority to issue net neutrality rules. “Without net neutrality, consumers, small businesses, and innovators alike will face increased costs, reduced choice, and less competition. It is a lose-lose-lose,” said the senators. “The Sixth Circuit's decision to … Continue Reading
January 02, 2025
Wyden, Merkley: Major Disaster Declaration Issued for 2024 Wildfires in Gilliam, Grant, Umatilla, Wasco & Wheeler Counties
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley said today they were gratified that President Biden has issued a major disaster declaration for Gilliam, Grant, Umatilla, Wasco and Wheeler counties that enables those five Oregon counties to receive federal help for wildfires last year between July 10-August 23. The major disaster declaration triggers the release of federal funds from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to help communities in those counties recover from … Continue Reading
