Flurries - of Snow... and Activity!
Hello friends,
I hope everyone stayed safe during Washington’s snow-pocalypse. I was back in DC working, so I missed the “snow days” (and the accompanying sledding, snowman building and difficult driving conditions). My daughters Sophie and Tess reported that our neighborhood looked more like the Hoth ice planet than Gig Harbor... which I thought was pretty cool.
Meanwhile, we saw a flurry of activity back in DC. I often joke that I’m reticent to give an update on what’s happening in Congress within an hour of eating... Sometimes there’s so much going on that folks may indeed need a Dramamine just to avoid motion sickness.
Here’s an update on the last couple of weeks:
Averting Another Shutdown
Last Thursday, the House passed a bill to keep the government open and avert another disastrous government shutdown. Simply keeping the lights on is a pretty low bar for success, but given the persistent failure of folks in DC to do just that, it’s worth pointing out that this is good news.
If this bill had been passed months ago (as it should’ve been), a lot of damage could’ve been avoided. In our region, we saw the negative impacts of the last government shutdown. The failure to pay federal workers, the impact on local businesses, the pain felt by those serving in our Coast Guard - all of that was damaging and unnecessary.
I’m against shutting down the government, so the passage of this bill is good news for folks in our neck of the woods. Members of our Coast Guard and federal employees could not afford another government shutdown, and I’m glad the ridiculous three-week limbo period has come to an end. Federal employees and the men and women keeping us safe should never have to worry about whether their next paycheck will come through.
While the final agreement wasn’t what either party would have written on its own, it represented the best possible deal to responsibly fund our government and secure our border. Rather than putting billions of dollars into constructing a border wall, the bill follows the guidance of homeland security experts by making targeted investments in proven security methods, including sensor and screening technologies. In addition, the bill makes important investments in some of our region’s priorities including environmental protection, economic development programs, and transportation infrastructure. With that in mind, I joined a large bipartisan majority in supporting this bill.
A National Emergency?
Unfortunately, not all the news from the last week was good. As you likely know, the President has declared a national emergency in the hopes of funding a southern border wall.
I want to be clear: this is a bad idea.
While Congress and the President can and should work together to fix problems in America’s immigration system, declaring a national emergency to fund the border wall is not only a bad policy decision - it’s legally questionable. Republican Senator Lamar Alexander said it well when he called this move “unnecessary, unwise, and inconsistent with the U.S. Constitution.”
So, why is that the take here?
Well, first, there’s no real precedent for a President simply deciding to fund whatever he wants to fund without Congressional approval. Our constitution lays out a separation of powers in which Congress has the power of the purse. The President can work with the House and the Senate to seek funding for his priorities, but a president can’t simply fund things unilaterally. As my Republican colleague Greg Walden said, “Congress has granted the executive branch certain spending authorities. I strongly object to any president acting outside of those explicit authorities to spend money that Congress has not appropriated for specific initiatives.”
What’s more, while there is a need to pass common-sense immigration reform, it’s worth recognizing that illegal immigration has actually been on the decline in recent years. In fact, the President’s own remarks call into question whether there is a pressing “emergency” demanding that the administration take such unilateral action. During his announcement, President Trump admitted, “I could do the wall over a longer period of time. I didn’t need to do this.”
And finally, the President is proposing to pull funding from other critical priorities - raiding funding of military construction projects intended to strengthen the readiness and security of our troops as well as funds targeted at drug interdiction. $5.7 billion is not chump change.
I’m all for border security and immigration reform, but done in a smart way. In fact, I’ve sponsored bipartisan legislation in that regard. If you’re curious to hear more, I’ve outlined my position on border security and immigration reform at length in a past newsletter.
So - what comes next? Well, we’ve already seen several states announce their intentions to challenge the President’s actions in court. In addition, I imagine that you may soon see Congress take up something known as a “resolution of disapproval” to object to the Administration’s move.
Improving Access to Healthcare
No matter where you live, everyone should be able to see a health care professional. That’s why I recently re-introduced the ACO Assignment Improvement Act of 2019. This bipartisan legislation will help create more options to increase patient access to quality health care and lower costs in underserved areas. The bill recognizes the vital role that nurse practitioners and physician assistants play in our health care system.
Our rural communities deserve quality and affordable access to health care, and this legislation is a great step forward in this regard.
Maintaining Our Public Lands
I’ve also introduced a few bills aimed at keeping our public lands accessible for future generations. Representative Mike Simpson and I introduced the Land Act, bipartisan legislation that would permanently reauthorize the Land and Water Conservation Fund and address the Department of the Interior’s maintenance backlog.
I also introduced the Restore Our Parks and Public Lands Act, bipartisan legislation that will provide dedicated funding to much-needed repairs at the Olympic National Park and throughout our National Park system. This bill will allow our National Parks and public lands to continue to provide amazing visitor experiences and serve as economic drivers for our rural communities.
Lastly, I am a cosponsor of the Landslide Preparedness Act. What happened a few years ago in Oso was a tragedy that no community should ever have to experience. This legislation provides investments to identify risks and protect key infrastructure, giving our communities the time and resources they need to save lives and prevent a future disaster.
Strengthening Our Democracy
For those of you interested in campaign finance reform, you probably know that the Federal Election Commission (FEC) is meant to be the referee on the field, blowing the whistle on politicians and groups that cheat and undermine the interests of the public. Unfortunately, in recent years, the FEC is increasingly deadlocked on decisions. In other words, our ref has left the field.
That’s why Representative Brian Fitzpatrick and I introduced the Restoring Integrity to America’s Election Act to decrease gridlock at the FEC and enable the Commission to more effectively enforce campaign finance laws.
It’s been a busy last couple of weeks, but as always, my favorite part of the job is meeting with all of YOU.
Here are a few highlights:
Working For You
Promoting Tribal Rights
I was honored to be joined at the State of the Union address by Leonard Forsman, Chair of the Suquamish Tribe and champion of tribal communities across our region. There is so much more Congress should do to honor our nation’s obligations to Indian Country. We’ll keep at it!
Building Local Governance
I had a great meeting with Grays Harbor County Commissioner Vicki Raines. I’m looking forward to help create more economic opportunities for more people in more places throughout Grays Harbor County.
Celebrating Black History Month
It was an honor to join education leaders Nate Gibbs-Bowling, Andrea Cobb-Mosely, and Steve Smith at the Tacoma-Pierce County Black Collective. I was inspired and motivated by the vital conversation about strengthening our education system.
That’s all for this week, folks... Remember you’re the boss - if you ever need something, don’t be afraid to holler. I’m honored to represent you.
Derek