News, views and advertising of the Grand Coulee Dam Area
News, views and advertising of the Grand Coulee Dam Area
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Washington’s 4th Congressional District is home to two sovereign tribes, the Yakama Nation in the south and the Colville Tribes in the north. I am proud to represent these strong Native communities in Congress, but there is a crisis affecting not only the Yakama and the Colville but tribes across the nation: missing and murdered indigenous women. Indigenous women throughout the country face a murder rate ten times higher than the national average, and I have seen firsthand how these injustices affect local communities. There are currently o...
There has been a lot of buzz around the Snake River dams. In the decades-old argument, anti-dam advocates consistently point out that if the people of the Northwest love salmon, the dams have got to go. The communities I represent have grave concerns over the removal of the Snake River dams, which provide reliable and affordable energy that is vital to our region. These communities are also concerned about salmon survival, which is why I am proud to support our dams while also supporting research to improve fish passage. In light of what seems...
With over 300 different commodities, Washington state has one of the most diverse agriculture industries in the country, and we are recognized around the world as a top producer of specialty crops. From apples and tree fruit to hops and wine grapes, Washington has cultivated a unique community of growers and producers who are leading the country in agriculture research and innovation. Promoting specialty crop research should be a no brainer. The Specialty Crop Research Initiative (SCRI) supports critical research being done on everything from...
Across the country, we have seen communities and patients struggle to access and afford healthcare. In rural areas, this struggle is intensified by longer distances and the remote nature of our communities. Living in rural America, we recognize emergency services aren’t always just a phone call away. Many of us travel many miles between our homes and the medical facilities that provide primary and long-term care — not to mention specialized treatments, which are often provided across the mountains in Seattle. For example, I’ve heard stori...
There has been a loud nationwide conversation about clean and carbon-free energy sources, and I am proud to represent Central Washington, where we are leading in renewable energy production. If you drive through our congressional district, you’re bound to see the rolling hills topped with windmills, whose turbines generate about 3,076 megawatts of renewable energy each year throughout the state. If you keep driving, you may end up in Adams County, where Washington’s largest solar farm opened north of Lind late last year. The facility is 25 tim...
A story out of Ritzville recently gained national attention: Larry Yockey is a fourth-generation wheat farmer, and for nearly fifty years, he hasn’t missed a harvest. Sadly, Larry was recently diagnosed with stage four cancer, allowing him to only spend a short amount of time in the fields. He was worried that his streak would come to an end, but his neighbors wouldn’t allow that to happen. Larry’s friends, neighbors, and community members surprised the Yockey family by storming in on 18 semis, 17 combines, and 11 bankouts. The harvest that...
Congress is responsible for funding our country, and we have some difficult decisions to make. I came to Washington D.C. to advocate for the priorities of my constituents, and I have heard loud and clear that the people of Central Washington want to ensure we aren’t further saddling our future generations with crippling debt. The Budget Control Act (BCA) set spending caps for Congress to abide by. Under this law, if the spending caps are exceeded, a government-wide sequester of both mandatory and discretionary funding would occur. This would me...
Last week, the House of Representatives voted on the Raise the Wage Act, which would increase the federal minimum wage to $15 an hour by 2025, despite warnings from the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office that this would result in the loss of nearly 4 million American jobs. In Washington state, we have already seen how mandating a higher minimum wage is negatively affecting our economy. With a state-wide minimum wage of $12 per hour, Washington mandates one of the highest rates in the country, and it will increase by another $1.50 in Janua...
One of Congress’ most important Constitutional responsibilities is providing for our military and national defense. For the past 58 years, this has been a bipartisan affair. Members of the House and Senate from both sides of the aisle have come together to pass a bipartisan National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) that provides for our military and troops who fight to protect and defend us. Last week, instead of voting on a bill that would ensure our troops have the resources they need and deserve, the House of Representatives voted on the D...
This Fourth of July, America will celebrate its 243rdbirthday. Our country has come a long way since 1776, and there is still more progress to be made. Our independence and our patriotism are what set the United States apart from the rest of the world, and we have a lot to be thankful for. As we gather with our family and friends to celebrate our freedom, we should also celebrate some of our nation’s finest treasures: our national parks and public lands. Washington state is fortunate to be home to 15 National Park Service (NPS) parks, which g...
The U.S. Forest Service (USFS) motto is, “Caring for the land and serving people.” That is exactly what the students of USFS Job Corps Civilian Conservation Centers do. With 25 locations across the country, these Civilian Conservation Centers (CCCs) provide skills and job training to “at-risk” young people who need a hand up to find gainful employment or receive their high school GED. Students are taught real skills they use to serve and bring economic prosperity to their local communities and our national forests. Central Washington is luck...
It is no secret that prescription drug costs are high. When we hear about medications being sold for outrageous prices, it is important to remember that they aren’t necessarily special drugs for specific treatments or rare diseases. These are medicines that treat high cholesterol and blood pressure, epi-pens that save the lives of children and adults exposed to an allergen, and insulin that patients with diabetes depend upon every day. In Central Washington, we already experience provider shortages, skyrocketing deductibles, and unaffordable p...
Last week, the House voted on legislation that would force the President to participate in the Paris Climate Agreement to reduce carbon emissions in the United States and the world. On the surface, this bill paints a pretty picture: reducing our carbon footprint. However, this federally-mandated top-down approach will not help advance that goal. I celebrate the fact that the United States is leading the global community in reducing carbon emissions, but President Trump withdrew the U.S. from the Paris Agreement because other countries, like...
Easter Sunday is the holiest day for observant Christians worldwide. It is the day followers of Jesus Christ celebrate his resurrection, and many believers choose to be baptized or receive their first communion on the special day. It is the day on which Christians celebrate the central tenets of our faith, which is why the coordinated suicide bombings on Easter Sunday in Sri Lanka that targeted minority Christians at four churches as well as foreigners at four hotels shocked that island nation and the world. The terrorists targeted Christian pl...
According to the Yakima Herald Republic’s special series, “The Vanished:” A report from the National Institute of Justice found that more than four out of five Native American women have experienced violence in their lives. In 2016, the Centers for Disease Control reported that homicide is the third leading cause of death among Native American women between the ages of 10 and 24. The Department of Justice has reported Native American women are 10 times more likely to be murdered than other Americans. The murder and abduction of indig...
After nearly two years, 2,800 subpoenas, 500 search warrants, and 500 witness interviews, we now know that Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation “did not find that the Trump campaign or anyone associated with it conspired or coordinated with Russia in its efforts to influence the 2016 U.S. presidential election.” The Department of Justice made clear that the special counsel’s report includes no new indictments or sealed indictments. After this thorough investigation, President Trump has been cleared of a charge that has divided the nat...
Last Thursday, I took an oath of office to uphold the U.S. Constitution as the representative of the people of the Fourth Congressional District in the 116th Congress. It is an honor to be entrusted with this office to represent the people of Central Washington, our values, and our liberties. In this period of divided government with a Republican president, Republican Senate majority, and Democratic House majority, it is our responsibility to find common ground as representatives of the people. I am proud that my first votes this Congress...
As 2018 comes to a close, so does the 115th Congress. It is an honor to represent the diverse interests of the Fourth Congressional District, and I am especially proud of the accomplishments we achieved that will improve the quality of life in Central Washington. One year after Congress passed historic tax relief for American taxpayers, we are seeing results in the form of higher paychecks, improved employee benefits, and growing small businesses. We are making it easier for Americans to save for their futures and encouraging innovation. I...
Last week, Congress voted 369-47 to pass the 2018 Farm Bill, sending this critical legislation to President Trump for his signature into law. The agreement sets us on a better path for our country’s farmers and ranchers, for our rural communities, for small businesses, and for consumers across the country at the grocery store and at kitchen tables. In March, I traveled across Central Washington to speak with farmers from every county in the Fourth Congressional District about their goals for the Farm Bill. With passage of the bill, I am p...
The recovery of the gray wolf is a success story for the Endangered Species Act, and the best available science should determine whether species remain listed. I am proud that the House voted last week to approve of legislation I co-introduced with Rep. Sean Duffy: H.R. 6784, the Manage Our Wolves Act, which will return management of the gray wolf species to the states. The states are best equipped to provide more effective and accountable management that responds to the needs of the ecosystem, other species, and local communities. In 2013,...
November 11 of this year marks the 100th anniversary of the Armistice that ended World War I. Over the course of that conflict, 116,516 American military personnel lost their lives. The deadliest battle in U.S. history was at Argonne Forest, from September 26, 1918, lasting more than a month, until the Armistice. The battle involved more than one million American soldiers and resulted in more than 26,000 American military deaths. The toll was unimaginable, but the U.S. contribution and heavy sacrifice on behalf of the Allied cause turned the...
As the nation’s students head back to classes after the summer break, choosing whether and where to attend college is a major focus for many high schoolers. In 2017, 44 million Americans had student-loan debt, and with rising tuition costs, it is more important than ever to empower families with the facts so that financial literacy keeps them from pitfalls of a cycle of education-related debt. Knowing which questions to ask can be as important as finding the answers. Just ask any student or parent if they feel well equipped to make informed dec...
“My brother is an addict. I am raising his daughter.” That is one of the many responses I received when I asked constituents of the 4th Congressional District how opioids and heroin abuse have affected people in our community. The responses are eye-opening to the heartbreaking cost of the opioid crisis in Central Washington: “The opioid crisis is destroying my family’s life,” and “my adult child has battled addiction for 20 years after taking post-surgery opioids at 18” are two more responses that are truly a call to action. Families are strugg...
For months, my Pacific Northwest congressional colleagues and I have been raising our voices and working on legislation to prevent increasing forced spill at the lower Snake and Columbia River dams from raising electricity rates in our region by $40 million. That forced spill order, the result of a ruling of a single federal judge in Portland, took effect at the beginning of April. Last week, our work resulted in passing bipartisan legislation, H.R. 3144, introduced by Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers, myself, and members of Congress from the...
Holocaust survivor and Nobel laureate, the late Elie Wiesel, once said of that horrific state-sponsored genocide that, “to forget the victims means to kill them a second time. So I couldn’t prevent the first death. I surely must be capable of saving them from a second death.” The world-renowned author sought to prevent victims from being forgotten through writing many books on the persecution through his experience and by helping establish the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C. Wiesel’s words underscore the gravity of the dut...