Updates on Protecting Our Democracy, Fixing Congress, and Supporting Our Troops
Hello, Folks –
My Christmas tree is up and decorated (with a special section for Star Wars ornaments). Our house is all lit up like the Griswold home in Christmas Vacation. Cookies have been baked, and I even have some eggnog in my fridge! It’s official — the holiday season is upon us!
Having said that, it’s been a busy few weeks in DC. Congress has been making progress on issues that matter to our region. So, let’s dive right in!
Protecting Our Democracy
Last week, President Biden hosted a Democracy Summit, bringing together leaders from government, civil society, and the private sector to discuss strengthening democracy here in the United States and abroad.
While we are rightfully concerned about threats to democracy around the world, we also know we’ve got some work to do closer to home. For too long, folks have been frustrated with the performance of the government — and rightfully so. For too long, there’s been too much money in America’s political system, too many special interests with too much influence, and too little accountability.
Throughout the years, I’ve been to every nook and cranny of our region. I’ve never spoken with anyone, anywhere, who thought elected officials should be able to use their public office for personal profit. I’ve never spoken to anyone, anywhere, who believes elected officials should be able interfere in independent investigations or punish whistleblowers. I’ve never spoken to anyone, anywhere, who thinks we should allow foreign countries to interfere in our elections.
That’s why I’m proud that last week, Congress took an important step forward to help ensure that government works better for the American people by passing the Protecting Our Democracy Act. This sweeping package of reforms, which I co-sponsored and voted for, aims to strengthen America’s democratic institutions and to prevent leaders — regardless of political party — from using the power of their office for corrupt purposes.
The proposals included in the legislation — many of which have been supported by both Democrats and Republicans in the past — aim to restore the government’s system of checks and balances, and strengthen accountability and transparency. Among other things, the bill will:
- Prevent the abuse of presidential pardons;
- Suspend the statute of limitations on federal crimes committed by a president or vice president to make clear that no one is above the law;
- Bar federal officials from profiting off of their service;
- Establish tools to enforce Congressional subpoenas and ensure federal officials remain accountable to the elected representatives sent to D.C. by the American people;
- Reassert Congress’ power of the purse by limiting the ability for the president to unilaterally substitute their own funding decisions for those of the Congress;
- Limit presidential declarations of emergencies to ensure that they cannot unilaterally or unjustly set aside many of the legal limits of their authority;
- Prevent political interference in the work of the Justice Department;
- Protect the independence of inspectors general and require documentation of cause before an IG may be removed;
- Protect whistleblowers to ensure federal employees can lawfully disclose abuses of power;
- Strengthen the Hatch Act, the law limiting certain political activities of federal employees, to provide stronger enforcement and penalties for violations;
- And, take steps to prevent foreign interference in American elections. In fact, the bill includes the Honest Ads Act, bipartisan legislation I authored that aims to prevent foreign interference in future elections and improve the transparency of online political advertisements. The Honest Ads Act would ensure online political advertisements are better monitored by the Federal Election Commission (FEC) and would enable the FEC to enact disclosure rules for online advertisement similar to those already in place for television, radio, and satellite ads, with the goal of making clear to the American public who is funding these online ads and to inhibit foreign actors from purchasing them. I spoke about it on the House floor:
These are the types of commonsense steps that the American people should expect. The vibrancy of our democracy depends on upholding our laws and the American people’s confidence in our government. In our democratic republic, “We the People” should have the primary say in our government.
With that in mind, I was proud to vote for this legislation, and I’m going to keep pushing for the passage of this bill into law – AND for reforms that strengthen the integrity of our elections and keep our government accountable.
Fixing Congress
Speaking of the effort to strengthen democracy... As frequent readers of this newsletter know, I’m committed to trying to make Congress work better for the American people. As part of that effort, I was appointed to serve as the Chair of the Select Committee on the Modernization of Congress, or what is often called the “Fix Congress Committee.”
Last week, Democrats and Republicans on the Committee passed our second set of recommendations this year. The new slate of recommendations focuses on enhancing civility and collaboration among members of Congress, bolstering the effectiveness of congressional support agencies, and promoting the collection and use of impartial data and analysis in the policymaking process.
When I’ve told people that our committee was working to make Congress more focused on progress rather than partisan bickering, they’ve generally responded either with giggles or offers of prayer. Too often, Congress looks a bit too much like The Jerry Springer Show. The American people deserve better.
Look, Americans don’t expect members of Congress to agree on everything, nor do they expect Members of Congress to all be best friends. But they do expect their leaders to work together and show respect for one another as we work to represent our constituents. The American people want less partisan bickering and more progress. That desire guided our committee during months of hearing from experts in organizational effectiveness, many of whom have helped guide large and often dysfunctional organizations down a much more productive path.
By passing these recommendations the Select Committee is advancing targeted interventions that we think will encourage collaboration and facilitate a more productive institution. We don’t expect this to change everything that ails Congress overnight — but as a Committee, we believe these changes will release some of the pressure and help us better serve the American people.
Overall, I’m proud that through bipartisan collaboration and a commitment to reform, this Committee is leading by example — approving nearly 150 recommendations over the course of three years to make government more effective, more responsive, and more transparent, and to make Congress work better for the American people. And we are already making progress to get many of these recommendations implemented.
I’ll keep up the effort to get government working better for the folks I represent.
Supporting Our Troops
If you serve this country, Congress should have your back and invest in you and your family. That’s what the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) is all about. That’s why I’m pleased that last week, the House voted to pass a bipartisan NDAA that supports those who serve our country.
The bill includes a number of provisions I fought for to invest in our troops and their families — including a 2.7% increase in pay for service members, funding to clean up drinking water on military bases contaminated by PFAS chemicals, improvements in the oversight and management of housing for military personnel and their families, improvements to sexual assault prevention and response programs, and improvements in military health care, including provisions making it easier to make mental health appointments.
Crucially, this bill also includes a measure I championed that helps our federal civilian employees — like those at the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard in Bremerton — by expanding overtime pay authority for Department of Navy employees performing work outside the continental United States. If someone works overtime (even when they are overseas), they should get paid overtime.
In addition, the legislation establishes a “multi-year independent Afghanistan War Commission” to help examine the war in Afghanistan and requires the Secretary of Defense to provide in-depth reports to Congress about America’s evacuation and our current ability to counter terrorism in the region.
After passing the House with over 360 votes, the bill now heads to the Senate, and I am hopeful that it will be signed into law soon.
Working for You
Hearing From Students
The Build Back Better Act takes big strides toward making college more affordable, including increasing the maximum Pell Grant for more than five million students. It was great to join University of Washington Tacoma students earlier this month for a town hall to talk about how the legislation will impact them and answer questions about other pressing issues for students in our region.
Thank you to the ASUWT for organizing the event and for your ongoing efforts to create a meaningful and impactful experience for students!
Celebrating Progress in Kitsap County
It was great to be at the Seabeck Conference Center for the ribbon cutting of their newest building, the Pines! Seabeck has a rich history and the Conference Center is a large part of it. I enjoyed joining the tremendous staff, board members, and neighbors to celebrate this new chapter.
Supporting Amazing Artists (and celebrating the holidays!)
Always great to see Mr. and Mrs. Claus (and get some shopping done) at TideFest at Gig Harbor High! Some amazingly talented artists were on display there.
OK — that’s it for now folks. For those of you who have dealt with flooding and lost power in recent days and weeks, I hope you’re bouncing back.
As always, I’m honored to represent you.
Sincerely,
Derek