Press Releases
Wyden Co-sponsors Legislation to Increase Transparency and Accountability of COVID-19 Small Business Relief Efforts
Washington, DC - U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden today announced he is co-sponsoring legislation that would provide additional transparency and accountability to the federal government's COVID-19 small business relief efforts. "Oregon is overwhelmingly a small business state, and it's essential those small businesses powering our state's economy get the help they need to weather the financial storm touched off by coronavirus," said Wyden, ranking member of the Senate Finance Committee. "This legislation … Continue Reading
June 16, 2020
Wyden Will Hold Virtual Town Hall on June 22
Portland - U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden today announced he will have a live on-line town hall on June 22 hosted by Town Hall Project for residents of Baker, Harney, Grant and Malheur counties. Anybody wanting to watch that virtual regional town hall beginning at 11 AM PT, noon MT on Monday, June 22 can go to this Facebook link. Video at that link is available as well to people who don't have a Facebook account. Residents of Baker, Harney, Grant and Malheur counties who would like to participate by … Continue Reading
June 16, 2020
Wyden Co-sponsors Legislation Ensuring Protection For Whistleblowers Who Expose Waste, Fraud, Abuse in Federal COVID-19 Relief Effort
Washington, DC - U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden today announced he is co-sponsoring legislation that would ensure whistleblower protections for people who expose misuse of government funds intended to combat the COVID-19 pandemic. "Whistleblowers play a key role in sounding the alarm whenever there's wrongdoing by scam artists and cheaters scheming to cover up their tracks," Wyden said. "This bill extends essential whistleblower protections to non-federal employees who report waste, fraud and abuse in … Continue Reading
June 15, 2020
Wyden Will Hold Virtual Town Hall on June 19
Portland - U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden today announced he will have a live on-line town hall on June 19 hosted by Town Hall Project for residents of Curry, Coos and Douglas counties. Anybody wanting to watch that virtual regional town hall beginning at 11 AM PT on Friday, June 19 can go to this Facebook link. Video at that link is available as well to people who don't have a Facebook account. Residents of Curry, Coos and Douglas counties who would like to participate by asking Wyden a question can … Continue Reading
June 15, 2020
Wyden: “If Congress and States Don’t Act Immediately, Our Country Could Face an Electoral Chernobyl This Fall”
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., today urged Congress and state governments to act immediately to protect American elections and voters by expanding vote-by-mail and addressing COVID-19 related concerns ahead of the 2020 election this November. Wyden also highlighted the myriad issues that struck Georgia elections last week due to a lack of preparation by state officials and Republican obstruction in Congress and at the White House to expanding vote-by-mail nationwide. … Continue Reading
June 15, 2020
Merkley, Wyden Announce $273,000 Workforce Training Grant to Chemeketa Community College
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Oregon's U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden today announced that Chemeketa Community College will receive a federal grant of over $273,000 to help support a hands-on workforce training initiative preparing students for jobs in the nurseries industry. While learning through hands-on experience, students will also conduct research and share results with local industry leaders, benefitting Oregon's nurseries businesses. The grant is funded by the U.S. Department of … Continue Reading
June 15, 2020
Merkley, Wyden Announce Nearly $2 Million for Light Rail Projects
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Oregon's U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden today announced nearly $2 million in grants to plan for development along new light rail corridors in the Portland metro area. Metro regional government received $1.2 million to plan for development along the proposed 12-mile Southwest Corridor Light Rail project, and TriMet received $700,000 to plan for development on the proposed 7.8-mile extension of the MAX Red Line. "Light rail provides sustainable, accessible public … Continue Reading
June 12, 2020
Wyden, Merkley: Port of Morrow Barge Services Get $3.2 Million Federal Grant
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley today announced that Tidewater Barge Lines, Inc. has earned a $3.2 million federal grant to support the expansion of barge services from the Port of Morrow in Boardman to Vancouver, Wash. "The Port of Morrow plays an essential part generating jobs in Boardman and throughout Eastern Oregon," Wyden said. "These federal resources expanding shipping opportunities will help Eastern Oregon's world-renowned agricultural products get to where … Continue Reading
June 12, 2020
Oregon Delegation Pushes Trump Administration for Coronavirus Testing Supplies for Vulnerable Nursing Homes
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Oregon's U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley today led members of Oregon's congressional delegation-including U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, and Representatives Earl Blumenauer, Suzanne Bonamici, Peter DeFazio, and Kurt Schrader-in pushing the Trump administration to help meet Oregon's urgent need for critical coronavirus testing supplies at long-term care facilities. In a letter to U.S. Department of Health & Human Services Secretary Alex Azar and Centers for Medicare & Medicaid … Continue Reading
June 12, 2020
Wyden, Merkley Demand Answers from Zoom After Company Deactivated Accounts of Pro-democracy Chinese Activists
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley today demanded information from Zoom's CEO after the company admitted it deactivated the accounts of U.S-based, pro-democracy Chinese activists - at the request of the Chinese government - after they held a Zoom meeting on the anniversary of the Tiananmen Square Massacre. "We write with deep concern regarding reports that Zoom, a U.S.-based company, deactivated the accounts of two U.S.-based, pro-democracy Chinese activists after they … Continue Reading
June 10, 2020
Wyden Presses Trump Administration to Stop Weaponizing Facial Recognition Technology Against Protesters
Washington, DC - U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden today pressed Trump administration officials to end federal law enforcement's weaponizing of facial recognition technology against peaceful protesters exercising their First Amendment rights to speak out about the police killing of George Floyd and other black Americans. In a letter with U.S. Sens. Cory Booker (D-NJ) and Sherrod Brown (D-OH) to Attorney General William Barr and Department of Homeland Security Acting Secretary Chad Wolf, Wyden noted how … Continue Reading
June 10, 2020
Wyden, Merkley: Two Portland Groups to Get Federal Aid for Telehealth Work During COVID-19 Pandemic
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley today announced that Volunteers of America Oregon and Prism Health will receive $768,644 in federal funds to help provide telehealth services during the coronavirus pandemic. "The value of telehealth for Oregonians and the hard-working medical providers who care for them takes on even greater importance when COVID-19 protocols include distancing," Wyden said. "I am glad these two Portland groups have earned these federal resources, and … Continue Reading
June 10, 2020
Merkley, Wyden Call on Senate Leadership to Support Digital News Outlets
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Oregon's U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden, along with a dozen of their colleagues, are urging Senate leadership to include support for digital-native news outlets in future COVID-19 response legislation. During this pandemic, these outlets have provided information to Americans on health and safety measures and reopening protocols in communities across the country. Digital-native outlets rely primarily on advertising revenue, yet the pandemic has caused a severe drop … Continue Reading
June 10, 2020
Merkley, Wyden Demand Immediate GAO Review of Safety of Rubber Bullets Being Used on Protesters
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Oregon's U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden are requesting that the Government Accountability Office (GAO) immediately conduct a review to examine the safety of rubber bullets being used against protesters during civil rights protests. Merkley and Wyden's request comes on the heels of public reporting that indicates there have been serious injuries resulting from law enforcement's use of these projectiles to control and disperse protests occurring across the country … Continue Reading
June 10, 2020
Wyden, Lee, Booker and 13 House Members Question Juniper Networks Over Secret Government Backdoors
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senators Ron Wyden, D-Ore., Mike Lee, R-Utah, Cory Booker, D-N.J. and 13 members of the U.S. House asked Juniper Networks to explain how an NSA-designed algorithm, which leading cybersecurity experts believe contains an encryption backdoor, appeared in its products, and how the key to this backdoor was later changed by unknown parties. Juniper first revealed a security breach in late 2015 in which unauthorized code was added to its products. Cybersecurity experts … Continue Reading
June 10, 2020
Wyden Will Hold Virtual Southern Oregon Town Hall on June 15
Portland - U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden today announced he will have a live on-line town hall on June 15 hosted by Town Hall Project for residents of Jackson, Josephine, Klamath and Lake counties. Anybody wanting to watch that virtual regional town hall beginning at 11 AM PT on Monday, June 15 can go to this Facebook link. Residents of Jackson, Josephine, Klamath and Lake counties who would like to participate by asking Wyden a question can fill out this form for consideration by Town Hall Project. A … Continue Reading
June 10, 2020
Wyden, Family Forward Oregon, Portland Mom, MomsRising Highlight Benefits of Supercharged Unemployment Insurance
Washington, D.C. - Ahead of the Senate Finance Committee hearing on the role of unemployment insurance during the COVID-19 pandemic, Senate Finance Committee Ranking Member Ron Wyden, D-Ore., hosted a press conference call with Family Forward Oregon executive director Andrea Paluso and workers such as Nicola Van Hoff of Portland to highlight the benefits of supercharged unemployment insurance for families nationwide. Excerpts from their remarks from before the June 9 hearing follow: Senate … Continue Reading
June 09, 2020
Wyden, Grijalva, Haaland Call for Investigation of Park Police's Use of Force Against Peaceful Protesters and Journalists in Lafayette Park
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., and U.S. Reps. Raúl M. Grijalva, D-Ariz., and Deb Haaland, D-N.M., this week requested that the Office of the Inspector General (OIG) for the U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) investigate the U.S. Park Police's use of force against peaceful protesters and journalists in Lafayette Park to clear the way for a staged photo of Donald Trump in front of St. John's Episcopal Church. "We request that the [OIG] investigate whether the Park … Continue Reading
June 09, 2020
Wyden Gives Forest Service a Week to Explain Agency Actions to Protect Firefighters and Communities Amid Wildfire Season and COVID-19
Washington, D.C. - Following a U.S. Forest Service official's admission today that the agency could do more to protect the safety and well-being of firefighters and communities from COVID-19 during this wildfire season, U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., demanded the agency provide its safety plan in writing within a week. During a Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources hearing, Wyden pressed the agency on the lack of coordination with on-the-ground officials: "I was recently briefed … Continue Reading
June 09, 2020
Merkley, Wyden Announce Over $68 Million in Federal Homeless Assistance Funding Headed to Oregon
Washington, D.C. - Oregon's U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden announced over $68 million in funding to prevent, prepare for, and respond to coronavirus outbreaks among individuals and families who are experiencing homelessness in Oregon. This is the second allotment of the funding allocated to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's Emergency Solutions Grants (ESG) by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act, which Congress passed in March. "Right now-as … Continue Reading
