In The News
New Democrat Coalition backs slate of AI bills
The New Democrat Coalition endorsed 10 bipartisan artificial intelligence (AI) bills on issues surrounding the workforce, elections and privacy, the group of House members announced Thursday. Some of the bills backed by the House coalition would direct agencies to study AI systems or boost research, but others include more direct requirements about how AI can be used. “Artificial Intelligence is the next great frontier of technological innovation, presenting both revolutionary … Continue Reading
May 22, 2024
Kilmer helps fund major projects in Kitsap
Traffic problems in Gorst and increasing affordable housing in Bremerton were two targets U.S. Rep. Derek Kilmer (6th District) pinpointed this year to receive federal funds out of Washington D.C. Kilmer’s membership on the powerful U.S. House Appropriations Committee helped put the Northwest lawmaker in a good position to lobby for nearly $5 million for the two projects. The Appropriations Committee makes the decisions on where the money goes. “Part of my role on the committee is to … Continue Reading
May 22, 2024
Kilmer recognized by committee as Fiscal Hero
WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Rep. Derek Kilmer has been recognized as Fiscal Hero of the 118th Congress by the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget. The committee recognizes policymakers in each Congress who work to improve the nation’s fiscal situation and fix the budget process. “I’m deeply honored to receive the Fiscal Hero Award from the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget,” Kilmer said. “As Congress works to get a handle on America’s long-term fiscal challenges, it’s important … Continue Reading
May 17, 2024
Rep. Kilmer legislation would protect elections from AI
U.S. Representatives Derek Kilmer (WA-06) and Tony Gonzales (TX-23) introduced the Protect Elections from Deceptive AI Act, bipartisan legislation to safeguard the integrity of federal elections. This pioneering legislation aims to combat the rise of deceptive AI-generated content in political campaign advertising, according to a news release. U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (MN), Josh Hawley (MO), Susan Collins (ME), and Chris Coons (DE) previously introduced companion legislation in the … Continue Reading
April 26, 2024
Point Hudson breakwater opens centennial celebration
PORT TOWNSEND — It was appropriate that Commissioner Carol Hasse wielded the oversized scissors at the ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate the completion of the Port of Port Townsend’s breakwater project at Point Hudson. Standing on the bow of the 72-foot-long Saratoga on Wednesday, the sailmaker snipped the red, white and blue ribbon — remnants of spinnaker sailcloth — hanging between the new south and north breakwaters that protect the 50-slip marina. It had been Hasse’s idea to use … Continue Reading
April 24, 2024
Puyallup Tribe partners with renewable energy storage startup
The Puyallup Tribe continues to expand its economic development portfolio, this time as the lead investor in an energy storage company to support the use of more renewable power. The tribe is joining Portland-based Skip Technology to make large-scale flow batteries that run on hydrogen and bromine. They’ll be ideal for storing intermittent energy sources such as solar and wind power and they don’t require destructive rare earth mining for minerals like lithium or cobalt. Eclusive … Continue Reading
April 22, 2024
Moriwaki goes to Washington
It might not be unusual if you ran into Bainbridge Island City Councilmember Clarence Moriwaki on Capitol Hill — but next time, he hopes to meet with President Biden on BI instead. On April 10, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida addressed Congress and Biden in a special international summit to reaffirm geopolitical ties in the Indo-Pacific. Moriwaki attended the conference as the guest of U.S. Rep. Derek Kilmer, who represents the state’s 6th congressional district. The two lawmakers met … Continue Reading
April 15, 2024
Eliminating blood quantum requirements for US-Canada crossing
Before there was a border dividing North America, there was the Ktunaxa Nation. Relatives from all across the Ktunaxa Nation could visit each other freely, and hunt and gather along their vast homelands to feed their families. Now the nation is divided by a border, with four First Nations in what’s now Canada, and two in what’s now the United States. The last hereditary nasukin, or chief, of the Yaq?it ?a·knuq?i?it First Nation—one of the six making up the Ktunaxa Nation—could cross from … Continue Reading
April 13, 2024
Our nation owes a debt to these heroes of Vietnam. Let's pay it off
"Nothing is so strong as gentleness, nothing so gentle as real strength." I believe these words of St. Francis de Sales are at the heart of the warrior’s spirit. This may sound strange, for surely it’s the strength of overwhelming force that wins wars. But ultimately, it’s a warrior’s gentle love -- fighting selflessly for the brother or sister next to you -- that achieves lasting peace. The U.S. Army helicopter aeromedical evacuation crews, which operated under the radio call sign "Dustoff" … Continue Reading
April 11, 2024
Congress adds 17 waterfront acres in Tacoma to Puyallup Reservation
The Puyallup Tribe has 17 more acres to call home on the Tacoma waterfront. Under legislation passed through Congress on Thursday, land along the Ruston Way waterfront, near the Ram Restaurant and Brewery, and along East Alexander Avenue on the east side of Blair Waterway will be added to the tribe’s reservation. The bill includes a ban on gambling on the land and deeds it to the U.S. Department of the Interior, to be held in trust for the Puyallup tribal government for its governance on … Continue Reading
April 04, 2024
Makah Tribe to receive federal funds to support ocean mapping capabilities
PORT ANGELES — The Makah Indian Tribe will receive $288,482 in federal funding from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to support its ocean data mapping capabilities. U.S. Representative Derek Kilmer, D-Gig Harbor, announced the funding, which is made possible by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. The funding will build on prior ocean data and mapping support work by the tribe, while also focusing on priorities identified by the tribe and the West Coast Ocean Alliance, … Continue Reading
April 03, 2024
Americans are divided on politics. These lawmakers want to do something about it.
WASHINGTON - In Tacoma, Washington, residents came together for an interfaith solidarity event after a series of attacks rocked faith institutions, including an Islamic center targeted by an arson attack and a Buddhist nun being assaulted. Rep. Derek Kilmer, D-Wash., whose district encompasses most of Tacoma, was in attendance at the 2021 event. After the gathering, which he called “powerful,” a faith leader approached him and asked if there was any federal support to hold more community … Continue Reading
March 23, 2024
Despite appearances, Congress is quietly improving functionality
Throughout the current Congress, headlines have painted a picture of an ineffective and unproductive institution. Maybe some of that chiding is deserved. Congressional Republicans and Democrats have struggled to perform basic functions such as funding the government, let alone difficult things like aligning on important policy fronts like immigration reform. What headlines won’t tell you is behind the scenes the House has made tremendous progress in making Congress more transparent to the … Continue Reading
March 20, 2024
Sequim’s Habitat for Humanity project gets $800K in federal funds
Last week, U.S. Rep. Derek Kilmer (WA-06), a member of the House Appropriations Committee, announced $2.6 million in new federal funding to support community projects in Clallam County — including $800,000 for Habitat for Humanity of Clallam County’s Brownfield Road Project. The funding comes along with $2.6 million in new federal funding to support community projects in Clallam County. Also getting federal funds are $1 million for the Port of Port Angeles’s Waterfront Center project, and … Continue Reading
March 20, 2024
A new era for CRS? Lawmakers propose more data, less ‘bicep work’
Few people want to lug around the behemoth print version of the Constitution Annotated, but rules are rules, and every 10 years, the Congressional Research Service is statutorily required to issue a new edition. That is, unless the House Administration Modernization Subcommittee has its way. “CONAN, as this massive tome is known, has been available online since 2019. The digital version is regularly updated and has gotten millions of views since its inception,” said Oklahoma Republican Rep. … Continue Reading
March 19, 2024
Developers expect to start work on long-planned Tacoma project this year
Developers of two separate affordable housing projects say they expect to break ground later this year on what will be the first buildings at Aviva Crossing, a large mixed-use development planned west of the Tacoma Community College campus. The developers will deliver the lion's share of up to about 550 residential units currently planned for the site, located in the James Center North commercial center. The 6.9-acre site is centered on the west side of South Mildred Avenue between South … Continue Reading
March 17, 2024
It literally cut Tacoma in two 60 years ago. Now the city has $1.3M to study fixes
When Interstate 5 was built through Tacoma in the 1960s, it cleaved the city in two. Now, the Biden administration is providing $1.3 million to the city of Tacoma to study ways to improve connections between the city’s eastern and western halves. On Wednesday, U.S. Rep. Derek Kilmer announced the grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Reconnecting Communities Pilot and Neighborhood Access and Equity program. “Infrastructure should be about connecting people to everyday destinations … Continue Reading
March 14, 2024
Congress’s disaster recovery plan needs a constitutional fix
Let’s play some trivia. Do you know how Senate vacancies are filled? Easy. In 37 states, governors temporarily fill vacancies, followed by a special election during the next regular election to select a permanent replacement. In the other 13 states, a special election must be held within a set period to fill the vacancy, with eight states permitting interim gubernatorial appointments. House vacancies? Well, that’s a little more complicated. The Constitution mandates that House … Continue Reading
March 13, 2024
Federal spending bill sends money to police station, dam projects
Federal funding is coming to projects in Grays Harbor County as part of a spending bill passed by Congress over the weekend. As a member of the House Appropriations Committee, U.S. Rep. Derek Kilmer, D-6th District, helped secure a combined $1.8 million for two projects in Grays Harbor, including more than $1.2 million for Elma’s new emergency operations center and police station and $500,000 toward the city of Hoquiam’s dam removal and drinking water supply project. The federal government … Continue Reading
March 09, 2024
POINT OF VIEW: Your neighbors are fighting for a stronger local economy
GROWING UP IN Port Angeles, the hum of mills was more than just a backdrop for daily life — it was a symphony of livelihoods, an indicator of economic strength, and a testament to a resource that was the backbone of our economy. I was a student at PA High when the timber industry took it on the chin, and I saw the impacts. Since then, I’ve spent most of my adult life trying to figure out how to ensure folks don’t get left behind in our economy. I studied economic development policy, worked … Continue Reading