Press Releases
Wyden: Oregon Should Have a Strategic Food Reserve
Washington, D.C. -- U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden today asked the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to support the creation of strategic food reserves in Oregon as a model for the nation facing emergencies like the current COVID-19 crisis. In his letter to Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue, Wyden said the reserves would address year-round food insecurity while preparing the state for increases in food demands during times of emergency. "The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated an already fragile … Continue Reading
May 01, 2020
Wyden, Merkley Call For Tax Credit Expansion to Help Working Families During Coronavirus Economic Downturn
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley today called for a temporary expansion of the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) and the Child Tax Credit (CTC) in the next coronavirus relief package. As the economic effects of COVID-19 are expected to last into next year, the expansion of those two tax credits would put money back in the pockets of working Americans as they continue to weather the economic downturn, according to the letter from Wyden, Merkley and 37 other senators to … Continue Reading
April 30, 2020
Wyden, Western Democrats Press Forest Service on Wildfire Season Plans Amid COVID-19
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., and 10 Western Democrats, today sought answers on the planning efforts of the U.S. Forest Service to protect communities and firefighters heading into the upcoming 2020 wildfire season amid the COVID-19 crisis. Wyden was joined by U.S. Sens. Kyrsten Sinema, D-Ariz., Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., Patty Murray, D-Wash., Catherine Cortez Masto, D-Nev., Martin Heinrich, D-N.M., Jacky Rosen, D-Nev., Kamala Harris, D-Calif., … Continue Reading
April 30, 2020
Wyden Urges Greater Support for Pregnant Patients, Infants Amid COVID-19
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., today urged additional, robust funding for the federal Surveillance for Emerging Threats to Mothers and Babies program in the next COVID-19 stimulus package. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) program helps to detect and respond to public health crises' impact on pregnant and postpartum individuals, as well as infants and young children, in real-time. In a letter to Congressional leaders, Wyden, along with nine other … Continue Reading
April 30, 2020
Merkley, Wyden Announce Nearly $6.5 Million in Airport Infrastructure Investments Across Oregon
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Oregon's U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden today announced that nearly $6.5 million will be distributed among 10 airports and the Oregon Department of Aviation for critical construction projects and planning. "As we continue to grapple with this public health crisis, it's all the more important that communities throughout Oregon have the resources they need to build a strong economic foundation for the future," said Merkley. "That includes making sure our … Continue Reading
April 30, 2020
Merkley, Wyden, Colleagues Announce Legislation to Meet Urgent Medical Supply Shortage
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Oregon's U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden, along with 44 of their Senate colleagues, have introduced legislation that fills the vacuum left by Trump administration inaction, laying out a framework for an effective, strong, national COVID-19 response. The bill would direct production of, and add critical oversight and transparency to the supply chain for, vital medical supplies and equipment. The Medical Supply Transparency and Delivery Act requires the president to … Continue Reading
April 30, 2020
Wyden Presses for Answers Following Ouster of Vaccine Development Head, Possible Political Interference in COVID-19 Response
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., today joined U.S. Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., and 18 other senators to express their concern regarding troubling reports of political influence in the Trump administration's COVID-19 response. In a letter to Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Alex Azar, the senators pressed for answers regarding staffing issues related to the COVID-19 response efforts at HHS. The senators specifically asked about the removal of Dr. Rick … Continue Reading
April 30, 2020
Wyden Presses Feds to Protect Workers During COVID-19 Pandemic
Washington, D.C. -- U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden today asked federal officials for information on their efforts to protect federal workers in Oregon and nationwide during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. In a letter with 21 colleagues to the federal Offices of Management and Budget (OMB) and Office of Personnel Management (OPM), Wyden and the senators sought information on efforts to ensure that agencies maximize telework across their workforce as a way to keep federal workers safe. "As the … Continue Reading
April 30, 2020
Merkley, Wyden, Colleagues Call For More Funding For Social Service Nonprofits In Upcoming Coronavirus Relief Legislation
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Oregon's U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden, along with 25 of their colleagues, are urging Senate leadership to include additional emergency funding for nonprofit organizations in the next COVID-19 relief bill. Nonprofits are an essential part of the frontline coronavirus pandemic response, providing important social services such as food assistance, shelter for those experiencing homelessness, child care and education programs, and care for victims of domestic and … Continue Reading
April 29, 2020
Wyden Statement on Google and Apple Contact-Tracing Plans
U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., today issued the following statement, on Google and Apple's plans to roll out Bluetooth-based contact tracing technology: "This plan appears to be a sincere effort to bring tech's resources to bear on the COVID-19 pandemic, and I appreciate Google and Apple's transparency about their contact-tracing technology. However, I remain pessimistic about the prospect that Bluetooth-based contact tracing will be a viable way to trace or contain the coronavirus anytime … Continue Reading
April 29, 2020
Wyden Calls for $50 Billion Childcare Investment in Next COVID-19 Relief Package
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., today called on Senate leadership to prioritize funding childcare in the next COVID-19 relief package. Wyden, along with 30 of his colleagues, also requested that the legislation ensures small businesses and nonprofits involved in caring for children receive support from the Small Business Administration's (SBA) Paycheck Protection Program. "We write to strongly urge you to prioritize funding childcare in the next legislative package that … Continue Reading
April 29, 2020
Wyden Calls for $50 Billion Childcare Investment in Next COVID-19 Relief Package
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., today called on Senate leadership to prioritize funding childcare in the next COVID-19 relief package. Wyden, along with 30 of his colleagues, also requested that the legislation ensures small businesses and nonprofits involved in caring for children receive support from the Small Business Administration's (SBA) Paycheck Protection Program. "We write to strongly urge you to prioritize funding childcare in the next legislative package that … Continue Reading
April 29, 2020
Merkley, Wyden, Bonamici, Blumenauer Demand CareOregon Board Ensure Continuity of Services for Oregon’s Medicaid Population
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Oregon's U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden, along with Representatives Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR-1) and Earl Blumenauer (D-OR-3), are demanding that Medicaid enrollees continue to receive the same quality and range of care from CareOregon after the state's largest Medicaid provider announced a new affiliation with Providence Plan Partners. "Over the years, CareOregon has unwaveringly shared our commitment and goal of providing access to the full range of reproductive … Continue Reading
April 29, 2020
Merkley, Wyden, Colleagues Urge Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to Help Low-Income Families Receive Broadband Services
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Oregon's U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden, along with 142 members of the U.S. House of Representatives and the Senate, are urging FCC Chairman Ajit Pai to work directly with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to ensure that the millions of Americans who have recently become eligible for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) or Medicaid are informed that they are also eligible for the … Continue Reading
April 29, 2020
Wyden, Merkley Call on DHS Inspector General to Review ICE Detention Facility COVID-19 Policies and Practices
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley today called for a full assessment, including site inspections, of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention facilities nationwide to evaluate whether the facilities' operations, management, standards, and conditions have adapted to address the threat of COVID-19 to both the staff and detainees. The letter asking Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Inspector General Joseph Cuffari for the review cites reports from across … Continue Reading
April 29, 2020
Merkley, Wyden, Colleagues Push to Strengthen Food Assistance Amid Coronavirus Crisis
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Oregon's U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley today led a group of twenty-two lawmakers-including Senator Ron Wyden-in urging Senate leadership to support and strengthen SNAP, or food stamps, to help ensure that families across America can keep food on their tables despite the mounting economic consequences of the coronavirus pandemic. "SNAP is the nation's first line of defense against hunger and is proven to help lifts millions of American families and children out of poverty," the … Continue Reading
April 29, 2020
Wyden Presses Bureau of Prisons to Release Critical Demographic Data on Incarcerated People and Staff Affected by COVID-19
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., today urged the Bureau of Prisons (BOP) to release system-wide demographic data on the number of incarcerated people and staff affected by COVID-19. In a letter to BOP Director Michael Carvajal, Wyden and 15 of his colleagues requested data on the age, race, ethnicity, religion, gender, pregnancy status, sexual orientation, and disability of all incarcerated people and BOP staff who have been tested for, contracted, recovered from, and died … Continue Reading
April 29, 2020
Wyden Urges Consumer Financial Protection Bureau to Reinstate Anti-Discrimination Safeguards in Mortgages
Washington, D.C. -- U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden today urged the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau to reverse its suspension of key information reporting and data required under the Home Mortgage Disclosure Act (HMDA) during the COVID-19 pandemic. In the letter to Bureau Director Kathy Kraninger, Wyden and 18 Senate colleagues wrote that eliminating these reporting requirements could allow discrimination in mortgage lending and servicing to go unchecked during a time when consumers are particularly … Continue Reading
April 28, 2020
Wyden Urges McConnell to Make Oversight of COVID-19 Relief Efforts a Priority
Washington, D.C. - As the Senate heads back into session next week, Senate Finance Ranking Member Ron Wyden, D-Ore., today joined his colleagues to urge Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., to make COVID-19 related matters and oversight of all COVID-related legislation the Senate's focus. Despite the severity of the COVID-19 public health and economic emergencies, no legislative or committee business related to the COVID-19 public health and economic emergencies has been scheduled. … Continue Reading
April 28, 2020
Merkley, Wyden Announce $103 Million in Funding for Oregon Hospitals and Health Care Providers
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Oregon's U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden announced today that over $103 million will be distributed among 141 health care providers across the state to boost their coronavirus response efforts. The funding is the second tranche distributed by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, which Congress approved last month. The first allocation was distributed the week of April 10. "Throughout this crisis, Oregon's dedicated health care workers … Continue Reading
