Ron Wyden

Ron Wyden
United States Senator
from Oregon
Assumed office
February 5, 1996
Serving with Jeff Merkley
Preceded by Bob Packwood
Ranking Member of the Senate Finance Committee
Assumed office
January 3, 2015
Preceded by Orrin Hatch
Chair of the Senate Finance Committee
In office
February 12, 2014 – January 3, 2015
Preceded by Max Baucus
Succeeded by Orrin Hatch
Chair of the Senate Energy Committee
In office
January 3, 2013 – February 12, 2014
Preceded by Jeff Bingaman
Succeeded by Mary Landrieu
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Oregon's 3rd district
In office
January 3, 1981 – February 5, 1996
Preceded by Robert Duncan
Succeeded by Earl Blumenauer
Personal details
Born Ronald Lee Wyden
(1949-05-03) May 3, 1949
Wichita, Kansas, U.S.
Political party Democratic
Spouse(s) Laurie Oseran (divorced)
Nancy Bass (2005–present)
Children 5
Education University of California, Santa Barbara
Stanford University (BA)
University of Oregon (JD)
Religion Judaism
Website Senate website

Ronald Lee Wyden (/ˈwaɪdən/; born May 3, 1949) is an American politician serving as the senior United States Senator for Oregon since 1996. A member of the Democratic Party, he previously served in the United States House of Representatives from 1981 until 1996. He is the current dean of Oregon's congressional delegation.

Early life, education, and early career

Wyden was born Ronald Lee Wyden in Wichita, Kansas, the son of Edith (née Rosenow) and Peter H. Wyden (originally Weidenreich, 1923–1998),[1] both of whom were Jewish and had fled Nazi Germany.[2] Wyden grew up in Palo Alto, California, where he played basketball for Palo Alto High School.[3] He attended the University of California, Santa Barbara, on a basketball scholarship,[4] and later transferred to Stanford University where he received his Bachelor of Arts in 1971. He received a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Oregon School of Law in 1974.[5]

While teaching gerontology at several Oregon universities, Wyden founded the Oregon chapter of the Gray Panthers, which he led from 1974 to 1980. Wyden also served as the director of the Oregon Legal Services Center for Elderly, a nonprofit law service.

U.S. House of Representatives

Wyden in 1981

Wyden ran for the United States House of Representatives in 1980. During the Democratic primary, Wyden, who was just 31 years old at the time, upset incumbent Representative Bob Duncan in Oregon's 3rd congressional district, which includes most of Portland.[6] Later that fall, Wyden easily defeated his Republican opponent, Darrell Conger, with 71 percent of the vote. The 3rd has long been the most Democratic district in Oregon, and Wyden was reelected seven times from this district, never dropping below 70 percent of the vote.

U.S. Senate

Elections

In January 1996, Wyden narrowly defeated Oregon State Senate President Gordon Smith in a special election to fill the Senate seat vacated by Bob Packwood. Smith won a separate November 1996 Senate election to succeed the retiring Mark Hatfield, and Smith and Wyden served together until Smith's defeat in 2008 by Democrat Jeff Merkley. Wyden holds the Senate seat that was once held by the late Wayne Morse, a man whom Wyden worked for in the summer of 1968 when he served as Morse's driver,[7] and whom Wyden calls his mentor.[8]

Wyden was elected to a full term in 1998 with 61 percent of the vote, and in 2004, was re-elected to another full term, receiving 64% of the vote compared to 31% for his main opponent, Republican Al King. In 2010, he was re-elected with 57% of the vote, over his main opponent, Jim Huffman, who garnered 39%.[9] In 2016, he was re-elected again with 56% of the vote over Republican opponent Mark Callahan, who earned 34% of the vote.

Tenure

In June 1996, Wyden offered an amendment to the mission of the Federal Aviation Administration, the idea being endorsed by Transportation Secretary Federico F. Pena.[10] In September, Wyden joined Wendell H. Ford in requesting the FAA publicize information on the federal government's reason for not making safety data on the airlines more readily available to travelers.[11]

In late 1999, Wyden threatened a filibuster amid Senate debate over banning physician-assisted suicide.[12]

In May 2000, Wyden and Republican Representative Bill Thomas announced they would collaborate on an attempt to add prescription drug benefits to Medicare that year.[13]

In January 2001, along with Chuck Schumer, Wyden was one of only two senators on the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee to vote against the confirmation of Gale Norton as United States Secretary of the Interior. Wyden admitted reluctance in his opposition and hope that Norton would change his view of her.[14]

In February 2001, after the U.S. Department of Transportation's Inspector General's Office released a report on airliners providing "untimely, incomplete, or unreliable reports" on flight delays and cancellations, Wyden stated that the matter amounted to a "failure to communicate honestly about delays and cancellations" as well as the bumping of passengers from flights and that Congress was capable of taking action to bestow passengers with "timely, accurate information and reasonable service."[15] In March, Wyden stated his support for ending a federal rule requiring commercial pilots to cease flying after age 60.[16]

In April 2001, Wyden joined Gordon H. Smith in introducing a proposal for a change in a budget resolution, saying Congress not responding at a time of layoffs was "nothing short of government malpractice." The change was adopted without dissent.[17]

In May 2001, Wyden released a letter by inspector general Kenneth M. Mead in which he stated that airlines had admitted to him to deliberately delay some evening flights for the purpose of accommodating late arriving passengers who would have had to wait until the following morning without notifying passengers of the change in schedule. During an address to the International Aviation Club days later, Wyden warned that airlines which persisted in fighting modest steps like informing the public of perpetually late flights would encounter more burdensome requirements later.[18]

In January 2002, Wyden charged Enron with resorting "to a variety of legal, regulatory and accounting contortions to keep investors and the public in the dark" and called for Congress to begin an investigation into the matter.[19] In February, Wyden stated that thousands of Oregonians had been harmed by the collapse of Enron and advocated for the Senate Commerce Committee to continue inquiring about Enron until they had all of the facts.[20]

In March 2002, amid the Senate being unable to reach an agreement on legislation intended to overhaul American election procedures, Wyden said the bill was "not a corpse" and needed to not affect the vote-by-mail systems in Oregon and Washington.[21]

In November 2003, Wyden announced his support for the Bush administration-backed Medicare bill, touted as "the biggest expansion of Medicare since its creation in 1965."[22]

In April 2004, Wyden was among a group of senators who took to the Senate floor for the purpose of endorsing a permanent ban on taxes on Internet access have broken an impasse that has lasted months, Wyden admitting the subject was "about as interesting as prolonged root-canal work" but that it was "fair to say that the decisions the Senate makes with respect to this subject will say a whole lot about the future of the Internet."[23]

In August 2004, amid Democratic opposition to the nomination of Porter Goss for Director of Central Intelligence, Wyden stated that Democrats were aware "of what happened in the last election cycle on homeland security" and that he hoped "that Democrats aren't accused by anybody of being obstructionist just by asking tough questions."[24]

In December 2004, Wyden was one of four Democratic senators to refuse to sign "conference sheets" used by the House-Senate conference committee that was presently working on the 2005 intelligence authorization bill, the four objecting to a classified item in the bill that they believed the funding of which "should be expended on other intelligence programs that will make a surer and greater contribution to national security."[25]

On March 2, 2006, Wyden unveiled the Internet Nondiscrimination Act of 2006, legislation intended to prohibit network operators from charging companies "for faster delivery of their content to consumers over the internet or favoring certain content over others." Wyden said the formation of a two-tier system "could have a chilling effect on small mom and pop businesses that can't afford the priority lane, leaving these smaller businesses no hope of competing against the Wal-Marts of the world" and that neutrality in technology allowed "small businesses to thrive on the Internet".[26]

In July 2009, President Barack Obama praised Wyden as a "real thought leader" and an ally on healthcare reform but announced he would not support Wyden's health care plan, saying that parts of the plan were too radical for the United States.[27]

Wyden characterizes himself as an "independent voice for Oregonians and the nation" and emphasizes his positions on health care reform, national security, consumer protection, and government transparency.[8] On the Issues characterizes him as a "Hard-Core Liberal."[28]

On March 6, 2013, Wyden crossed party lines to join Republican Senator Rand Paul who was engaged in a talking filibuster to block voting on the nomination of John O. Brennan as the Director of the CIA. Wyden joined in, questioning the use of drones.[29]

Wyden in Portland, Oregon, February 25, 2017

During the filibuster, Wyden, addressing the presiding officer, said "Mr. President, what it comes down to is every American has the right to know when their government believes that it is allowed to kill them."[30]

Politico reported that Wyden's ascent to Chair of the Senate Finance Committee would vault him into the ranks of the Chamber's most influential.[31]

He was praised for his ability to defuse partisan tensions and encourage bipartisan cooperation.[32]

In August 2016, in response to refusals by Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump to disclose his tax returns,[33][34] Wyden and Chris Murphy announced that they would press for consideration of Wyden’s bill that if enacted would require major-party presidential nominees to disclose at least three years of tax returns and thereby authorize the Treasury Department to release Trump’s returns over Trump's objections. Wyden asserted that Americans expected candidates to release their tax returns and Trump's break from tradition was "an exceptional moment where a long-standing precedent has been broken, and it presents enormous peril to the public to have this information as private."[35]

In May 2017, after President Trump announced the firing of FBI Director James Comey,[36] Wyden restated his past criticisms and said the decision to fire him amid investigation of Trump and his associate into possible Russian ties was "outrageous." Wyden advocated for Comey to be called to testify for an open hearing in regards to the investigation of Russia and Trump associates at the time his tenure was terminated.[37]

In August 2017, Wyden was one of four senators to unveil the Internet of Things Cybersecurity Improvement Act of 2017, legislation intended to establish "thorough, yet flexible, guidelines for Federal Government procurements of connected devices."[38]

In December 2017, Wyden called for President Trump to resign over allegations of sexual misconduct and said Congress should investigate the matter in the event the president decided to remain in office.[39]

In May 2018, Wyden was one of six Democratic senators to sign a letter asking that all members of Senate be authorized to read a report from the Department of Justice underpinning the decision to not seek charges in the CIA's destruction of videotapes.[40]

In July 2018, after President Trump nominated Brett Kavanaugh for the Supreme Court,[41] Wyden said President Trump had begun "a forced march back to the days when women’s health care choices were made by government" and "a direct attempt to overturn Roe v. Wade."[42]

On August 1, 2018, Wyden announced his intent to put a formal hold on Treasury deputy secretary nominee Justin Muzinich after his confirmation by the Senate Finance Committee. Wyden also confirmed his support for IRS general counsel nominee Michael Desmond and criticized Treasury consideration of indexing capital gains taxes to inflation as contributing extra tax savings to the wealthy along with possibly being illegal.[43]

In August 2018, after the White House barred CNN reporter Kaitlan Collins from covering an open press event following her repeated asking of President Trump about his relationship with his former attorney Michael Cohen,[44] Wyden cosponsored a resolution urging Trump to respect the press.[45]

Committee assignments

Caucus memberships

Political positions

Defense and foreign policy

On November 10, 2005, Wyden was one of five Senate Democrats who joined 44 Republicans in voting "yes" on Amendment no. 2516, brought to the floor by Republican senator Lindsey Graham, which ruled that enemy combatants did not have the right to Habeas Corpus.

Iraq

Wyden was one of 23 Senators to vote against the authorization of military force in Iraq in 2002. In 2003, Wyden voted to bar excessive overseas deployments of members of the National Guard and Reserves. In 2006, Wyden was one of 13 Senators to vote to require the redeployment of U.S. forces from Iraq by July 2007, and was one of 39 Senators to vote to call on the President to begin withdrawing forces from Iraq and establish a timeline for withdrawal. Wyden also voted many other times for withdrawal of combat forces from Iraq, against funding for the war without binding timelines, and against the establishment of permanent military bases in Iraq. Wyden also opposed President Obama's plan for a "troop surge" in Afghanistan in 2009.[46][47]

Iran

In 2007 Wyden sponsored (with Representative Gabrielle Giffords in the House), the Stop Arming Iran Act, which would have barred the Defense Department from selling surplus F-14 parts and prohibit buyers who have already acquired surplus Tomcat parts from exporting them in order to prevent Iran from acquiring the parts.[48]

Libya

In 2011, Wyden supported the no-fly zone and military intervention in Libya in order to protect civilians, stating that "The violence of Colonel Gaddafi against his own people is a humanitarian crisis. I support the international effort to protect the civilians of Libya." However, Wyden also stressed that his support was not unlimited and that he expected that the military action would be completed quickly.[49] Wyden, along with fellow Senator Merkley and President Obama, agreed that U.S. forces should not be on the ground in Libya.[50]

Syria

Wyden's office has questioned the CIA-led Timber Sycamore covert operation to train and arm Syrian rebels, releasing a statement that "the US is trying to build up the battlefield capabilities of the anti-Assad opposition, but they haven't provided the public with details about how this is being done, which US agencies are involved, or which foreign partners those agencies are working with."[51]

Healthcare

Senator Ron Wyden

In 2009 Wyden sponsored the Healthy Americans Act, an act that would institute a national system of market-based private insurance. Wyden was attacked by union interests for advocating replacement of the employer tax exclusion with a tax deduction that would apply to all Americans.[52][53]

Wyden supported increasing Medicare funding, enrolling more of the uninsured in federal programs (although his Healthy Americans Act would eliminate many of these programs including Medicaid and SCHIP and replace them with private insurance), importing lower priced prescriptions from Canada, and negotiating bulk drug purchases for Medicare in order to lower costs.[54]

In 2003 Wyden joined with Senators Lindsey Graham (R-SC) and Trent Lott (R-MS) to help pass the Bush Administration's Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act.[55] The Bush Administration is alleged to have forced officials to hide its true cost, which later was triple its original claim.[56] The bill has been criticized as favoring pharmaceutical companies, as it prohibits the federal government from negotiating prescription drug rates.[57]

Not long after Tom Daschle's withdrawal as President Barack Obama's nominee as United States Secretary of Health and Human Services due to a scandal over his failure to pay taxes, The Oregonian reported that Senator Wyden was being touted by many healthcare experts as a likely candidate to succeed Daschle as secretary-designate.[58] Although Wyden was ultimately passed over in favor of Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius, he took advantage of the interim to reintroduce his Healthy Americans Act, with additional co-sponsorship from Republican Senators led by Tennessee's Lamar Alexander and Utah's Bob Bennett as well as from fellow Oregon Senator Jeff Merkley.[59][60]

In late 2011 and early 2012, Wyden attracted attention for working with GOP House Budget Committee Chair Paul Ryan to develop a Medicare reform plan that would result in the semi-privatization of the system, provoking a negative response from Wyden's Democratic allies, including President Obama.[61] The proposal would keep traditional Medicare as an option, though it would also introduce private health insurance companies into an exchange in which they would offer competing plans to be paid for with government vouchers.[62]

Trade and business

Free trade

Wyden supports free trade; while in the House, he voted for the North American Free Trade Agreement and has subsequently supported many trade deals in the Senate being one of the very few Democrats to vote in favor of the Central America Free Trade Agreement. He has, however, voted against free trade agreements with Chile, Singapore, and Oman.

Wyden supported the re-imposition of tariffs on Canadian softwood lumber in 2017, stating "Canadian policies... distort trade and hold American lumber businesses back from fully realizing their potential."[63]

Cuba

Wyden is a supporter of lifting the travel ban to Cuba as a more viable way to reach the Cuban people. With Senator Byron Dorgan, Wyden offered an unsuccessful amendment to end funding for TV Martí, an anti-Castro broadcasting project of the U.S. government aimed at Cuba. Dorgan and Wyden argued that the U.S. should "pull the plug on U.S. government television broadcasts to Cuba, broadcasts even the American government acknowledges Fidel Castro routinely jams and the Cuban people can't see." calling it a "complete and total waste of taxpayers' dollars" and noting that the transmissions would cost $21.1 million in the next year, but would "reach virtually no one in Cuba." The amendment was not adopted.[64][65]

Bankruptcy

Wyden voted against the Class Action Fairness Act of 2005, a Republican effort to restrict the number of class actions suits against businesses and the Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act of 2005, a bipartisan change in bankruptcy law designed to make it more difficult to file for bankruptcy and to make those in bankruptcy pay more of their debts. However, he voted for the previous Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act of 2001 (S-420, substituted by amendment into H.R. 433)[66] which contained many of the same provisions.

Bailouts

During the global financial crisis of 2007-2010, Wyden voted against the financial bailouts backed by the Bush administration.[67] He did not vote on the automobile industry bailout,[68] though he said he would have voted for cloture if he had been present. Wyden added, "While I continue to have concerns about ensuring that taxpayers are protected if this loan is to occur, I believe that if the President can unwisely provide $750 billion of taxpayer money for the investment banks who took horribly unacceptable risks and helped trigger an economic collapse, we certainly have a duty to attempt to preserve a cornerstone domestic industry and the jobs of hundreds of thousands of working people whose personal actions are in no way responsible for the current economic crisis."[69]

Wyden was among several moderate Democratic senators who in early January 2009 criticized President-elect Barack Obama's stimulus plan, calling for a greater emphasis on "tangible infrastructure investments" and warning that an effort had to be made to differentiate it from the Bush bailouts Wyden had opposed.[70] However, Wyden ultimately voted for the bill and voted mostly with his party on various amendments to the bill.[71]

Science and environment

Wyden voted for the Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act of 2005, which would change federal law to allow federal money to fund embryonic stem-cell research, ending a federal ban. Wyden urged President George W. Bush to sign it, stating that "I see no reason why embryonic stem-cell research should be treated any differently than other research" in terms of federal grant funding. Bush vetoed the act twice.[72] In 2007, Wyden, with fellow Oregon Senator Gordon Smith, again supported the bill.[73]

Wyden is a supporter of environmental protection measures, and was among the minority of senators to vote against confirming the appointment of Gale Norton as Secretary of the Interior. In May 2007, Wyden also opposed the appointment of Lyle Laverty as assistant interior secretary for fish, wildlife and parks (this time on ethical grounds).[74]

Climate change

On April 6, 2011, Wyden voted against limiting the EPA's ability to regulate greenhouse gas emissions.[75] On March 22, 2013, he voted against concurrent resolution creating a point of order which would make it harder for Congress to put a price on carbon.[76][77] In November 2015, he voted in support of the Obama administration Clean Power Plan.[78]

In May 2014, in response to the National Climate Assessment, he said that the "report adds to the ever-growing body of scientific evidence and on-the-ground proof that the effects of climate change are already being felt in every region of the United States".[79] In June 2014, he said that "climate change is the most important environmental challenge of our time".[80]

Civil liberties

Wyden at a town hall in 2017
Abortion

Wyden is a supporter of legal abortion. In almost every year, Wyden has maintained a 100 percent rating or close to it with pro-choice groups: NARAL Pro-Choice America, Planned Parenthood, and National Family Planning and Reproductive Health Association, and a 0 percent rating or close to it from pro-life group: the National Right to Life Committee.[81] Wyden voted against the Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act.

Guns

Wyden has been an advocate of gun control. He voted against limiting lawsuits against gun manufacturers and has voted in favor of increasing background checks. Wyden also voted to renew the Federal Assault Weapons Ban.

In October 2015, Wyden was one of the Senate Democrats to unveil a new gun control campaign in the aftermath of the Umpqua Community College shooting. Wyden said the three areas the senators were focusing on, that of increasing current background check requirements, closing "loopholes" on background checks when guns are purchased at gun shows or online, and closing the "pipeline of illegal guns" by rendering gun trafficking as a federal crime, were "common sense" and should have bipartisan support.[82]

In January 2016, Wyden was one of eighteen senators to call on the appropriations committee leadership to hold a hearing on funding for gun violence research at the CDC and spoke with other Democratic senators and researchers supporting federal funding for investigation into gun violence prevention.[83]

At a March 2018 town hall, Wyden answered "Yes" when asked if he intended to pass bans on bump stocks and assault rifles. Wyden expressed optimism at the chances of passing national common sense gun legislation, noting that legislation passed in Florida in the wake of the Stoneman Douglas High School shooting was strong enough to warrant lawsuit by the NRA.[84] In July, Wyden confirmed he had joined with other senators in introducing legislation intended to ensure gun dealers were not engaging in illegal sales and bestowing the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives with clear enforcement mechanisms. Wyden said gun violence "demands real action by Congress" and the legislation "takes a long-overdue critical step in the right direction, holding gun dealers accountable for illegal sales, reducing the number of guns that fall into the wrong hands."[85]

LGBT

In late 1995, Wyden became the first U.S. Senate candidate (and then Senator) to publicly support same-sex marriage.[86] He was one of just 14 Senators to vote against the Defense of Marriage Act in 1996.[87] He has voted against the proposed Federal Marriage Amendment, which would have proposed an amendment to the Constitution to bar recognition of same-sex marriages. Despite undergoing tests in advance of prostate surgery scheduled two days later, Wyden appeared up in the Senate chamber in December 2010 to vote for the Don't Ask, Don't Tell Repeal Act of 2010.

Patriot Act

In 2006, Wyden was one of 10 senators to vote against re-authorization of the Patriot Act.[88] In 2011, with the expiration of the Patriot Act approaching and with efforts to reauthorize the Act once more intensifying, Wyden and fellow Oregon Senator Jeff Merkley sharply criticized the rush to pass the bill. Wyden stated on the Senate floor that "The Patriot Act was passed a decade ago during a period of understandable fear. Now is the time to revisit this, revisit it and ensure that a better job is done of striking that balance between fighting terror and protecting individual liberty." Wyden and Merkley expressed particular concern with a provision of current law allowing law enforcement authorities to collect "a vast array of business records, emails, phone numbers, [and] even DNA from anyone deemed 'relevant' to an investigation."[89] Wyden offered an amendment to reform the "business-records provision" of the Patriot Act, which he views as being used in an abusive and secret way.[90] In a May 2011 speech in the Senate, Wyden sharply criticized the use of Patriot Act, stating: "The fact is that anyone can read the plain text of the Patriot Act, and yet many members of Congress have no idea how the law is being secretly interpreted by the executive branch, because that interpretation is classified. It's almost as if there were two Patriot Acts, and many members of Congress have not read the one that matters. Our constituents, of course, are totally in the dark. Members of the public have no access to the secret legal interpretations, so they have no idea what their government believes the law actually means.[91] In an interview for the documentary Dirty Wars: The World is a Battlefield Wyden was asked about legal reviews and the scope of potential assassinations (or "targeted killings") of American citizens by their government, and responded that "the American people would be extraordinarily surprised if they could see the difference between what they believe a law says and how it has actually been interpreted in secret," but that he "is not permitted" to disclose the difference publicly.[92]

Boundless Informant

After The Guardian reported the existence of a NSA data-mining program called Boundless Informant in June 2013, Wyden said "Since government officials have repeatedly told the public and Congress that Patriot Act authorities are simply analogous to a grand jury subpoena, and that intelligence agencies do not collect information or dossiers on millions or hundreds of millions of Americans, I think the executive branch has an obligation to explain whether or not these statements are actually true," according to The Guardian.[93]

National language

In June 2007, Wyden was among the minority of Democrats to vote in favor of declaring English the official language of the United States.[94]

Assisted suicide

Wyden personally opposes assisted suicide and stated he voted against the Oregon Death with Dignity Act, first enacted in Oregon in 1997, each time it appeared on the ballot by voter referendum. However, Wyden successfully blocked congressional attempts to pass federal legislation to override Oregon's law.[95] In 2000, Wyden blocked attempts in Congress to overturn the Oregon assisted-suicide law by threatening a filibuster.[96][97] In 2001, Wyden wrote to President George W. Bush urging him to not alter the law through federal executive action.[98][99] In 2005, he and four other Democratic members of Oregon's congressional delegation filed an amicus brief in the Supreme Court case of Gonzales v. Oregon in support of the State of Oregon, and praised the eventual decision to uphold the law.[100] In 2006, Wyden informed Senate leadership that he would block legislation overturning the Death with Dignity Act.[101] Wyden said in 2009 that he will continue to "fight tooth and nail" to block new federal attempts to block the law.[97]

Tax policy

Wyden in 2005

Wyden is critical of the estate tax, which he feels is inefficient, and has voted repeatedly to abolish it. He co-authored the Internet Tax Nondiscrimination Act, which bans internet taxes in the United States. He has also voted with Republicans to lower the capital gains tax, to encourage the study of the flat tax, and to require a 3/5 majority to raise taxes. However, Wyden voted against the Bush tax cuts passed in 2001 and 2003. He has also voted against the balanced budget amendment.

Wyden supports lower corporate taxes and was generally supportive of the draft proposal for deficit reduction that was released by the chairmen of the National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform in November 2010.[102]

Wyden has been praised by Len Burman of the Tax Policy Center as a legislator who "has worked tirelessly to try to advance the cause of tax reform, [despite having] few allies in this quest."[103]

Technology

On November 19, 2010, Wyden announced he would take the steps necessary to put a hold on The Combating Online Infringement and Counterfeits Act (COICA) so it is not enacted into law that year. If it were enacted, it would allow the Attorney General the authority to order internet providers in the US to block access to websites that were deemed to contain copyright infringement. This effectively requires the law to be resubmitted next year rather than be rushed through the system at the end of the congress. He stated:

It seems to me that online copyright infringement is a legitimate problem, but it seems to me that COICA as written is the wrong medicine. Deploying this statute to combat online copyright infringement seems almost like using a bunker-busting cluster bomb when what you really need is a precision-guided missile. The collateral damage of this statute could be American innovation, American jobs, and a secure Internet.[104]

In June 2011, Wyden announced his "Geolocation Privacy and Surveillance Act" in partnership with Representative Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah). The bill, which is still under House consideration, would establish a legal framework for the sharing and access of private tracking data by corporations, individuals, and federal agencies.[105]

Wyden was the first politician in Congress to stand against the controversial Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) (in the House) and the PROTECT IP Act (PIPA) (in the Senate)[106] on the grounds that it would "step towards an Internet in which those with money and lawyers and access to power have a greater voice than those who don't."[107] Wyden delayed the PIPA in the Senate by placing a hold on the legislation in 2010, which prevented the bill from being considered by the full Senate even after it was unanimously voted out of the Senate Judiciary Committee. Wyden's hold was credited with "[g]iving time for the Internet to rally against" SOPA and PIPA.[108] With Representative Darrell Issa in the House, Wyden also introduced the Online Protection and Enforcement of Digital Trade Act as an alternative to SOPA and PIPA.[109]

Ezra Klein wrote: "Perhaps no single member of Congress deserves as much credit for slowing the advance" of the bills than Wyden, who for much of 2010 "fought a one-man battle to keep the Senate version of the legislation from moving through on a unanimous vote."[110] Wyden was described as the "primary driver of opposition to the bill within the Senate."[111]

When Senate leadership announced it was indefinitely postponing the bill following "massive protests" in January 2012, Wyden called it a "grassroots victory for the history books."[111] For his role in fighting against SOPA and PIPA, Wyden was named one of the top ten most influential activists of 2012 by The Daily Dot.[112]

Electoral history

Personal life

Ron Wyden and wife Nancy

Wyden's home is in Portland, Oregon, and he has an apartment in Washington, D.C. He has two grown children, Adam and Lilly, by his first wife, Laurie (née Oseran); they divorced in 1999 after 20 years of marriage.[115] His son Adam Wyden is an entrepreneur and owner of a hedge fund, ADW Capital Partners LP.[116]

Wyden married his current wife, Nancy Wyden (née Bass), daughter of Fred Bass and (then co-)owner of New York's Strand Bookstore, on September 24, 2005. The couple have three children: twins born in 2007,[117] and a daughter born in 2012.[118]

On December 16, 2010, Wyden announced that the previous month he had been diagnosed with prostate cancer in its very early stage from a routine screening. He underwent surgery on December 20 at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore. The surgery was successful and Wyden quickly recovered and returned to Congress in January 2011.[119][120][121]

See also

References

Specific references:

  1. ↑ Sengupta, Somini (June 29, 1998). "Peter Wyden, 74, Journalist and Father of Oregon Senator". New York Times.
  2. ↑ Entry on Rootsweb.com, created by Robert Battle (battle@u.washington.edu) Archived May 12, 2015, at the Wayback Machine.
  3. ↑ Simon, Mark (December 11, 1999). "Palo Alto to Honor Local Boy". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved December 22, 2009.
  4. ↑ Barmeier, Julia (March 3, 2003). "Senator speaks out on Iraq, economy". The Daily Pennsylvanian. Retrieved August 18, 2009.
  5. ↑ Ron Wyden (Dem) from The Washington Times.
  6. ↑ "Five-Term Congressman is Defeated in Oregon". New York Times. May 21, 1980. Retrieved December 21, 2007.
  7. ↑ One Senator's Solution for Health Care Expansion Archived April 25, 2016, at the Wayback Machine. from an April 2007 story on Morning Edition.
  8. 1 2 Meet Ron Wyden Archived April 12, 2012, at the Wayback Machine. from his official Senate website.
  9. ↑ "Oregon Senate - Huffman vs. Wyden". [2010 election results]. Real Clear Politics. realclearpolitics.com. May 9, 2017.
  10. ↑ "Pushing for a New F.A.A. Focus". New York Times. June 24, 1996.
  11. ↑ "Airline Safety Data: How Useful Are They?". New York Times. September 1, 1996.
  12. ↑ "House Votes to Ban Doctor-Aided Suicide". October 28, 1999.
  13. ↑ "Compromise Sought On Drug Coverage". New York Times. May 27, 2000.
  14. ↑ "Bush Nominees for Health and Transportation Are Confirmed". New York Times. January 24, 2001.
  15. ↑ "Report faults airlines for communication gap". CNN. February 12, 2001.
  16. ↑ "Senators question rule grounding older pilots". CNN. March 13, 2001.
  17. ↑ Clymer, Adam (April 8, 2001). "Senate Takes Small Step Toward Health Coverage for Uninsured". New York Times.
  18. ↑ "Transportation Official Wants Required Airline On-Time Reports". New York Times. May 17, 2001.
  19. ↑ Snow, Kate (January 31, 2002). "Senator says Enron not cooperating with Congress". CNN.
  20. ↑ "Senate panel votes to issue subpoena for Lay". CNN. February 5, 2002.
  21. ↑ Pear, Robert (March 5, 2002). "Senate Sets Aside Its Work On Overhauling Elections". New York Times.
  22. ↑ Pear, Robert. "MEDICARE DEBATE TURNS TO PRICING OF DRUG BENEFITS". The New York Times.
  23. ↑ Hulse, Carl (April 27, 2004). "Senate Votes To Consider Ban on Taxes On Net Access". New York Times.
  24. ↑ Seelye, Katharine Q. "THREATS AND RESPONSES: THE NOMINEE; Democrats Don't Plan to Block Confirmation of C.I.A. Nominee". New York Times.
  25. ↑ Priest, Dana (December 11, 2004). "New Spy Satellite Debated On Hill". Washington Post.
  26. ↑ "Wyden Moves to Ensure Fairness of Internet Usage with New Net Neutrality Bill". wyden.senate.gov. March 2, 2006.
  27. ↑ Lane, Dee (July 2, 2009). "Obama calls Wyden health plan radical". oregonlive.com.
  28. ↑ Ron Wyden Archived September 5, 2016, at the Wayback Machine. from On the Issues.
  29. ↑ Rand Paul's filibuster — with a little help from his friends Archived January 4, 2016, at the Wayback Machine.
  30. ↑ A Devastating 26-Word Challenge to President Obama's Leadership Archived August 22, 2016, at the Wayback Machine.
  31. ↑ Faler, Brian (February 11, 2014). "The rise of Ron Wyden". Politico. Retrieved August 14, 2014.
  32. ↑ Drucker, David (December 19, 2013). "Even Republicans praise incoming Democratic Finance Chairman Ron Wyden". Washington Examiner. Retrieved October 30, 2014.
  33. ↑ "Romney calls decision by Trump not to release tax returns 'disqualifying'". Fox News Channel. May 11, 2016. Retrieved July 18, 2016.
  34. ↑ Cillizza, Chris (April 17, 2018). "Happy Tax Day! Donald Trump still has never released his tax returns!". CNN.
  35. ↑ "Democrats want Senate vote on forcing disclosure of Trump's taxes". Washington Post. August 18, 2016.
  36. ↑ Karl, Jonathan; Keneally, Meghan; Fishel, Justin (May 9, 2017). "FBI Director Comey fired amid Russia probe". ABC News.
  37. ↑ "Wyden Statement on Firing of FBI Director James Comey". wyden.senate.gov. May 9, 2017.
  38. ↑ "Senators offer bill to boost security of internet-connected devices". The Hill. August 1, 2017.
  39. ↑ Friedman, Gordon R. (December 11, 2017). "Ron Wyden joins calls for Donald Trump to resign over alleged sex misconduct". The Oregonian.
  40. ↑ Schor, Elana (May 9, 2018). "Haspel spars with Dems over CIA's harsh past". Politico.
  41. ↑ Landler, Mark; Haberman, Maggie (July 9, 2018). "Brett Kavanaugh Is Trump's Pick for Supreme Court". The New York Times.
  42. ↑ "Wyden, Merkley blast Trump's pick of Kavanaugh". ktvz.com. July 9, 2018.
  43. ↑ Lorenzo, Aaron (August 1, 2018). "Wyden vows to block Treasury nominee but support IRS pick". Politico.
  44. ↑ Birnbaum, Emily (August 1, 2018). "White House bans CNN reporter from Rose Garden event". The Hill.
  45. ↑ "Dem senators introduce resolution calling on Trump to stop attacking the press". The Hill. August 1, 2018.
  46. ↑ "Iraq Archived March 12, 2012, at the Wayback Machine.." Office of Senator Ron Wyden.
  47. ↑ "Sen. Ron Wyden (D)." National Journal Almanac.
  48. ↑ Sharon Theimer, "House OKs 'Stop Arming Iran Act'" (June 11, 2007). Associated Press.
  49. ↑ Ailen Darling, "Wyden Supports Obama's Efforts in Libya's "Humanitarian Crisis' Archived March 3, 2016, at the Wayback Machine." (April 1, 2011). Willamette Week.
  50. ↑ John Sowell, "Merkley, Wyden agree with Obama that U.S. troops should stay out of Libya Archived March 27, 2016, at the Wayback Machine." (March 21, 2011), The News-Review.
  51. ↑ Mazzetti, Mark; Apuzzo, Matt (January 23, 2016). "U.S. Relies Heavily on Saudi Money to Support Syrian Rebels". The New York Times.
  52. ↑ Will Unions Kill Health Care Reform? Washington Post blogs, May 28, 2009.
  53. ↑ Soak the rich Archived July 20, 2009, at the Wayback Machine., The Economist, July 16, 2009.
  54. ↑ Ron Wyden Archived September 5, 2016, at the Wayback Machine. from On the Issues.
  55. ↑ "On the Motion (Motion To Waive CBA RE: H. R. 1 - Conference Report )". United States Senate Legislation and Records. November 24, 2003. Retrieved September 21, 2007.
  56. ↑ Connolly, Ceci & Allen, Mike (February 9, 2005). "Medicare Drug Benefit May Cost $1.2 Trillion". Washington Post. p. A01. Retrieved September 22, 2007.
  57. ↑ Krugman, Paul (May 6, 2005). "A Serious Drug Problem". NY Times. Retrieved August 11, 2009.
  58. ↑ Wyden gains traction as possible health secretary Archived September 9, 2012, at Archive.is
  59. ↑ Wyden, with new allies, reintroduces ambitious health care bill Archived March 3, 2016, at the Wayback Machine.
  60. ↑ Senators Identify Key Components of a Successful Health Care Reform Plan Archived March 30, 2012, at the Wayback Machine.
  61. ↑ "Obama opposes Ryan-Wyden plan". TheHill. Retrieved August 27, 2014.
  62. ↑ Klein, Ezra (December 15, 2011). "Wonkbook: Paul Ryan and Ron Wyden want to bring Obamacare to Medicare". The Washington Post.
  63. ↑ "Wyden welcomes tariffs on unfairly traded Canadian lumber". KTVZ. April 25, 2017. Retrieved May 5, 2017.
  64. ↑ "Dorgan and Wyden Ask Senate to Stop $21 Million Boondoggle Archived April 1, 2016, at the Wayback Machine." (press release). Majority Staff, U.S. Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works.
  65. ↑ Katie Harr, "Radio and TV Martí: Washington Guns after Castro at Any Cost Archived April 26, 2016, at the Wayback Machine." (March 29, 2006). Council on Hemispheric Affairs.
  66. ↑ "Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act of 2001 Archived October 16, 2015, at the Wayback Machine."
  67. ↑ Wyden Issues Statement on Administration Proposal to Address Financial Crisis Archived March 4, 2010, at the Wayback Machine.
  68. ↑ A look at the Senate auto bailout vote Archived March 13, 2016, at the Wayback Machine.
  69. ↑ Congressional Record: Wyden Statement on Auto Bailout Vote Archived March 4, 2010, at the Wayback Machine.
  70. ↑ Doubts arise over Obama stimulus plan
  71. ↑ "Senate Stimulus Amendments - Blog". OpenCongress. February 3, 2009. Archived from the original on September 6, 2012. Retrieved August 29, 2010.
  72. ↑ "Smith, Wyden to Bush: Sign bill" (July 19, 2006). Statesman Journal.
  73. ↑ Keith Chu, "Bible in hand, Smith pushes stem cell bill Archived November 1, 2013, at the Wayback Machine." (April 12. 2007). The Bulletin.
  74. ↑ Sleeth, Peter (May 1, 2007). "Wyden delaying key appointment to Interior agency". The Oregonian. Archived from the original on September 30, 2007. Retrieved May 1, 2007.
  75. ↑ "U.S. Senate Roll Call Votes 112th Congress - 1st Session, Vote Number 54, 2011-04-06". www.senate.gov. Retrieved October 2, 2016.
  76. ↑ "Detail for 2013 Senate Roll Call Vote 59 | Voter Information Services – vote wisely, live better". www.vis.org. Retrieved October 2, 2016.
  77. ↑ "U.S. Senate Roll Call Votes 113th Congress - 1st Session, Vote Number 59, 2013-03-22". www.senate.gov. Retrieved October 2, 2016.
  78. ↑ "U.S. Senate Roll Call Votes 114th Congress - 1st Session, Vote Number 307, 2015-11-17". www.senate.gov. Retrieved October 2, 2016.
  79. ↑ "Wyden: National Climate Assessment Confirms Need to Act on Climate Change | Senator Ron Wyden". www.wyden.senate.gov. Retrieved October 2, 2016.
  80. ↑ "Wyden: Inaction on Climate Change is No Longer an Option | Senator Ron Wyden". www.wyden.senate.gov. Retrieved October 2, 2016.
  81. ↑ "Ron Wyden's Ratings and Endorsements - Project Vote Smart". Votesmart.org. Retrieved August 27, 2014.
  82. ↑ "Senate Dems unveil new gun control push". The Hill. October 8, 2015.
  83. ↑ Keller, Angela (January 21, 2016). "Oregon Sen. Wyden Joins Researchers in Calling to Restore Federal Funding to Study Gun Violence". klcc.org.
  84. ↑ Rimel, Anthony (March 17, 2018). "Wyden on guns: This time is going to be different".
  85. ↑ "Wyden bill holds gun dealers accountable for illegal sales". ktvz.com. July 17, 2018.
  86. ↑ "How Ron Wyden became the first U.S. Senator ever to endorse marriage equality". BlueOregon.com. Retrieved April 3, 2016.
  87. ↑ "U.S. Senate Roll Call Votes 104th Congress - 2nd Session on Passage of the Bill (h.r.3396 )". United States Senate. Retrieved April 7, 2008.
  88. ↑ David Stout, "Senate Approves Renewal of Antiterrorism Bill Archived October 16, 2015, at the Wayback Machine." (March 2, 2006). New York Times.
  89. ↑ Charles Pope, "Sen. Ron Wyden and Sen. Jeff Merkley raise concerns about fast U.S. Senate passage of Patriot Act Archived September 19, 2012, at Archive.is" (August 10, 2011). The Oregonian.
  90. ↑ Spencer Ackerman, "There's a Secret Patriot Act, Senator Says Archived March 20, 2014, at the Wayback Machine." (May 25, 2011). Wired.
  91. ↑ "Sunday Editorial: (draft) Oregon Sen. Ron Wyden vs. USA Patriot Act". community.statesmanjournal.com. Statesman-Journal. May 27, 2011. Archived from the original on July 7, 2012. Retrieved April 1, 2018.
  92. ↑ Inside the U.S. Dirty War in Yemen with Jeremy Scahill, Nasser al-Awlaki, Sheikh Fareed Archived November 4, 2016, at the Wayback Machine.
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  94. ↑ "Project Vote Smart - Senator Wyden on S Amdt 1384 - English as the Common Language". Votesmart.org. Retrieved August 29, 2010.
  95. ↑ Dee Lane. "Wyden defends assisted suicide law" (May 25, 2006). The Oregonian.
  96. ↑ "State of Oregon v. Gonzales Archived May 27, 2016, at the Wayback Machine." (March 2006). Oregon ACLU.
  97. 1 2 "Assisted suicide debate not over? Archived May 18, 2013, at the Wayback Machine." (January 18, 2006). CBS News/Associated Press.
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  99. ↑ "Wyden Urges Bush to Uphold Oregon Assisted Suicide Law" (November 6, 2001). California Healthline.
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  102. ↑ Wyden Statement on White House Fiscal Commission’s Draft Report Archived March 4, 2012, at the Wayback Machine. Ron Wyden official website November 10, 2010.
  103. ↑ Len Burman, Why the Tax Code is a Mess, Graphically Archived March 4, 2016, at the Wayback Machine. Tax Policy Center September 12, 2011.
  104. ↑ Senator: Web Censorship Bill A ‘Bunker-Busting Cluster Bomb’ Archived May 3, 2012, at the Wayback Machine.
  105. ↑ Wyden Press Release for GPS Act Archived April 1, 2012, at the Wayback Machine.
  106. ↑ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on September 6, 2015. Retrieved January 20, 2012.
  107. ↑ "Senator Ron Wyden To The Internet: Thank You For Speaking Up... But We're Not Done Yet". Techdirt. January 18, 2012. Retrieved August 27, 2014.
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  109. ↑ Scott M. Fulton, III, "SOPA Opponents Sign On to Wyden-Issa Alternative Piracy Bill Archived July 18, 2012, at the Wayback Machine." (December 13, 2011). ReadWriteWeb.
  110. ↑ Ezra Klein, "Interview: Sen. Ron Wyden's fight to stop SOPA and save the Internet" (January 17, 2012). Washington Post.
  111. 1 2 Greg Sargent, "Wyden: SOPA win was a 'grassroots victory for the history books'" (January 20, 2012). Washington Post.
  112. ↑ Collier, Kevin. "The top 10 most influential Internet rights activists in 2012". Society. The Daily Dot. Retrieved January 3, 2013.
  113. 1 2 "Election Statistics". Office of the Clerk of the House of Representatives. Retrieved August 8, 2007.
  114. ↑ "Oregon Special Election Official Results". Oregon Secretary of State. Retrieved December 19, 2007.
  115. ↑ Statesman Journal (Salem, Oregon): "U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden plans to marry Nancy Bass, the co-owner of The Strand book store in New York City, in the fall" Archived October 28, 2016, at the Wayback Machine. July 13, 2005 - Page 2 | Wyden, 56, has two children from a previous marriage: Adam, 21, and Lilly, 16. He and his first wife, Laurie Oseran, separated in 1999 after 20 years of marriage and later divorced.
  116. ↑ Miles Weiss, "Hedge Fund Born in Senator's Basement After Son Has D.E. Shaw Internship Archived January 12, 2015, at the Wayback Machine." (February 24, 2011). Bloomberg.
  117. ↑ Mapes, Jeff (October 30, 2007). "Wyden twins head home with parents". Oregonian blog. Retrieved May 17, 2008.
  118. ↑ "Sen. Ron Wyden, wife welcome baby daughter". The Oregonian. November 29, 2012. Retrieved November 30, 2012.
  119. ↑ Charles Pope, "Sen. Ron Wyden diagnosed with prostate cancer Archived September 8, 2012, at Archive.is" (December 16, 2010). The Oregonian.
  120. ↑ "Sen. Ron Wyden recovering from cancer surgery Archived September 13, 2012, at Archive.is" (December 20, 2010). Associated Press.
  121. ↑ "Wyden's prostate-cancer surgery successful Archived January 4, 2016, at the Wayback Machine." (December 20, 2010). Associated Press.

General references:

Further reading

U.S. House of Representatives
Preceded by
Robert Duncan		 Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Oregon's 3rd congressional district
1981–1996		 Succeeded by
Earl Blumenauer
Party political offices
Preceded by
Les AuCoin		 Democratic nominee for U.S. Senator from Oregon
(Class 3)
1996, 1998, 2004, 2010, 2016		 Most recent
U.S. Senate
Preceded by
Bob Packwood		 U.S. Senator (Class 3) from Oregon
1996–present
Served alongside: Mark Hatfield, Gordon Smith, Jeff Merkley		 Incumbent
Preceded by
Jeff Bingaman		 Chair of the Senate Energy Committee
2013–2014		 Succeeded by
Mary Landrieu
Preceded by
Max Baucus		 Chair of the Senate Finance Committee
2014–2015		 Succeeded by
Orrin Hatch
Chair of the Joint Taxation Committee
2014–2015		 Succeeded by
Paul Ryan
Preceded by
Orrin Hatch		 Ranking Member of the Senate Finance Committee
2015–present		 Incumbent
Current U.S. order of precedence (ceremonial)
Preceded by
Jim Inhofe		 United States Senators by seniority
9th		 Succeeded by
Pat Roberts
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