October 05, 2015

The Golden Rule

Dear Friend,

At some point when you were growing up a teacher, pastor, or parent probably told you to never forget one thing: ‘The Golden Rule’. The idea of treating others the way you want to be treated follows you throughout life. It’s relevant when you are picking teams for kickball on the playground, meeting new kids at high school, or walking through the doors of your first big job. It’s also a lesson that Congress should pay attention to more often!

Congress got its own reminder of the importance of the Golden Rule when Pope Francis came to Washington D.C. two weeks ago. Besides ditching his Popemobile for a tiny Fiat, the Pope also gave the first ever address by a Pope to Congress. Though folks could find things in the Pope’s speech to agree with and disagree with, he made one statement that everyone should embrace. By invoking the Golden Rule he reinforced the need to treat all people with dignity, particularly those who are less fortunate. All too often under the roof of the U.S. Capitol the idea of working for the common good and embracing our common humanity is forgotten. The Pope called on all who listened to lend an inviting hand to suffering people, whether by illness, poverty or war, and to protect our planet for generations yet to come.

You can take a look at an album of my pictures from the day here.

Avoiding a Shutdown….For Now

Pope Francis’s call was almost forgotten as Congress came close to shutting down the government again. We saw the terrible impacts of a government shutdown two years ago – the impact to our nation’s economy and to our region. We saw local workers at our Naval installations face furloughs. We saw the closure of the Olympic National Park, impacting tourists, workers, and local employers. We saw tribes, social service providers and others face disruptions in critical funding.

Thankfully, Congress avoided a government shutdown for now. That’s the good news. The bad news is another deadline looms on December 11th.

It’s time for the political grandstanding and brinkmanship to end. Members of Congress should remember what Pope Francis told us. Rather than playing politics, we should be working together.

It’s time for Congress to hammer out a budget agreement that finally ends the across-the-board sequestration cuts and focuses on our long-term growth.

Watch a video of a speech I recently gave on this subject here.

Extending a Hand to Our Hard-working Men and Women

I also thought about that message of the Golden Rule when I heard the news that Haggen will be closing 100 locations along the West coast – including stores in in Tacoma, Aberdeen, Gig Harbor, and Port Orchard.

This upheaval puts the jobs of hundreds of employees at risk. Things got worse when workers found out their contract stipulated they were forbidden from looking for jobs at Safeways and Albertsons that are still open. These are professionals who serve their neighbors and make sure we have access to quality food. They should be treated with respect.

That’s why I called on the Federal Trade Commission to do away with any rules that place restrictions on those seeking new jobs. I’m glad the FTC agreed with the letter I wrote and lifted this burden, acting quickly to ensure Haggen employees who are impacted by the closing of area grocery stores aren't needlessly stopped from looking for new opportunities.

It’s only fair to these hard-working men and women and their families. Read more about the whole story here in the Seattle Times.

Wins for PA

Since I last wrote there has been some good progress for our region, particularly in the town in which I was born and raised – Port Angeles.

You might have heard the news that the Port of Port Angeles was selected for a new center to grow opportunities related to composite technologies. That took a big step forward as I joined Governor Inslee, local officials from industry, Washington State University, Peninsula College, and the Port of Port Angeles to help break ground on a new Composite Recycling Technology Center!

It was an important day for the Peninsula because composite materials are where things are headed. This is a win for advanced manufacturing in our region as we will be at the center of composite breakthroughs. Not to mention this center will help make sure that jobs are available to young people because nobody wants to see our region’s biggest export be its kids.

I was proud to be a part of this effort along with our senators, local legislators, the port, local officials, business leaders and the governor. We all had our oars in the water moving in the same direction on this endeavor.  

In addition, we can finally say that Clallam County is no longer the only county in Washington state without a Federal Health Center. I was honored to join in the opening of the North Olympic Healthcare Network Clinic in Port Angeles. With its expansion, more folks will have access to primary care physicians and regular doctor visits, increasing the wellness of our community. This clinic will be able to offer Family Medicine Residencies to Medical School Graduates - a huge tool to keep young doctors here on the Peninsula. And as a kid who was born and raised in Port Angeles, that’s a big deal to me.

I’m honored to have worked with our Senators to help make this happen and join in the ribbon cutting!

The Care They’ve Earned  

If you’ve served our country than we should have your back.

For too long, veterans in Bremerton have dealt with inadequate and overcrowded facilities that have led to difficulties in accessing quality care.

Awarding a contract to open a new Community Based Outpatient Clinic is essential for veterans in need in Kitsap County. Thankfully, after a lengthy delay, the Veterans Administration finally announced a new location for this clinic.

This is an important step in the process and I am proud to have been part of the push with our local leaders to get to this point, but we’re not done. We’ve got to keep working until the new clinic opens its doors so veterans are getting the care they’ve earned.

Read my letter calling for a new facility to be opened here.

You can also read a Kitsap Sun article about this announcement here.

Fight for the Sound

I spoke on the House floor in support of the PUGET SOS Act – legislation I’ve sponsored as a cofounder of the Puget Sound Recovery Caucus that would raise the profile of the Puget Sound by naming it a nationally significant body of water.

In our region we know that the Sound has no equal when it comes to natural beauty and biological value. Unfortunately, we know that this vital body of water is sick – and the rate of decline is surpassing the rate of recovery.

The federal government has a role to play here. But here’s another fact. Though the Puget Sound is larger than the Chesapeake Bay in terms of water volume, the Sound hasn’t kept pace with the Chesapeake and Great Lakes in terms of recognition and federal funding.

That’s why my colleague Denny Heck and I have introduced this bill. It would give the Puget Sound proper recognition from federal agencies just like other significant national bodies of water. Federal, state, tribes, and local entities could also coordinate their efforts better than ever before. And it would ensure that federal agencies protect tribal treaty rights.

For the millions of residents that call the Puget Sound home and for future generations, like my little girls, we’ve got to take action to fight for the Sound.

You can watch the speech I gave on the House floor here.

Working for You

As always, I enjoy visiting events in our district when I’m in town. Just this weekend, I had a blast at OysterFest in Shelton. It’s a terrific event with delicious food, fun competitions (including a speed-shucking contest), and a wonderful community spirit. Congratulations to the Rotary Club and all of the other community organizations who made this event such a success.  

 

Thanks to the Northwest Justice Project and the Veterans Community Partnership for inviting me to attend their Veterans Service Provider Community Forum! The work these organizations do in our region is invaluable. Even in this tough budget environment I’m committed to continuing to fight for veterans and their families.

As always, it’s an honor to serve as your representative. Please don’t hesitate to holler if I can lend a hand to you or someone you know.

Sincerely,


Derek Kilmer