December 27, 2021

A Year in Review

Hello Folks –

I hope this finds you safe and enjoying a wonderful holiday season with loved ones. Over the holiday weekend, I got to spend some quality time with my kiddos, got to re-watch It’s a Wonderful Life (and Die Hard), got to eat far too many Christmas cookies (and way too much pie), and even got some great gifts (including a new Star Wars t-shirt... Santa really knows me!).

This morning, I shoveled my driveway and I can report firsthand – It’s cold out there! So, make sure to check on family, friends, and neighbors who may need an extra hand in these tough conditions.

Recent news has focused on the surge in the Omicron variant of COVID-19. As Washington Health Secretary Dr. Umair Shah noted last week: it’s up to all of us to take the critical measures necessary to keep ourselves, and our neighbors and friends, safe from the virus. There’s a lot we can do:

It’s also important for folks to take care of their mental health as well as their physical health this holiday season. These times can be stressful – but it’s important to know you are not alone, and resources for you and your family members are out there – including right here from the Washington State Department of Health.

With the year about to come to an end, I’ve been taking some time to reflect on an eventful 2021 and what’s ahead in the new year – so let’s dig into it!

Working For You – And Delivering Results

As your representative, I work to be accountable, accessible, and responsive to each and every one of you. That’s why this past year, my team and I have been working harder than ever to be there for you, to get back to you, to advocate for you when you grapple with federal agencies, and to hear your concerns, thoughts and ideas first-hand.

Everyone on Team Kilmer is committed to helping folks in our region every way we can. I value opportunities to hear from you directly and to make sure you are treated fairly by our government. Whether you need help getting a passport or are grappling with a federal agency and having trouble getting the answer you need - please shoot us a note. And if you want to share your stance on an issue – or to hear mine – reach out. I want to hear from you! I’m committed to getting back to you, to helping you, and to making progress for our region.

Rebuilding Our Economy & Passing Legislation That Matters

Let’s face it: it’s been another tough year. But over the last 12 months, we’ve made some real progress on a number of issues that matter to our region.

It’s worth remembering that just one year ago, the headlines were rather dire. As 2020 came to a close, there were articles about food banks facing record demand and about the American people facing record housing instability. Far too many of our local employers were still on their heels. Most of our kids were still in virtual school. And we had not seen the widespread rollout of vaccines.

That’s why early in 2021, Congress passed the American Rescue Plan – a critical emergency legislative package to help folks get vaccinated, enable kids to get back to school safely, support our local businesses, and provide immediate and direct relief to folks to help them keep a roof over their heads, feed their families, and pay their bills.

The American Rescue Plan provided a huge boost for our economy – and as a result, nearly 6 million jobs have been created, 200 million Americans are vaccinated, and unemployment claims are the lowest since 1969. Americans also have more money in their pockets than a year ago – with retail sales up by $90 billon and the US experiencing the fastest economic growth in 40 years.

The American Rescue Plan helped deliver:

Approximately $180 million in Child Tax Credit tax cuts in Washington’s Sixth District alone – helping over 72,000 families make ends meet – while lifting thousands of kids out of poverty.
Over $67 million in Restaurant Grants in Washington’s Sixth District to provide critical support to local, independent restaurants and the workers they employ.
Over $302 million in Shuttered Venue Grants for small businesses in Washington to help ensure that these vital assets in our communities (venues for live music, theater, cinema, the arts, and more) could persevere - and continue to employ people long into the future.
Over $1.8 billion to help K-12 schools in Washington reopen safely, stay open safely, and get students back on track.
Nearly $214 million for Community Health Centers to help vaccinate folks across our state – saving lives and keeping people healthy.

There’s plenty more to do to help those in need, but the American Rescue Plan was a big deal!

Later in the year, Congress passed, and the President signed into law, the bipartisan infrastructure bill - the largest long-term investment in America’s infrastructure and competitiveness in nearly a century. This new bipartisan infrastructure law is about jobs – putting to people to work right now and laying the foundation for economic growth over the long haul!

There are folks in our region who are tired of sitting in traffic. There are people who don’t have the internet access they need to have a telehealth appointment or take an online class. There are families that don’t have access to clean water. This bill is about fixing those problems.

Though you might not see it on cable news or on A1 of newspapers every day, Congress has been making progress on a number of other issues – passing critical legislation to strengthen our democracy, rebuild our economy, ensure people can live with dignity, and create jobs!

In 2021 the House passed legislation:

Cleaning up corruption in DC and strengthening our democracy so that no president can be above the law
Strengthening the nation’s defenses against the growing wave of anti-Asian hate crimes occurring across the country
Protecting access to the ballot box and the right to vote
Advancing commonsense gun violence prevention measures, such as universal background checks
Providing a pathway to citizenship for Dreamers
Ensuring access to reproductive health care for all American women, no matter where they live
Ensuring equal pay for equal work for America’s hard-working women
Ensuring the LGBTQ+ community attains true equality in all aspects of American life, including employment and housing
Empowering workers so they can organize unions and bargain with their employers, in order to help rebuild the middle class
Improving services for the survivors and victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault and stalking
Expanding the rights of working women by establishing the right to reasonable accommodations in the workplace for pregnant workers
Restoring the ability of the FTC to get victimized consumers their money back from scammers and other lawbreakers

While many of these bills haven’t yet passed the Senate, I’m hopeful that 2022 will be a year of progress on each of these fronts!

Pushing for Progress in 2022 to Ensure America Builds Back Better

There’s a lot more on the docket for the year ahead – including working to pass legislation that I’m authoring to:

Invest in protecting and restoring Puget Sound – so we can ensure future generations can make their lives and their livelihoods on the Sound.
Ensure our veterans get the care and benefits they have earned and deserve.
Make health care more affordable and accessible – including for seniors, rural communities, underserved populations, and Indigenous communities.
Protect the wildest and most pristine places on the Olympic Peninsula, while ensuring we can keep and grow jobs in local natural resource industries.
Give teachers more resources to teach science, technology, engineering, and math – so we can better prepare our students for the 21^st century economy, ensure more qualified employees for local employers, and build more economic resiliency for our communities.
Provide better financial aid assistance for people entering the teaching profession.
Enhance economic development opportunities for communities that have faced persistent economic distress.
Help workers access skills training – giving them more resources to enroll in apprenticeships, college classes, or retraining programs, so they can learn new skills, land new jobs, and earn a good living.
Honor America’s trust and treaty responsibilities to Native American communities – and provide our coastal tribal communities with direct access to much needed resources to enhance their coastal resiliency and keep their people out of harm’s way.

As you can see, I’m working on a lot for 2022, and those are just a few of the bills that I’m championing!

I’m also working to get Congress to pass a final version of the Build Back Better Act. I know that a lot of Americans are hurting and are struggling to pay their bills right now. That’s why we have a plan – the Build Back Better Act – to address rising costs and to lower taxes for families.

I’ve heard from so many parents – particularly working moms – who have felt sidelined in our economy because they couldn’t secure affordable, accessible child care. The Build Back Better Act will help with that. I’ve heard from so many people struggling to pay for health care, prescription drugs, and elder care. The Build Back Better Act will reduce costs for those needs. This bill will help families access affordable housing and better afford college. That’s a game-changer. And it will provide tax relief for families in our region who have been feeling the pinch for far too long. These are all priorities that will make a difference for folks in our neck of the woods.

The Build Back Better Act is also about creating jobs. This bill provides new help to small businesses and will support innovation and job creation related to combating the climate crisis. And, with the inclusion of a pilot project for the bipartisan RECOMPETE Act that I introduced, it will help create jobs in areas that have been struggling, so people can have economic opportunity regardless of what zip code they live in. The bill is paid for – not deficit financed – by asking the wealthiest Americans and large corporations to pay more. Those making less than $400k won’t pay a penny more in taxes.

Stay tuned in the new year for updates on this legislation!

Working for You

Supporting Our Communities

Exciting things afoot at Seabrook! New small businesses! New homes! New jobs in Grays Harbor! Thanks to their team for the terrific tour - and for the important investments being made in our region.

Having the Backs of Local Employers

Small businesses are the backbone of our economy! Over the last couple of weeks, I got to visit with McKinley Paper and with the Black Ball Ferry Line in Port Angeles, Gilchrist Auto Center and Sound Credit Union in Tacoma, Honda of Grays Harbor, and the Silverdale and Bremerton Chambers of Commerce. The Chambers have been terrific partners in the effort to get information and resources out so we can keep and grow jobs. This holiday season - let’s all continue to shop local!!

Supporting Our Servicemembers and Military Families

Had a terrific visit with Captain Richard Massie, the new(ish) commanding officer of Naval Base Kitsap. We chatted about the importance of fixing the bottleneck at Gorst, the need for additional childcare access in our region, and upcoming investments at the base.

As I close out this final newsletter of 2021, let me wish each of you a safe, healthy, and prosperous New Year. As I think about my resolutions for 2022, there are a few things that come to mind. In 2022, I want to average at least 16,000 steps per day. I want to fit into my gray trousers again. I want to learn how to make pizza from scratch.

But my most important resolution is to represent you well. I’m honored to continue working for you.

I resolve to do all I can to help our country heal – from the pandemic, from economic disruption, and from divisiveness. I resolve to do all I can to create more economic opportunity for more people in more places – so that no matter where live, you have a chance to earn a good living. And I resolve to do all I can to make government work better for you.

OK – that’s it for now folks. As always, I’m honored to represent you.

Sincerely,

Derek

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