PORTLAND, Ore. — U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden, one of Oregon's two lawmakers in the upper chamber of Congress, appeared live in-studio for an interview with The Story's Pat Dooris on Wednesday night at 6 p.m.
We put out the call to our viewers and Sen. Wyden's constituents: What questions would you like the senator to answer? A number of people emailed us at thestory@kgw.com and we used some of those questions on-air.
Here's some background on Wyden. He's been one of Oregon's U.S. senators since 1996 and has won handily every re-election campaign he's launched. He's a Democrat, and a fairly progressive one at that.
In the current Congress, Wyden chairs the powerful Senate Committee on Finance, is vice chair of the Joint Committee on Taxation, and serves on the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, the Committee on the Budget and the Select Committee on Intelligence.
Wyden's priorities
Federal CHIPS and Science Act investments, and Oregon's stake in domestic semiconductor production, have been a major pet project for Wyden in recent years.
Wyden championed the $52 billion CHIPS legislation and has worked with Oregon's U.S. representatives and state-level elected leaders to get the state on board, paving the way for Oregon's own semiconductor bill.
The senator has also pushed for measures to bring down the cost of prescription drugs in the U.S., heading a congressional investigation into the role of “pharmacy benefits managers" in driving up drug prices.
Another of Wyden's missions for several years has been to hold the Saudi Arabian government accountable for its alleged role in helping its citizens escape justice after being charged with serious crimes in the U.S.
This really got underway after the 2016 hit-and-run death of Fallon Smart, a 15-year-old Portland girl. The man accused of killing her, a Saudi national, disappeared before trial. Investigators believe that the Saudi government aided him in fleeing the country.
Just last week, Wyden heralded a new U.S. State Department policy intended to censure foreign officials who help their citizens evade accountability, dubbed the "Fallon Smart Policy."
Wyden's also been critical of the Saudi-backed LIV Golf — now merging with the PGA Tour — which he referred to as an example of "sportswashing," or laundering the nation's abysmal human rights record by investing in popular sporting events.
A former high school and college basketball player, Wyden has been a big proponent of bringing a WNBA team back to Portland.