Press Releases

Congresswoman Suzan DelBene released the following statement in reaction to the President’s State of the Union address to the nation:

“This evening, the President made the case that while the overall economy has made significant gains since the Great Recession, there is much more to be done to ensure that everyone shares in the recovery. Congress must come together to find solutions to support working families, raise wages and expand opportunity for everyone. I was pleased that the President called on Congress to raise the federal minimum wage, lower taxes for the middle class, make college more affordable, strengthen our innovation economy and provide workers with paid leave. Making progress on these issues will have a direct and positive impact on millions of hardworking Americans.

“As the President mentioned, one of the most important ways Congress can strengthen our economy and create jobs is passing comprehensive immigration reform that reduces backlogs, reunites families and creates an earned pathway to citizenship. Fixing our broken immigration system is critically important to the people and businesses of the 1^st Congressional District.

“Reform will have a dramatic impact on inspiring students like Juan Macedo, who are making a positive impact in communities across the country. Juan is a high school senior from Mount Vernon. He is an honor student and regularly volunteers at his church and the local food bank. Juan was brought to the United States as a child, but because he arrived only a few weeks after the deadline for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, he didn’t qualify for temporary relief under the President’s first executive action. He does, however, qualify under the President’s new actions that were announced last November. I am so pleased that Juan was able to attend tonight, as my guest, to see and hear the President discussing the importance of fixing our immigration system so students like Juan may continue their education and build a brighter future for themselves and their communities.

“The DACA program has and will help DREAMers like Juan, but this is not a permanent fix. It is just a temporary stopgap measure that keeps people from being deported for a few years. Only Congress can fully fix our country’s broken immigration system by enacting comprehensive immigration reform. I’m incredibly disappointed that House leaders forced votes last week on partisan amendments that would roll back DACA and result in the deportation of hundreds of thousands of DREAMers like Juan.

“Those were harmful, reckless votes taking us in the wrong direction. We should be supporting, not deporting students like Juan. The time is now to pass comprehensive immigration reform, and I will continue to do everything I can to get this done.

“From immigration reform to commonsense proposals that help the middle class, Congress has the opportunity to work in a bipartisan manner and avoid the brinksmanship of the past few years. I am eager to sit down with my colleagues from both sides of the aisle to pass sensible policies that help create good-paying jobs and build an economy that works for everyone.”

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