Agriculture

DelBene Statement on Senate Passage of Farm Bill

| Posted in Press Releases

The US Senate today passed a five-year Farm Bill by a vote of 68-32. The bill includes a number of reforms that will reduce the deficit by over $16 billion, with much of the savings coming from reforms to agricultural subsidies, such as the elimination of direct payments. It also includes two initiatives led by Congresswoman Suzan DelBene: 1) An Employment & Training (E&T) pilot…

EDITORIAL: The politics of the farm bill

| Posted in In the News

The mosaic of interests, the political horse-trading, the willingness to hold hostage the food stamp program: The farm bill defines lawmaking down. In the age of gridlock, incremental changes are cast as victories. The deficit will be reduced by more than $16 billion, largely by rejiggering agriculture subsidies, including elimination of direct payments to farmers for not growing crops.…

DelBene: Farm bill big win for Whatcom

| Posted in In the News

Congresswoman Suzan DelBene calls the farm bill passed by the U.S. House a ‘big win’ for Washington’s specialty crop farmers. She says the bill gives unprecedented levels of funding for the specialty crop industry, including Whatcom County fruit and vegetable farmers. $800 million for specialty crop research. The U.S. Senate is expected to vote on the farm bill next…

DelBene Statement in Support of Bipartisan Agreement on Final Farm Bill

| Posted in Press Releases

Today a majority of the members on the joint House-Senate Conference Committee to negotiate the Farm Bill approved a conference report on a final five-year Farm Bill. The compromise agreement includes a number of reforms that will reduce the deficit by over $20 billion, with the majority of savings coming from reforms to agricultural subsidies, such as the elimination of direct…

Suzan DelBene calls for end to broad NSA data gathering

| Posted in In the News

Rep. Suzan DelBene (D-Wash.) sits down with KING 5's Mark Wright last week to talk about the NSA's broad spying program. DelBene said the NSA should be reigned in and only look at specific phone data. She also talks about proposed cuts the SNAP food stamp program and even gave her predictions for Sunday's Super Bowl. To watch the entire interview, click HERE.

DelBene announces a $200,000 Grant to Assist Skagit-area Farms

| Posted in Press Releases

Congresswoman Suzan DelBene announced that the Northwest Agriculture Business Center in Mount Vernon will receive $200,000 from the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) to support local farmers and agriculture related businesses. Awarded through the USDA’s Rural Cooperative Development Grant program, the funds will go to help the Northwest Agriculture Business Center’s work in…

As Farm Bill Conference Committee Begins, DelBene Calls for Bipartisan Efforts to Pass Farm Bill that helps Washington States Economy

| Posted in Press Releases

Congresswoman Suzan DelBene gave the following remarks during the Farm Bill Conference Committee’s first meeting today. The bipartisan, bicameral committee will focus on resolving the differences between the House and Senate-passed Farm Bills over the next few months. The 2008 Farm Bill extension expired September 30. The full text of DelBene’s speech, as prepared for…

The Farm Bill: It's our jobs, stupid!

| Posted in In the News

Ninety-five percent of the world’s mouths to feed live outside the United States, and 160,000 people in Washington are gainfully employed in feeding them, yet the state’s $40 billion agricultural export trade is threatened by Congress’ prolonged failure to write a new farm bill. The farm bill stalemate is another Tea Party-caused breakdown of business in Washington,…

DelBene named to Farm Bill conference committee

| Posted in In the News

U.S. Rep. Suzan DelBene, D-Wash., was named to the conference committee working to pass a farm bill. Conference committees are made up of members from the U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Senate and are used to negotiate when the two branches pass different version of a bill. The House passed a farm bill last summer separate from a food stamp bill that would cut about $40 billion in…