The Really Big One
Dear Friend,
At this point a recent magazine article called “The Really Big One” has probably shown up on your Facebook feed or landed in your inbox. If you read it I hope that, unlike me, you didn’t do so right before turning in for the night.
That’s because of the description it gives of a mega-quake hitting the Northwest. “By the time the shaking has ceased and the tsunami has receded,” the author writes, “the region will be unrecognizable.”
Frankly, it freaked me out. I’m sure you felt the same why. If you haven’t read it yet I encourage you to do so here.
Much of our region 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 our proximity to the ocean also has its threats.
The threat of the Cascadia Subduction Zone triggering an earthquake that could produce a massive tsunami looms large in our lives.
As your representative, I live by a simple motto: Don’t agonize - organize!
While we’ve got more work to do, we are making progress in preparing ourselves - in getting organized - for disasters that may come.
Read on to find out about some of those initiatives and hopefully in the process, breathe a bit easier.
Preparing for Tsunami Threats
To start with, take a look at what's happening with the new Ocosta Elementary School in Grays Harbor County. Not only are the students and teachers going to have brand new facilities, they also will have a tsunami vertical evacuation safe haven. This is the first of its kind anywhere in North America and will be big enough to hold all 700 students and staff in the entire district.
This is the kind of milestone we can reach when our local communities make strategic investments with the help of agencies like the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
On the House Appropriations Committee I’m also fighting to ensure we’re better prepared for these threats. I’m pushing for adequate investments for FEMA’s pre-disaster mitigation fund, a program critical to state and local governments to invest in prevention and protection. Right now the House has set funding for this vital program at just $25 million for the entire country, a more than $175 million cut from the President’s budget. Congress needs to do better.
Our coastal communities remind us of the need to bolster our coastal resiliency efforts – a critical part of public safety. I’m calling on FEMA to focus some of those pre-disaster investments on coastal resiliency projects. I’m also leading an effort with my colleagues to use the United States Geological Survey to look at our early earthquake warning systems and put proper monitoring in place in the Cascadia Subduction Zone.
Of course, we can’t forget the treaty and trust obligations we have to our region’s tribes. That’s why in Ocean Shores I recently joined several tribes currently facing these threats to discuss current relocation plans and what else needs to be done. You can read more about that in the North Coast News.
In my discussion with the folks at that summit, I detailed a bill I recently introduced that ensures that coastal tribes have access to the federal government’s coastal resiliency funds.
Helping Students Succeed
Turning away from storms, these past two weeks we got some great news for the future of higher education in our region.
Grays Harbor College received two U.S. Department of Education grants to boost its TRiO Student Support Service program. Some folks who come to Grays Harbor College are walking through the doors of higher ed for the first time or face other challenges. TRiO is a critical tool to help them thrive and go on to get good jobs.
Over at Tacoma Community College (TCC) the school won a National Science Foundation grant to educate and train cybersecurity professionals. Recent breaches have shown that hackers know how to punch through our cyber defenses. This threat demonstrates how important it is to continue building a cybersecurity system that can protect everything from our personal records to the electrical grid. Tacoma has recognized this and continues to build a thriving cybersecurity hub that can create jobs and play an essential role in beating back attacks.
I was proud to support the grant applications of both colleges, and I’m excited for the important work they will do.
Friend of the Parks
The writer and historian Wallace Stegner once referred to our national parks as “America’s best idea.” In our neck of the woods, we know just how valuable our national parks are - protecting natural treasures, attracting visitors and commerce, and serving as an extraordinary source of recreational opportunity.
In my brief tenure, I’ve gone to bat for our parks, advocating for adequate funding for them and working to ensure that our parks can fulfill their mission.
For that work, I was honored recently when the National Parks Conservation Association awarded me with their Friend of the National Parks Award!
I know that investing in the Olympic National Park and others around the country means investing in jobs, the communities supported by national parks, and their visitors.
I’m looking forward to partnering with the National Parks Conservation Association to protect parks for current and future generations.
Next year, I’ll see if they can use a picture from the Olympic rather than the Everglades!!!
Support and Care
A couple of weeks ago, the White House hosted a conference on aging, focusing on the challenges our nation faces as the baby boom population becomes older. During that conference, I met with a group of caregivers from our region who are working day after day to ensure that seniors can retire with dignity.
Inspired by that visit, I spoke on the House floor to recognize the valuable work done by our nation’s caregivers. They work tirelessly to cook meals, help with therapies, and make sure medication is properly taken. The work of caregivers is so valuable - I want to call on this Congress to actually value them.
My grandmother is 105-years-old. I want the caregivers taking care of her generation and future generations to know that we respect what they do - not just with words but with policies and pay that supports them.
You can watch my speech here.
Ask Derek
Take a look at the next episode of my video series ‘Ask Derek’, where I answer questions from you. This month, I responded to a question I got from Port Angeles on healthcare and another from Fox Island about the Export-Import Bank.
Watch Episode 5 here. And please keep your questions rolling in! Whether you want to learn more about the Highway Trust Fund or my favorite part of the day please send in what you are curious about. You can send in a question by emailing me here.
An Agreement with Iran
I’ll get a head start on the next ‘Ask Derek’ by responding to a subject that’s been getting a lot of news - President Obama’s proposed nuclear agreement with Iran. The deal with Iran is historic, with the power to shape not only the Middle East but the entire world. As a dad of two little girls, I want us to take a path that will make it less likely that Iran ever develops a nuclear weapon and that protects America and its allies abroad.
Earlier this year Congress passed legislation giving both chambers 60 days to review a deal if an agreement was reached. Right now we are at the very beginning of that period and are receiving updates and briefings from officials with the Administration. Over just this past week, I’ve gotten briefings from President Obama, Secretary of State John Kerry, Secretary of Energy Ernest Moniz, Secretary of Treasury Jack Lew, ambassadors from Europe and the Middle East, and a variety of foreign policy experts with a wide array of perspectives on this issue. This is one of the most consequential decisions Congress will make, and I want to approach this thoughtfully and do adequate due diligence.
My hope is that my colleagues take a deep breath, review the details of this accord, and make a fully informed judgement. I’m currently using this time to carefully review the details of the deal to make sure we choose the right path toward a safer and more peaceful world.
Working for You
Finally, I spent another beautiful day in Mason County at Allyn Days! I was happy to lend a hand serving the grilled salmon dinner to attendees. Thanks to Dorothy Ariens for showing me the ropes. It was great to meet and chat with both the community and visitors.
As part of Allyn Days folks get to enjoy the annual Geoduck Festival. And because I’m a team player (and brave), I even chose to try the famous (infamous?) geoduck sorbet.
I also took the long drive out to LaPush where I got to join in the Opening Ceremony of Quileute Days. We had a terrific turnout on an absolutely beautiful day and got to celebrate the culture of the Quileute Tribe.
Finally, last week I had a great visit with the Bainbridge Island Rotary. They are doing amazing work to strengthen the community.
Do you have a service club you'd like me to visit? Click on this link to let me know.
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.
Sincerely,
