Wyden, in line to chair the panel, blasted the panel's Republicans for using their authority to "execute and defend the most craven parts" of President Trump's agenda, highlighting his tariffs and healthcare cuts.
“Trump and Republicans have been running a smash-and-grab job on the American people," Wyden said in a release. "Under my leadership, the top priorities of the Finance Committee will be affordability for us, accountability for them."
Senate Finance Democrats' agenda, Wyden said, will feature raising taxes on billionaires and corporations, ending the "corporate chokehold on our nation's healthcare system" and reasserting congressional authority over tariff policy.
Americans punished Republicans for persistently high prices this midterm cycle, as Democrats flipped the Senate and House and will begin the next Congress with larger majorities than what the GOP had the last two years.
Republican Sen. Mike Crapo (Idaho) has chaired the Finance panel since January 2025, after Wyden chaired the committee the previous four years.
The committee has jurisdiction over the Agriculture, Commerce, Health and Human Services, Labor and Treasury departments, along with the Social Security Administration, among other agencies.
Another component of Senate Finance Democrats' agenda, Wyden said, will be "accountability" for major corporations.
The 77-year-old Oregon Democrat said he is "putting the special interests that have worked hand-in-hand with Trump to rip off American families" since January 2025 "on notice."
He added, "From the banks that helped cover up [Jeffrey] Epstein’s crimes, to insurance companies that are delaying and denying health care to churn a profit, to the pharmaceutical company CEOs that price gouge while enjoying Trump’s hand-delivered windfalls, when I am chair, they will be forced to answer to the Senate Finance Committee for their role in hurting the American people and enabling Trump’s corruption.”
