Press Releases
Wyden announces wilderness legislation for Badlands in Deschutes County
Bend, Ore. - Oregon Senator Ron Wyden announced today that he will introduce legislation to declare the 30,000-acre Badlands area east of Bend as wilderness."After years of increasing interest and excitement about protecting this beautiful place, I am ready to introduce the legislation necessary to create the 30,000-acre Oregon Badlands Wilderness," Wyden told a crowd of local residents during a visit to the Badlands. "It will tell the world that Central Oregon is a place with an unbelievable … Continue Reading
May 22, 2008
Wyden to hold town hall meeting in Lake County
Portland, OR - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden will host a town hall meeting on May 30, 2008, in Lakeview. Residents of Lake County are invited to attend the open forum to ask questions and voice their concerns. During his 1996 U.S. Senate campaign, Wyden promised to hold town hall meetings in every Oregon county each year. The event in Lakeview is the 11th year of these meetings, which now total over 475.Lake County Town Hall MeetingDate: May 30, 2008Time: 2 p.m.Location: Lakeview High School, 906 S … Continue Reading
May 22, 2008
Senate Approves County Payments Extension
Washington, D.C. - Voting 75 to 22, the U.S. Senate today approved an amendment to the Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2008 (HR.2642) that included a one-year $400 million extension of the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self Determination Act."Once again an overwhelming majority of the Senate voted to keep our rural schools and communities afloat," said Wyden. "Today's vote sends a strong message to both the House and the White House that funding county payments is a critical national … Continue Reading
May 22, 2008
Wyden to hold town hall meeting in Wallowa County
Portland, OR - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden will host a town hall meeting on May 30, 2008, in Joseph. Residents of Wallowa County are invited to attend the open forum to ask questions and voice their concerns. During his 1996 U.S. Senate campaign, Wyden promised to hold town hall meetings in every Oregon county each year. The event in Joseph is the 11th year of these meetings, which now total over 475.Wallowa County Town Hall MeetingDate: May 30, 2008Time: 10 a.m. Location: Joseph High School, … Continue Reading
May 20, 2008
Report Raises Concerns About the Effectiveness of Coercive Interrogation
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) a senior member of the U.S. Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, released the following statement in response to the Department of Justice's Office of the Inspector General's (DOJ IG) report entitled: "Review of the FBI's Involvement in and Observations of Detainee Interrogations in Guantanamo Bay, Afghanistan and Iraq." The DOJ IG's report is available at: http://www.usdoj.gov/oig/special/s0805/final.pdf "Today the DOJ IG shines light … Continue Reading
May 15, 2008
Wyden statement on approval of $170 million in salmon disaster relief
Washington, D.C. -- Oregon Senator Ron Wyden issued the following statement today following Senate approval of a Farm Bill that includes $170 million in disaster assistance to help commercial fishers and businesses that have been affected by the salmon closure in Oregon, California, Washington and Idaho. "The disaster relief funding included for our commercial fishing industry is a much-needed lifeline for lots of Oregon communities and families," said Wyden. "We look forward to working with … Continue Reading
May 15, 2008
Farm Bill Passes with Illegal Logging Provision Intact
Washington, D.C. - Protecting ecosystems across the globe and businesses here at home that are being devastated by the practice of illegal logging, U.S. Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) today praised the inclusion of an amendment to the Farm Bill based on the "Combat Illegal Logging Act of 2007" which the senator introduced last year to halt the trade of illegal timber. American manufacturers are increasingly struggling to compete with the low-priced wood and wood products being harvested from … Continue Reading
May 14, 2008
Wyden calls the EPA's Refusal to Meet with the City of Portland "Flagrantly Wrong"
Washington, D.C. U.S. Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) today criticized the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) refusal to meet with the City of Portland to discuss the city's sewer reconstruction program. The City has been working for over 20 years on a program to meet the requirements of the Clean Water Act and reduce water pollution from its sewer system. "After the City of Portland and its ratepayers have shown their good faith by committing to years of effort and over $1.4 … Continue Reading
May 08, 2008
Senate Committee Assigns $400 Million for County Payments
Washington, D.C. - In a continued effort to provide lasting relief for the nation's rural schools and communities, U.S. Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) announced today that $400 million is included in the Senate's Iraq supplemental spending bill for the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self Determination Act, commonly known as the "county payments" law. The bill which includes all of the government's emergency supplemental funding for FY 2008 is expected to pass the Senate … Continue Reading
May 07, 2008
Wyden, Smith Move Siskiyou Grazing Buy Out Forward
Washington, DC - Oregon's U.S. Senators today succeeded in pushing forward a bipartisan compromise to buy out cattlemen's grazing leases on the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument, protecting over 24,000 acres of new wilderness. Smith and Wyden's legislation, which has strong local backing, was unanimously approved by the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources today."At a crossroad that required balance and long-term vision, ranchers and environmentalists came together and found a way to … Continue Reading
May 01, 2008
CLOSURE OF SALMON SEASON DECLARED A "FISHERIES FAILURE"
In light of the near complete cancellation of all commercial salmon fishing off of the West Coast this year, the Department of Commerce today declared a "fishery failure" for the 2008 season. This declaration will provide the authorization needed for Congress to provide disaster assistance for affected communities. Oregon Senators Gordon Smith and Ron Wyden urged the declaration in a letter to the Department of Commerce earlier this month."A season without work is devastating for families who … Continue Reading
May 01, 2008
CBO and Joint Tax Find Healthy Americans Act Would Lead to Surpluses after 2014
WASHINGTON, DC - After analyzing the bipartisan Healthy Americans Act (S. 334), the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) and the Joint Committee on Taxation (Joint Tax) today released a report that found the Act would be roughly budget neutral in 2014 and found that implementation of the Act would actually create surpluses after that year. The findings were released by CBO Director, Peter Orszag, in a closed-door briefing with a bipartisan group of cosponsors. Copies of the CBO/Joint Tax Report … Continue Reading
April 30, 2008
Wyden urges swift action by U.S. Forest Service on proposed salvage timber agreement to aid economy, create timber jobs in Eastern Oregon
Washington, D.C. - Oregon Senator Ron Wyden urged the U.S. Forest Service today to act quickly on a proposed agreement to salvage valuable timber in fire-ravaged areas of Grant and Harney counties."The conservation community, the timber industry and the local elected officials in Eastern Oregon have proposed an agreement that will salvage valuable timber, provide needed product for local lumber mills and aid the ailing economies in a rural area of my state," Wyden said in a letter to the … Continue Reading
April 24, 2008
Wyden urges STB to investigate CORP's service reductions on Southern Oregon's Siskiyou rail line
Washington, D.C. - Oregon Senator Ron Wyden urged the Surface Transportation Board (STB) today to investigate the service reductions on the Southern Oregon Siskiyou rail line and to use its authority to ensure that all railroads are performing their obligation to invest in their long-term needs."Railroads have a duty to provide service upon reasonable request," Wyden said in testimony before the Board. "By law, a railroad may not refuse to provide service merely because to do so would be … Continue Reading
April 24, 2008
Senators Expand Employer and Employee Choices for Affordable, Universal Coverage Under the Healthy Americans Act
Washington DC - Continuing their effort to modernize the employer - employee healthcare relationship, U.S. Senators Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Bob Bennett (R-Utah), Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.) and Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) introduced an amendment to the Healthy Americans Act (S.334) that makes it clear that working within the HAA framework, employers can choose to continue offering health care as a benefit to their employees."We are pleased to be able to expand the array of choices that will be available … Continue Reading
April 16, 2008
Wyden Questions Planned Rural Health Care Funding Changes
WASHINGTON, DC - Working to preserve rural health care in all corners of Oregon, U.S. Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) sent a letter to U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Michael Leavitt today urging him to extend the public comment period on a proposed alteration to the formula for determining federal rural health care funding.If the rule is enacted, Oregon's rural health facilities stand to lose a disproportionate share of federal dollars as 79 percent of Oregon's existing … Continue Reading
April 16, 2008
Wyden Reminds Americans to Honor Health Care Decisions Day
Washington DC - In an effort to encourage more Americans to discuss important end-of-life medical decisions with their loved ones, U.S. Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) reminded his constituents and colleagues to join him in observing April 16th as National Health Care Decisions Day. Earlier this month, the Senate passed a resolution sponsored by Wyden and U.S. Senators Mike Enzi (R-WY), Roger Wicker (R-MS), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), and Sherrod Brown (D-OH) recognizing the importance of National … Continue Reading
April 15, 2008
Wyden to Hold Town Hall Meetings in Clackamas, Multnomah Counties
Portland, OR - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden will host town hall meetings on April 20, 2008, at West Linn City Hall and Jefferson High School. Clackamas and Multnomah county residents are invited to attend the open forums to ask questions and voice their concerns.During his 1996 U.S. Senate campaign, Wyden promised to hold town hall meetings in every Oregon county each year. The events in West Linn and Portland mark the 11th year of these meetings, which now total over 475.Also, during the Multnomah … Continue Reading
April 14, 2008
On Eve of Tax Day, Wyden Calls for Comprehensive Tax Reform
WASHINGTON, DC - As millions of Americans rush to file their taxes by the April 15th deadline, U.S. Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), author of the Fair Flat Tax Act (S.1111) illustrated the needless complexity of the Federal tax code. The full text of his remarks is below:U.S. Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore.)Speech on the Senate FloorMonday, April 14, 2008Mr. President, for the next 33 hours millions of Americans will face mindless, relentless, needless tax torture trying to shovel their way out from … Continue Reading
April 08, 2008
Wyden Calls for Accountability at the Hanford Nuclear Waste Treatment Plant
Washington, D.C. -- In a letter to the U.S. Secretary of Energy Samuel Bodman, U.S. Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) requested an explanation of the causes of the most recent "black cell" procurement problems at the Hanford Nuclear Waste Treatment Plant, located in Richland, Washington on the Columbia River. Citing reports from staff at the Defense Nuclear Facility Safety Board, Wyden noted that as many as 1000 pipe sections procured by the contractor - Bechtel National, Inc. (BNI) - for … Continue Reading