The drama in Washington, D.C., over student loans impacts an estimated 83,000 college undergraduates in the “other” Washington.

“We need to act quickly to ensure that American students can continue to access an affordable quality education,” said Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash. “Washington state already needs thousands of educated workers to fill high-skilled jobs. We cannot afford to make a college education harder to access.”

The Senate acted on a procedural motion to end debate: Cloture requires 60 votes to pass. The vote was 52 in favor, all Democrats, and 45 opposed, all Republicans. Sen. Olympia Snowe, R-Maine, a moderate Republican who is retiring from the Senate, voted “present.”

Republicans objected to the Democrats’ proposed means of financing continued low-cost loans, namely to block wealthy taxpayers from avoiding Social Security and Medicare taxes by classifying pay as dividends rather than cash income.

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The 68-31 vote sends “VAWA” to the House of Representatives, where Republicans are crafting a less ambitious bill.

The Senate-passed bill gives new attention to Indian reservations, where nearly 40 percent of women experience violence in their lives. It makes provision for gays and lesbians. And it would allow 15,000 visas — up from 10,000 — so battered women can stay in the United States during prosecution of serious crimes.

The legislation was supported by 47 of the nation’s 50 attorneys general, including GOP Attorney General Rob McKenna of Washington. Its main thrust is providing resources to local law enforcement to identify and prosecute domestic abuse and sexual violence.

Cantwell, in a Senate floor speech, stressed the importance of provisions protecting so-called “mail order” brides who find themselves victims of abuse. She cited two Washington state women, Anastasia King and Susana Blackwell, who were murdered.

“(VAWA) includes enhancements that require marriage broker agencies to provide foreign fiancees with a record of any domestic violence that their potential spouse might have engaged in,” said Cantwell. “That way we can stop the abuse before it begins.”

“Opponents who say that VAWA would create immigration fraud and gives money to those who don’t need it should consider the story of Anastasia King and Susana Blackwell.”

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Pilots are reporting floats, buoys, insulation and plastics in the vicinity of Montague and Kayak Islands at opposite ends of the entrance to Prince William Sound. Montague Island was in the path of the 1989 Exxon Valdez spill and was heavily oiled.

“We know the tsunami debris is on its way to our coast,” said Cantwell. “We cannot be caught by surprise: We need clear answers and the best science available to protect Washington’s billion-dollar coastal economy.”

Begich, whose state gets hit first if debris follow the “Great Circle” route across the Pacific Ocean, added that the time for talk is “over.”

“I urge the Obama Administration to respond to our request from several weeks ago to free up funds and resources so we can effectively deal with debris and not be scrambling when this arrives,” said the Alaska senator.

Cantwell and Begich want the National Science Foundation to give instructions on tracking debris crossing the ocean from Japan’s March 2011 quake and tidal wave.

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This week, Senator Cantwell asked a US Trade Representative about what’s being done to break into the Mexican market. Cantwell is pushing to increase potato exports to Mexico, which could turn pesos into major dollar signs for local potato farmers. Potatoes are big business, but they could be a much bigger business here in Washington if they could be sold to all of Mexico.

“We’ve been very aggressive at getting Northwest product into that country,” said Cantwell.

Right now the spuds can only make it sixteen miles past the border, but the government is now pushing for full access. Even with the sixteen mile law, Mexico is the second largest buyer of fresh U.S. potatoes. Estimates are that full access to their market would raise the U.S. potato export market from $24 million to $100 million dollars in the next five years.

Getting full access to Mexican markets has been the top priority for the National Potato Commission for years, but Vice President of NPC, Randy Mullen, said the odds have been low.

“I would say we have a better than 50-50 chance of getting the access opened and that’s a lot better than it has been over the last five years or so,” said Mullen.

In 2010, Department of Agriculture negotiations with Mexico stalled, but Cantwell is urging the U.S. Trade Representative to keep the pressure on Mexico. It’s a top government agriculture priority, but when a resolution might come is uncertain said the negotiator from the U.S. Trade Representative’s Office, Islam Siddiqui.

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Cantwell was at Taylor Shellfish’s new Melrose Market location in Capitol Hill, where she highlighted the impact of 3,200 Washington shellfish jobs.

Local shellfish growers and ocean acidification scientists were also in attendance.

In March, Cantwell led a letter with 11 other Senators urging the Senate to restore support for ocean acidification monitoring programs, which are under threat for elimination in a proposed budget, according to Cantwell’s office. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) programs allow shellfish growers to monitor ocean acidity in real time, with the use of data from sensors and buoys.

On Thursday, after Cantwell’s letter, a subcommittee voted to increase rather than cut support for the NOAA Regional Integrated Ocean Observing Systems (IOOS), which operate acidification monitoring buoys and sensors in the state.

Cantwell’s visit was to help continue federal support for the IOOS and ocean acidification programs, as the budget process continues.

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At a roundtable discussion on the OC campus, Cantwell said the aerospace engineering field is high in job openings and short on trained employees.

The senator, who chairs the senate aviation committee, said, “Olympic [College] is very capable of helping us meet demand.”

The OC aerospace program focuses on composites, the design and manufacture of combined materials, like those used in Boeing aircraft. The OC share of the grant, $2.2 million, will allow another 40 slots for students in the field.

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That was the sobering message U.S. Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., delivered to educators and others during a local stop Friday. The educators reminded her that funding for more college instruction in aerospace could solve the shortfall.

Now, they say, student demand for such classes far surpasses capacity.

Meeting at Olympic College, Cantwell agreed.

“This is about how the United States retains one of the biggest workforce sectors that it has,” she said.

Cantwell is chairwoman of the Senate Aviation Operations, Safety and Security Committee, and came to Bremerton to see progress on $2.2 million she secured last fall for OC to boost aerospace training.

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That’d be impressive enough; her main GOP opponent, state Sen. Michael Baumgartner (D-6, Spokane) had only raised $122,000 total at last report with $99,000 cash on hand (I’m still waiting for the updated first quarter numbers from him).

But what’s more: Cantwell, a wonky populist who voted against the bank bailouts and pushed Obama’s Wall Street reforms to the left, 88 percent of this quarter’s take came from small donors—contributions of $100 or less.

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But the local company’s export business may suffer if Congress doesn’t reauthorize the Export-Import Bank. The long-standing federal agency helps finance foreign sales and assumes credit risk for export goods that private banks are unwilling to take on.

Sen. Maria Cantwell visited Manhasset on Thursday as part of a Central and Eastern Washington tour to highlight the importance of the “Ex-Im Bank” for small businesses. The Democrat, who faces challenger state Sen. Michael Baumgartner, R-Spokane, in her bid for re-election, also visited Spokane, Moses Lake and Bingen.

Amid the ratchetlike din of machinery at the factory, Cantwell said the bank plays a critical role in helping U.S. manufacturers get access to foreign markets.

“We are one of the most trade-dependent states in the nation. If the Ex-Im bank were to fail, Washington state would feel this pain more urgently than anyone else,” she added.

The bank has been around since 1934 and has a lending authority of $100 billion. In addition to export financing, it provides export credit insurance and loan guarantees.

Cantwell says the bank has financed $28 billion in loans in the state in the last five years, resulting in $64 billion in sales for 168 exporters. Her office estimates the bank supports 83,000 jobs in the state.

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The Export-Import Bank is the country’s export credit agency.

By financing and insuring the export of goods from around the country, businesses are able to break into the international market with confidence that they won’t lose money.

And it’s something that’s brought in a lot of cash for businesses in the Yakima Valley.

Sen. Cantwell toured Manhasset, a company that employs 18 people and makes music stands.

And they depend on the Export-Import Bank to get their product around the world.

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