A Win for Everyone
As the Representative for our region I get a lot of good questions. Sometimes people want to know about how we can get veterans the care they need. Or they want to ask a question about the budget dysfunction in DC. But since my daughter’s birthday some folks want to know??who was that copy of Star Wars: The Force Awakens really for?
Well, I can assure you that this was, in fact, my present to Sophie for her 10th birthday (but that doesn’t mean I can’t watch it with her).
My next Star Wars viewing had to wait though as I have a lot of good news to report about the last two weeks! I’ll start with a great development for workers and their families.
A Win for Everyone
If you live near Naval Base Kitsap, Joint Base Lewis-McChord, or other military installations around Washington state, you’ve probably noticed construction ? and lots of it. Building facilities that are used to repair ships or store munitions is not easy. These are all large and complex projects that can take years to finish.
But local trades workers often mention that they haven’t gotten the chance to lend their skills to these projects. Instead we see out-of-state license plates. In my mind, skilled workers who live and work near a federal construction project should be on the job.
Luckily, we have a tool to make that happen called Project Labor Agreements (PLAs). A PLA enables a contract to be negotiated on the front end between project managers and building trades to strengthen labor-management relations and protect the interests of workers and local communities. The agreement establishes quality worksite conditions and seeks to make sure that construction is finished on time and under budget. When executed properly, PLAs are flexible and encourage participation from a wide variety of prime and subcontractors who wish to bid on federal projects.
We’ve seen an enormously successful example of the use of a PLA in our neck of the woods at Naval Base Kitsap. So I’ve been fighting hard to encourage the federal government to better utilize this important tool.
It started with a bipartisan call on the White House to increase the number of PLAs. After that, we brought Labor Secretary Tom Perez to our region to see the Explosives Handling Wharf project firsthand, and asked the White House to convene a meeting with labor leaders and procurement officials from a variety of federal agencies to increase the use of PLAs.
The White House listened, and last Monday I brought Lee Newgent, Executive Director of the Washington State Building and Construction Trades Council, to the White House to meet with Labor Secretary Perez, members of Congress, national labor leaders, and other officials to talk about increasing the use of PLAs.
After the meeting Newgent and I wrote an op-ed for the Stand about why this is important and how what’s happened in Kitsap can be a model for the rest of the country. Secretary Perez also shared his thoughts on the White House’s blog. I look forward to partnering with the Administration for the rest of President Obama’s time in office to see this effort through.
Opening up Your Government
Whether you are headed to a construction site or an office, you may likely take a look at your smartphone before you leave for work. That way you know if you should grab the rain jacket from out of the closet or bring out the short sleeves again. But you might not know that the weather data powering that app comes from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Agency (NOAA).
In the 21st century we want to make sure that the United States remains the center of groundbreaking discoveries and data is increasingly a key to make that happen.
It’s something I talked about with my colleagues, Senator Brian Schatz and Representative Blake Farenthold, at the Data Innovation Center last week. In the coming days we are going to introduce a bipartisan, bicameral bill to harness the power of public government data and make it more open to all of you.
I look forward to making progress on our legislation so open data can empower the government to be more effective, the private sector to innovate, and citizens to participate. Stay tuned for updates!
Warning for the West Coast
More open data could help us in the fight against climate change and ocean acidification. If we want healthy waters in Washington state for future generations it is becoming increasingly clear we need to do something about these twin threats.
This was reinforced by the findings from researchers at public universities on the West Coast. This group created the West Coast Ocean Acidification and Hypoxia Science Panel and recently released a report. They reached some stark conclusions such as the West Coast shellfish industry is seeing more shellfish die before they can ever form their shells.
For a quick refresher on why this is happening, it boils down to the acidity (pH) in water. As the pH in the Pacific Ocean lowers, the level of acidity rises. Acidic water makes it harder to sustain nutrients that help organisms up and down the food chain grow. This creates situations like what happened last summer when a giant toxic algal bloom took root in our waters and stayed there for months.
The consensus is that changes to ocean chemistry could have lasting consequences in our waters and require immediate attention. That’s why I’ll keep pushing Congress to listen to the researchers that study acidification and come together in a bipartisan way to tackle the problem. As you may remember, I’ve introduced bipartisan legislation to elevate this issue at the federal level, and I’m continuing to pursue researching funding in the appropriations process in hopes that we can make some progress.
An Online Ransom
We’ve also heard increasing stories of ransomware attacks. Hackers are taking data from hospitals, city governments, small businesses, and others and asking for money before the personal information is returned. Just last year the FBI received 2,453 complaints about these attacks that cost victims more than $24 million. It’s not right that hackers are using this tactic to hold our data hostage and I think we should do more about it.
So I wrote a letter to the Department of Homeland Security urging federal agencies to work together and develop guidelines and assistance to help anyone in the wake of a ransomware attack. We need to develop measures that can more effectively prevent these attacks along with helping any individuals after an attack takes place. I look forward to making progress on this issue so we can keep your private records private.
You can read my letter here.
Goodbye to a Great Public Servant and Friend
I know that many of you join me in mourning the loss of former Bremerton City Council member Carol Arends.
Carol Arends was a true public servant. As a member of the City Council and as a citizen, she cared about Bremerton and was always committed to doing all she could to make it a better place to live and work. During good times and during her battle with illness, she was always there with a smile, a quip, and a desire to keep at it. She was one of the first local leaders to meet with me more than a decade ago when I started serving this area, and she was a treasured friend and partner since. I will miss her very much.
My thoughts and prayers are with her son Jack and the rest of her family and friends.
Working for You
I always enjoy visiting students to chat about what I do in our nation's capital. I was thrilled to join Daniel Hall's American Government class at Tacoma Community College. From election reform to economic development to marriage equality this group was willing to engage. Thanks for the opportunity!
Before ending one of my recent days I stopped by the VFW Narrows Bridge Post in Tacoma to talk about some of the work I'm doing to improve the way our nation serves those who have served us. Thanks for having me!
Our region is fortunate to have great small businesses like Bay Hay and Feed on Bainbridge Island. Bay Hay and Feed is a local icon, a great employer, and a strong community partner. Thanks to Howard and Els for having me and showing me around.
And one more thanks to the Kitsap County Association of Realtors for taking the time to chat about the economy, housing market, and policies to help people buy homes. I’m grateful for your partnership!
Please don’t hesitate to reach out if I can be of assistance to you or someone you know. As always, it’s an honor to represent you.
Sincerely,
Derek Kilmer