Press Releases
Wyden: PGE Will Do Everything Possible to Keep Residential Rate Hikes Below Inflation Rate Beyond 2025
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden said today he is glad that PGE is focusing on keeping utility rates below the cost of inflation beyond 2025, a concern he’s heard repeatedly from Oregonians in town halls and other settings in the state. “Given that Oregon ratepayers have seen their electric bills go up by more than 40 percent since 2021 and other policies have created hardships for some Oregon families it is vital that we have a shared commitment to do better in the future,” Wyden … Continue Reading
December 11, 2024
Wyden, Merkley: Columbia Gorge Community College Selected as Industrial Training and Assessment Center
Washington D.C.—U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley today announced the selection of Columbia Gorge Community College as a new industrial training and assessment center, which includes a $1.99 million federal investment to help the school develop a dedicated 3D printing training space, curriculum, and manufacturer assistance program. “In my 1,100+ town halls in every nook and cranny of Oregon, I hear about Oregonians’ needs for good career opportunities that don’t demand four-year … Continue Reading
December 11, 2024
Wyden, Merkley Announce $2 Million for Warm Springs Affordable Housing
Washington D.C.—U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley today announced a federal investment of $2 million for the Warm Springs Housing Authority to build more affordable housing for low- and moderate-income Tribal members. “There is a serious need for more affordable housing across Oregon, but especially in Tribal communities like Warm Springs,” Wyden said. “I applaud this federal investment to address the affordable housing crisis head on, and will continue to fight for more projects like … Continue Reading
December 10, 2024
Wyden Calls for Passage of PRESS Act
Watch a video of Wyden deliver his remarks here As prepared for delivery In a moment, I will ask for unanimous consent to pass my bipartisan bill, the PRESS Act. I want to explain why this is such an important and bipartisan issue. The PRESS Act is written to complement the First Amendment’s Constitutional protection for journalists, by ensuring they can do their jobs without unneeded government interference. Our bipartisan bill shields journalists from being forced by courts to disclose … Continue Reading
December 10, 2024
Wyden Reintroduces CBO FAIR Scoring Act
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senators Ron Wyden said today he has joined colleagues to reintroduce legislation that would provide policymakers with standardized data about the effects of their policies across race and income groups. “With the wealth gap in America only growing wider across race and income, it is imperative that lawmakers understand the true impacts of new policies,” Wyden said. “This bill will ensure that lawmakers have the data needed to help create a more just and equitable … Continue Reading
December 10, 2024
Wyden Statement on Judge Issuing Temporary Injunction in Kroger-Albertsons Merger
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden today issued the following statement in response to today’s news of a federal judge halting the proposed Kroger-Albertsons merger: "This is great news for grocery shoppers in Oregon who would have faced higher prices at Kroger and Albertsons if this ill-conceived consolidation had gone through," said Wyden, who led lawmakers in filing an amicus brief with the federal court opposing the merger. "I'm glad the court has shelved this monster deal because … Continue Reading
December 10, 2024
U.S. Senators Wyden and Crapo Applaud House Passage of Their Bipartisan Legislation Honoring Medal of Honor Recipients
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Mike Crapo today applauded the U.S. House passage of their bipartisan legislation designating U.S. Highway 20 between Newport, Ore. and New England as the “National Medal of Honor Highway.” "Our veterans in Oregon and throughout America deserve every honor we can bestow on them for their brave service to our nation,” Wyden said. “I’m gratified our country's longest continuous highway, stretching from the Pacific to the Atlantic, will be … Continue Reading
December 10, 2024
Wyden Releases Draft Legislation to Secure U.S. Phone Networks Following Salt Typhoon Hack
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., released a draft bill to secure U.S. phone and wireless networks, following the massive breach of the American telecommunications system by Chinese-government hackers. Wyden’s Secure American Communications Act requires the Federal Communications Commission to fix its own failure to fully implement telecom security requirements already required by federal law. In 1994, Congress required telecom providers to design their systems to permit the … Continue Reading
December 10, 2024
Wyden, Warren, Sanders, Whitehouse Renew Push to Protect Americans’ Sensitive Data From Greedy Brokers
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senators Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) said today they have reintroduced legislation banning data brokers from selling Americans’ sensitive personal information. Data gathered by brokers has been used to circumvent the Fourth Amendment, out LGBTQ+ Americans, and stalk and harass individuals. Recently, some brokers have been caught selling the cellphone-based location data of people visiting … Continue Reading
December 09, 2024
Wyden, Merkley, Hoyle Announce Nearly $2.5 Million to Oregon State University for Marine Energy Research
Washington D.C.—U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley with U.S. Representative Val Hoyle today announced a federal investment of nearly $2.5 million for Oregon State University to develop and test marine energy devices that are key in the climate crisis battle. “There is huge potential to build an even stronger tool in the fight against the ongoing climate crisis with the development of marine energy technology right here in our state with the world-class researchers at OSU,” Wyden said. … Continue Reading
December 06, 2024
Senate Passes Bipartisan Wyden Resolution Condemning the Persecution of Baha’is by the Iranian Government
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., applauded the passage of his bipartisan resolution to acknowledge the religious persecution of the Baha’i community in Iran, and to call for the U.S. government to take action against those responsible. “The Iranian government’s long history of harassing, dehumanizing, and persecuting the Baha’i community in all forms is only getting longer, and worse. I’m proud the Senate took a stand and said today that Iran’s heinous treatment of the … Continue Reading
December 06, 2024
Wyden Introduces Bill to Make Health Care Apprenticeship Programs More Accessible to Address Labor Shortage
Washington, D.C. — As America faces nationwide health care worker shortages, U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., introduced a bill that would make it easier for health care employers to create new registered apprenticeship programs to train the next generation of health professionals. “America is desperate for more health care providers after the burnout of the COVID-19 pandemic,” Wyden said. “Apprenticeship programs are instrumental in getting new workers a foot in the door by giving them the … Continue Reading
December 06, 2024
Wyden, Merkley Call on Department of Education to Discharge Loans for Defrauded Borrowers
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley said today they have joined with lawmakers from the Senate and House to urge the Department of Education to discharge student loan debt for hundreds of thousands of students in Oregon and nationwide defrauded by predatory schools. During the first Trump administration, defrauded borrowers’ applications for debt relief were left to languish for years, and if reviewed, were often denied. In their letter, the lawmakers called for the … Continue Reading
December 05, 2024
Wyden, Colleagues Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Promote Free Speech, Crack Down on Frivolous “Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation”
Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., today introduced the Free Speech Protection Act, bipartisan legislation to protect individuals and organizations from frivolous lawsuits designed to chill free speech and political action. Representatives Jamie Raskin, D-Md., and Kevin Kiley, R-Calif., led companion legislation in the House. Corporations and special interests have used strategic lawsuits against public participation, or “SLAPPs,” since the 1980s to target their opponents … Continue Reading
December 05, 2024
Merkley, Wyden Announce Over $10 Million for Critical Conservation and Restoration Projects in Oregon
Washington, D.C. - Oregon’s U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden announced today a total of $10,105,326 in funding from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF)’s America the Beautiful Challenge for four projects that will boost essential ecosystem conservation and restoration efforts in the state. “Our delicate ecosystems, waterways, and wildlife are the lifeblood of the Pacific Northwest, and we need to do everything we can to protect them as climate chaos threatens permanent … Continue Reading
December 05, 2024
Merkley, Wyden, Hoyle Announce FEMA Funding for Earthquake Resilience in Lane County
Washington, D.C. - Oregon’s U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden along with U.S. Representative Val Hoyle announced today that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is sending a total of $1,758,536 to fund Lane County’s project to seismically retrofit the Hayden Bridge, a pedestrian bridge in northeast Springfield. “As I hold a town hall in each of Oregon’s 36 counties every year, I hear firsthand from folks about what matters most to them, including ensuring our communities are … Continue Reading
December 04, 2024
Wyden Statement on Senate Passage of Tax Relief for Wildfire Survivors
Washington, D.C. -U.S. Senator Ron Wyden issued the following statement after working successfully to secure tonight’s Senate passage of tax relief for wildfire survivors in Oregon and nationwide. “This is great news for Oregonians whose lives and livelihoods have been ripped apart by wildfires,” said Wyden, Chair of the Senate Finance Committee that oversees tax policy. “Today’s vote restores common sense and common decency to tax policy by making sure that survivors of these infernos … Continue Reading
December 04, 2024
Following Devastating “Salt Typhoon” Hack, Wyden and Schmitt Call for Investigation of the Pentagon’s Failure to Secure its Phone Systems Against Foreign Spies
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., and Senator Eric Schmitt, R-Mo., called for the Defense Department’s top watchdog to investigate the Pentagon’s failure to secure its communications from foreign spies, following the devastating “Salt Typhoon” hack of major telecom companies by Chinese government hackers. In a letter to Department of Defense Inspector General Robert Storch, Wyden and Schmitt highlighted the DOD’s failure to secure its communications from foreign spies. The … Continue Reading
December 04, 2024
Wyden, Colleagues Seek Additional Progress on Federal Cannabis Reforms Before End of Biden Administration
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden said today he is urging the Biden administration to make further progress on the federal government’s approach to cannabis before the end of its term. In a letter to the Biden administration, Wyden joined with lawmakers from the Senate and House to applaud the historic steps the administration has taken to lessen the harm of cannabis criminalization and push the Administration to take additional steps before the end of its term, including issuing … Continue Reading
December 04, 2024
Wyden, Colleagues Seek Additional Progress on Federal Cannabis Reforms Before End of Biden Administration
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden said today he is urging the Biden administration to make further progress on the federal government’s approach to cannabis before the end of its term. In a letter to the Biden administration, Wyden joined with lawmakers from the Senate and House to applaud the historic steps the administration has taken to lessen the harm of cannabis criminalization and push the Administration to take additional steps before the end of its term, including issuing … Continue Reading
