Press Releases
Senate Indian Affairs Committee Holds Hearing on Wyden and Merkley's Bills to Support Oregon Tribes
Washington, D.C. - The U.S. Senate Committee on Indian Affairs yesterday held a hearing on the Western Tribal Water Infrastructure Act of 2019, legislation introduced by U.S. Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley to improve water quality and services for tribal communities in Oregon. The Committee also discussed legislation sponsored by Merkley and Wyden that seeks to correct an error made in a 1994 piece of legislation to correct an old survey error. This legislation would allow the Confederated … Continue Reading
June 25, 2020
Wyden, Murray Demand End to Seizure of Tax Refunds from Americans Shouldering Federal Student Debt During COVID-19 Crisis
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Sens. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., and Patty Murray, D-Wash. today led a group of 26 other Senate Democrats in demanding the Trump administration halt the seizure of tax refunds from federal student loan borrowers in default and refund any payments seized contrary to CARES Act requirements. In a letter to Education Secretary Betsy DeVos and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, the senators raised concerns about the reported garnishment of federal tax and state refunds from … Continue Reading
June 25, 2020
Merkley, Wyden Announce $215,000 Federal Investment to Keep Oregon’s Beaches Clean
Washington, D.C. - Oregon's U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden today announced that the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (ODEQ) will receive $215,000 in federal funding to support additional monitoring to help protect Oregonians from possible waterborne diseases at Oregon's beaches. The grant will fund the collection and testing of water samples from designated recreational beaches in Oregon. The water will be tested for bacteriological water quality, and the public will be … Continue Reading
June 24, 2020
Merkley, Wyden, Colleagues Call for Answers on Wayfair Sales Tax Compliance Software, Impact on Small Businesses
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Oregon's U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden, along with U.S. Senators Maggie Hassan (D-NH) and Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), have written to seven tax compliance software companies about the affordability and accuracy of their products, which many small businesses use to comply with the Supreme Court's Wayfair decision requiring businesses making online sales to submit sales taxes to every state in which they have customers. The letters are the senators' latest effort to … Continue Reading
June 24, 2020
Wyden, Colleagues Demand Answers on Open Technology Fund Purge
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden today led a group of his colleagues to demand answers, following reports that the newly appointed head of the U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM) purged the Open Technology Fund's (OTF) CEO, President and board in order to politicize the nonprofit OTF, and direct resources to wasteful, secretive projects. In a letter to USAGM CEO Michael Pack, the lawmakers wrote, "Recent press reports indicate that you ousted the OTF's CEO and fired the President and … Continue Reading
June 24, 2020
Wyden, Merkley, Blumenauer, Bonamici, Schrader Ask Feds for Answers About Surveillance Flight Over Portland Protest
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley, and U.S. Reps. Earl Blumenauer, Suzanne Bonamici and Kurt Schrader today asked federal officials for answers about a recent flight of a possible law enforcement aircraft in Portland over a protest about the police killing of George Floyd and Black Americans. The Oregon lawmakers' letter to the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS) comes after a media report that an aircraft previously linked to the USMS circled over Portland for about three … Continue Reading
June 23, 2020
Wyden Delivers Floor Speech on Senate Republican Police Reform Bill
Madam President, across the country, there has been a national outcry for justice - for real changes in law to address police brutality and reflect the undeniable truth that Black lives matter. This week should be our opportunity in the United States Senate to come together - Republicans and Democrats - to begin to fix our broken policing system. That's what so many people in big cities and small towns in Oregon and every state across America are demanding of us. But instead of allowing that … Continue Reading
June 23, 2020
Merkley, Wyden, Colleagues Introduce Resolution Recognizing June as LGBTQ Pride Month
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Oregon's U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden have joined the Democratic caucus in introducing a Senate resolution recognizing June as LGBTQ Pride Month. The resolution highlights the contributions LGBTQ individuals have made to American society, notes several major milestones in the fight for equal treatment of LGBTQ Americans and resolves to continue efforts to achieve full equality for LGBTQ individuals. Additionally, the resolution recognizes how the coronavirus … Continue Reading
June 23, 2020
Wyden, Merkley: $175 Billion Education Investment Urgently Needed to Save the 2020-2021 School Year & U.S. Economy
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley said today that Congress and the Trump Administration must provide at least $175 billion in additional federal funding to help K-12 students in Oregon and nationwide safely return to the classroom this fall. Without swift, comprehensive congressional action, it will be impossible for America's 100,000 K-12 public schools -- which are already facing severe budget cuts -- to adequately prepare to protect students, teachers, staff, … Continue Reading
June 23, 2020
Merkley, Wyden Announced Nearly $100,000 in Transportation Grant Funding for the Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde Community
Washington, D.C. - Oregon's U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden today announced that the Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde will receive nearly $100,000 to support the community's transportation needs amid the coronavirus crisis. The funding is being allocated by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, which Congress passed in March. "The coronavirus public health emergency has created serious challenges in every corner of our state. Some of those obstacles … Continue Reading
June 23, 2020
Wyden, Merkley Call for Senate Vote on Bipartisan House-Passed Dream and Promise Act
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley today called on Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell to immediately take up the bipartisan House-passed American Dream and Promise Act, which will establish a path to citizenship for Dreamers and immigrants with Temporary Protected Status (TPS) or Deferred Enforced Departure (DED). "It is not too late to change course. As Majority Leader, you can immediately schedule a vote in the Senate for the American Dream and Promise Act," the … Continue Reading
June 23, 2020
Wyden, Grijalva, Haaland Welcome Interior Watchdog Probe into Excessive Use of Force Against Peaceful Lafayette Park Protesters for Trump Photo Op
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., today welcomed the decision of the Office of the Inspector General (OIG) for the U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) to review the U.S. Park Police's excessive 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. Inspector General Mark Greenblatt wrote in a … Continue Reading
June 23, 2020
Wyden Will Hold Virtual Central Oregon Town Hall on June 29
Portland - U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden today announced he will have a live on-line town hall on June 29 hosted by Town Hall Project for residents of Deschutes, Crook and Jefferson counties. Anybody wanting to watch that virtual regional town hall beginning at 11 am PT on Monday, June 29 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 Deschutes, Crook and Jefferson counties who would like to participate by asking Wyden a … Continue Reading
June 22, 2020
Wyden Will Hold Virtual Northeast Oregon Town Hall on June 25
Portland - U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden today announced he will have a live on-line town hall on June 25 hosted by Town Hall Project for residents of Umatilla, Union, Wallowa and Morrow counties. Anybody wanting to watch that virtual regional town hall beginning at 2 pm PT on Thursday, June 25 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 Umatilla, Union, Wallowa and Morrow counties who would like to participate by … Continue Reading
June 22, 2020
Merkley, Wyden, Colleagues Press Trump Administration for Answers on Cost, Legal Justification of Out-of-State National Guard Deployment to D.C.
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Oregon's U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden, along with six of their Senate colleagues, are pressing for answers on the cost and legal justification of the Trump administration's decision to deploy thousands of out-of-state National Guard troops to Washington, D.C., in response to peaceful protests. Their letter, sent to Defense Secretary Mark Esper, seeks details on the deployment of these troops, and requests a response by June 25, 2020. "Over the past two weeks, … Continue Reading
June 19, 2020
Wyden, Murray Push Trump Administration to Ensure All Eligible Students and Families Receive Economic Impact Payments
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), ranking member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, and Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR), ranking member of the Senate Finance Committee, urged Secretary of the Treasury Steven Mnuchin and Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos to work together to ensure that all eligible students and their families receive their Economic Impact Payment, made available through the CARES Act. "The U.S. Department of the Treasury has … Continue Reading
June 19, 2020
Wyden Introduces Legislation to Help Non-profits
Washington, DC - U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden today introduced legislation that would help nonprofits, state and local governments and federally recognized Tribes remain financially viable during the COVID-19 pandemic. "Nonprofit groups like food banks have been critical in helping their communities in Oregon and nationwide through the pandemic and economic crisis," Wyden said. "Many are struggling to maintain services as they have been forced to furlough their own employees. "Our proposal is a … Continue Reading
June 19, 2020
Wyden, Colleagues Call For GAO Investigation into Use of Federal Law Enforcement During Washington, DC Protests Following Killing of George Floyd
Washington, DC - U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden has joined with colleagues to request a Government Accountability Office (GAO) investigation into the use of federal law enforcement, National Guard, and military personnel in response to protests in Washington, D.C., following the killing of George Floyd. "The use of force against Americans on June 1 at Lafayette Square was abhorrent and shocking," Wyden and 13 senators wrote in a letter to Gene Dodaro, Comptroller General of the GAO. "This event alone … Continue Reading
June 18, 2020
Wyden, Merkley Announce $15.6 Million in Federal COVID-19 Funds for Salem Area Mass Transit
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley today announced that Salem Area Mass Transit District will receive more than $15.6 million to support operations and other costs during the COVID-19 crisis. The funding is authorized by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act that Congress passed in March. "Oregonians depending on mass transit need public transportation during COVID-19 and beyond for commuting to their jobs, traveling to the grocery store and … Continue Reading
June 18, 2020
Wyden, Blumenthal Condemn Reported Plan to Annex West Bank
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senators Ron Wyden, D-Ore., and Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., today condemned a reported plan by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to annex parts of the West Bank, in violation of international law. "As steadfast supporters of a negotiated two-state solution, we are very concerned by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's stated intention to annex parts of the West Bank. We oppose unilateral actions by either side that could further threaten the prospects for a … Continue Reading
