What I'm Thankful For in 2020
Hello Folks -
Most years, I’m grateful to be able to spend Thanksgiving with my family – including my folks. Suffice it to say, this isn’t “most years.” Instead, we’re doing things a little differently this year by staying home to ensure we’re keeping everybody safe and healthy. (Having said that, we are hoping to share the things we are thankful for with my family over Zoom and pumpkin pie).
This has been a tough year. We know that a lot of folks are hurting. This pandemic has unfortunately exacerbated many of the challenges we had already been facing here in America; housing insecurity, food insecurity, and poverty aren’t things that started with the coronavirus, but sadly, they have substantially worsened.
With that in mind, this Thanksgiving, I’m not just thinking about turkey; I’m thinking about the lame duck and the people who need Congress to act during it. That’s why I’m working hard in these final weeks of the year to get a comprehensive COVID-19 relief bill passed by Congress—to crush this virus, to provide assistance to folks who are unemployed or experiencing housing insecurity, and to help small businesses on Main Street. In fact, in the House, we’ve already passed two different bills in recent months aimed at these goals. Unfortunately, the Senate has failed to act. Instead, Leader McConnell has said “let’s pause.” But the time for pausing has long needed to end.
Now, more than ever, Democrats and Republicans need to come together and craft a relief package that meets the needs of Americans who are hurting.
I have a sense of urgency about seeing a COVID relief bill pass. To me, simply put, it is wrong that people are facing hunger on Thanksgiving week. According to one nonprofit, nearly 50 million Americans could be food insecure this year – including 17 million kids. That’s why the House passed a relief bill to provide nutrition assistance to reduce food insecurity.
What’s more, people shouldn’t be threatened with the loss of their housing because of this pandemic. Nearly 11 million households in America spend more than 50 percent of their income on housing. During this economic crisis, we’ve seen people lose jobs, lose hours at work, and lose income—all factors exacerbating the threat of homelessness. That’s why the House passed a relief bill to provide rental assistance and protections from eviction and foreclosure.
More than 8 million more Americans have fallen into poverty since May. With unemployment benefits expiring and with the stimulus payment seeming like a distant memory, things will only get worse. That’s why the House passed a relief bill to extend unemployment assistance and to provide another round of payments.
Folks shouldn’t have to wait any longer. It’s time for Senate Republicans to come to the table and agree to an adequate relief package to support the American people. No more gridlock. No more pausing.
This Thanksgiving, I hope folks in Congress remember the words of President Kennedy who said, “As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them.”
Beyond that, as we approach the final days before Thanksgiving, I’ve taken some time to reflect on what I’m thankful for – especially considering the challenging year this has been.
First, I’m thankful for the opportunity to represent you. As most of you know, I was born and raised here in the district I’m now honored to represent. It’s my home. I wake up every day thankful for the opportunity to represent you. And amid this public health and economic crisis, my team and I have been working harder than ever to be there for you, to get back to you, and to help you solve problems with federal agencies – you can read more about that work in the last newsletter and I encourage to be in touch with me and my team if we can lend a hand.
I’m thankful for the incredible folks on the front lines who have been combatting this virus in our communities and working day-and-night to keep our neighbors safe and healthy. The doctors, the nurses, the health care workers, the grocery store workers, the first responders, the scientists and researchers, and so many other frontline employees. I’m also thankful for all of the folks who have had to transform their lives to keep the world spinning – the teachers, the postal workers, the food bank volunteers, and everyone who’s been contributing to helping the most vulnerable among us. And, I’m thankful for the employers and small businesses who have continued to provide good jobs and good wages, and who have been going above-and-beyond to keep serving our community during these unprecedented times.
I’m thankful for the brave servicemembers who have sacrificed so much for our country – and I’m thankful for their families, too! I have the honor of representing a region that is home to a large number of veterans, active-duty service members, and their families. Over the years that I’ve served as your representative, I have witnessed, and been humbled by, the extraordinary sacrifice that families have made when a loved one makes the decision to serve in the armed forces. In fact, it is what led me to serve as a member of the House Committee on Appropriations, where I have the opportunity to play a meaningful role in supporting veterans and their families. I know we cannot take the dedication and sacrifice of our troops for granted. In fact, it is clear that a great deal more must be done to have the backs of those who have served.
That’s why I’m hopeful that, in the lame duck, Congress will get the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) passed and signed by the President. As it passed the House this past summer, the NDAA included a 3.1% pay raise for service members, and provisions to improve military housing and clean up contaminated drinking water at military bases. That’s important – if you serve this country, we should have your back. The House-backed NDAA also included language that I authored to address our region’s priorities – including provisions to support shipyard workers and to reduce jet noise over local communities.
I’m hopeful the House and Senate will be able to come up with a compromise that effectively meets the needs of our service members and civilian DoD employees.
I’m thankful for our system of government. I know that democracy can be messy—but it’s certainly better than the alternative. I came to Congress with two goals in mind: to see the economy work better for people in our region and to see government work better for them too. I don’t want to see a government that is dysfunctional, corrupt, and unable to make progress on delivering health care, jobs, and education for the folks I represent.
As the Chair of the Select Committee on the Modernization of Congress over the past two years, I’ve been proud to lead the bipartisan effort to make Congress more efficient, effective, and transparent – passing nearly 100 recommendations to get government working better for the American people. I’m thankful for the Democrats and Republicans on our committee who put aside partisanship and just focused on how we can make Congress work better for the American people. We’ve already managed to get roughly one-third of these recommendations adopted and they’re already being implemented. You can check out our report here.
I’m also thankful for the federal workforce. The folks I’ve met at Naval Base Kitsap, Olympic National Park, the VA, and elsewhere have consistently impressed me. That’s why I’m working in the lame duck to see Congress pass a funding bill and prevent a government shutdown (which should be the bare minimum). There needs to be an agreement to fund the government long-term and give our federal agencies and workers certainty that the federal government will pay its bills. Federal workers should not have to worry about another government shutdown.
And, of course, I’m thankful for my family. Like so many folks, this year has had its challenges. My home is now part-school, part-office, and part-chaos. When I’m not in D.C., my new co-workers have become my two daughters and our Australian Shephard, Truman. While it’s been challenging, I’m grateful for my whole family (even during the chaos). I’m grateful for some of the memories that we’ve been able to create together this year – even if it hasn’t gone as planned.
Helping Folks Get Covered
The national increase in COVID-19 cases is a reminder of the importance of ensuring every American has access to quality, affordable health care. The good news is that right now, open enrollment for health and dental coverage is underway in our state! Through December 15, folks can head on over to WAHealthPlanfinder.org to check-out the 2021 health plans that are available to anyone who wants to get covered on the exchange, including free and low-cost coverage.
I know it can sometimes be a confusing process, so last week, I hosted Washington Healthplanfinder CEO Pam MacEwan for a town hall conversation to talk about what you need to know about how to get covered – and to answer your questions. Check it out!
Investing in the Workforce of Tomorrow
We know that apprenticeship programs are one of the most effective paths to high quality, work-based learning in America. And in today’s changing economy, it’s important to continue to find ways to prepare our kids for the jobs of the future.
That’s why this week, the House passed a new bill to invest broadly in apprenticeship programs across the board, investing more than $3.5 billion over 5 years in expanding opportunities and access to Registered Apprenticeships, youth apprenticeships, and pre-apprenticeships.
According to the U.S. Department of Labor, 94 percent of people who complete Registered Apprenticeships are employed upon completion, earning an average starting wage of above $70,000 annually. Yet, according to the most recent data, only 0.3 percent of the overall workforce in America have completed an apprenticeship. During a time of record unemployment, the National Apprenticeships Acts of 2020 would mark the first time the National Apprenticeship system has been comprehensively updated since 1937.
I’m proud that this bill included my bipartisan amendment to ensure computer science youth apprenticeship, pre-apprenticeship, and apprenticeship programs are included among the priorities. We know that not everyone is going to have a tech-related job in the future, but we know that there is a growing demand—a demand that we are struggling to meet—for students able to fill in-demand jobs, and for equipping workers with advanced computer science skills. That’s why my amendment aims to grow the number of computer science programs for students in high school and help prepare them to be successful in the workforce.
These investments will provide more 21st century job opportunities for our kids, more qualified employees for our local employers, and more economic resiliency for our communities. I spoke on the House floor this week about why this is so important:
The National Apprenticeships Act of 2020 passed the House with strong support of Democrats and Republicans. I’m hopeful that the Senate will pass it during the lame duck session too.
Working for You
Supporting Families in Need
Earlier this month I received an update from the team at Nutrition First on the work they've been doing to help Washingtonians who are experiencing food insecurity as a result of this pandemic. I'm grateful for their service and proud to support their efforts to help more families in need in our region!
Making Health Care More Accessible and Affordable
I enjoyed the opportunity to join the Kitsap Professional Leaders of Color discussion this month with Dr. Lillian Robertson on managing disease during the pandemic. I appreciated being able to share an update with folks regarding my ongoing efforts at the federal level to make health care more accessible and more affordable for all.
Dr. Robertson reminded us - this pandemic isn't over! We need to all remain vigilant, wear a mask, wash our hands, and watch our distance when possible.
OK – that’s it for now, folks! Have a happy Thanksgiving. Take care of yourselves, and one another.
As always, I’m honored to represent you.
Sincerely,
Derek Kilmer