Weekly Columns and Op-Eds

In Washington state, the need for a reliable workforce is well known among farmers and ranchers. Our region produces high-quality specialty crops, many of which are labor-intensive. Farmers are struggling given current economic conditions; a recent USDA report pulling 2024 data ranks Washington state 50th in farm profitability. A primary driver of that last-place ranking is the high cost of labor. 

During World War II, the Hanford Site played a pivotal role in propelling the United States to win the nuclear arms race, which put an end to combat in the Pacific Theater. Decades later, as a result of that work, the federal government is still working on the largest environmental cleanup site on the planet, holding up its end of the Tri-Party Agreement to remediate the land. 

Farmers across rural America are facing an affordability crisis. As a third-generation farmer in the Yakima Valley, I know firsthand the challenges facing farm country and the importance of passing the Farm, Food and National Security Act of 2026, otherwise known as the farm bill. This legislation is an investment in our producers, our families and the rural economy across Washington's Fourth District. 

As we barrel towards a government shutdown due to Senate Democrats’ refusal to pass a clean continuing resolution (CR), essential programs and services here in Central Washington are now at risk. Congress has the responsibility under our Constitution to fund the federal government, and allowing a shutdown is a disservice to the American people. 

On September 30, the federal government’s funding will lapse, and a government shutdown will begin if Congress does not pass a Continuing Resolution (CR) to extend current funding levels. Just last week, the House of Representatives passed a clean CR to keep the government open until November 21, which would prevent a shutdown and allow us to continue negotiating the Fiscal Year 2026 government funding legislation. Now, the responsibility falls on the Senate to follow suit, pass the House CR, and keep our government open.

We are just one month away from the start of hot commissioning at the Waste Treatment Plant (WTP) at Hanford, a milestone in the cleanup effort more than twenty years in the making. Throughout my time in Congress, I have supported the Hanford mission and helped deliver resources to the project through my role on the House Appropriations Committee. While federal spending levels and policies change over the years, one thing remains true; Hanford will make history with the vitrification of radioactive waste this fall. 

In July, Congress passed an unprecedented Working Families Tax Cut, delivering tax relief for families and small businesses while making reforms to Medicaid to ensure the program’s long-term sustainability. Two months prior, Washington Governor Bob Ferguson signed the biennial state budget which included over $780 million in cuts to Medicaid over the next two years. In fact, the Governor held a performative press conference in Kennewick calling my position on H.R.

After a productive August district work period in Washington’s Fourth District, it’s back to DC for Congress. Passing H.R. 1 in July delivered much-needed relief for working families, small businesses, and farmers. Now, we turn our focus to federal spending through the annual appropriations process and passing outstanding Farm Bill priorities not included in H.R. 1. As a member of the House Appropriations Committee and House Agriculture Committee, I am bringing feedback from constituents across the district to the halls of Congress this fall.