eNewsletters
What I'm Thankful For
Hello Folks -As we head toward Thanksgiving, I'm taking time to reflect on the things that I'm thankful for. I wanted to share some of those thoughts in this week's newsletter, and I hope you'll write me back and let me know what you're thankful for as well. Thankful for the Chance to ServeFirst of all, 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 … Continue Reading
November 12, 2019
Honoring Our Veterans and Visiting Our Troops
Hello Friends -Yesterday, our nation paused to honor our veterans. Veterans Day is an important time to acknowledge our family, friends, and loved ones who have selflessly sacrificed for this country. It is on this day that we honor those who wore the uniform and their families.I was proud to join hundreds of people in Silverdale at the Kitsap County Veterans Day Ceremony yesterday to say thank you to our veterans and to the community that supports them - and to recommit to ensuring that every … Continue Reading
October 28, 2019
Lowering the Cost of Prescription Drugs
Hello Folks - Earlier this month, Congress and the American people lost an incredible human being and a tireless public servant in Representative Elijah Cummings. Elijah worked so hard for his community and to make government work better. It was an honor to work with him and to consider him a friend. I think every American should take a few moments to watch the ceremony last week in the United States Capitol celebrating and honoring his life. Democrats and Republicans alike spoke of Elijah's … Continue Reading
October 15, 2019
Helping Students Succeed
Hello Folks - Fall is upon us! The leaves are changing colors. The Seahawks are 5-1. The Kilmer Family Halloween decorations are up. And I even had to de-frost my windshield a couple of times last week. It's officially autumn. Even the school year is moving along. This week, we've got Parent-Teacher Conferences. It's always amazing to hear about the outstanding work our educators are doing. Those who follow me on Facebook and Twitter know I visit a lot of schools. It's persistently … Continue Reading
September 30, 2019
Increasing Civility and Collaboration
Hello Folks - Since I've been your representative, I've sent out these email newsletters every couple of weeks. Sometimes I write with good news. Sometimes I write with bad news. But I always try to give you my honest take about what's happening in our nation's capital. This week, my newsletter is perhaps my most solemn update during my time in service. As you likely know, the House has begun a formal impeachment inquiry into the actions of President Trump. While there were a multitude of … Continue Reading
September 16, 2019
Heading Back to DC
Hello Folks - Following the August District Work Period, coming back to DC feels a little bit like heading back to school. There's that little bit of nervousness, and then things settle back in. And once you show up, you get a little bit of catching up time, but then the work really begins. You'll notice that I referred to it as the "August District Work Period" - not "August Recess." If you've followed me on Facebook or Twitter, you will see that I didn't treat the time Congress wasn't in … Continue Reading
September 03, 2019
Highlighting Our Region’s Priorities
Hello Friends - I hope you all had a fantastic Labor Day weekend! Labor Day is an important time to honor the contributions workers have made to the well-being of our nation. It's a day to talk about the progress we've made, and still need to make, to build strong working families. I'm happy to report that Congress this year has made progress on this front - passing the Paycheck Fairness Act to close the gender wage gap, the Raise the Wage Act to gradually increase the federal minimum wage to … Continue Reading
August 19, 2019
Being There
Hi Friends - As many of you know, Congress holds a district work period in August to enable Members of Congress to spend more time meeting with the folks they represent. I've been running from pillar to post around our region - attending festivals and fairs; meeting with businesses, nonprofits, and community organizations; and making myself available on ferries, outside the shipyard, and everywhere else I can to connect with folks. Importantly, this extended period allows me to spend lots … Continue Reading
August 05, 2019
Walking and Chewing Gum
Hello Folks - I write to you once again today following two more senseless, tragic, and heartbreaking mass shootings. Our nation saw these two terrible acts of violence just thirteen hours apart. This shouldn't be accepted as normal, but these tragedies have startlingly become somehow commonplace. We should not become numb to this or accept this. The lives lost were fathers and mothers, sons and daughters. Enough is enough. My prayers go out to the families and friends of the victims and … Continue Reading
July 22, 2019
Growing Economic Opportunity from the Middle Out
Hello Friends - Tomorrow I will be heading back to Washington, DC for what's expected to be the final legislative week until after Labor Day. There's a lot cooking as Congress works out an agreement with the Trump Administration on budget caps and on the debt limit. Beyond that, in the week ahead, you'll see Former FBI Director Robert Mueller testify in front of the House Judiciary and Intelligence Committees and the House will take up a bill to stabilize multi-employer pensions as well as a … Continue Reading
July 08, 2019
Celebrating Our Independence - And Kicking Off Summer
Hello Friends - It was great seeing so many folks at 4th of July festivities across the region this past weekend. I carbo-loaded at the Kingston Yacht Club's annual pancake breakfast and then hit THREE parades! It was awesome to see so much energy and patriotism on display. And I made it home in time to light some sparklers with my family! While I spent this past week running from pillar to post across the region, there's a lot to report from our nation's capital. Read on for details! … Continue Reading
June 24, 2019
Things Are Heating Up In DC
Hello friends, I love our neck of the woods this time of year. The Kilmer girls are done with school. Western Washington is starting to see the sun again. We get to take in some summer movies (Toy Story 4 was terrific!). And we're just a few weeks away from the start of county fair season (or, as I like to call it, "The Derek Kilmer Summer Tour of Fried Food"... followed soon thereafter by "The Derek Kilmer Autumn of Dieting"). Admittedly, it's a little less pleasant in DC these days. This … Continue Reading
June 10, 2019
Passing A Bill To Help Our Oceans
Hello friends, Late last week, the nation paused for the 75th Anniversary of D-Day - when more than 160,000 Allied troops landed along a 50-mile stretch of the French coast to fight for freedom during World War II. Thousands of Allied forces put their lives on the line, and many were killed and wounded, but D-Day would mark the beginning of the end for the Nazis. It is important that we continue to remember and honor the sacrifice and bravery of all those who fought for the future - in that … Continue Reading
May 29, 2019
Remembering Those Who Sacrificed
Hi Friends, Before I get into the nitty-gritty business of what I've been up to in the other Washington, I wanted to take a moment to reflect on the powerful day I was able to share with many of you yesterday. As has become tradition, I was honored to participate in two Memorial Day ceremonies in our region to honor the men and women who died in service to our country - first aboard the USS Turner Joy and then at Ivy Green Cemetery. While Memorial Day weekend is often filled with … Continue Reading
May 13, 2019
Making Prescription Drugs Affordable
Good Day Sunshine by The Beatles. Heat Wave by Martha & the Vandellas. Walking on Sunshine by Katrina & the Waves. Summertime by The Fresh Prince (and DJ Jazzy Jeff). No matter what song you played to go along with this weekend's weather, one thing was clear - it was hot!!! While I was in DC for most of this heat wave, I got to sweat my way through Mothers' Day in Gig Harbor. Special shout-out to my mom and my wife (both of whom are awesome moms!). I hope all you moms out there had a … Continue Reading
April 29, 2019
Protecting Our Home
Hello Friends,Can you believe it's almost May? This year is really flying by. Last Monday was Earth Day and last week was National Parks Week. It really got me thinking about all the work we've done - and still need to do - to ensure our planet and our little slice of heaven in northwest Washington stays healthy for future generations. So, today's newsletter will cover what I've been doing to protect our environment and natural landscapes - and what's coming down the pike.But before I get into … Continue Reading
April 15, 2019
Making Our Budget Work
Hello friends,I hope April is treating you well. The Mariners are winning! Schools are getting a Spring Break! The cherry blossoms are out in both D.C. and the better Washington (that sound you hear is me sneezing from the tree pollen). And it feels like spring may finally be here to stay! Spring in D.C. also means it's budget season. It's the time of year when the President proposes a budget for Congress to consider, and folks start getting to work on the next year's funding priorities. We've … Continue Reading
April 01, 2019
Focusing On Getting Stuff Done
Hi all, As many of you may know, I'm a big movie buff. In fact, my first job was at Westside Video in Port Angeles (for my younger readers, we used to have these things called video stores...).Because I'm such a fan, I'm often asked in the run-up to Academy Award season, "So what movie should win Best Picture?" During the past few years, since I'm usually super busy with work and kids, I confess that I often haven't seen a lot of the Best Picture nominees. I'm usually able to read some … Continue Reading
March 18, 2019
What Happens In DC (Doesn’t Need To Stay In DC)
Hi Folks, As many of you know, I travel around our region quite a bit. I do a lot of town hall meetings and meet with many of the folks I represent. At these get-togethers, I've found that some of the same questions come up over and over. Perhaps more than anything, I get asked "Why on earth would you want to be back in DC when it's such a mess and you have two little kids?" I always tell folks the same answer - "Because it's a mess and I have kids! I don't want their future dictated by a … Continue Reading
March 04, 2019
Getting Things Done
Hello friends, I can't believe it's already March...The year is zipping by, and I've been up to a lot these past couple weeks! While cable news has focused its attention on some of the chaos in DC (warning: don't watch cable news within an hour of eating), the last couple of weeks have actually seen some forward progress on issues that matter to folks in our neck of the woods. Read on for details! Protecting our Natural Treasures One of the big wins from the past week was the passage of … Continue Reading