A plate of turkey, with a side of service
Dear Friend,
I hope by the time you're reading this you’ve recovered from the food coma that seems to strike following Thanksgiving. I was thankful to spend some quality time with my family (not to mention some quality time with delicious turkey, stuffing, and corn casserole).
If you follow me on Facebook or are a regular newsletter subscriber, you might have read about my efforts show support for those in need this season. That’s why last Monday I kicked off a ‘Week of Thanks’ where I got the chance to join service organizations across our region that are doing great work. Working at local food banks, soup kitchens, and homeless shelters was a real reminder of the extraordinary need that still exists in our region and of the vital work being done by so many outstanding people. This season, it's worth acknowledging that, at the heart of our gratitude, there should also be a call to responsibility and generosity.
Take a look at a couple of highlights from the time I spent volunteering with folks:
At our first stop, Fishline Food Bank & Emergency Services in Poulsbo, spending time sorting donations and stocking shelves.
Getting ready to serve bread and soup to patrons with Amy and Doug at the Boiler Room.
Taking part in the Gig Harbor Basket Brigade, where I joined a few hundred volunteers to assemble and deliver over 1,300 Thanksgiving baskets across the southern Puget Sound.
Sophie, Tess, and I joined a bunch of volunteers to help load food for those in need.
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Serving Thanksgiving lunch at the Rescue Mission in Tacoma.
Enhancing Security and Remaining True to Our Values
On Thanksgiving I also thought about all the innocent victims who suffered in the wake of the senseless attacks in Paris. The tragedy confirmed that ISIL represents a clear and direct threat. Whether it’s committing genocide against religious minorities, murdering civilians, or destabilizing the Middle East, it’s clear that ISIL wants to harm the United States and our allies.
To remain vigilant we need to focus on ISIL and its networks – protecting our homeland while dismantling and destroying their forces abroad. The destruction and terror in the Middle East has caused the displacement of millions. Women and children have been forced to flee to Europe or to live in refugee camps where they can apply to be resettled into the United States or another country.
The process for evaluating and processing refugees seeking shelter is rigorous and thorough. Each successful applicant spends roughly 18-24 months being vetted by federal law enforcement, military, and intelligence agencies. The careful vetting includes biometric and biographic checks, interviews by specially trained Department of Homeland Security Officers, and enhanced screening measures for Syrian refugees. Since the attacks on 9/11, we have accepted more than 750,000 refugees from places like Iraq and Afghanistan, and not a single one of them has committed an act of terrorism in the United States.
To date, more than 4 million refugees have fled Syria. Of the 23,000 who have been referred to the US for resettlement, only 2,000 have been approved for relocation to our shores. The vast majority are women, children, and seniors. Only 2 percent are military-aged men with no family.
The House recently took a vote on a bill that was brought to the floor dealing with the refugees fleeing ISIL’s violence. The supporters of the bill we voted on called it a pause, but the reality is that it would make it even harder for desperate women and children to find safety. What’s worse, it would divert law enforcement and intelligence assets away from those who pose the greatest threat to our security, and instead require investigations of people we know pose no risk. That concern was echoed by the Homeland Security Secretary and the FBI Director as well as the former Adjutant General of the Washington State National Guard. In my view, Congress should focus on actions that actually make us safer. This bill failed to do that, and I opposed it.
Now, I do think there are some things Congress ought to do to enhance the safety of our nation. For example, the individuals responsible for the attacks in Paris were European Union passport holders. In my view, Congress ought to review and adjust the visa waiver program to ensure that people who went to Iraq or Syria to fight alongside ISIL aren’t able to make their way into the United States.
Let me just end by mentioning one final point regarding the issue of refugees. There have been moments in our history where we have let fear stand in the way of what makes our nation great. Whether it was denying entry to Jews fleeing Nazism in Europe, or the internment of Japanese Americans, those moments are correctly judged as shameful exceptions to our values.
While the attacks in Paris are terrible and it’s absolutely critical to keep all Americans safe and secure, it is also important in times like these to remember our values and to continue to serve as a beacon of freedom for the world.
Welcoming an Honored Guest
In other news, I was honored to join local labor leaders in Kitsap County to welcome Labor Secretary Tom Perez to our region. Secretary Perez and his team came to take a closer look at a key federal construction project at Naval Base Kitsap.
Secretary Perez has been a champion for workers since taking over the Labor Department. It’s why I’ve been urging him and the President to take a closer look at how we can increase the number of Project Labor Agreements (or PLAs, for short) across the country.
PLAs, which are also known as community workforce agreements, have proven to be an effective tool to keep federal projects on budget and on schedule. We know the job will be high quality too, because they set up a contract between project managers and local labor unions that bring skilled workers on board.
In this way, PLAs are a win for workers who see more opportunities to receive a good wage. They’re a win for taxpayers because projects are completed on time and on budget. And they’re a win for the local community because job opportunities are made available to local residents.
Secretary Perez saw how this type of agreement has brought hundreds of local construction workers from across the Kitsap and Olympic Peninsulas onto the job building the second explosives handling wharf at Naval Base Kitsap-Bangor.
Despite the great success of PLAs, the federal government has been a bit slow to the party and haven’t used these agreements widely. I’d like to see that change. That’s why in August I sent a bipartisan letter to the White House urging the administration to renew its efforts to increase the usage of PLAs. And why I invited Secretary Perez to see up close why they are important.
Stay tuned as I continue to work to increase the use of this vital workforce tool.
Filming Kilmer on Your Screen
In the last two weeks I also got a chance to visit the KBTC Studio in Tacoma to sit down for an episode of Northwest Now. It was a great chatting with the host, Tom Layson, and my colleague Representative Dave Reichert about the issues that Congress has been working on recently.
We talked about some of the big issues facing our country and the importance of working together – Democrats and Republicans – to create opportunities and jobs for folks in Washington state.
If you missed it on TV, you can watch the show online right here.
Celebrating Native American Heritage Month
This month is Native American Heritage Month, a time to celebrate the history and culture of Native American tribes - while reminding us that we should build on a foundation of cooperation as partners in a journey to secure a bright future for tribes in the Pacific Northwest and across the nation.
It’s something I talked about in a video I shared with folks. Check it out below.
Answering Your Questions
Some of you have had the chance to watch some of my “Ask Derek” videos, where I open up my mail and answer a question or two from you. In my most recent video, I answered a question from a citizen of Port Orchard about the Export-Import Bank and one from a constituent in Suquamish about the budget deal. You can watch it here:
Working for You
I was honored to join the Kitsap Suicide Prevention Coalition for the annual Youth Suicide Prevention Poster Contest. Congratulations to the winners of the contest and for reminding us all to ask, listen, and act to help prevent suicide.
It was great to spend a day in Mason County. I visited with the leadership of the Skokomish Tribe and then had lunch with the North Mason Chamber of Commerce. I was able to present a new flag to the Theler Center.
Last week, I had a full day in Jefferson County. We visited a community forest along with the Jefferson Land Trust, spent the lunch hour with the Port Townsend Rotary (and saw a terrific presentation about the “Race to Alaska”), spent a couple of hours volunteering at the Boiler Room, and then ended the day at the Co-Lab, a site for entrepreneurs and innovators to work. There are a lot of good things happening in Jefferson County!
If you have a business or organization you’d like me to come and visit, please let me know. And, as always, don’t hesitate to holler if I can ever lend a hand.
It’s an honor to represent you.
Sincerely,
Derek Kilmer