In the News
In Oregon, Utopia PDX has been working with lawmakers like Oregon Rep. Suzanne Bonamici and Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard to prioritize COFA migrants in health care insurance and services. In Washington, PICA-WA has hosted town halls to weigh the needs of NHPI communities and have submitted reports to the governor's office. Both groups have also been helping with economic needs, such as housing and food. In Hawaii, various organizations launched the NHPI Collective Covid-19 Awareness Prevention Campaign to curb the effects of the virus.
A group of St. Helens High School (SHHS) metal and manufacturing class students likely never thought they would be producing learning videos for other schools, but that is exactly what they have accomplished. In a year of unprecedented change, Portland Community College (PCC), Oregon Manufacturing Innovation Center Research and Development (OMIC R&D) and the Northwest STEM Hub have remained committed to helping Columbia County high school students explore careers in advanced manufacturing, according to PCC officials.
"Today is #HumanRightsDay around the world, but not in Saudi Arabia: @LoujainHathloul is standing trial today in a secretive 'Specialized Criminal Court' on bogus espionage charges. They must #FreeLoujain," tweeted US Representative Suzanne Bonamici on Thursday.
Democratic Rep. Suzanne Bonamici of Oregon sits on numerous committees, including Education and Labor. She speaks to Ali Velshi about the small business owners that she represents and the ongoing Black Lives Matter movement: "We have to remember why people were protesting and some continue to protest. We need to take action."
Velshi got Oregon congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici to Portland's Eastbank Esplanade before dawn to accommodate the east coast live airing. Bonamici talked about the hard times here. "There are many things that came together to create this stress, of course, the COVID-19 pandemic and I'm very concerned about the numbers that you're talking about," said Bonamici.
MSNBC brought the "Velshi" show to Portland as part of a nationwide tour. The show focused on the economic and medical strain the state is under because of COVID-19. Host Ali Velshi spoke to Dr. Smitha Chadaga (above), an internist from Legacy Emanuel Medical Center, as well as two Oregon members of Congress, Suzanne Bonamici and Earl Blumenauer. Velshi also profiled some businesses in Portland that are doing their best to survive through the pandemic.
Oregon's four Democratic representatives — Earl Blumenauer, Suzanne Bonamici, Peter DeFazio and Kurt Schrader — backed the bill. Republican Rep. Greg Walden voted no. Some equity activists were critical of elements of the bill, but the longtime reform group NORML captured the view of many legalization supporters with an email subject line that read "Massive Victory!"
A county public health staffer shared a link to the story in an email to her colleagues in public health and emergency management. The subject line: "This makes me sick" Saying she was "deeply concerned," Bonamici urged the Oregon Health Authority and Pacific Seafood to hold a virtual community meeting to answer questions from the community. At the town hall, Patrick Allen, the director of the Oregon Health Authority, said there was no plan to retest Pacific Seafood workers for the virus at regular intervals, since serial testing is not something supported by data as being useful.
Gov. Kate Brown and six U.S. lawmakers -- Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley and Reps. Peter DeFazio, Suzanne Bonamici, Earl Blumenauer and Greg Walden -- said that thousands of Oregonians have suffered from COVID-19 and devastating wildfires, making it difficult for them to sign up for health insurance by the deadline.
That's why I was excited to see bold new proposals for conserving our ocean and combating climate change in the Ocean Based Climate Solutions Act, introduced by Rep. Raul Grijalva, D-Arizona, in the U.S. House recently, co-sponsored by Oregon's Rep. Suzanne Bonamici and Rep. Earl Blumenauer. This bill proposes a bold agenda that will reorient America's relationship to our oceans, recognizing the important role our coastal waters play in our cultural imagination and in the life-support systems of our planet.