Jobs and Economy
Information regarding my stance on Jobs and Economy issues.
Plans for a business resource center run under the Columbia Economic Team are moving forward, as the project has secured commitments for $150,000 in local dollars to match federal and state funding sources. Rep. Suzanne Bonamici earmarked $175,000 for the resource center in an appropriations bill that passed the House and is now awaiting Senate action.
U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley and Representatives Peter DeFazio and Suzanne Bonamici have called on the U.S. Department of Agriculture to take all statutory eligibilities into account when distributing $10 billion in aid to agricultural producers hit hard by extreme heat, drought and wildfires this summer.
Thankfully, Oregon has a number of strong leaders fighting for these investments, including Sen. Ron Wyden and Congressman Peter DeFazio, who have key committee leadership roles in bill negotiations. Likewise, Sen. Jeff Merkley, Congressman Earl Blumenauer and Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici continue to champion priority proposals on climate change, job creation, and childcare, remaining steadfast on the need to enact the top-level $3.5 trillion funding amount.
NOAA Administrator Rick Spinrad told a House panel last week that the agency has already made history on the hiring front this year, with women now occupying half of all the assistant administrator jobs. At last week's virtual hearing before the Subcommittee on Environment, Rep. Suzanne Bonamici (D-Ore.) told Spinrad that diversifying the workforce would go a long way in helping NOAA address the issue, particularly with women assigned to research vessels. "It's getting women in the field, but also keeping them there," she said.