Ranking Member's News
ICYMI: Canada's Softwood Pricing Undercuts the Market, Threatening Oregon Jobs
WASHINGTON - Senate Finance Committee Ranking Member Ron Wyden, D-Ore., yesterday wrote an opinion editorial in which he detailed his concerns regarding the Canadian timber market, fearing that lower prices set by the Canadian government on timber imports are undercutting U.S. markets, threatening thousands of timber jobs in Oregon and several other states across the country: I write in response to the op-ed by Canada's consul general challenging the views of an Oregon mill owner harmed by subs… Continue Reading
09.02.16
Wyden, Pallone Question Mylan Payments to Medicaid for EpiPens
WASHINGTON - Senate Finance Committee Ranking Member Ron Wyden, D-Ore., and House Energy and Commerce Committee Ranking Member Frank Pallone, Jr., D-N.J., today sent a letter to Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Sylvia Mathews Burwell requesting additional information regarding EpiPen's classification and rebate obligations under the Medicaid Drug Rebate Program, following revelations that Medicaid may have been grossly overpaying for the EpiPen for nearly two decades due to a misclassif… Continue Reading
08.31.16
Wyden Urges EU Not to Undermine Fair Use With ‘Link Tax’
Senate Finance Committee Ranking Member Ron Wyden, D-Ore., urged the European Union not to undermine an open internet and fair use by targeting U.S. companies that link to news articles, in a statement today. "Reports that the European Commission is considering creating a new 'link tax' targeting links to news articles raise serious concerns," Wyden said. "Restricting the ability to link to news - or charging for it - is incompatible with a free and open internet and principles of fair use of c… Continue Reading
08.30.16
Wyden Comment on European Commission Ruling in Apple State Aid Case
Senate Finance Committee Ranking Member Ron Wyden, D-Ore., today issued the following statement on the European Commission's ruling in the state aid case involving Apple: "It is extremely concerning that the European Commission has effectively stepped outside the terms of existing bilateral tax treaties to hand an American firm a massive, retroactive tax bill. Right now countries ought to be working in partnership to prevent tax evasion and crack down on the unfair practices that have eroded ta… Continue Reading
08.26.16
Wyden Statement on Softwood Lumber Negotiations
As Canadian negotiators met with U.S. officials and U.S. industry representatives in an attempt to resolve longstanding differences between the United States and Canada regarding subsidies to Canadian lumber production, Oregon Sen. Ron Wyden, Ranking Member of the Senate Finance Committee, renewed his call for a real and lasting solution to this longstanding problem. "For two years, the United States has been clear that simply renewing the old softwood lumber agreement is not possible. The Unit… Continue Reading
08.19.16
Wyden Applauds Release of New Rules Strengthening Trade Enforcement
WASHINGTON - Senate Finance Committee Ranking Member Ron Wyden, D-Ore., today applauded the release of interim rules implementing the Enforce and Protect Act of 2015, legislation written by Senator Wyden to strengthen the enforcement of U.S. trade laws, protect American workers and businesses and hold foreign countries to their commitments. "This is a big step forward in terms of tough enforcement of the trade laws on the books," Wyden said. "The trade cheats have proven they'll go down every a… Continue Reading
08.17.16
Wyden Calls on Peru to Step Up Campaign Against Illegal Timber
WASHINGTON - Senate Finance Committee Ranking Member Ron Wyden, D-Ore., today called on Peru to take additional measures to combat illegally harvested and traded timber, following a new report on continuing shortcomings in Peru's efforts to enforce its own forestry laws. Wyden requested the report earlier this year. "The report provided by Peru demonstrates that it has much more work to do to enforce its laws and to stop trade in illegally taken timber," Senator Wyden said. "Illegal timber cost… Continue Reading
08.09.16
Wyden Touts Success Of Independence At Home Model
WASHINGTON - Senate Finance Committee Ranking Member Ron Wyden, D-Ore., today touted new data from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) showing strong second year results from the Independence at Home Demonstration, which provides primary care services to Medicare beneficiaries in their homes. Wyden also celebrated news that Housecall Providers, Inc., based in Portland, Oregon, had the highest level of cost savings in the 15-practice demonstration group. Housecall Providers also … Continue Reading
07.27.16
Wyden Alarmed By Dramatic Rise of Illicit Fentanyl
WASHINGTON - Senate Finance Committee Ranking Member Ron Wyden, D-Ore., today expressed alarm following the release of a report by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) detailing the marked increase in illicit fentanyl, a synthetic opioid used in counterfeit painkillers, encountered by law enforcement around the country. The report comes following a letter to Acting Administrator Chuck Rosenberg from Wyden requesting information on fentanyl in June. "The rise of illicit fentanyl flowing int… Continue Reading
07.21.16
Wyden Comments On Justice Department Requirements For Beer Merger
WASHINGTON - Following the announcement today by the Department of Justice (DOJ) to impose new requirements on the proposed merger between beer makers Anheuser-Busch InBev and SABMiller, Senate Finance Committee Ranking Member Ron Wyden, D-Ore., today issued the following statement: "Today's announcement by the DOJ is an important first step in recognizing the need to protect Oregon's small and independent brewers," Wyden said. "In the days and weeks ahead I will continue to fight to ensure Ore… Continue Reading
07.21.16
Wyden and Levin Press EU Trade Commissioner and USTR to Improve Engagement and Joint Enforcement Efforts
WASHINGTON, DC - Senate Finance Committee Ranking Member Ron Wyden (D-OR) and House Ways and Means Committee Ranking Member Sander Levin (D-MI) today sent a letter to European Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmström and U.S. Trade Representative Michael Froman, urging them to cooperate more closely on the issue of China's market economy status, and more closely engage technical expertise and enforcement efforts between the European Commission trade office and the Office of the U.S. Trade Repre… Continue Reading
07.20.16
Wyden Announces Tax Leadership Team
WASHINGTON - Senate Finance Committee Ranking Member Ron Wyden, D-Ore., today announced his new tax leadership team for the Committee. Together Victor Fleischer and Tiffany Smith will co-lead tax reform efforts. "I'm thrilled that two of the top tax pros are teaming up to lead our efforts to radically simplify the tax code," said Wyden. "Victor is a true outside thought leader in this space and Tiffany has been invaluable over the past years executing our agenda." Victor Fleischer, Chief Tax … Continue Reading
07.19.16
Wyden, Crapo Call For Strong Protections For American Jobs and Manufacturing in U.S.-Canada Softwood Lumber Negotiations
WASHINGTON - In a letter sent to the U.S. Trade Representative today, Senate Finance Committee Ranking Member Ron Wyden, D-Ore., Senator Mike Crapo, R-Idaho, and 23 other Senators called for any new softwood lumber agreement with Canada to include strong protections for American lumber jobs and mills. "The adverse impacts of Canada's subsidized lumber on U.S. producers, workers, and communities have been well-documented for decades. Subsidized and unfairly traded lumber imports continue to seve… Continue Reading
07.14.16
Senate Can and Must Pass Legislation to Keep Families Together
WASHINGTON - Senate Finance Committee Ranking Member Ron Wyden, D-Ore., today said the Senate "can and must" pass the bipartisan Family First Prevention Services Act when Congress returns to its legislative agenda in the fall. "The weight of the status quo is severe, and it falls heaviest on the thousands of foster kids living in quiet struggle," Wyden said. "If this bill were to come before the Senate in an up-or-down vote, I believe it would sail through on a bipartisan basis. It's the right … Continue Reading
07.14.16
Wyden Introduces Bill to Stop Private Prisons from Exploiting Tax Incentives for Profit
WASHINGTON - Senate Finance Committee Ranking Member Ron Wyden, D-Ore., today introduced legislation that would limit the ability of private companies that operate prisons to take advantage of special tax rules for Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITS) -- U.S. corporations that invest in real estate. "I am very concerned that the U.S. prison system has become a way for private enterprises to turn an unfair profit," said Wyden. "Our broken down tax code has made this possible by allowing the pr… Continue Reading
