In The News
Our national parks need updates; Congress can help
by Tom Wathen
Ready for your national park summer vacation? Here's a helpful gear list: tent, hiking boots, fly rod, tool belt, backhoe… Wait - what? OK, you don't need to bring your own backhoe. But it couldn't hurt. In many of the more than 400 sites in the National Park System, potholed roads, out-of-service restrooms, shuttered historic homes, closed trails, broken HVAC systems, and electrical fire hazards are degrading the visitor experience - in large part because of shortfalls in congressional… Continue Reading
06.25.17
Liberty and justice for Tacomans jeapordized
by Rep. Derek Kilmer
For a disabled veteran on the Olympic Peninsula, living in a double-wide mobile home in a quiet community close to the ocean was all he needed. He spent 12 years enjoying the scenery and his neighbors, until one day when a notice came in the mail. His landlord claimed that in two months, it was time to go. The landlord said that when the man vacated, he'd have to leave behind the title of his mobile home. The veteran turned to an organization that many Washingtonians go to when legal assistanc… Continue Reading
06.24.17
Kilmer measure to boost job training for rural and tribal communities passes House
U.S. Congressman Derek Kilmer successfully introduced a measure in the House of Representatives on Friday that could boost job training programs for rural communities and members of federally recognized Indian tribes. "The biggest thing on the minds of folks I represent is jobs," said Kilmer on the House floor. "Today's bill will help people looking for work acquire skills to get a bigger paycheck and a better career. With our bipartisan amendment we can make sure that shot at opportunity is ex… Continue Reading
06.23.17
Congress Members Ask for Government Help Combating Columbia River Mussels
On Wednesday, a bipartisan group of congressional representatives from around the Pacific Northwest sent a letter to the secretary of the interior asking for assistance in preventing the spread of the invasive zebra mussel into the Columbia River system. The letter notes that the zebra mussel could cost the region around $500 million per year while compromising the river's ecosystem, fisheries and hydropower infrastructure. The letter calls on Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke to make a gene… Continue Reading
06.23.17
First on Pro: OPM Responds on Cyber
by Tim Starks
The Office of Personnel Management has responded to a letter from the New Democrat Coalition about training and hiring cyber personnel, a spokesperson for the centrist group told MC Thursday night. However, the June 14 response from OPM was "more of an acknowledgement of the first letter than it was a proposal to address the actual concerns at play," the spokesperson said. The reply to Reps. Kathleen Rice, Derek Kilmer and Josh Gottheimer - two of whom pressed OPM for a response earlier this mon… Continue Reading
06.23.17
'Millions of lives at stake' if California can't save earthquake alert system from Trump's cuts, GOP lawmaker warns
by Rong-Gong Lin II and Priya Krishnakumar
In this hyper-partisan era, there may be one issue that unites California Democrats and Republicans: Earthquakes. Elected officials from both parties have supported an earthquake early warning system for the West Coast that, after years of work, was scheduled to begin its first limited public operation next year. But President Trump's budget proposal calls for cuts that experts say would kill the warning network. The next few months will determine whether officials on both sides of the aisle … Continue Reading
06.22.17
June Conservation with Derek Kilmer
Steve Evans, KPTZ News Director, spoke with Derek Kilmer on Thursday, June 22 about the recent shooting on the Congressional Baseball field, the President's proposed budget, cuts on environmental and health programs, and citizen reaction on the attempts to revoke and replace the Affordable Care Act.… Continue Reading
06.22.17
Closed door health care draft leaves constituents unheard: Rep. Kilmer
Rep. Derek Kilmer (D-Wash.) and Rep. Mark Amodei (R-Nev.) weigh in on differences between the House of Representatives version of the health care bill compared to the Senate's.… Continue Reading
06.21.17
Premera will offer individual health plans in GH
Premera Blue Cross has said it will offer individual health insurance to people living in Grays Harbor County in 2018. Just last week, none of the 11 carriers operating in Washington were willing to offer coverage to county residents who weren't part of a group coverage plan. "Following repeated discussions, I am pleased that Premera Blue Cross has decided to offer two individual health plans to consumers in Grays Harbor County in 2018. This is welcome news for that community," Washington state… Continue Reading
06.21.17
After special election losses, Democrats seek winning message
by Stephen Loiaconi
WASHINGTON (Sinclair Broadcast Group) - For the fourth time since failing to retain control of the White House in November, Democrats came up short in a special election Tuesday night, missing yet another chance to flip a House seat previously held by a Republican who joined President Trump's Cabinet. Republican Karen Handel defeated Jon Ossoff in Georgia's sixth district, a disappointing finish for Democrats who poured millions into what became the most expensive congressional race in history.… Continue Reading
06.21.17
Rep. Derek Kilmer on the budget, national parks
by KOMO Staff
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- U.S. Rep. Derek Kilmer, D-Wash., expressed concern on Wednesday on how the federal budget might hurt his district. He noted that proposals would eliminate programs that could help to create jobs places like Port Townsend and Port Angeles. Students in Tacoma would have less help with their debts. And he said other programs important to the Northwest, such an an early earthquake warning system, could also be lost. Kilmer also noted that he has helped to sponsor a bill to tak… Continue Reading
06.21.17
Breaking ground on new Salish Coast Elementary
by Kirk Boxleitner
Students and school staff were joined by local and state dignitaries in celebrating the groundbreaking for a new $28 million Salish Coast Elementary June 16, in the open field behind Grant Street Elementary. The students themselves took center stage for several portions of the presentation, with fourth-graders Zen Cook and Alex Lott serving as dual masters of ceremonies, before Jack Cole, Kai Ryan and Noah Isenberg read poems that other students had written in honor of the new school. … Continue Reading
06.21.17
Kilmer: Down the congressional rabbit hole
by Ross Anderson
Twenty-four years ago, in a political galaxy far away, a fair-haired college student from Port Angeles went to work as a congressional intern on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. The year was 1993, and Bill Clinton and the Democrats appeared to be in complete control of the federal government. Derek Kilmer, age 19, spent a couple of months answering phones and sorting mail in a Democratic congressional office. A year later came Newt Gingrich and the Republican Contract with Ameri… Continue Reading
06.20.17
Herrera Beutler, Kilmer Reintroduce Bill to Fight Ocean Acidification
Washington state Reps. Jaime Herrera Beutler and Derek Kilmer have reintroduced bipartisan legislation in Congress that aims to fight ocean acidification. House Resolution 2882, entitled the Ocean Acidification Innovation Act, would allow federal agencies to use existing funds to design prize competitions to increase the ability to manage, monitor and research ocean acidification and its impacts, according to a press release. The legislation is budget-neutral and was created in collaboration w… Continue Reading
06.20.17
Herrera, Kilmer team up on ocean acidification issue
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Two U.S. representatives from Washington state, Derek Kilmer and Jaime Herrera Beutler, have reintroduced bipartisan legislation to help fight ocean acidification. The bill, entitled the Ocean Acidification Innovation Act (H.R. 2882), would allow federal agencies to use existing funds to design prize competitions in order to bolster efforts to manage, research, and monitor ocean acidification and its impacts. According to a press release, the "budget-neutral" legislation was … Continue Reading
06.20.17
Busy spring for GSI's International Trade program
It has been a busy spring for our international trade work here at GSI. In March we had our annual World Trade Day at the Spokane Convention Center which brought successful small and medium size exporters from across the country to Spokane to present on best practices and lessons learned in exporting. As part of our Regional D.C. Fly-In, our delegation attended an international trade reception at the New Zealand Embassy. During the reception, our delegation heard from New Zealand Ambassador Tim … Continue Reading
06.17.17
How your U.S. lawmaker voted
WASHINGTON - Here's how area members of Congress voted on major issues in the week ending June 16. House Eligibility for health-care tax credits: The House on June 13 passed, 238-184, a bill that would require persons applying for premium tax credits under the Affordable Care Act to submit a Social Security number to verify they have citizenship or legal status. This would replace a two-step ACA verification process that has a grace period. Directed mainly at immigrants, the bill also wo… Continue Reading
06.16.17
Parks: Endangered species need their shelter
by Daniel J. Sherman
Re: "Spend more on national park upkeep," (TNT editorial, 6/1). I commend U.S. Reps. Derek Kilmer and Dave Reichert for their bipartisan collaboration on the National Park Service Legacy Act. Such an effort would seem to fit with the Trump Administration's promised commitment to infrastructure improvements. The News Tribune Editorial Board did well to point out both the backlog of deferred maintenance projects and the economic and recreational benefits that stem from the millions of visitors t… Continue Reading
06.16.17
Trump's EPA cuts run into Democratic and Republican foes
by John Ryan
President Donald Trump's proposal to slash funding for the Environmental Protection Agency faced a tough crowd Thursday. EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt had come to Congress to sell the budget. But both Democrats and Republicans at a House Appropriations subcommittee hearing said they would not approve the proposed 31 percent cut. Democrat Derek Kilmer of Gig Harbor told Pruitt it was "indefensible." "I'm all for partnership with the states, and I agree with fact there isn't one size fits… Continue Reading
06.16.17
Herrera Beutler and Derek Kilmer introduce ocean acidification bill
by Jackson Hogan
Southwest Washington Congresswoman Jaime Herrera Beutler has started a bipartisan effort to protect the region's shellfish industry from the effects of climate change. The Camas Republican has co-introduced a bill with U.S. Rep. Derek Kilmer, a Tacoma-area Democrat who represents coastal areas, to encourage companies and individuals to develop ways to research and monitor ocean acidification. Acidification is a result of increasing carbon dioxide emissions from burning fossil fuels. Wh… Continue Reading