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"Committee service is a critical part of the legislative process, allowing members to directly shape new policies and provide oversight of existing programs," said U.S. Rep. Suzanne Bonamici, Democrat in District 1 in northwest Oregon. "Right now, Oregonians are serving in senior roles on committees related to taxes, health care, energy, education and infrastructure."

Rep. Suzanne Bonamici of Beaverton, who sits on the House Education and Labor Committee, is a leading voice for child care, having set up her own advisory panel on the issue. She said the current system was broken even before the onset of the coronavirus pandemic forced many day care centers and homes to curtail the number of children they see — or even close down entirely.

At the same time in Congress, Oregon Democrats Sen. Ron Wyden and Reps. Suzanne Bonamici and Earl Blumenauer are touting plans to make huge investments in ramping up support for child care nationwide. The congressional members said at a press conference Friday outside a Portland child care center that they're working with the Biden Administration to expand the supply of child care while also increasing the earnings of the historically low-paid provider workforce.

Beth Schoenbach, a spokeswoman for U.S. Rep. Peter DeFazio, said the congressman spearheaded a letter to the SBA asking that the funding criteria for nonprofits be revaluated. Schoenbach said U.S. Rep. Earl Blumenauer, who wrote the restaurant relief portion of the American Rescue Plan; U.S. Rep Suzanne Marie Bonamici; and U.S. Sens. Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden joined in signing the letter.

Blue carbon is what scientists and policy makers say is a critical part of the global effort to mitigate climate change. Coastal environments are home to mangroves, tidal marshes and seagrass, all of which sequester carbon at rates greater than mature tropical forests. Rep. Suzanne Bonamici, D-Oregon, is sponsoring the bipartisan "Blue Carbon for Our Planet Act." We talk with her about this bill and about how it fits into larger legislative efforts to combat climate change.

"Our ocean and coastal ecosystems are often overlooked and undervalued, but they are among the world's most productive working ecosystems and can help in our work to solve the climate crisis," said Bonamici. "We must act now to capture the great power of our coastal ecosystems to remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and store it. The bipartisan Blue Carbon for Our Planet Act recognizes the potential of this natural climate solution by mapping, protecting, and restoring coastal blue carbon ecosystems."