Press Releases
Wyden, Merkley Urge Internet Service Providers To Expand Internet Access During COVID-19 Crisis
Washington, D.C. - Oregon's U.S. Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley urged the seven largest internet service providers (ISPs) to do their part to help ensure that children in Oregon and across the nation are able to meaningfully participate in their education during the COVID-19 crisis. This call-to-action comes as unprecedented numbers of students rely on remote learning to kick off the fall semester due to the ongoing public health crisis. In a letter sent to the CEOs of AT&T, … Continue Reading
September 14, 2020
Merkley, Wyden Announce $5 Million for Port of Hood River Bridge Replacement Project
WASHINGTON, D.C.- Oregon's U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden today announced that $5 million in federal funding is headed to Oregon to help cover costs associated with the engineering expertise and preparatory studies needed to replace the Hood River/White Salmon Interstate Bridge. The bridge, which crosses the Columbia River and connects Hood River, Oregon with White Salmon and Bingen, Washington, plays an important role in the safety, economy, and social well-being of Columbia River … Continue Reading
September 13, 2020
Oregon Members Call for Immediate Housing Aid for Evacuees Displaced by Oregon Wildfires
WASHINGTON, DC [09/13/20] - Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici, Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley, and Representatives Peter DeFazio, Greg Walden, Earl Blumenauer, and Kurt Schrader called on FEMA to provide additional, immediate housing aid to protect the health and safety of the thousands of people displaced by the Oregon wildfires, and to secure housing stability for the lowest-income survivors. "Tens of thousands of Oregonians have been placed under evacuation orders, and hundreds have … Continue Reading
September 12, 2020
Oregon Delegation Pushes Federal Agencies to Allocate Crew Chiefs Needed to Deploy Additional National Guard Firefighters
WASHINGTON, D.C.- Oregon's U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden, along with U.S. Representatives Peter DeFazio, Earl Blumenauer, Greg Walden, Kurt Schrader and Suzanne Bonamici, today pushed the U.S. Departments of Agriculture and the Interior to immediately make urgently needed fire crew chiefs available to assist in the deployment of National Guard service members in Oregon to fight raging wildfires. "Given the severity and speed at which fires are spreading across the state, we must … Continue Reading
September 11, 2020
Oregon Delegation Announces Approval of Federal Emergency Declaration for Oregon Wildfires
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Oregon's U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden, along with U.S. Representatives Peter DeFazio, Earl Blumenauer, Greg Walden, Kurt Schrader, and Suzanne Bonamici, today announced that the White House has approved the state of Oregon's request for an emergency declaration in response to unprecedented and dangerous wildfires that are blanketing the state. The Senators and Representatives had pushed on Wednesday for the declaration to be granted, immediately following … Continue Reading
September 10, 2020
Senate Democrats: Trump Administration Must Take Stronger Action Against Election Interference Following Sanctions on Derkach
Washington, D.C. - Leading Senate Democrats called on the Trump administration to put together a comprehensive plan to stop foreign interference in the 2020 election, after it sanctioned Ukrainian national, and longtime Russian agent, Andriy Derkach for his role in spreading misinformation about Vice President Joe Biden. Finance Committee Ranking Member Ron Wyden, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, Banking Committee Ranking Member Sherrod Brown, Intelligence Committee Vice-Chair Mark … Continue Reading
September 09, 2020
Oregon Delegation Pushes for Rapid Disaster Relief for Wildfires
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Oregon's U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden, with U.S. Representatives Peter DeFazio, Earl Blumenauer, Greg Walden, Kurt Schrader, and Suzanne Bonamici, are requesting rapid approval of Oregon Governor Kate Brown's request for federal disaster relief, as unprecedented wildfires ravage the state. "We strongly support Governor Brown's request for an Emergency declaration on September 9, 2020, for the State of Oregon, in response to the devastating wildfires burning in … Continue Reading
September 09, 2020
Wyden, Merkley Join Legal Brief Challenging USPS Changes Ahead of 2020 Election
Washington, D.C. - Oregon's U.S. Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley have joined 12 other senators in a legal brief to support court challenges to recent U.S. Postal Service (USPS) operational changes implemented by Postmaster General Louis DeJoy that have resulted in unreliable service and widespread delays in Oregon and around the country ahead of the 2020 election. The senators' legal brief focuses on the Postal Reorganization Act, which Congress passed to protect postal service operations … Continue Reading
September 09, 2020
Merkley, Wyden Announce $8.7 Million in Funding for Energy Efficiency Upgrades on Oregon’s Farms and Ranches
WASHINGTON, D.C.- Oregon's U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden today announced that $8.7 million is headed to Oregon to help 27 farmers, ranchers, and rural small businesses adopt renewable energy technologies, conduct critical energy audits, and make pollution and cost-cutting energy efficiency improvements. "As the coronavirus continues to cost our agricultural industry their lives and livelihoods, we must do everything we can to pave a path forward toward a healthier and more … Continue Reading
September 08, 2020
Wyden, Merkley Announce $1.46 Million Federal Grant for Hermiston Industrial Park
Washington, DC - U.S. Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley said today's announcement of a $1.46 million federal grant for industrial park construction in Hermiston will help create jobs and build a stronger economy in Umatilla County. The Economic Development Administration (EDA) grant for development of the South Hermiston Industrial Park had been sought by Wyden and Merkley in an August 2019 support letter that noted the city's hard work to recover from the Hermiston Foods plant closure and … Continue Reading
September 03, 2020
Leading Senate Democrats Demand Immediate U.S. Sanctions for Russian Interference in 2020 Elections
Washington, D.C. - Leading Senate Democrats urged the U.S. Treasury Department to sanction Russian individuals and government actors for their interference in the 2020 election. Finance Committee Ranking Member Ron Wyden, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, Banking Committee Ranking Member Sherrod Brown, Intelligence Committee Vice-Chair Mark Warner, Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee Ranking Member Gary Peters, Armed Services Committee Ranking Member Jack Reed, Foreign … Continue Reading
September 02, 2020
Wyden Statement on DHS Withholding Information on Russian Interference in U.S. Presidential Campaign
U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., a senior Senate Intelligence Committee member, today released the following statement after reports revealed the Department of Homeland Security withheld information regarding Russian interference in the U.S. presidential election: "Every official responsible for withholding critical facts about Russian interference is complicit in covering up an attack on our country by a foreign adversary and must be held accountable. Just four days ago, the director of … Continue Reading
September 02, 2020
Wyden, Booker, Clarke and Waters Demand Answers From NFL on its Use of Race-Based Formula To Deny Payments to Black Ex-Players
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., Rep. Yvette D. Clarke, D-N.Y., and Rep. Maxine Waters, D-Calif., questioned the National Football League's use of a race-based formula to deny concussion settlement payments to Black former players. In a letter sent today to NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, the members asked for an explanation of how the league's race-based formula has been developed and used, after it was disclosed in a New York Times report. "If these … Continue Reading
August 31, 2020
Wyden Calls for Action on Testing Supply Shortages in Rural Oregon
Wyden Calls for Robust Use of Defense Production Act by Trump Administration to Get Needed Supplies to Health Care Providers Washington, D.C. - Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., today called on the Trump administration to mobilize the resources of the federal government to ensure health care providers in Oregon and across the country have the supplies they need to conduct COVID-19 tests at capacity. "Despite warnings of the hardships rural medical providers would face, frontline hospitals, clinics … Continue Reading
August 31, 2020
Merkley, Wyden Blast Trump Administration’s Constant, Dangerous Political Interference in COVID-19 Response
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Oregon's U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden and 30 of their Democratic Senate colleagues wrote to Secretary of Health and Human Services Alex Azar criticizing the Trump administration for their continued political interference in the COVID-19 response. The Senators warned that decisions to pressure and overrule public health experts will erode public trust and hamper efforts to respond to the COVID-19 crisis. "The timing of this interference is particularly troubling, … Continue Reading
August 29, 2020
Wyden Statement on DNI Denying Election Security Briefings to SSCI
U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., today issued the following statement regarding Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe's decision to deny election security briefings to the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence: "Russia is once again interfering in our elections to get Donald Trump elected and, rather than defend American democracy, Trump and his partisan intelligence leadership are trying to keep the facts from Congress. This is part of an escalating pattern of law breaking and … Continue Reading
August 27, 2020
Wyden, Casey, Warren: Reports Reveal Nursing Homes Gave Residents Hydroxychloroquine to Treat COVID-19 Without Consent or State Approval
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Sens. Ron Wyden (D-OR), Bob Casey (D-PA), and Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) are requesting information from federal health agencies regarding the use of hydroxychloroquine to treat COVID-19 patients in nursing homes. Following official state reports showing the inappropriate use of hydroxychloroquine in nursing homes, the senators sent letters to Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner Stephen Hahn and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Administrator … Continue Reading
August 27, 2020
Wyden, Merkley Call on FCC to Bolster Program That Keeps Students Connected
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley today called on the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to boost its Lifeline program to keep students connected as millions of children return to school both virtually and in person. Since 1985, the FCC's Lifeline program has made basic internet and telephone service more affordable for low-income Americans and has had bipartisan support. "As millions of American families face unprecedented financial pressures and educational … Continue Reading
August 25, 2020
Wyden, Merkley Join Legal Brief Against Donald Trump’s Illegal Asylum Ban
Washington, D.C. - Oregon's U.S. Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley said today they have joined a legal brief seeking to preserve the D.C. District Court of Appeals' decision to strike down Donald Trump's plainly illegal ban on all asylum claims outside of ports of entry. A previous amicus brief Wyden and Merkley also joined helped the plaintiff asylum seekers convince the lower court in the case - O.A. v. Trump - to strike down Trump's illegal ban. "My parents fled Nazi Germany for the … Continue Reading
August 25, 2020
Wyden, Merkley Join Legal Brief to End Discrimination in Foster Care and Adoption
Washington, D.C. - Oregon's U.S. Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley said today they have joined a legal brief in an impending Supreme Court case focused on anti-LGBTQ+ discrimination in the foster care and adoption system. "Religion must not be misconstrued as a license to discriminate, plain and simple," Wyden said. "To deny prospective and well-qualified foster and adoptive parents simply based on who they love or how they identify hurts our children in the foster care system by unjustly … Continue Reading
