In the News

The federal Food and Drug Administration is shelving a proposed change that threatened to end beer-makers' ability to give away their soggy, used-up grains to farmers for livestock feed. The decision formally announced last week leaves intact a long-standing practice that saves micro-brewers the cost of hauling spent grains to landfills and gives farmers a nutritious source of food for their bovines. “That's great to hear,” said Shawn Loring of Lazy Boy Brewing in Everett, who didn't expect any ... Read more

SEATTLE — The U. S. Geological Survey is starting to improve monitoring of Glacier Peak, a Cascades volcano in eastern Snohomish County. It's the closest volcano to Seattle — just 70 miles northeast of the city. The office of Congresswoman Suzan DelBene says improved monitoring will lead to better forecasting of possible eruptions. Currently, Glacier Peak has only one seismic station. Read more here: http://www.bellinghamherald.com/2014/09/24/3874990/better-monitoring-for-volcano.html?#storylink... Read more

Congresswoman Suzan DelBene is asking the Department of Homeland Security to take steps to cut back wait times at Whatcom County ports of entry, especially Point Roberts. And she’s getting results. In a July 7 letter to Secretary of Homeland Security Jeh Johnson and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Commissioner Gil Kerlikowske expressed concerns about “unacceptably long wait times.” DelBene asked that steps be taken to ensure sufficient service levels are maintained, specifically asking ... Read more

There are times, albeit rare, when a gridlocked U.S. House of Representatives does something meaningful. On Thursday, the House passed an amendment to the Defense Appropriations bill that zeroes out funding for (some) National Security Agency mischief. It's a baby step to safeguard civil liberties — all relative in the anything-goes intelligence culture after 9/11 — but it's a step nonetheless. The Massie-Lofgren amendment, which earned an unexpected 293-123 vote nod, addresses the so-called “ba... Read more

The Federal Bureau of Investigation has opened a criminal investigation into accusations that Department of Veterans Affairs officials manipulated medical waiting lists and delayed care for thousands of veterans, the F.B.I. director, James B. Comey, said on Wednesday. Testifying before the House Judiciary Committee, Mr. Comey said F.B.I. agents in Phoenix were leading the investigation. The veterans medical center in Phoenix is at the center of the national scandal, which led to Eric Shinseki’s ... Read more

MOUNT VERNON — Rep. Suzan DelBene stopped by Skagit Valley College’s Mount Vernon campus Monday morning in part to see the campus’ new Lewis Hall take shape. Construction on the new building, which will contain classrooms as well as faculty and administrative offices, was started last year. Slated for its grand opening in the fall, the project, which also tears down the old Lewis Hall, is currently 92 percent complete, said Dave Scott, director of facilities and operations. “It’s gorgeous,” DelB... Read more

When discharged from military service, there are many things veterans have to adjust to in civilian life. One of those things is re-entering the workforce. In an effort to learn how to make that transition easier for returning veterans, Congresswoman Suzan DelBene of Washington’s 1st Congressional District, which includes Redmond, met with Puget Sound-area employers in the manufacturing industry and representatives from local colleges, veterans’ groups and other organizations at Genie Industries... Read more

On a January evening this year, Juan Andrés Macedo de Alba and a friend were in Blaine when they were stopped by U.S. Customs and Border Patrol officers. Macedo de Alba wasn’t worried, though, because he hadn’t done anything wrong, he said. But when the officer returned and told him he was in the country illegally, Macedo de Alba started to worry. “That’s when the panic set in,” he said. He had come into the U.S. on a visa that had since expired, and now border patrol would take him into custody... Read more

The Oso mudslide that took the lives of 41 people shows us just how devastating a landslide can be. But some lawmakers say despite the risk, landslide monitoring is underfunded. Rep. Suzan DelBene is among lawmakers asking for more resources to monitor landslide-prone areas. DelBene tells KIRO Radio's Jason Rantz that in the past, landslides may not have gotten as much attention as other disasters. "There has been funding for other events, other disasters mainly probably because people have been... Read more

MOUNT VERNON, Wash. - A high school honor student, originally from Mexico, could be deported because he is in the U.S. illegally. Sixteen-year-old Juan Andres Macedo de Alba now faces an uncertain future. He is a junior in high school, volunteers, and is taking college courses. He arrived in the U.S. when he was nine-years-old. “Working in me was the best investment I can do for my future,” said Macedo de Alba. Earlier this year, he was pulled over and immigration officials discovered he is in t... Read more