6th District Art at the U.S. Capitol
For the record, I am not an artist. But I love art. In fact, I love the fact that ? every morning before I open my refrigerator ? I get to look at a Tess Kilmer original.
Over the years, my kiddos have shown their creativity in paintings, drawings, and even funky-looking apples made with tiny pieces of tissue paper. But their work makes our home a lot more fun.
That’s true in our communities too. Think about the amazing cultural assets we have throughout our region. The theaters, museums, galleries, and other venues make our communities a better place to live. And I can tell you as a guy who spent a decade working in economic development professionally, the arts and cultural assets promote vitality.
And here’s some good news for you. We have an amazing array of up-and-coming artists in our region. Some of their art was on display at our Congressional Art Competition where more than 60 high school students submitted art. As always, it was hard to choose from all the incredible artwork that was submitted. But a decision had to be made and I’d like to congratulate our first place winner, Natalie Mienko. I look forward to seeing Natalie’s painting hanging in the Capitol!
A special thank you to the Collective Visions Gallery in Bremerton for hosting our reception with the artists! And kudos to all of the artists for their outstanding work.
Now on to the rest of the news.
Protecting Our Businesses and You from Cyber Threats
As more and more of our purchases move online, you want to know your personal data is safe ? no matter if you are buying groceries or picking up a new pair of shoes. Our entrepreneurs and business owners want to make sure they can keep your records safe too. This is particularly true for small businesses, the backbone of our economy.
Small businesses are key to the growth of jobs and opportunities. Unfortunately, they are often threatened by cyberattacks. In fact, a recent study estimated that three out of every five attacks target small businesses.
To help local businesses tackle this problem, last week I introduced a bipartisan bill. The proposal seeks to give small businesses key tools so they can develop a comprehensive plan for tackling cyber threats and better protecting their bottom lines.
Among other things, the bill would allow Small Business Development Centers to work with small business owners to develop plans and increase their cyber security defenses. These strategies would be informed by work being done at the Department of Homeland Security and the Small Business Administration.
As Duane Fladland, Director of the Washington State Small Business Development Center said,
“In Washington state, Small Business Development Centers’ close ties to Washington State University and other institutions of higher education and economic development offers a footprint with extraordinary connections and credibility in the small business community. This is an initiative that’s time has come, and we are excited to play a part in it.”
Another Great Forest Collaborative Meeting
Longtime readers will know how much effort we’ve put into standing up and officially launching an Olympic Peninsula Forest Collaborative. It’s been great to see all sides come to the table to figure out how we can restore our forests, promote harvest levels, and support our local communities. But we can’t have a truly sustainable collaborative without the input of our communities.
That’s why we are having a series of public meetings so that folks can engage in the process. Next up is our collaborative meeting in Aberdeen on May 9th. Last year, when we brought Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack to Grays Harbor to learn more about our efforts, he walked away liking what he saw. Vilsack even said, “I think this is an example of what needs to be done more of in this country.”
That’s a pretty great endorsement of the good work that’s being done by all of the folks participating. With that in mind, I hope you can come join us at the Rotary Log Pavilion in Aberdeen on May 9th at 11:00 a.m. for a conversation on how we keep this momentum going.
Celebrating our Planet
It was fitting that Park Appreciation Day in Gig Harbor was held the day after Earth Day. My kiddos and I had a lot of fun doing cleanup at Sehmel Homestead Park (Sophie may have a future in removing blackberry bushes). In addition to getting some work done, it was great to see some familiar faces!
Earth Day gives us a chance to celebrate all the natural treasures that make our planet unique. It’s also a reminder that we’ve got a lot of work to do to protect it for future generations. We are seeing first-hand the impacts of climate change. Just look at the wildfires burning longer each year, the shellfish growers who are struggling with changing ocean chemistry, and communities who have to contend with rising seas and coastal erosion.
It’s why I joined my colleagues in sending a letter of support to the President for his efforts to move the Paris climate change agreement forward. I’m proud that the treaty was signed so we can make progress against climate change and ? in the process ? create opportunities for new economic growth.
Keeping our Water Clean
As a dad, I’m conscious of the fact that our kids are only as safe as the water they drink. In recent months, many of us have thought about that as we saw the multitude of families harmed by the lead-contaminated water supply in Flint, Michigan. This preventable crisis showed we need to do more to monitor and care for critical infrastructure that is central to our everyday lives.
Unfortunately, we got a reminder of this in our neck of the woods when reports surfaced that high levels of lead were discovered at elementary schools in Tacoma and that pipes connecting Tacoma homes to the main water line had elevated levels of lead. Whether you are at home or sending your kids off to school, we want to make sure they will be safe. While this is nothing like the widespread contamination seen in Flint, it is important that Tacoma Water is offering free tests of the water of any homeowner who has concerns. For the latest up-to-date information you can check out their website here.
But a problem like this does reinforce that Congress must do more to fix our country’s aging infrastructure to prevent another Flint crisis. Too many pipes are old and out of date. It’s time to make the repairs to keep our water flowing free and clean. As a member of the Appropriations Committee I’m committed to fighting for the right investments so we can solve these problems before they become larger.
Talking to You
Since my last newsletter I also had a chance to hold another telephone town hall. I took some time to give folks an update on what I am working on and then we took some terrific questions on everything from how we can protect people from ransomware attacks to getting money out of our politics. Thanks to everyone who participated!
Working for You
I was honored to join the Bremerton School District for the Teach to Lead Leadership Lab. As the son of two school teachers (not to mention as a dad), it's important to me that we continue to make investments in professional development and quality education.
We had an amazing turnout for one of my favorite events of the year: the YWCA of Kitsap County's Women of Achievement Awards. Congratulations to the award and scholarship recipients. Thank you to the YWCA for honoring our community's leaders and for working 365 days a year to promote safety, justice, and dignity for all.
Recently, I also joined the Seafarers International Union in Tacoma to give a brief update on what's happening back in DC. We had a great discussion on the Jones Act, Maritime Security Program, and other issues impacting working families. Thanks to Joe Vincenzo and the Seafarers for all the do for our workers and our community.
That’s it for now.
If I can ever lend a hand to you or someone you know, please give me office a holler.
As always, it’s an honor to represent you.
Sincerely,
Derek Kilmer