What I’m Thankful For
Hello everyone,
Thanksgiving is so close, I can almost taste the pie!
I always spend some time during this part of the year reflecting on what I’m thankful for, and I wanted to spend this week’s newsletter focused on that.
I’m Thankful For...
First and foremost, I am thankful for the opportunity to represent you.
Thank you for the chance to serve our community.
I take my responsibilities to you very seriously, and I will continue working hard to try to keep Congress focused on its most important job: creating more economic opportunities for more people in more places.
There’s a reason millions of people visit our neck of the woods each year. I’m thankful for the chance to do this job and interact with all of the awesome people who make it so unique (I’m even secretly thankful that the Lutefisk festival is just a couple of months away).
You may not know it, but last Friday was Dutch-American Heritage Day. That may not seem like a huge deal to you if you didn’t grow up putting sprinkles on your toast or eating stroopwaffles.
But it is a big deal to me. I’m the son and grandson of Dutch immigrants. And in that regard, I am thankful that we live in a country that welcomed my Oma to America after World War II and helped make this a home for her. I’m thankful I got to celebrate her 108th birthday this year!
My experiences growing up with her have shaped how I think about things now. As your representative, I’m conscious that - for a large portion of my Oma’s life - she has been able to live with dignity and financial security because of Social Security and Medicare. I’m thankful for that! That’s something that makes this country special, and it’s something I’m working to make sure every American has access to, for generations.
I’m thankful for my family’s immigrant experience. In fact, my mom recently shared some photos from when they got on that boat to New York over 70 years ago. And I’m hopeful that in the next year, Congress will do more to fix our broken immigration system and foster more civility in the debate about these issues. It’s long past time for Congress to pass the bipartisan USA Act, a policy that protects our borders and our values - the ones my Oma and my mom saw when they came here after World War II.
I’m thankful for my family.
Perhaps the most common question I get from folks is this: “Why would you want to serve in Congress when it is so messed up and you have two little kids?”
I always say back: “Because it is so messed up and I have two little kids.”
I care about what kind of country my kids - and all kids - grow up in. And I don’t want their future dictated by a dysfunctional federal government.
I am doing this job so that all kids can grow up in a country with an economy that works for everyone, where there are great jobs, and great schools that prepare folks for success and where every person who works hard has the shot to pursue the American dream. Where families can afford to send their kids to college without also sending them into debt. I’m thankful for the opportunity to continue working on those issues.
I’m thankful for good health - and for the health of my family. That’s why I’m pushing for a health care system that works for everyone. I believe that in the greatest country on the planet, you shouldn’t go broke if you get sick or have an accident. I’m hopeful Congress will make some progress on that front too!
I’m thankful to live in one of the most beautiful parts of the world. And whether it’s working to protect Puget Sound or deal with the maintenance backlog in our national parks, I’m committed to keeping it that way.
Perhaps most importantly, I’m thankful for the folks protecting our freedoms, many of whom live in our neck of the woods. To all who serve, we are thankful for your service.
Last week for Veterans Day, I joined with community members to honor U.S. Navy SeaBee Marvin Shields. It was a privilege to spend time with his family, and to honor his important story of uncommon selflessness and sacrifice for our nation. I’m thankful to have had that opportunity.
I also had the chance to spend time with veterans throughout our community. To all who serve and have served, and to your families: thank you.
There’s so much work to do to support our veterans. In this regard, the government should follow a few basic principles. First - if you served our country, the government ought to have your back. You shouldn’t have to fight for the benefits you’ve earned and deserve. And, in the land of the free and the home of the brave, every brave veteran ought to have a home...and it shouldn’t be under a highway overpass. I’ll keep working toward those ends.
I’m thankful to have two terrific veterans on my team who are serving our community. Check out their stories here.
There’s a lot of work to do, and I could go on for a while about the ideas I have to create an even stronger country, but I know the last thing people want as they prepare to host guests and spend time together is a wonky discussion about things like the future of work, high-speed broadband internet for rural areas, our state’s outdoor economy, tax reform and economic development. We have every other week of the year for that. But I will say this: there are some exciting times ahead on these issues as we head into the new year. Stay tuned!
One Final Thought on Thanksgiving
A lot of folks have said they are dreading talking politics with their relatives this Thanksgiving. (Note: You don’t have to!)
As I’ve mentioned in past newsletters, I’m a member of the Bipartisan Civility Caucus in the Congress. We’re working to try to turn down the toxicity in our politics and to try to foster more civil dialogue. With that in mind, let me just encourage folks to be kind to each other. Work to find common ground and, if that’s not possible, keep in mind that it’s possible to disagree without being disagreeable. And finally...when all else fails, remember: If you don’t have anything nice to say, just keep eating! (On to the pie!!!)
That’s all for this week folks. Have a great Thanksgiving!
As always, it is an honor to represent you.
Derek