Media

Across Multnomah County, 492 preschoolers are on waitlists for four Head Start and Oregon Pre-K providers, according to the state's Early Learning Division. It's part of what makes Oregon a "child care desert." But the issues aren't space or money. The issue is a lack of staff. To highlight the shortage, Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici in April toured a Neighborhood House Head Start program in Northwest Portland.

Small business owners and local leaders gathered last week with Rep. Suzanne Bonamici to celebrate the start of Columbia County's first small business resource center and discuss the challenges facing local businesses. Bonamici said she was "really excited to be here to learn more about this project and to support this wonderful project here in Columbia County." She secured $175,000 for the center as part of an omnibus spending package last month.

U.S. Rep. Suzanne Bonamici spent a portion of Earth Day taking a tour of A&R Solar, a Tualatin company that installs eco-friendly solar panels on homes and businesses. Bonamici finished her Earth Day activities with a visit to Tualatin High School, where she was expected to meet the Tualatin High School Climate Action Club to discuss sustainable climate action goals. Her plans also included hearing about students' advocacy work with the Tigard-Tualatin School District's board on climate issues.

Speaking at a hangar near Portland International Airport Thursday afternoon, President Joe Biden highlighted several ongoing and planned upgrades to the airport as examples of the kind of national infrastructure renewal that will be delivered through the $1 trillion infrastructure bill that he signed last fall. Mayor Ted Wheeler, Brown, Sens. Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden and Reps. Suzanne Bonamici, Kurt Schrader, Peter DeFazio and Earl Blumenauer each gave brief introductory speeches touting infrastructure developments in Oregon.