Jobs and Economy
Information regarding my stance on Jobs and Economy issues.
As furloughed federal workers scramble to cover their bills, members of Congress are imploring the Education Department to help those workers manage their student loans during the partial government shutdown.
Rep. Suzanne Bonamici (D-Ore.) kicked off the effort this week with a letter asking Education Secretary Betsy DeVos to direct student loan servicing companies to contact federal employees with information about their repayment options.
Members of Oregon's congressional delegation went to the Oregon Food Bank on Friday to highlight the impact the partial shutdown of the federal government is having.
The government shutdown is now heading into its 5th week and federal workers are struggling without pay.
Oregon unions went to PDX to rally and distribute food donations to federal workers -- including hundreds of TSA workers who are on the job but not getting paid.
As furloughed federal workers scramble to cover their bills, members of Congress are imploring the Education Department to help those workers manage their student loans during the partial government shutdown.
Rep. Suzanne Bonamici, D-Ore., kicked off the effort this week with a letter asking Education Secretary Betsty DeVos to direct student loan servicing companies to contact federal employees with information about their repayment options.
WASHINGTON—Today, with the support of Democratic colleagues, Representative Kirkpatrick introduced the American Dream Employment Act, a bill that would allow DACA beneficiaries to serve on Capitol Hill. Under current law, employment in the House and Senate is limited to individuals who are U.S. citizens or lawful permanent residents in the process of naturalizing. As a result, DREAMers—undocumented young people brought to this country through no fault of their own—are currently barred from working for Congressional offices.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D.-Calif.) said at an event celebrating the introduction of a bill to more than double the federal minimum wage from $7.25 an hour to $15.00 per hour said that she and her colleagues do not "begrudge anyone their success or their income" but they do "begrudge exploitation" of workers.
At least 80 members of Congress have said they will refuse their paychecks or donate their earnings for the length of the shutdown in solidarity with unpaid federal employees.
Approximately 800,000 federal workers are going without pay due to the partial government shutdown. Of those, 380,000 are furloughed and 420,000, deemed essential, continue to work without pay.
Freshman U.S. Rep. Elissa Slotkin is asking Education Secretary Betsy DeVos to "proactively" reach out to student loan providers to encourage special dispensation for federal employees affected by the partial government shutdown.
In a Tuesday letter, Slotkin, a Holly Democrat, urged the U.S. Department of Education to do "everything in its power to ease the burden of student loan payments on all federal employees," including urging loan providers to tell borrowers about refinancing options.
On Jan. 11th, Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR) released the following statement as the partial government shutdown reached its 21st day, threatening to become the longest government shutdown in U.S. history (the shutdown has now become the longest in history.)
Today Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR) marched with federal employees and shared stories from Oregonians on the House floor to continue her call for an end to the partial government shutdown.
In her remarks on the House floor, Bonamici described how employees at the TSA, federal prisons, Coast Guard, and other federal agencies are being hurt as a direct result of the government shutdown. At the Rally to End the Government Shutdown, which was organized by more than 20 unions, Bonamici stood in solidarity with federal employees.
Shutdown impacts over 41,000 active duty Coast Guard members performing missions and protecting the coastal borders
Oregon lawmakers applauded legislation introduced by Chairman of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure Peter DeFazio (D-OR) that would provide funding for the Coast Guard and ensure that active duty and reserve members of the Coast Guard are paid during the government shutdown. Members of the Coast Guard are the only members of the United States military not being paid for their critical and continuing operations.