Weekly Columns and Op-Eds
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."
This week, the Tri-Cities community will come together in honor of U.S. Marine Sergeant Dietrich Schmieman of Richland.
In a formal ceremony, community members, family, friends, Marine Corps brothers-in-arms, and local leaders will designate the U.S. Postal Service facility at 4801 West Van Giesen Street in West Richland as the "Sergeant Dietrich Schmieman Post Office Building."
A member of Congress makes a hateful remark, and House congressional leaders of the same political party respond by swiftly condemning and then strip that representative of all committee assignments—a severe punishment.
‘Gridlock' might seem to be the best word to describe divided government in Washington D.C. these days. However, last week, despite the partisan differences in the nation's capital, bipartisanship and pragmatism won in what can only be described as a major legislative win for Central Washington.
Once one of the world's richest oil-producing nations with the largest proven oil reserves, Venezuela's economy has now collapsed as a result of mismanagement and socialist policies. Instead of a workers' paradise promised by the late leftist Hugo Chávez and his successor, Nicolás Maduro, the Venezuelan people now suffer dramatic shortages of even the most basic of life's necessities.
Last week, Congress came together to pass, and President signed into law, bipartisan legislation that prioritizes securing our border and keeps the federal government open.
In the American West, fewer issues are more complex or at times divisive as who gets access to our most vital single resource: water. Yet in Washington state, we can be proud that pragmatism, bipartisanship, and a strong commitment to a shared goal has allowed a major water project to progress with the input of a diverse group of local advocates.
Last week, Democrats heralded a "Green New Deal" framework promising "a massive transformation of our society" through "a 10-year plan to mobilize every aspect of American society at a scale not seen since World War Two to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions." The goal of being responsible stewards of our environment is certainly serious, but the details of this plan are not.
The issue of abortion is likely one of the biggest fault lines that divide Americans, but there is one aspect of this ongoing debate that is not controversial: According to a 2018 Gallup poll, only 28 percent of Americans believe that abortion should generally be legal in the second trimester.
Article II, Section 3, clause 1 of the United States Constitution states that the President has a duty to provide an annual State of the Union address to the U.S. Senate and the U.S. House of Representatives. This address gives the President of the United States the opportunity to update Congress and the American people and discuss a vision for the future of the country.