Press Releases
Wyden, Merkley Blast Defense Secretary Esper Over DoD's Failure to Adequately Respond to COVID-19 Pandemic
Washington, D.C. - Oregon's U.S. Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley today expressed grave concern with the Department of Defense's (DoD) failure to adequately respond to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. "Civilian leadership of the Department has failed to act sufficiently quickly, and has often prioritized readiness at the expense of the health of servicemembers and their families," Wyden and Merkley wrote with eight other senators in a letter to Defense Secretary Mark Esper. "This failure has … Continue Reading
April 28, 2020
Merkley, Wyden, Colleagues Urge Administration to Take Action to Ensure Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) Funds Reach Small Businesses
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Oregon's U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden, along with 20 of their colleagues, are pushing Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and Small Business Administrator Jovita Carranza to develop strong supervisory mechanisms to identify instances of unjust enrichment and ensure that the just-passed Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) funding actually reaches struggling small businesses who truly need the money. The senators' letter comes amid recent reports indicating that the … Continue Reading
April 27, 2020
Wyden, Merkley Call for Establishing 9-8-8 Suicide Hotline in Next COVID-19 Relief Package
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley today urged that the next COVID-19 relief package include bipartisan legislation designating 9-8-8 as the three-digit number for a national suicide prevention and mental health crisis hotline. "The creation of this three-digit dialing code is essential in order to address the growing suicide crisis across the United States," Wyden and Merkley wrote in a letter with more than 20 colleagues from both parties to congressional leadership. … Continue Reading
April 27, 2020
Merkley, Wyden Announce “Hardest Hit” Funds Will Be Available to Help Oregonians with Coronavirus Housing Relief
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Oregon's U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden today announced that the U.S. Treasury Department will allow Oregon to use funding from its Hardest Hit fund to assist Oregonians facing housing challenges during the coronavirus pandemic. Previously, these programs were set to expire on April 30, 2020. The Hardest Hit fund was created during the aftermath of the 2008 financial crisis for states, like Oregon, that were the most severely impacted by the decline in the housing … Continue Reading
April 27, 2020
Wyden Reiterates Call for Financial Security for Rural Communities, as COVID-19 Relief Funds and Guidance Fall Short
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., today again called on Congressional leadership to provide much-needed financial certainty for rural communities during the COVID-19 crisis to ensure they have long-term funding needed for essential services. Wyden's renewed call follows the release of the Trump administration's Coronavirus Relief Fund guidance for state, territorial, local and tribal governments. The guidance falls dangerously short in making sure rural communities have the … Continue Reading
April 27, 2020
Wyden: New SBA Guidance Will Help Oregon’s Rural Health Districts, Tribes and Employee-owned Businesses Get COVID-19 Economic Aid
Washington, D.C. -- U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden said today that new guidance from the Small Business Administration (SBA) on who can participate in the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) will help rural health district hospitals, tribes and employee-owned businesses in Oregon and nationwide. As ranking member of the Senate Finance Committee, Wyden had advocated strongly for the SBA to make those much-needed clarifications that will expand the PPP to include qualifying rural medical providers, tribal … Continue Reading
April 27, 2020
Wyden, Merkley Urge Administration to Remove Needless Restrictions on Governors’ Ability to Help States with COVID-19 Relief Funds
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley today called on the Trump Administration to revise needless bureaucratic restrictions on how governors can distribute COVID-19 relief funds to their states. Wyden, Merkley and 44 other Democratic senators said in their letter to Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin those needed revisions would allow governors to provide essential public services to their states, as clearly intended by the bipartisan Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic … Continue Reading
April 24, 2020
Wyden Demands FEMA Address Racial Disparities in COVID-19 Disaster Response
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., demanded the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) make transparent its plans to address the existing racial and socioeconomic disparities in disaster response and ensure vulnerable communities hurt disproportionately by COVID-19 receive equitable aid and assistance in Oregon and across the nation. "Our nation has been gripped by COVID-19 and the impacts have been felt across all of society. As FEMA continues in its role as the … Continue Reading
April 24, 2020
Merkley, Wyden Announce $8 Million in Additional CDC Funding for Oregon
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Oregon's U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden today announced an additional $8 million in Centers for Disease Control (CDC) funding to support Oregon in its battle against the COVID-19 pandemic. This funding supplements earlier awards of $10 million, bringing the total funding amount to $18 million. The funding will be available to assist with activities including testing, contact tracing, data collection, and controlling the spread of COVID-19 in high-risk … Continue Reading
April 24, 2020
Wyden, Merkley: Central Oregon Intergovernmental Council to Receive More than $3.8 Million for Transit
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley today announced the Central Oregon Intergovernmental Council will receive more than $3.8 million in federal transit aid through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and. Economic Security Act (CARES) Act. "The economic impact of this public health crisis has hit transit systems hard and the Oregonians who work for them to get people to their jobs, the grocery store, the doctor's office and more," Wyden said. "I am glad these resources are on … Continue Reading
April 24, 2020
Wyden Pushes to Ensure College Students Have Food on the Table Amid COVID-19 Crisis
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., today pushed to help college students in Oregon and nationwide have access to critical nutrition assistance by allowing Disaster Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (D-SNAP) to be triggered during a pandemic. "College students across the nation are facing unprecedented challenges amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. For many, shuttered campuses have exacerbated their food insecurity. In 2019, 39% of America's college students reported being … Continue Reading
April 24, 2020
Wyden Urges Congress to Provide Housing Support for Domestic Violence Survivors During COVID-19 Pandemic
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., today urged Senate leadership to include resources to meet domestic and sexual violence survivors' urgent housing needs, which have been exacerbated by stay-at-home orders, social distancing and the ongoing economic upheaval caused by COVID-19 in any future relief package. "Communities need a surge of resources to meet survivors' diverse housing needs, increase the capacity of local programs to address those needs, and be responsive to the … Continue Reading
April 24, 2020
Merkley, Wyden Announce Higher Education Emergency Relief Funding Application is Live
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Oregon's U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden today announced that funding is now available for accredited public and nonprofit private higher education institutions throughout Oregon, to help schools mitigate tuition losses and upfront costs of adopting remote learning technology amid the coronavirus crisis. The funding will be distributed by the U.S. Department of Education, and was allocated by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, which … Continue Reading
April 24, 2020
CORRECTED: Wyden, Merkley: OHSU to Receive $2.7 Million in COVID-19 Aid
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley today announced that OHSU will receive about $2.7 million in grants to help provide quality rural health care during the COVID-19 crisis. "Our state's health care heroes caring for Oregonians need all possible federal resources to keep themselves and their patients safe in the middle of this public health crisis," Wyden said. "I am glad OHSU has earned these grants to support their life-and-death work, and will continue to fight for … Continue Reading
April 24, 2020
Wyden Announces Plans to Re-introduce Community Broadband Act in Wake of Coronavirus Emergency
Washington, D.C. -- U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden today announced he will reintroduce the Community Broadband Act to improve internet access in underserved communities as millions of students and families find themselves struggling to learn and work remotely during the coronavirus public health emergency. "Access to broadband is a must for communities to thrive in Oregon and nationwide. Oregon communities like Maupin and The Dalles have proven that municipal broadband can be a game changer in places … Continue Reading
April 24, 2020
Wyden Calls on Trump Administration to Fully Use Defense Production Act & Protect Veterans from COVID-19
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., called on the Trump administration to make full use of the Defense Production Act (DPA) in order to better protect veterans, health care professionals, Oregonians and all Americans during the COVID-19 pandemic. The depletion of medical supplies nationally and a broken federal procurement and distribution process has left the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)-the nation's largest health care system-scrambling to secure Personal Protective … Continue Reading
April 23, 2020
Merkley, Wyden Announce Key Resources for K-12, Higher Education Institutions in Oregon
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Oregon's U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden today announced that $153.5 million in funding will be distributed to schools throughout Oregon, as a part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act that was approved by Congress last month. "Every student-regardless of the color of their skin, their zip code, or their parents' income-deserves a shot at a great education," said Merkley. "We can't let the coronavirus pandemic jeopardize our children's … Continue Reading
April 23, 2020
Wyden Calls for $3.6B to Expand Vote-By-Mail, Early Voting in Next COVID-19 Relief Package
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Sens. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., Chris Coons, D-Del., and Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., today urged Congressional leadership to include $3.6 billion to help states expand vote-by-mail and early voting in the next COVID-19 relief package. "Officials in sixteen states have already postponed presidential primary elections or transitioned their elections to all mail-in voting. We must take action now to plan for upcoming elections. Voters across Wisconsin can attest to the fact that … Continue Reading
April 23, 2020
Wyden Pushes to Ensure Families Receive Promised COVID-19 Stimulus Payments for Their Children as Quickly as Possible
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., today called on the Trump administration to ensure that families who are not required to file taxes, like families who receive Social Security benefits, do not need to wait until next year to receive the additional $500 payment per dependent child they were promised. "We write to express our concern that without additional action from your agencies, many families who receive Social Security benefits and have young children may not receive … Continue Reading
April 23, 2020
Wyden Pushes Trump Administration to Ensure Americans Without Broadband Can Receive Stimulus Payments
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., today urged the Trump administration to increase efforts to make stimulus payments available to the most vulnerable populations-including those without access to the internet who cannot file a tax return electronically. In a letter to Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, Wyden and 22 other senators highlighted that at least 21 million Americans are without high-speed internet access and face a significant barrier in their ability to file a … Continue Reading
