DelBene, Suzan RSS Articles

DelBene Statement on Attorney General Bondi Firing

Thu, 02 Apr 2026 04:00:00 GMT

Today, Congresswoman Suzan DelBene (WA-01) released the following statement after President Trump fired Attorney General Pam Bondi:

“Pam Bondi turned a blind eye to Trump’s broad daylight corruption, covered up the Epstein Files, used the law to go after the president’s political enemies, and fired career prosecutors who opposed her.

“We need an attorney general who will restore independence to the Justice Department, not act like the president’s personal attorney.”

DelBene Discusses Tariffs, AI with WA Small Businesses

Thu, 02 Apr 2026 04:00:00 GMT

Today, Congresswoman Suzan DelBene (WA-01) joined small business leaders at Shopify's new West Coast port in Bellevue to disuss tariffs and how AI is changing small business commerce.

Tariffs drive up operating costs, especially for smaller businesses that operate with thinner margins. Small business importers paid over $300,000 more on average in tariffs last year. These fees are often passed along to consumers, who paid $1,700 more for everyday products in the last 12 months due to tariffs. Washington state is particularly impacted by changes in trade policy, with four-in-ten jobs tied to international commerce.

AI is the biggest change in how people buy and sell since the internet began. The growing adoption of this tool presents both challenges and opportunities for small businesses. While larger corporations have implemented AI at a faster rate, small business adoption is accelerating: 58% use generative AI tools, more than doubling from 23% in 2023. Shopify has been at the forefront of AI-powered commerce, recently enabling its merchants to sell directly through AI platforms like ChatGPT and integrating new AI shopping features with Google.

“Small businesses are the backbone of our communities. As the global policy and technological landscape continues to rapidly shift, we need to ensure that entrepreneurs can keep up with their larger competitors. That’s why I’ve championed smart trade and technology policy in Congress to ensure that businesses of all sizes can drive global commerce and continue to innovate,” said DelBene. “I thank Shopify for hosting this insightful discussion and their work to support small businesses in our community and across the country.”

“AI is the biggest unlock for small businesses in a generation. For the first time, a merchant selling handmade goods out of their home in Washington has the same tools as a Fortune 500 retailer, and that levels the playing field in a way that wasn't possible before. We appreciate Congresswoman DelBene’s commitment to the entrepreneurs building here, and look forward to continuing to work with her advocating on their behalf,” said Jeff Sadosky, Head of U.S. Government and Public Affairs, Shopify.

Small businesses participating in the discussion included glassybaby (Bellevue), Olson's Tack Shop (Bellevue), sskein (Bellevue), Further Records (Kirkland), Loma Hair Care (Monroe), CrownBees (Woodinville), and indi chocolate (Seattle).

Anniversary of Trump’s Tariffs Marked by Higher Prices, Weaker Economy

Wed, 01 Apr 2026 04:00:00 GMT

Ahead of the first anniversary of President Trump’s ‘Liberation Day’ tariffs on April 2, Congresswoman Suzan DelBene (WA-01) released the following statement.

“The lasting legacy of Trump’s sweeping tariffs will forever be higher prices and a weaker American economy. The cost of groceries, gas, health care, housing, and child care – the bedrock of family budgets – are all up, making it harder for families to make ends meet. Farmers and small businesses are getting crushed by higher overhead costs. Despite the Supreme Court ruling overturning these sweeping tariffs, the president doubled down with a new set of them, creating more chaos in the economy.

“It didn’t have to be this way. Republicans could have worked with us to end this chaos months ago and returned to working on sensible trade policy that benefits families and our economy. I implore my colleagues to stand up for their constituents and help end the ongoing uncertainty around tariffs once and for all.”

DelBene Leads Push to Stop the Trump Administration from Using AI to Deny Medicare Treatments, Procedures

Tue, 31 Mar 2026 04:00:00 GMT

Today, Representatives Suzan DelBene (WA-01), Ami Bera, MD (CA-06), Llyod Doggett (TX-35), Greg Landsman (OH-01), Rick Larsen (WA-02), Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (NY-14), and Kim Schrier, MD (WA-08) led a letter along with 28 of their colleagues urging leadership of the House Appropriations Committee to repeal the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services’ (CMS) Wasteful and Inappropriate Service Reduction (WISeR) Model, or any related prior authorization model, from traditional Medicare in the upcoming federal funding process.

Starting this January, CMS began implementing WISeR in New Jersey, Ohio, Oklahoma, Texas, Arizona, and Washington. The model pays private companies to use AI to approve or deny essential medical services and devices, including for Parkinson’s, chronic pain, sleep apnea, and wound care. These companies are paid a percentage of the value of the services they deny, creating a clear incentive to deny care.

“While prior authorization is often described as a cost-containment strategy, in practice it increases provider burden, takes time away from patients, limits patients’ access to life-saving care, and creates unnecessary administrative burden,” the lawmakers wrote.

Unlike Medicare Advantage, traditional Medicare rarely requires prior authorization. For patients with traditional Medicare, treatments are determined by doctors and not by insurance companies. The use of prior authorization has steadily increased, with Medicare Advantage insurers making roughly 50 million prior authorization determinations in 2023. Ultimately, over 80% of denials are overturned on average.

“Prior authorization has long been abused. It is bad for patients and providers. The WISeR Model only perpetuates the harm that prior authorizations can cause,” the lawmakers continued.

Implementing the WISeR Model for traditional Medicare had already started putting beneficiaries at greater risk of having needed care and treatments denied. A recent Seattle Times story documents how Washington seniors are having pain care denied and forced to suffer while their prior authorization is processed.

The full letter can be found here.

House Republicans Vow to Continue Airport Chaos

Fri, 27 Mar 2026 04:00:00 GMT

Today, Congresswoman Suzan DelBene (WA-01) released the following statement on House Republicans continuing the Department of Homeland Security shutdown.

“House Republicans couldn’t take yes for an answer. After the Senate unanimously agreed to a bipartisan funding deal, Speaker Johnson caved to the far right and will continue the Homeland Security shutdown with a pointless vote on a bill that the Senate has rejected multiple times.

“The deal was simple – end the pain for TSA workers and the outrageous security lines at our airports, and fund TSA, FEMA, and the Coast Guard while we continue to push for the reforms at ICE that the American people are demanding. Democrats are fighting for basic safeguards to protect Americans’ lives and liberties from this rogue agency, including requiring judicial warrants, no more masks, and mandating body cameras.

“The Senate bill is the same offer Democrats put on the table weeks ago and have been working to force a vote on in the House. We should abandon this pointless House Republican proposal and move forward with a vote on the bipartisan funding deal to end this shutdown.”

DelBene, Hobbs Host Live Conversation about Efforts to Restrict Voting Nationwide, Mail-in Ballots in WA

Wed, 25 Mar 2026 04:00:00 GMT

Today, Congresswoman Suzan DelBene (WA-01) and Washington Secretary of State Steve Hobbs hosted an Instagram Live conversation about Republican efforts to make it difficult to vote and how they will impact voters in Washington state.

President Trump and Republicans in Congress are trying to pass the SAVE America Act, which would require Americans to provide a passport or birth certificate to vote, documents that are expensive and time-consuming to get. In Washington, voters would have to submit a copy of these documents when they return their ballots. Women who are married or have changed their names would be disproportionately impacted and need to provide additional documentation to vote. The bill also would share sensitive voter roll information with the Department of Homeland Security. DelBene voted against the bill when Republicans in the House passed it recently.

Earlier this week, the U.S. Supreme Court heard oral arguments in a case brought by Republican campaign operatives that would severely limit mail-in voting. The case, Watson v. Republican National Committee, could prohibit ballots postmarked by Election Day but received after from being counted. One-in-three ballots in Washington were mailed in the 2024 election. 127,000 of them were postmarked but received after Election Day. This is just one of several cases that conservatives have brought to make it harder for Americans to vote.

“The SAVE America Act would make it harder for legal voters to cast their ballots. Conservative groups have also launched multiple court battles, including one to severely limit vote-by-mail. These are all attempts to silence millions of voices across our state and the country,” said DelBene.

“The bill would be very devastating…everyone has to have a copy of their ID, and that has to be included in the ballot as you send it in,” said Hobbs.

Hobbs mentioned several barriers voters would face in obtaining the appropriate documentation in order to be registered, which could disproportionately affect rural communities and seniors.

“That’s the thing that people are not thinking about, these added barriers that the Republicans are putting up,” Hobbs added.

The conversation can be watched here.

DelBene, Miller, Schrier Introduce Bill to Remove Financial Barriers for Living Organ Donors

Tue, 17 Mar 2026 04:00:00 GMT

Today, Congresswomen Suzan DelBene (WA-01), Carol Miller (WV-01), and Kim Schrier, MD (WA-08) introduced legislation to provide more support to living organ donors and address the increasingly high costs of donation. The Expanding Support for Living Donors Act would remove financial barriers that prevent many people from donating life-saving organs.

Every day, 13 Americans die waiting for an organ transplant. There are more than 100,000 people on the transplant waitlist, and every eight minutes, another person is added. A transplant provides a new lease on life, but our current system is insufficient to meet the needs of patients.

While the rate of deceased donations has improved in recent years following Congressional action, the rate of living donations has flatlined over the past two decades. This is largely due to the high out-of-pocket costs of donating, which can exceed $10,000. Travel expenses, child care, and lost wages from missing work are all major costs that donors can incur in the process. The existing federal donor reimbursement program only provides up to $6,000 for donation-related expenses, which is often not enough, and income restrictions disqualify many people from accessing these benefits.

“Donors give the gift of life to their fellow Americans, but too often they’re held back by high personal out-of-pocket costs. No one should have to choose between saving a life and paying their bills. This legislation would remove unnecessary financial barriers that contribute to the transplant list growing every year. By making donations more accessible, we can help more patients receive the life‑saving transplants they need,” said DelBene.

“Becoming a living organ donor is an extraordinary act of generosity, but for many Americans the financial costs tied to donation remain a serious barrier. No one who steps forward to save a life should be left worrying about lost wages or out-of-pocket expenses. This is why I was so happy to partner with Congresswoman Suzan DelBene to reintroduce the Expanding Support for Living Donors Act, which strengthens and modernizes the Living Organ Donation Reimbursement Program by extending it through 2037. This way we can expand eligibility and increase reimbursement amounts beginning in fiscal year 2027. By updating this program to reflect today’s economic realities, we can better support donors and help ensure more patients receive the life-saving transplants they need,” said Miller.

“As a doctor, I have seen firsthand the life-changing impact that organ donations have and know that these donations add years to recipients' lives, giving them a new lease on life and precious, additional time spent with their family and loved ones,” said Schrier. “Unfortunately, living donors often face burdensome financial barriers when trying to donate, such as travel costs and lost wages. These barriers can be the only obstacle standing between patients and the lifesaving care that they need. That's why I am proud to support this bipartisan legislation to help address this issue and increase access by expanding financial assistance to living donors.”

The bill would:

Reauthorize the Living Organ Donation Reimbursement Program through 2037.
Increase the maximum reimbursement amount to $10,000 and peg it to inflation.
Double the income eligibility to about $100,000 a year.
Require an annual report on the program.

The legislation has been updated to reflect that the Honor Our Living Donors (HOLD) Act, introduced by DelBene and Jay Obernolte (CA-23), was signed into law earlier this year. The law allows more donors to qualify for wage, travel, and caregiver reimbursement when donating. \

The bill is supported by the following patient advocacy and medical groups: National Kidney Foundation, American Society of Nephrology, Nonprofit Kidney Care Alliance, American Kidney Fund, Waitlist Zero, Centers for Dialysis Care, Central Florida Kidney Centers, Independent Dialysis Foundation, Northwest Kidney Centers, Puget Sound Kidney Centers, Renal Physicians Association, American Society of Pediatric Nephrology, American Society of Transplant Surgeons, American Liver Foundation, American Nephrology Nurses Association, Dialysis Patient Citizens, Ardelyx, Washington State Hospital Association, American Diabetes Association, DaVita, Fresenius, American Medical Association, and The Rogosin Institute.

“Giving a life-saving organ as a living donor is one of the greatest possible gifts. The American Society of Nephrology believes that living donation should be a cost-neutral act and commends the introduction of the Expanding Support for Living Donors Act,” said Samir M. Parikh, MD, FASN, President, American Society of Nephrology. “This bipartisan bill breaks down barriers to living organ donation by covering more out-of-pocket costs incurred during the living donation process for most Americans, enshrining our nation’s commitment to those who give the gift of life.”

“In the United States, twelve people die every day waiting for a kidney transplant,” said Kevin Longino, CEO of the National Kidney Foundation and a kidney transplant recipient. “Living donors make an extraordinary and selfless choice to save lives, and they should never face financial barriers because of that generosity. Strengthening the National Living Donor Assistance Center will help remove those barriers and ensure more patients have a chance to receive the life-saving transplant they need.”

“The American Kidney Fund is proud to support the Expanding Support for Living Donors Act, which would increase the number of living donors eligible for important federal programs,” said LaVarne Burton, President and CEO, American Kidney Fund. “There are many Americans moved to donate a kidney that may hesitate because they can’t afford time off, dependent care, transportation or lodging. By improving access to federal support, this legislation would ultimately help ensure more people on the kidney transplant waiting list receive the life-saving transplant they need.”

The text of the legislation can be found here

DelBene, Colleagues Call on Trump to Prioritize Opening Japanese Markets to U.S. Potatoes

Wed, 11 Mar 2026 04:00:00 GMT

Today, Representative Suzan DelBene (WA-01) joined House and Senate colleagues in a letter asking President Trump to prioritize gaining market access for U.S. fresh potatoes during Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s upcoming visit to the United States.

“U.S. potato growers produce the best potatoes in the world. International trade and foreign export markets are critical to the U.S. potato industry,” wrote the legislators.

About 20 percent of American-grown potatoes are exported around the world, contributing nearly $4.8 billion in economic growth and supporting nearly 34,000 jobs in the United States. Ending Japan’s restrictions on U.S. fresh potatoes would result in an estimated $150 million a year in new American exports, benefitting farming communities in states across the country.

“With low commodity prices and increased input costs this year, the potato sector, and specialty crops more broadly, are facing a major economic crisis. Japan represents a massive market with significant export opportunities for American potato growers,” continued the legislators. “Securing this long-delayed market access petition and unlocking the critical Japanese export market would make a meaningful difference for potato growers in our states and across the country.”

Read the full letter here.

DelBene Leads Bipartisan Warning that NIH Council Vacancies Threaten Medical Research

Fri, 06 Mar 2026 05:00:00 GMT

Today, Representatives Suzan DelBene (WA-01), André Carson (IN-07), and Brian Fitzpatrick (PA-01) led a bipartisan letter along with 31 of their colleagues urging Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to fill vacant positions on National Institutes of Health (NIH) advisory councils, which are essential for approving billions in medical research funding. The failure to appoint new members to these councils could stall the final approval of research grants and delay critical medical research.

“These advisory councils play a critical role in funding medical research, serving as the final arbiter after NIH study sections review grant applications. The current understaffing of NIH advisory councils will imperil medical research and harm the health of Americans for generations,” the lawmakers wrote to Kennedy.

Secretary Kennedy is required by law to appoint members to the NIH advisory councils. In 2025, HHS rescinded the nominations of candidates who had been successfully vetted in 2023 and 2024. Since the beginning of the Trump administration, only one vacancy across 24 NIH advisory councils has been filled.

When understaffed, NIH advisory councils are unable to approve grants for lifesaving medical research, directly harming the health of the American people. During the largest measles epidemic in 25 years, the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases advisory council is staffed at only 33 percent capacity.

“Leaving these pivotal research institute advisory councils understaffed will severely disrupt medical research, harming millions of Americans and imperiling our economy and global standing. We implore you to immediately return the vetted nominees to their research institutes,” the lawmakers continued.

In 2026, many advisory council members’ terms are set to expire, exacerbating understaffing and leaving critical NIH research centers without any advisory council members. Critical research on heart disease, neurological disorders, infectious diseases, and mental health will be directly impacted.

“These advisory council members play a crucial role in allocating billions of dollars of funding for medical research, improving the country’s health and serving as a core driver of economic growth in many states. To continue to be a world leader in biomedical innovation, we need these critical scientists and public policy collaborators,” the lawmakers added.

The full letter can be found here.

DelBene on Noem Firing: Accountability ‘Doesn’t Stop with One Firing’

Thu, 05 Mar 2026 05:00:00 GMT

Today, Congresswoman Suzan DelBene (WA-01) released the following statement after President Trump fired Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem:

“Under Kristi Noem’s failed leadership at Homeland Security, innocent Americans were brutally killed in broad daylight & ICE agents created violence & terror in our communities. It’s long past time she was fired.

“The American people are demanding accountability & it doesn’t stop with one firing. That’s why I’m fighting for stronger legal guardrails & real oversight.”

DelBene Hosts Telephone Town Hall

Tue, 25 Feb 2025 02:15:00 GMT

Join Congresswoman Suzan DelBene (WA-01) for a telephone town hall on Monday, February 24 at 6:16 PM PT for a discussion on what's happening with the Trump administration and what she's doing in Congress to protect Washington families.