Suzanne Bonamici
Representative for Oregon · Democratic · United States
“As a member of both the Science Committee and the Education Committee, for years I have heard consistent support for getting more women into scientific careers. That is important, but it is also important to keep them safe while they are at work.”
House of Representatives14 September 2026Source ↗
“It means career counseling to help students see a path to their future. It means instilling a love of learning, reading, and studying, not cutting the humanities. Students deserve a fair measure of how they are doing, but standardized test scores alone do not define a child's potential.”
House of Representatives14 September 2026Source ↗
“Importantly and alarmingly, screen time, cell phones, devices, and social media changed the way young people interact with each other and the world around them.”
House of Representatives14 September 2026Source ↗
“My bill would strengthen education research and promote evidence-based practices that improve student success and well-being. We must also address the barriers that make learning harder. Kids can't focus in school when they are hungry or if they are homeless. Lack of affordable, high-quality childcare is creating gaps at an early age.”
House of Representatives14 September 2026Source ↗
“It means investing in public schools, not diverting Federal dollars into voucher programs that funnel money to private schools, including religious schools. Circumstances have changed, but the American system of public education has not yet adapted.”
House of Representatives14 September 2026Source ↗
“Mr. Speaker, I thank Representative Elfreth for yielding. I rise today in strong support of my bipartisan bill, H.R. 2406, the NOAA Sexual Harassment and Assault Prevention Improvements Act. No matter the job or the position, everyone deserves to work in a safe and welcoming workplace.”
House of Representatives14 September 2026Source ↗
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“We must do everything we can to create a work environment where scientists can achieve the next breakthrough discoveries, and everyone can feel safe at sea without fear of harassment, assault, or retaliation. I am very grateful to Representatives Salazar and Fitzpatrick for cosponsoring this important legislation. I thank Chair Westerman and Ranking Member Huffman for advancing it through the Natural Resources Committee to the floor. I urge all of my colleagues to support the NOAA Sexual Harassment and Assault Prevention Improvements Act. {time} 1650”
House of Representatives14 September 2026Source ↗
“As a member of both the Science Committee and the Education Committee, for years I have heard consistent support for getting more women into scientific careers. That is important, but it is also important to keep them safe while they are at work. We must do more to prevent harassment and assault, help survivors seek justice, and hold harassers accountable for their actions. This bipartisan bill builds on NOAA's progress by expanding the agency's sexual harassment prevention and response policy to include employees of contractors, who were originally not covered. My bill also directs NOAA to provide a clear, secure structure to anonymously report sexual harassment or assault. This would allow survivors to more easily identify safe reporting services without triggering an investigative process, if that is what the survivor prefers.”
House of Representatives14 September 2026Source ↗
“Her research was derailed, and she was advised against going to sea for her own safety. Her colleagues and harasser knew she had reported her experience, and there seemed to be little investigation into her case and the others. After hearing her story, I started to work with NOAA to find a resolution. After several months, I met and worked directly with then-NOAA Administrator Dr. Kathryn Sullivan, who truly took this issue seriously. With Dr. Sullivan's leadership, NOAA implemented new training requirements, made it easier to report sexual harassment, and changed NOAA's investigation protocol. NOAA then completed its investigations into the cases that were brought to my attention, and the employees were able to return to sea and resume their important research.”
House of Representatives14 September 2026Source ↗
“Mr. Speaker, I thank Representative Elfreth for yielding. I rise today in strong support of my bipartisan bill, H.R. 2406, the NOAA Sexual Harassment and Assault Prevention Improvements Act. No matter the job or the position, everyone deserves to work in a safe and welcoming workplace. Many employees at NOAA, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, work in remote locations, aboard research and survey vessels, to conduct cutting-edge scientific research and to support U.S. fisheries. This bill has some history. Several years ago, a fisheries biologist came to me with a serious issue. She had experienced sexual harassment while conducting research on a ship owned by NOAA, and she wasn't the only one. After reporting the harassment, she was effectively grounded, and so were the others who spoke up.”
House of Representatives14 September 2026Source ↗
“Speaker, that is the future our students deserve. That is the future we should build together. ____________________”
House of Representatives14 September 2026Source ↗
“It means investing in public schools, not diverting Federal dollars into voucher programs that funnel money to private schools, including religious schools. Circumstances have changed, but the American system of public education has not yet adapted. We need a public education system that meets the moment for today's students and tomorrow's. We need an education system that prepares students not to pass a test but to think critically and build a future. We need to support educators who make that possible, and we need to remove those barriers that stand between children and opportunity. The Transforming Education for the Future Act is a blueprint for doing just that. It strengthens public education, and it reclaims the promise that every child in America deserves the opportunity to grow, learn, and succeed. Mr.”
House of Representatives14 September 2026Source ↗
“My bill would strengthen education research and promote evidence-based practices that improve student success and well-being. We must also address the barriers that make learning harder. Kids can't focus in school when they are hungry or if they are homeless. Lack of affordable, high-quality childcare is creating gaps at an early age. The Transforming Education for the Future Act would triple funding for title I to better serve students from disadvantaged backgrounds and the schools that educate them. It would establish free universal preschool for 3-and 4-year-olds through a Federal-State partnership. It would make school breakfast and lunch free and provide summer meals. These are not extras. They are investments that determine whether a child can learn, whether a teacher can teach, and whether a community can thrive.”
House of Representatives14 September 2026Source ↗
“It means career counseling to help students see a path to their future. It means instilling a love of learning, reading, and studying, not cutting the humanities. Students deserve a fair measure of how they are doing, but standardized test scores alone do not define a child's potential. This bill would encourage the use of multiple, high-quality measures to give families and educators a more complete picture of student learning. We also need to invest in the people who make learning possible. Teachers and school staff are the foundation of our public schools, yet educators continue to face low pay, difficult working conditions, and a shortage of resources. We must strengthen the educator pipeline, improve compensation and working conditions, and give educators the resources they need to succeed. We need to invest in what works.”
House of Representatives14 September 2026Source ↗
“We must change course. We need to move forward with a vision of public education that recognizes the challenges of today, a vision based on research and best practices. We need a vision that recognizes that today's children are tomorrow's leaders and are worthy of policies that create a better future. That is why I am introducing the Transforming Education for the Future Act. This legislation recognizes that a good education is about more than a test score. Every student deserves a well-rounded education that prepares them to be creative, critical thinkers who will be successful regardless of their background or the path they take in life. That means more hands-on, project-based learning. It means access to the arts, career and technical education, and civics education.”
House of Representatives14 September 2026Source ↗
“Importantly and alarmingly, screen time, cell phones, devices, and social media changed the way young people interact with each other and the world around them. Generative AI is transforming how students learn and how educators teach with serious consequences like cognitive shrinking and, as we have seen in international scores recently, decline at least partly attributed to digital distractions. Now, the Trump administration is trying to dismantle the Department of Education and slash the Federal support that closes opportunity gaps for millions of students in schools. At the same time, too many students are struggling. Students from low-income families, students of color, students with disabilities, and students in different parts of the country from urban to rural continue to experience significant gaps in achievement.”
House of Representatives14 September 2026Source ↗
“Mr. Speaker, I rise today to talk about the future of American education. For decades, public schools have been asked to do more with less. Add to that, the fact that we have seen many new and complicated challenges over the past 10 years. The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted learning and placed enormous strain on students, educators, and families.”
House of Representatives14 September 2026Source ↗
“Unfortunately, the Republican majority is also using the same shady tactic to take away the authority of Congress to legislate tariff policy, likely because Republicans know their positions are wildly unpopular and proper oversight would highlight these failings. This is yet another example of the erosion of separation of powers that we are seeing in this administration and this Congress. I have heard many of my colleagues on the other side of the aisle talk about the importance of transparency and accountability. I hope my Republican colleagues live up to that and prove that by stopping the block on resolutions of inquiry. ____________________”
House of Representatives30 April 2025Source ↗
“They conduct research into fall prevention, chronic disease management, and Alzheimer's disease. They safeguard vulnerable adults through the Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program, and they address elder justice issues like abuse, neglect, and exploitation. They provide legal assistance for disabled people and more. {time} 1030 These are just some of the reasons that we introduced the resolution of inquiry: to ask what will happen to these important programs with the administration's plan to eliminate ACL. We are a coequal branch of government, and we need this information to make prudent decisions on behalf of our constituents. Yet, as of yesterday, the majority blocked our ability to get those questions answered.”
House of Representatives30 April 2025Source ↗
“In 2022, the people who are age 65 and older represented at least 17 percent of the U.S. population, and more than one in four adults experience a disability, including most adults over 75. The Administration for Community Living's programs improved the lives of millions of older adults and people with disabilities and also benefits their families and their caregivers. It is the only government entity that advocates across the Federal Government for these populations. Because my colleagues blocked consideration of this resolution, I want to take this opportunity to tell you more about what is at risk. Through the Older Americans Act, the Administration for Community Living runs senior centers and distributes more than 200 million meals every year to older adults and people with disabilities through the Meals on Wheels program.”
House of Representatives30 April 2025Source ↗
“Unfortunately, while the markup was in recess, the Republicans adopted a rule that blocks resolutions of inquiry from being considered. It was especially frustrating because we could have debated the resolution yesterday morning, but apparently the majority delayed consideration so they could pass this language in fine print that blocks us from conducting important oversight of policies and programs that are in the committee's jurisdiction. Our resolution is simple. It asks the President and the Department of Health and Human Services to tell Congress why they plan to eliminate the Administration for Community Living, an agency that administers programs designed to support older adults and people with disabilities and helps them stay in their homes. The public deserves to know what will happen if these programs are eliminated.”
House of Representatives30 April 2025Source ↗
“Speaker, this administration said they were going to go after dangerous criminals and drug dealers, but what they are doing instead with this disastrous mass deportation effort is creating fear and stress across the country including among young children. ``I wish I didn't have to worry about these things,'' the student said. So do I and so should anybody in this body with an ounce of compassion. These are kids. Let that sink in, and let's do what we need to do to truly protect students. ____________________”
House of Representatives8 April 2025Source ↗
“I worry what might happen to me if I refuse to answer their questions to protect my friends and classmates. I also worry about ICE agents trying to talk to me on the bus ride from school. I worry about what I should do if ICE agents come up to my neighbors when I am walking with them home from the bus stop. Some of the things I worry about are: Do I hide my friends if they are getting taken? If ICE enters my school and takes someone, what will the school do? If ICE takes my classmate, what should I do? Where does ICE take people? And what do I do if my friends come home to an empty house because their family got deported? ``I wish I did not have to worry about these things, and I wish even more that my friends, classmates, and neighbors did not have to either. Thanks for your time.'' Mr.”
House of Representatives8 April 2025Source ↗
“The majority is willing to pass a bill to protect students from the Chinese Communist Party, something no parent or educator has ever mentioned to me, but not willing to address gun violence, increasing behavioral health needs, or, importantly, the stress and fear that the Trump administration has created by giving ICE free range to raid sensitive locations, including schools. Don't take my word for it. Listen to the words of a fourth grade student in Oregon who wrote me this letter: ``Hi. I am a local student, and I am in fourth grade. Ever since the rules were changed to allow ICE agents to enter schools, I have felt scared for my safety and the safety of my classmates, friends, and neighbors. I feel scared and distracted in class sometimes because I am worried ICE might come in our school.”
House of Representatives8 April 2025Source ↗
“Mr. Speaker, as someone who has dedicated years of my career to education striving to create a better future for children, I find it disturbing and ironic that my colleagues in the majority pass bills that they say are to protect students but, in fact, do nothing to address the real challenges children are facing in schools today.”
House of Representatives8 April 2025Source ↗
“Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong opposition to the administration's decision to pause or end--or as the unelected billionaire Elon Musk said: ``Feed into the wood chipper''--government payments for food aid. The thoughtless plan to shut down or pause the work of the U.S. Agency for International Development, USAID, is wrong for many reasons.”
House of Representatives11 February 2025Source ↗
“Mr. Speaker, recently an Oregonian told me that his young daughter and her friends, especially her Hispanic friends, are scared at school. They are kids that are at school to learn. Then I learned why they are scared. I rise today to strongly condemn the Trump administration's unconscionable decision to rescind guidance that restricted immigration arrests near sensitive locations, including hospitals, places of worship, and schools.”
House of Representatives6 February 2025Source ↗
“Mr. Speaker, may I inquire as to how much time I have remaining.”
House of Representatives14 January 2025Source ↗
“Mr. Speaker, may I inquire as to how much time I have remaining.”
House of Representatives14 January 2025Source ↗
“Mr. Speaker, may I please inquire as to the time remaining.”
House of Representatives14 January 2025Source ↗
“Mr. Speaker, may I inquire as to the time remaining.”
House of Representatives14 January 2025Source ↗
“Mr. Speaker, may I inquire as to the time remaining on both sides.”
House of Representatives14 January 2025Source ↗