Suzan DelBene

Suzan Kay DelBene (née Oliver; ; born February 17, 1962) is an American politician and businesswoman who has been the United States Representative from Washington's 1st congressional district since 2012.
DelBene was the 2010 Democratic nominee for U.S. Representative for and was narrowly defeated by incumbent Republican Dave Reichert. In 2012 she won the general election in Washington's redrawn 1st district against Republican John Koster, while simultaneously winning the election for the remainder of the term in the vacant 1st district under the pre-2012 boundaries, a seat left vacant by the resignation of Jay Inslee.
She serves as the Chair of the New Democrat Coalition, the second largest ideological caucus.
Early life and education.
DelBene was born in Selma, Alabama, the daughter of Barry and Beth Oliver. She is the fifth child in her family. At a young age, her family moved to Newport Hills in Bellevue, Washington. Later, they moved to Mercer Island. In an autobiographical video, DelBene described her family's trouble paying bills and the hardship they faced after her father, a longtime airline pilot, lost his job. After fourth grade, her family moved all over the country in search of work.
After graduating from The Choate School, a prep school in Wallingford, Connecticut, DelBene went to Reed College in Portland, Oregon where she earned a bachelor's degree in biology. DelBene then continued her education at the University of Washington to earn a Master's degree in Business Administration.
Business career.
DelBene worked at Microsoft from 1989 to 1998 where she was director of marketing and business development for the Interactive Media Group, marketing and sales training for Microsoft's Internet properties, and other business development and product management roles with Windows 95 and early versions of Microsoft's Internet Explorer Web browser software. In 1998 she left to help found drugstore.com and serve as a vice president. In 2000, she went on to be the CEO of Nimble Technology, leading it through its acquisition by Actuate in 2003. In 2004, she returned to Microsoft to be Corporate Vice President of the Mobile Communications Business, until 2007.
From 2008 to 2009, she was a management consultant and strategic advisor to Global Partnerships, a non-profit supporting microfinance and sustainable solutions in Latin America. DelBene was named as the director for the Washington State Department of Revenue on November 30, 2010, to replace outgoing director Cindi Holmstrom.
U.S House of Representatives.
Elections.
2010.
In 2010 DelBene ran for election to the U.S. House of Representatives as a Democrat against the incumbent in the 8th congressional district, Dave Reichert, a Republican. According to DelBene's campaign website, the economy was her top priority. DelBene earned the endorsements of the Seattle Times and the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, as well as several Democratic politicians.
DelBene faced Reichert in the general election, after coming in 2nd in the primary voting. In Washington, the top two advance. DelBene lost to Reichert in the general election on November 2. She was subsequently named Washington State Revenue Director by Governor Christine Gregoire on November 30, 2010.
2012.
DelBene ran for Congress again in 2012. DelBene won the Democratic nomination for the redrawn 1st district, previously represented by Jay Inslee, which became more competitive due to redistricting. Inslee had resigned in March to focus on his ultimately successful campaign for governor. DelBene ran in two elections that day against Republican John Koster—a special election for the last two months of Inslee's seventh term (and held in the boundaries of the old 1st), and a regular election for a full two-year term. She defeated Koster in both elections, winning the special election with 60 percent of the vote and the regular election with 54 percent of the vote. Her victory margin in the regular election was wider than expected, considering that the district was about six points less Democratic than its predecessor. On November 13, 2012, she was sworn in as the district's representative for the remainder of the 112th Congress, giving her a leg up in seniority over all but a few other representatives first elected in November 2012 for the upcoming 113th Congress.
DelBene spent $2.8 million of her own money in a race in which she raised over $4 million, in a Congressional race that became the most expensive in Washington state history.
2014.
DelBene ran for Congress again in 2014 and won against Republican Pedro Celis. Delbene earned 55% of the vote to hold on to her seat.
Policy positions.
Economy.
DelBene is one of the lead sponsors of the American Family Act, which would cut childhood poverty nearly in half by increasing the Child Tax Credit to provide up to $3,000 per child per year and $3,600 for children younger than 6, make the credit refundable so that low-income families receive the full credit, and allow the payments to be provided monthly. President Joe Biden adopted a one-year version of this expansion in his 2021 COVID-19 relief package, the American Rescue Plan.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, DelBene introduced the JOBS Credit Act, which would expand the Employee Retention Tax Credit, an advanced refundable tax credit for employers designed to keep workers on the payroll and connected to their health benefits while businesses revenues were hit because of the pandemic. An expansion of the credit was included in the Heroes Act and a modified version ultimately passed in the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021.
In 2019, DelBene introduced H.R. 4027, the "Women’s Small Business Ownership Act", which is aimed at increasing business counseling and training services for women entrepreneurs.
In the 116th Congress, DelBene also introduced:
Environment and conservation.
In 2021, DelBene passed the "National Landslide Preparedness" Act, legislation she originally introduced following the 2014 Oso landslide. The legislation expands early warning systems, develops new mapping to better prepare communities and local governments for landslide risks, and establishes the National Landslides Hazard Reduction program through the United States Geological Survey.
DelBene also led calls to fully and permanently fund the Land and Water Conservation Fund in order to help protect local parks and support conservation projects. In August 2020, the LWCF was funded permanently at $900 million a year.
Health care.
DelBene currently serves on the Ways and Means Committee. She has advanced two bills in 2018 addressing the opioid addiction.
In the 116th Congress, DelBene introduced the following legislation:
Housing.
In the 116th Congress, DelBene introduced:
Reproductive rights.
DelBene is one of the leaders of the Pro-Choice Caucus and supported access to reproductive health care by serving on the Select Committee to Investigate Planned Parenthood, which was established under former Speaker Paul Ryan in 2015.
Technology.
In 2019, DelBene reintroduced the Information Transparency and Personal Data Control Act, legislation that would require companies to present their data privacy policies in clear language. The legislation would also create an option for consumers to “opt-in” before companies can use consumers’ sensitive personal information.
She introduced several other bills that would help update our nation's privacy laws, including the Email Privacy Act, the Secure Data Act, and the Law Enforcement Access to Data Stored Abroad (LEADS) Act. Legislation similar to the LEADS Act, the CLOUD Act, was passed into law in the 115th Congress.
In the 116th Congress, DelBene was a member of the Select Committee on the Modernization of Congress, "which is committed to find ways to improve and modernize the way Congress operates".
In the 116th Congress, DelBene also introduced:
Personal life.
Her husband, Kurt DelBene, is Chief Digital Officer and EVP of Corporate Strategy, Core Services Engineering and Operations at Microsoft Corporation, and led the effort to fix the Healthcare.gov website at the request of President Barack Obama.
DelBene is a practicing Episcopalian.