Updates on Protecting Reproductive Rights, Keeping Our Kids Safe, and Securing Investments in Our Region
Hello, Folks -
I hope you and your loved ones have been staying well.
As you have likely seen, on Friday, the Supreme Court overturned the constitutional right to an abortion. That decision, made by a conservative-led Supreme Court, threatens reproductive freedom everywhere. We know that at least 25 states are expected to severely limit or ban abortion in the wake of this ruling – and Republicans in even more states, including Washington, will now undoubtedly make efforts to limit access to reproductive health care. In addition, Republicans in Congress have made clear that they intend to pass a federal abortion ban, putting health and safety of people at risk—especially for communities of color and underserved communities.
In my view, decisions about reproductive health care, including abortions, are best made by people in consultation with their doctors. These deeply personal decisions should not be interfered with or replaced by the judgment of politicians. That’s why I’ve strongly opposed efforts to roll back reproductive rights. It’s why I voted for the Women’s Health Protection Act to enshrine the rights granted under Roe v. Wade into federal law. I’ll keep pushing for federal action to protect reproductive rights.
I am deeply concerned about the threat that this decision presents for reproductive freedom and about the potential that this decision could lead to the erosion of further rights that we hold dear. In Justice Thomas’s opinion, he wrote of reconsidering prior legal decisions that have ensured access to birth control and protected marriage equality.
Let me be clear: we cannot – and should not – accept a future in which the current and future generations of Americans have fewer rights than their parents’. I’ll keep working to make sure that doesn’t happen. I recognize that this issue spurs passion from all sides, and I welcome thoughts from the folks I represent.
There’s been a lot happening in DC, so let’s dive right into more news.
Keeping Our Kids Safe
From Uvalde, Texas to Buffalo, New York; Columbine, Colorado to Newtown, Connecticut; far too many communities in America have grappled with senseless, terrible gun violence tragedies. Too often, the moments of silence following these tragedies have not been met by moments of action in Congress. But on Friday, Congress finally took a step forward – passing the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act – a package of bipartisan proposals aimed at reducing gun violence across the country, investing in mental health and providing support services for children and families, and providing new resources to support schools in their efforts to keep kids safe.
This legislation, which passed the House and Senate with bipartisan support and was signed into law by President Biden over the weekend, marks the first significant gun safety bill passed by Congress in 30 years.
The legislation includes several critical measures aimed at reducing gun violence and protecting Washington families, including:
- Support for State Crisis Intervention Orders: Provides funding for states to create and administer laws that will ensure deadly weapons are kept out of the hands of individuals determined by a court to be a significant danger to themselves or others, and for extreme risk protection orders that have sufficient due process.
- Protections for Victims of Domestic Violence by Closing the Boyfriend Loophole: Adds convicted domestic violence abusers in dating relationships to the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS).
- Banning Gun Trafficking & Cracking Down on Straw Purchases: Cracks down on criminals who illegally evade licensing requirements and clarifies which sellers need to register, conduct background checks, and keep appropriate records, and creates federal straw purchasing and trafficking criminal offenses for the first time, allowing prosecutors to target dangerous illegal gunrunners.
- Enhanced Background Checks for People Under 21: Requires an investigative period to review juvenile and mental health records, including checks with state databases and local law enforcement, for buyers under 21 years of age, creating an enhanced background check.
- Anti-Violence Community Initiatives: Provides funding for community-based violence prevention initiatives.
- Investing in Children & Family Mental Health Services: Supports the national expansion of community behavioral health centers; improves access to mental health services for children, youth, and families; increases access to mental health services for youth and families in crisis via telehealth; and provides major investments at the Department of Health and Human Services to programs that expand provider training in mental health, support suicide prevention, crisis and trauma intervention and recovery.
- Investing in Safe Schools: Invests in programs to expand mental health and supportive services in schools, including: early identification and intervention programs, school-based mental health and wrap-around services, improvements to school-wide learning conditions, and school safety. That includes providing $300 million in funding to the STOP School Violence Act program. In 2018, I worked in collaboration with the parents of Sandy Hook Elementary to introduce and pass the STOP School Violence Act, which provides resources to schools to implement proven methods of combating gun violence.
By passing these commonsense, bipartisan reforms, Congress is taking concrete steps to protect our children, keep schools safe, reduce the threat of gun violence, and strengthen our communities. While there’s more to do, this new law is a significant step in the right direction – and will save countless lives.
Securing Investments in Our Region
As a member of the House Appropriations Committee, I have the opportunity to play a meaningful role in helping to shape the investments our government makes. It’s an opportunity to support investments for our region that will create jobs and support the communities I serve. Last week, the Appropriations Committee began passing spending bills out of Committee so they can be considered by the full House. And as a member of the Committee, I was able to secure some important wins for our region (and there’s more to come in the coming weeks!).
Protecting Grays Harbor and Reducing Flood Insurance Expenses for Grays Harbor Families
On our region’s coasts, we know that a number of communities are at risk of severe flooding due to a combination of weather-related events, king tides, and rising sea levels. That’s why for years, the cities of Aberdeen and Hoquiam have been working to build substantial flood protection through two levees. That effort took a big step forward earlier this year when I secured nearly $10 million in new federal funding to support the Aberdeen-Hoquiam Flood Protection Project. And now, I’ve secured an additional nearly $5 million in the House bill that passed out of the Appropriations Committee last week. This funding will help the cities build two levees to help protect the cities of Aberdeen and Hoquiam against coastal flood events between the Wishkah and Hoquiam rivers north of the Chehalis River and Grays Harbor Estuary.
(Photo via Erika Gebhardt, The Daily World)
Moving forward with this project is a big win for our region. It will mean the community can address flooding and avoid future property damage, it will enable more investment in affordable housing and economic development in the region by pulling some of these properties out of the flood plain, and it will help ensure that we won’t see so much money leave the community to pay for flood insurance payments. Simply put, the cost of this project shouldn’t fall on the backs of taxpayers in Grays Harbor alone. The federal government ought to help. That’s why I’m pushing to ensure this funding makes it across the finish line.
Securing Public Safety Funding for Emergency Services and Public Safety on the Olympic Peninsula
We know that at all times – and particularly during disaster situations – Emergency Management and 911 Dispatch are critical operations. But unfortunately, in Clallam County, the current Emergency Operations Center (EOC) and 911 dispatch facilities are not suitable for sustained emergency operation – particularly if a major seismic event hits the region. That’s a big problem for local public safety authorities who serve four tribal governments, three city municipalities, an airport, a large senior citizen population, a state prison, a National Park, commercial and recreational boating harbors, and a burgeoning tourism industry.
That’s why I’m excited that last week, the House Appropriations Committee advanced legislation that includes nearly $3 million in federal funding that I advocated for so that Clallam County and the City of Port Angeles can relocate, co-locate, and modernize the County and City emergency operations facilities at a Joint Public Safety Facility (JPSF). This facility will ensure the two major public safety entities can more easily and quickly communicate in the event of an emergency, access aid and relief to distribute to residents in the event of a disaster, and enable our emergency services providers to utilize innovate technologies, such as solar power and satellite communication.
Investing in a modern, resilient JPSF is about protecting public safety. And it’s about supporting law enforcement and emergency respondents by ensuring they have a capable facility to meet the need of the people of Clallam County. I’ll keep pushing to get this funding signed into law.
Working for You
Celebrating Juneteenth
Last year I was honored to support the passage of a new law to make Juneteenth a national holiday. That was an important effort to commemorate a day that celebrates emancipation and that provides an opportunity for education and a shared commitment to further progress. Toward that end, it was inspiring to be in Bremerton where I joined the Juneteenth Freedom Festival & People's March and a celebration at the Collective Visions Gallery on Sunday.
Fighting to Take Climate Action
Climate change is real - and we have a moral obligation to act. This is not only about protecting our environment, but also about protecting our economic interests, our communities, and our national security. Last week, I joined my colleagues in calling for congressional leaders to take action now to pass legislation that includes critical investments to combat the climate crisis. These investments will help us create millions of good-paying jobs, curb greenhouse gas emissions, improve climate resilience, and develop domestic clean energy resources to finally ensure we have energy security here in America. That way, we can prevent another crisis like the war in Ukraine from impacting American consumers again. Let's get this done.
OK – that’s it for now, folks. As always, I’m honored to represent you.
Sincerely,
Derek