Oregonians know Ron as a senator who listens and innovates. For example, Ron has secured landmark health care and economic wins for our workers and retirees. Always citing the need to "throw open the doors of government for Oregonians," he holds an open-to-all town hall meeting in each of Oregon's 36 counties each year. Thus far he has held more than 970 meetings, as well as several virtual town hall meetings sponsored by the nonpartisan Town Hall Project. Wyden's dedication to hearing all sides of an issue and looking for common sense, nonpartisan solutions has won him trust on both sides of the aisle and put him at the heart of so many of the Senate's most important debates. In 2011, the Almanac of American Politics described Wyden as having "displayed a genius for coming up with sensible-sounding ideas no one else had thought of and making the counter-intuitive political alliances that prove helpful in passing bills." The Washington Post's Ezra Klein wrote: "The country has problems. And Ron Wyden has comprehensive, bipartisan proposals for fixing them."
Before coming to Congress, Senator Ron Wyden was the co-director of the Oregon Gray Panthers, an advocacy organization for older Americans. While there, he worked with Oregon seniors to navigate the health care system in the early days of Medicare and Medicaid, ensure they could find justice when the unscrupulous tried to take advantage, and simply help them get through the challenges of aging in America. His work with these Oregonians fundamentally shaped his public service.
Senator Wyden has long said that if you or a loved one doesn’t have their health, everything else often falls to the wayside. That’s why making health care work better for families has always been his top priority.
As the top Democrat on the Senate Finance Committee, which is responsible for Medicare, Medicaid, the Children’s Health Insurance Program, important parts of the individual and employer health insurance markets, and other health matters, Senator Wyden has focused on ensuring all Americans have access to affordable, loophole-free health care that gives them peace of mind.