Media

Washington, D.C. – Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR) today voted to pass the Ruth Moore Act (H.R. 671), legislation she co-sponsored to ease the burden of proof required to prove Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) related to a military sexual assault. Veterans who are partially or fully disabled from an injury suffered while serving in the military are entitled to disability benefits, but approximately two-thirds of sexual assault related claims are rejected by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).

Washington, D.C. – The entire Oregon congressional delegation has written to the Administrator of the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Marilyn Tavenner, to ask her to use her authority to correct an anomaly used to calculate reimbursement rates for rural home health providers. Inconsistent data from one hospital in Coos Bay on the Oregon coast reduced rates for home health providers throughout the state. Correcting this error would allow rates to truly represent local operating costs.

Portland, OR – Oregon’s Senator Jeff Merkley and Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici marked the sixth anniversary of the landmark law curbing predatory payday loans that they helped pass in the Oregon legislature by calling for national action to end payday lending and close online payday lending loopholes. They were joined by consumer protection advocates at the Oregon Food Bank to highlight a new report by Economic Fairness Oregon that details the millions in savings to consumers that resulted from Oregon’s ban.

Washington, D.C. – Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR) today announced her opposition to H.R. 1911, legislation that would allow student loan interest rates to rise as high as 8.5 percent based on a variable formula linked to the 10 year Treasury Note. Without action, the current interest rate of 3.4 percent will double July 1 to 6.8 percent. Bonamici is pushing for alternative legislation, The Student Loan Relief Act, H.R. 1595, to maintain the 3.4 percent rate for two years to provide time for a thoughtful, comprehensive discussion of the student loan debt crisis.

Washington, D.C. – Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR) today announced her support for the Military Justice Improvement Act of 2013, new bipartisan legislation that would reform the military justice system. The Act would remove from the chain of command the prosecution of crimes punishable by a sentence of more than one year, except crimes that are uniquely military in nature, like disobeying orders or going Absent Without Leave. This reform would prevent injustices related to military sexual assault and other forms of misconduct.