Holiday deadlines
Friends,
As you read this, Congress is trying to avert another shutdown. Congressional approval ratings have hit the single digits before, seeming to signal that only close friends and family members gave a thumbs up. If Congress can’t get its act together before the holidays, I imagine ratings like that could go even lower.
The dysfunctional way in which Congress approaches budgeting gives you a strong sense of how Congress earns such a low approval.
Need proof? At the end of September, because Congress couldn’t agree on a long-term spending (or “appropriations”) bill, it kicked the can to December 11th, using a mechanism known as a “continuing resolution” that keeps funding at last year’s levels. Then last Friday, once again, rather than passing a real appropriations bill, Congress passed another short-term measure – this time funding the government for an additional five days (until 11:59pm on December 16).
On one hand, these short-term bills have enabled us to avoid having another damaging government shutdown. But on the other hand, as the saying goes, this is no way to run a railroad.
These short fixes have been used all too often the past couple of years and leave our government in a state of ‘suspended animation’ as one news article labeled it.
Here are a few reasons why that’s important. It throws contracts with vendors in limbo and diminishes purchasing power. As a consequence millions of taxpayer dollars are wasted. These resolutions mean agencies can’t start new projects, which has delayed initiatives as varied as a cybersecurity dashboard to monitor threats in real time to the launch of weather satellites.
It’s hard to explain the inexplicable. But I remain motivated to change the way business as usual is done in Washington D.C. I’m hopeful that by the 16th, Congress can pass a bipartisan, long-term appropriations bill, averting a government shutdown and providing more predictability for public agencies and for the private sector as well. As a member of the Appropriations Committee, I’ll keep working hard toward that end.
We’ve still got a lot of work to do to keep our economy moving. And we can’t do it when Congress is focused on partisanship rather than progress.
Listen, I’m a genetically hopeful person. And the fact is, recently Congress has shown that it can still accomplish good things when it sets aside the partisan games and focuses on the things that matter. I’m hopeful we can see more of that in the New Year. Read on for the details!
Doing Right by Our Students
Two and a half centuries ago, Benjamin Franklin wrote, “An investment in knowledge pays the greatest interest". That remains true today. A good education remains the surest ticket to the American Dream. That means that every student deserves the opportunity for a top-notch education.
For too many years, our state was punished by federal education policies that were overly-prescriptive and punitive. The No Child Left Behind Act was inflexible and cost our schools money.
Thankfully, since I last wrote, Congress came together to send the President a bill that undoes the harm No Child Left Behind caused.
The new law, The Every Student Succeeds Act, will better support our school districts and teachers as they work to help students make progress. This new law maintains a focus on high standards, closing the achievement gap, and enhancing accountability, but it moves away from the one-size-fits-all approach that made the prior law so problematic.
Importantly, the new law also contains a provision that does right by students in the Central Kitsap School District. Let me give a little background.
Impact Aid helps more than 1,300 school districts in our country make up for lost revenue due to the impact of federal activity and federal lands that reduce the available tax base. These resources are critical in regions like Central Kitsap that serve a number of military-connected students.
But students in our region were left out when the school district was denied the proper Impact Aid payments that it should have received. I took this up with the Administration and I joined Senator Patty Murray in fighting to correct the error in education bills. Now, with the passage of this law, we finally have the chance to restore these funds to provide programs and activities that help our kids succeed and make sure families in the Central Kitsap School District are treated fairly.
You can read more about the back story in the Kitsap Sun.
Another Bill to the President’s Desk
In our region we’ve seen failing bridges, crowded highways and ferries, and a lack of transit options that cost commuters – and our economy.
For too long Congress tried to address our long-term transportation needs with duct tape and chicken wire, approving more than 30 short-term transportation funding bills that failed to provide the predictability (let alone the funding) necessary to put a dent in our problem. But now the President has signed a bill that will fund important investments in our nation’s infrastructure for the next five years.
It means we’ll see important transportation investments move forward in our neck of the woods and throughout this country. And it gives more certainty to local governments, contractors and workers who need to know whether funding will be available.
But wait – there’s more!
As part of that bill the President also reauthorized the Export-Import bank for four more years. The importance of keeping the lights on at the bank has been something I’ve shared with you over the past year. The Export-Import Bank has been a vital tool to help American companies sell American products made by American workers to other parts of the world. Unfortunately, it has been treated as a political hot potato and, if Congress had allowed it to go away it would have been the equivalent of unilateral disarmament in a global economic competition.
But after we kept pushing, we finally succeeded in including language in the transportation bill to keep the Export-Import Bank open. That’s important, since it will now be able to continue to help America create jobs on our shores.
Now we can get back in the business of helping ship American-made goods around the world and supporting the growth of our local businesses!
The Peninsula’s Future
The education bill and the highway bill are examples of progress we’ve made in recent weeks in D.C. We’ve also made some progress in our neck of the woods too.
I’ve always believed, and often said, that being good stewards of our environment doesn’t have to conflict with more economic opportunity and good jobs for our region.
That’s why earlier this month I joined the first public meeting of the Olympic Peninsula Forest Collaborative in Forks to talk about shared interests, and identify where solutions could be found on the local and federal level.
The Olympic Peninsula Forest Collaborative brought together folks from the timber industry, conservation community, forest experts, and local communities who volunteered their time over many meetings and phone calls (along with forest tours) to figure out a smarter approach to managing our forests.
We’ve still got a lot of work ahead of us but we’re taking steps in the right direction toward responsibly increasing harvest levels and improving forest health. It was great to see so many people come out in Forks to hear about the collaborative’s work and to share their ideas.
It’s important for the sustained success of this initiative that we hear from you. That’s why we’ll be holding a series of meetings on the Peninsula about this in 2016. Stay tuned for more details!
Closer to Home
Too many veterans, especially in communities on the Peninsula, are struggling to access quality care that’s close to home. It’s why I’ve continued to push the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to expand the Veterans Choice Program as a way to cut wait times and provide flexibility for veterans living in rural areas that need to see a doctor.
The VA recently announced rule changes that will increase the number of veterans who are eligible for it. That’s progress for folks who have a hard time taking the time out of their day to drive to Seattle or American Lake to get the care that they need.
Instead of being stuck in traffic or waiting on a backed up bridge, more veterans will have more flexibility to get an appointment where they actually live. That’s good news.
As I’ve written before, if you or someone you know is grappling with the VA, please don’t hesitate to contact my office. We’ll do all we can to help!
Coastal Resiliency Summit
Finally, I was looking forward to attending a forum in Westport last Friday dedicated to coastal resiliency issues. Unfortunately, the budget dysfunction kept me in Washington D.C.
Thankfully, the coastal resiliency summit moved forward without me and, by most accounts, was a great success. Let me talk about why this is important.
Our region, particularly on the coast, is defined by its relationship to the Pacific Ocean and its identity as a coastal area. The ocean provides economic and recreational opportunities. It provides beautiful scenic vistas. But we also know there are threats.
From the flooding that Aberdeen and Hoquiam have experienced recently, to the very real threat of coastal erosion that Ocean Shores is grappling with right now. We’ve recognized the need for smarter planning and stronger community partnerships.
This is why the forum brought together local elected officials, education stakeholders, and emergency responders to talk about increasing resiliency along our coastline and better preparing our communities for severe weather.
I’ve got my oar in the water too. Last Friday I introduced a bipartisan bill with Representatives Dave Reichert and Dan Newhouse that would help homeowners and business owners who have lost everything after a severe storm or other natural disaster has hit. The legislation would lift barriers many small communities face in accessing FEMA’s Individual Assistance Program.
This essential tool provides housing and unemployment assistance, counseling, and other personal support to help folks recover from disasters. But the way eligibility for help is currently evaluated has left many rural communities on the outside looking in. We’re working to change that.
Read more about the forum in the Daily World here.
Working for You
In addition to the big debates on policy issues in Congress, I’ve been busy with plenty of other things as well.
While in D.C., I joined volunteers from the Red Cross to write holiday cards for service members, veterans, and their families. It was important to take time out to say thanks to those who sacrifice so much for our nation.
I also got a visit from the Bellarmine High School Varsity Girls Basketball Team that was in town for a tournament. While their visit reminded me how cramped my office can get, I was really impressed with their terrific questions and interest in the future of our country!
While back home in Gig Harbor, I got to spend a little time with my kiddos to take in some of the great events. Despite the weather, there was still a terrific turnout at the Gig Harbor tree lighting!
Sophie, Tess, and I also had fun at Gig Harbor Tidefest. Some amazing art (and good gift buying)!
That’s it for this week. As always, it’s an honor to serve as your representative. Please don’t hesitate to holler if I can lend a hand to you or someone you know.
Thanks for reading,
Derek Kilmer