Press Releases
Wyden, Jacobs Introduce Bill to Hold Student Loan Servicers Accountable for Negligence and Wrongdoing
Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., and U.S. Representative Sara Jacobs, D-Calif., this week introduced legislation in the Senate and House that would hold student loan servicers accountable for negligence and wrongdoing. The Student Loan Servicers Accountability Act would examine student loan servicers’ role in hurting borrowers’ credit ratings, as well as ensure additional strict performance standards and terms for servicers before they may contract with the federal … Continue Reading
June 05, 2024
Wyden, Merkley Announce National Trail Designation for Banks-Vernonia State Trail
WASHINGTON D.C.—Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley today announced the designation of the Banks-Vernonia State Trail to the National Trails System. The newly designated trail joins a network of more than 1,300 existing national recreation trails, which can be found in every U.S. state, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. “We know that getting outdoors is good for our physical and mental health,” Wyden said. “We’re fortunate to live in Oregon where we have access to outdoor activities … Continue Reading
June 05, 2024
Wyden, Merkley Press Navient to Cancel Loans of Borrowers Scammed by Fraudulent, For-Profit Colleges and Servicer Misconduct
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley said today they have joined seven colleagues in urging student loan servicer Navient to cancel decades-old private student loans pushed onto borrowers attending fraudulent, for-profit colleges. “We write to urge the Navient Corporation to cancel the decades-old, predatory student loans in its portfolio that are governed by the FTC’s ‘Holder Rule’ and subject to claims and defenses based on well-established school misconduct and … Continue Reading
June 04, 2024
Wyden, Colleagues Call for Robust Federal Funding to Support Rural Small Businesses
Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senator Ron Wyden said today he has joined Senate colleagues in calling on the Senate Appropriations Committee to secure federal investment for small businesses in rural Oregon and nationwide through the Rural Business Development Grant Program (RBDG). “Since launching in 2015, RBDG funding has provided support for planning, technical assistance, job training, and other business development needs in rural areas in all fifty states,” the senators wrote. “Small … Continue Reading
June 02, 2024
Wyden Urges Trail Blazers to Honor Memories of Walton and Lucas With Statue Outside Moda Center
Portland - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden today wrote in The Sunday Oregonian about the recent passing of Bill Walton and advocated for the Portland Trail Blazers to honor this iconic player’s memory on and off the floor with a statue outside the Moda Center of Walton and Maurice Lucas, who teamed up to lead the Trail Blazers to the NBA championship in 1977.. “Let generations to come commemorate the achievements on and off the court of two men who truly were trailblazers,” Wyden wrote in his … Continue Reading
May 30, 2024
Merkley, Wyden Announce $22.6 Million for Oregon School Districts to Transition to Clean School Buses
Washington, D.C. - Today, Oregon’s U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden announced the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is awarding over $22.6 million to 15 school districts around Oregon through its 2023 Clean School Bus Program rebate competition. The federal investment will help replace 96 older buses in school districts across the state with new electric or propane buses. This will further accelerate both Oregon and the nation’s transition from diesel to low-and zero-emission … Continue Reading
May 29, 2024
Merkley, Wyden, Blumenauer Announce $11 Million for the Historic Columbia River Highway Project
Washington, D.C. - Oregon’s U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden and U.S. Representative Earl Blumenauer (OR-03) announced today the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) is awarding the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) $11 million to make further progress on the final segment of its sweeping project to reconnect the Historic Columbia River Highway. The federal funding comes through a Fiscal Year 2024 Nationally Significant Federal Lands and … Continue Reading
May 24, 2024
Wyden Introduces Fair Repair Act
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden today introduced the Fair Repair Act, legislation to guarantee consumers and small businesses a right to repair their own products by requiring manufacturers to make diagnostic repair information, parts, and tools readily available. “When you buy something, you shouldn’t have to pay extra, or ask special permission from a corporation just to get it fixed,” said Senator Wyden. “The Fair Repair Act is a common-sense step to put users in control of the … Continue Reading
May 24, 2024
Following Horrific Findings at FCI Sheridan, Oregon Lawmakers Demand Federal Bureau of Prisons Address Staffing Shortages and Other Alarming Risks
Washington, D.C. - Oregon’s congressional delegation—U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley, alongside U.S. Reps. Earl Blumenauer, Suzanne Bonamici, Andrea Salinas, and Val Hoyle — today demanded the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) Director take swift action to address staffing shortages, inmate medical needs, and other alarming issues that put staff and inmates at risk. The lawmakers wrote BOP Director Colette Peters after findings were issued this week from the Department of Justice … Continue Reading
May 24, 2024
Wyden, Merkley Announce NOAA Recommendations for Oregon Fish Passage Projects
Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley today announced the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Fisheries’ recommendations for Oregon fish passage projects funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the Inflation Reduction Act. “Salmon and other native fish are so central to our culture and economies here in Oregon, and it is essential to help recovery efforts after years of population decline,” Wyden said. “These projects are vital to restoring and … Continue Reading
May 23, 2024
Wyden Statement on Senate Republicans Blocking Debate on Bipartisan Immigration Bill
Washington, D.C. - Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., released the following statement today after Senate Republicans blocked debate on the bipartisan immigration bill for a second time: “I continue to hear from Oregonians concerned about our broken immigration system and who want Congress to act on comprehensive solutions to address today’s challenges. This is why I voted today - and earlier this year - to advance essential debate on bills that reflect true, bipartisan compromise. “Just like … Continue Reading
May 23, 2024
Heading into Warmer Summer Months, Wyden and Schrier Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Combat Catastrophic Wildfires
Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., and Representative Kim Schrier, D-Wash., today reintroduced the bipartisan National Prescribed Fire Act of 2024, which would support pre-fire season prescribed burns as an essential, science-based strategy to save lives and property. In the 2022 Fiscal Year, 63 million acres of National Forest Service lands were at high or very high risk of being a wildfire hazard. Since vegetation continues to grow at an increased rate, the Forest Service … Continue Reading
May 23, 2024
Wyden, Merkley Join 13 Senators in Introduction of New Bill to Shine Light on Supreme Court’s Shadow Docket
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley today joined 13 senators in introducing new legislation that would bring much-needed transparency to decisions on the U.S. Supreme Court’s emergency docket, also called the “shadow docket.” The Shadow Docket Sunlight Act would require a written explanation and vote count for any decision concerning injunctive relief, including decisions on the Supreme Court’s shadow docket, to provide clarity and consistency to judicial … Continue Reading
May 23, 2024
Wyden, Merkley Join Bipartisan Deliver for Democracy Act to Help Local News Overcome Persistent Postal Delays, Surging Rate Increases
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley today joined the introduction of bipartisan legislation that would help local news outlets overcome their current crisis by providing incentives to ensure reliable postal service and limit excessive rate increases. The Deliver for Democracy Act comes in the wake of the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) consistently raising rates for periodicals under the guise of increased efficiency and improved service. However, local news has yet to … Continue Reading
May 23, 2024
Wyden, Merkley Reintroduce Legislation to Strengthen Accountability and Combat Discriminatory Police Practices
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley today joined the reintroduction of legislation that would strengthen the U.S. Department of Justice’s and state governments’ ability to hold police and other officials accountable for discriminatory practices. After Michael Brown was fatally shot by a Ferguson, Missouri police officer in 2014, President Obama’s Justice Department launched a civil rights investigation, which concluded the Ferguson Police Department had a history of … Continue Reading
May 23, 2024
Wyden Secures New Protections for Intelligence Community Personnel Facing Political Firings and Whistleblower Retaliation
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., announced that he secured key protections for Intelligence Community personnel from political firings as part of the Intelligence Authorization Act that passed the Senate Intelligence Committee Wednesday evening. The Wyden provision ensures that personnel who are involuntarily moved from one employment status to another can retain their protections from firing. The provision also assures that if an intelligence community employee is fired … Continue Reading
May 22, 2024
Wyden, Merkley: NOAA Selects OMSI as Regional/National Heat Monitoring Center
Washington D.C.— U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley today announced the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI) in Portland will be NOAA’s Pacific Northwest hub for the Center for Collaborative Heat Monitoring, gathering local temperature data to support heat resilience in Oregon and throughout the country. “As the climate crisis worsens, heat is becoming an even more grave concern for vulnerable Oregonians without air conditioning as well as farmers dealing with drought and … Continue Reading
May 22, 2024
Wyden, Colleagues Call on Feds to Crack Down on Tax Prep Giants’ Ongoing Violations of Taxpayer Privacy
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, chair of the Senate Committee on Finance, today joined with four congressional colleagues to urge top federal officials to investigate use and disclosures of legally protected and sensitive taxpayer information by tax prep companies. The letter from Wyden and the four members of the Senate and House follows up on findings of the lawmakers’ July 2023 investigation that found H&R Block, TaxAct, and TaxSlayer had illegally shared the data of … Continue Reading
May 22, 2024
Wyden, 14 Democratic Senators Commend Biden on Historic Student Debt Relief Effort and Offer Feedback to Strengthen Proposal
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden said today he has joined 14 fellow senators in submitting a public comment letter to Secretary Miguel Cardona of the U.S. Department of Education on President Biden’s proposal to reduce or eliminate federal student loans for tens of millions of borrowers in Oregon and nationwide. Published in the Federal Register last month, the new proposal comes after the Supreme Court blocked President Biden’s original student debt forgiveness plan last summer. … Continue Reading
May 21, 2024
Wyden, Merkley, Colleagues Call to Strengthen Federal Pell Grant Program
Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley today joined Senate colleagues in calling on the Senate Appropriations Committee to secure funding for the Pell Grant program for Fiscal Year 2025. In the letter, the senators request a discretionary increase to the award as Congress works towards doubling the Pell Grant for students. “We remain concerned that the value of the Pell Grant has steadily declined since it was first created - now covering the lowest share of the cost of … Continue Reading
