Press Releases

Congresswoman Suzan DelBene (WA-01) and Senator Patty Murray (WA) today highlighted how the Republican budget passed last week will have a damaging effect on Washington workers and businesses.

“To get our economy back on track and help Washington’s families and businesses, we need to find responsible, bipartisan solutions to our nation’s fiscal issues. Unfortunately, the Republican budget passed by the House was neither responsible nor bipartisan,” DelBene said. “It’s very disappointing that the majority chose to pass a budget that protects tax breaks for the wealthy and balances the budget on the backs of seniors, students and middle-class families.

The two lawmakers visited Seattle-business Paper Hammer and also heard from a local college student about vital government programs that help small businesses and students succeed.

“To create jobs and grow our economy, we must make smart investments in education, research, clean energy and transportation infrastructure. Sadly, the Republican budget is a step backwards with dramatic and painful cuts that will make college less affordable and result in fewer people having access to the American Dream,” DelBene said.

Instead of providing relief, the Republican budget would raise taxes on middle-class families while giving a tax break to the top 1 percent, creating greater income inequality in America. The House and Senate budgets still need to go through a conference committee, which could allow for more bipartisan input.

DelBene and Murray pointed to bipartisan deals that will reduce federal spending in a responsible way.

“We should find innovative solutions that provide us a great return on investment. My $200 million job-training pilot program for those in need of nutrition assistance is a prime example of how investing a little money in a targeted way can save the government money in the long run by giving people the tools they need to become self-sufficient,” DelBene said. “The bipartisan support for that program is proof positive that we can do better than today’s slash-and-burn approach.”

DelBene’s food assistance pilot program was included in last year’s five-year Farm Bill.

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