The following is a release from the office of Congresswoman Suzan DelBene:
Hand delivering her filing papers in person at the Secretary of State’s office in Olympia, Congresswoman Suzan DelBene filed for re-election this morning.
In addition to making her re-election campaign official, DelBene’s campaign released a new web video today of local business owners, farmers, students and elected leaders highlighting the results she’s delivered for them.
“It’s a tremendous honor for me to serve the people of the 1st Congressional District. I’ve been inspired by the spirit of optimism, the work ethic, the diversity and the strong sense of community that brings together the working families and businesses in our district,” said DelBene. “I fight every day to deliver results for them. I’m proud of my track record of accomplishment, and I’m eager to continue this important work for another term.”
The video released today highlights the fact that during her first term, despite the current hyperpartisanship and dysfunctionality of Congress, DelBene was able to achieve real success on important issues.
For example, DelBene worked closely with local farmers to craft and pass a new Farm Bill that included significant reforms to help Washington dairy farmers and boosted funding to help fruit and vegetable farmers. In the video, Jim Werkhoven, co-owner of Werkhoven Dairy in Monroe, describes DelBene as “a very pragmatic, sensible, accessible person,” and he goes on to say that during the tense Farm Bill negotiations, “it made me really proud that she is the representative of our district.”
When the I-5 Bridge over the Skagit River collapsed in 2013, Skagit County Commissioner Sharon Dillon points out that DelBene, who was in our nation’s capital at the time, “hops on a plane and she’s here. She was literally here at one and two o’clock in the morning.” Working with the federal, state and local officials, DelBene helped secure emergency federal funds to repair and eventually re-open the bridge.
During the government shutdown, numerous businesses were hurt, including Northwestern crab fishermen and local craft brewers. While politicians in Congress were bickering and blaming each other during the shutdown, DelBene fought to re-open the government as soon as possible to help get the economy back on track.
“I reached out to local legislators when the shutdown happened, and Suzan’s office was the only one that responded to us. That letter was followed up by a phone call from her office, and that phone call was quickly followed up by a visit,” said Steve Acord, head brewer at Dirty Bucket Brewing Co. in Woodinville. “It wasn’t just words, there was actions behind that. She truly cares about the people in her district and the small businesses.”
The web video highlights DelBene’s work to successfully roll back the doubling of student loan interest rates. “Fighting for this and not letting the interest rate double made me very proud that she’s my congresswoman,” said Felicia Schmidt, a student at the University of Washington-Bothell.
Serving on the House Judiciary Committee, DelBene is a leader in the fight for immigration reform, a major issue that will dramatically impact the economy of Washington State. DelBene is one of the lead sponsors of comprehensive immigration reform legislation in the House that would grow the economy, strengthen the border and reunite millions of families, like Jennifer Martinez’s, a student from Redmond High School and immigration activist. When speaking about DelBene’s time in office and her work on passing immigration reform, Martinez said, “I do believe that Suzan’s going to be on the side that’s fighting for me.
