In The News
‘Delusions of immortality’: These lawmakers want Congress to get real about continuity
Brian Baird didn’t see the plane hit the Pentagon, but from the window of his seventh-floor office in the Longworth House Office Building, he could see the smoke in the distance. “I had this surreal moment of running, thinking, ‘Are we about to die?’ And then thinking, what happens constitutionally if we do die?” Baird recalled recently. On that day in 2001, the Democrat and his staff fanned out across the building, urging others to evacuate. In the end, the Capitol was spared on 9/11, but … Continue Reading
January 20, 2024
Grant covers installation of electric chargers
PORT ANGELES — The federal government awarded $2 million to the City of Port Angeles for the installation of 50 electric vehicle charges in an effort to expand infrastructure and support tourism. Another $14 million grant will go to Energy Northwest — a Washington-based public power utility — to install 40 fast and 12 Level 2 EV chargers across Western Washington and Oregon, including Forks, Sequim, Quilcene, Port Ludlow, Shelton, Raymond, Ilwaco, Kamilche, Longview and Kalaloch. U.S. Rep. … Continue Reading
January 03, 2024
County County Approves $500k Grant to Habitat Housing Project
SEQUIM - Clallam County Commissioners approved a half-million dollar grant Tuesday to help Habitat For Humanity of Clallam County get a step closer to beginning site work on a 50-unit affordable home development in Sequim. The funding will come from what is left of the $15 million in federal stimulus funding the County received during the pandemic in 2021, known as ARPA funds. At the time, County Commissioners identified eight priority areas that they would dedicate the ARPA funds to, and … Continue Reading
January 03, 2024
Clallam, Jefferson counties named as finalist for $50 million grant
A coalition of Clallam and Jefferson County organizations was awarded a planning grant and named as a finalist for larger grants that could bring roughly $50 million to the region. The North Olympic Peninsula Recompete Coalition — made up of North Olympic Peninsula counties, cities, tribes and others — was awarded $500,000 for planning as part of the Distressed Area Recompete Pilot Program, a new federal program designed to inject tens of millions of dollars into economically struggling … Continue Reading
December 29, 2023
Groundbreaking welcomes Patsy Surh Place
History was made on Dec. 20 when ground was officially broken for an ambitious new housing development coming to the Eastside. On that day, community members and dignitaries gathered in the Lincoln District to celebrate the coming of Patsy Surh Place, 77 units of affordable housing for seniors 55 and older being built in partnership between the Asia Pacific Cultural Center (APCC) and the Low-Income Housing Institute (LIHI). Set to open in 2025, the structure will be six stories tall with 47 … Continue Reading
December 22, 2023
Clallam, Jefferson counties named as finalist for $50 million grant
PORT ANGELES — A coalition of Clallam and Jefferson County organizations was awarded a planning grant and named as a finalist for larger grants that could bring roughly $50 million to the region. The North Olympic Peninsula Recompete Coalition — made up of North Olympic Peninsula counties, cities, tribes and others — was awarded $500,000 for planning as part of the Distressed Area Recompete Pilot Program, a new federal program designed to inject tens of millions of dollars into economically … Continue Reading
December 21, 2023
$500,000 awarded to address employment gap in region
U.S. Representative Derek Kilmer (WA-06) announced that $1 million in new federal funding from the Economic Development Administration (EDA) has been allocated for two economic development initiatives on the Olympic Peninsula. The funding is being awarded through the Recompete Pilot Program, a new law authored by Rep. Kilmer, which aims to alleviate persistent economic distress and support long-term, comprehensive economic development and job creation. EDA awarded a $500,000 Strategy … Continue Reading
December 21, 2023
High-speed rail with potential Everett stop misses out on $198M grant
EVERETT — After pursuing a $198 million grant from the federal government, the state received just $500,000 to continue planning an ambitious high-speed rail project that would link Seattle, Portland and Vancouver, British Columbia, with a potential stop in Snohomish County. The grant is a drop in the bucket for the project’s total cost. In 2017, construction cost estimates ranged from $24 billion to $42 billion. On Monday, several Democratic members of Congress representing Washington, … Continue Reading
December 12, 2023
Tacoma to receive $600,000 for safer, accessible streets
TACOMA 12/12/2023 - Today, U.S. Rep. Derek Kilmer (WA-06) announced that the City of Tacoma will receive $600,000 in new federal funds through the U.S. Department of Transportation’s (USDOT) Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) Grant Program. The funding is made possible by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, legislation Rep. Kilmer supported and the largest long-term investment in America’s infrastructure and competitiveness in nearly a century. "All people deserve to feel safe on our roads, … Continue Reading
December 12, 2023
House members seek study on state readiness for quick elections
A bipartisan group of House Administration Committee members have called on the Government Accountability Office to study the ability of states to quickly fill House vacancies following a mass casualty event. The eight lawmakers sent the GAO a letter on Dec. 8 that said the information would further inform Congress’ work to “prepare for the continuity of government and operations during an emergency.” “In light of a worrisome increase in the number of serious, credible threats against … Continue Reading
November 28, 2023
AHA-supported bill would ban health plan fees for electronic fund transfers
A bipartisan group of House members Nov. 28 introduced AHA-supported legislation that would prohibit health insurers from charging fees for standard electronic fund transfers to pay health care providers for services. Commercial insurers often automatically charge health care providers a percentage-based fee for EFT payments. “These fees effectively reduce contracted rates and cost hospitals and health care systems substantial amounts of money that could otherwise be invested into patient … Continue Reading
November 16, 2023
Rep. Kilmer on spending fights, leaving Congress
The two-track government funding bill is heading to President Biden for his signature, after passing the House and Senate, but it doesn't fund additional military aid to Israel and Ukraine. Here & Now's Robin Young speaks with Rep. Derek Kilmer, Democrat of Washington, about the bill, what to expect in coming spending fights, and his decision not to seek … Continue Reading
November 15, 2023
Kilmer will not run for reelection in ’24
U.S. Rep. Derek Kilmer is leaving the House of Representatives, where he has served for nearly 11 years. The Democrat from Gig Harbor, a native of Port Angeles, said on Nov. 9 he won’t seek reelection to the 6th Congressional District — which includes the North Olympic Peninsula — in 2024. It has been an honor to serve, he said, but it’s time to move on from Congress. “I’ve looked at life in chapters,” Kilmer said in a press release. “The decade I spent working in economic development. The … Continue Reading
November 13, 2023
It would bring low-cost childcare to hundreds — plus jobs. On Hilltop, it’s big news | Opinion
Grassroots. It’s a description that gets thrown about to the point it’s become almost meaningless. One-person soup kitchens are labeled that way. So are well-oiled political campaigns with millions in backing. Gail Neal probably wouldn’t use such a term to describe the Hilltop childcare center she launched nearly two decades ago, at least as a way to attract attention, even if it was fitting in the truest sense of the word. She’s too humble, and the spotlight isn’t her thing. They’re two … Continue Reading
November 10, 2023
Congressman will not run for reelection in ’24
U.S. Rep. Derek Kilmer is leaving the House of Representatives, where he has served for nearly 11 years. The Democrat from Gig Harbor, a native of Port Angeles, said Thursday he won’t seek reelection to the 6th Congressional District — which includes the North Olympic Peninsula — in 2024. It has been an honor to serve, he said, but it’s time to move on from Congress. “I’ve looked at life in chapters,” Kilmer said in a press release. “The decade I spent working in economic development. The … Continue Reading
November 09, 2023
Rep. Derek Kilmer will not run for reelection in 2024. Here's why
WASHINGTON D.C., DC — U.S. Representative Derek Kilmer (WA-06) announced in a statement Thursday he will not be seeking reelection in 2024. He was elected to Congress in 2012 after serving in the Washington State Legislature as a Democrat. His district represents the Olympic and Kitsap peninsulas and most of Tacoma. He currently resides in Gig Harbor and is from Port Angeles. In his letter, he emphasized his desire to make more time for his family, attributing the strain of work commitment … Continue Reading
November 09, 2023
US Rep. Derek Kilmer announces he won't seek reelection to Congress in 2024
U.S. Representative Derek Kilmer, D-Gig Harbor, announced Thursday that he won't seek reelection in 2024, and by Friday at least one Democratic candidate had emerged and a local Republican expressed some initial interest. Kilmer, who has represented the 6th District in the House of Representatives since 2013, announced the decision in a lengthy - and personal - statement on Thursday, saying in part, "In a letter I recently shared with my kids, I told them what I am now sharing with the folks … Continue Reading
November 09, 2023
I won’t run again for Congress, but I remain hopeful that we can make things better
“Still hopeful?” That was the question I got recently from the editorial page editor of The Seattle Times, Kate Riley. Over the years, despite frequent bad news emanating from Washington, D.C., I would consistently be asked by Kate whether I was optimistic. And consistently, I’d tell her that I had hope. Not a blind belief, like Kevin Bacon yelling at rioters in “Animal House” that “All is well!” Not a Pollyannish view that, despite evidence to the contrary, there are no reasons to be … Continue Reading
November 08, 2023
‘Dustoff’ Crews Deserve Recognition
In my pro bono work as a lawyer, I’ve stumbled on a truly uplifting and too-little-known story—of the U.S. Army helicopter crews that evacuated some 900,000 people to safety and lifesaving care during the Vietnam War. Each crew consisted of two pilots, a medic and a crew chief. The aeromedical evacuation crews operated under the radio call sign “Medevac” and, more colorfully, “Dustoff,” named for the dust kicked up during landing. Between May 1962 and March 1973, Dustoff crews evacuated sick … Continue Reading
November 08, 2023
Kilmer: Sequim lab gets $1.35M for clean energy research
U.S. Rep. Derek Kilmer on Nov. 3 announced $1.35 million in new federal funding for the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) to evaluate the feasibility of extracting Rare Earth Elements (REEs) and Platinum Group Metals (PGMs) from macroalgae for use in energy applications. REEs are essential for manufacturing high-efficiency electric motors and generators, Kilmer’s office noted in a press release, while PGMs play a “pivotal role” in technologies aimed at reducing carbon emissions, … Continue Reading