In The News
Southworth Commuters Get Their First Taste Of Fast Ferry Life
by Christian Vosler
SOUTHWORTH - Passenger-only fast ferry service from Southworth to Seattle began bright and early Monday morning. Kitsap Transit's newest fast ferry, the 255-passenger M/V Enetai, left on its inaugural sailing at 5:10 a.m. carrying 15 passengers. It's the final planned route between Kitsap County and Seattle. The Enetai is scheduled to make four roundtrips from Southworth in the morning and five roundtrips from Seattle in the evening. The vessel will be capped at 60 riders per sailing under t… Continue Reading
03.27.21
Kilmer Leads Bipartisan Letter Urging Biden Administration To Address Chronic Federal Funding Shortfalls To Native Americans
On March 25, U.S. Representative Derek Kilmer (WA-06) led a bipartisan letter signed by over 20 lawmakers to President Joe Biden to urge his Administration to address the chronic federal shortfalls in funding identified by the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights (Commission) in its 2018 report, Broken Promises: Continuing Federal Funding Shortfall for Native Americans ("Broken Promises Report"). "The Broken Promises Report highlights the Federal Government's pervasive, continuous, and unconscionabl… Continue Reading
03.26.21
U.S. Rep. Derek Kilmer Leads Bipartisan Letter Urging Biden Administration To Address Chronic Federal Funding Shortfalls To Native Americans
Office of U.S. Representative Derek Kilmer (WA-06) Yesterday, U.S. Representative Derek Kilmer (WA-06) led a bipartisan letter signed by over 20 lawmakers to President Joe Biden to urge his Administration to address the chronic federal shortfalls in funding identified by the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights (Commission) in its 2018 report, Broken Promises: Continuing Federal Funding Shortfall for Native Americans ("Broken Promises Report"). "The Broken Promises Report highlights the Federal Gov… Continue Reading
03.22.21
Kilmer Votes To Support Comprehensive Immigration Reform Measures
On Thursday, U.S. Representative Derek Kilmer (WA-06) voted to support two bills that aim to modernize America's immigration system: The Dream and Promise Act (H.R. 6) which offers a path to lawful permanent resident status for those with Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), also known as Dreamers, along with Temporary Protected Status (TPS) and Deferred Enforced Departure (DED) recipients, and The Farm Workforce Modernization Act (H.R. 1603), a bipartisan bill which aims to create a w… Continue Reading
03.17.21
Kilmer Talks About American Rescue Plan, Washington’s COVID-19 Vaccination Effort, During Telephone Town Hall
Congressman Derek Kilmer will hold a telephone town hall to provide an update on the federal government's response to the COVID-19 pandemic early next week. Kilmer, a Democrat who represents's Washington's 6th District in the U.S. House of Representatives, will discuss the American Rescue Plan during the event. The telephone town hall is planned for 5:10 p.m. (PST) Tuesday, March 23. The American Rescue Plan is the emergency legislative package passed by Congress and signed into law by Presid… Continue Reading
03.15.21
Kilmer Urges SBA Relief For Live Performance And Art Venues
by Bob Smith
U.S. Rep. Derek Kilmer of the 6th Congressional District is urging U.S. Small Business Administrator Tami Perriello to implement the small business relief authorized in December to help live performance and art venues that have found it hard to make ends meet during the COVID-19 pandemic. In the letter, Kilmer, D-Gig Harbor, and fellow Washington 10th District congresswoman Marilyn Strickland, D-Tacoma, emphasized the importance of the SBA providing guidance and application instructions so that… Continue Reading
03.14.21
Kilmer, Strickland, Cartwright Urge Biden Administration To Invest In Infrastructure For Defense Communities
On Thursday, U.S. Representatives Derek Kilmer (WA-06), Marilyn Strickland (WA-10), and Matt Cartwright (PA-08), sent a letter to President Joe Biden to encourage his Administration to support increased funding in his Fiscal Year (FY) 2022 budget for the Defense Community Infrastructure Program (DCIP). The program is designed to address deficiencies in community infrastructure that supports a military installation, to enhance the military family quality of life, resilience, or military value - i… Continue Reading
03.14.21
Leaders Merge On Gorst Traffic Fix: 'We Can't Afford To Wait Any Longer'
by Josh Farley
BREMERTON - You've heard this one before: there's an effort to solve traffic gridlock in Gorst. But this time, vows a widening coalition of area politicians and leaders, they mean it. It's a megaproject by Kitsap County standards that will cost around a half-billion dollars. That heavy lift is bringing together local mayors, county and port commissioners, state and federal lawmakers, and business leaders to amplify their voices in the push for funding. "We're hoping by doing this, we're c… Continue Reading
03.12.21
Connect to Congress: Rep. Derek Kilmer
by Ryan Yamamoto
SEATTLE -- In this edition of KOMO News' Connect to Congress feature, we chat with Democrat Rep. Derek Kilmer, who represents Washington's 6th Congressional District. Some of the questions we posted to Rep. Kilmer include: * How will the passage of the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan help Americans and particularly those who live in Washington? * Not a single Republican voted for the bill. What's your response to GOP criticism that the bill is too expensive and over bloated? * What is you… Continue Reading
03.10.21
Congressman Kilmer Votes For American Rescue Plan
U.S. Representative Derek Kilmer of Washington's 6th District joined 219 other Democrats Wednesday to vote to approve the American Rescue Plan, the $1.9 trillion COVID-19 pandemic recovery plan. The final vote was 220-211, with no Republicans voting in favor of the coronavirus recovery plan. One member of the Democratic Party, Rep. Jared Golden of Maine, also cast a vote in opposition. "Over the last year, I've spoken with folks across our region who have lost their jobs, lost their small bus… Continue Reading
03.09.21
EDITORIAL: In Our View: Bill Ensures Public Lands Available For Future
In an executive order issued one week after he took office, President Joe Biden set a goal of having the United States legislatively protect 30 percent of its public lands and oceans by 2030. While the decree might be overly ambitious, it is far preferable to the previous administration's view that public lands should be profit-making engines for extraction companies. By definition, public lands are owned by all Americans; protecting them now can ensure that they remain pristine for future gene… Continue Reading
03.06.21
Kilmer Campaign Finance and Election Reform Bills Pass House
On March 3, Representative Derek Kilmer (WA-06) voted in favor of H.R. 1, the For the People Act, a sweeping reform bill aimed at strengthening the voice of the American people in their democracy by making it easier to vote, ending the dominance of big money in the political process, and updating ethics rules to ensure public officials work for the public interest. This comprehensive reform package, which passed the House 220-210, included two bipartisan bills led by Rep. Kilmer, The Honest Ads … Continue Reading
03.03.21
House of Representatives Passes Sweeping Public Lands Bill
by Lindsey Botts
Last week, on February 26, the House of Representatives passed a sweeping public lands package that, if signed into law, would designate almost 1.5 million acres of public land as wilderness, add 1,200 miles of rivers to the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System, and withdraw over 1 million acres from new mining claims. In addition, the bills expand national monuments and national recreation areas, create a new "historic landscape," and fund the construction of new hiking trails on public lands… Continue Reading
03.01.21
Kilmer’s Wild Olympics Bill Passes House
Today, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Wild Olympics Wilderness and Wild and Scenic Rivers Act (H.R. 999). The bill, which was introduced by Representative Derek Kilmer (WA-06) and passed the House with bipartisan support as part of a package of bills called the Protecting America's Wilderness and Public Lands Act, would permanently protect more than 126,000 acres of public land as Wilderness and 19 rivers and their major tributaries as Wild and Scenic Rivers. U.S. Senator Patty Mur… Continue Reading
03.01.21
Kilmer Introduces Bipartisan, Bicameral Legislation To Help Workers Access Skills Training
On Thursday, U.S. Representatives Derek Kilmer (WA-06) and Glenn "GT" Thompson (PA-15) reintroduced two bills to help workers access skills training. The Skills Investment Act would expand Coverdell Education Savings Accounts (ESAs)-tax advantaged savings accounts for educational expenses-so American workers can use the accounts to pay for skills training, apprenticeships, and professional development. The Skills Renewal Act would create a flexible skills training credit up to $4,000 per per… Continue Reading
03.01.21
Kilmer Votes to Provide Relief to Washingtonians
Saturday, U.S. Representative Derek Kilmer (WA-06) voted to support the American Rescue Plan - an emergency legislative package to fund vaccinations, provide immediate and direct relief to families bearing the weight of the COVID-19 crisis, and support affected communities. "Over the last year, I've spoken with folks across our region who have lost their jobs, lost their small businesses, and lost loved ones due to the COVID-19 pandemic. I've heard a lot of pain. People in our region need he… Continue Reading
02.25.21
Kilmer, Fitzpatrick Introduce Bipartisan Bill To Fix America’s Election Watchdog
On Feb. 24, 2021, U.S. Representatives Derek Kilmer (WA-06) and Brian Fitzpatrick (PA-01) introduced the bipartisan Restoring Integrity to America's Elections Act to reform the Federal Elections Commission (FEC) and enable it to more effectively carry out its mission to oversee and enforce campaign finance laws. The FEC has increasingly become deadlocked on critically important decisions because of the even partisan divide of its six commissioners. In 2016, nearly 40% of regular enforcement cas… Continue Reading
02.22.21
Kilmer: Bill key to infrastructure
by Diane Urbani de la Paz
Much of the focus, U.S. Rep. Derek Kilmer said, "has been on trying to stop the bleeding." Referring to Congress' efforts to respond to the pandemic, Kilmer, whose 6th District includes Clallam and Jefferson counties, spoke Thursday evening to the Intergovernmental Collaborative Group. He was the guest on a Zoom meeting with the ICG, which includes representatives of the Port Townsend City Council, Board of Jefferson County Commissioners, the Jefferson County Public Utilities District and the … Continue Reading
02.19.21
Legislation To Bolster Puget Sound Restoration Introduced
Thursday, U.S. Representatives Derek Kilmer (WA-06) and Marilyn Strickland (WA-10), the Co-Chairs of the Puget Sound Recovery Caucus, introduced the Promoting United Government Efforts to Save Our Sound (PUGET SOS) Act of 2021. The PUGET SOS Act would enhance the federal government's role and investment in the Puget Sound, the nation's largest estuary by volume and the heart of Washington state's identity and economic engine. The PUGET SOS Act helps build a stronger partner in the federal gover… Continue Reading
02.12.21
Jayapal, Delbene Among More Than Two Dozen In Congress Asking For National Ban On Preferential Access To COVID-19 Vaccine
by Evan Bush
More than two dozen members of the U.S. House of Representatives called on the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to issue a nationwide ban that would prevent health care providers from offering special access to COVID-19 vaccines. In a letter Thursday to HHS acting secretary Norris Cochran, the members of Congress asked for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to add an "explicit ban on preferential access" to the agreement that vaccine providers must sign with … Continue Reading