Weekly Columns and Op-Eds

Science, technology, engineering, and math – more commonly known as STEM – have become some of the most highly demanded careers in our nation's economy. Schools across the country and in Central Washington have emphasized education programs to help prepare students for future careers in fields from chemistry and earth sciences to computer engineering and physics.

Originally published in the Yakima Herald-Republic on December 8, 2019.

November is recognized as National Native American Heritage Month, and I believe this is an important time to remember and celebrate the contributions and history of our Native friends and neighbors in Central Washington and across the United States.

Each Thanksgiving, I am reminded that in Central Washington, we have a lot to be thankful for. We are blessed with gorgeous national forests and public lands, powerful rivers and dams, and bountiful farm land.

The students of Job Corps Civilian Conservation Centers were recently given a second chance.

Earlier this year, the future of these programs was threatened when the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) proposed closing 9 of the 25 Civilian Conservation Center (CCC) programs and transferring the operations of the remaining Centers to the Department of Labor (DOL).

When I talk to farmers in Central Washington and across the country, having access to a stable and legal workforce is often their number one concern. Each year, it becomes harder to hire domestic workers, and farm owners have become increasingly dependent on the H-2A agricultural guestworker program to grow and harvest their goods for market.

Originally published in Capital Press on October 30, 2019.

All of Central Washington's constituents are special, and I am proud to represent each of them in our nation's capital. One constituent I am most proud of is General James N. Mattis, decorated four-star general and former U.S. Secretary of Defense. He exemplifies the American principles of hard work, patriotism, and integrity.