eNewsletters
A Streetcar Named Tacoma Link
Hello everyone, Hope you had a great Mother's Day weekend. I celebrated with Jen and the kids over a delicious Tacoma brunch (who knew blueberry muffins could be turned into French toast?!?!). I also had a blast this weekend in Sequim at the Irrigation Festival. This year was the 123rd(!) year for the festival - it is the oldest in Washington State. I had a great time. The weather was great, the bands were better. And, while all the national news may be talking all about the big British … Continue Reading
April 16, 2018
Time for Some Spring Cleaning--of Our Political System
After spending two weeks back home traveling from pillar to post and hearing from a lot of you at the four town halls I participated in, I'm now back in DC. One consistent theme that folks asked me about when I was home was this: how do we make sure our federal government is working for "we the people" and not deep-pocketed special interests? Making Congress more accessible and accountable to you is one of my top priorities. In fact, that's one of the reasons I send out this newsletter every … Continue Reading
April 02, 2018
Lynxes, Tiger Grants and Bills, Oh My!
As we've seen in recent weeks, young people are stepping up in a big way. They are leading changes in our economy and speaking up about challenges in our country. Whether it's the threat of gun violence in our schools, the challenge of starting a career in today's economy, the high cost of college tuition, or the impact that money and special interests have in our democracy, young folks are working to make a difference in their community. I'm inspired by their passion and energy, and that's … Continue Reading
March 19, 2018
March Madness
It's been a busy couple of weeks. And it's one of the best times of the year: March Madness! If you're like me, your bracket is already busted. (Who would've guessed that a team called the Retrievers would take out my national champ pick!?!?). Plus, there's only 10 days until baseball's opening day. And Ichiro is back! In addition to a great time for sports fans, this is a busy time of year. Let me provide a quick update. Working to pass an appropriations bill As you may recall, back in … Continue Reading
March 05, 2018
Getting to Work
I'm heading back to Washington DC after what was a very full several days back home. Perhaps the highlight of the weekend was the ribbon cutting for the Bainbridge Island's first-mile of the Sound to Olympics Trail. I was excited to be there for a number of reasons. First and foremost, it provides a great path for folks to hike and bike in an amazing community. One of the reasons people in our region appreciate nature so much is because they have access to nature. As this trail gets … Continue Reading
February 20, 2018
Enough is Enough
I write this week knowing that I'm competing for your time with the Olympics, so I'll try to make this read faster than an American speedskater with a half-second advantage on a Dutch rival. In addition to feeling pretty old seeing all the young faces on Team USA and brushing up on my air triple axel techniques, I've been heartened to see Americans from every part of the country competing so hard in South Korea. It is so cool to see these folks who've spent their whole lives working to get to … Continue Reading
January 22, 2018
Where we go from here...
I saw a news report the other day that said just 8 percent of the country has a great deal of confidence in Congress. I don't blame them! The federal government shutdown is the perfect example why. In this update, I want to explain how things got where they are, and give you some updates that may be helpful if you've been directly affected by this. The best path forward is a long-term, bipartisan spending plan. That's the way to protect the military and federal workers in our region from the … Continue Reading
January 08, 2018
2018 Resolutions
Happy 2018! New Year's Day is one of my favorite holidays. First, it's my birthday (44 this time around)! Second, there's always a bunch of great college football bowl games on. But most importantly, it's great that once a year we take stock of our lives and make an effort to think about the positive changes we can make in the year ahead. I've definitely got a few resolutions I'm working on in my personal life (less unhealthy food, more taking the stairs instead of the elevator). But since … Continue Reading
December 18, 2017
Checking in from Washington DC
I'm reaching out today with a heavy heart after the tragedy earlier this morning when Amtrak 501 derailed. I want to send my thoughts and prayers to everyone that has been affected by this, particularly those injured and the families of those we lost today. I was devastated when I heard the news. I'm thankful for the quick response by emergency services, and the cooperation and assistance from the military. People all over the region lined up to give blood today and there are reports that … Continue Reading
December 04, 2017
The Inside Scoop on What's Happening in Washington, DC This Week
My newsletter is a little different this week because a lot of folks back home are worried about the potential for a government shutdown. I wanted to give you an inside scoop about what's going on because this has big consequences for our region. The way we got here is pretty ridiculous. Here's the back story: Back in 2011, in order to incentivize Democrats and Republicans to come together around a compromise to address our nation's long-term debt, Republicans in Congress and President Obama … Continue Reading
November 20, 2017
Pre-Thanksgiving Update
It's the end of November, which means the Kilmer family is already thinking about the large amount of turkey (and, my personal favorite, PIE) that will be consumed by the end of the week. Our plan for Thanksgiving is to take the kids to serve food at the Rescue Mission for a few hours and then have some family time. This year, I'm thankful for my family. I'm thankful for those who serve our country in the military. I'm thankful for the opportunity to represent each of you. And I'm thankful … Continue Reading
November 06, 2017
Pumpkins and House Plans
If you're like my family, you might just be coming out of your Halloween-induced candy coma. The Kilmer pumpkins this year even changed themes. As you can see, my kids' obsession with Hamilton has been cemented (even if it is in the form of a giant, rotting fruit). Personally, I'm relieved that Star Wars jack-o-lanterns are still part of our tradition. Halloween wasn't the only exciting event in the past two weeks. Read on for the news! Pushing for a Fairer Tax System Here's the good … Continue Reading
October 23, 2017
Preventing Electoral Funny Business
In my work throughout our region I meet a lot of folks. I treasure the conversations we have, the ideas I hear, and the opportunity to occasionally tell some stories and jokes. There has been a lot of talk lately on the national level about what divides us. It seems like we can't go a day without a new controversy exploding on Twitter and heating up cable news. But when you meet people supporting local nonprofits at Shelton's Oyster Fest, or talk with folks at local employers like Kitsap … Continue Reading
October 09, 2017
The Waiting is the Hardest Part
It's admittedly a bummer for me to see the legendary musicians that I grew up with passing away. Every few months, I feel like another iconic performer leaves us. Just last week we saw the passing of the legendary rocker Tom Petty. Frankly, Tom Petty's greatest hits could describe much of what we've seen out of Congress in recent years. "Stop Dragging My Heart Around?" Yup."Don't Do Me Like That?" For sure!"Free Fallin'?" Check. And I can assure you that I've repeatedly listened to "I Won't … Continue Reading
September 25, 2017
About that Friend Request
As readers of my newsletter, many of you have probably visited my Facebook page too (and if you haven't, what's stopping you?!?!) It's a great way to share where I've been in our region and what I'm working on as your representative in Washington D.C. I say this not as a shameless plug for my page (but really, you should visit) but to note that increasingly, folks are getting a majority of their news and information from social media. Social media networks like Facebook are now a public … Continue Reading
September 11, 2017
Getting Back on Our Feet
In America, we all have disagreements. That's part of life. We can argue about what version of Pearl Jam's Better Man is the absolute best (I'll take the guitar and organ version on the Vitalogy Extended Edition any day). We can argue over fantasy football or over which team has the second-best fan base in the NFL (because obviously the Seahawks are first). And yes, in the public arena, we can have passionate debates about the best way to do things like reform our tax system. But even when … Continue Reading
August 28, 2017
Fall Deadlines
Like a lot of families, the Kilmers are gearing up for back to school. It was a full summer for my daughters, Sophie and Tess, with trips to Hurricane Ridge, Neah Bay (this weekend - for Makah Days!), and a few summer camps. The highlight, for me, was watching their performance last weekend at the completion of their Theater Camp at the Admiral Theater in Bremerton. I was proud to watch Sophie fly across the stage (not literally) as Peter Pan and Tess embrace the role of Maleficent. It speaks … Continue Reading
August 14, 2017
I've Been Everywhere, Man!
I'm beginning to understand what Johnny Cash was singing about when he said, "I've been everywhere, man." Over the past couple of weeks, I feel like I've visited most of the nooks and crannies of our region. Yesterday, I completed my summer town hall tour. I held one in each of the six counties that I represent (thanks to all who showed up in Chimacum, Tacoma, Port Angeles, Poulsbo, Belfair, and Aberdeen). Plus, I did a Seniors Town Hall on Bainbridge Island and took questions at both the … Continue Reading
July 31, 2017
Come Together
Raise your hand if you are able to jump in a canoe, push off from Seattle, travel 200 miles over waterways, and finally pull up to the Campbell River in Canada (Full disclosure: I am not raising my hand right now). With August starting tomorrow I wanted to highlight a remarkable group of Native Americans in our state that are doing just that by participating in the annual Canoe Journey. On August 5th about 100 canoes will land on the Campbell River Spit after paddling through ancient marine … Continue Reading
July 17, 2017
Working Hard to Grow Jobs
This past weekend was a busy one for me. From the Quileute Tribal Festival out in LaPush to Kitsap Pride in Bremerton, from the Summer Arts Festival in Gig Harbor to the Geoduck Festival in Allyn, I covered a lot of territory and had a lot of amazing conversations. In a lot of those discussions, I was struck by the fact that, folks didn't just talk about what they were against. People spoke to me about their hopes. They talked about what they're for. It's safe to say that I've got my fair … Continue Reading