Press Releases
Merkley, Wyden, Colleagues Demand Better Distribution of Critical Medical Supplies, Personal Protective Equipment
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Oregon's U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden, along with 45 Democratic colleagues, are raising serious concerns with the Trump administration about its reliance on private companies to distribute desperately needed medical supplies during the coronavirus pandemic, which has created a system that lacks transparency, is inefficient, and could put lives at risk. Health professionals across America and in every corner of Oregon are reporting shortages of critical supplies … Continue Reading
April 13, 2020
Merkley, Wyden, Colleagues Push for More Information, Transparency on Coronavirus Testing Across Country
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Oregon's U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden, along with 45 of their Senate colleagues, are calling on Vice President Mike Pence and the Coronavirus Task Force, as well as the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), to conduct a national inventory of the coronavirus (COVID-19) diagnostic testing supply, publicly release data on testing results, and provide a detailed plan and timeline for addressing future shortages and gaps in the testing supply chain. "Over three … Continue Reading
April 13, 2020
Bonamici, Merkley, Wyden Call on Leadership to Provide $50 Billion for Child Care in Next Coronavirus Relief Package
BEAVERTON, Ore. [04/13/20] - Representative Suzanne Bonamici, Senator Jeff Merkley, and Senator Ron Wyden called on House Leadership to provide $50 billion to support the already-struggling child care sector in the next coronavirus pandemic response package. "Even before the current COVID-19 pandemic, too many families were struggling to find affordable, high-quality child care," the Congresswoman and Senators wrote in a joint letter to Congressional leadership. "Since the pandemic started, … Continue Reading
April 10, 2020
Oregon Delegation Announces $291 Million in Funding to Boost Oregon Hospitals’ Coronavirus Response Efforts
WASHINGTON, DC- 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, announced today that 3,454 hospitals and providers in Oregon will receive a total of $291 million in funding to enhance their coronavirus response efforts. The funds are being allocated through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Support (CARES) Act, which was passed by Congress last month. Hospitals may use … Continue Reading
April 10, 2020
Wyden, Colleagues Call on SBA to Issue Economic Emergency Loans and Grants to Small Businesses ASAP
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., along with 18 colleagues, today called on the Small Business Administration (SBA) to ensure small businesses receive Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDLs) associated with the COVID-19 crisis and the new Emergency Economic Injury Grants (EEIGs) within three days of application as mandated by Congress. The senators' letter to SBA Administrator Jovita Carranza follows reports that small businesses across the country are not receiving EEIG … Continue Reading
April 10, 2020
Wyden, Merkley Call for All Tribal Small Businesses to Receive Equal Access to Relief
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley called on the Small Business Administration (SBA) and U.S. Department of Treasury to provide immediate clarification on tribal eligibility for the new Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and Emergency Economic Injury Grants (EEIGs). Wyden and Merkley's letter to SBA Administrator Jovita Carranza and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin follows concerns that recently issued interim guidance may be interpreted to exclude certain tribal … Continue Reading
April 10, 2020
Merkley, Wyden Announce Over $116 Million in Aid for College Students
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Oregon's U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden today announced that over $116 million will be distributed among 73 colleges, universities, and community colleges throughout Oregon to provide direct emergency cash grants to college students whose lives and educations have been disrupted by the coronavirus outbreak. The funding will be allocated to colleges and universities who will then determine which students will receive the cash grants. The funding was secured through … Continue Reading
April 09, 2020
Merkley, Wyden Announce Nearly $14 Million in HHS Grants for Oregon Health Facilities
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Oregon's U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden today announced that over $14 million in grant funding will be distributed among 15 health facilities in Oregon to help with response to the COVID-19 pandemic. "We have a responsibility to make sure that the Oregonians working on the front lines of this public health crisis have the resources they need to do their jobs safely and effectively," said Merkley. "These grants will help us make sure that our health facilities and … Continue Reading
April 08, 2020
Wyden: Administration Should Increase Number of Doctors in Rural and Other Medically Underserved Areas
Washington, D.C. -- U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden today announced he is urging U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) to resume premium processing for physicians seeking employment-based visas. Doctors on these visas increase access to health care, especially rural areas, through the Conrad 30 program, which allows foreign medical school graduates who have been trained in the United States to stay in the country as long as they serve underserved areas. On March 20, USCIS announced its … Continue Reading
April 08, 2020
Oregon Delegation Urges Swift Distribution of Emergency COVID-19 Funds to Health Care Providers
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley, and U.S. Reps. Peter DeFazio, Earl Blumenauer, Suzanne Bonamici, Kurt Schrader and Greg Walden today urged federal officials to distribute emergency funds as soon as possible for health care providers in Oregon and nationwide to cover expenses and revenues lost due to COVID-19. In a bipartisan letter today to Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar, the Oregon lawmakers said distributing $100 billion from the Public Health and … Continue Reading
April 08, 2020
Wyden Urges Funding to Support Local Journalism and Media in any Future COVID-19 Relief Package
Washington, D.C. -- U.S. Senator Ron Wyden said today he will support funding to help local journalism and media in any future COVID-19 relief package. In a letter to Senate leadership, Wyden joined with 18 senators to warn that the widespread impact of the COVID-19 pandemic - including plummeting advertising revenue - could decimate regional and local news outlets even as communities have become increasingly reliant on their reporting amidst the public health crisis. The son of a … Continue Reading
April 08, 2020
Merkley, Wyden Announce Over $450,000 in Grants for Critical Earthquake Research
WASHINGTON, DC- Oregon's U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden today announced over $450,000 in earthquake research grant funding for Oregon. The grants will be administered by the U.S. Geological Survey, and will be allotted to Oregon State University, Portland State University, and the University of Oregon. The schools will receive $84,964, $87,243, and $282,262, respectively. "The best way to handle a crisis-from a pandemic to a national disaster-is to be prepared," Merkley said. "As … Continue Reading
April 08, 2020
Wyden, Cardin Urge SBA to Ensure Equal Access to Paycheck Protection Program for ESOP-owned Small Businesses
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Sens. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., and Ben Cardin, D-Md., called on the Small Business Administration (SBA) to resolve uncertainty regarding employee stock ownership plans (ESOPs) and make clear to banks and other lenders that ESOP-owned small businesses qualify for the new Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). The senators' letter to SBA Administrator Jovita Carranza follows reports of eligible ESOP-owned small businesses being turned away by banks and lenders due to unclear SBA … Continue Reading
April 08, 2020
Wyden, Merkley Announce More Than $12 Million in COVID-19 Grants for Oregon Health Centers
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley today announced that more than $12 million in federal grants will be available for health centers statewide to support their work responding to COVID-19 in their communities. The $12.4 million in federal Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) grants from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act will help clinics statewide to provide care for Oregonians during the challenges posed by this public health … Continue Reading
April 07, 2020
Wyden Urges Trump Administration to Help Americans Experiencing Homelessness Access Coronavirus Relief Payments
Washington, D.C. -- U.S. Senator Ron Wyden today pressed the Trump Administration to ensure that people experiencing homelessness in Oregon and nationwide receive access to coronavirus relief payments. In a letter to Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, Wyden joined with 27 colleagues to point out the steep obstacles faced by people experiencing homelessness when trying to have access to the direct stimulus payments in the latest COVID-19 relief package. "[P]eople experiencing homelessness … Continue Reading
April 07, 2020
Wyden, Colleagues Request COVID-19 Testing Data from CDC To Ensure Effective Response to the Pandemic
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., with 16 colleagues, today asked the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) to publicly report all available information about who is able to access COVID-19 tests, which continue to be scarce. The members of Congress requested data broken down by sex, race, ethnicity, whether a patient is a health care provider and any other available demographics. The CDC is currently only disclosing a subset of its data, primarily the age groups of those testing … Continue Reading
April 07, 2020
Wyden Releases New GAO Report Underscoring Need to Address Maternal Mortality Crisis
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., today joined a group of his colleagues to release a new report from the Government Accountability Office (GAO) on maternal mortality describing how maternal deaths are tracked, trends and disparities in mortality data, and how federal funding is being used to reduce pregnancy-related deaths. Wyden and colleagues requested the report in 2018 to determine how effectively federal investments were being used and what improvements could be made to … Continue Reading
April 07, 2020
Wyden, Merkley to Introduce Legislation Helping Immigrant Families During COVID-19 Public Health Crisis
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley said today they will introduce legislation that would ensure everyone in the United States can have access to health care and other critical resources that are needed to survive the coronavirus pandemic. "This global pandemic has touched off a massive public health challenge for everybody in our country, and the response to keep everybody safe must not discriminate against any human being based on immigration status," Wyden said. "This … Continue Reading
April 06, 2020
Wyden, Merkley Urge Feds to Make Farmers and Agricultural Businesses Eligible for COVID-19 Economic Injury Grants
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley today urged the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) to make farmers and agricultural businesses in Oregon and nationwide eligible for economic injury grants included in the latest COVID-19 emergency relief package. Wyden and Merkley wrote in their letter to SBA Administrator Jovita Carranza that expanding the Emergency Economic Injury Grant Program (EIDL) included in the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act is … Continue Reading
April 06, 2020
Wyden, Merkley Call for SBA to Accept Loan Applications from Cannabis Businesses in Cannabis-legal States
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley today announced they are requesting that the Small Business Administration (SBA) be prohibited from denying loan applications to cannabis small businesses in states like Oregon that have legalized cannabis use. In the Oregon lawmakers' letter to Senate colleagues overseeing SBA appropriations, they urged language prohibiting the SBA loan denials to cannabis businesses by noting the clear shift in public opinion toward supporting legal … Continue Reading
