Ron Wyden

Rule Changes

Set to lead Senate Finance in January

Democrats won the House and Senate in the 2026 midterms and will take control on Jan. 3. They hold at least 54 Senate seats, with Alaska and Mississippi still uncalled, and passed the 218-seat House threshold. Hakeem Jeffries is set to become the first Black speaker; Chuck Schumer will run the Senate floor.

Updated 2 days ago

Rule Changes

Expected to chair Senate Finance when Democrats take the majority

Democrats won the House and at least seven Senate seats in Tuesday's midterms, giving them a Senate majority of at least 54–44 when the new Congress is sworn in January 3. Alaska and Mississippi are still counting; Democratic wins there would push the margin to 56–44. Before the handover, the lame-duck Congress must pass government funding by December 11 or risk a shutdown.

Updated 6 days ago

Rule Changes

Not involved in the loan or settlement, according to his spokesman

The Strand, the Union Square bookstore known for "18 miles of books," agreed to pay $1,482,560 to settle claims that it wrongly received a $932,350 pandemic loan. The loan came in February 2021 from the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), which Congress had barred for businesses controlled by a member of Congress or their spouse.

Updated 7 days ago

Money Moves

As of May 2026: Leading ongoing congressional investigation into Epstein banking ties

Bank of America agreed to pay $72.5 million to settle a lawsuit alleging it ignored red flags in Epstein's banking, including over $170 million in Leon Black payments not reported as suspicious until his 2019 death. On April 3, U.S. District Judge Jed Rakoff approved the settlement, following $290 million JPMorgan Chase and $75 million Deutsche Bank settlements in 2023.

Updated May 30

Rule Changes

As of May 2026: Longtime advocate for federal cannabis reform; highlighted 280E implications

Trump's executive order instructing DOJ to fast-track marijuana's move to Schedule III immediately triggered a familiar split. Public health and industry groups cheered the potential research and tax impacts, while House Republicans organized opposition, urging Trump to keep marijuana in Schedule I.

Updated May 15

Rule Changes

As of May 2026: Opened an inquiry into tanker-shipping exposure to cartel-linked fuel smuggling (2025-12-19)

Treasury sanctioned the Cartel de Santa Rosa de Lima (CSRL) and its jailed leader José Antonio Yépez Ortiz ("El Marro") on December 17, 2025. Washington's campaign against huachicol money then shifted toward the infrastructure that makes stolen hydrocarbons tradable: shipping, routing, and due diligence.

Updated May 15

Rule Changes

As of May 2026: Longtime SRS champion for Oregon timber counties

President Donald Trump signed the Secure Rural Schools reauthorization into law on December 18, 2025, ending a two-year funding cliff that had devastated more than 700 forested counties. The bill directs the USDA Forest Service to deliver retroactive payments for FY2024 and FY2025 within 45 days of enactment—by early February 2026—and extends the program through FY2026. Counties that had cut sheriffs' patrols, closed schools, and delayed road repairs are now budgeting for an influx of roughly $280 million per year.

Updated May 10

Money Moves

As of May 2026: Leading Democratic critic of Bessent’s delayed divestiture and Trump’s ethics record

Scott Bessent became Treasury Secretary in January 2025. An ethics agreement required him to sell substantial holdings, including up to $25 million in North Dakota soybean and corn farmland that earned as much as $1 million a year in rent. After months of delays, the Office of Government Ethics warned him in August 2025 that he'd failed to comply on time.

Updated May 10