Things Are Heating Up In DC
Hello friends,
I love our neck of the woods this time of year. The Kilmer girls are done with school. Western Washington is starting to see the sun again. We get to take in some summer movies (Toy Story 4 was terrific!). And we’re just a few weeks away from the start of county fair season (or, as I like to call it, “The Derek Kilmer Summer Tour of Fried Food”... followed soon thereafter by “The Derek Kilmer Autumn of Dieting”).
Admittedly, it’s a little less pleasant in DC these days. This week, our nation’s capital is supposed to average 90 degrees each day and over 70% humidity. Turns out, the Capitol really was built on a swamp!
Having said that, things are heating up in more ways than one. Specifically, the House may sweat a bit this month as it works to pass spending bills to fund the government and avert another disastrous government shutdown. As a member of the Appropriations Committee, I’m playing an active role in that process. Read on for the details!
Making Progress On Important Priorities For Our Region
Last week, Congress passed its first package of four spending bills, crafted over the last few months in Committee. This package funds the U.S. Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, Defense, State, and Energy. I am proud to support the bill, which makes progress on important priorities for our region. As many of you know, my priority is JOBS. I want to make sure that, no matter what zip code you live in, you have the opportunity to earn a good living. I’m proud that this bill makes progress in that regard, and I was psyched to fight for some specific provisions that can have a big impact in our neck of the woods:
Supporting Shipyard Workers And Service Members
Puget Sound Naval Shipyard is not only important for our national security - it’s the largest employer in our region. With that in mind, I successfully fought to increase funding available for facility improvements and upgrades at the shipyard.
I also championed a $30 million increase for the Office of Economic Adjustment, which helps communities near defense installations - like those around Naval Base Kitsap - plan for and implement future infrastructure projects that improve the quality of life for folks living in the surrounding areas.
Additionally, I was pleased that the spending bill included a 3.1 percent pay increase for members of the armed forces. If you serve our country, we should have your back!
Reducing Jet Noise
As many of you know, over the past several years, I’ve worked to push the Department of Defense to fund efforts to reduce the noise of the Navy’s Growler aircrafts.
This year, I was able to include a provision requiring the Navy to measure jet noise generated by Growler activities, make those measurements available to the public, and work with affected communities to mitigate potential impacts of these activities.
I also worked to secure an additional $2 million investment to continue the Navy’s work to develop technologies that can reduce jet noise.
I’ll keep working to ensure that the Navy remains a good neighbor to residents of the Olympic Peninsula and surrounding communities.
Ensuring Access To Quality, Affordable Health Care
This appropriations bill contains several provisions that continue efforts to protect access to affordable and high-quality health care for Washingtonians. The bill includes additional funds to combat opioid addiction, provide mental health care, and research Alzheimer’s and cancer.
Importantly, the bill includes language that I authored to support jobs at our local hospitals and ensure that they can provide quality care.
Chief among them is a provision I authored that aims to halt a new policy from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) known as “site neutral reimbursement” which would cost Olympic Medical Center (OMC) $47 million over ten years (I also introduced a bill on this which you may have read about). The provision directs CMS to reconsider the rule and take into account the negative effects to hospitals, like OMC, that are designated as a Sole Community Hospital or are located in a Health Professional Shortage Area. So really, this effort is about protecting jobs and access to quality, affordable care.
I also championed an effort to secure an update on the best practices and strategies to help attract health care practitioners to rural clinics and hospitals in areas with health care professional shortages, like the Olympic Peninsula.
Expanding Apprenticeships And Growing Computer Science Opportunities In Schools
Providing access to education and training is one of the key ways in which we can grow our economy. There are some amazing things happening in high schools around our region. Many high schools are offering pre-apprenticeship programs that can lead to jobs, post-secondary credits, and industry-recognized credentials. For example, the new Healthcare Careers Academy at Tacoma’s Stadium High School is an amazing new partnership between our K-12 schools and local employers. These efforts are really important to ensuring that young people can get a good job - even if they don’t go on to a four-year college.
Earlier this year, I sponsored a bipartisan bill to provide federal support for these efforts. And in the appropriations bill, I championed an effort to ensure the U.S. Department of Education gets a better picture of the career-and-technical education programs and pre-apprenticeship programs that are working. The federal government should help identify programs that work - and empower local schools to replicate them.
We know that there are a whole bunch of job openings in the computer science arena. I want those jobs to be filled by kids from our region. With that in mind, in a continued effort to expand computer science education to more K-12 classrooms, I advocated for the Department of Education’s Supporting Effective Educator Development (SEED) programs, which help fund projects that increase the number of teachers with computer science certifications. These projects are specifically aimed at increasing computer science certified teachers in underserved areas, including rural public schools and those serving higher percentages of Native American students.
Supporting Clean Energy R&D And Efforts To Combat Climate Change
There’s little doubt that our nation needs to support investments in clean energy technologies. Investments in clean energy development can more effectively address the critical economic, environmental, and energy security challenges caused by climate change. Included in the appropriations legislation is an initiative I championed to make $10 million available for the Water Power Technologies Office’s Powering the Blue Economy initiative, which is focused on developing marine hydrokinetic energy and creating more resilient coastal communities. This funding will help to continue ongoing work at the DOE-funded Marine Sciences Laboratory in Sequim. Again - local jobs!
This legislation also prohibits the use of funds to withdraw from the Paris Climate Agreement. Additionally, the bill includes $425 million in funding for the Advanced Research Project Agency - Energy (ARPA-E) to support research aimed at quickly developing energy technologies that have the potential to change the energy sector and address critical challenges. The bill also includes $2.65 billion - a $272 million increase from the FY 2019 enacted level - for the Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy (EERE) program to ensure that America continues to lead in the transition to a global clean energy economy. I believe we can combat climate change and grow new jobs.
OK - that’s it for appropriations - for now! I know that’s a lot of information, and honestly, I could write about the importance of these bills to our region for much longer than I think anyone would be interested in reading... but I’m working hard for folks in every corner of the region - and there’s more good news on the way in the coming weeks as Congress considers additional appropriations bills. Stay tuned!
Protecting Our Environment For Future Generations
As you may know, earlier this year both the House and Senate passed the bipartisan Natural Resources Management Act (S. 47). Included in this package is the permanent reauthorization of the Land and Water Conservation fund (LWCF), which has supported more than 600 projects for parks, trails and other outdoor spaces in Washington. In that time, the LWCF has been a game changer in our region, creating jobs and investing $675 million in Washington’s economy.
While the package included the permanent reauthorization of the LWCF, it did not ensure it would be fully funded. That’s why I’m excited to report that last week, the Natural Resources Committee passed the Land and Water Conservation Fund Permanent Funding Act (H.R. 3915). This bill - which I’ve sponsored - would dedicate existing funds and ensure that the LWCF will be fully funded at its authorized $900 million.
I’m excited we were able to get this bipartisan work done and am optimistic that this bill will soon be voted on and passed. Stay tuned!
Addressing The Humanitarian Crisis At The Southern Border
Recently, there’s been increasing reports on the devastating conditions facing many migrants who seek refuge at our country’s southern border. A number of people have fled their home countries and traveled more than 1,000 miles, mostly by foot, from Latin America to destinations in Mexico and the U.S. border. I’ve spoken out about the Trump Administration’s policy of separating children from their families. In my view, it is out of line with America’s history and values. Furthermore, reports have indicated inhumane and unacceptable conditions at detention centers operated by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs & Border Patrol (CBP).
It is possible for America to have strong, safe borders and immigration laws that treat human beings fleeing violence and unrest with decency.
In response, this week, the House will likely vote on a $4.5 billion emergency spending bill to provide humanitarian assistance for migrants at the southern border, while ensuring oversight over how the administration uses the funds. The priorities for the funding include legal assistance, food, water, medical services, support services for unaccompanied children, alternatives to detention, and refugee services. Importantly, the bill contains oversight provisions to hold the administration accountable. The bill seeks to get at some of the root causes of this crisis, reversing the Trump Administration’s decision to block assistance to Northern Triangle countries, directing funds to improving border security, stopping human trafficking and drug smuggling, and fostering stability.
This bill is a step in the right direction, but there’s additional action Congress can be taking right now to address the crisis.
I am proud to have sponsored a bill earlier this month called the Humanitarian Standards for Individuals in Customs and Border Protection Custody Act (H.R.3239). This bill intends to prevent the deaths of people in the custody of CBP by establishing some basic health and medical standards. The bill would require access to emergency care, medications, and medical equipment and would establish standards for nutrition, sanitation, and shelter in line with international humanitarian norms. For example, people in the care of CBP should not be denied access to food and drinking water. The bill would require CBP to conduct health screenings (with translators) in less than 12 hours for migrant adults and in less than 3 hours for children, the elderly, and pregnant women. Providing humanitarian assistance should be considered an expectation of our government - not a crime when done by good Samaritans.
Finally, I have also advocated for bipartisan, comprehensive immigration reform that would provide a pathway to citizenship for DREAMers, address the root causes of why people seek refuge at our border in the first place, and strengthen border security in strategic and meaningful ways that help law enforcement detect and apprehend legitimate criminals.
I remain hopeful that we can see some bipartisan progress on this important issue. Please know that moving forward, I will continue to advocate for humane and responsible immigration reform.
Working For You
As always, my favorite part of this job is meeting with all of YOU. Here are the highlights from the past couple weeks:
Fighting For Affordable Health Care
Last week I sat down for a conversation with Justin Gill, an urgent care Nurse Practitioner who has practiced in Gig Harbor and Port Orchard and serves on the Health Policy Council for the Washington State Nurses Association. We talked about how rising prescription drug costs are impacting patients across our region, and what Congress is doing to make health care more affordable, protect people with pre-existing conditions, and lower prescription drug costs.
Tune in here for the conversation!
I also met with Heron's Key senior living retirement community for a health care town hall to talk about the work I'm doing in Congress to improve health care for seniors and for everyone across the region. Thanks for the great questions!
Honoring The Next Generation At My Alma Mater
I was so incredibly impressed with the Class of 2019 at my alma mater, Port Angeles High School. I want to thank the graduates for inviting me to speak to their class (27 years after I graduated! I’m feeling old)! Congratulations to the graduates - and to their families! We are proud of you! Go Roughriders!
Fighting For Equality
This past weekend, I was honored to speak at the Bainbridge Pride Festival! It was a wonderful celebration of the progress we’ve made so far for equality for our LGBTQ+ friend and neighbors, and the work still left to do. Happy Pride Month!
Commemorating The End Of Slavery
I was honored to join friends and neighbors in Bremerton a few weekends ago for the Juneteenth Freedom Festival, honoring the oldest known celebration commemorating the end of slavery in the United States. It’s a time when we remember to recommit ourselves to the work to ensure all Americans have full equality under the law.
Celebrating Dads!
Finally, Father’s Day means one thing - the Manchester Salmon Bake! It was great to spend the day with Tess and join local public servants in dishing out some delicious food (in support of the local library). I hope all you dads out there had a great Father’s Day!
That’s all for this week, folks - thanks for reading! As always, I’m honored to represent you.
Derek