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 concerned.
But hope. Indeed today — the day I have announced that I won’t seek reelection to Congress after nearly 20 years of public service — I remain hopeful.
How is that possible?!
Rabbi Jonathan Sacks once wrote, “Optimism and hope are not the same. Optimism is the belief that things will get better. Hope is the belief that, if we work hard enough, we can make things better.” He wrote, “It needs no courage to be an optimist, but it takes a great deal of courage to hope.”
I have hope because I’ve seen examples where — with some hard work — we can make things better. Let me mention two.
First, in 2019, I was asked to chair the Select Committee on the Modernization of Congress (lovingly referred to by many as “The Fix Congress Committee”). Historically, these select committees are about as successful as me on karaoke night — a lot of noise, confusion, and someone ridiculously belting out “Don’t Stop Believin’.” Frequently, these committees accomplish nothing.
But our committee — consisting of six Democrats and six Republicans — did something different. We found common ground. We checked partisan agendas at the door and worked together. In the face of stories of dysfunction in D.C., the author and Washington Post contributor Amanda Ripley referred to our committee as a story of “shocking function.”
The result? More than 200 bipartisan reform proposals to make Congress work better for the American people.
The committee proposed significant reforms to the budget and appropriations process in hopes of lessening the likelihood of the persistent shutdown threats that have bedeviled Congress. The committee advanced reforms to enable members of Congress to better fulfill their duties under Article One of the Constitution — including the power of the purse and to conduct oversight. In the face of the lobotomization of Congress as an institution over recent decades, the committee pursued reforms to help the institution build knowledge and hang on to talented people. And the committee even pushed reforms with the goal of advancing civility and collaboration.
About a third of the committee’s proposals have been implemented — with another third in the process of implementation. That should give us all hope!
Lest one look at recent congressional dysfunction and dismiss the committee’s impact, I’m reminded of a recent interaction I had with the House Chaplain. During the chaos following Speaker Kevin McCarthy being deposed, I saw Chaplain Margaret G. Kibben on the House floor, smiled at her, and said, “Pray harder!” She smiled back at me, put her hand on my elbow, and said, “Just imagine how messed up things would be if I wasn’t praying this hard.”
I have hope that if Congress pushes forward in implementing the work of the Modernization Committee — and following its example of bipartisanship — things will indeed get better.
Second, I have hope because Congress has finally focused attention on folks who have historically been left behind.
I grew up in Port Angeles and was in high school in the early ’90s when the timber industry took it on the chin. I saw a lot of my friends’ parents lose their jobs. It’s why I studied economic development policy, why I worked in economic development professionally before running for Congress, and why I chose to pursue public office in the first place. No community should have to fear that its main export will be young people.
Things aren’t going to change overnight. But, if one reviews the progress that has been made in recent years, it’s hard not to come away feeling hopeful.
For example, Congress passed a Bipartisan Infrastructure Law that acknowledges some of the challenges of rural America. It’s a big deal that places like Port Angeles and Aberdeen are seeing significant federal investments in their ports — major drivers of economic development. It’s a big deal that the infrastructure law includes billions of dollars to connect people to the internet.
But that’s not all. Last year, Congress stood up a new program (the RECOMPETE program that I authored) to provide flexible, long-term grant assistance to communities that have faced persistent economic challenges. The Economic Development Administration just announced that — based on the hundreds of applications received — this is the most popular program in the agency’s history.
Whether it’s been delivering funds to address flooding in Grays Harbor, pushing for smarter approaches to forest management, or helping tribal nations invest in infrastructure, I find hope in the fact that — little by little — we’re providing more opportunity so people have a shot, no matter what ZIP code they live in.
As I shared in my announcement today, the work on priorities like these needs to continue. Indeed, these issues will be my focus for the next 14 months as I complete my term. And beginning in 2025, that work — for me — will happen outside the marble walls of Congress.
But my main takeaway after a couple of decades in public service is this — together we can make things better.
By: Derek Kilmer
Source: The Seattle Times