Weekly Columns and Op-Eds
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. This year, Central Washington communities are grappling with the Boyds, Cougar Creek, Crescent Mountain, Grass Valley, McCleod, and Miriam fires, adding up to thousands of burned acres.
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. Hair braiding is one of many moderate income jobs to which access has been limited to potential entrepreneurs by bureaucratic occupational licensing requirements. In Washington state, that list includes athletic trainers, massage therapists, taxidermists, and more.
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. Whether the backlog of water projects waiting to be built right here in the Fourth Congressional District, or the difficulty and complexity of renegotiating the Columbia River Treaty with Canada, to the ongoing threat of the spill order mandated at our lower Snake and Columbia River dams, we face a lot of challenges in ensuring a stable water supply for our communities.
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. In our meeting, I brought up the challenges of Central Washington cherry-growers as one example of export-reliant agriculture that have been paying the price for rising tension. China is the No.
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. Residents of Central Washington expect the federal government to fulfill its responsibilities to the public and to respect local wishes, hearing us out about policies that affect our daily lives.
Last week, President Trump pardoned 76-year old Oregon rancher Dwight Lincoln Hammond, Jr., and his 49-year old son, Steven Hammond. I strongly believe that the pardon was justified after the vindictive prosecution and excessive sentencing of the Hammonds.
In 2001, the Hammonds were conducting controlled burns – a common land management technique – on their land to burn invasive weeds on their property. The fire spread unintentionally to Bureau of Land Management (BLM) lands, burning about 140 acres.
I was delighted and honored that the 31st U.S. Secretary of Agriculture, Sonny Perdue, accepted my invitation to travel to Central Washington last week to hear questions and concerns from farmers and ranchers. Secretary Perdue showed himself to be very knowledgeable while answering questions from me and farmers in our area on how the Administration's policies are impacting them, and I appreciated him taking the time to engage with the agriculture community in the Pacific Northwest.
If you tried, it would be difficult to meet anyone who does not have strong feelings about our nation's broken immigration system. It is an issue that drives an emotional debate regarding the future of our country.
In a recent interview, Chris Cabrera, a border patrol agent with the National Border Patrol Council referred to the situation at the Southern border, saying:
Our broken immigration system has been coined a "third rail" of politics because both sides tend to politicize it instead of compromising on a solution. I believe Congress must act with a realistic view to address border security and reform our broken immigration process.
I have worked in good faith with Democrats and Republicans in Congress as well as the White House toward a solution to address concerns on both sides. The bottom line is that Congress must approve immigration reform that President Trump will sign into law.