Ronald Lee Wyden is an American politician. He is currently the U.S. state of Oregon's senior United States Senator. He is a member of the Democratic Party. After initially attending college on a basketball scholarship, Wyden earned a bachelor's degree and a law degree. He later taught gerontology at several Oregon universities. He won a seat in the United States House of Representatives in 1980, and then in the U.S. Senate in 1996.

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• Mr. Chairman, when Oregonians first adopted the Death With Dignity Act and then defended it on a second ballot initiative, they sent their government a clear message. When the American people resisted government interference in the tragic case of Terri Schiavo, they sent their government a clear message. That message is that death is an intensely personal and private moment, and in those moments, the government ought to leave well enough alone.
  • Ron Wyden, (May 25, 2006), Speech of Senator Wyden: Wyden Testifies in Support of Oregon's Death with Dignity Act at Judiciary Committee Hearing, United States Senate.