News, views and advertising of the Grand Coulee Dam Area
News, views and advertising of the Grand Coulee Dam Area
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Anyone who has spent time in Central Washington knows the Columbia River is the defining natural feature of our region. As the largest river in the Western Hemisphere that flows into the Pacific Ocean, it has long guided the way of life for people living in the Pacific Northwest. From water storage and transportation to recreation, flood control, energy production, and wildlife habitat, our management of the Columbia River will continue to determine the economic future of our region. We share this magnificent resource with our neighbor to the...
From our founding to the present, American history is filled with reminders of the sacrifices of patriots who took up arms when the call went out to defend their country and the principles that we hold dear. We just observed Memorial Day, when we recognize the high price paid by more than one million men and women in the Armed Forces. This week, we commemorate the 72nd anniversary of the Allied invasion of Normandy. We are reminded that when the call comes for the common defense, the men and women of our Armed Forces continue to fulfill their d...
We live in an astounding time of technological progress, during the “Information Age.” Since the 1990s, the Internet has flourished and created a digital marketplace, revolutionizing the world economy and the way commerce is conducted. Private enterprise has developed an incredible number of innovative services for millions of consumers. Keeping the Internet free from government micromanagement and open to innovation for years to come must be a top priority. Turn back the clock for a moment to 1934, which is the year the Federal Com...
It may be news to many Americans, but as individual land owners, ranchers, and farmers in Washington already know, the federal government is one of the largest property managers in the nation, and especially in the West. According to a 2014 government survey, federal agencies manage 640 million acres of land, or one million square miles nationwide. That number accounts for 28 percent of land in the country. To put that enormous number in further perspective, it is just a bit smaller than the size of the land area of the three largest states,...
What do you call it when the federal government targets legitimate businesses and causes them to be shut down, not for illegal activity, but because they are deemed undesirable by the Administration? Answer: federal regulatory intimidation. Last week, I voted to effectively stop one such effort: “Operation Choke Point.” We must ensure federal regulators are held accountable to stay on the right side of the line between enforcement of the law and regulatory intimidation. Operation Choke Point was a secret U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) ant...
8 has been an eventful year for our nation and for the 4th District of Washington, which I have been honored to be given the responsibility by Central Washingtonians to represent you in Congress. My commitment has been to work hard on solutions, not just add to the partisan noise in D.C. I am committed to working for you, listening to you and responding to questions and comments you have. This year, my congressional office has provided resources at events held on behalf of farmers, students, and veterans. My staff made 24 mobile office...
What is a human life worth? The way a society responds to that question effectively describes the values held by that society. A just and healthy society should view innocent life as worth dignity and protection. The prospect of profiting off of another human’s life is repulsive because each person possesses an intrinsic moral value, not a commercial value. Horrifyingly, there are some today who actually place a dollar amount on the tissue and organs of unborn humans. The callous language used by Planned Parenthood officials in recently r...
No one should ever hang up on a veteran seeking medical assistance. Every veteran deserves to be treated with respect and dignity, and especially with urgency in an emergency medical situation. Proper treatment for our veterans reflects the honor our nation accords for their service in uniform. Anything less is simply unacceptable, and even shameful. Earlier this year, a 64-year-old Army veteran from Kennewick, Donald Siefken, arrived outside the Seattle Veterans Administration hospital emergency room with a broken and swollen foot. Mr....
I recently read a news story of an outstanding teenager in Prosser named Walker Orr. Since he was 8 years old, Walker has found innovative ways to offer a service or product in exchange for a reasonable price, from selling varieties of seeds to running a lawn mowing business. Now at the age of just 16, Walker has started a small artisan bread company, Amber Artisan Bread, selling loaves and baguettes at farmers markets in Prosser and Tri-Cities. How can we as a nation encourage budding entrepreneurs just like Walker and those who work hard...
If you were asked to describe a “navigable waterway” in the U.S., you would most likely not think of the stream in your backyard or the irrigation ditch in your field. You would probably mention the Columbia and Mississippi rivers or the Great Lakes. These massive bodies of water are navigable because they function as highways for commercial traffic by ship or boat. Under the Obama Administration, the Environmental Protection Agency and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers would disagree. These agencies have defined waterways in a way that only D.C...
No American should fear that their government has made a false choice between prioritizing either national security or civil rights. Our nation needs a continuing, robust debate on the proper balance the federal government should strike in defending American lives and freedoms. As that debate continues, Americans deserve more transparency and accountability—the federal government must address legitimate civil rights concerns and reform intelligence agencies’ approach to surveillance in a manner that maintains security of the homeland. Last yea...
Americans prosper and create prosperity for others when they are able to keep and spend more of what they earn. April is Tax Month, and it can be a reminder that nothing in life is ‘as certain as death and taxes,’ to paraphrase Benjamin Franklin. The federal tax code should be consistent, encourage economic growth, and allow Americans to plan with certainty. That is why I supported legislation passed in the House this month to reduce the tax burden on families, farms, and businesses by repealing the federal estate tax (or “death tax”) and to...
An important part of serving in Congress is responding to questions from constituents on a range of topics, from Obamacare to national security and religious persecution abroad. I always look forward to hearing from constituents who contact my office by telephone, email, or letters. These questions often touch on important issues facing our country, and some deserve a wider audience, which is why I would like to share a couple with you. One retired constituent from Central Washington emailed my office with this question: How do you plan on...
