Agriculture

WOODINVILLE – Congresswoman Suzan DelBene (WA-01) today visited local small business, Locust Cider, to discuss the passage of tax relief for cideries. “Washington’s First District is home to some of the world’s best cideries and breweries. These growing industries are vital to our economy,” DelBene said. “This important tax relief will help provide… Read more »

Dear Friend, In Congress, I’m working to help Washington’s families and businesses succeed. Instead of partisan bickering, I’m proposing innovative solutions that give us a solid return on our investments. Two years ago this week, as part of the bipartisan five-year Farm Bill, I secured $200 million for job-training pilot programs around the country similar to… Read more »

Dear Friend, Earlier this week, I spoke on the House floor to celebrate National Farm to School Month which aims to promote locally grown foods in our schools and educate kids about the benefits of choosing healthy foods and living a healthy lifestyle. I’m working to ensure nutritious, local food is available for our students, which we know is proven to help them pay… Read more »

USDA has awarded a $3.6 million grant to the Seattle Jobs Initiative (SGI) to set up a so-called Center of Excellence designed to develop and disseminate best practices to help state job training centers find work for participants in the Supplemental Nutrition and Assistance Program (SNAP). This will “enable us to centralize our efforts to improve our (SNAP) employment… Read more »

Congresswoman Suzan DelBene (WA-01) today spoke on the House floor in recognition of October as National Farm to School Month:   “I rise to celebrate Farm to School Month. Having healthy food in our schools is crucial. We know that when students are provided with wholesome foods, they are more likely to pay attention in class and learn. “In addition, by introducing… Read more »

Dear Friend, Last week was an eventful one in Washington’s First Congressional District. We had both Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and Interior Secretary Sally Jewell visit us. On Tuesday, Secretary Vilsack joined me for a community conversation with local farmers, foresters and ranchers at Washington State University’s (WSU) Mount Vernon… Read more »

MOUNT VERNON — About 180 farmers and ranchers from throughout the state packed the auditorium at the Washington State University Mount Vernon Extension Center on Tuesday for a forum with U.S. Rep. Suzan DelBene, D-Wash., and U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. DelBene and Vilsack answered questions from WSU president Dan Bernardo for a half hour,… Read more »

MOUNT VERNON – Congresswoman Suzan DelBene (WA-01) and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Tom Vilsack today spoke with local farmers at Washington State University’s (WSU) Mount Vernon Research Center. “It’s an honor to host Secretary Vilsack in the beautiful and abundant First District,” DelBene said. “Our farmers produce some of the… Read more »

Today, Congresswoman Suzan DelBene (WA-01) introduced the State Marijuana And Regulatory Tolerance (SMART) Enforcement Act to protect medical patients, recreational users and businesses in states that have legalized marijuana from being prosecuted now or retroactively in the future. “My bill will fix the conflict between state and federal law by giving the U.S. Attorney General… Read more »

Congresswoman Suzan DelBene (WA-01) issued the following statement regarding the House Agriculture Subcommittee on Conservation and Forestry hearing on the 2015 fire season and long-term trends: “I’m very pleased that the subcommittee has called this hearing, though I think it’s long overdue. This is the first hearing solely on wildfires in more than a decade. This… Read more »