Jobs and Economy
Information regarding my stance on Jobs and Economy issues.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi heard Oregon panelists discuss how recent federal legislation will promote carbon-free energy, create thousands of skilled jobs and help communities cope with the onset of climate change.
Pelosi was flanked by two Oregon Democrats who made major contributions to that and other recent legislation during the discussion Tuesday, Sept. 6, at the Energy Trust of Oregon offices in Portland. They are Rep. Earl Blumenauer of Portland, a senior member of the tax-writing committee, and Rep. Suzanne Bonamici of Beaverton, who sits on the science committee.
"I've worked closely with (Oregon Tradeswomen) over the years, and today I got to visit their new headquarters and see their training space," Bonamici said. "The stories I hear from the pre-apprentices and graduates show the power of workforce development programs to change lives."
Running 273 pages long, there are a lot of specifics in the Inflation Reduction Act, which was signed into law Aug. 16. On Aug. 18, U.S. Representative Suzanne Bonamici (D-Ore.) visited Oregon Tradeswomen Inc. to highlight the importance of one of those specifics—a requirement that clean energy projects that receive tax credits provide opportunities for apprentices.
U.S. Rep. Suzanne Bonamici, D-Oregon, said during the press conference that the new funding will "jumpstart" a new wave of entrepreneurship.
"Millennials and people across the country are starting small businesses and record numbers," she said. "It's exciting to hear their stories. Just yesterday, I sat down with the owners of a local small business who told me that the federal assistance they received during this pandemic kept their doors open and kept 58 people employed, and now they're planning to expand and open another location."
Suzanne Bonamici is among those who see electric buses and trucks, supercharging station, and proposed mass timber plant. The three members, including Oregon's Suzanne Bonamici, got a look at battery-powered heavy trucks and buses.
"One thing Intel does a lot of here in Oregon, and will continue to do, is research and development," says Bonamici, who adds that of the $52 billion allocated to microchip manufacturers, $11 billion is allocated for research and development projects. She points to Intel's $700 million, 200,000-square-foot Hillsboro data center research lab expansion as evidence the company plans to expand its Oregon footprint.