Passing A Bill To Help Our Oceans
Hello friends,
Late last week, the nation paused for the 75th Anniversary of D-Day - when more than 160,000 Allied troops landed along a 50-mile stretch of the French coast to fight for freedom during World War II. Thousands of Allied forces put their lives on the line, and many were killed and wounded, but D-Day would mark the beginning of the end for the Nazis. It is important that we continue to remember and honor the sacrifice and bravery of all those who fought for the future - in that battle and throughout the war.
And speaking of D-Day, I was saddened to learn that Bill Colglazier, a WWII veteran who participated in D-Day, passed away in recent weeks at age 95. Bill attended the same church that I do in Gig Harbor and was always there with a smile and a hug. My condolences to his family.
These last couple weeks, I’ve been hard at work in Congress fighting for important priorities for our neck of the woods. Read on to learn what I’ve been up to.
Passing a Bill to Protect Our Oceans
Last week, nearly 400 Members the House (!) voted to pass the bipartisan bill I authored to combat ocean acidification. As some of you might know, June is National Ocean Month - a time when we recognize the importance of the ocean to the economy, the environment, and in our region - our entire way of life! So I was excited to see the House take action - and pass four bipartisan bills, including my Ocean Acidification Innovation Act, in an effort to protect our oceans.
There’s growing evidence which suggests that acidic ocean conditions harm the ability of many marine organisms to generate shells, which has serious consequences for other organisms like salmon, herring, and other fish. Ocean acidification is a rising threat to coastal communities throughout our region - and folks see it every day in the fishing and shellfish industries where generations of our friends and neighbors work.
If we don’t take action to maintain a healthy Pacific Ocean, the livelihoods of those who rely on it are endangered. So, this bill is really about jobs.
My bipartisan bill would allow federal agencies to use existing funds to conduct prize competitions to increase the ability to research, monitor, and manage ocean acidification and its impacts. The legislation was created in collaboration with innovative stakeholders, like the XPRIZE Foundation, a non-profit organization that creates public competitions designed to encourage increased investment in solutions to major societal problems.
Research suggests that prize competitions often exponentially increase the amount of research focused on solving a problem. For example, the Ansari XPRIZE to create a new space industry yielded over $100 million in research as twenty-six teams competed for a $10 million prize.
Federal agencies have increasingly viewed prize competitions as a means of maximizing the return on taxpayer dollars - so it’s exciting to see this bill move forward with broad bipartisan support in the House. I’m hopeful the Senate will act soon to pass this bill.
There’s plenty more to do to address ocean acidification and to combat climate change. But these bills are a great step forward. Learn more about the Ocean Acidification Innovation Act and the three other bills that passed the House this week to protect our oceans.
Protecting Dreamers
Last week, I was proud to vote in favor of the American Dream and Promise Act of 2019, a bill that passed the House with bipartisan support to give U.S.-raised immigrant youth, known as “Dreamers”, as well as Temporary Protected Status (TPS) and Deferred Enforced Departure (DED) beneficiaries, the ability to earn lawful permanent residence and American citizenship.
Over the years, I have met young Dreamers from our community who are Americans in every way except on paper. I remember one young woman in Tacoma who told me that she came to the United States as a two-year-old through no choice of her own and no fault of her own. She grew up here, went to school here and pledged allegiance to our flag. She said, “I don’t know anyone anywhere else. If my government were to deport me, I don’t know where I’d go. This is the only home I’ve ever known.”
She’s not alone. Dreamers and TPS holders are valuable members of our community and contributors to the U.S. economy. They are our fellow neighbors, students, and friends, and they strengthen our communities as teachers, first responders, and members of our military. These folks deserve a pathway towards citizenship - and a life free of fear.
It’s past time to act to change the course for young people who have lived in the United States for years and who deserve real protections under the law and a path forward towards legal citizenship. I’m proud that the House took the first step last week with this bipartisan bill. I hope the Senate quickly follows suit.
Upholding Our Obligations to Indian Country
Over the past few decades, the federal government has systematically failed to meet its trust and treaty obligations to Native American tribes. In December of last year, the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights released a comprehensive report to examine and bring attention to the continuing federal funding shortfalls in its obligations to education, health, public safety, housing, rural development, and economic opportunity in Native American communities.
As someone who represents 11 federally recognized tribes, I haven’t taken this report and its recommendations lightly. Last week, I held a congressional panel discussion with the co-chairs of the Congressional Native American Caucus, Commissioners from the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, Native American Leaders including Fawn Sharp, the President of the Quinault Indian Nation, and federal agency leaders, to talk about how we can work together to ensure that the federal government makes meaningful strides towards addressing the shortcomings outlined in the report.
It was a productive discussion - but just the beginning of the conversation. I’m hopeful that events like these will get the ball rolling in Congress to start living up to its obligations to Indian country. There’s clearly a lot of work to do, but I am encouraged by the collaboration shown by all the folks on the panel. I’m eager to get to work.
Working For You
As always, my favorite part of this job is meeting with all of YOU. Here are some of the highlights from the past couple weeks!
Celebrating With The Community
Gig Harbor shows up!! There was an extraordinary turnout at this year’s Maritime Gig Parade. I had a blast riding with Tess (who without a doubt, has a better parade wave than me). Thanks to the Chamber of Commerce and all the volunteers who helped make it such a great event!
Congratulating Our Students
It was an honor to celebrate the seniors graduating from West Sound Tech this year! And thank you to the families, teachers, and faculty who have invested in the education and future of these fantastic students. Congratulations on this awesome achievement!
Meeting Our Local Small Business Owners
I had a great discussion with the team at Mosquito Fleet Winery about their growing business and creating more jobs in our region. Thank you to Scott and Jacey for taking the time to speak with me - and congratulations on your #1 Cabernet in the Northwest!
Giving Our Communities The Tools To Succeed
It was a pleasure to join the Tacoma Ministerial Alliance for a robust discussion on shared priorities for moving our country forward, including increased investment in small businesses, lowering the cost of health care, and providing more opportunity for folks to develop net worth and economic mobility.
Honoring Our Commitments to Seniors
Great to have lunch with the wonderful seniors at Channel Point Village in Hoquiam last week! They chatted with me about prescription drug prices, social security, and cost of living adjustments - and stuffed me full of chowder and pie!
That’s all for this week, folks! And remember, if you ever need a hand don’t be afraid to holler. It is an honor to represent you.
Derek