In The News
Rep. Derek Kilmer strives for constructive change in Congress
After visiting Capitol Hill, the Russian-born character actor Boris Marshalov remarked, “Congress is so strange. A man gets up to speak and says nothing. Nobody listens. Then everybody disagrees.” That was more than 75 years ago, during the era when President Harry Truman coined the phrase “do-nothing Congress.” Even so, there was a time when this great deliberative body of ours was productive and its members felt honored to serve. Thankfully, one Washingtonian is … Continue Reading
May 03, 2023
Kilmer Pushes for Airport Improvements to Enhance Resiliency and Emergency Response Capabilities
Office of Rep. Derek Kilmer announcement. On May 2, U.S. Representatives Derek Kilmer (WA-06), Earl Blumenauer (OR-03), and Doug LaMalfa (CA-01) introduced the Resilient Airports Act, a bipartisan effort to improve emergency and disaster response capabilities at airports nationwide, including those located in rural communities. The bill would expand the Airport Improvement Program (AIP) eligibility criteria, enabling more airports to receive funding for crucial infrastructure … Continue Reading
May 02, 2023
Lawmakers Push for Review of How the Pentagon Grapples with Mental Health
A bill introduced Friday in the House would create a task force to investigate military mental health and the Pentagon's varied approaches to supporting and treating affected troops and their family members. Under the bill, sponsored by Navy veteran Rep. Guy Reschenthaler, R-Pa., and Rep. Derek Kilmer, D-Wash., the task force would assess the extent of military mental health issues, examine all current programs and medical staffing, and make recommendations for improvements. Nearly … Continue Reading
May 01, 2023
Clallam EDC sees potential in innovative forest products
PORT ANGELES — The Clallam County Economic Development Council is prioritizing getting working-age people back into the workforce and has acquired federal grant money with that goal in mind. Speaking to the Nor’Wester Rotary Club of Port Angeles on Friday, Director Colleen McAleer said the EDC had recently been awarded a $50,000 grant to help establish a Natural Resources Innovation Center, which will promote forestry industry products in the county. “We … Continue Reading
May 01, 2023
Kilmer Leads Effort to Tackle Mental Health Issues Across U.S. Military
Office of Rep. Derek Kilmer announcement. On April 28, 2023, U.S. Representatives Derek Kilmer (WA-06), Rob Wittman (VA-01), Chrissy Houlahan (PA-06), and Guy Reschenthaler (PA-14) introduced the Servicemembers Mental Health Improvement Act, legislation to develop and provide recommendations for a comprehensive strategy to tackle mental health issues across the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD). The bill would establish a mental health task force within DoD, comprising both DoD … Continue Reading
April 28, 2023
Ocean Shores gives Corps access for jetty repairs
With repairs to Grays Harbor’s North Jetty on the horizon, the city of Ocean Shores completed an initial step in the process Monday by granting the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers permission to stage equipment on city property when construction begins in fall 2024. A City Council vote at Monday’s meeting authorized Ocean Shores Mayor Jon Martin to issue a right-of-way permit to the Corps, with the Port of Grays Harbor present as the project’s sponsor and liaison between the … Continue Reading
April 27, 2023
WA Fish and Wildlife: European green crab continues to cause issues
The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife says European green crabs are continuing to cause problems, despite significant efforts by the federal government to stop the invasive species. Across 28,000 miles of Washington shoreline, all those participating in the European green crab emergency response are busy preparing for the spring through fall field season. To kick off the 2023 season, U.S. Senator Patty Murray and Congressman Derek Kilmer visited Sequim Bay on April 5 to learn … Continue Reading
April 26, 2023
Roundtable Addresses Gun Violence
Congressman Derek Kilmer met with members of Tacoma Cease Fire on April 21 for a roundtable to discuss the state of gun violence in the city and what needs there are to address it and help the families impacted by trauma. Gathering at People’s Center with Kilmer were Tacoma Deputy Mayor Kristina Walker; James Watson of Tacoma Cease Fire and the Trauma Response Team; Tacoma Cease Fire co-founder and community advocate Candace Wesley; and Xavier Vaughan with the Trauma Response … Continue Reading
April 26, 2023
Wild Olympics bill reintroduced for 2023
The Wild Olympics proposal has been reintroduced for consideration at the federal level. U.S. Representative Derek Kilmer (WA-06) and Senator Patty Murray (WA) reintroduced the Wild Olympics Wilderness and Wild and Scenic Rivers Act. The legislation would permanently protect salmon habitat and sources of clean drinking water for local communities, while also protecting and expanding recreation opportunities like hiking, camping, boating, hunting, and fishing, without closing any roads … Continue Reading
April 21, 2023
WA could get millions in federal salmon recovery dollars
More than $60 million in federal grants could soon be on the way to help Washington’s rivers, endangered salmon and native eelgrass. The Climate-Ready Coasts initiative grants recommended by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration on Friday are intended to help restore habitat for young salmon, heal floodplains from past mining and other human activities, and create salmon recovery internships at a community college, among other things. The money was secured … Continue Reading
April 19, 2023
Roundtable To Address Tacoma Gun Violence
On Friday, April 21, U.S. Representative Derek Kilmer (WA-06) will join members of Tacoma Cease Fire, a grassroots initiative to protect Tacoma’s youth, community and streets, for a roundtable discussion on how to reduce and prevent gun violence in Tacoma and the surrounding community. Later, Rep. Kilmer will join PUSH for DREAMS founder John Gaines and local youth at one of the organization’s regular meetings. Rep. Kilmer will discuss his role in … Continue Reading
April 17, 2023
Shellfish growers in Northwest's oyster capital want 'blitz' against invasive green crabs
Shellfish growers in Willapa Bay in southwest Washington, the self-styled "Oyster Capital of the World," are alarmed by an invasion of potentially destructive non-native European green crabs. Some are asking for an all-out trapping offensive to corral the invasive species. The spread of the voracious eaters is a coast-wide concern from northern California to Alaska, but the stakes are particularly high on the productive tidelands alongside the Long Beach Peninsula. "We need a blitz," said … Continue Reading
April 15, 2023
Representatives Kilmer Introduces Legislation to Bring Transparency and Accountability to Online Political Ads
Office of Rep. Derek Kilmer announcement. On April 13, 2023, U.S. Representatives Derek Kilmer (WA-06) and Mike Gallagher (WI-08) reintroduced the Honest Ads Act to prevent foreign interference in future elections and improve the transparency of online political advertisements. The bill would ensure online political advertisements are better monitored by the Federal Election Commission (FEC) and would enable the FEC to enact rules for online advertisement like those in place for television, … Continue Reading
April 11, 2023
U.S. Rep. Kilmer gets tour of beleaguered breakwater
U.S. Rep. Derek Kilmer got a rocky review of Boat Haven's troubled breakwater during a visit to Port Townsend on Friday. Aboard "Red Head," the 56-foot whale-watching boat owned by Puget Sound Express, the congressman got a waterside tour of the breakwater from the Port Townsend Bay side as white-topped waves from last week's high winds crashed into the breakwater and the boat. Port of Port Townsend officials said the breakwater has undergone restoration in 1983 and 2016, but it is now in … Continue Reading
April 10, 2023
Murray, Kilmer hunt invasive crab
SEQUIM - U.S. Sen. Patty Murray and Congressman Derek Kilmer were joined by representatives of the Jamestown S'Klallam Tribe to hunt down and trap the invasive European Green Crab species in south Sequim Bay. The duo was unsuccessful in catching a crab on Wednesday, but both leaders voiced support for removing the species that pose a danger to regional marine environments. "The European green crab poses a serious threat to the entire Puget Sound ecosystem - threatening local shellfish … Continue Reading
April 10, 2023
TRICARE administrator floats pay cuts to health care providers
The private company contracted by the federal government to administer TRICARE - the health insurance program for active duty and retired service members and their families - for the western region of the country, briefly raised the possibility that it would cut reimbursement rates for services, two local health care providers told the Kitsap Sun. The status of the cuts is unclear. Kitsap Children's Speech Therapy owner Sara Campbell said Health Net Federal Services, the TRICARE … Continue Reading
April 07, 2023
South Puget Sound Cities Now at High Risk for Wildfire
In response, Wildfire Ready Neighbors fire prevention program launches in Western Washington Just 10 days into this spring, a firefighting team flew in a helicopter over the dome of the Washington state capitol building in Olympia. They were on the way to quickly put out a small wildfire before it had the chance to grow along Highway 101 in the Hood Canal, an area with lush forests and a historically wet climate. People who call cities and towns in the South Puget Sound home have watched … Continue Reading
April 06, 2023
Federal funding sought to eradicate destructive green crab in Washington
An effort to eradicate an invasive species of crab in Washington is getting new support in the nation's capital. The European green crab can consume shellfish and other native marine life and destroy critical habitats. On Wednesday, Washington's U.S. Sen. Patty Murray and Rep. Derek Kilmer went to Sequim Bay. They joined tribal leaders and environmental advocates to check out trapping efforts to limit green crab population growth. Murray and Kilmer say they are working to secure federal … Continue Reading
April 06, 2023
Navy Takes Another Look at Bremerton Hospital Cuts After Lawmaker Cites Miscarriage, Readiness Issues
The lawmaker whose district includes Naval Hospital Bremerton has challenged the Navy over years of downsizing and staffing cuts at the facility, saying it has not only hurt readiness but also endangered patients. "I had a service member who said that she was pregnant. ... With the closure of labor and delivery, she ended up seeking care from a local provider where she sat for eight hours in a waiting room and miscarried," Rep. Derek Kilmer, D-Wash., told Military.com in an interview … Continue Reading
April 05, 2023
WA Invasive Crab Problem Gets Attention From Murray, Kilmer
Washington's invasive European green crab problem received some federal attention today as a pair of Congress members visited a Strait of Juan de Fuca bay where the unwanted crustaceans have been found. US REP. DEREK KILMER AND SEN. PATTY MURRAY INSPECT A EUROPEAN GREEN CRAB TRAP DURING A TOUR OF SEQUIM BAY TODAY. (SEN. PATTY MURRAY'S OFFICE, VIA FLICKR) "I will be writing our nation's spending bills for the next fiscal year and here's the bottom line: this is a priority for Puget Sound … Continue Reading