Weekly Columns and Op-Eds
Last week, President Trump signed appropriations legislation approved by Congress, H.R. 5895, the Energy and Water, Legislative Branch, and Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations Act, to fund some of the highest priorities of the federal government, including health care for our veterans.
Once hunted to near-extinction in the lower 48 U.S. states and listed by the federal government as an endangered species in 1974, gray wolves (Canis lupus) are thriving in the U.S. and in Washington state, with more than 5,000 wolves now living in the contiguous U.S.
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.
What does opportunity mean in America? The American Dream means individuals and families are unconstrained from pursuing their own goals. It means that government policies will reduce burdens on citizens, taxpayers, and entrepreneurs, not step between you and your ability to work hard.
Some numbers provide snapshots of Americans' confidence and what economic opportunity looks like.
The sight and smell of choking haze and dangerous levels of smoke from burning forests have become all too common during our Pacific Northwest summers. Major fires have struck Central Washington time and again, year after year, and nothing will change until we decide we have had enough.
John Adams once said that "national defense is one of the cardinal duties of a statesman." I am pleased that the recent agreement to provide for our national defense for the upcoming fiscal year was a moment of clear unity in Congress to fulfill our constitutional duty to "provide for the common defense."
Do you think hair-braiding professionals should be required to obtain a cosmetology license? In about a dozen states, hair braiding actually does require such a license, at the expense of hundreds of hours of training that can cost thousands of dollars.
The issues of water reliability and water infrastructure are of such high importance, particularly in our region and across the West, that they are topics I constantly focus on in Congress.
Last week, I sat down with President Trump and members of Congress at the White House to discuss the impact of trade on agriculture in Central Washington. China's and other nations' retaliatory tariffs on US products are having a major impact on growers and producers in our state.
The federal government plays an important role in Central Washington and across the West when it comes to a host of issues that impact rural communities. The federal government must manage vast tracks of federal lands including managing wild species, and preventing forest fires among other services.