Ranking Member's News
Wyden: “Only People Celebrating Trump Tax Law Birthday are Fortunate Few”
Washington, D.C. - Senate Finance Committee Ranking Member Ron Wyden, D-Ore., today released a Senate Finance Committee Democratic Staff report detailing threats to America's safety net, broken middle-class promises and record-breaking windfalls for the wealthy as consequences of Trump's tax law. Republicans muscled their deficit-exploding corporate handout through Congress on a strict party line basis one year ago today. Trump signed that bill into law two days later. "It's Trump tax law's fir… Continue Reading
12.19.18
Wyden Demands Answers from Pfizer Over Lyrica Price Increases
Washington, D.C. - Senate Finance Committee Ranking Member Ron Wyden, D-Ore., called on drug maker Pfizer to justify to the public the continuous price increases it has taken on its drug Lyrica, which is taken by millions of Americans and costs Medicare $2.1 billion every year. "Seniors are paying too much for prescription drugs, threatening their quality of life and financial security," Wyden said. "As seniors and taxpayers continue to foot the bill for Big Pharma's profiteering, the public ha… Continue Reading
12.19.18
Wyden Reveals Opioid Industry Ties on HHS Task Force, Probes Advocacy Group's Finances
In Separate Letter to U.S. Pain Foundation, Wyden Questions Ties Between Group's Patient Assistance Program and Embattled Opioid Maker Insys Washington, D.C. - Senate Finance Committee Ranking Member Ron Wyden, D-Ore., today renewed his efforts to shine a light on financial ties between opioid manufacturers, third-party advocacy groups, and government panels that provide outside expertise on pain management policy. In one letter, Wyden calls on Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Alex Az… Continue Reading
12.18.18
Wyden Measure Ensures Student Loan Debt Won’t Keep Recent Graduates From Saving for Retirement
Washington, D.C. - Senate Finance Committee Ranking Member Ron Wyden, D-Ore., today rolled out legislation to give working Americans the flexibility to save for the future while having enough money to make their student loan repayments. Wyden's introduction is in preparation for next year when it is expected that broader conversations on how to improve retirement policies will be debated in the 116th Congress. Wyden's bill, the Retirement Parity for Student Loans Act, allows employers to make … Continue Reading
12.14.18
Wyden Statement on Ruling that Affordable Care Act is Unconstitutional
Senate Finance Committee Ranking Member Ron Wyden, D-Ore., today issued a statement after a Texas District Court judge ruled against the Affordable Care Act, threatening core parts of the law like pre-existing condition protections, tax credits for health care and the Medicaid expansion: "Today's ruling is an assault on all Americans' basic health care rights and judicial overreach at its worst," Wyden said. "Trump and Republicans in Congress will achieve their long-sought goals if this ruling … Continue Reading
12.12.18
Wyden Statement on Vote to Overturn Treasury’s Pro-Dark Money Rule
Washington, D.C. - Senate Finance Committee Ranking Member Ron Wyden, D-Ore., today delivered a statement on the Senate floor ahead of a vote on his resolution with Senator Jon Tester, D-Mont., to overturn a Treasury ruling that shields the identities of large dark money donors from U.S. tax authorities. "The Trump administration's dark money rule made it easier for foreigners and special interests to corrupt and interfere in our elections. Senator Tester and I want to make it harder," Wyden sa… Continue Reading
12.11.18
Wyden Statement at Finance Committee Hearing to Consider the Nomination of Courtney Dunbar Jones to Serve as a Judge on the United States Tax Court
Before we get to the subject of this morning's hearing, I'd like to briefly touch on another matter. As this is likely our last committee hearing before the end of this Congress, let me begin by saying that it has been a privilege to work closely with Chairman Hatch on this committee over the past five years. He has always been a gentleman. He's always been passionate about representing the people of Utah and the work this committee does. And as a former boxer, he knows a thing or two about endu… Continue Reading
12.10.18
Wyden Floor Statement on the Nomination of Muzinich to Serve as Deputy Treasury Secretary and the Trump Tax Scam
M. President, the Senate will soon cast the first procedural vote on the nomination of Justin Muzinich to serve as the deputy secretary of the Treasury. I'm going to oppose this nomination, and I'd like to lay out exactly why, beginning with this basic rule I'm going to maintain going forward: If a nominee says the Trump tax handouts will pay for themselves, I'm going to oppose them. Why? Because sticking by that debunked claim is the economic policy version of being a flat-earther. You're eith… Continue Reading
12.06.18
Wyden Recognizes Bipartisan Health Care Accomplishments, Charts Next Steps on Chronic Care
Washington, D.C. - Senate Finance Committee Ranking Member Ron Wyden, D-Ore., today spoke at the Bipartisan Policy Center to honor the leadership of retiring Finance Committee Chairman Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, on the passage of the CHRONIC Care Act, and to offer ideas on additional improvements that could be made to update the Medicare guarantee for seniors now and into the future. The event focused on the CHRONIC Care Act, which passed earlier this year and has entered the implementation phase. An… Continue Reading
12.04.18
Wyden. Grassley Announce Bill to Recoup Millions from Pharma Ripoff
After EpiPen Maker Overcharged Taxpayers for Hundreds of Millions of Dollars, Bipartisan Senators Release Legislation to Clamp Down on Misclassification Washington, D.C. - Senate Finance Committee Ranking Member Ron Wyden, D-Ore., and senior Finance Committee member Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, today introduced a bill that would fix an issue in Medicaid that has allowed pharmaceutical manufacturers to misclassify their drugs and overcharge taxpayers by hundreds of millions of dollars. "While famili… Continue Reading
11.30.18
Wyden Statement on Signing of NAFTA Update
WASHINGTON-Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., the ranking member of the Senate Finance Committee, released the following statement on the signing today of an updated NAFTA agreement with Canada and Mexico: "While there are elements of the revised NAFTA agreement that are clear improvements over the status quo and could set welcome new standards in international trade, I remain concerned about the enforceability of the president's deal. Problems with enforcing trade agreements have done more to harm Ame… Continue Reading
11.29.18
Wyden Statement on Trump Health Care Waivers
Senate Finance Committee Ranking Member Ron Wyden, D-Ore., today issued a statement after the Trump administration released new information about state health care waivers that would promote junk plans and reduce access to comprehensive health insurance: "The Trump administration has created a fast lane to flood health care markets with junk plans and quarantine older Americans and those with pre-existing conditions apart from everyone else," Wyden said. "Section 1332 was created to generate ne… Continue Reading
11.27.18
Wyden Statement on HHS IG Report that Trump Administration Waived Background Checks for Staff at Tornillo Influx Facility
Senate Finance Committee Ranking Member Ron Wyden, D-Ore., today issued a statement following the release of a report by the Office of Inspector General at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) showing that the administration waived background checks for staff members at the Tornillo Influx facility: "The Trump administration will stop at nothing to drive its hateful and ineffective anti-immigrant agenda-even if that means putting innocent children in harm's way. It is absolutely a… Continue Reading
11.20.18
Wyden Decries Proposed Weakening of Nursing Homes Safety Protections by Trump Administration
Following Report on Inadequate Emergency Preparations that Endangered Frail Seniors in Nursing Homes During Natural Disasters, Ranking Finance Democrat Tells CMS to Strengthen, Not Water Down, Existing Regulations Washington, D.C. - Senate Finance Committee Ranking Member Ron Wyden, D-Ore., today expressed serious concerns over proposed rulemaking by the Trump Administration that would weaken the federal government's standards for emergency preparedness at nursing homes. The letter from Wyden c… Continue Reading
11.16.18
Democratic Health Leaders Tell Trump to End Attacks on Americans' Health Care
Washington, D.C. - Democratic leaders on health care committees in the House and Senate today called on the Trump Administration to cease their continued attacks on affordable, comprehensive health care for Americans, following a proposed change to Section 1332 of the Affordable Care Act that would further open the door to junk insurance plans and undermine health care for people with pre-existing conditions. "We write to express our serious concerns that the Administration's new guidance on Se… Continue Reading
