Press Releases
Kilmer Announces Nearly $1 Million for Small Shipyards in Bremerton and Tacoma
TACOMA, WA - Today, U.S. Representative Derek Kilmer (WA-06) announced that the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration (MARAD) has awarded nearly $1 million in federal funding through the Fiscal Year 2024 Small Shipyard Grant Program to two organizations in Washington’s Sixth District. This investment includes nearly $400,000 for Inventech Marine Solutions in Bremerton and more than $578,000 for Motive Power Marine in Tacoma. Earlier this year, Rep. Kilmer wrote to … Continue Reading
July 21, 2024
Kilmer Statement on President Joe Biden
TACOMA, WA - Today, U.S. Representative Derek Kilmer (WA-06) issued the following statement: “President Joe Biden has spent his entire life working on behalf of our nation to leave it better, fairer, and stronger for future generations. He has led one of the most successful and historic administrations in history - pulling us out of the COVID pandemic, signing laws to lower health care costs, to invest in our infrastructure and in American manufacturing, and to combat the climate crisis. Time … Continue Reading
July 17, 2024
Kilmer Announces More than $20 Million for Transit Projects in Pierce, Clallam, and Grays Harbor Counties
TACOMA, WA - Today, U.S. Representative Derek Kilmer (WA-06) announced that the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Transit Administration (FTA) has awarded more than $20 million in federal funding through the Fiscal Year 2024 Buses and Bus Facilities program to support transit projects in Pierce, Clallam, and Grays Harbor Counties. This funding includes more than $6.2 million for the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) and more than $14.7 million for the Pierce … Continue Reading
July 17, 2024
Kilmer Introduces Bipartisan Bill to Help Ensure Tsunami Alerts Reach Those at Risk
Tacoma, WA - Today, U.S. Representative Derek Kilmer (WA-06) introduced new legislation that would implement recommendations from the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) that aim to help improve the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) ability to send tsunami alerts to the public. Following a review of how NOAA sends tsunami alerts to the public, the GAO has recommended that NOAA (1) assess NOAA Weather Radio’s coverage of populated areas at risk of tsunamis and … Continue Reading
July 09, 2024
Kilmer Recognizes Tacoma and Gig Harbor Students in Congressional Art Competition, Welcomes First Place Winner to Washington, D.C.
TACOMA, WA - Today, U.S. Representative Derek Kilmer (WA-06) announced Charles Wright Academy student Mera Foster as the first-place winner of the 2024 Congressional Art Competition for Washington’s Sixth Congressional District. The annual nationwide art competition allows high school students from across the United States to showcase their artistic ability. Mera’s work, titled “Piecing Together a Memory,” will now be displayed for eleven months in the tunnel leading to the U.S. Capitol in … Continue Reading
June 27, 2024
Kilmer Announces New Federal Investments for Kitsap Transit and the Makah Tribe
TACOMA, WA - Today, U.S. Representative Derek Kilmer (WA-06) announced that the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) will be awarding more than $18.3 million in federal funding to two projects in Washington’s Sixth Congressional District through the Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) discretionary grant program for 2024. This funding includes $17 million for Kitsap County Public Transportation Authority (Kitsap Transit) and more than $1.3 million for … Continue Reading
May 23, 2024
Kilmer Announces More Than $18 Million in Funding for Culvert Restoration Across Washington’s Sixth Congressional District
TACOMA, WA - Today, U.S. Representative Derek Kilmer (WA-06) announced that the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has awarded $18.4 million in new federal funding to four fish passage restoration projects in Washington’s Sixth District. This funding, made possible by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) and the Inflation Reduction Act, aims to restore aquatic access to healthy habitats through the Restoring Fish Passage through Barrier Removal program and the Restoring … Continue Reading
May 22, 2024
Kilmer Announces Historic Investment in Tribal Housing Across Washington’s Sixth Congressional District
TACOMA, WA - Today, U.S. Representative Derek Kilmer (WA-06) announced that the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has awarded a total of more than $21.5 million in federal funds through the Indian Housing Block Grant Program to Tribes in Washington’s Sixth Congressional District to support Tribal housing projects. These funds may be used for affordable housing activities, including new housing construction, rehabilitation, housing services, and more. “Across our region, … Continue Reading
May 15, 2024
Kilmer Introduces Bill to Ensure Fair Adoption Tax Credits for Tribal Families
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Representatives Derek Kilmer (WA-06), Mike Kelly (PA-16), Gwen Moore (WI-04), and John Moolenaar (MI-02) introduced the Tribal Adoption Parity Act, a bipartisan bill aimed at establishing parity between state and Tribal governments in determining whether an adoption qualifies as “special needs” and is thus eligible for the full adoption tax credit. U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (MN) and John Hoeven (ND) previously introduced companion legislation in the Senate. “The … Continue Reading
May 15, 2024
Kilmer Legislation to Improve Rural Airport Resiliency Passes House, Now Heads to President Biden’s Desk
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Representative Derer Kilmer (WA-06) applauded the passage of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Reauthorization Act of 2024 to reauthorize the FAA for five years. The FAA Reauthorization Act includes Rep. Kilmer’s Resilient Airports Act, bipartisan legislation to improve emergency and disaster response capabilities at airports nationwide, including those located in rural communities. “I can’t emphasize enough the importance of our airports in times of crisis, … Continue Reading
May 14, 2024
Kilmer Introduces Legislation to Protect Elections from Deceptive Artificial Intelligence in Political Ads
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Representatives Derek Kilmer (WA-06) and Tony Gonzales (TX-23) introduced the Protect Elections from Deceptive AI Act, bipartisan legislation to safeguard the integrity of federal elections. This pioneering legislation aims to combat the rise of deceptive AI-generated content in political campaign advertising. U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (MN), Josh Hawley (MO), Susan Collins (ME), and Chris Coons (DE) previously introduced companion legislation in the … Continue Reading
May 03, 2024
Kilmer Honored as a Fiscal Hero for Championing Responsible Budget Reform
WASHINGTON, D.C. - This week, U.S. Representative Derek Kilmer (WA-06) was named a Fiscal Hero of the 118th Congress by the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget (CRFB). Fiscal Heroes are awarded each Congress to recognize policymakers working to improve the nation’s fiscal situation and fix the budget process. “I’m deeply honored to receive the Fiscal Hero Award from the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget,” said Rep. Kilmer. “As Congress works to get a handle on America’s … Continue Reading
April 23, 2024
Kilmer Announces Transformative Investment in Zero-Emission Trucking Infrastructure
TACOMA, WA - Today, U.S. Representative Derek Kilmer (WA-06) announced that the Northwest Seaport Alliance will receive $16 million in federal funding from the Department of Transportation’s Federal Highway Administration’s Reduction of Truck Emissions at Port Facilities (RTEPF) Grant Program to support the deployment of 36 to 58 zero-emission drayage trucks through vehicle purchases and development of charging/fueling infrastructure in the Seattle-Tacoma region. “This investment in our … Continue Reading
April 11, 2024
Kilmer Legislation to Spur Economic Development for Puyallup Tribe Heads to President Biden’s Desk
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, U.S. Representative Derek Kilmer (WA-06); U.S. Senators Maria Cantwell (WA) and Patty Murray (WA); and U.S. Representative Marilyn Strickland (WA-10) celebrated the House passage of the Puyallup Tribe of Indians Land Into Trust Act. The bill now heads to President Biden’s desk for signature. The Puyallup Tribe of Indians Land Into Trust Act places more than 17 acres of land currently owned by the Puyallup Tribe into trust, restoring part of the Tribe’s ancestral … Continue Reading
April 09, 2024
Kilmer Announces Major Infrastructure Investment to Reconnect Wapato Creek with Puget Sound
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, U.S. Representative Derek Kilmer (WA-06) announced that the Northwest Seaport Alliance will receive $24.5 million in federal funding from the Department of Transportation’s Federal Highway Administration’s (FHWA) Fiscal Year 2022 and 2023 Promoting Resilient Operations for Transformative, Efficient, and Cost-Saving Transportation (PROTECT) Discretionary Grant Program to replace the failing Wapato Creek Culvert, which currently presents a significant barrier to aquatic … Continue Reading
April 04, 2024
Kilmer Introduces Legislation to Empower Tribal Nations in the Face of Climate Challenges
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Representatives Derek Kilmer (WA-06), Mike Simpson (ID-02), and Marie Gluesenkamp-Perez (WA-03) introduced the Tribal Environmental Risk and Resilience Act (TERRA Act) to streamline the process for Tribal Nations to respond to environmental threats, including extreme weather events, natural disasters, and other climate-induced challenges. “Tribal communities are on the frontline of the climate crisis, facing threats that jeopardize their safety, cultural heritage, and … Continue Reading
April 02, 2024
Kilmer Announces New Federal Funding for the Makah Indian Tribe to Support Ocean Mapping Efforts
PORT ANGELES, WA - Today, U.S. Representative Derek Kilmer (WA-06) announced that the Makah Indian Tribe will receive $288,482 in federal funding from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to support its ocean data mapping capabilities. This funding is made possible by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and will build on prior ocean data and mapping support work by the Tribe, while also focusing on priorities identified by the Tribe and the West Coast Ocean Alliance, … Continue Reading
March 22, 2024
Kilmer Introduces Legislation to End Blood Quantum Discrimination Against Native Americans in Border Law
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Representatives Derek Kilmer (WA-06) and Russ Fulcher (ID-01) introduced the Tribal Border Crossing Parity Act to redouble America’s efforts to end a half-century-old U.S. immigration policy which requires Native Americans to carry proof of their blood quantum, documents showing that they are at least 50 percent Native American, when exercising their treaty-protected right to freely cross between the U.S. and Canada. “Requiring Native Americans to prove their blood … Continue Reading
March 22, 2024
Kilmer Introduces Legislation to Spur Growth in Ocean-Based Energy, Create Jobs on Olympic Peninsula
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Representatives Derek Kilmer (WA-06) and Dan Newhouse (WA-04) introduced the Blue Ocean Energy Innovation Act, bipartisan legislation to redouble America’s efforts to reassert the U.S. as the global leader in the research and development of ocean-based technologies, also known as blue energy technologies. “Washington has led the national charge to develop blue energy - utilizing marine energy resources right here in our region that can help provide clean power to … Continue Reading
March 22, 2024
Kilmer Secures $2 Million to Connect Seniors to Health Care in Jefferson County
PORT TOWNSEND, WA - U.S. Representative Derek Kilmer (WA-06), a member of the House Appropriations Committee, announced $2 million in new federal funding for Jefferson Healthcare’s Expanding Healthcare for Rural Seniors project. The funding was passed with bipartisan support in the House and is expected to be passed by the Senate and signed into law by President Biden. Jefferson Healthcare will use the funding to support the construction and opening of a new clinic offering specialty care in … Continue Reading