August 7, 2026 3:05 a.m. 

As over 2 million acres burn across Oregon, on Thursday Senator Ron Wyden urged passage of legislation to deliver immediate tax relief to Oregonians who lose their homes in wildfires.

In floor remarks, Wyden said, “When you lost your move in a wildfire, the last thing you should be worried about is being hit by a massive tax bill. This bipartisan disaster relief bill being considered on the floor today would give people of my state affected by these blazes some piece of mind”.

A release said the legislation would end unfair taxes on natural disaster settlement payments after Americans lose their homes through unpredictable natural disasters. Wyden called the current taxes “burdensome” and said they were passed into law under the Trump-Republican tax bill in 2017. Subsequently, the Senate successfully suspended the tax in 2024, but it is up for renewal this year.

The bill has already passed the House on a bipartisan basis and awaits Senate action. Wyden urged immediate passage Thursday of the bipartisan bill to deliver financial relief now to wildfire victims in Oregon and the West. The release said the legislation was blocked by Texas Senator Ted Kruz, using a procedural tactic.

Wyden said, “I’m heading home this weekend to meet with Oregonians fearing in real time for their livelihoods because of wildfires threatening communities and spreading smoke statewide”. Wyden concluded, “And my message will be I’ll never stop battling to pass this bill that will ease their concerns about getting walloped with a tax bill when they may already be dealing with the loss of their homes”.