Education

Washington’s food-stamp program has helped thousands find jobs and get off public assistance through a federally funded employment-training program. A bill in the U.S. House calls for replicating that program nationally.Dede O’Loughlin’s mother dropped out of high school and got by on food stamps. Then O’Loughlin herself became that mother to her three… Read more »

The House of Representatives is expected to vote Thursday on a plan by Congressional Republicans to avert a scheduled doubling of student loan interest rates. The bill is a bad one that lawmakers should reject in favor of a solution offered by U.S. Rep Suzan DelBene, D-Washington. DelBene’s bill would keep current low student loan interest rates for two years while… Read more »

Congresswoman Suzan DelBene released the following statement on today’s vote by the House to address the doubling of interest rates for subsidized Stafford loans, which are set to increase from 3.4 percent to 6.8 percent on July 1, 2013. Congresswoman DelBene offered an amendment to improve the bill by lowering the cap on rates for student loans. Her amendment was blocked from receiving a vote on the floor by House leadership. Read more »

Democratic Congresswoman Suzan DelBene is not a sponsor of the farm bill put forth today by House Republicans. But the Medina lawmaker did get her proposal to boost job training for food stamp recipients included in the legislation offered up by Republican Congressman Frank Lucas of Oklahoma. Read more »

Congresswoman Suzan DelBene introduced legislation today to create a new national competitive grant program dedicated to funding job training programs to support low-income individuals currently on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). The legislation will create pilot projects designed to facilitate access to the education and job skills necessary for participants to get well-paying jobs and reduce their need for government assistance. Read more »

Shielding student loans from rising interest rates was a prime topic for discussion Wednesday during U.S. Rep. Suzan DelBene’s visit to Skagit Valley College. Read more »

Congresswoman Suzan DelBene co-sponsored legislation this week to maintain low interest rates on subsidized Stafford student loans, which are set to double in July unless Congress takes action.In 2007, Congress passed the College Cost Reduction and Access Act, lowering the student loan rates from 6.8 percent to 3.4 percent over a four-year period and easing the burden on thousands of… Read more »

Since the Washington State University Mount Vernon Research Center was built in 1947, local farmers have relied on it to provide methods of controlling disease, research into new markets and ways to improve crop quality and yields. On a tour through the center Wednesday afternoon, U.S. Rep. Suzan DelBene, D-Wash., looked in on some of the agricultural research carried out there and heard… Read more »

A handful of college students with undocumented immigration status and big career goals gathered Wednesday at the Bothell campus of the University of Washington to urge 1st Congressional District Rep. Suzan DelBene to work for immigration reform and in particular, the passage of the DREAM Act. Read more »

Congresswoman Suzan DelBene released the following statement reacting to the President’s State of the Union address to the nation. Read more »