Press Releases
Wyden, Crapo Lead Bipartisan Senators in Urging USDA Action to Protect America’s Potato Crops
Washington D.C.—In a bipartisan letter to U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Thomas Vilsack, U.S. Senators Ron Wyden (D-OR) and Mike Crapo (R-ID) led Senate colleagues in expressing concern about the potential for potato wart to spread from potato imports originating on Canada’s Prince Edward Island (PEI) to U.S. farms and production facilities and urging the implementation of additional mitigation measures to prevent introduction into the United States. Potato wart is a highly … Continue Reading
July 16, 2024
Following Supreme Court’s Grants Pass v. Johnson decision, Wyden and Bonamici Lead Colleagues in Urging Biden Administration to Invest in Affordable Housing
Washington, D.C. — Following the Supreme Court’s recent decision to criminalize homelessness in Grants Pass v. Johnson, U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., and U.S. Representative Suzanne Bonamici, D-Ore., said today they are leading colleagues in urging the Biden administration to advance evidence-based solutions to help people experiencing homelessness in Oregon and nationwide. The lawmakers wrote President Biden, “Punishing unhoused individuals for sleeping outside when there are no adequate … Continue Reading
July 12, 2024
Oregon Delegation Announces $1.49 Billion Federal Investment for Interstate Bridge Replacement Project
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley, along with U.S. Reps. Earl Blumenauer and Suzanne Bonamici, today announced an additional federal investment of $1.49 billion for the Interstate-5 Bridge replacement project. “Today’s federal investment, the largest investment in the country under the Bridge Investment Program, is great news for commuters and freight traffic in Oregon and throughout the Northwest,” Wyden said. “Jobs and the Oregon economy are big winners with a modern … Continue Reading
July 12, 2024
Wyden, Welch, Warren Urge Biden Administration to Crack Down on Big Tech for Massive AI Consolidation
Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senators Ron Wyden, D-Ore., Peter Welch, D-Vt., and Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., urged Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Chair Lina Khan and Department of Justice (DOJ) Assistant Attorney General Jonathan Kanter to crack down on the massive consolidation of emerging generative artificial intelligence (AI) by tech giants such as Amazon, Microsoft, and Google. Massive consolidation stifles innovation or eliminates potential competitors, limits consumers’ ability to choose a … Continue Reading
July 11, 2024
Oregon Delegation Announces $22 Million USDA Seafood Purchase to Boost Oregon’s Coastal Communities and Economy
Washington, D.C. - Oregon’s U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden, along with Oregon’s U.S. Representatives Suzanne Bonamici (OR-01), Val Hoyle (OR-04), and Andrea Salinas (OR-06), announced today that the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has approved a total of $22 million to purchase Pacific Northwest and West Coast seafood products—$14 million for West Coast whiting fillets and $8 million for rockfish fillets. This approved federal funding comes after Merkley led members … Continue Reading
July 09, 2024
Merkley, Wyden Announce Nearly $300,000 to Kickstart Partnership to Enhance Water Quality in the Lower Crooked River Watershed
Washington, D.C. - Oregon’s U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden today announced the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation is awarding $299,973 to the Crooked River Water Quality Partnership, in collaboration with the Deschutes River Conservancy, through its WaterSMART?Cooperative Watershed Management Program. This?federal funding will be used to formalize the Partnership, identify priority projects, and develop project designs to reduce nutrient pollution in the Lower Crooked River Watershed, which … Continue Reading
July 09, 2024
Blumenauer, Wyden, Merkley, Bonamici, Announce $39 Million to Jump-start TriMet’s 82nd Ave Transit Project
PORTLAND, OR — Today, Congressman Earl Blumenauer, Senators Ron Wyden, Jeff Merkley, and Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici announced the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) awarded $39,000,000 to advance TriMet’s 82nd?Avenue Transit Project. The funding comes after Blumenauer brought U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg to tour 82nd Avenue last summer. The grant will go toward the purchase of U.S.-built fuel-cell electric buses, as well necessary facility improvements to … Continue Reading
July 09, 2024
Wyden Announces Town Halls in Linn, Yamhill, Columbia & Jackson Counties
Portland - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden today announced his upcoming schedule of open-to-all town halls in Linn, Yamhill, Columbia and Jackson counties. Heading into these four town halls, Wyden will have held 1,089 town halls throughout Oregon - including 24 so far this year -- in fulfillment of his pledge to hold at least one town hall each year in each of our state’s 36 counties. “I’m very much looking forward to hearing directly from Oregonians during this upcoming round of town halls because … Continue Reading
July 03, 2024
Wyden, Merkley Announce Nearly $1 Million Federal Investment for Runway Safety Improvements at Siletz Bay State Airport
Washington D.C.— U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley today announced a federal investment of $993,266 for airport safety improvements at Siletz Bay State Airport in Lincoln County. “Maintaining and improving our existing infrastructure is crucial for Oregon,,” Wyden said. “I’m gratified to see this investment in Lincoln County for Oregonians and small businesses that depend on safe, efficient travel to enhance livability and boost local economies.” “Oregon’s regional airports serve as … Continue Reading
July 03, 2024
Wyden, Merkley Co-Sponsor Legislation to Outlaw Discrimination against LGBTQ+ Couples Looking to Adopt, Protect LGBTQ+ Youth in Foster Care
Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley said today they have joined legislation that would ban discrimination against LGBTQ+ couples in Oregon and nationwide looking to adopt and protect LGBTQ+ children in the U.S. foster care system. The John Lewis Every Child Deserves a Family Act would prohibit federally funded child welfare agencies from discriminating against individuals and couples on the basis of sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, or marital status. The … Continue Reading
July 03, 2024
Wyden Joins Legislation to Protect Tenants at Risk of Eviction
Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senator Ron Wyden said today he is co-sponsoring legislation to empower tenants and help support housing security in communities in Oregon and across the United States. The Eviction Right to Counsel Act of 2024 would establish a fund to provide grants to state, local, and Tribal governments that enact legislation ensuring legal representation to tenants at risk of eviction, with a focus on low-income people. The legislation also would encourage jurisdictions to enact … Continue Reading
July 02, 2024
Wyden Presses UnitedHealth Group after June 27 Town Hall in Central Oregon Raises Serious Concerns about Company Promises to Health Care Providers & Patients
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden today demanded UnitedHealth Group explain why health care providers in Oregon and nationwide still cannot send claims or receive payments for services delivered to their patients nearly two months after its top executive told the Senate Finance Committee a different story. After hearing ongoing concerns raised at his June 27 Deschutes County town hall by a Central Oregon pathology business, Wyden wrote UnitedHealth Group CEO Andrew Witty that UHG … Continue Reading
July 01, 2024
Wyden, Merkley Announce Federal Investment of More Than $2.3 Million in Oregon’s Rural Airports
Washington D.C.—Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley today announced a federal investment of more than $2.3 million from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law for eight rural airports throughout Oregon. “From timely access to lifesaving medicines, to opportunities for small businesses to deliver their goods quickly, rural airports are often the lifeblood of small communities throughout the state,” Wyden said. “I am gratified that my work on the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law continues to generate … Continue Reading
July 01, 2024
Wyden, Schakowsky Lead 41 Colleagues to File Court Brief Supporting National Climate Rights Lawsuit
Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) and U.S. Representative Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.) led 41 colleagues in filing a brief with the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals to support the Juliana v. United States youth plaintiffs - 11 of whom are Oregonians. Juliana v. United States is a landmark lawsuit brought by 21 young Americans against the U.S. Government for contributing to the climate crisis. The lawmakers urged the Ninth Circuit to grant these young plaintiffs’ request for en banc … Continue Reading
June 28, 2024
Wyden and Merkley Support HHS Proposal to Make Data Collection on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity More Inclusive in Electronic Health Records
Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senators Ron Wyden, D-Ore., and Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., today highlighted their support for a Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) proposal to update national standards in electronic health record systems to include preferred names and pronouns, and to record a patient’s sex parameter for clinical use in medical records to ensure accurate treatment - which are essential to allowing providers to give LGBTQ+ patients more accurate and personalized medical … Continue Reading
June 27, 2024
Wyden, Merkley Join Legislation to Expand Pell Grant Awards and Make Higher Education More Accessible
Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley announced today they’ve co-sponsored legislation that would nearly double the Pell Grant maximum award, index the maximum award for inflation, and make other changes to expand the award for working students and families. The Pell Grant Preservation and Expansion Act would also make Pell Grant funding fully mandatory, expand the program to include DREAMers, and restore lifetime eligibility for the program to 18 semesters. The Pell … Continue Reading
June 27, 2024
Wyden, Merkley Announce $30.1 Million in PILT Payments to Support Vital Services in Oregon
WASHINGTON D.C.— U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley today announced counties throughout Oregon will receive more than $30.1 million in Payments in Lieu of Taxes (PILT) funding for 2024. Because local governments cannot tax federal lands, annual PILT payments help to defray the costs associated with maintaining important community services. “Oregonians cherish our public lands, and we need to make sure local communities have all the tools they need to help improve quality of life and … Continue Reading
June 27, 2024
Wyden, Merkley, Colleagues Call on Postal Service to Prepare for Upcoming Election
Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senator Ron Wyden said today he is leading Senate colleagues including U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley in calling on Postmaster General DeJoy and the U.S. Postal Service to share their plans to accommodate high volumes of mail expected in the upcoming 2024 general election in Oregon and nationwide. “In 2020, the Postal Service overcame a series of challenges, including the onset of a global pandemic, to fulfill this critical mission. Impressively, it delivered 97.9% of … Continue Reading
June 26, 2024
Merkley, Wyden Announce $5 million for Affordable Housing Efforts in Bend
Washington, D.C. - Oregon’s U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden today announced that the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) is awarding the City of Bend a total of $5 million in federal funding to support the city’s efforts to enhance affordable housing accessibility through planning, infrastructure improvements, development, and preservation activities. “Ensuring access to safe and affordable housing is key to creating thriving communities, but I hear from Oregonians … Continue Reading
June 26, 2024
Wyden, Merkley Join Colleagues in Calling on Department of Energy to Promote Battery Recycling in U.S. Electric Vehicle Fleet
Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley joined 12 of their colleagues in urging the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to bolster and diversify the nation’s domestic supply of electric vehicle (EV) batteries, including promoting EV battery recycling. Congress has taken bipartisan steps to support EV battery recycling. The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) allocated more than $6 billion for advanced battery manufacturing, research, and development. This work has … Continue Reading
