url,title,date,year,month,party,chamber,state,member_name,bioguide_id,domain,scraper,source,date_source,text,has_text,collected_at,updated_at https://herrerabeutler.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=401740,"Jaime Herrera Beutler Supports Allowing Parents to Withdraw Penalty-Free from Retirement Accounts Following Birth, Adoption",2019-12-30,2019,2019-12,Republican,House,WA,Jaime Herrera Beutler,H001056,herrerabeutler.house.gov,,,legacy,"Congresswoman Jaime Herrera Beutler supported allowing parents to withdraw up to $5,000 without penalty from their retirement accounts following the birth or adoption of a child. This provision was included in the recent spending package Congress passed and the president signed into law. share: f t Congresswoman Jaime Herrera Beutler supported allowing parents to withdraw up to $5,000 without penalty from their retirement accounts following the birth or adoption of a child. This provision was included in the recent spending package Congress passed and the president signed into law. Families in Southwest Washington who are struggling to afford housing, child care and medical expenses should be able to access their own savings when they need it most often, that's the year following the birth or adoption of a child, Herrera Beutler said. I'm pleased to have supported another common-sense solution that eases the financial burden working families face in Ridgefield, Centralia, Bingen and all across our region. The types of plans that qualify include Individual Retirement Accounts (IRA) and 401(k) and 403(b) plans. Withdrawals of up to $5,000 are exempt from the 10 percent early withdrawal tax and can be made within one year of the birth of a child or finalization of adoption. If the parents have separate retirement plans, they can each withdraw up to $5,000. This provision takes effect December 31, 2019.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://herrerabeutler.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=401747,Goldendale Sentinel: Protecting our moms is an important policy,2019-12-25,2019,2019-12,Republican,House,WA,Jaime Herrera Beutler,H001056,herrerabeutler.house.gov,,,legacy,"As a young mom and a lawmaker, I often consider the intersection of public policy and family health. It's this experience that has spurred me to work hard on policy focused on improving health care for motherswhether it's keeping them safe during pregnancy, expanding access to maternal telehealth services or simply allowing mothers to carry breast milk through airport security. These are issues that matter to everyone. share: f t As a young mom and a lawmaker, I often consider the intersection of public policy and family health. It's this experience that has spurred me to work hard on policy focused on improving health care for motherswhether it's keeping them safe during pregnancy, expanding access to maternal telehealth services or simply allowing mothers to carry breast milk through airport security. These are issues that matter to everyone. Why? Because you either are a mom or you have a mom. Protecting moms starts during pregnancy. Shockingly, the United States has the highest maternal mortality rate among developed nations in the world. This is unacceptable, and the tragedy of moms dying during pregnancy, childbirth and postpartum has motivated me to take action. Last year my bipartisan bill, the Preventing Maternal Deaths Act, was signed into law. This bill marked the strongest step Congress has taken to reverse the growing trend of maternal mortalitybut it was only a first step. This bill establishes and supports Maternal Mortality Review Committees to investigate every single pregnancy-related or pregnancy-associated death. Understanding the factors will help us develop strategies to prevent future mothers' deaths. More recently, two other important bills I'm supporting, the Maternal Health Quality Improvement Act and the Helping MOMS Act, were approved by congressional committee. Both bills take direct steps to reduce maternal mortality and strengthen support for moms living in rural areas. The Maternal Health Quality Improvement Act focuses on tele-health, which leverages technology so a mom in Goldendaleor Trout Lakecan talk remotely to a specialist in Seattle or Portland. The Helping MOMS Act ensures new moms can access health services for one year after giving birtha period when moms are most likely to encounter a health complication. As a young mom in the U.S. House, I recognized the potential for Congress to do much more focused on promoting health in motherhood. That's why I co-founded the Maternity Care Caucusa group of Republicans and Democrats dedicated to finding common ground and pushing legislation focused on moms and babies. We've worked on solutions that have been signed into law like the BABES Act, which requires the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) to accommodate parents traveling with breast milk, infant food, and feeding equipment. Our bipartisan Maternity Care Caucus has also championed solutions to improve research on medication used during pregnancy and breastfeeding. A few years ago, we successfully advocated that the Food and Drug Administration change its policies to allow the inclusion of a critical vitamin in corn masa, which will help prevent life-threatening birth defects among Hispanic communities in Southwest Washington. I'm proud to be playing a part in solutions that help mothers in Klickitat County and across the country. After all, it truly does matter to everyone, because you either are a mom or you have a mom.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://newhouse.house.gov/media-center/weekly-columns-and-op-eds/column-politically-motivated-impeachment-divides-america,COLUMN: Politically-Motivated Impeachment Divides America,2019-12-23,2019,2019-12,Republican,House,WA,Dan Newhouse,N000189,newhouse.house.gov,,,legacy,"Impeachment is one of the most serious responsibilities afforded to Congress, and that sobering responsibility has not been lost on me. The people of Central Washington sent me to our nation's capital to represent them, and I believe when it comes to charging a President with the articles of impeachment Members must focus on the facts presented. House Democrats failed to present fact-based evidence of high crimes or misdemeanors committed by President Trump. Our Founding Fathers cautioned against using impeachment as a political tool, and that is exactly what House Democrats have done. In the Federalist Papers No. 65, Alexander Hamilton discussed the importance and potential perils facing Congress when considering impeachment. He wrote, There will always be the greatest danger that the decision will be regulated more by the comparative strength of parties, than by the real demonstrations of innocence or guilt. The impeachment proceedings against President Trump are what Alexander Hamilton warned us about. The hearings in the House Intelligence and Judiciary Committees demonstrated partisan, politically-motivated testimony by witnesses who did not have firsthand knowledge of the so-called crimes the President is being accused of. The partisanship of the impeachment proceedings denied equality to Republican Committee Members and due process to the President. We absolutely should not set a dangerous precedent of bringing articles of impeachment against our duly elected public officials based on hearsay, inference, or political disagreement. Accusing President Trump of obstruction of Congress because the Executive Branch exercised our Constitution's system of checks of balances does not rise to the high standards of impeachment. Charging President Trump with abuse of power would require House Democrats to prove that he had corrupt motive. In respect to the phone call with Ukrainian President Zelensky, which the articles of impeachment are based off of, not one of the witnesses called before either of the House Committees were able to substantiate wrongdoing and even denied there being quid pro quo. For these reasons, I voted against both articles of impeachment. Speaker Pelosi herself said that an impeachment inquiry must be compelling, overwhelming, and bipartisan. This inquiry was none of the above. These proceedings have, as Speaker Pelosi predicted, divided the country and have taken time and energy away from the People's House. President Trump has continued to work on behalf of American families. As the Senate conducts their trial, I hope they will move swiftly and competently, focus on the facts instead of politics, and provide fair, transparent proceedings. All along, I have advocated that Congress should be working to advance the legislative priorities of the American people. With this vote behind us in the House, I hope we can move forward to work on behalf of those we represent instead of focusing on reversing the results of the 2016 presidential election.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://mcmorris.house.gov/happy-hanukkah/,Happy Hanukkah,2019-12-22,2019,2019-12,Republican,House,WA,Cathy McMorris Rodgers,M001159,mcmorris.house.gov,,,legacy,"Friends, From my family to yours, Happy Hanukkah. The Festival of Lights comes each year as winter's dark days are closing in on us. The miracle of Hanukkahwhen the lamps in the Temple shone for eight daysis a reminder to us all that even in depths and darkness of despair, it's our faith in God where we can find hope and light. Today, when you light the Hanukkah candles, may you bask in the warm glow of celebration with your family. May we also together give thanks to the many blessings and God-given rights we share, especially for life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness for all. This year, I'm wishing you eight days of joy, peace, and hope as you celebrate Hanukkah. You are in my prayers. Chag Sameach! Cathy",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://mcmorris.house.gov/mcmorris-rodgers-newhouse-blast-wasteful-state-report-on-lower-snake-river-dams/,"McMorris Rodgers, Newhouse Blast Wasteful State Report on Lower Snake River Dams",2019-12-20,2019,2019-12,Republican,House,WA,Cathy McMorris Rodgers,M001159,mcmorris.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, D.C. Eastern Washington Congresswoman Cathy McMorris Rodgers (WA-05) and Congressman Dan Newhouse (WA-04) released the following joint statement after Washington Governor Jay Inslee released a public draft of the Lower Snake River Dams Stakeholder Engagement Report, the product of a $750,000 state-funded study on breaching the federally-owned and operated Snake River dams in Central and Eastern Washington: What this report tells us is Governor Inslee spent three-quarters of a million dollars and a year's time to conclude there are differing perspectives' and more information needed' on this issue, said Reps. Newhouse and McMorris Rodgers. We had no idea a year ago when we said this study would be a wasteful use of taxpayer dollars just how accurate we'd be imagine how far $750,000 could have gone to directly support salmon recovery efforts. Every taxpayer in our state should be outraged. Reps. Newhouse and McMorris Rodgers continued, We will continue to work in Congress with local stakeholders and federal partnerswho are already conducting a comprehensive environmental analysis based on science, not opinionsto improve salmon recovery and fish passage within the federally-owned and operated dam system while maintaining and optimizing the clean, renewable hydroelectric power our communities and economies rely on. In the meantime, since the Governor's so-called public workshops' next month will not allow for public testimony, we encourage all community members to submit their comments and concerns on the report to ensure our voices are heard. There will be three public workshops to discuss the findings of the study, which will include a presentation of the report followed by a panel discussion representing different interests. Per the Governor's Office, there will not be time for public testimony during the workshops. Audience members may submit written questions to be asked of the panel if time is available, and written comments will be accepted. Public workshop dates and locations listed below: January 7, 2020 Clarkston Quality Inn & Suites and Quay Convention Center 700 Port Drive, Clarkston 6:00 9:00 PM PST January 9, 2020 Vancouver Washington State University Vancouver Dengerink Administration Building 14204 NE Salmon Avenue, Vancouver 6:00 9:00 PM PST January 13, 2020 Tri-Cities Pasco Red Lion Hotel & Conference Center 2525 North 20th Avenue, Pasco 6:00 9:00 PM PST Background: On December 13, 2018, Governor Jay Inslee proposed a $750,000 line item in the state budget to support evaluation of the Lower Snake River dams by a state task force. Reps. Newhouse and McMorris Rodgers released a statement opposed to the study. On May 20, 2019, Reps. Newhouse and McMorris Rodgers publicly urged Governor Inslee to veto the line item in a joint statement, citing widespread support for the dams. On July 29, 2019, Reps. Newhouse and McMorris Rodgers issued a joint statement to reject a flawed, privately-funded study on the Lower Snake River Dams, conducted by ECONorthwest. # # #",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://mcmorris.house.gov/my-votes-week-of-december-16-2/,My Votes – Week of December 16,2019-12-20,2019,2019-12,Republican,House,WA,Cathy McMorris Rodgers,M001159,mcmorris.house.gov,,,legacy,"RULE BILLS **A rule bill is a bill passed through a full House vote under a rule that has been voted and agreed upon by the Rules Committee. Rule bills require a simple majority of the House to pass (218 votes) through a recorded vote. Result and Date Bill # Bill Title My Vote What it means for you and your family 12/17/19 PASSED 297-120 H.R. 1865 Further Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2020: Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education; Agriculture; Energy and Water; Interior; Legislative Branch; Military Construction and Veterans Affairs; State and Foreign Operations; and Transportation and Housing NO This package represented recording spending highs without funding a solution for our climbing debt. Every month, families in Eastern Washington have to sit down and balance their budgets Congress should, too. As legislators, we should fulfill our duties and complete the budget by the end of the fiscal year and not continually kick the can down the road. It's past time to rein in federal spending and fix a broken budget process. 12/17/19 PASSED 280-138 H.R. 1158 Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2020: Defense; Commerce, Justice, Science; Financial Services; and Homeland Security NO This package represented recording spending highs without funding a solution for our climbing debt. Every month, families in Eastern Washington have to sit down and balance their budgets Congress should, too. As legislators, we should fulfill our duties and complete the budget by the end of the fiscal year and not continually kick the can down the road. It's past time to rein in federal spending and fix a broken budget process. 12/18/19 PASSED 230-197 H.Res. 755 Impeaching Donald John Trump, President of the United States- Article 1: Abuse of Power NO You can read my full statement on the impeachment of President Trump by clicking here. 12/18/19 PASSED 229-198 H.Res. 755 Impeaching Donald John Trump, President of the United States- Article 2: Obstruction of Congress NO You can read my full statement on the impeachment of President Trump by clicking here. 12/19/19 PASSED 218-206 H.R. 5377 Restoring Tax Fairness for States and Localities Act NO Instead of restoring tax fairness, this legislation would function as a tax break for the wealthy in states like California and New York while penalizing the rest of the country. 12/19/19 PASSED 385-41 H.R. 5430 United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement Implementation Act YES I am an ardent supporter of the USMCA. Washington is one of the most trade dependent states in the country, with one in three jobs relying on trade. SUSPENSION BILLS **A suspension bill is a bill passed by the House through suspending the rules to move quickly, circumventing the House Rules Committee. Suspension bills are typically less controversial pieces of legislation, and as the rules are being suspended, they require a higher threshold, two-thirds of those voting in the House, to pass. Additionally, these bills are often passed by a voice vote, without a formal roll call vote. Result and Date Bill # Bill Title My Vote What it means for you and your family 12/17/19 PASSED 408-1 H.R. 4183 Identifying Barriers and Best Practices Study Act YES This bill requires a multi-year study on VA disability and pension benefits for members of the Reserve Components and National Guard. 12/17/19 PASSED 409-1 H.R. 3530 Improving Confidence in Veterans' Care Act YES This legislation requires the Department of Veterans Affairs to conduct better oversight of its hospitals' compliance with existing policies on patient safety and quality of care. 12/17/19 PASSED 410-1 H.R. 722 Miracle Mountain Designation Act YEs This would designate an unnamed mountain in the State of Utah, partially found on the border of the Unita-Wasatch-Cache National Forest, as Miracle Mountain. 12/17/19 PASSED 409-1 H.R. 2548 HELP ACT YES This bill modifies eligibility for the Federal Emergency Management Agency's (FEMA) Hazard Mitigation Assistance (HMA) grant programs to allow state, local, tribal, and territorial governments to begin certain land acquisition and simple construction which do not require a comprehensive review. 2019 PAST VOTES:",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://mcmorris.house.gov/my-votes-week-of-december-16/,My Votes – Week of December 16,2019-12-20,2019,2019-12,Republican,House,WA,Cathy McMorris Rodgers,M001159,mcmorris.house.gov,,,legacy,"RULE BILLS **A rule bill is a bill passed through a full House vote under a rule that has been voted and agreed upon by the Rules Committee. Rule bills require a simple majority of the House to pass (218 votes) through a recorded vote. Result and Date Bill # Bill Title My Vote What it means for you and your family 12/17/19 PASSED 297-120 H.R. 1865 Further Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2020: Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education; Agriculture; Energy and Water; Interior; Legislative Branch; Military Construction and Veterans Affairs; State and Foreign Operations; and Transportation and Housing NO This package represented recording spending highs without funding a solution for our climbing debt. Every month, families in Eastern Washington have to sit down and balance their budgets Congress should, too. As legislators, we should fulfill our duties and complete the budget by the end of the fiscal year and not continually kick the can down the road. It's past time to rein in federal spending and fix a broken budget process. 12/17/19 PASSED 280-138 H.R. 1158 Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2020: Defense; Commerce, Justice, Science; Financial Services; and Homeland Security NO This package represented recording spending highs without funding a solution for our climbing debt. Every month, families in Eastern Washington have to sit down and balance their budgets Congress should, too. As legislators, we should fulfill our duties and complete the budget by the end of the fiscal year and not continually kick the can down the road. It's past time to rein in federal spending and fix a broken budget process. 12/18/19 PASSED 230-197 H.Res. 755 Impeaching Donald John Trump, President of the United States- Article 1: Abuse of Power NO You can read my full statement on the impeachment of President Trump by clicking here. 12/18/19 PASSED 229-198 H.Res. 755 Impeaching Donald John Trump, President of the United States- Article 2: Obstruction of Congress NO You can read my full statement on the impeachment of President Trump by clicking here. 12/19/19 PASSED 218-206 H.R. 5377 Restoring Tax Fairness for States and Localities Act NO Instead of restoring tax fairness, this legislation would function as a tax break for the wealthy in states like California and New York while penalizing the rest of the country. 12/19/19 PASSED 385-41 H.R. 5430 United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement Implementation Act YES I am an ardent supporter of the USMCA. Washington is one of the most trade dependent states in the country, with one in three jobs relying on trade. SUSPENSION BILLS **A suspension bill is a bill passed by the House through suspending the rules to move quickly, circumventing the House Rules Committee. Suspension bills are typically less controversial pieces of legislation, and as the rules are being suspended, they require a higher threshold, two-thirds of those voting in the House, to pass. Additionally, these bills are often passed by a voice vote, without a formal roll call vote. Result and Date Bill # Bill Title My Vote What it means for you and your family 12/17/19 PASSED 408-1 H.R. 4183 Identifying Barriers and Best Practices Study Act YES This bill requires a multi-year study on VA disability and pension benefits for members of the Reserve Components and National Guard. 12/17/19 PASSED 409-1 H.R. 3530 Improving Confidence in Veterans' Care Act YES This legislation requires the Department of Veterans Affairs to conduct better oversight of its hospitals' compliance with existing policies on patient safety and quality of care. 12/17/19 PASSED 410-1 H.R. 722 Miracle Mountain Designation Act YEs This would designate an unnamed mountain in the State of Utah, partially found on the border of the Unita-Wasatch-Cache National Forest, as Miracle Mountain. 12/17/19 PASSED 409-1 H.R. 2548 HELP ACT YES This bill modifies eligibility for the Federal Emergency Management Agency's (FEMA) Hazard Mitigation Assistance (HMA) grant programs to allow state, local, tribal, and territorial governments to begin certain land acquisition and simple construction which do not require a comprehensive review. 2019 PAST VOTES:",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://newhouse.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/newhouse-congratulates-kennewick-high-school-student-winners-0,Newhouse Congratulates Kennewick High School Student Winners of Congressional App Challenge,2019-12-20,2019,2019-12,Republican,House,WA,Dan Newhouse,N000189,newhouse.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, D.C. Rep. Dan Newhouse (R-WA) announced the winners of the 2019 Central Washington Congressional App Challenge, an app competition for K-12 students. Three 12th graders of Kennewick High School and Tri-Tech Skills Center Maxwell Blake, Preston Ryan, and Lucas Kaser have been named the competition winners. Their winning app, Clean Streets, aims to bring awareness to the environment and teaches users to separate items that are recyclable from those that are simply trash. Click here to see a preview of the winning app. Congratulations to Max, Preston, and Lucas on their winning app, Clean Streets! Rep. Newhouse said. I am always impressed by the technical knowledge, skills, and creativity demonstrated by Central Washington's students who submit to the App Challenge, and it is encouraging to see so many supported by strong STEM education and computer science programs. I am confident we are cultivating the next-generation of innovators, and I look forward to seeing the bright futures Max, Preston, and Lucas ahead of them. The winning app was selected by a panel of local judges and will receive a prize tour of Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. The winners will also share Amazon Web Services credits donated by Amazon for the challenge. The winning app will be featured on a video display in the U.S. Capitol building, as well as House.gov and the Congressional App Challenge website. Background: The Congressional App Challenge (CAC) was created because Congress recognized that Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) education skills are essential for economic growth and innovation, and that the U.S. has been falling behind on these fronts. According to the U.S. Department of Commerce, STEM occupations are projected to grow by 17% between 2008 and 2018, compared to 9.8% growth for non-STEM occupations. According to some estimates, the U.S. may be short as many as 3 million high-skilled workers by 2018. To maintain American competitiveness, it is crucial that the U.S. industry invest in our youth now and help them acquire necessary STEM-based skills. The CAC highlights and encourages students to pursue those skills.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://newhouse.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/newhouse-mcmorris-rodgers-blast-wasteful-state-report-lower-snake-river,"Newhouse, McMorris Rodgers Blast Wasteful State Report on Lower Snake River Dams",2019-12-20,2019,2019-12,Republican,House,WA,Dan Newhouse,N000189,newhouse.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, D.C. Today, Reps. Dan Newhouse (R-WA) and Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) released the following joint statement after Washington Governor Jay Inslee released a public draft of the Lower Snake River Dams Stakeholder Engagement Report, the product of a $750,000 state-funded study on breaching the federally-owned and operated Snake River dams in Central and Eastern Washington: What this report tells us is Governor Inslee spent three-quarters of a million dollars and a year's time to conclude there are differing perspectives' and more information needed' on this issue,said Reps. Newhouse and McMorris Rodgers. We had no idea a year ago when we said this study would be a wasteful use of taxpayer dollars just how accurate we'd be imagine how far $750,000 could have gone to directly support salmon recovery efforts. Every taxpayer in our state should be outraged. Reps. Newhouse and McMorris Rodgers continued,We will continue to work in Congress with local stakeholders and federal partnerswho are already conducting a comprehensive environmental analysis based on science, not opinionsto improve salmon recovery and fish passage within the federally-owned and operated dam system while maintaining and optimizing the clean, renewable hydroelectric power our communities and economies rely on. In the meantime, since the Governor's so-called public workshops' next month will not allow for public testimony, we encourage all community members to submit their comments and concerns on the report to ensure our voices are heard. The Lower Snake River Dam Stakeholder Engagement Report is open for public comment until January 24, 2020. Find information about how to submit your public comment online, by e-mail, or by mail here. There will be three public workshops to discuss the findings of the study, which will include a presentation of the report followed by a panel discussion representing different interests. Per the Governor's Office, there will not be time for public testimony during the workshops. Audience members may submit written questions to be asked of the panel if time is available, and written comments will be accepted. Public workshop dates and locations listed below: January 7, 2020 Clarkston Quality Inn & Suites and Quay Convention Center 700 Port Drive, Clarkston 6:00 9:00 PM PST January 9, 2020 Vancouver Washington State University Vancouver Dengerink Administration Building 14204 NE Salmon Avenue, Vancouver 6:00 9:00 PM PST January 13, 2020 Tri-Cities Pasco Red Lion Hotel & Conference Center 2525 North 20th Avenue, Pasco 6:00 9:00 PM PST Background: On December 13, 2018, Governor Jay Inslee proposed a $750,000 line item in the state budget to support evaluation of the Lower Snake River dams by a state task force. Reps. Newhouse and McMorris Rodgers released a statement opposed to the study. On May 20, 2019, Reps. Newhouse and McMorris Rodgers publicly urged Governor Inslee to veto the line item in a joint statement, citing widespread support for the dams. On July 29, 2019, Reps. Newhouse and McMorris Rodgers issued a joint statement to reject a flawed, privately-funded study on the Lower Snake River Dams, conducted by ECONorthwest.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://herrerabeutler.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=401738,Jaime Herrera Beutler Secures Funding for Salmon Production in the Columbia River,2019-12-19,2019,2019-12,Republican,House,WA,Jaime Herrera Beutler,H001056,herrerabeutler.house.gov,,,legacy,"Congresswoman Jaime Herrera Beutler helped secure strong funding to protect and expand Pacific salmon habitat and boost hatchery production of salmon and steelhead in the Columbia River system in the year-end spending package the U.S. House passed this week. share: f t Congresswoman Jaime Herrera Beutler helped secure strong funding to protect and expand Pacific salmon habitat and boost hatchery production of salmon and steelhead in the Columbia River system in the year-end spending package the U.S. House passed this week. As a senior member of the House Appropriations Committee, Herrera Beutler helped ensure that the package included $35.5 million to implement the Pacific Salmon Treaty and $22 million to support Mitchell Act hatchery activities the largest federal funding in five years for this program. Now that my sea lion bill has been signed into law, I am working with members from both political parties to take the next critical step: protect salmon habitat and increase hatchery production, Herrera Beutler said. I'm pleased we advanced this funding to bolster salmon in our rivers. Working together, we can protect the precious salmon resources we cherish so much. The U.S. Senate is expected to pass this spending package today and send it promptly to the president to be signed into law prior to December 20. The $35,500,000 in funding will address the recommendations outlined in the Pacific Salmon Commission's plan to implement the Pacific Salmon Treaty. Signed by Canada and the United States in 1985, the Treaty provides a framework for the two countries to cooperatively manage Pacific salmon stocks focused on protecting and expanding spawning habitat, increasing hatchery production, and implementing conservation measures to prevent overfishing and maximize production. The $22,000,000 in funding for Mitchell Act hatchery activities will enable federal agencies to work with Oregon, Washington, and Idaho to establish and operate a series of hatcheries and fish passage facilities to improve declining salmon runs in the Columbia River System, in order to ensure conversation of these critical natural resources, maintain economically viable tribal, commercial, and sports fisheries, and provide prey for Southern Resident killer whales.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://herrerabeutler.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=401739,Jaime Herrera Beutler Releases Statement on House Passage of USMCA,2019-12-19,2019,2019-12,Republican,House,WA,Jaime Herrera Beutler,H001056,herrerabeutler.house.gov,,,legacy,"Jaime Herrera Beutler Releases Statement on House Passage of USMCA f t # e Washington, D.C., December 19, 2019 Congresswoman Jaime Herrera Beutler released the following statement on passage of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) in the U.S. House today: Washington is the most trade-dependent state in the union and it's critical our trade policies benefit workers and business owners here. For instance, Canada and Mexico purchase nearly one-fifth of Washington's total manufacturing exports, and Canada is Washington's largest market for wine. I supported the USMCA today because this updated agreement with two of our state's largest trade partners is good for Southwest Washington workers; supports agriculture, manufacturing and retail jobs; and will boost businesses that work in the growing digital economy. I'm pleased to help Congress send the president its approval of USMCA because it will open more business for Southwest Washington and provide more opportunities for Southwest Washington workers. USMCA will now head to the U.S. Senate.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://mcmorris.house.gov/able-turns-five/,Cathy McMorris Rodgers Statement on Five-Year ABLE Anniversary,2019-12-19,2019,2019-12,Republican,House,WA,Cathy McMorris Rodgers,M001159,mcmorris.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, D.C. Eastern Washington Congresswoman Cathy McMorris Rodgers, the Republican Leader on the Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Consumer Protection and Commerce, issued the following statement recognizing the five-year anniversary of the Achieving a Better Life Experience (ABLE) Act, which created Section 529A tax-exempt savings accounts for disability-related expenses. The ABLE Act was signed into law on December 19, 2014. Today we are celebrating the fifth anniversary of the ABLE Act. It's comes at a historic time in America when a record number of people with disabilities are coming off the sidelines and finding a joba job that means so much more than a paycheck. It's foundational to building a better life. A life full of opportunity and independence is what I dream for my son Cole, who was born with Down syndrome. He's 12 years old, and I've learned not to put any limitations on him. He's inspired me to be an ability advocate because he's opened my eyes to the value and potential of every life. That's what ABLE accounts are all about. They are helping people with disabilities at every stage of their lives.With an ABLE account, people can invest in their education, pay for medical expenses, and look for a job. When they find a job, it can even help them cover the cost of getting to work. In short, ABLE puts our focus on every person's abilities and God-given talents, not their limitations. Just like we did in tax reform to expand ABLE accounts, we need more solutions that build on the legacy of the ABLE Act and empower more people to live with dignity and reach their potential, especially in America's booming economy. That means further closing the gap between the many Americans with disabilities looking for work and the fraction of those who find it. Note: Cathy McMorris Rodgers is serving her eighth term representing and advocating for people in the 5th District of Washington. She is a leader on the House Energy and Commerce Committee, where she is the top Republican on the Subcommittee on Consumer Protection and Commerce. McMorris Rodgers is a mom of three and an ability advocate for her son, Cole, who has Down syndrome. She led to ensure the Tax Cuts & Jobs Act was written with families who have children with disabilities in mind. Key provisions of her ABLE 2.0 legislative package became law in tax reform to empower people with disabilities to save more of what they earn and to explore the workforce so they can find a job that affirms their dignity and purpose. Just like she did in tax reform, Cathy is leading on Autonomous Vehicle solutions that will transform the lives of people with disabilities. In October, Cathy spoke about her leadership on ABLE and autonomous vehicles at the U.S. Department of Transportation Headquarters for the Access and Mobility for All Summit. CLICK HERE to read and watch her remarks.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://mcmorris.house.gov/mcmorris-rodgers-statement-on-texas-v-azar-decision/,McMorris Rodgers Statement on Texas v. Azar Decision,2019-12-19,2019,2019-12,Republican,House,WA,Cathy McMorris Rodgers,M001159,mcmorris.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, D.C. Eastern Washington Congresswoman Cathy McMorris Rodgers (WA-05), Republican Leader on the Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Consumer Protection and Commerce, released the following statement in response to the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals decision on the case of Texas v. Azar. Yesterday the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals confirmed that Obamacare's individual mandatewhich forced people to purchase coverage they couldn't afford and didn't likewas unconstitutional. That's why we repealed it in the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, said McMorris Rodgers. It's frightening that Democrats are doubling down on policies like Medicare for All that will lurch America towards socialized medicine with a complete government takeover of our healthcare system. To win the future, we need healthcare solutions that bring down costs, create price transparency, improve care and choice, and enhance access to new cures and treatments. # # #",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://mcmorris.house.gov/mcmorris-rodgers-votes-to-pass-usmca-to-open-markets-for-eastern-washington-farmers/,McMorris Rodgers Votes to Pass USMCA to Open Markets for Eastern Washington Farmers,2019-12-19,2019,2019-12,Republican,House,WA,Cathy McMorris Rodgers,M001159,mcmorris.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, D.C. Eastern Washington Congresswoman Cathy McMorris Rodgers (WA-05) released the following statement after voting to pass the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) in the House. Washington is one of the most trade-dependent states in the nation. 90 percent of the wheat grown in Eastern Washington every year is exported outside of the U.S., and without open markets, our farmers are at a disadvantage, said Cathy. I'm grateful for President Trump's leadership to negotiate a new and improved NAFTA. Passage of USMCA has been delayed long enough, and I was proud to vote in favor of this agreement today. Let's get USMCA signed into law so the Trump administration can continue negotiating new trade agreements that put American farmers, producers, and manufacturers first. NOTE: Cathy was on the whip team in the House working to build support for this agreement, and earlier this month, she joined 158 Republican colleagues in urging the Democratic majority to bring USMCA up for a vote. You can read that letter by clicking here. # # #",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://newhouse.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/newhouse-applauds-passage-usmca-after-year-urging-support,Newhouse Applauds Passage of USMCA After Year of Urging Support,2019-12-19,2019,2019-12,Republican,House,WA,Dan Newhouse,N000189,newhouse.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, D.C. Today, Rep. Dan Newhouse (R-WA) released the following statement after voting to ratify the United States-Mexico-Canada trade agreement: For more than a year, I have been urging a vote on the USMCA, which is critical for the agriculture and manufacturing industries in Central Washington, said Rep. Newhouse. Billions of dollars and thousands of jobs in our state rely on a strong trade agreement with Canada and Mexico, and the USMCA is a win for the United States. Farmers, ranchers, and American workers across the country welcome the bipartisan passage of this critical agreement. Modernizing NAFTA and bringing our trade relationship into the 21st Century is something that President Trump has made a priority since his campaign, and I am confident the Senate will vote to approve the agreement as soon as possible. Click here to see how the USMCA will benefit Washington state. Washington is the most trade-reliant state in the nation, with 40% of the state's jobs tied to international trade. In 2018, Washington state's exports to Canada and Mexico totaled $11.5 billion, which includes $1.54 billion of agriculture products. There are 17,763 jobs in Washington that depend on manufacturing exports to Canada and Mexico. Over the past year, Rep. Newhouse has strongly advocated for the approval of the USMCA. He has penned several opinion pieces in support of the trade agreement, specifically targeting benefits to Washington state's agriculture industry: The Wenatchee World: Washington State needs the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (May 15, 2019) Crosscut: Trump's trade deal is good for WA farmers. Here's why (June 14, 2019) The Grand Coulee Star: Hardworking farmers deserve a strong trade agreement (August 21, 2019) The Hill: From state agriculture departments to Congress: Our farmers need the USMCA (October 17, 2019) Background: On November 30, 2018, President Donald Trump, Mexican President Enrique Pea Nieto, and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau signed the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), a modernized and rebalanced trade agreement for the 21st Century. The USMCA, which replaces the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) will better serve American farmers, ranchers, and businesses while promoting freer markets, fairer trade, and economic growth in North America.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://mcmorris.house.gov/mcmorris-rodgers-votes-against-hyper-partisan-impeachment-sham/,McMorris Rodgers Votes Against Hyper-Partisan Impeachment Sham,2019-12-18,2019,2019-12,Republican,House,WA,Cathy McMorris Rodgers,M001159,mcmorris.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, D.C. Eastern Washington Congresswoman Cathy McMorris Rodgers (WA-05) released the following statement after voting against the Democrats' hyper-partisan impeachment sham. Since the 2016 election, Democrats have refused to accept the results and are on a desperate crusade to impeach President Trump by any means necessary, said Cathy. They don't have the evidence, they don't have the bipartisan support they said is necessary, and they haven't conducted a fair process or followed House rules. Plain and simple, this hyper-partisan impeachment is a sham and I refuse to support it. # # #",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://newhouse.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/newhouse-statement-articles-impeachment-vote,Newhouse Statement on Articles of Impeachment Vote,2019-12-18,2019,2019-12,Republican,House,WA,Dan Newhouse,N000189,newhouse.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, D.C. Today, Rep. Dan Newhouse (R-WA) voted against adoption of both Article I and Article II of H.Res 755, Impeaching Donald John Trump, President of the United States, for high crimes and misdemeanors. Article I passed the House by a vote 230-187-1 with 195 Republicans and 2 Democrats voting in opposition, and 1 Democrat voting present. Article II passed the House by a vote of 229-198-1 with 195 Republicans and 3 Democrats voting in opposition, and 1 Democrat voting present. Rep. Newhouse released the following statement: Impeachment is one of the most serious responsibilities afforded to Congress, and that sobering responsibility has not been lost on me, said Rep. Newhouse. I believe especially when it comes to charging a President with the articles of impeachment Members must focus on the facts presented. House Democrats failed to present fact-based evidence of high crimes or misdemeanors committed by President Trump. For this reason, I voted against both articles of impeachment. Rep. Newhouse continued, It is a shame that these partisan, politically-motived proceedings set a dangerous precedent of passing articles of impeachment based on hearsay, inference, and political disagreement. While Democrats have worked to reverse the results of the 2016 election, President Trump and Republicans have continued to work on behalf of American families. As the Senate conducts their trial, I will hope they will move swiftly and competently, focusing on the facts instead of politics, and provide fair, transparent proceedings. Earlier today, Rep. Newhouse delivered remarks on the House floor during debate on the resolution. Read his remarks below: Mr. Speaker, The People's House should be better than this. We should be better than this. During a Member's remarks in the Judiciary Committee's impeachment proceedings, he stated, To my Republican colleagues: How do you want to be remembered during this watershed moment in our nation's history? Well, Mr. Speaker It won't be watching sports on a laptop during official Judiciary Committee proceedings to impeach a sitting President; It won't be using expletives to refer to our President, calling for his impeachment just hours after being sworn into Congress; It won't be using the chairmanship of the once-respected Intelligence Committee to distort the President's words in order to mislead the American People; And certainly, it won't be using the most serious and solemn powers of Congress to overturn a legitimate national election for political expediency. No, Mr. Speaker, my fellow Republican colleagues and I won't be remembered in history for doing any of those thingsbecause we know this is far too grave a matter for subversions such as these of our democratic republic. We should all be better than this.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://herrerabeutler.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=401736,"Reps. Herrera Beutler, Lamb Introduce Bipartisan Grid Modernization Research & Development Act of 2019",2019-12-17,2019,2019-12,Republican,House,WA,Jaime Herrera Beutler,H001056,herrerabeutler.house.gov,,,legacy,"U.S. Representatives Jaime Herrera Beutler (WA-3) and Conor Lamb (PA-17) recently introduced H.R. 5428, the Grid Modernization Research and Development Act of 2019. This bill would refine and expand vital research programs at the Department of Energy focused on modernizing and improving our nation's electric grid. share: f t U.S. Representatives Jaime Herrera Beutler (WA-3) and Conor Lamb (PA-17) recently introduced H.R. 5428, the Grid Modernization Research and Development Act of 2019. This bill would refine and expand vital research programs at the Department of Energy focused on modernizing and improving our nation's electric grid. When a sizeable earthquake or other disaster impacts Southwest Washington, it's essential our families and seniors can depend on working electricity to help keep them safe, Herrera Beutler said. I'm pleased to join this bipartisan solution with Congressman Lamb to improve the reliability of our electric grid in the event of natural disasters and cyberthreats, and to improve emergency response time. The electric grid powers the lives of all Americans we need to invest in the research to ensure our constituents, companies, and defense installations have electricity when they need it most, Lamb said. This commonsense legislation supports the research programs to adopt new technologies, improve the environment and create family-sustaining jobs in the energy economy. The Grid Modernization Research and Development Act of 2019 includes a broad array of research and development programs aimed at increasing the security of the grid while ensuring these programs reflect the evolving energy sector. It accomplishes this by extending the Smart Grid Regional Demonstration initiative and authorizing a research, development, and demonstration program focused on: Enhancing grid resilience and emergency response; Designing and developing advanced controls, operations, monitoring, and visualization tools for the grid; and Developing hybrid energy systems. This research will ensure a wide array of generation resources can continue providing reliable electricity to the country and better integrate buildings and electric vehicles into existing grid infrastructure. H.R. 5428 also ensures the Department of Energy works with national labs, industry leaders, grid operators, utilities, regulators and others to ensure this research can be quickly utilized at all levels of the energy industry.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://herrerabeutler.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=401737,"Jaime Herrera Beutler, Pacific Coast Members Announce Major Win for Trawlers in Year-End Spending Bill",2019-12-17,2019,2019-12,Republican,House,WA,Jaime Herrera Beutler,H001056,herrerabeutler.house.gov,,,legacy,"Congresswoman Jaime Herrera Beutler (R-WA-3) joined Senators Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Patty Murray (D-WA), Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Maria Cantwell (D-WA), and Kamala Harris (D-CA), and U.S. Representatives Peter DeFazio (D-OR-4), Greg Walden (R-OR-2), Kurt Schrader (D-OR-5), Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR-1), and Jared Huffman (D-CA-2) today in announcing a major, bipartisan victory for West Coast trawlers in the 2020 spending bill that passed the U.S. House today. share: f t Congresswoman Jaime Herrera Beutler (R-WA-3) joined Senators Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Patty Murray (D-WA), Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Maria Cantwell (D-WA), and Kamala Harris (D-CA), and U.S. Representatives Peter DeFazio (D-OR-4), Greg Walden (R-OR-2), Kurt Schrader (D-OR-5), Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR-1), and Jared Huffman (D-CA-2) today in announcing a major, bipartisan victory for West Coast trawlers in the 2020 spending bill that passed the U.S. House today. The language proposed by Merkley and supported by the other West Coast Senators and Representatives would forgive more than $10 million in accrued loan interest that was forced onto the West Coast groundfishing fleet because of mismanagement by the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS). For the groundfish trawlers that provide jobs along our coast, today's news is a relief and a victory. As a senior member of the House Appropriations Committee, I was pleased to help successfully advocate for providing relief to these employers, Herrera Beutler said. Today's news is a huge victory for our coastal communities in Oregon and up and down the West Coast, said Senator Merkley, a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, which negotiated the spending bills. It was outrageous that the federal government forced family fishermen to foot the bill because of bureaucratic incompetence. This win will lift a huge burden off our trawlers' backs, helping them keep their small businesses afloat and keep our coastal economies humming. After years of uncertainty for our fishers, I'm glad we were able to secure some much-needed relief for Washington state's groundfishing fleet. Our fisheries play a vital role in the Pacific Northwest, and this provision is an overdue correction by Congress to lift an unnecessary burden off of our trawlers who do so much to support our culture, economy and communities, said Senator Murray, a senior member of the Senate Appropriations Committee. I'm glad this issue for West Coast fishermen will finally be resolved. Groundfish fishermen shouldn't be held responsible for interest accrued on a disaster loan before the federal government had a repayment plan in place. Removing the unfair interest charges will go a long way toward helping these fishermen rebuild and flourish, Feinstein said. Oregonians working on trawlers along the coast can now enter the new year without this senseless burden on the bottom line of their fishing operations, Wyden said. Fishing on the Oregon Coast for a living is a key piece of our state's economy that never should have been a victim of this bureaucratic bungling, and I am glad to have teamed up with fishermen and my congressional colleagues to get this problem fixed. This is a victory for West Coast groundfish fishermen and fishing jobs in the Pacific Northwest, Cantwell said. This legislation is an important step to ensure year-round economic activity and stability for rural fishing communities. For years, Oregon's groundfish vessels have been subject to a heavy financial loan burden, caused solely by government ineptitude. Groundfish fisheries are a vital part of Oregon's coastal economy that need support, not red tape, from Washington. I'm proud to have helped right this ridiculous wrong and ease the financial burden on our region's fishermen. I will be vigilant to ensure the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) follows through with Congress's decision and does not short-change Oregonians, DeFazio said. Commercial fishing is an important part of Oregon's economy. It's hard enough work without government failures making business harder. Government inaction has left the fishing industry with a costly and unnecessary burden. This legislation corrects that wrong and I was glad to work with my colleagues to get this long overdue fix into law, Walden said. Fisheries are an integral part of the Oregon Coast's economy,Schrader said. When the federal government asked West coast fishermen to make a sacrifice for the future of their fisheries, they did.But when the government failed to implement the buyback program correctly, they turned their back on those same fishermen. Today we are righting those wrongs. Thank you to all of those who have been tireless advocates for West coast fishermen for so many years. In Northwest Oregon, the robust groundfish fishery helps provide year-round economic stability for our coastal communities, Bonamici said. But the industry is still working to recover from the fishery disaster in 2000. I'm proud to have worked withcolleagues to address debt accrued by the Pacific Coast groundfish trawl industry as a result of delays in NMFS regulations to collect loan payments for the buyback programs. This was the not the fault of the industry, and we are pleased to stand with them in securing these long-overdue federal dollars. As Co-Chair of the House Oceans Caucus, I know how important our fisheries are to the blue economy. I will keep advocating for strong, effective management to help more species like the West Coast groundfish recover. The recovery of the West Coast groundfish fishery is an environmental success story, Huffman said. We all know how vital this industry is: sustainable fisheries are critical to the economic health of communities up and down California's North Coast. I have been working to ease the fleet's unnecessary financial burdens since I was first elected to Congress. Along with Appropriations Committee leaders like Nita Lowey and Rosa DeLauro, and our west coast congressional delegation, it is incredibly rewarding to be able to announce that the 2020 funding package will direct the Commerce Department to finally and fully forgive the unwarranted loan interest on the West Coast groundfish trawl fleet. This is an essential step to ensure a sustainable economic future for this fishery. The West Coast congressional delegation has stepped up and righted a wrong that will have a huge economic benefit for Oregon trawl fishing businesses, said Heather Mann, Director of the Midwater Trawlers Cooperative. The west coast trawl rationalization program, which has been an environmental success, will now start realizing some real economic benefits as well, thanks to our champions in Congress. After the Secretary of Commerce declared the West Coast groundfish fishery an economic disaster in 2000, the NMFS provided a $36 million buyout loan to retire one-third of the fishing fleet to reduce overcapacity. After providing the loan, however, the NMFS inexplicably failed for nearly two years to implement a repayment mechanism and refused to allow the owners of the remaining vessels to start paying off the loan. As a result, $4 million in interest accrued before repayment was even permitted to start. That additional interest has grown over time; the industry today owes at least $10 million more than it would have if repayment had started immediately as intended. Over the years, this additional interest has created an albatross around the neck of an industry that is already facing significant challenges. The bipartisan members of Congress last week sent a letter advocating for the change. The provision secured in today's bill would forgive the interest resulting from the bureaucratic error, finally making West Coast trawlers whole and helping grow and revive coastal economies from Northern California all the way up to the Canadian border. The bill is expected to pass the U.S. Senate this week and be signed into law prior to December 20.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://newhouse.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/newhouse-votes-approve-bipartisan-funding-bills-avoid-government,"Newhouse Votes to Approve Bipartisan Funding Bills, Avoid Government Shutdown",2019-12-17,2019,2019-12,Republican,House,WA,Dan Newhouse,N000189,newhouse.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, D.C. Today, Rep. Dan Newhouse (R-WA) voted to approve spending legislation for Fiscal Year 2020. H.R. 1158 and H.R. 1865 contain the language of all 12 Appropriations bills and provide funding to avoid a government shutdown ahead of the deadline on December 20, 2019. The final bills were negotiated by leadership in both the Democrat-led House and the Republican-led Senate. Rep. Newhouse released the following statement: Today, I voted to provide certainty to the men and women of our military, numerous agencies, and national security efforts that rely on federal funding, said Rep. Newhouse. I worked with my colleagues on the House Appropriations Committee to ensure our region's priorities were realized in this legislation, and I am glad to see conservative wins included to maintain pro-life protections, rebuild our military, and secure our nation's border a priority of President Trump's and the majority of Americans. Rep. Newhouse continued, While I am proud to support these priorities for Central Washington, I continue to be disappointed with the ever-increasing spending practices in our nation's capital and frustrated by the last-minute negotiating of this critical legislation. The passage of the FY20 spending bills is important to avoid a government shutdown or another Continuing Resolution, which would be detrimental to our military and national security, as well as the cleanup efforts at the Hanford Site. Legislation highlights and priorities for Central Washington are listed below: Funding to rebuild our military and support national security: Provides a 3.1% pay raise for American troops and their families Provides $1.375 billion in new funding for the border wall and removes restrictions on the President's ability to use funds for immigration and border enforcement activities Funding for Hanford cleanup: Provides $912 million for the Department of Energy Richland Operations Office Provides $1.6 billion for the Department of Energy Office of River Protection Supports scientific research initiatives at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory: Provides $750 million for the Department of Energy Office of Science Biological Environmental Research program Provides $156 million for the Department of Energy Cybersecurity, Energy Security, and Emergency Response program Funding for agricultural research: Language included in support of continued hops research at the Agricultural Research Service Language and a $2 million increase included related to the Wildlife Smoke Taint Research on Wine Grapes at the Agricultural Research Service Provides $186.5 million for Specialty Crop Pests within the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service Continues to provide $80 million in mandatory funds for the Specialty Crop Research Initiative within the National Institute of Food and Agriculture Continues to provide $85 million in mandatory funds for the Specialty Crop Block Grant Program within the Agricultural Marketing Service Supports wildfire prevention: Provides $445 million for the U.S. Forest Service National Forest System for Hazardous Fuels Includes language to preserve the North Cascades Smokejumper Base in Winthrop, Washington Increases efficiency of the H-2A program: Provides $6.5 million for the Department of Labor Foreign Labor Certification program and includes report language to streamline and modernize the H-2A program Funding for rural communities affected by federal land: Provides full funding for Payments in Lieu of Taxes (PILT) for FY20 Provides a two-year reauthorization of Secure Rural Schools Supports international trade opportunities for U.S. businesses: Provides a seven-year reauthorization of the Export-Import Bank",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://mcmorris.house.gov/mcmorris-rodgers-cantwell-secure-historic-win-for-spokane-tribe/,"McMorris Rodgers, Cantwell Secure Historic Win for Spokane Tribe",2019-12-16,2019,2019-12,Republican,House,WA,Cathy McMorris Rodgers,M001159,mcmorris.house.gov,,,legacy,"Spokane Tribe Equitable Compensation Act passes House of Representatives, heads to president's desk for signature into law WASHINGTON, D.C.Today, the U.S. House of Representatives passed bipartisan legislation introduced byU.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA), a senior member of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, and U.S. Representative Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R, WA-05)to provide the Spokane Tribe of Indians equitable and just compensation for the lands taken by the United States as part of the Grand Coulee Dam development project in the 1930s and 1940s. Having previously passed through the Senate, the bill now heads to the president's desk to be signed into law. The Spokane Tribe of Indians has waited for almost 80 years to receive just and equitable compensation for the land, life, and culture they lost when the Grand Coulee Dam was constructed. This corrects a flawed adjudication process that left the Spokane out,Cantwell said.Today, the Department of Interior, Republicans, and Democrats stand together to right this historic wrong, which will allow the Tribe to invest in regional economic development opportunities. The construction of the Grand Coulee Dam positively transformed our region in countless ways, but it also fundamentally changed the Spokane Tribe's way of life,said McMorris Rodgers.This is long overdue, and I'm happy we are finally moving forward to get the Spokane Tribe the compensation they deserve and right this historical wrong. TheSpokane Tribe of Indians of the Spokane Reservation Equitable Compensation Actwould authorize annual payments to be made by the Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) to the Spokane Tribe for past and continuing use of Tribal lands for the construction and operation of the Grand Coulee Dam. The compensation does not increase taxpayer obligation and is based on compensation received by the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation through the 1994 Colville Reservation Grand Coulee Dam Settlement Act. As the largest hydroelectric facility in the United States, Grand Coulee Dam has produced electricity for towns and cities across the western United States for more than 75 years. However, since the construction of the multipurpose project, the Spokane Tribe has yet to be compensated for the significant damages to its Tribal lands and livelihoods. # # #",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://mcmorris.house.gov/mcmorris-rodgerss-us-safe-web-extension-act-passes-house/,McMorris Rodgers’s US SAFE WEB Extension Act Passes House,2019-12-16,2019,2019-12,Republican,House,WA,Cathy McMorris Rodgers,M001159,mcmorris.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, D.C. Today, Eastern Washington Congresswoman Cathy McMorris Rodgers (WA-05), Republican Leader on the Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Consumer Protection and Commerce, passed her US SAFE WEB Extension Act (H.R. 4779) in the House to protect Americans from fraud, spam, and deception online. Today, bad actors from around the world target and exploit Americans online. In order to keep people safe from criminals who wish to do them harm, we must have the tools we need to take action against foreign cyber threats, said McMorris Rodgers. That's what this legislation provides. It enables the Federal Trade Commission to step in, address international threats online, and protect Americans' sensitive or financial information. This bill is also essential to protecting cross-border data flows with foreign nations, which is critical to American technological innovation and maintaining our competitive advantage against authoritarian countries like China. NOTE: The Undertaking Spam, Spyware, And Fraud Enforcement With Enforcers beyond Borders Act of 2006 (U.S. SAFE WEB Act) gives the FTC critical powers to enhance cross-border cooperation on consumer protection investigations and fraud actions, as well as to support cross-border data transfer mechanisms like the EU-U.S. Privacy Shield. Congress enacted the U.S. SAFE WEB Act in 2006 and reauthorized it in 2012 for the period through September 2020. Cathy's U.S. SAFE WEB Extension Act would extend the program through 2027. # # #",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://newhouse.house.gov/media-center/weekly-columns-and-op-eds/column-local-voices-crucial-resetting-outdated-columbia-river,COLUMN: Local Voices Crucial to Resetting Outdated Columbia River Treaty,2019-12-16,2019,2019-12,Republican,House,WA,Dan Newhouse,N000189,newhouse.house.gov,,,legacy,"In 1964, the United States and Canada ratified the Columbia River Treaty to increase coordination between our countries on power generation and flood control issues, along with critical support of irrigation, navigation, and ecosystem habitat needs. While the treaty has provided a useful framework for these needs, there are severe distortions that have greatlyand unfairlyburdened Americans living in the greater Northwest region. With a 60-year term, the earliest the treaty could have been terminated was 2024. In anticipation of the end of this termand in recognition of the serious imbalances that have developedthe U.S. conducted a multi-year, collaborative consultation with the Pacific Northwest states, federally-recognized tribes, and a diverse array of stakeholders to develop a formal guide for any potential renegotiations. In August of 2016, I joined five U.S. Senators and 16 colleagues in the U.S. House of Representatives from Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and Montana in sending a letter to then-Secretary of State John Kerry urging the U.S. Department of State to stop dragging its feet on pushing forward with negotiations. Unfortunately, there was no progress demonstrated during the Obama Administration. Fortunately, the Trump Administration got the ball rolling on formal renegotiations in May of 2018. The U.S. Department of State is now leading these negotiations with Canada to modernize the treaty regime, an undertaking that has enormous impacts on jobs, hydropower, water storage, flood control, and the environmenton both sides of the border. Canada benefits a great deal from the power generated by our mighty hydroelectric dams. Currently, that power reflects a $158 million annual payment from the U.S. to Canada; in the past, that cost has even reached the $250-$350 million range. Douglas County Public Utility District (PUD) recently calculated this to be a cost of $4 million for Benton and Franklin PUD's, $8 million for Douglas PUD, and $22 million for Grant PUD. Today, for example, that is $500 per Douglas PUD customer, per year. This is a staggering figure and a sobering depiction of why this treaty must be reset to a mutually-beneficial deal, as originally intended. As part of the ongoing renegotiation effort, the State Department has been holding public town halls across the Pacific Northwest to provide updates on the process. Earlier this year, I wrote a letter to Jill Smail, Chief U.S. Negotiator for the Columbia River Treaty, requesting that the next session of the town hall series be held in Tri-Cities so the voices of the Columbia Basin could be heard on this important matter. I am grateful Ms. Smail and the State Department accepted my invitation and conducted a town hall in Richland this week. It is crucial that stories like those of our local public utility districts and the burdens placed on the backs of ratepayersparticularly those in the 4th Congressional Districtbe heard by federal officials working to modernize this lopsided deal. The Columbia River Treaty must be renegotiated in 2020 to ensure we have an updated and equitable treaty for the 21st Century. I will continue to work with the State Department and the Trump Administration to get this job done and level the playing field on this important treaty with our neighbor to the north.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://herrerabeutler.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=401729,Jaime Herrera Beutler Releases Statement on Impeachment,2019-12-13,2019,2019-12,Republican,House,WA,Jaime Herrera Beutler,H001056,herrerabeutler.house.gov,,,legacy,"Today, Congresswoman Jaime Herrera Beutler released the following statement on the articles of impeachment: Since the president's call with Ukraine came to light, I have been clear that no one is above the law.I've also advocated for providing the American people with full and absolute transparency into the circumstances surrounding that conversation. This morning, the House Judiciary Committee reported two articles of impeachment to be voted on by the full House of Representatives. I will vote against both articles if they reach the House floor, and here's why The obstruction of Congress article is the least credible of the two.Congress and the White House disagreed over Congress's right to compel testimony from White House officials, so some White House officials exercised their right to judicial review of the congressional subpoenas.That's how our system of checks and balances works, and it's not at all uncommon for the White House and Congress to take their disputes to court.No one at the White House has defied a court order. The rushed timeline for this process set by House Democratic leadership is irrelevant, and the White House asking a court to settle a dispute is not an impeachable act. The second article on abuse of power charges the president with corrupt motives,' but here again, efforts to prove the president's motives have been defeated by the lack of firsthand testimony caused by Democratic leadership's rushed timeline.House committee chairs were unwilling to press the subpoenas on witnesses who could have provided firsthand accounts of the president's actions, and instead relied on witnesses who'd never even met the president, could only provide secondhand testimony, and offered assumptions based on what they say they heard from other White House officials and Rudy Giuliani not the president. The one witness who could provide a firsthand account based on personal conversations with the president, Gordon Sondland, testified that the president told him there was no quid pro quo' and that he made his own presumptions on what the president wanted. Aid to Ukraine was delayed but then later provided prior to the statutory deadline. The Ukrainian president says he was not pressured, Ukraine did not announce or open an investigation, and the country received its aid.The president's motives for his actions remain unproven. I will not vote to impeach based on hearsay testimony from secondhand sources to do so diminishes impeachment to a mere political disagreement.So I am a no' on both counts.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://mcmorris.house.gov/my-votes-week-of-december-9/,My Votes – Week of December 9,2019-12-13,2019,2019-12,Republican,House,WA,Cathy McMorris Rodgers,M001159,mcmorris.house.gov,,,legacy,"RULE BILLS **A rule bill is a bill passed through a full House vote under a rule that has been voted and agreed upon by the Rules Committee. Rule bills require a simple majority of the House to pass (218 votes) through a recorded vote. Result and Date Bill # Bill Title My Vote What it means for you and your family 12/10/19 PASSED 262-151 H.R. 729 Coastal and Great Lakes Communities Enhancement Act NO This package will cost taxpayers upwards of $1.4 billion and duplicates existing authorities. 12/11/19 PASSED 260-165-1 H.R. 5038 Farm Workforce Modernization Act of 2019 YES Click here to see my full statement. SUSPENSION BILLS **A suspension bill is a bill passed by the House through suspending the rules to move quickly, circumventing the House Rules Committee. Suspension bills are typically less controversial pieces of legislation, and as the rules are being suspended, they require a higher threshold, two-thirds of those voting in the House, to pass. Additionally, these bills are often passed by a voice vote, without a formal roll call vote. Result and Date Bill # Bill Title My Vote What it means for you and your family 12/9/19 PASSED 393-1 H.R. 4761 DHS Opioid Detection Resilience Act of 2019 YES This legislation requires Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to implement a strategy to ensure that deployed chemical screening devices are able to identify synthetic opioids in an operational environment at a purity level of 10 percent or lower or provide ports of entry with an alternative method for identifying narcotics at lower purity levels. 12/9/19 PASSED 393-0 H.R. 4739 Synthetic Opioid Exposure Prevention and Training Act YES This bill would ensure that U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) personnel will be protected from accidental contact with synthetic opioids. 12/10/19 PASSED 319-96 H.R. 5363 FUTURE Act YES This legislation reauthorizes funding programs for historically Black colleges and universities and other minority-serving institutions. 2019 PAST VOTES:",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://herrerabeutler.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=401727,Troop Pay Bill Includes Herrera Beutler Initiative to Improve Medical Treatment for Military,2019-12-12,2019,2019-12,Republican,House,WA,Jaime Herrera Beutler,H001056,herrerabeutler.house.gov,,,legacy,"Congresswoman Jaime Herrera Beutler supported yesterday's U.S. House passage of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which included her bill, the Reserve Medical Officer Parity Act, as well as a 3.1 percent pay raise for U.S. troops. Herrera Beutler introduced her bill earlier this year to better meet U.S. armed service members' medical needs by allowing Reserve Medical Officers to continue serving past retirement age if the military has a need for more surgeons, medical specialists and doctors. share: f t Congresswoman Jaime Herrera Beutler supported yesterday's U.S. House passage of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which included her bill, the Reserve Medical Officer Parity Act, as well as a 3.1 percent pay raise for U.S. troops. Herrera Beutler introduced her bill earlier this year to better meet U.S. armed service members' medical needs by allowing Reserve Medical Officers to continue serving past retirement age if the military has a need for more surgeons, medical specialists and doctors. It's critical our military service members are given the medical treatment they need so they can defend our country. I'm pleased to support this bipartisan bill that includes my legislative solution to improve medical care in our military, a much-deserved pay raise for troops and increased access to mental health care, Herrera Beutler said. Herrera Beutler's Reserve Medical Officer Parity Act would allow the Secretaries of each of the military departments to extend a Reserve Medical Officer's service beyond age 68 with the officer's consent and if the Secretary determines a need, bringing the Reserves in congruence with regular military laws. This will be determined on a case-by-case basis and the length of the deferment will be determined as appropriate by the Secretary. Reserve Medical officers in the U.S. Army contribute half of the Army's total medical officers. The NDAA further ensures military readiness, and care for our troops and their families by requiring a comprehensive review of child care capacity on military installations and authorizes direct hire authority for child development centers. It also requires the Department of Defense to develop policy to provide mental health care to service members and a strategy for recruiting and retaining mental health professionals. The NDAA now heads to the Senate for a final vote before heading to the president's desk to become law.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://mcmorris.house.gov/mcmorris-rodgers-speaks-out-against-democrats-partisan-drug-pricing-bill/,McMorris Rodgers Speaks Out Against Democrats’ Partisan Drug Pricing Bill,2019-12-12,2019,2019-12,Republican,House,WA,Cathy McMorris Rodgers,M001159,mcmorris.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, D.C. Today, Eastern Washington Congresswoman Cathy McMorris Rodgers voted against a partisandrug pricingbill put forward by House Democratsthat will lead to fewer cures. Last night, she spoke on the House floor on why this effort needed to be bipartisan and on H.R. 19, thebipartisanbill Republicans have presented as an alternative. Watch her remarks from last night here: On the House floor last night, she said,H.R. 19 helps us move forward. It includes bipartisan solutions that President Trump can sign into law this year. We should be building upon the work that we did with 21stCentury Cures. We want to see more generic drugs come to market faster, finally make insulin more affordable for our seniors, lower out-of-pocket spending, close the donut hole, access new medicines and cures, and require price transparency. Every single provision is bipartisan. Cathy continued,Unfortunately, the Speaker and the Democrats are moving forward in a partisan exercise, directing the federal governmenttoset drug prices and it will stop innovation. America will fall behind as the global leader, and we can see what impact that has all over the world hundreds and hundreds of fewer drugs entering the market. I want to stand on the side of innovation, more breakthroughs, and helping millions of people with the ravages of disease that they encounter every day. Read more about H.R. 19 by clicking here. # # #",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://mcmorris.house.gov/farm-workforce-modernization-act-passes-house/,Farm Workforce Modernization Act Passes House,2019-12-11,2019,2019-12,Republican,House,WA,Cathy McMorris Rodgers,M001159,mcmorris.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, D.C.Today, Eastern Washington Congresswoman Cathy McMorris Rodgers (WA-05) joined in passing the Farm Workforce Modernization Act (H.R. 5038), bipartisan legislation to ensure our farmers can access the labor they need. This legislation was led byReps. Zoe Lofgren (D-CA-19) and Dan Newhouse (R-WA-04) along with 20 Republican and 24 Democrat original cosponsors, including Cathy. While this bill isn't perfect, it is an important step forward to provide relief to our farmers. If Washington farmers, ranchers, and dairymen are going to continue to keep food on the table for our community and the world, we need an agriculture workforce that will meet their needs,said McMorris Rodgers.Agriculture is Eastern Washington's number one industry, and I'm glad we were able to come together, find common ground, and move forward on a compromise bill that will make a real difference for Eastern Washington agriculture. NOTE:This bill is also supported by more than 300 agriculture groups, the National Association of Counties, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, Americans for Prosperity, the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture, and a number of other groups committed to finding a solution for farmers. The bill will: Establish a program for agricultural workers in the United States toearn legal status through continued agricultural employmentand contribution to the U.S. agricultural economy. Reform the H-2A program to provide more flexibility for employers, while ensuring critical protections for workers. The bill focuses on modifications to make the program more responsive and user-friendly for employers andprovidesaccess to the program for industries with year-round labor needs. Establish a mandatory, nationwide E-Verify system for all agricultural employment with a structured phase-in and guaranteed due process for authorized workers who are incorrectly rejected by the system. # # #",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://newhouse.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/bipartisan-farm-workforce-modernization-act-passes-house-representatives,Bipartisan Farm Workforce Modernization Act Passes the House of Representatives,2019-12-11,2019,2019-12,Republican,House,WA,Dan Newhouse,N000189,newhouse.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, DC Today, the Farm Workforce Modernization Act, a bipartisan bill spearheaded by Reps. Zoe Lofgren (D-CA-19) and Dan Newhouse (R-WA-04), passed the U.S. House of Representatives with a 260-165 vote. The bipartisan effort was negotiated over eight months with input from agricultural stakeholders and labor organizations and was introduced with the support of 26 Democrats and 23 Republicans. Click here for a one-pager and click here for bill text. The men and women who work America's farms feed the nation. But, farmworkers across the country are living and working with uncertainty and fear, contributing to the destabilization of farms across the nation, said Rep. Zoe Lofgren. Our bill offers stability for American farms by providing a path to legal status for farmworkers. In addition, the Farm Workforce Modernization Act addresses the nation's future labor needs by modernizing an outdated system for temporary workers, while ensuring fair wages and workplace conditions. I urge the Senate to follow the House's lead and swiftly pass the first-of-its-kind bipartisan immigration compromise in decades that improves America's agricultural labor programs and laws. Creating a legal and reliable workforce for American agriculture has been one of my highest priorities since coming to Congress, said Rep. Dan Newhouse. Our farmers and ranchers facing a labor crisis need relief, and the men and women who contribute to our nation's agriculture industry need certainty. The Farm Workforce Modernization Act is the first step. This bill is our opportunity to finally provide stability to America's farms and a significant improvement over the status quo. I am grateful to Representative Lofgren, our bipartisan coalition, and all of the agriculture and labor groups who helped draft the bill, and I encourage input from my colleagues as we continue working to improve this legislation in the Senate. I am thrilled to see the Farm Workforce Modernization Act pass the House with a strong bipartisan vote, said Rep. Mike Simpson. Idaho farmers and ranchers have been asking me for years to address their labor needs and this bill takes an important step towards solving this issue. I would like to thank my colleagues Chairwoman Zoe Lofgren, and Representatives Dan Newhouse, Mario Diaz-Balart, Doug LaMalfa, and Jimmy Panetta for their months of tireless efforts spent listening to farmers and workers alike to help craft this solution. It isn't a perfect solution but compromise rarely is. The bill balances strong immigration enforcement with common sense reforms that allow our farmers to access a legal workforce without granting any special pathways. I hope the Senate can move similar legislation so we can sign a solution into law. The need for a reliable and legal source of workers is a top priority for the agriculture industry, and I am proud to support the bipartisan Farm Worker Modernization Act, which is a significant improvement for rural America. This bill is great for our dairy industry, but we still need to address meat and poultry processing workforce needs going forward. I want to thank Ms. Lofgren, Mr. Newhouse, and the bipartisan group of Members for their hard work in getting us to this point, said House Agriculture Committee Chairman Collin Peterson. I'm happy to see a good commonsense bi-partisan bill pass the House that is fair to farmers, farmworkers, and to U.S. citizens. In California, and across the U.S., farmers have been calling for a reliable and legally documented workforce for years. The Farm Workforce Modernization Act addresses these issues in a constructive manner that provides much-needed certainty for workers and farmers, said Rep. Doug LaMalfa. Today's strong vote in the House should help ensure the Senate will continue the effort we started. The Farm Workforce Modernization Act is a critical, bipartisan step forward for both our farmers and farmworkers, Rep. Jimmy Panetta said. I am thankful that the House advanced this effort to protect our existing farmworkers and promote an enduring workforce for agriculture. I look forward to working with our colleagues in the Senate to get this bill passed into law. Today, the House took a significant and necessary step for the American agriculture industry and our farmers who have long needed a legal, reliable workforce, said Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart. It's critical that we continue to grow and produce our food here in the United States. The moment we hand that power to another country, we put our national security at risk, along with millions of American jobs. This legislation would allow us to have the necessary workforce to continue to provide for our citizens, while giving permanence to our agricultural workers who have devoted their lives to the industry. I am proud to be an original sponsor of this bill, and I thank my colleagues who have worked tirelessly on this issue. I encourage the Senate to work with us so this bill can be signed into law-- It's time to modernize our agriculture industry and reinforce our economy. With today's passage of the Farm Workforce Modernization Act, the House has taken an important step towards addressing the growing labor challenges on America's farms, said House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler. This legislation provides long-overdue security to current farmworkers and their employers, ensuring a future stable workforce under fair and safe conditions. I urge my colleagues in the Senate to find the courage to pass the Farm Workforce Modernization Act and provide a seat at America's table for those who have long grown the food we serve on it. The bill has garnered the widespread support of more than 300 agriculture groups and labor organizations. Today is a milestone because this is the first time in decades that the full House, under either party, has enacted an agricultural labor immigration bill, said Arturo S. Rodriguez, President Emeritus, United Farm Workers. This bill will help bring stability to agricultural workers and to the agricultural industry. Experienced and professional agricultural workers who have earned the right to a stable future in the United States for themselves and their familieswill be liberated from the pervasive fear they face every day while performing one of the toughest jobs in America. The passage of legislation that helps address dairy's unique workforce challenges is certainly a milestone and an opportunity we must pursue to the fullest, said Jim Mulhern, President and CEO, National Milk Producers Federation. Agricultural labor reform is long overdue. With today's action it is now imperative that the Senate act to fully address the needs of dairy farmers and all of agriculture, helping farmers do what they do best: feed our nation, and the world. House passage of the Farm Workforce Modernization Act today is an important first step towards solving one of most significant challenges facing farmers and ranchers today. The legislation points the way towards achieving many of the long-standing immigration reform goals of NCFC and others in agriculture and Chairwoman Lofgren and Congressman Newhousealong with the other original co-sponsorsshould be recognized for their leadership on this issue. We look forward to continued engagement in the legislative process now that the bill has passed the House and will be sent to the Senate, said Chuck Conner, president and CEO, National Council of Farmer Cooperatives. The full list of cosponsors includes: Rep. Mark Amodei (R-NV-02); Rep. James Baird (R-IN- 04); Rep. Karen Bass (D-CA-37); Rep. Anthony Brindisi (D-NY-22); Rep. Susan W. Brooks (R-IN-05); Rep. Salud Carbajal (D-CA-24); Rep. Tony Cardenas (D-CA-29); Rep. Judy Chu (D-CA-27); Rep. Tom Cole (R-OK-04); Rep. Luis J. Correa (D-CA-46); Rep. Jim Costa (D-CA-16); Rep. TJ Cox (D-CA-21); Rep. Angie Craig (D-MN-02); Rep. Jason Crow (D-CO-6); Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-TX-28); Rep. John Curtis(R-UT-03); Rep. David Scott (D-GA-13); Rep. Rodney Davis (R-IL-13); Rep. Antonio Delgado (D-NY-19); Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart (R-FL-25); Rep. Veronica Escobar (D-TX-16); Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA-1); Rep. Marcia Fudge (D-OH-11); Rep. John Garamendi (D-CA-3); Rep. Sylvia Garcia (D-TX-29); Rep. Bob Gibbs (R-OH-07); Rep. Josh Harder (D-CA-10); Rep. Ron Kind (D-WI-3); Rep. Peter King (R-NY-2); Rep. Doug LaMalfa (R-CA-01); Rep. Al Lawson (D-FL-05); Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA-05); Rep. Paul Mitchell (R-MI-10); Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-NY-10); Rep. Dan Newhouse (R-WA-04); Rep. Devin Nunes (R-CA-22); Rep. Tom O'Halleran (D-AZ-1); Rep. Jimmy Panetta (D-CA-20); Rep. Scott Peters (D-CA-52); Rep. Collin C. Peterson (D-MN-07); Rep. Chellie Pingree (D-ME-1); Rep. Tom Reed (R-NY-23); Rep. Raul Ruiz (D-CA-36); Rep. Linda Sanchez (D-CA-38); Rep. Kurt Schrader (D-OR-05); Rep. Kim Schrier (D-WA-08) ; Rep. Mike Simpson (R-ID-02); Rep. Elissa Slotkin (D-MI-08); Rep. Lloyd Smucker (R-PA-11); Rep. Abigail Spanberger (D-VA-07); Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-CA-19); Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY-21); Rep. Chris Stewart (R-UT-2); Rep. Steve Stivers (R-OH-15); Rep. Thomas Suozzi (D-NY-3); Rep. Mike Thompson (D-CA-5); Rep. Scott Tipton (R-CO-3); Rep. Norma Torres (D-CA-35); Rep. Xochitl Torres Small (D-NM-02); Rep. Fred Upton (R-MI-06); Rep. Filemon Vela (D-TX-34); Rep. Greg Walden (R-OR-02); and Rep. Don Young (R-AK- At Large). By passing the Farm Workforce Modernization Act, we take an important step in safeguarding the rights of farmworkers, said Rep. Linda Snchez. These hardworking men and women help put food on our tables but do not always experience workplace and legal protections. This bill represents a common-sense immigration solution that will benefit farmers and farmworkers alike. I'm proud to see it pass with bipartisan support. The agriculture community has shared with me they are in desperate need of a reliable and legal workforce with the declining number of agriculture industry workers,said Rep. Susan W. Brooks.The Farm Workforce Modernization Act, part of an effort to begin steps to fix our broken immigration system, creates a strict, bipartisan program to allow legal status to these workers through continued agricultural employment and contribution to the U.S. agricultural economy. This workforce solution honors all farm workers who feed America, especially for those farmers with year-round labor needs. I came to Washington to solve problems and we have a major problem when half our agricultural workforce is undocumented and vulnerable to abuse, and our farmers risk financial ruin for lack of a steady workforce. I think that everyone who is here should be here legally and we need to act to steady our agricultural economy, said Rep. TJ Cox. We shouldn't accept this policy failure by our government as the status quo. Getting people from both sides of the aisle, farmers, ranchers, and labor on the same page is no easy feat, so I am especially proud to support this legislation which will bring U.S. residents out of the shadows, protect their rights, and stabilize the farming economy for future generations. I'm proud to be a cosponsor of H.R. 5038, the Farm Workforce Modernization Act. This legislation will ensure greater year-round stability for our farmers, strengthen our national security by ensuring we have a legal and documented workforce, prevents dangerous criminals from obtaining this status, and will create a less-complicated application process for farmers and ranchers. I'm encouraged that this bill also caps and stabilizes H-2A wage rates, prevents H-2A employees from receiving social safety net programs, and requires mandatory E-Verify for the agriculture industry. I look forward to seeing this legislation pass and be considered in the Senate, said Rep. Jim Baird. This is an historic moment for farming communities across America, especially here in California and the San Joaquin Valley. Farmworkers are part of our communities and are some of the hardest working people I've met. It's not fair they be subjected to living and working in fear. Providing them a path to legal residency will help stabilize a workforce for farms around the country and alleviate the hardships they have been struggling with for years. This bipartisan bill is a monumental step in improving our immigration system and the Senate should pass it and send it to the President's desk. This bill is good for farmers, farmworkers, and American agriculture. It's the right thing to do! said Rep. Jim Costa. In rural America where the agricultural sector is key to the success of the local economy, the Farm Workforce Modernization Act represents a bipartisan solution for ensuring a stable workforce for farmers and ranchers. Congressional districts like my own are heavily dependent on farm workers, and this bill helps ensure employers in the Fourth District and rural communities across the United States have adequate and legal access to the labor they need, said Rep. Tom Cole. After water and trade, labor supply is the number one issue I hear about from the farmers I work for and this bipartisan bill is the answer. It gives our farmers the certainty they need to get the job done while providing folks who earn an honest living out in the fields a path to earn legal status, said Rep. Josh Harder. We haven't seen a bipartisan immigration bill of this size pass the House in decades now it's up to Mitch McConnell to do the right thing for once and work with us to fix this problem for the people we represent. Our immigration system is broken and it's going to take more bipartisan solutions like this one to fix it, said Rep. Rodney Davis. We need to pass border security, address DACA, and overhaul our legal immigration process to make the system work better. This bill balances the needs of agriculture while ensuring a legal workforce through mandatory E-Verify. I'm hopeful it will be the model to solving other difficult immigration issues in a bipartisan, commonsense way. I've heard from farmers across our region calling for responsible, commonsense, bipartisan immigration reform and this bill delivers, Rep. Anthony Brindisi said. Our legislation will expand key visa programs for dairy farms and strengthen the electronic verification process for all agriculture workers. Working together, with Democrats and Republicans, shows that Congress can get things done for our farmers. While this bill isn't perfect, it is an important step forward to provide relief to our farmers. If Washington farmers, ranchers, and dairymen are going to continue to keep food on the table for our community and the world, we need an agriculture workforce that will meet their needs,said Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers.Agriculture is Eastern Washington's number one industry, and I'm glad we were able to come together, find common ground, and move forward on a compromise bill that will make a real difference for Eastern Washington agriculture. ""Right now, our broken immigration system isn't working for anyone particularly our farmers who depend on temporary agricultural workers,"" Rep. Elissa Slotkin said. ""This is a consistent issue I've heard about from farmers across our district, and I'm so proud that today we passed a bipartisan bill that, among other proposed fixes, creates year-round access to the H-2A visa program for dairy and other agricultural sectors that desperately need workers but have previously been unable to utilize the program. Formed in bipartisan collaboration, this bill is proof positive that we can and must find areas of common ground when it comes to immigration reform and when we do, our local businesses, our communities and our economy are stronger as a result. I was proud to help the House pass this bipartisan legislation to ensure our farmers have access to a stable, legal workforce, allowing them to continue to produce abundant, safe, and affordable food, said Rep. Elise Stefanik. North Country farmers have been waiting for agricultural labor reform for years, and this is a major step towards a real solution to the issues facing their workforce. We are fortunate to have a wide range of agriculture operations in the North Country that create jobs and drive our economy, and this legislation will maintain their success. I applaud the House for coming together to pass this important legislation and will continue to advocate for the diverse group of farmers in the North Country. Today marks a historic moment for our country and our farmworkers. The Farm Workforce Modernization Act makes huge progress for America's farmworkers and farmers. This bill will finally treat our immigrant farmworkers with the dignity and respect they have earned and create a pathway to citizenship, and I am proud so many of my colleagues joined me and Representative Lofgren in passing this bill, said Rep. Lou Correa. Today we passed a bipartisan bill that will help farmers find a stable workforce and ensure migrants follow the law, Rep. Steve Stivers said. This bill looks out for the American workers and farm owners while also ensuring the labor needs of the agriculture industry will be met so that American farmers can continue to feed and clothe our citizens and our world. I support the Farm Workforce Modernization Act because I know firsthand about the incredibly hard, backbreaking work farm workers do. This is especially true in the heart of South Texas where I grew up picking cotton to help my family. This bill is long overdue and would provide farm workers with important worker protections and legal rights that they desperately need, said Rep. Sylvia Garcia. Our farmers in southwest Michigan who help to literally feed the world have made clear to me that labor shortages are one of the biggest obstacles they face year after year. The Farm Workforce Modernization Act is a solution to that challenge, Rep. Fred Upton said. For our ag sector to remain the envy of the world, we need real ag labor reform that is fair for workers and growers and results in a reliable workforce. I'm proud that my colleagues in the House came together to pass this bipartisan legislation that will make a real positive impact on our ag industry, and I hope to see it advance through the Senate and be signed by the President. Our Farm Workforce Modernization Act is a strong, bipartisan bill and I'm thrilled that it passed through the House today, said Rep. Salud Carbajal. As a child whose father was a farmworker, I spent summers working in the fields and gaining an appreciation for the crucial work that puts food on all of our tables. I know firsthand the positive impact this will have on our agriculture industry and I'm glad this bill has the support of those who have the most at stakegrowers and farmworkers across the nation. Labor shortages were a frequent concern expressed by farmers and fruit growers at the 40 town halls I held this year. Today, the House took action to address those concerns by passing the Farm Workforce Modernization Act. My early years were spent on my family's cherry orchard in The Dalles. I know firsthand the importance of having quality workers available when crops are ready for harvest. You simply can't wait. This legislation ensures we have a guest worker program that meets the diverse demands of the more than 200 crops produced in Oregon, while also ensuring employers follow the law when hiring. I look forward to working with my colleagues in the Senate to move these needed bipartisan reforms through the legislative process and to the President's desk, said Rep. Greg Walden. The bipartisan Farm Workforce Modernization Act is the product of a tremendous collaborative effort that represents first real breakthrough on immigration in over six years. American agriculture is facing a labor crisis. A stable and legal workforce is desperately needed to ensure our nation's farmers can continue to produce the best food and fiber in the world, said Rep. Kurt Schrader. ""I applaud the hard work that my colleagues Rep. Lofgren and Rep. Newhouse put into the careful crafting of this compromise and their work in getting it across the finish line. In rural America where the agricultural sector is key to the success of the local economy, the Farm Workforce Modernization Act represents a bipartisan solution for ensuring a stable workforce for farmers and ranchers. Congressional districts like my own are heavily dependent on farm workers, and this bill helps ensure employers in the Fourth District and rural communities across the United States have adequate and legal access to the labor they need, said Rep. Cole. I've heard from farmers in my district, especially dairy farmers, about the need for year-round dependable labor. While this is a step in the right direction, we still have more work to do to make sure family farmers have the reliable workforce they need for livestock processing and other labor needs. I'm pleased to see this bipartisan compromise pass the House with strong bipartisan support, said Rep. Angie Craig. Today we passed a bipartisan bill that will help farmers find a stable workforce and ensure migrants follow the law, Stivers said. This bill looks out for the American workers and farm owners while also ensuring the labor needs of the agriculture industry will be met so that American farmers can continue to feed and clothe our citizens and our world. The American agriculture industry is vital to our economic success. For years, outdated immigration laws have created an environment of uncertainty for farmers and farmworkers. This bipartisan legislation will modernize the immigration system to protect workers in the agriculture industry and create more stability in rural communities across the country. This is good for our economy and it is the right thing to do. I'm proud of the bipartisan coalition we built to support this bill that will help everyone from the potato farms of Idaho to the citrus farms in my home state of California, said Rep. Tony Crdenas. Today's passage of the Farm Workforce Modernization Act marks an important success in our bipartisan efforts to reform our immigration system and strengthen our country's rural economies. In Central Virginia, our crop and livestock producers need to be able to ward off the farm labor crisis and retain their workforce, and our greenhouses and dairieswhich have unique labor requirementsneed modernized policies, said Rep. Abigail Spanberger. In face-to-face conversations with our producers, I've repeatedly heard that the current H-2A program is overly-burdensome and fails to address the year-round labor requirements of the Seventh District. By cutting down on red tape, creating a new year-round guest worker program, and stabilizing the existing workforce, this legislation reflects the needs of farmers in Central Virginia and across the country. As an original cosponsor of this bill, I'd like to thank my colleagues for advancing this commonsense, bipartisan legislationand I encourage the U.S. Senate to take up this bill for a vote as soon as possible. The Farm Workforce Modernization Act offers the men and women who labor tirelessly in our fields the dignity of legal status that they deserve, Rep. Norma Torres said. In the absence of true comprehensive immigration reform, this bipartisan bill ensures that those who work in the blistering heat don't go home to a life in the shadows. I am excited to support this bipartisan bill that will address current and future agriculture needs in Washington State and improve job opportunities for farm workers. Labor plays a crucial role in our country's agriculture economy because as we all know, crops don't wait and millions of dollars are at stake. The farmers and orchardists I meet with in the eighth district all say that a stable workforce is critical to their ability to put food on our tables, said Rep. Kim Schrier, M.D. America's farm workers feed our nation and the world. When I speak with farmers and ranchers from across my district they always speak about the need for a greater availability of agricultural labor. As a rancher and a farmer, I understand the importance of a robust agricultural labor sector, Rep. John Garamendi said. This legislation will modernize our guestworker program, establish a pathway to citizenship for certified agricultural workers, and strengthen our agricultural sector. I'm proud to stand with a bipartisan group of colleagues in supporting this critically important legislation. Background: Farmers and ranchers across the United States are in desperate need of a high-quality, reliable workforce, and the current H-2A guestworker program is in need of meaningful, bipartisan reform. The Farm Workforce Modernization Act creates a workforce solution for America's agriculture industry by providing stability, predictability, and fairness to one of the most critical sectors of our nation's economy. The bill will: Establish a program for agricultural workers in the United States to earn legal status through continued agricultural employment and contribution to the U.S. agricultural economy. Reform the H-2A program to provide more flexibility for employers, while ensuring critical protections for workers. The bill focuses on modifications to make the program more responsive and user-friendly for employers and provides access to the program for industries with year-round labor needs. Establish a mandatory, nationwide E-Verify system for all agricultural employment with a structured phase-in and guaranteed due process for authorized workers who are incorrectly rejected by the system.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://mcmorris.house.gov/mcmorris-rodgers-statement-on-usmca-deal/,McMorris Rodgers Statement on USMCA Deal,2019-12-10,2019,2019-12,Republican,House,WA,Cathy McMorris Rodgers,M001159,mcmorris.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, D.C. Eastern Washington Congresswoman Cathy McMorris Rodgers (WA-05) today issued the following statement on a deal on the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA). Washington is one of the most trade-dependent states in the country.Especially here in Eastern Washington, we rely on free trade and market accessto sell our crops all over the worldevery single day.Asa member of his USMCA whip team, I've encouragedPresident Trump tokeepmovingforward on trade negotiationsthat build onAmerica's booming economy.So I'm grateful for his leadership to update NAFTA and open markets inCanada and Mexico,said McMorris Rodgers.The USMCAis a good agreement, and it's onethat our farmers, producers, and manufacturers have been waiting for.It'sbeen delayed long enough.I encourage my colleagues in the House to move quicklyon a vote for this agreement. Let'sget this done. NOTE:Cathy is on the whip team in the House working to build support for this agreement, and yesterday, she joined 158 Republican colleagues in urging the Democratic majority to bring USMCA up for a vote. You can read that letter by clicking here. # # #",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://herrerabeutler.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=401721,"Jaime Herrera Beutler Works to Lower Drug Prices for Seniors, Patients",2019-12-09,2019,2019-12,Republican,House,WA,Jaime Herrera Beutler,H001056,herrerabeutler.house.gov,,,legacy,"Congresswoman Jaime Herrera Beutler is helping introduce a bipartisan bill today to lower prescription drug prices and protect access to new medicines and cures. H.R. 19, the Lower Costs, More Cures Act uses bipartisan reforms to cap how much seniors pay each year at the pharmacy and requires full cost transparency at the doctor's office. The legislation also includes a specific provision to make insulin more affordable. share: f t Congresswoman Jaime Herrera Beutler is helping introduce a bipartisan bill today to lower prescription drug prices and protect access to new medicines and cures. H.R. 19, the Lower Costs, More Cures Act uses bipartisan reforms to cap how much seniors pay each year at the pharmacy and requires full cost transparency at the doctor's office. The legislation also includes a specific provision to make insulin more affordable. Seniors and other patients in Southwest Washington pay too much for prescription drugs and it's not uncommon for them to skip doses, cut pills in half, or forego filling prescriptions altogether. This is not right and it's why I'm co-leading this important, bipartisan legislation to help seniors on fixed incomes pay less for insulin and other prescription drugs, Herrera Beutler said. Congress has more work to do to lower the cost of Southwest Washington residents' medications, so it's important that we proceed in a bipartisan manner. Everything in this bill has the support of Republicans and Democrats. Seniors and folks who need to manage chronic conditions shouldn't have to endure a partisan standoff where each side stubbornly clings to ideological bills that the Senate and president won't consider they need relief now. How H.R. 19, the Lower Costs, More Cures Act would lower drug prices: Caps seniors' out-of-pocket costs at $3,100 for the year. The average cost per month for seniors with high drug costs is $2,140. This reform would have helped about one million Americans save money in 2017. Caps insulin at $50 a month for seniors, making this life-saving drug more affordable Increases low-cost options for patients by bringing more generic competition to the marketplace faster Requires insurance companies to make information about drug costs available in the doctor's office before a prescription is written so a patient knows the cost and so doctors can prescribe the best and most affordable option Establishes a new negotiator at the U.S. Trade Representative to negotiate and advocate for the American consumer in all international trade agreement with respect to drug prices. Developed countries are unfairly benefitting from American medical innovation while Americans are paying some of the highest prices in the world for prescription drugs.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://mcmorris.house.gov/mcmorris-rodgers-blunt-rochester-introduced-bill-to-strengthen-safety-of-americas-drinking-water-systems/,"McMorris Rodgers, Blunt Rochester Introduced Bill to Strengthen Safety of America’s Drinking Water Systems",2019-12-09,2019,2019-12,Republican,House,WA,Cathy McMorris Rodgers,M001159,mcmorris.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, D.C. Today, Representatives Cathy McMorris Rodgers (WA-05) and Lisa Blunt Rochester (DE-AL) introduced H.R. 5361, the Safe Drinking Water Assistance Act to strengthen federal and state efforts to improve the safety of our nation's drinking water systems. Everyone should have the confidence that their drinking water is clean and safe, but as we've experienced in Eastern Washington in the last few years, more needs to be done to prevent PFAS and other chemicals from contaminating local water supplies,said McMorris Rodgers.This bipartisan legislation will push federal agencies to respond to current water contamination situations and give them the tools for faster responses in the future. Thank you, Rep. Blunt Rochester, for your leadership on this important issue. Every person in this country deserves to have clean, safe drinking water. PFAS and other contaminants in our drinking water threaten the health and safety of communities in Delaware and around this country, said Rep. Blunt Rochester, a member of the House Energy & Commerce Environment and Climate Change Subcommittee. This is a problem that requires Congressional action, and I am proud to lead this critical, bipartisan effort with Congresswoman McMorris Rodgers. I will continue to fight every day to protect Delawarean's health and safety. NOTE: This bipartisan bill will create a national strategy to coordinate the federal response to and scientific research on emerging contaminants and provide assistance to states in responding to public health challenges posed by potentially harmful materials. Under the Safe Drinking Water Assistance Act, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is required to routinely identify and analyze emerging contaminants and provide guidance to states, local officials, and the public about the potential public health risks and acceptable contamination levels for these materials. There is a critical need to address exposure to these contaminants and address any potential adverse health effects or greater impact on our communities. The Safe Drinking Water Assistance Act would remove the barriers limiting federal and state response to emerging contaminants, expediting the analysis of these harmful chemicals, and providing much-needed guidance and support to states to help ensure that the nation's drinking water will always be safe. H.R. 5361 is the House companion to S. 1251, introduced by Senators Jeanne Shaheen (NH) and Rob Portman (OH). The Safe Drinking Water Assistance Act will: Direct EPA and the Department of Health and Human Services to convene an interagency task force to improve federal efforts to identify and respond to emerging contaminants. Direct the Office of Science and Technology Policy to develop an interagency federal research strategy to improve the identification, analysis, and treatment methods for emerging contaminants. Direct EPA to create a voluntary state assistance program to provide federal support and technical assistance to communities that have emerging contaminants in their water supply. Establish and maintain a comprehensive database of resources available to assist states and water stakeholders with testing for emerging contaminants. The full text of the bill can be foundhere. # # #",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://herrerabeutler.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=401713,Jaime Herrera Beutler Supports Solution to Provide Financial Relief for New Parents,2019-12-04,2019,2019-12,Republican,House,WA,Jaime Herrera Beutler,H001056,herrerabeutler.house.gov,,,legacy,"Congresswoman Jaime Herrera Beutler joined her colleagues today in introducing a bipartisan, bicameral bill to help provide financial relief for new parents. The legislation, Advancing Support for Working Families Act, gives new parents the option of receiving up to $5,000 following the birth or adoption of a child through the Child Tax Credit (CTC). In exchange for this benefit, families would take a $500 reduction from their future annual child tax credits over the following 10 years. share: f t Congresswoman Jaime Herrera Beutler joined her colleagues today in introducing a bipartisan, bicameral bill to help provide financial relief for new parents. The legislation, Advancing Support for Working Families Act, gives new parents the option of receiving up to $5,000 following the birth or adoption of a child through the Child Tax Credit (CTC). In exchange for this benefit, families would take a $500 reduction from their future annual child tax credits over the following 10 years. Since enactment of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, parents can claim an annual CTC of up to $2,000 for each child under age 17. If parents take the new benefit made available with passage of this bill, they would then receive an adjusted CTC of up to $1,500 annually over the following 10 years. This new option allows families to change the timing of when they receive the CTC, allowing them to get a financial boost in the first year. U.S. Representatives Elise Stefanik (R-NY) and Colin Allred (D-TX) and U.S. Senators Bill Cassidy (R-LA) and Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ) are leading this bill. This legislation is budget-neutral, using existing taxpayer dollars. As a parent of an infant, I know the added cost families face in the first year following birth. Being able to receive financial support after the birth or adoption of a child can make all the difference in the world to a new parent, especially working parents who may not get paid leave, Herrera Beutler said. I'm pleased to join my colleagues in introducing a bipartisan solution that allows working families in Southwest Washington the flexibility to use the Child Tax Credit when they need it most. The joy of starting a family should not be dampened by the fear of being unable to make ends meet if a parent takes time off work, Stefanik said. This bipartisan effort to support hardworking families in the first year after birth or adoption will prove critical to ensuring families can thrive without the burden of potential bankruptcy or debt. I'm proud to introduce the Advancing Support for Working Families Act with my colleagues, which will bring tangible benefits and enhance paid leave options for the hardworking families in the North Country. For low-income families that do not qualify for the full, refundable portion of the CTC, $500 annual installments would be burdensome. Under this bill, these families would be able to similarly advance their CTC benefit to receive the equivalent of 12 weeks' wage replacement. They then would receive their adjusted CTC over the next 15 years.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://newhouse.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/newhouse-statement-retirement-congressman-denny-heck,Newhouse Statement on Retirement of Congressman Denny Heck,2019-12-04,2019,2019-12,Republican,House,WA,Dan Newhouse,N000189,newhouse.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, D.C. Today, Rep. Dan Newhouse (R-WA) released the following statement after Rep. Denny Heck (D-WA) announced his retirement at the end of the 116th Congress: Denny has been an enthusiastic bipartisan partner in Congress, where we have shared more than just long cross-country flights together, said Rep. Newhouse. I am proud to have worked with him on priorities for Washington state including strengthening and reauthorizing the Export-Import Bank andreturning The Ancient One to our local tribes. I wish him well in his retirement I know he will enjoy having more time to watch his beloved Zags. I will miss working with him in Congress.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://newhouse.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/newhouse-congratulates-brouillette-energy-secretary-confirmation,Newhouse Congratulates Brouillette on Energy Secretary Confirmation,2019-12-02,2019,2019-12,Republican,House,WA,Dan Newhouse,N000189,newhouse.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, D.C. Today, Rep. Dan Newhouse (R-WA) released the following statement after the Senate confirmed Dan Brouillette to be Secretary of the Department of Energy (DOE): The Department of Energy plays a critical role in Central Washington, from ensuring a safe and efficient cleanup at the Hanford Site to investing in renewable energy sources and energy grid research at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, said Rep. Newhouse. Dan Brouillette has clearly demonstrated that he understands our priorities and will remain committed, as Secretary of Energy, to supporting invaluable scientific research and fulfilling the federal government's obligation to clean up the nuclear waste at Hanford. I congratulate him on his confirmation, and I look forward to working with him as we preserve and advance Central Washington's clean energy portfolio.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://newhouse.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/newhouse-commends-president-trump-s-executive-order-mmiw-announces,"Newhouse Commends President Trumps Executive Order on MMIW, Announces Indian Affairs Secretary Visit to Central Washington",2019-11-26,2019,2019-11,Republican,House,WA,Dan Newhouse,N000189,newhouse.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, D.C. Today, Rep. Dan Newhouse (R-WA) released the following statement after President Trump signed an Executive Order to establish Operation Lady Justice, an interagency task force led by U.S. Attorney General William Barr and U.S. Department of the Interior Secretary David Bernhardt to address the crisis of missing and murdered Native Americans and Alaska Natives, particularly missing and murdered indigenous women (MMIW): The crisis of missing and murdered indigenous women affects tribes and Native communities across the United States, and the injustices they face are unacceptable. They need action now, said Rep. Newhouse. I am sincerely grateful to President Trump, Attorney General Barr, and Secretary Bernhardt for listening to the concerns of the tribes and coming together to be a partner in tackling this problem. Operation Lady Justice will go a long way toward making progress for the families and loved ones of missing and murdered indigenous women across the country. I look forward to working with the Administration and continuing to urge action in Congress to finally deliver justice on behalf of these women and their families. Click here to read the text of the Executive Order. Rep. Newhouse also announced the U.S. Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs Tara Sweeney will visit Central Washington on December 16. The announcement follows a request from Rep. Newhouse to the U.S. Department of the Interior, urging officials to visit the 4th Congressional District to hear from tribes, law enforcement, and advocates about how this crisis directly affects Native communities. As part of Assistant Secretary Sweeney's trip, she will participate in a Summit on Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, hosted by Rep. Newhouse on the Yakama Nation reservation. Background: Operation Lady Justice establishes the Task Force on Missing and Murdered American Indians and Alaska Natives, co-chaired by the Secretary of the Interior and the Attorney General. The Task Force will: Engage with tribal communities on the scope of the issue Develop protocols to apply to new and unsolved cases Establish a multi-disciplinary, multi-jurisdictional team to review cold cases Establish greater clarity of roles, authorities, and jurisdictions involved in these cases The Executive Order follows Attorney General Barr's announcement of a nationwide initiative to address the crisis of missing and murdered indigenous persons on the Flathead Reservation in Montana. Earlier this year, Rep. Newhouse joined his colleagues to introduce Savanna's Act and the BADGES for Native Communities Act. Both of these bills have strong bipartisan support and aim to address the crisis of missing and murdered indigenous women (MMIW). On Wednesday, October 16, Rep. Newhouse hosted an hour-long Special Order in the House of Representatives to urge congressional action to end the MMIW crisis. Washington state is ranked second among states in number of cases related to missing and murdered indigenous women with 71 identified cases. Washington's 4th Congressional District is home to two federally recognized tribes, Yakama Nation and the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://herrerabeutler.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=401709,Jaime Herrera Beutler Helps Secure Federal Grant to Improve Bus Service for Longview Residents,2019-11-25,2019,2019-11,Republican,House,WA,Jaime Herrera Beutler,H001056,herrerabeutler.house.gov,,,legacy,"Congresswoman Jaime Herrera Beutler applauded U.S. Department of Transportation's announcement yesterday that it was awarding a $1.5 million Bus and Bus Facilities grant to the city of Longview following the congresswoman's support. In addition to helping secure funding for this grant program as a senior member of the House Appropriations Committee, Herrera Beutler specifically advocated for the city's request for federal funds to replace the four oldest buses in the RiverCities Transit fleet. share: f t Congresswoman Jaime Herrera Beutler applauded U.S. Department of Transportation's announcement yesterday that it was awarding a $1.5 million Bus and Bus Facilities grant to the city of Longview following the congresswoman's support. In addition to helping secure funding for this grant program as a senior member of the House Appropriations Committee, Herrera Beutler specifically advocated for the city's request for federal funds to replace the four oldest buses in the RiverCities Transit fleet. Transit is a lifeline in Longview and Kelso, so I'm very pleased to help residents get to school, work and doctor's appointments with upgraded and reliable buses. Through my work in Congress, I've consistently supported strong funding for bus services and it was my honor to make sure that those dollars are serving Cowlitz County residents, Herrera Beutler said. Our community has consistently supported safe and reliable public transportation for low income families, students, senior citizens and those with disabilities. However, we can't do it aloneand we appreciate our partnership with the Federal Transit Administration. FTA's grant award to replace four buses operating long past their useful life is greatly needed and we are so grateful to our Congressional delegation for supporting our request, especially to Congresswoman Herrera Beutler for her direct advocacy,said Dennis Weber, Cowlitz County Commissioner and Chair of the Cowlitz Transit Authority. The city's four oldest buses were the only remaining high-floor biodiesel buses in the fleet. As RiverCities Transit has increased services provided to the communities of Longview and Kelso, the vehicle fleet has expanded and vehicles are running more miles and are in service longer now than in years past. This grant funding will help the city purchase four low-floor replacement biodiesel coaches to replace old, outdated buses that have over 410,000 miles on average.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://newhouse.house.gov/media-center/weekly-columns-and-op-eds/column-giving-thanks-our-farmers,COLUMN: Giving Thanks to Our Farmers,2019-11-25,2019,2019-11,Republican,House,WA,Dan Newhouse,N000189,newhouse.house.gov,,,legacy,"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. As we gather with our families and friends to reflect on our gratitude, let us not forget to thank the farmers and ranchers who produce food to feed the United States and the world. We are fortunate to be surrounded by a diverse agriculture industry, with over 300 unique commodities being grown in Washington state. Many of our state's products may find their way to your Thanksgiving table this year. Your mashed or scalloped potatoes may have been produced in Grant County. The cranberries in your cranberry sauce could have been harvested from a bog in Southwest Washington. The butter you spread might come from a dairy farm in the Yakima Valley, and the wine you use to cheers to good health may be made from our region's world-famous wine grapes. A lot of hard work goes into growing our food, and on Thanksgiving and every day we should take steps to show our gratitude to American producers. One of the ways we can show our thanks is by urging Speaker Pelosi to allow Congress to vote on the U.S.-Mexico-Canada trade agreement. The USMCA is ready to go, and our farmers are in desperate need of a strong trade agreement with Canada and Mexico. Washington's agriculture industry would see enormous benefits from the USMCA, with duty-free access for most agricultural products and expanded access in Canada for U.S. dairy and wine products two huge economic drivers in Central Washington. In order to harvest our food, our producers are in need of a strong, stable, and legal workforce. We must create certainty for farmers and farmworkers by strengthening our H-2A guestworker program. My bill, the Farm Workforce Modernization Act, will do just that and provide relief to the farmers and ranchers who are struggling to find labor and an enormous number of crops, due simply to the fact that they have no one to help harvest. At the same time, we must support agriculture research and technology. Washington State University is the U.S. Department of Agriculture's biggest recipient of research funding, and I am proud to support the ground-breaking research that is occurring right here in Central Washington. Scientists are actively working with partners in Central Washington to develop new, innovative technologies to help farmers. At the WSU Irrigated Agriculture Research and Extension Center in Prosser, they are studying disease prevention in some of our region's most important crops like apples and wine grapes, and they are focusing heavily on precision agriculture, including automation and robotics to help make a farmer's job a little easier. These are all ways we can thank those who work so hard to put our food on the table, and I am proud to work in Congress to advance these and other priorities for Central Washington agriculture. I am wishing you and your family a very happy Thanksgiving. May it be filled with love, joy, and gratitude.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://newhouse.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/newhouse-announces-columbia-river-treaty-town-hall-richland,Newhouse Announces Columbia River Treaty Town Hall in Richland,2019-11-22,2019,2019-11,Republican,House,WA,Dan Newhouse,N000189,newhouse.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, D.C. Today, Rep. Dan Newhouse (R-WA) announced that the Department of State and Northwest Power and Conservation Council will host a town hall to discuss the modernization of the Columbia River Treaty regime. The event comes at the behest of Rep. Newhouse, who officially requested the opportunity on October 17, 2019. Perhaps no one is more aware of the influence the CRT has on our communities and economies than those living in the greater Columbia Basin region, wrote Rep. Newhouse. Residents in Tri-Cities and throughout the area are no stranger to the critical role federal water and power infrastructure plays in our daily lives It is crucial that their questions, concerns, and feedback regarding the ongoing negotiations are heard by the State Department. WHAT: Town Hall to Discuss Modernization of the Columbia River Treaty WHERE: U.S. Federal Building Auditorium, 825 Jadwin Avenue, Richland, WA WHEN: Monday, December 16, 2019 from 5:30PM to 7:00PM PST U.S. Columbia River Treaty Negotiator Jill Smail will lead the town hall, which is free of charge and open to the public. U.S. government representatives will provide an overview of the negotiations and take questions from the public. For more information, including call-in details, please see the Department of State's Treaty website, which will be updated as the meeting date approaches. Background: The Columbia River Treaty is an international model for transboundary water cooperation. The 1964 treaty's flood risk and hydropower operations have provided substantial benefits to millions of people on both sides of the U.S.-Canada border. The treaty has also facilitated support for the river's ecosystem. More information can be found here.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://herrerabeutler.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=401708,Jaime Herrera Beutler-Supported Maternal Health Bills Earn Committee Approval,2019-11-21,2019,2019-11,Republican,House,WA,Jaime Herrera Beutler,H001056,herrerabeutler.house.gov,,,legacy,"Congresswoman Jaime Herrera Beutler applauded the advancement of two bipartisan bills she's co-sponsoring to improve maternal health care and reduce maternal mortality rates. The bills, which were approved by the U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee this week, build upon Herrera Beutler's bipartisan Preventing Maternal Deaths Act that was signed into law last year. share: f t Congresswoman Jaime Herrera Beutler applauded the advancement of two bipartisan bills she's co-sponsoring to improve maternal health care and reduce maternal mortality rates. The bills, which were approved by the U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee this week, build upon Herrera Beutler's bipartisan Preventing Maternal Deaths Act that was signed into law last year. I'm pleased to see an increasing number of my colleagues get behind bipartisan legislation to tackle the maternal mortality crisis from all sides, including these two bills focused on supporting mothers who have encountered economic hardship, and those who live in rural areas, Herrera Beutler said. The progress of these solutions is encouraging, and I'll continue to advocate for congressional action that saves more mothers' lives in Southwest Washington and across the country. The first is the bipartisan Maternal Health Quality Improvement Act of 2019, H.R. 4995, which takes significant steps to reduce maternal mortality and morbidity by increasing access to health services for women in rural areas, expanding tele health grants to include maternal health providers, and improving the quality of care and training for maternal health providers to improve birth outcomes and save lives during pregnancy, childbirth and postpartum. H.R. 4995 also creates a grant program to establish rural obstetric networks aimed at improving birth outcomes and reducing maternal mortality for Native American and Alaskan Inuit populations, two minority groups who face a higher rate of maternal deaths. The second bill to address the nation's maternal health crisis is the bipartisan Helping Medicaid Offer Maternity Services (MOMS) Act of 2019, which passed out of the Energy and Commerce Committee's Health Subcommittee last week. Today, more than half of new moms are covered by Medicaid when they give birth but lose Medicaid coverage just 60 days postpartum. There is clear data showing 70 percent of new moms will have at least one health complication within a year of giving birth. The bipartisan Helping MOMS Act would incentivize states to extend Medicaid coverage for new moms up to one year after giving birth, or through the entire postpartum period. The measure would provide a 5 percent enhanced Federal Medicaid Assistance Percentages (FMAP) to incentivize extension. Just four states (CA, NJ, SC and MO) and the District of Columbia have extended Medicaid for new moms for an entire year. The next step for both bills will be a vote by the full U.S. House of Representatives.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://mcmorris.house.gov/support-builds-for-the-farm-workforce-modernization-act/,Support Builds for the Farm Workforce Modernization Act,2019-11-21,2019,2019-11,Republican,House,WA,Cathy McMorris Rodgers,M001159,mcmorris.house.gov,,,legacy,"Meet Cathy Issues Eastern Washington Services Events En Espaol Contact WASHINGTON, D.C. Support continues to build for the bipartisan Farm Workforce Modernization Act that Eastern Washington Congresswoman Cathy McMorris Rodgers (WA-05) joined in introducing in October and which passed the House Judiciary Committee this week. This support includes hundreds of agriculture groups, conservative advocacy groups, religious organizations, and more. This week, more than 300 agriculture groups from across the country wrote a letter in support of this bipartisan legislation. In it they say, The effects of agriculture's critical shortage of labor reach far beyond the farm gate, negatively impacting our economic competitiveness, local economies, and jobs. Economists have found that every farm worker engaged in high-value, labor-intensive crop and livestock production sustains two to three off-farm jobsSecuring a reliable and skilled workforce is essential, not only for the agriculture industry but for the U.S. economy as a whole. Read their full letter of support by clicking here. The libertarian think tank Cato Institute says the legislation will grow the U.S. economy, make America's farmers more competitive internationally, and reduce unnecessary taxpayer-funded enforcement. Also this week, Americans for Prosperity and the Libre Initiative voiced their support in a letter. They said, On behalf of our organizations and the millions of activists we represent, we applaud the bipartisan efforts lawmakers in the House of Representatives on the Farm Workforce Modernization Act of 2019. This bill represents a step in the right direction by modernizing components of our guest worker program and legal immigration system. It will also help our country better meet the needs of employers and guest workers in the agriculture sector. View their letter here. When the bill was introduced, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce acknowledged the benefits it will bring to our economy. The inability of American farmers to effectively meet their workforce needs does not affect the agricultural industry in a vacuum, said Chamber Executive Vice President and Chief Policy Officer Neil Bradley. When crops rot in a field because farmers do not have enough workers for the harvest, this does not only harm the interests of that farmer. These situations also negatively affect the shipping company that would have transported those products, and the retailers that would have sold them. Furthermore, the uncertainty caused by the insufficient quantity of agricultural workers in the U.S. has enabled foreign agricultural producers to take advantage of this situation and gain market share. American agricultural producers will only become less competitive in the global marketplace if these workforce problems persist. Read their full statement by clicking here. The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops says of the legislation, H.R. 5038 proposes a meaningful way for migrant agricultural workers to earn legal status through continued agricultural employment and contributions to the U.S. agricultural economy. It also improves labor protections while producing employment flexibility that is needed to aid our agricultural industries. Read their full letter here. Want more information on the bill? Read a summary by clicking here. # # #",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://newhouse.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/bipartisan-farm-workforce-modernization-act-passes-house-judiciary,Bipartisan Farm Workforce Modernization Act Passes House Judiciary Committee,2019-11-21,2019,2019-11,Republican,House,WA,Dan Newhouse,N000189,newhouse.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, DC The Farm Workforce Modernization Act, a bipartisan bill spearheaded by Reps. Zoe Lofgren (D-CA-19), Dan Newhouse (R-WA-04), Mike Simpson (R-ID-02), Jimmy Panetta (D-CA-20), Doug LaMalfa (R-CA-01), and Mario Diaz-Balart (R-FL-25) passed the House Judiciary Committee with a 18-12 vote, and is ripe for consideration by the full House. The bipartisan effort was negotiated over eight months with input from agricultural stakeholders and labor organizations and was introduced with the support of 26 Democrats and 23 Republicans. The men and women who work America's farms feed the nation. But, farmworkers across the country are living and working with uncertainty and fear, contributing to the destabilization of farms across the nation, said Rep. Lofgren. Our bill offers stability for American farms by providing a path to legal status for farmworkers. In addition, the Farm Workforce Modernization Act addresses the nation's future labor needs by modernizing an outdated system for temporary workers, while ensuring fair wages and workplace conditions. This momentous vote today in the Judiciary Committee moves our proposal forward so all Members can soon vote on the first-of-its-kind bipartisan immigration compromise in decades that improves America's agricultural labor programs and laws. This is an excellent step forward for a bipartisan bill that will be a building block to improve and modernize America's agriculture industry, said Rep. Newhouse. As the Farm Workforce Modernization Act continues to move through the legislative process, I am grateful for my colleagues, the farmers and farmworkers, and the organizations and stakeholders who worked to make this legislation a reality. I am hopeful the legislation will now move quickly to the House floor, and I look forward to the continued opportunity to perfect the bill in the Senate. Click here for a one-pager, click here for bill text and click here to read a letter of support from more than 300 agricultural groups. I am thrilled to see the Farm Workforce Modernization Act pass the House Judiciary Committee and thank Chairwoman Lofrgen for her leadership advancing the legislation, said Rep. Simpson. Farmers in Idaho need a stable and legal workforce and moving this bill farther along in the process is a positive step towards a solution. The forward momentum today helps move this bill one step closer to the House floor and creates another opportunity for more bipartisan input and support. The Farm Workforce Modernization Act is a critical, bipartisan step forward for both our farmers and farmworkers that will help ensure the continued success or our agriculture and America, Rep. Panetta said. I am proud to have worked on this bill with Chairwoman Lofgren and my colleagues on both sides of the aisle. I urge House leadership to protect our existing farmworkers and promote an enduring workforce for agriculture by scheduling our bipartisan bill for a floor vote. The Farm Workforce Modernization Act is a great example of members of Congress from both parties coming together to produce a piece of legislation that is greatly needed. It will provide some long-overdue stability for our agriculture industry in a manner that is fair to farmers and will provide for fully documented farmworkers that are willing to follow our laws in order to work in this country. Farmers have been calling for a legally documented workforce for years. The bill protects the workers with legal status and facilitates humane travel across our borders. I'm very pleased to see this important legislation move through committee today, and I look forward to voting for it on the House floor soon, said Rep. LaMalfa. We are one step closer to finally solving the labor crisis facing our nation's agriculture, said Rep. Diaz-Balart. This bill has not only received bipartisan support, but over 300 agriculture organizations have advocated for the passing of this legislation, which adheres to the rule of law, modernizes our antiquated H2A visa system, and bolsters the economy. I encourage the Speaker to bring this important legislation to the floor for a vote so that we can achieve a good-faith, bipartisan solution for our nation's farmers. Background: Farmers and ranchers across the United States are in desperate need of a high-quality, reliable workforce, and the current H-2A guestworker program is in need of meaningful, bipartisan reform. The Farm Workforce Modernization Act creates a workforce solution for America's agriculture industry by providing stability, predictability, and fairness to one of the most critical sectors of our nation's economy. The bill will: Establish a program for agricultural workers in the United States to earn legal status through continued agricultural employment and contribution to the U.S. agricultural economy. Reform the H-2A program to provide more flexibility for employers, while ensuring critical protections for workers. The bill focuses on modifications to make the program more responsive and user-friendly for employers and provides access to the program for industries with year-round labor needs. Establish mandatory, nationwide E-Verify system for all agricultural employment with a structured phase-in and guaranteed due process for authorized workers who are incorrectly rejected by the system.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://mcmorris.house.gov/mcmorris-rodgers-cantwell-applaud-passage-of-spokane-equitable-compensation-act-through-house-committee/,"McMorris Rodgers, Cantwell Applaud Passage of Spokane Equitable Compensation Act Through House Committee",2019-11-20,2019,2019-11,Republican,House,WA,Cathy McMorris Rodgers,M001159,mcmorris.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, D.C. Today, the House Natural Resources Committee passed bipartisan legislation to provide the Spokane Tribe of Indians equitable compensation for the lands taken by the United States as part of the Grand Coulee Dam development project in the 1930s and 1940s. Having previously passed the Senate unanimously andwon supportfrom the Trump administration in March 2018, the bill is positioned to pass the full House of Representatives and move to the president's desk for signature. The Grand Coulee Dam brought great benefits to our region in the form of clean, renewable, and affordable energy. Unfortunately, as a result, Eastern Washington tribes lost land, burial sites, access to rivers, and historic trading routes. In return, the Spokane tribe was offered an extremely low level of compensation for these losses. This legislation will ensure that we right this historical wrong and that the tribe receives equitable compensation for the negative impact on their land and culture. This is long overdue,said McMorris Rodgers. For over 60 years, the Spokane Tribe has worked to get just and equitable compensation for the use of thousands of acres of Tribal lands,Senator Cantwell said.After working for more than 18 years on this legislation, I hope the House will pass it quickly and send it to the president's desk. As the largest hydroelectric facility in the United States, Grand Coulee Dam has produced electricity for towns and cities across the western United States for more than 75 years. However, since the construction of the multipurpose project, the Spokane Tribe has yet to be compensated for the significant damages to its Tribal lands and livelihoods. # # #",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://mcmorris.house.gov/mcmorris-rodgers-announces-patrick-bell-as-district-director/,McMorris Rodgers Announces Patrick Bell as District Director,2019-11-19,2019,2019-11,Republican,House,WA,Cathy McMorris Rodgers,M001159,mcmorris.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, D.C.Eastern Washington Congresswoman Cathy McMorris Rodgers (WA-05) today announced that Patrick Bell will serve as her District Director in Eastern Washington starting December 9, following the departure of District Director Traci Couture, who has served in that role since 2016. Patrick brings a passion for getting results and reaching out to communities across Washington's Fifth Congressional District,said Cathy.He has a deep understanding ofthe issues facing our region, and I'm excited for him to take onthis newrole to assist me as we work to listen, learn, and lead on behalf of the people of Eastern Washington. A Springdale, Washington, native, Patrick's family raised beef and alfalfa when he was younger. In 2008, Patrick was a U.S. Fulbright Fellow to Austria where he researched energy and climate policy. He previouslyheld roles as Director of New Media for Cathy at the House Republican Conference (2010-2012), as Cathy's Campaign Manager during 2018, andinherSpokane office as Deputy District Director since January 2019. Previously, Patrick served as Associate Director of State Relations and Director of Special Projects for the Office of the President at the University of Washington. NOTE:Traci Couture will be transitioning to the Spokane Teaching Health Center to serve as their Executive Director. She has served in Cathy's office for three and a half years. # # #",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://mcmorris.house.gov/mcmorris-rodgers-on-senate-autonomous-vehicle-hearing-we-must-act-now/,McMorris Rodgers on Senate Autonomous Vehicle Hearing: We must act now,2019-11-19,2019,2019-11,Republican,House,WA,Cathy McMorris Rodgers,M001159,mcmorris.house.gov,,,legacy,"Every year, we lose more than 37,000 lives on our roadsthe equivalent to more than three commercial jets falling out of the sky every week,said McMorris Rodgers.Technology offers us a solution, and I'm encouraged to see the Senate hold a hearing tomorrow on self-driving vehicles. Not only do self-driving cars promise to save lives, they will also restore independence for people with disabilities and seniors and reduce congestion on our roads. In order to unleash this innovation here in the U.S., we need forward-thinking and thoughtful policy. We must build off the great work we did last Congress with the SELF DRIVE Act and clarify federal and state roles to ensure NHTSA remains the sole safety regulator. We need to modernize the exemption process so developers can innovate and push NHTSA to develop new self-driving car safety standards. America needs legislation built on these core concepts, or else we risk falling behind the rest of the world and seeing the benefits of self-driving vehicles go elsewhere. To win the future and beat China, we must act now. # # #",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://newhouse.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/newhouse-applauds-usda-rural-development-water-awards-adams-douglas,"Newhouse Applauds USDA Rural Development Water Awards for Adams, Douglas Counties",2019-11-19,2019,2019-11,Republican,House,WA,Dan Newhouse,N000189,newhouse.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, D.C. Today, Rep. Dan Newhouse (R-WA) released the following statement after receiving notification that projects in the City of Ritzville and the Greater Bar Water District have been selected to receive federal loans and grants through the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development's Water and Waste Disposal Loan and Grant program. This program aims to improve water systems and wastewater handling services in rural communities by ensuring reliable infrastructure. Rural communities in Central Washington rely heavily on strong infrastructure for clean drinking water and waste disposal, said Rep. Newhouse. In an area where water is already a scare resource, this financing will greatly improve the ability of Adams and Douglas counties to provide and deliver water to communities. City of Ritzville (Adams County): USDA awarded a grant of $3,907,000 and a loan of $3,465,000 to the City of Ritzville to construct a new municipal well and pump house. The funding will be used to rehabilitate two existing wells, re-coat the existing water reservoir, and replace the water line, Funding will also be used to install a new electrical panel and fence at the Koch Well Pump Station. Greater Bar Water District (Douglas County): USDA awarded a grant of $165,000 and a loan of $55,000 to the District to add a secondary back up pump, controls, and infrastructure to an existing well to provide the needed redundancy to ensure district customers do not lose water in the event of any failure to other wells. This will ensure both wells flow properly and support the water system as a whole. Background: The Water and Waste Disposal Loan and Grant program provides funding for clean and reliable drinking water systems, sanitary sewage disposal, sanitary solid waste disposal, and storm water drainage to households and businesses in eligible rural areas. The program helps small, financially distressed rural communities extend and improve water and waste treatment facilities that serve local households and businesses. Good practices can save tax dollars, improve the natural environment, and help manufacturers and businesses to locate or expand operations.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://newhouse.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/over-300-agriculture-groups-send-letter-support-farm-workforce,Over 300 Agriculture Groups Send Letter of Support for Farm Workforce Modernization Act,2019-11-19,2019,2019-11,Republican,House,WA,Dan Newhouse,N000189,newhouse.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, D.C. Today, over 300 agriculture groups sent a letter to Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy in support of H.R. 5038, the Farm Workforce Modernization Act, a bipartisan bill spearheaded by Reps. Zoe Lofgren (D-CA-19), Dan Newhouse (R-WA-04), Mike Simpson (R-ID-02), Jimmy Panetta (D-CA-20), Doug LaMalfa (R-CA-01), and Mario Diaz-Balart (R-FL-25). The bipartisan effort was negotiated over several months with input from agricultural stakeholders and labor organizations and was introduced with the support of 26 Democrats and 23 Republicans. Click here to read the letter. As foreign producers take advantage of our labor shortage and gain market share, America will export not only our food production but also thousands of these farm-dependent jobs. Securing a reliable and skilled workforce is essential, not only for the agriculture industry but for the U.S. economy as a whole, reads the letter. The letter continues, The House must pass legislation that preserves agriculture's experienced workforce by allowing current farm workers to earn legal status. For future needs, legislation must include an agricultural worker visa program that provides access to a legal and reliable workforce moving forward. The Farm Workforce Modernization Act is scheduled to be marked up by the House Judiciary Committee on Wednesday, November 20, at 10:00 AM EST. Click here for a one-pager & click here for bill text. The Farm Workforce Modernization Act was negotiated over eight months by a bipartisan group of Members with stakeholders on all sides of the issue, including farming associations and the United Farm Workers union, said Rep. Lofgren. We're in the process of providing stability for the people who get food to our table because of the agricultural employers, associations and the UFW who came to the table ready to compromise. As the Judiciary Committee gets ready to consider our bipartisan bill, this letter showcases how essential it is for Congress to work together to address our nation's future farm labor needs. The support and guidance of agricultural stakeholders and industry groups was absolutely vital as we negotiated and introduced the Farm Workforce Modernization Act, said Rep. Newhouse. Now, as the bill continues to move through Congress, I am grateful these groups are stepping up to let House leadership know how important this bipartisan effort is for farmers across the United States who are facing a critical labor shortage. The agriculture community is the backbone of Idaho's economy, said Rep. Simpson. Having their input throughout this process has been key to ensuring this legislation meets their needs for a legal workforce. I am pleased that hundreds of groups across the country are lending their voices to pass this critical bill and I look forward to continuing to work with them through the legislative process to provide our farmers and ranchers with a solution to their workforce needs. Agriculture stakeholders' support and guidance was crucial for us to craft and introduce the Farm Workforce Modernization Act. I look forward to their continued advocacy as we work to get this over the finish line. This bipartisan bill will offer much-needed stability and fairness for farms and farmworkers across America, said Rep. Panetta. The bipartisan Farm Workforce Modernization Act would not be possible without the backing of our agriculture industry. I'm happy that we've crafted a piece of legislation that is overwhelmingly supported by hundreds of industry groups and stakeholders from around the country, including California. Additionally, this bill will benefit the farmers and farm workers themselves by ensuring all workers have documentation. Our Ag sector needs a stable and reliable workforce in order to continue feeding and clothing the nation, and with this legislation, we hope to finally provide that, said Rep. LaMalfa. For far too long, our nation's farmers have suffered from a broken H2A visa system that has made it difficult to hire the necessary personnel to provide to the American people, said Rep. Diaz-Balart. The Farm Workforce Modernization Act is the only viable, bipartisan solution that can move in the House and address this issue, which is not only of economic importance, but of national security importance as well. I encourage my colleagues to pass this important legislation-- let's strengthen our economy and national security by continuing to grow and produce our own food, while legally providing permanence to our agricultural workers. Background: Farmers and ranchers across the United States are in desperate need of a high-quality, reliable workforce, and the current H-2A guestworker program is in need of meaningful, bipartisan reform. The Farm Workforce Modernization Act creates a workforce solution for America's agriculture industry by providing stability, predictability, and fairness to one of the most critical sectors of our nation's economy. The bill will: Establish a program for agricultural workers in the United States to earn legal status through continued agricultural employment and contribution to the U.S. agricultural economy. Reform the H-2A program to provide more flexibility for employers, while ensuring critical protections for workers. The bill focuses on modifications to make the program more responsive and user-friendly for employers and provides access to the program for industries with year-round labor needs. Establish mandatory, nationwide E-Verify system for all agricultural employment with a structured phase-in and guaranteed due process for authorized workers who are incorrectly rejected by the system.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://newhouse.house.gov/media-center/weekly-columns-and-op-eds/column-renewed-commitment-conservation,COLUMN: A Renewed Commitment to Conservation,2019-11-18,2019,2019-11,Republican,House,WA,Dan Newhouse,N000189,newhouse.house.gov,,,legacy,"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). This transfer to the DOL would have been contrary to the very mission of the Job Corps Civilian Conservation Centers, which aims to train the next generation of America's workforce to carry out a unique and particularly important mission: conserving our federal lands, mitigating fire threats, and suppressing active wildfires. I joined a bipartisan group in Congress to defend the program and the positive influence it has on rural communities across the United States. In Central Washington, students at Columbia Basin CCC in Moses Lake and Fort Simcoe CCC in White Swan learn hands-on skills they utilize to expand public access to federal lands, improve campsites in national forests throughout Washington state, and serve as impactful stewards of our environment. Our local CCCs have experienced increased interest and even more success. When I visited Columbia Basin CCC in August, I had the opportunity to speak directly with students who were graduating from the Job Corps with new skills and enthusiasm for serving their friends and neighbors in Moses Lake. Fort Simcoe CCC was recently rated third among all 124 Job Corps programs for performance outcomes. That means students in White Swan are completing the program, receiving career credentials, and earning incomes at rates higher than a large majority of Job Corps students across the country. Both of these Centers train students to fight wildfires across the Pacific Northwest. USDA Secretary Sonny Perdue and U.S. Forest Service Chief Vicki Christiansen recently announced their renewed commitment to Job Crops Civilian Conservation Centers. I was sincerely grateful to Secretary Perdue for committing to work with me to improve CCC programs, and with this announcement, he is following through on his word. Under the Secretary's direction, Chief Christiansen announced a realignment of the Job Corps CCC mission to more closely match the Forest Service's own motto: Caring for the land and serving people. Under this new vision, these specialized Job Corps programs will better prepare both urban and rural youth to become the next generation of responsible land managers. By revamping the CCC curriculum to meet the needs of Forest Service Regions across the United States, the Centers can focus on regional targets increasing student learning opportunities and making much-needed improvements to forest conditions. By strengthening the alumni network and supporting a pipeline between CCCs and a career with the Forest Service, Job Corps leaders can encourage students to focus on jobs in forestry, firefighting, and conservation, which are all critical careers throughout the rural West. In the words of Chief Christiansen, Our Job Corps faculty and students embody the Forest Service values of service, interdependence, conservation, diversity, and safety, and as I have seen firsthand, these students and our public lands deserve this investment. This renewed commitment to Job Corps Civilian Conservation Centers is a renewed commitment to rural America, our national lands, and the communities of Central Washington that benefit from the hard work of CCC students.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://mcmorris.house.gov/mcmorris-rodgers-statement-on-export-import-bank-reauthorization-vote/,McMorris Rodgers Statement on Export-Import Bank Reauthorization Vote,2019-11-15,2019,2019-11,Republican,House,WA,Cathy McMorris Rodgers,M001159,mcmorris.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, D.C. Eastern Washington Congresswoman Cathy McMorris Rodgers released the following statement after voting against a partisan bill to reauthorize the Export-Import (EXIM) Bank that would hurt small businesses and fail to keep America competitive in the global economy. I support reauthorization of the ExportImport Bank. As one of the most trade-dependent states in the nation, EXIMcritical to Washington,said McMorris Rodgers.Unfortunately, Democrats walked away from bipartisan negotiations and loaded this bill with partisan poison pills that I couldn't support.This Democrat bill does not do enough to combat fraud and abuse at EXIM, including ensuring Chinese state-owned-enterprises are unable to receive financing. As we look to lead in the 21st Century global economy, we should be ensuring Chinese state companies are not able to benefit from our programs and encouraging more US investment into emerging tech. This legislation also weakens support for small businesses and fails to include bipartisan reforms to encourage greater investment in new and emerging technologies. I hope we can come together and work on a bipartisan bill that puts U.S. interests first andwillgetsigned into law. # # #",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://mcmorris.house.gov/mcmorris-rodgers-statement-on-president-trumps-health-care-price-transparency-proposal/,McMorris Rodgers Statement on President Trump’s Health Care Price Transparency Proposal,2019-11-15,2019,2019-11,Republican,House,WA,Cathy McMorris Rodgers,M001159,mcmorris.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, D.C. Today, Congresswoman Cathy McMorris Rodgers, Republican Leader on the Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Consumer Protection and Commerce, released the following statement after President Trump unveiled his proposal to bring health care price transparency to the American people. Americans are rightly frustrated with a health care system that is too costly, too confusing, and doesn't put their interests first, said McMorris Rodgers. One of the best ways we can begin to address rising costs is by bringing real price transparency to patients. When patients have this information at their fingertips, they can make the best decisions for themselves and their families. With detailed price information and the ability to shop for the best care, we can spur competition and drive down costs. I applaud President Trump for pushing for more transparency to put patients at the center of their health care decisions. Congress should take this seriously, and our first action should be to pass bipartisan surprise billing legislation out of the House. # # #",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://mcmorris.house.gov/mcmorris-rodgerss-us-safe-web-act-passes-subcommittee/,McMorris Rodgers’s US SAFE WEB Act Passes Subcommittee,2019-11-14,2019,2019-11,Republican,House,WA,Cathy McMorris Rodgers,M001159,mcmorris.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, D.C.Today, Eastern Washington Congresswoman Cathy McMorris Rodgers, Republican Leader on the Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Consumer Protection and Commerce, ushered her and Rep. Robin Kelly'sU.S. SAFE WEB Actthrough that subcommittee with a voice vote. As Cathy said at today's markup,It is critical that we ensure people have the information they need and the protections they deserve when it comes to online activities. Knowing who you are dealing with online is fundamental for people to have trust in the Internet. As we heard at our FTC oversight hearing in May and at our legislative hearing last month, the SAFE WEB Act makes sure the Commission has the tools they need to protect people from international schemes that can ruin lives. She continued,To win the future, it is critical that wewith our allieshave enforceable agreements to safely allow cross-border data flows. This will ensure our innovators can beat China, while also protecting people's privacy from scams, spyware, and attacks. We all know, the Internet knows no borders. Because of that, people need to trust that they are protected from online threats that originate in foreign countries That's why the SAFE WEB Act is critical. It's empowering the FTC and the United States to be the global leader in combatting fraud and privacy violations. NOTE:TheUndertaking Spam, Spyware, And Fraud Enforcement With Enforcers beyond Borders Act of 2006 (U.S. SAFE WEB Act) gives the FTC critical powers to enhance cross-border cooperation on consumer protection investigations and fraud actions, as well as to support cross-border data transfer mechanisms like the EU-U.S. Privacy Shield. Congress enacted theU.S. SAFE WEB Actin 2006 and reauthorized it in 2012 for the period through September 2020. # # #",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://herrerabeutler.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=401690,Jaime Herrera Beutler Supports Major Congressional Action to Combat Maternal Mortality Crisis,2019-11-13,2019,2019-11,Republican,House,WA,Jaime Herrera Beutler,H001056,herrerabeutler.house.gov,,,legacy,"Today, the U.S. House of Representatives Energy and Commerce Committee's Health Subcommittee advanced bipartisan legislation aimed at reducing and ending America's growing maternal mortality crisis. U.S. Representatives Jaime Herrera Beutler (R-WA), Robin Kelly (D-IL), Michael Burgess, MD (R-TX), Buddy Carter (R-GA), Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA), Ayanna Pressley (D-MA) and Lauren Underwood (D-IL) cosponsored H.R. 4996, the Helping Medicaid Offer Maternity Services (MOMS) Act of 2019. share: f t Today, the U.S. House of Representatives Energy and Commerce Committee's Health Subcommittee advanced bipartisan legislation aimed at reducing and ending America's growing maternal mortality crisis. U.S. Representatives Jaime Herrera Beutler (R-WA), Robin Kelly (D-IL), Michael Burgess, MD (R-TX), Buddy Carter (R-GA), Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA), Ayanna Pressley (D-MA) and Lauren Underwood (D-IL) cosponsored H.R. 4996, the Helping Medicaid Offer Maternity Services (MOMS) Act of 2019. Today, more than half of new moms are covered by Medicaid when they give birth but lose Medicaid coverage just 60 days postpartum. There is clear data showing 70 percent of new moms will have at least one health complication within a year of giving birth. The bipartisan Helping MOMS Act would incentivize states to extend Medicaid coverage for new moms up to one year after giving birth, or through the entire postpartum period. The measure would provide a 5 percent enhanced Federal Medicaid Assistance Percentages (FMAP) to incentivize extension. Just four states (CA, NJ, SC and MO) and the District of Columbia have extended Medicaid for new moms for an entire year. Every woman who's had a baby knows the postpartum period can be the most difficult. In the United States, women are more likely to die of pregnancy-related conditions following the birth of their child than during pregnancy and yet, for many women, their healthcare coverage ends just sixty days after giving birth, Herrera Beutler said. She continued: If we're going to get serious about reversing the maternal death rate in America, we need to ensure that women's access to treatment isn't abruptly cut off during this vulnerable time, and that's what the Helping MOMS Act will do. In my ongoing effort to put an end to the maternal mortality crisis, I'm proud to help lead this bipartisan legislation that will increase new mothers' access to life-saving care. H.R. 4996, the Helping MOMS Act of 2019 builds on the success of Representative Jaime Herrera Beutler's H.R. 1318, the Preventing Maternal Deaths Act, Burgess said. This bill provides for a state option under the Medicaid program to provide for and extend continuous coverage for pregnant and postpartum mothers. States have already indicated a willingness to address maternal mortality rates, and H.R. 4996 will allow states to bolster their efforts. Incentivizing postpartum Medicaid expansion is a critical first step in preventing maternal deaths by ensuring new moms can see their doctor. I'm proud that my colleagues, on both sides of the aisle, came together to put an end to the sad reality of American moms dying while growing their families, Kelly said. We can't allow the perfect to be the enemy of the good. This is a good, bipartisan first step, but it must be the first of many. It is a fact that maternal morbidity and mortality are on the rise in the United States at unacceptable rates. In Washington State, women who use Medicaid coverage during pregnancy die at higher rates than those with private health insurance. We as a country are judging ourselves on our ability to keep women alive for the first year postpartum, and yet, healthcare coverage for many is eliminated 6 weeks after delivery. This is when most patients see their obstetric providers for their postpartum visit. This is also when obstetric providers will suggest patients with chronic or newly-acquired conditions seek needed follow-up. Many patients who need to seek life-saving treatments by specialists during the first year postpartum will be unable to afford it. This is why the Association of Women's Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses, along with maternal mortality review boards and many other professional associations across the country, continue to recommend extending Medicaid healthcare coverage to mothers for first year postpartum, said Lacey Rose Miller, DNP, CNS, RNC-OB, C-EFM, Washington State Legislative Coordinator, Association of Women's Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses. In recent years, the U.S. has made headlines for its disturbing and growing rate of maternal mortality. It was more dangerous to have a baby in 2018 than it was in 1985. According to the CDC, 700-900 American moms lose their lives every year to pregnancy or birth-related complications. According to statistics compiled by American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), more than half of these tragic deaths are entirely preventable. Herrera Beutler's bill, Preventing Maternal Deaths Act, was signed into law a year ago a landmark piece of legislation and the largest successful step Congress has taken to combat maternal mortality. Her bill authorized the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to issue the first round of grants to states to help with their efforts to combat maternal mortality. Washington state received $375,000.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://herrerabeutler.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=401670,"Jaime Herrera Beutler Weighs in on Flawed Marbled Murrelet Plan that will Harm Pacific, Wahkiakum Counties",2019-11-06,2019,2019-11,Republican,House,WA,Jaime Herrera Beutler,H001056,herrerabeutler.house.gov,,,legacy,"Congresswoman Jaime Herrera Beutler expressed serious concerns to U.S. Interior Secretary David Bernhardt this week over a flawed conservation plan that will harm rural communities within Pacific and Wahkiakum Counties. share: f t Congresswoman Jaime Herrera Beutler expressed serious concerns to U.S. Interior Secretary David Bernhardt this week over a flawed conservation plan that will harm rural communities within Pacific and Wahkiakum Counties. In a letter to the secretary, Herrera Beutler questioned several flaws with measures proposed by the Washington Department of Natural Resources and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. While these measures lack the science to provide benefit to the endangered Marbled Murrelet, they will certainly reduce funding for basic services in these economically-distressed counties. This flawed plan will have devastating and unnecessary impacts on rural economies and state trust land timber revenues that fund essential local public services in Southwest Washington, especially those in Pacific and Wahkiakum counties, all without any measurable benefit for the Marbled Murrelet, Herrera Beutler said in her letter. The full text of the letter follows and a PDF is available here. Dear Secretary Bernhardt, I am writing again to express concerns with the proposed Marbled Murrelet Long Term Conservation Strategy (MMLTCS) being developed by the Washington Department of Natural Resources (DNR) in conjunction with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) under the federal Endangered Species Act. This flawed plan will have devastatingand unnecessaryimpacts on rural economies and state trust land timber revenues that fund essential local public services in Southwest Washington, especially those in Pacific and Wahkiakum counties, all without any measurable benefit for the Marbled Murrelet. In 1997, DNR entered into a multi-species Habitat Conservation Plan (HCP) with USFWS and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Fisheries covering about 1.3 million acres of state trust lands in western Washington within the range of the Marbled Murrelet. That plan removed about 42 percent of these trust lands from timber harvest activities for the conservation of fish and wildlife species. This was a significant sacrifice for trust beneficiaries, including those in Southwest Washington. The state of Washington has an obligation to manage these lands for the benefit of trust beneficiaries, including schools, hospitals, libraries, and county governments. The 1997 HCP called for the development of a long-term plan for Marbled Murrelet conservation across all land ownerships. While little has been done to quantify the number of Marbled Murrelets or acres of suitable habitat on federal lands, DNR and USFWS are working to finalize a MMLTCS for state trust lands. DNR recently released its updated preferred MMLTCS alternative, which would exceed the acreage set aside under the 33,000-acre Interim Strategy - a plan that was universally considered overly conservative when it was adopted in 1997. There is no debate about protecting occupied Marbled Murrelet habitat and old-growth forests that provide suitable Marbled Murrelet habitat on state trust lands. In fact, all of these areas have already been set aside under the 1997 HCP, Washington State Board of Natural Resources policy, and under every MMLTCS alternative under consideration. Unfortunately, the proposed MMLTCS relies on a computer model (P-Stage model) that incorrectly identifies tens of thousands of acres of young and intermediate age forests as Marbled Murrelet habitateven though these stands do not contain the features, such as legacy trees with thick moss-covered branches, needed by the Marbled Murrelet. Many of these younger forests will take a century or more to develop into suitable Murrelet habitatwell beyond the end of the HCP in 2067. Some stands will likely never develop into Murrelet habitat unless they are mechanically thinned, an activity that's specifically prohibited under the MMLTCS. DNR and the USFWS have done little to verify the results of this computer model through on-the-ground forest stand reviews. Instead, the MMLTCS relies on this flawed computer model to determine how habitat take and mitigation are valuedcreating a situation where the proposed future harvest (take) of non-Marbled Murrelet habitat is being mitigated by setting aside equally unsuitable non- Marbled Murrelet habitat. This makes no sense to the rural communities that I represent. To make matters worse, USFWS is applying a double standard to the MMLTCS take and mitigation calculations for about 37,000 acres of narrow strips of forests classified as Marbled Murrelet habitat under the model. The proposed MMLTCS gives DNR no mitigation credit for over 28,000 acres of this so-called stringer habitat set aside under the 1997 HCP based on the rationale that it does not provide quality nesting habitat. On the other hand, DNR would be required to mitigate for the harvest (take) of over 8,500 acres of similar narrow strips of forestland that DNR may harvest under the MMLTCS. While this mitigation requirement was discounted by approximately 20 percent, this unfair double standard is still driving the set aside of thousands of acres of state trust lands at an immense cost to trust beneficiaries and rural economies. Finally, I am concerned that the Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) jointly developed by DNR and USFWS falls far short of disclosing the likely socioeconomic impacts to rural communities and the likely loss of timber revenues to fund essential services as required by both the National Environmental Policy Act and Washington's State Environmental Policy Act. Before USFWS takes any additional action on the MMLTCS, I urge you to work with the agency to address these serious questions: What on-the-ground verifications have been conducted by USFWS to confirm the accuracy of the P-Stage model's identification of state trust lands as actual or potential Marbled Murrelet habitat? What is the justification for prohibiting sustainable timber harvest activities on tens of thousands of state trust lands that do not contain the functional elements of Marbled Murrelet habitat when that prohibition will directly undermine beneficiaries' ability to offer critical public services? What is the policy and legal justification for the USFWS's decision to deny mitigation credit for stringer Marbled Murrelet habitat set aside under the 1997 HCP while requiring DNR to mitigate for the harvest (take) of similar narrow stands of Marbled Murrelet habitat under the MMLTCS? Since the proposed the MMTLCS will have a significant impact on the communities that I represent, I request that any further consideration of the plan be put on hold until these serious concerns are addressed. I appreciate your leadership at the Department of the Interior and look forward to working with you to ensure the rural, forested communities I represent are not unfairly and needlessly harmed by this decision.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://herrerabeutler.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=401671,Jaime Herrera Beutler to Host Telephone Town Hall November 14,2019-11-06,2019,2019-11,Republican,House,WA,Jaime Herrera Beutler,H001056,herrerabeutler.house.gov,,,legacy,"Jaime Herrera Beutler to Host Telephone Town Hall November 14 f t # e Vancouver, November 6, 2019 Congresswoman Jaime Herrera Beutler will be hosting a live telephone town hall on Thursday, November 14 @ 5:25pm Pacific Standard Time.All residents of Southwest Washington's third congressional district are invited to join Jaime for updates on her initiatives to grow jobs, help working families and improve health care. Residents will also be invited to ask questions or share whatever is on their mind. Southwest Washington residents can sign up to receive a phone alert to join the telephone town hall by visiting this link and entering their contact information.They can also contact Jaime's Vancouver office to be placed on this call list by calling (360) 695-6292. Any resident can also call in to join the live telephone town hall at any point during the event by calling 1-877-229-8493 and using the passcode 116365. Those residents unable to participate in this event can still share feedback or get questions answered by visiting jhb.house.gov to find Jaime's views on issues that matter to Southwest Washington, send her an email, sign up for her newsletter, or connect with her on social media. Event: Jaime Herrera Beutler telephone town hall Date & Time: Thursday, November 14, 2019 @ 5:25-6:25pm PST How to participate: Sign up to participate by clicking this link, or calling Jaime's Vancouver office at (360) 695-6292. Residents can also join the telephone town hall by calling 1-877-229-8493 and using the passcode 116365 at any point during the event. f t # e",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://mcmorris.house.gov/mcmorris-rodgers-announces-11-3-million-grant-for-the-spokane-international-airport/,McMorris Rodgers Announces $11.3 Million Grant for the Spokane International Airport,2019-11-06,2019,2019-11,Republican,House,WA,Cathy McMorris Rodgers,M001159,mcmorris.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, D.C. Today, Eastern Washington Congresswoman Cathy McMorris Rodgers (WA-05) announced the approval of an $11.3 million Better Utilizing Investment to Leverage Development (BUILD) Grant from the Department of Transportation to the Spokane International Airport. This grant will fund the construction of a new rail facility for trainaccess to the airport. This grant is another example of the Trump administration's work to reinvest in America's infrastructure,said Cathy.The Spokane International Airport continues to be a leader in our community in both transportation and economic development. I'm so thankful for their leadership and excited to see them use this grant to continue to connect Eastern Washington with the rest of the world. Today's announcement of the award of a BUILD grant for the construction of a Transload Facility at Spokane International Airport represents a turning point in the form of a very strategic investment by USDOT and many local partners that places us on a firm course to achieve our objective to be a world-class intermodal transportation, logistics and advanced manufacturing center that will transform the regional economy, said Larry Krauter, CEO of Spokane International Airport and Chairman of the West Plains/Airport Area Public Development Authority. Nancy Vorhees, Chair of the Airport Board added, The Transload Facility will be developed in a location to leverage the full advantage of the air, rail and highway network as well as to open up over a thousand acres of land for commercial development that is located within an Opportunity Zone, Foreign Trade Zone and Community Empowerment Zone. The table is being set for very significant growth of commerce in our region and we are thankful to our many local and state government partners as well as to our business community for their incredible support. # # #",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://herrerabeutler.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=401669,"Reps. Herrera Beutler, Higgins Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Strengthen Emergency Response to Oil Train Accidents",2019-11-05,2019,2019-11,Republican,House,WA,Jaime Herrera Beutler,H001056,herrerabeutler.house.gov,,,legacy,"U.S. Representatives Jaime Herrera Beutler (R-WA) and Brian Higgins (D-NY) introduced the Fire Department Proper Response and Equipment Prioritization Act (FD PREP Act) today to better equip firefighters to respond to oil train accidents. The FD PREP Act would direct the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to categorize hazmat operations, training, and equipment acquisition relating to crude oil and ethanol rail traffic as high priority within its Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) program. share: f t U.S. Representatives Jaime Herrera Beutler (R-WA) and Brian Higgins (D-NY) introduced the Fire Department Proper Response and Equipment Prioritization Act (FD PREP Act) today to better equip firefighters to respond to oil train accidents. The FD PREP Act would direct the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to categorize hazmat operations, training, and equipment acquisition relating to crude oil and ethanol rail traffic as high priority within its Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) program. Currently, the AFG program does not consider equipment and training specifically for train derailment incidents as being high priority grant applications. These grants are intended to provide resources for local fire departments to improve the health and safety of the public and protect firefighting personnel, including volunteers and emergency medical service personnel. Safety is our chief concern for Southwest Washington communities along rail lines and first responders must have access to the equipment and training necessary to keep residents protected in the event of an oil train accident. I'm pleased to reintroduce this bill today to ensure these critical resources are available to our firefighters, Herrera Beutler said. Firefighters across the nation are unified in their commitment to respond to a range of emergencies and we are grateful for their dedication.This bipartisan legislation ensures our first responders have access to grants that support the specialized training and equipment necessary to respond to rail based incidents for the shared goal of community safety, Higgins said. Being prepared and equipped for the various threats our community faces is one of the most important components to saving lives and property. Unfortunately, the current federal funding restriction in the Assistance to Firefighter Grant program prevents Vancouver Fire Department - and communities across the country - from accessing the resources needed to prepare and respond to crude-by-rail incidents. This common sense legislation will open up the program to ensure departments like ours have the capabilities to better deal with a derailment, spill or explosion. The federal government should be a partner in this endeavor and we hope the Congress will act quickly to reprioritize grant funding and ensure our first responders have the capabilities to plan and respond, Vancouver Fire Chief Joseph Molina said. I want to thank Congresswoman Herrera Beutler for introducing the FD Prep Act. This is a critical bill that will help communities impacted by crude-by-rail shipments prepare, train and be better equipped to deal with a possible derailment or god forbid an explosion. Interstate shipments of crude move through our community on a regular basis and we need a strong federal partner to provide the necessary resources to our local first responders. We commend the Congresswoman for leading this fight, Ridgefield Mayor Don Stose said.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://newhouse.house.gov/media-center/weekly-columns-and-op-eds/column-real-meaningful-solution-americas-farms,"COLUMN: A Real, Meaningful Solution for America's Farms",2019-11-04,2019,2019-11,Republican,House,WA,Dan Newhouse,N000189,newhouse.house.gov,,,legacy,"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. This has amounted to a critical labor shortage for our agriculture industry one of the most important sectors of our nation's economy. Since I was elected to Congress, making reforms to our nation's agricultural labor programs has been one of my highest priorities. As a farmer, I understand how our outdated H-2A program is simply not working for farmers or farmworkers in the 21st Century. I also understand the invaluable contribution these farmworkers make to our country's agricultural industry. Last year, I worked with then-Chairman Goodlatte of the House Judiciary Committee to introduce legislation to address agriculture's labor crisis, reform our guestworker program, and provide access to a legal workforce. That bill was not perfect, but it made important strides to address the challenges facing farmers in the United States. Unfortunately, the legislation did not move forward, prolonging this crisis for yet another year. I did not give up. I was heartened with Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-CA), now the Chair of the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration and Citizenship, approached me to join her and work together with the people of Central Washington in my heart and mind to come up with a compromise bill that would provide a real, meaningful solution for America's farms. It has truly been a bipartisan effort. After months of negotiations between Republicans and Democrats in Congress, agricultural stakeholders, and labor unions and organizations, we introduced H.R. 4916, the Farm Workforce Modernization Act. This bill will improve and modernize the H-2A program, ridding employers of outdated regulations and expanding access to the program for industries with year-round labor needs like dairy. It provides predictability for farmers by preventing mid-season wage increases and limiting wage growth to 3.25%. Without this provision, employers across the country are expected to face a wage increase of at least 7% in 2020. The legislation also takes steps to recognize the contributions of our farm workforce by ensuring wages are commensurate with position and experience, and it creates a first-of-its-kind, employment-based immigration program to provide legal status to current agricultural workers who have a history of working in agriculture. In addition to maintaining a clean criminal record and paying fines, this program requires these workers to continue working in agriculture in order to earn legal status, ensuring their continued investment in the U.S. economy. This is a compromise measure, plain and simple. It may not be the bill Rep. Lofgren or I would have written separately on our own, but it is a bill that we wrote collaboratively, with an absolute goal of solving one of the longest-running problems our rural communities have faced. Working together toward one, bipartisan goal is not something that we see too often in our nation's capital, and I am proud to have helped spearhead this landmark legislation. With the support of nearly 250 agriculture organizations, labor groups, business associations, and over 40 bipartisan Members of Congress, I am hopeful we can continue to work together to get this bill passed and on to the President's desk. Our farmers and ranchers, our farmworkers, and our rural communities deserve a level-headed, employment-based solution, and that is what the Farm Workforce Modernization Act provides.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://herrerabeutler.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=401667,Jaime Herrera Beutler Helps Secure Funding for Southwest Washington to Prevent Youth Substance Use,2019-11-01,2019,2019-11,Republican,House,WA,Jaime Herrera Beutler,H001056,herrerabeutler.house.gov,,,legacy,"Congresswoman Jaime Herrera Beutler today applauded an announcement by the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) that Southwest Washington communities will be receiving $875,000 in federal grants to prevent youth substance use. share: f t Congresswoman Jaime Herrera Beutler today applauded an announcement by the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) that Southwest Washington communities will be receiving $875,000 in federal grants to prevent youth substance use. Earlier this year through her work on the U.S. House Appropriations Committee, Herrera Beutler helped secure the highest-ever overall funding level for the Drug-Free Communities (DFC) Support Program that is distributing the grants.This week, $875,000 in grants were awarded specifically to seven programs in Clark and Klickitat counties. The money will provide local community coalitions funding to prevent youth substance use, including prescription drugs, marijuana, tobacco, and alcohol. Protecting our youth and helping them achieve fulfilling and healthy lives requires each of us to do our part parents, mentors, teachers, peers, pastors, coaches and elected officials, Herrera Beutler said. From my position in Congress, I'm pleased to support the coalitions on the ground as they work to prevent youth substance use in Clark and Klickitat counties. It is vital these organizations are equipped with the resources to help our young men and women make healthy life choices. 2019 Southwest Washington DFC grant recipients: Evergreen Coalition (Evergreen School District No. 114) $125,000 Teen Advocacy Coalition (Lifeline Connections) $125,000 La Center United (Evergreen School District No. 112) $125,000 Unite! Washougal Community Coalition (Washougal School District) $125,000 Battle Ground Prevention Alliance (Battle Ground, WA) $125,000 West Van for Youth (Vancouver Housing Authority) $125,000 Our Klickitat (WA Gorge Action Program) $125,000 You can read more about the DFC program here.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://mcmorris.house.gov/my-votes-week-of-october-28/,My Votes – Week of October 28,2019-11-01,2019,2019-11,Republican,House,WA,Cathy McMorris Rodgers,M001159,mcmorris.house.gov,,,legacy,"RULE BILLS **A rule bill is a bill passed through a full House vote under a rule that has been voted and agreed upon by the Rules Committee. Rule bills require a simple majority of the House to pass (218 votes) through a recorded vote. Result and Date Bill # Bill Title My Vote What it means for you and your family 10/29/2019 PASSED 405 11 -3 H.Res. 296 Affirming the United States record on the Armenian Genocide YES This resolution acknowledges the Armenian Genocide and rejects denial efforts. 10/30/2019 PASSED 236-185 H.R. 1373 Grand Canyon Centennial Protection Act NO If we want to continue to advance innovative climate solutions and technology, we must have access to the minerals and exotic metals needed for that technology. Whether it's the metals needed for clean energy solutions, electric car batteries, or other 21st Century technology, it requires us utilizing our natural resources to make it happen. H.R. 1373, H.R. 2181, and H.R. 823, while well intentioned, go too far. Harming local communities, permanently banning resource collection, and taking away more nearly 2 million acres is not a well-balanced approach. 10/30/2019 PASSED 245-174 H.R. 2181 Chaco Cultural Heritage Area Protection Act of 2019 NO If we want to continue to advance innovative climate solutions and technology, we must have access to the minerals and exotic metals needed for that technology. Whether it's the metals needed for clean energy solutions, electric car batteries, or other 21st Century technology, it requires us utilizing our natural resources to make it happen. H.R. 1373, H.R. 2181, and H.R. 823, while well intentioned, go too far. Harming local communities, permanently banning resource collection, and taking away more nearly 2 million acres is not a well-balanced approach. 10/31/2019 PASSED 232 196 H. Res. 660 Directing certain committees to continue their ongoing investigations as part of the existing House of Representatives inquiry into whether sufficient grounds exist for the House of Representatives to exercise its Constitutional power to impeach Donald John Trump, President of the United States of America NO Please see my full statement on impeachment below. IMPEACHMENT STATEMENT 10/31/2019 PASSED 227-182 H.R. 823 Colorado Outdoor Recreation and Economy Act NO If we want to continue to advance innovative climate solutions and technology, we must have access to the minerals and exotic metals needed for that technology. Whether it's the metals needed for clean energy solutions, electric car batteries, or other 21st Century technology, it requires us utilizing our natural resources to make it happen. H.R. 1373, H.R. 2181, and H.R. 823, while well intentioned, go too far. Harming local communities, permanently banning resource collection, and taking away more nearly 2 million acres is not a well-balanced approach. SUSPENSION BILLS **A suspension bill is a bill passed by the House through suspending the rules to move quickly, circumventing the House Rules Committee. Suspension bills are typically less controversial pieces of legislation, and as the rules are being suspended, they require a higher threshold, two-thirds of those voting in the House, to pass. Additionally, these bills are often passed by a voice vote, without a formal roll call vote. Result and Date Bill # Bill Title My Vote What it means for you and your family 10/28/2019 PASSED H.R. 4334 Dignity in Aging Act of 2019 YES Passed by voice. 10/28/2019 PASSED 296-109 H.R. 2440 Full Utilization of the Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund Act YES 10/28/2019 PASSED H.R. 1306 Federal Disaster Assistance Coordination Act YES Passed by voice. 10/28/2019 PASSED H.R. 1775 Notice to Airmen Improvement Act of 2019 YES Passed by voice. 10/28/2019 PASSED H.R. 2502 Transparency in Federal Buildings Projects Act of 2019 YES Passed by voice. 10/28/2019 PASSED H.R. 3942 Preventing Online Sales of E-Cigarettes to Children Act YES Passed by voice. 10/28/2019 PASSED H.R. 886 Veteran Treatment Court Coordination Act of 2019 YES Passed by voice. 10/28/2019 PASSED H.R. 2514 COUNTER Act of 2019 YES Passed by voice. 10/28/2019 PASSED H.R. 4860 Equity Crowdfunding Act YES Passed by voice. 10/28/2019 PASSED H.R. 4067 Financial Inclusion in Banking Act of 2019 YES Passed by voice. 10/28/2019 PASSED H.R. 1865 National Law Enforcement Museum Commemorative Coin Act YES Passed by voice. 10/28/2019 PASSED H.R. 2423 Women's Suffrage Centennial Commemorative Coin Act YES Passed by voice. 10/28/2019 PASSED H.R. 2781 EMPOWER for Health Act of 2019 YES Passed by voice. 10/28/2019 PASSED H.R. 728 Title VIII Nursing Workforce Reauthorization Act of 2019 YES Passed by voice. 10/28/2019 PASSED H.R. 647 Palliative Care and Hospice Education and Training Act YES 10/28/2019 PASSED 403 0 H.R. 2115 Public Disclosure of Drug Discounts Act YES 10/28/2019 PASSED H.R. 1781 Payment Commission Data Act of 2019 YES Passed by voice. 10/28/2019 PASSED 403 16 H.R. 4695 Protect Against Conflict by Turkey Act YES 10/28/2019 PASSED H.R. 1623 Help America Run Act YES Passed by voice. 10/28/2019 PASSED H.Res. 107 SFC Sean Cooley and SPC Christopher Horton Congressional Gold Star Family Fellowship Program Act YES Passed by voice. 10/28/2019 PASSED H.R. 4842 EXPO Act of 2019 YES Passed by voice. 2019 PAST VOTES:",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://mcmorris.house.gov/release-mcmorris-rodgers-votes-against-impeachment-inquiry/,RELEASE: McMorris Rodgers Votes Against Impeachment Inquiry,2019-10-31,2019,2019-10,Republican,House,WA,Cathy McMorris Rodgers,M001159,mcmorris.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, D.C. Today, Eastern Washington Congresswoman Cathy McMorris Rodgers (WA-05) released the following statement after voting against the Democrats' disingenuous impeachment inquiry resolution. For weeks, Democrats have conducted their impeachment meetings behind closed doors. They've made it impossible to trust the President will ever get a fair process. This resolution allows Chairman Schiff to keep working in private and ignores the President's due process, a fundamental right in America. From these secret proceedings to Chairman Adam Schiff falsifying statements, this has been a hyper-partisan approach from the start. I still haven't seen evidence of an impeachable offense,said Cathy.Since the President was elected, Democrats have solely focused on impeachment, instead of working in a bipartisan way to solve the real challenges Eastern Washington families face like passing USMCA, lowering prescription drug costs, and fixing a broken immigration system.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://newhouse.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/newhouse-statement-impeachment-resolution-vote,Newhouse Statement on Impeachment Resolution Vote,2019-10-31,2019,2019-10,Republican,House,WA,Dan Newhouse,N000189,newhouse.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, D.C. Today, Rep. Dan Newhouse (R-WA) released the following statement after voting against H.Res 660: I will not vote to rubberstamp the House Democrats' closed-door impeachment hearings. The process approved today by House Democrats keeps Members of Congress and the millions of Americans they represent in the dark, said Rep. Newhouse. This resolution greenlights a flawed, unprecedented process that gives Chairman Schiff complete control, continues to limit the ability of Republicans to fully participate in hearings, and denies basic due process rights to the president and his counsel. I voted against the resolution because the American people deserve transparent and fair proceedings.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://mcmorris.house.gov/mcmorris-rodgers-advocates-for-clean-renewable-hydropower-at-energy-and-commerce-subcommittee-hearing/,"McMorris Rodgers Advocates for Clean, Renewable Hydropower at Energy and Commerce Subcommittee Hearing",2019-10-30,2019,2019-10,Republican,House,WA,Cathy McMorris Rodgers,M001159,mcmorris.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, D.C.Today, Eastern Washington Congresswoman Cathy McMorris Rodgers (WA-05), at an Energy and Commerce Subcommittee hearing titled Building a 100 Percent Clean Economy: Solutions for the U.S. Power Sector,spoke about the importance of clean, renewable, reliable, and affordable hydropower to Eastern Washington and our country. Watch her remarks here: As Cathy said,Reducing carbon emissions is a shared goal, however, I believe we must be realistic and we must be honest about the challenges that we faceWe need an all-of-the-above strategy that provides consumer choice, ensures affordability, and maintains grid reliability and capacity. For some states, nuclear is the best option. For others, it's wind, or solar, or natural gas. For others, it's hydropower. I'm excited about the technological innovation and American ingenuity that enables us to develop a variety of new, cutting-edge ways of clean energy production. Eastern Washington is a leader in clean energy solutions. Hydropower built the Pacific Northwest. It built our economy and it continues to provide clean, renewable, reliable electricity It accounts for 70 percent of the energy in Washington State, and as we all know, it is the largest source of renewable energy in the country. We coulddouble our hydropower production in America without building a single new damsimply by investing in technology. The fact though is from 2012 to 2015, our carbon emissions spiked 6.1% due, in part, to increasing fossil fuel-generated electricity. So, at a time when we have this shared goal, we should be embracing what makes sense in each region of the country, and for us, it's hydropower. We shouldn't be putting more costs and more mandates on hydropower. We should be actually moving forward with licensing reform here at the federal level. # # #",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://mcmorris.house.gov/mcmorris-rodgers-joins-in-introducing-farm-workforce-modernization-act/,McMorris Rodgers Joins in Introducing Farm Workforce Modernization Act,2019-10-30,2019,2019-10,Republican,House,WA,Cathy McMorris Rodgers,M001159,mcmorris.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, D.C. Today, Eastern Washington Congresswoman Cathy McMorris Rodgers (WA-05) joined in introducing theFarm Workforce Modernization Act, major bipartisan legislation to fix the labor problems that growers and dairies in Washington state face. McMorris Rodgers joined 20 Republican and 24 Democrat members, led by Rep Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-CA) and Rep. Dan Newhouse (R-WA), in introducing this bipartisan compromise to address this pressing problem facing the agriculture industry. Agriculture is Eastern Washington's number one industry, and whenever I meet with fruit and vegetable growers or dairies in Eastern Washington, the number one concern I hear is about labor. We need an agricultureworkforceprogram that is workable, affordable, and able to meet ourlaborneeds in the Northwest. This legislation institutes mandatory E-Verify for the agriculturesectorto ensure workers are in the United States legally,addresses challenges the current workforce is facing, and makes significant reforms to the H-2A program to simplify the program, reduce bureaucracy, and bring down costs,said McMorris Rodgers.At the end of the day, in order to find a much-needed solution on this issue, we need to lead on abipartisanbill. I've long said the American people expect more from us than partisan bickering, and this is an example of how bipartisan leaders can work together, find common ground, and advance legislation that will make a real difference for our farmers and agriculture workers alike. NOTE: The Farm Workforce Modernization Act is widely supported by the agriculture community, including support from nearly 250 agriculture organizations in the Pacific Northwest and across the country. It is also supported by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. You can read their letter of support by clicking here. # # #",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://newhouse.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/bipartisan-house-members-introduce-farm-workforce-modernization-act,Bipartisan House Members Introduce Farm Workforce Modernization Act,2019-10-30,2019,2019-10,Republican,House,WA,Dan Newhouse,N000189,newhouse.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, D.C. Today, Reps. Zoe Lofgren (D-CA-19), Dan Newhouse (R-WA-04), Collin Peterson (D-MN-07), Mike Simpson (R-ID-02), Jimmy Panetta (D-CA-20), Doug LaMalfa (R-CA-01), and Mario Diaz-Balart (R-FL-25) introduced the Farm Workforce Modernization Act to provide a compromise solution for American agriculture. The bill was introduced with the strong bipartisan support of 24 Democrats and 20 Republicans. The Farm Workforce Modernization Act, which was negotiated over several months with input from agricultural stakeholders and labor organizations, makes meaningful reforms to the H-2A agricultural guestworker program and creates a first-of-its-kind, merit-based visa program specifically designed for the nation's agricultural sector. Click here for a one-pager. Click here for bill text. The men and women who work America's farms feed the nation. But, farmworkers across the country are living and working with uncertainty and fear, contributing to the destabilization of farms across the nation, said Rep. Lofgren. Our bill offers stability for American farms by providing a path to legal status for farmworkers. In addition, the Farm Workforce Modernization Act addresses the nation's future labor needs by modernizing an outdated system for temporary workers, while ensuring fair wages and workplace conditions. When I speak to farmers and ranchers across the country, labor is often their number one concern. Our nation's agriculture industry is diverse and flourishing, but producers are in desperate need of a legal and reliable workforce, said Rep. Newhouse. As a third-generation farmer, I understand the invaluable contributions made by farmworkers to American agriculture, and we must modernize our guestworker program to work for farmers, ranchers, and farmworkers in the 21st Century. The Farm Workforce Modernization Act offers a strong, bipartisan workforce solution to provide certainty to both farm owners and workers through an accessible, employment-based program. This bill is the solution our agricultural industry needs. The full list of cosponsors includes: Rep. Mark Amodei (R-NV-07); Rep. James Baird (R-IN- 04); Rep. Anthony Brindisi(D-NY-22); Rep. Susan W. Brooks (R-IN-05); Rep. Salud Carbajal (D-CA-24); Rep. Tony Cardenas (D-CA-29); Rep. Judy Chu (D-CA-27); Rep. Tom Cole (R-OK-04); Rep. Luis J. Correa (D-CA-46); Rep. Jim Costa (D-CA-16); Rep. TJ Cox (D-CA-21); Rep. Angie Craig (D-MN-02) Rep. John Curtis (R-UT-03); Rep. David Scott (D-GA-13); Rep. Rodney Davis (R-IL-13); Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart (R-FL-25); Rep. Marcia Fudge (D-OH-11); Rep. Sylvia Garcia (D-TX-29); Rep. Bob Gibbs (R-OH-07); Rep. Josh Harder (D-CA-10); Rep. Doug LaMalfa (R-CA-01); Rep. Al Lawson (D-FL-05); Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA-05); Rep. Paul Mitchell (R-MI-10); Rep. Dan Newhouse (R-WA-04); Rep. Devin Nunes (R-CA-22); Rep. Jimmy Panetta (D-CA-20); Rep. Collin C. Peterson (D-MI-07); Rep. Tom Reed (R-NY-23); Rep. Linda Sanchez (D-CA-38); Rep. Kurt Schrader (D-OR-05); Rep. Kim Schrier (D-WA-08) ; Rep. Mike Simpson (R-ID-02); Rep. Elissa Slotkin (D-MI-08); Rep. Abigail Spanberger (D-VA-07); Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-CA-19); Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY-21); Rep. Steve Stivers (R-OH-15); Rep. Norma Torres (D-CA-35); Rep. Xochitl Torres Small (D-NM-02); Rep. Fred Upton (R-MI-06); Rep. Filemon Vela (D-TX-34); Rep. Greg Walden (R-OR-02); Rep. Don Young (R-AK- At Large) Agriculture needs a reliable and legal source of workers. I want to thank the bipartisan group of Members who worked with ag groups to come up with this initial bill that can help move this dialogue forward. This effort has produced a proposal that provides a better option than the status quo for many parts of U.S. agriculture. As this discussion continues, we need to also address meat and poultry processing workforce needs, said Rep. Peterson. My constituents have been asking me to fix our immigration laws since my first day in Congress, said Rep. Simpson. There is perhaps no more important facet of immigration reform for Idaho and its economy than the agriculture workforce. I am proud to introduce the Farm Workforce Modernization Act alongside a bipartisan coalition of members in the first step towards solving this problem. Getting our farmers' employees right with the law will provide economic stability to our rural communities and make our country safer by creating a legal, merit-based agriculture immigration system that allows our valuable law enforcement resources to focus on the bad actors. For many years, farmers and farmworkers from the Central Coast to the center of America to the East Coast have faced continued uncertainty when it comes to agriculture labor, said Rep. Panetta. Fortunately, my colleagues and I not only understand this issue, we understand what it will take to fix this issue. That is why for the past nine months, Democratic and Republican members of Congress and farmers and farmworkers have been at the table working tirelessly to grind out the details of legislation that protects the people that currently work in agriculture and modernizes and streamlines our immigration system for agriculture labor. It wasn't easy and the legislation still needs to be signed into law, but the Farm Workforce Modernization Act is a big step in the right direction for a bipartisan solution that can provide the needed certainty in our agriculture communities. I am proud to have been a part these efforts and look forward to continuing the fight to pass this legislation that is so important to the Central Coast and our country. Today, we announce a common-sense compromise that is fair to farmers, farmworkers, and to US citizens who appreciate the rule of law. Across the Country and in California, farmers have been calling for a reliable and legal workforce for years, said Rep. LaMalfa. The Farm Workforce Modernization Act addresses these issues in a bipartisan manner that will provide some much-needed certainty. It does so by modernizing the H-2A program, stabilizing wages, and instituting a merit-based system for agricultural workers to eventually earn legal status but only after years of proven and consistent employment in the U.S. agriculture industry, vigorous background checks, and state-of-the-art biometric verification. It's what the people who work to feed our country need. I'm happy to have been a part in crafting this bipartisan agreement and deliver on our promise to find solutions for America's agriculture industry. The success of our farmers, growers, and producers is essential not only for our economy but for our national security. For far too long, we've suffered from a broken H2A systemmaking it difficult for farmers to hire the workforce necessary to provide to the American people, saidRep. Diaz-Balart. This bill would allow us to continue to grow and produce food in our country, while proving a solution that strengthens economic and national security, offers stability and permanence to agricultural workers, adheres to the rule of law, modernizes our antiquated H2A system, and bolsters the economy. I'm proud to lead this important legislation, and I look forward to continuing to work with my colleagues as we pursue a good-faith, bipartisan solution for our nation's farmers. The bill has garnered the wide-spread support of nearly 250 agriculture groups and labor organizations. After months of negotiations, the UFW and UFW Foundation are enthusiastic about passing legislation that honors all farm workers who feed America by creating a way for undocumented workers to apply for legal status and a roadmap to earn citizenship in the future without compromising farm workers' existing wages and legal protections. Understanding that compromise is required to meaningfully improve the lives of immigrant field laborers, it is our hope this will be the first time the House of Representatives, under the leadership of either party, will approve an agricultural immigration bill, said Arturo S. Rodriguez, President Emeritus of United Farmworkers & Spokesperson of UFW Foundation. We have supported numerous efforts to address dairy's acute labor needs. Passing legislation in the House is a critical step in the process. We urge the Senate to work with us on this important issue so we can get an ag worker bill across the finish line in this Congress, said Jim Mulhern, President and CEO of National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF). The bipartisan Farm Workforce Modernization Act provides an important starting point for badly needed improvements to agriculture immigration policy. NMPF would like to thank Chairwoman Lofgren and Congressman Newhouse for their bipartisan leadership, and we look forward to continuing to work with them as this important legislation moves forward. The legislation points the way towards achieving many of the long-standing immigration reform goals of NCFC and others in agriculture. While there are provisions that are problematic, on balance it is a good starting point for the legislative process. It provides an opportunity to obtain an earned legal status for the current workforce in agriculture; it codifies many of the reforms that the Trump Administration has made to the current H-2A program and provides some certainty over labor costs; and it authorizes a limited number of year-round visas for those farmers with year-round labor needs, such as those in dairy and livestock, said Chuck Conner, President & CEO of National Coalition of Farm Cooperatives. We look forward to working with Chairwoman Lofgren, Congressman Newhouse and the other co-sponsors as the bill moves forward to ensure that the bill leads to a solution that ensures agriculture producers have access to a legal and stable workforce. Background: Farmers and ranchers across the United States are in desperate need of a high-quality, reliable workforce, and the current H-2A guestworker program is in need of meaningful, bipartisan reform. The Farm Workforce Modernization Act creates a workforce solution for America's agriculture industry by providing stability, predictability, and fairness to one of the most critical sectors of our nation's economy. The bill will: Establish a program for agricultural workers in the United States to earn legal status through continued agricultural employment and contribution to the U.S. agricultural economy. Reform the H-2A program to provide more flexibility for employers, while ensuring critical protections for workers. The bill focuses on modifications to make the program more responsive and user-friendly for employers and provides access to the program for industries with year-round labor needs. Establish mandatory, nationwide E-Verify system for all agricultural employment with a structured phase-in and guaranteed due process for authorized workers who are incorrectly rejected by the system.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://newhouse.house.gov/media-center/weekly-columns-and-op-eds/op-ed-our-path-forward-america-s-farms,Op-Ed: Our path forward for Americas farms,2019-10-30,2019,2019-10,Republican,House,WA,Dan Newhouse,N000189,newhouse.house.gov,,,legacy,"Originally published in Capital Press on October 30, 2019. America is fortunate to have a large and diverse agricultural economy. Our citizens and millions of others across the world have grown to depend on the high-quality food and goods we produce. Our farmers and ranchers face many obstacles in today's global economy, from international trade and market access to ever-changing technologies and regulations. None of these are as pressing for American agriculture as the lack of a legal, high-quality and reliable workforce. For decades, American producers have been increasingly reliant on a foreign workforce, or workers who lack lawful immigration status, to grow and harvest their crops for market. The only program for accessing a legal and authorized foreign workforce is the H-2A guestworker program. Farmers and ranchers from each of our home states have pointed to flaws in the program that have been detrimental to the productivity of agriculture. From the outdated application process, unsustainable costs and convoluted federal jurisdiction to a lack of access for dairy farmers and year-round operations, it is clear the H-2A program needs to work better. The program and our nation's farmers are in need of meaningful, bipartisan reform. That is why we joined forces in March to lead a coalition of House colleagues in negotiations with agricultural stakeholders and labor organizations. Out of those efforts, we are proud to announce the Farm Workforce Modernization Act, a bill that would finally provide stability, predictability and fairness to one of the most critical sectors of our nation's economy. This legislation will finally provide certainty for farmers by overhauling and modernizing the H-2A program to ensure real access to a strong workforce. Gone is the need to file distinct applications and petitions with various agencies at different points along the growing season. Instead, employers will file a single, streamlined electronic application to cover an entire season's labor needs. Employers will no longer face wildly fluctuating wage rates or outdated newspaper advertising requirements. Stabilized wage requirements provide predictability and protection from mid-season wage changes, making it simpler for farmers to seek and retain needed workers. For the first time, this bill provides a legal source of immigrant labor to the dairy industry and other agricultural sectors with year-round labor needs. By increasing flexibility for farmworkers to match with new employers while improving rural housing options, we can offer much-needed stability and fairness for farms and farmworkers across America. The bill also guarantees certainty for the hard-working farmworkers who have been helping feed the world for decades. This legislation recognizes the essential contributions of our current, experienced workforce by creating a first-of-its-kind, merit-based visa program specifically designed for the nation's agricultural sector. Those current workers with significant farm experience are provided access to five-year visas, which provide immediate security to both American farmers and the workers they have come to depend on. With a modernized, employment-based immigration system, farmworkers who have become experts in our fields thanks to decades of service to America's farms will have the option to earn legal status and permanent residence in the United States to ensure the stability of American agriculture. Finally, with the above reforms in place, the bill would mandate the use of the E-Verify employment eligibility verification system in the agricultural industry. By adapting our immigration system to meet the needs of the agricultural sector, we can ensure access to a safe and legal workforce, encouraging farmworkers to come out of the shadows and continue contributing to our society, legally and without fear. Farmworkers and a workable H-2A program are vital for the sustainability of farms across the country, but the outdated regulations and mandates that accompany the program put both our producers and our workforce at a disadvantage. With the Farm Workforce Modernization Act, America's farmers and ranchers will finally have access to the dependable and experienced workforce they need and deserve. We must improve our agricultural labor programs and laws, and by embracing modernization, this bill will make huge strides for America's farms.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://mcmorris.house.gov/mcmorris-rodgerss-allied-health-workforce-diversity-act-passes-house/,McMorris Rodgers’s Allied Health Workforce Diversity Act Passes House,2019-10-29,2019,2019-10,Republican,House,WA,Cathy McMorris Rodgers,M001159,mcmorris.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, D.C. Yesterday, the Allied Health Workforce Diversity Act, legislation that Eastern Washington Congresswoman Cathy McMorris Rodgers (WA-05) joined in introducing, overwhelmingly passed the House included in theEMPOWER Health Act of 2019 (H.R. 2781). This legislation will providefunding for colleges and universities to make physical therapy, occupational therapy, audiology, and speech-language pathology programs more accessible to underrepresented communities, including those who are racial or ethnic minorities or from disadvantaged backgrounds. As Cathy said when she joined Rep. Bobby Rush (D-IL) in introducing the bill,I've seen firsthand the benefits of occupational therapy, speech pathology, and physical therapy in helping people to live more full and independent lives. When people from underserved areas go into these fields, they are more likely to serve our rural communities. This bill will help better serve Eastern Washington and the people who rely on these allied health professionals. NOTE:Cathy joined Rep. Rush in introducing this legislation in June. Find more information by clicking here. # # #",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://newhouse.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/newhouse-demands-public-hearing-tri-cities-state-snake-river-dam-study,Newhouse Demands Public Hearing in Tri-Cities on State Snake River Dam Study,2019-10-29,2019,2019-10,Republican,House,WA,Dan Newhouse,N000189,newhouse.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, D.C. Today, Rep. Dan Newhouse (R-WA) released the following statement after Governor Inslee's office revealed that public hearings on the state's Snake River Dams study would be hosted in Vancouver, WA and Clarkston, WA: This entire process has been a sham. The federal government has jurisdiction over these facilities, so as I've said all along spending $750,000 on a state-funded dam breaching study is a complete waste of Washingtonians' taxpayer dollars, said Rep. Newhouse. Now the state is turning its back on the people of Tri-Cities by avoiding their opinions and concerns. I demand that Governor Inslee's Snake River Dam Study group hold an additional public hearing in Tri-Cities so our region's voices can be heard. It is the least the state can do to uphold any semblance of a legitimate process. One has to ask: What are they afraid of? Background: On September 10, 2018, the House Committee on Natural Resources conducted a field hearing at Pasco City Hall to focus on the benefits provided by the Columbia and Snake River dams. The field hearing was set at the request of Rep. Newhouse. On December 13, 2018, Governor Jay Inslee proposed a $750,000 line item in the state budget to support evaluation of the Lower Snake River dams by a state task force. Reps. Newhouse and McMorris Rodgers released a statement opposed to the study. On May 13, 2019, Rep. Newhouse hosted a public listening session, The Future of Our Dams, in Tri-Cities, so local community members could share thoughts and ask questions of Rep. Newhouse and a panel of experts about the dams, hydropower, salmon mitigation, and other topics related to the Snake River dams. On May 20, 2019, Reps. Newhouse and McMorris Rodgers publicly urged Governor Inslee to veto the line item in a joint statement, citing widespread support for the dams.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://newhouse.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/newhouse-leads-delegation-introduce-bill-honoring-washingtonian-general,Newhouse Leads Delegation to Introduce Bill Honoring Washingtonian General James Mattis,2019-10-28,2019,2019-10,Republican,House,WA,Dan Newhouse,N000189,newhouse.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, D.C. Today, Rep. Dan Newhouse (R-WA) introduced H.R. 4867, the General James N. Mattis Congressional Gold Medal Act. The bill would bestow the Congressional Gold Medal to General James N. Mattis, in recognition of his distinguished military career, his steadfast moral character and patriotism, and his unyielding devotion to the protection of this Nation. The legislation was introduced with the full bipartisan support of the Washington delegation. Jim Mattis is a hometown hero and truly one of Washington's most distinguished native sons, said Rep. Newhouse. His honorable military career, his commitment to our community, and his dedication to the United States serve an example for the people of Washington state and the nation. I look forward to working with my colleagues to ensure he is the next distinguished leader to receive the Congressional Gold Medal. Click here to read the text of the bill. Background: General James N. (Jim) Mattis was born in Pullman, Washington, and raised in Richland, Washington, graduating from Columbia High School in 1968. He began his military career the following year by enlisting in the United States Marine Corps Reserve. In 1971, he earned his Bachelor of Arts in History from Central Washington State College, and he earned a Master of Arts in International Security from National Defense University's War College in 1994. He was the first United States Marine Corps officer to command a Naval Task Force in Afghanistan following the attacks on September 11, 2001. He bravely commanded forces, including the U.S. Joint Forces Command, NATO's Supreme Allied Command for Transformation, and U.S. Central Command. President Trump nominated General Mattis for United States Secretary of Defense, and he served honorably until December 31, 2018. Since his retirement, he has been honored with several awards and commendations for his military and civilian service, including the Atlantic Council Distinguished Military Leadership Award, the Marine Corps University Foundation Semper Fidelis Award, the Dwight D. Eisenhower Distinguished Service Award, and the Washington Policy Center Columbia Award. He wrote about his military and leadership experience in the recently published book, Call Sign Chaos: Learning to Lead. Congressional Gold Medals have been bestowed upon great generals, leaders, and thinkers in our nation's history, including but not limited to George Washington, Ulysses S. Grant, Douglas MacArthur, and Harry S. Truman. In order to be considered, Congressional Gold Medal legislation must be cosponsored by at least two-thirds (290) of the Members of the House.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://newhouse.house.gov/media-center/weekly-columns-and-op-eds/column-amongst-giants-american-exceptionalism,COLUMN: Amongst the Giants of American Exceptionalism,2019-10-28,2019,2019-10,Republican,House,WA,Dan Newhouse,N000189,newhouse.house.gov,,,legacy,"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. He can communicate and resonate with everyone from heads of state and Members of Congress to local business leaders and young students. His military and civilian service serves as an example for all, and I am honored to call him my friend. Jim Mattis is a Washingtonian through and through. He was born in Pullman, raised in Richland, and attended college in Ellensburg. When he enlisted in the United States Marine Corps Reserve in 1969, I doubt he realized the impact his service would have on the people of Washington Stateand the entire nation. His devotion to defending the United States and our Constitution has earned the deepest degree of trust, respect, and admiration from our men and women serving in uniform across the globe. He was the first United States Marine Corps officer to command a Naval Task Force in Afghanistan following the attacks on September 11, 2001. He bravely commanded forces including the U.S. Joint Forces Command, NATO's Supreme Allied Command for Transformation, and U.S. Central Command. When President Donald Trump nominated General Mattis for United States Secretary of Defense, he served honorably until December 31, 2018. General Mattis is recognized around the world as an exemplary military general, and he is revered in Central Washington as a hometown hero. Despite his outstanding career and numerous awards, he remains humble and involved throughout Washington state. From volunteering with the Tri-Cities Food Bank to hosting ceremonies for Vietnam veterans, General Mattis continually demonstrates his commitment to our local community. The Congressional Gold Medal is the highest honor the United States Congress can bestow on an individual. The greatest generals, thinkers, and leaders in our nation have received this award, including, but not limited to, George Washington, Ulysses S. Grant, Douglas MacArthur, and Harry S. Truman. I believe General Mattis belongs amongst these giants of American exceptionalism. That is why I am introducing the General James N. Mattis Congressional Gold Medal Act with the full bipartisan support of the Washington congressional delegation. If signed into law, this bill would bestow our hometown hero with this great honor. Passing this legislation will not be an easy feat. It requires the cosponsorship of two-thirds of the House of Representatives, but, as I told General Mattis, I will work my hardest to ensure he is the next distinguished leader to receive the Congressional Gold Medal.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://mcmorris.house.gov/information-on-national-prescription-drug-take-back-day/,Information on National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day,2019-10-25,2019,2019-10,Republican,House,WA,Cathy McMorris Rodgers,M001159,mcmorris.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, D.C.Ahead of the Drug Enforcement Administration's (DEA) National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day on Saturday, October 26, Eastern Washington Congresswoman Cathy McMorris Rodgers (WA-05) encourages people in Washington's Fifth Congressional Districtto take the time to properly dispose of their expired, unused, and unwanted prescription drugs and help combat the opioid epidemic by ensuring these drugs aren't abused. The following locations throughout Eastern Washington will serve as disposal sights between 10:00 am and 2:00 pm on Saturday, October 26, for National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day. For more information, visit:https://www.deadiversion.usdoj.gov/drug_disposal/takeback/ Asotin County: Asotin County Fire Department,2314ApplesideBlvd,Clarkston, WA 99403 Ferry County: Ferry County Corrections,165 N Jefferson Ave, Republic, WA 99166 IncheliumCommunity Health Center,39 Short Cut Rd,Inchelium, WA 99138 SanPoilValley Health Center,11665 WA-21, Keller, WA 99140 Lincoln County: Lincoln County Sheriff's Office,404 Sinclair St, Davenport, WA 99122 Pend Oreille County: Newport Police at TJ Kelly Park,101 N Washington Ave, Newport, WA 99156 Pend Oreille County Sheriffs Office,331 S Garden Ave, Newport, WA 99156 KalispelTribal Public Safety Building,3292LeClercRd N, Cusick, WA 99119 Spokane County: Spokane County Sheriff's Office,4904 N Harvard Rd,Otis Orchards, WA 99027 CHAS Health Clinic,3919 N Maple St, Spokane, WA 99205 KalispelTribal Police Department,202 Industry Dr Suite D,Airway Heights, WA 99001 Yoke's Fresh Market,12825 W Sunset Hwy, Airway Heights, WA 99001 Stevens County: Spokane Tribe of Indians Indian Health Services,WellpinitAgency Loop,Wellpinit, WA 99040 Walla Walla County: Walla Walla Police Department,54 E Moore St, Walla Walla, WA 99362 Whitman County: Pullman Police Department,260 SEKamiakenSt, Pullman, WA 99163 # # #",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://mcmorris.house.gov/my-votes-week-of-october-21/,My Votes – Week of October 21,2019-10-25,2019,2019-10,Republican,House,WA,Cathy McMorris Rodgers,M001159,mcmorris.house.gov,,,legacy,"RULE BILLS **A rule bill is a bill passed through a full House vote under a rule that has been voted and agreed upon by the Rules Committee. Rule bills require a simple majority of the House to pass (218 votes) through a recorded vote. Result and Date Bill # Bill Title My Vote What it means for you and your family 10/21/2019 PASSED 218-185 H.Res. 630 MOTION TO TABLE: Condemning and censuring Adam Schiff, Representative of California's 28th Congressional District NO Please see my full statement on why I voted to censure Rep. Schiff. READ IT HERE 10/22/2019 PASSED 249-173 H.R. 2513 Corporate Transparency Act of 2019 NO 10/23/2019 PASSED 227-181 H.R. 4617 SHIELD Act NO SUSPENSION BILLS **A suspension bill is a bill passed by the House through suspending the rules to move quickly, circumventing the House Rules Committee. Suspension bills are typically less controversial pieces of legislation, and as the rules are being suspended, they require a higher threshold, two-thirds of those voting in the House, to pass. Additionally, these bills are often passed by a voice vote, without a formal roll call vote. Result and Date Bill # Bill Title My Vote What it means for you and your family 10/21/2019 PASSED 375-25 H.R. 4406 Small Business Development Centers Improvement Act of 2019 YES 10/21/2019 PASSED 389-8 H.R. 4407 SCORE for Small Business Act of 2019 YES 10/22/2019 PASSED 410-6 H.R. 2426 CASE Act of 2019 YES 10/23/2019 PASSED 402-1 H.R. 777 Debbie Smith Reauthorization Act of 2019 YES 2019 PAST VOTES:",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://newhouse.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/newhouse-announces-general-james-n-mattis-congressional-gold-medal-act,Newhouse Announces General James N. Mattis Congressional Gold Medal Act,2019-10-25,2019,2019-10,Republican,House,WA,Dan Newhouse,N000189,newhouse.house.gov,,,legacy,"SPOKANE, WA On Thursday, October 24, at Washington Policy Center's Eastern Washington Annual Dinner, Rep. Dan Newhouse (R-WA) announced that he will be introducing the General James N. Mattis Congressional Gold Medal Act. Rep. Newhouse introduced General James (Jim) Mattis, who was the keynote speaker at the dinner. In his remarks, Rep. Newhouse said, Some of you may not be aware of this award it is the highest honor the United States Congress can bestow. It is not something handed out often, and frankly it is very difficult to get signed into law I want you all to know, as this is the first time I am making this publicly known, that I will be working my hardest to ensure General Mattis is the next distinguished leader to receive the Congressional Gold Medal. The bill would award General Jim Mattis, a native Washingtonian and Tri-Cities resident, with the Congressional Gold Medal in recognition of his distinguished military career, his steadfast moral character and patriotism, and his unyielding devotion to the protection of this Nation. The legislation will be introduced on Monday, October 28, with the support of the full bipartisan Washington congressional delegation. Background: Congressional Gold Medals have been bestowed upon great generals, leaders, and thinkers in our nation's history, including but not limited to George Washington, Ulysses S. Grant, Douglas MacArthur, and Harry S. Truman. In order to be considered, Congressional Gold Medal legislation must be cosponsored by at least two-thirds (290) of the Members of the House.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://mcmorris.house.gov/mcmorris-rodgers-announces-4-7-million-grant-for-deer-park-economic-development/,McMorris Rodgers Announces $4.7 Million Grant for Deer Park Economic Development,2019-10-24,2019,2019-10,Republican,House,WA,Cathy McMorris Rodgers,M001159,mcmorris.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, D.C. Eastern Washington Congresswoman Cathy McMorris Rodgers (WA-05) today announced a $4.7 million grant from the Department of Commerce's Economic Development Administration for the Deer Park Business and Industrial Park development. I'm proud of the team in the Deer Park community who have been working hard to expand the opportunities for people in northern Spokane County, said Congresswoman Cathy McMorris Rodgers. This grant for local infrastructure improvements is critical to continuing their work to grow our economy and create jobs right here in Eastern Washington. Thank you to the Trump administration, Secretary Ross, and the Economic Development Administration for recognizing the work being done on the ground and investing in our community. NOTE: This grant will be matched with more than $1.2 million in local investment. It is expected to help create 47 jobs and generate nearly $6 million in private investment. Find more information on this grant by clicking here. # # #",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://mcmorris.house.gov/mcmorris-rodgers-on-eastern-washingtons-dams-one-of-the-most-efficient-eco-friendly-methods-of-cargo-transportation/,"McMorris Rodgers on Eastern Washington’s Dams: “one of the most efficient, eco-friendly methods of cargo transportation”",2019-10-23,2019,2019-10,Republican,House,WA,Cathy McMorris Rodgers,M001159,mcmorris.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, D.C. Today, Eastern Washington Congresswoman Cathy McMorris Rodgers (WA-05) joined for an Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Environment and Climate Change hearing titled,Building a 100 Percent Clean Economy: Solutions for Planes, Trains and Everything Beyond Automobiles. At the hearing, she talked about how Eastern Washington's dams, in spite of Governor Jay Inslee's attempts to jeopardize them, provide an eco-friendly and low-emissions form of transportation for our region. You can see her remarks here: As Cathy said, As we look to reduce emissions in the transportation sector, it's important we pursue policies that reduce transportation related emissions that are realistic, technology-neutral, and make economic sense. Government mandates whether at the federal, state, or local level, can often have drastic unintended consequences. In Washington state right now, some politicians and special interests, for example, are threatening to breach the four lower Snake River dams Governor Inslee is currently spending almost one million dollars of taxpayer money to justify doing thisMany farmers and other businesses in Eastern Washington rely on barging on the Snake River and on the Columbia River to ship their products West to the ports. Barging is one of the most efficient, eco-friendly methods of cargo transportation. If the dams were breached, farmers would have to look to other shipping methods It would have taken, in 2017 alone, it would have taken 135,000 additional semi-trucks to move the cargo shipped on the Snake River. This would drastically increase emissions in Washington State, not to mention the additional congestion that we already face She continued, Instead of wasting taxpayer money on an expensive effort to increase carbon emissions and decrease clean energy production, we should encourage the development of new technologies and efficiencies that decrease emissions in the transportation sector. # # #",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://mcmorris.house.gov/mcmorris-rodgers-kelly-introduce-us-safe-web-extension-act/,"McMorris Rodgers, Kelly Introduce US SAFE WEB Extension Act",2019-10-22,2019,2019-10,Republican,House,WA,Cathy McMorris Rodgers,M001159,mcmorris.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, D.C. Today, Congresswoman Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) and Congresswoman Robin Kelly (D-IL) introduced the US SAFE WEB Extension Act to extend the U.S. SAFE WEB Act of 2006 for an additional seven years and enable the Federal Trade Commission to protect Americans from fraud, spam, and deception online. The Internet knows no borders, and too often, the threats we face online don't come from here in the United States,said Congresswoman McMorris Rodgers.We need the tools to address online threats across international boundaries. That's why Congress developed the SAFE WEB Act in 2006. It enables the Federal Trade Commission to step in and address international threats online and protect Americans' privacy and sensitive or financial information. This bill will extend the SAFE WEB Act for an additional seven years to continue fighting cyberthreats around the world. In 2019, those seeking to deceive and commit fraud often use international borders as a shield against law enforcement. We should be able to address this malicious activity that targets American families by working with our international law enforcement partners,said Congresswoman Robin Kelly.This important bipartisan measure will ensure that the Federal Trade Commission has the resources and authority to cooperate with foreign law enforcement agencies and tackle fraud and deception. NOTE:The Undertaking Spam, Spyware, And Fraud Enforcement With Enforcers beyond Borders Act of 2006 (U.S. SAFE WEB Act) gives the FTC critical powers to enhance cross-border cooperation on consumer protection investigations and fraud actions, as well as to support cross-border data transfer mechanisms like the EU-U.S. Privacy Shield. Congress enacted the U.S. SAFE WEB Act in 2006 and reauthorized it in 2012 for the period through September 2020. # # #",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://herrerabeutler.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=401650,Jaime Herrera Beutler Invites Southwest Washington Veterans to Preserve Their Stories in the Library of Congress,2019-10-21,2019,2019-10,Republican,House,WA,Jaime Herrera Beutler,H001056,herrerabeutler.house.gov,,,legacy,"Today, Congresswoman Jaime Herrera Beutler announced she is inviting Southwest Washington veterans to take part in an event November 8 to record their stories as part of the Veterans History Project within the Library of Congress. share: f t Today, Congresswoman Jaime Herrera Beutler announced she is inviting Southwest Washington veterans to take part in an event November 8 to record their stories as part of the Veterans History Project within the Library of Congress. Congress created the Veterans History Project, and it is a great honor for me to help preserve Southwest Washington veterans' military stories for future generations, Herrera Beutler said. From those who served in World War II to those who just returned from a conflict in the Middle East, I am committed to honoring our veteran heroes' service and making their stories of sacrifice an official part of our nation's story. All Southwest Washington veterans are invited to participate and share their military stories at this Vancouver-area event. Those who wish to participate should RSVP at VetStoriesWA03@Mail.House.Gov or call Herrera Beutler's Vancouver office at 360-695-6292. Additional details on the time and location of the event will be forthcoming. About the Veterans History Project: Herrera Beutler will be partnering with the Veterans History Project whose mission is to collect, preserve, and make accessible the personal accounts of American wartime veterans so that future generations may hear directly from veterans and better understand the realities of war and the sacrifices made for our freedom. At the event, Herrera Beutler, her staff, and members of the military community will be conducting one-on-one interviews with Southwest Washington veterans about their wartime experiences. The interviews will then be submitted for preservation as part of the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress. More information including the veteran collections about the Veterans History Project is available at www.loc.gov/vets.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://mcmorris.house.gov/mcmorris-rodgers-announces-2-3-million-in-violence-against-women-grants-to-eastern-washington/,McMorris Rodgers Announces $2.3 Million in Violence Against Women Grants to Eastern Washington,2019-10-21,2019,2019-10,Republican,House,WA,Cathy McMorris Rodgers,M001159,mcmorris.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, D.C. (October 21, 2019) Today, Eastern Washington Congresswoman Cathy McMorris Rodgers (WA-05) announced $2.3 million in grant funding awarded by the Department of Justice's Office on Violence Against Women to organizations in the Fifth Congressional District. These organizations include YWCA of Spokane, the City of Spokane, the Spokane Tribe of Indians, and End Violence Against Women International in Colville. Together, we must stand up and stop violence of any kind here in our communities, said Cathy. These grants help support efforts to combat violence against women and improve services for victims. Thank you to the Department of Justice and Trump administration for prioritizing the important work being done here in Eastern Washington to keep our communities safe and secure. NOTE: Details on grant totals: YWCA of Spokane $599,819.00, Legal Assistance for Victims Grant Program City of Spokane $750,000.00, Improving Criminal Justice Responses to Sexual Assault, Domestic Violence, Dating Violence, and Stalking Grant Program Spokane Tribe of Indians $450,000.00, Coordinated Tribal Assistance Solicitation Grant Program End Violence Against Women International, Colville $500,000.00, SAMFE Grant Program Cathy has long supported the Violence Against Women Act in Congress and fought for full funding for the Office of Violence Against Women. Find more information on these grants from the Office of Violence Against Women by clicking here. # # #",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://mcmorris.house.gov/mcmorris-rodgers-votes-to-move-forward-with-chairman-schiff-censure/,McMorris Rodgers Votes to Move Forward with Chairman Schiff Censure,2019-10-21,2019,2019-10,Republican,House,WA,Cathy McMorris Rodgers,M001159,mcmorris.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, D.C. Today, Eastern Washington Congresswoman Cathy McMorris Rodgers (WA-05) supported a resolution to censure Chairman Adam Schiff. She voted against the Democrats' procedural vote that protected Chairman Schiff. Since the 2016 election, Chairman Schiff has been on a desperate crusade to impeach President Trump by any means necessary,' said Cathy. He should be held accountable for misleading the American people. # # #",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://newhouse.house.gov/media-center/weekly-columns-and-op-eds/column-congress-must-act-end-crisis-facing-native-communities,COLUMN: Congress Must Act to End Crisis Facing Native Communities,2019-10-21,2019,2019-10,Republican,House,WA,Dan Newhouse,N000189,newhouse.house.gov,,,legacy,"Washington's 4th Congressional District is home to two sovereign tribes, the Yakama Nation in the south and the Colville Tribes in the north. I am proud to represent these strong Native communities in Congress, but there is a crisis affecting not only the Yakama and the Colville but tribes across the nation: missing and murdered indigenous women. Indigenous women throughout the country face a murder rate ten times higher than the national average, and I have seen firsthand how these injustices affect local communities. There are currently over 100 open cases of missing and murdered indigenous women in Washington state, with 31 open cases on or near the Yakama Nation reservation. This number is alarming, but the truth is: We don't have accurate data to truly understand the breadth of this problem. Due to a lack of shared information, data, and reporting, there is no real way to know exactly how many Native American women have gone missing or whose fate hangs in the balance of an unsolved murder case. The complicated jurisdiction between federal, tribal, and local law enforcement causes serious problems throughout many investigations, and far too many tribal law enforcement agencies lack resources and access to information that would help solve and close these cases. I have been inspired by the advocacy and efforts to bring attention to missing and murdered indigenous women in Central Washington, and I have vowed to exercise my position in Congress to help deliver justice for these women. This is absolutely an issue we must address on a national level, but so far, the Legislative Branch has failed to act. Just last week, I hosted a Special Order on the House floor with several of my colleagues from both sides of the aisle. Members from different districts across the country echoed the concerns of Central Washington's tribes and Native communities: Congress must pay attention to this devastating crisis and do our part listen, then legislate. I have invited the House Judiciary and Natural Resources Committees to host a field hearing on the Yakama Nation to hear directly from the communities who are directly affected and discuss real solutions to provide relief to the tribes and law enforcement agencies who are dealing with this crisis every day. My invitation was echoed by several local tribes, advocacy groups, and women's organizations; the Committees have yet to respond. I have worked with my colleagues to introduce strong, bipartisan legislation to improve collaboration between law enforcement agencies and empower them to seriously work toward solving many of these unsolved cases. Two of the bills I introduced, Savanna's Act and the BADGES for Native Communities Act, would improve the reporting, record-keeping, and communication of open cases and ensure tribes have the resources they need to investigate missing persons or murders. Unfortunately, House leadership has failed to bring either of these bills up at Committee. It is easy to focus on the heartbreaking statistics facing Native communities across the country, but these missing and murdered indigenous women are more than just numbers. They are mothers, daughters, sisters, aunts, neighbors, and friends. This is not an issue we can ignore, and Congress must act to provide answers to their families and loved ones. I will continue to bring attention to the Native communities who are suffering, and I will continue working to deliver justice to the missing and murdered indigenous women in our state and our country.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://herrerabeutler.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=401645,"Reps. Herrera Beutler, Roybal-Allard Introduce Womens Heart Health Resolution",2019-10-18,2019,2019-10,Republican,House,WA,Jaime Herrera Beutler,H001056,herrerabeutler.house.gov,,,legacy,"Congresswomen Jaime Herrera Beutler (R-WA) and Lucille Roybal-Allard (D-CA), the co-founders and co-chairs of the Congressional Maternity Care Caucus, today introduced a bipartisan resolution recognizing women's cardiovascular health as a critical health care priority. Given that heart disease is the number one killer of women in the United States, this resolution promotes increased awareness and education centered on symptoms of heart disease in women. The resolution also calls for gender-specific cardiovascular disease research, prevention, treatment, and policy action to alleviate the risks of heart disease among women. share: f t Congresswomen Jaime Herrera Beutler (R-WA) and Lucille Roybal-Allard (D-CA), the co-founders and co-chairs of the Congressional Maternity Care Caucus, today introduced a bipartisan resolution recognizing women's cardiovascular health as a critical health care priority. Given that heart disease is the number one killer of women in the United States, this resolution promotes increased awareness and education centered on symptoms of heart disease in women. The resolution also calls for gender-specific cardiovascular disease research, prevention, treatment, and policy action to alleviate the risks of heart disease among women. One-third of all women in our country die from heart disease or stroke. To tackle a health crisis of this magnitude, it's vital we draw attention to the importance of medical research, education and policy action to prioritize women's cardiovascular health, Herrera Beutler said. Too often, women's heart attack symptoms which are different from men's go undetected and often prove fatal. This is a priority for the Maternity Care Caucus because we know there is a link between cardiovascular disease and preeclampsia among expectant mothers, contributing to a tragic number of pregnancy-related deaths every year. I'm pleased to take action today with my co-chair of the Maternity Care Caucus, Congresswoman Roybal-Allard, to prioritize women's heart health so we can save more girls and moms from heart attacks and stroke. Cardiovascular disease takes the life of someone's mother, grandmother, daughter, or sister every 80 seconds, and is responsible for more deaths among women than all cancers combined, Roybal-Allard said. Fortunately, 80 percent of cardiac and stroke events can be prevented with education and action. That is why I am proud to introduce this resolution with my friend and fellow co-chair of the Maternity Care Caucus, Congresswoman Jaime Herrera Beutler. If women stay informed about their risk factors, learn the symptoms of a heart attack, and make healthy lifestyle choices, they can lower their chances of cardiovascular disease. When it comes to cardiovascular disease, women are under-researched and under-treated and in the United States it's costing 400,000 women their lives each year. This Resolution is a strong bipartisan statement from Congress that it's time to take action, and we are grateful to Rep. Herrera Beutler, Rep. Roybal-Allard and other Congressional leaders for their steadfast commitment to helping save women's lives, said Dr. Noel Bairey Merz, Women's Heart Alliance Scientific Advisor, Director of the Barbra Streisand Women's Heart Center in the Smidt Heart Institute at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. Scope of women's heart disease: Heart disease is the number one killer of women in the U.S. One in three women die of heart disease or stroke. In the U.S., one woman dies every 80 seconds from heart disease and stroke, accounting for 400,000 deaths a year and costing approximately $1 trillion to the health care system. Women are at a greater risk of dying in the year following a heart attack than are men, and in 2019, a woman diagnosed with cardiovascular disease will be more likely to live with a disability, not receive the correct treatment, be readmitted to the hospital or become depressed. Heart disease and stroke is the leading cause of pregnancy-related deaths in the U.S., significantly contributing to the country's high maternal mortality rate.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://herrerabeutler.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=401638,"Jaime Herrera Beutler Saves More than $1 Million for Southwest Washington Residents in 2019, One Individual at a Time",2019-10-16,2019,2019-10,Republican,House,WA,Jaime Herrera Beutler,H001056,herrerabeutler.house.gov,,,legacy,"Congresswoman Jaime Herrera Beutler has helped Southwest Washington residents save or recoup more than $1 million through her casework services in 2019. share: f t Congresswoman Jaime Herrera Beutler has helped Southwest Washington residents save or recoup more than $1 million through her casework services in 2019. Herrera Beutler has helped over 650 residents this year on an individual basis. For many, she's helped them obtain money they've earned or claim benefits they were promised by the Department of Veterans Affairs, Social Security Administration, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and the Internal Revenue Service, among other federal agencies for a total of $1,214,071 so far this year. Whether it's a Vietnam veteran who needs disability benefits assistance or a senior whose Social Security check is being shortchanged, my job is to advocate for Southwest Washington residents, Herrera Beutler said. It can be pretty intimidating for anyone to navigate the bureaucracy of a massive federal agency, but my knowledgeable staff and I are here to assist. Solving problems for individuals through casework is one of the most rewarding parts of my job. I'm celebrating this million-dollar milestone to let the community know that my team and I are effective at getting results, so they shouldn't hesitate to call me for help. More than just dollars and cents Herrera Beutler's office is ready to assist other residents needing help with a federal agency, and her services are not limited to the recoupment of money. For instance, Craig from Vancouver was expecting a box of family photos that his sister-in-law had sent to him from Russia. Unfortunately, the zip code on the label was damaged and over several months, the precious box of photos was shipped back and forth between mail facilities in the U.S. and Russia.Craig was unable to locate the package, so he contacted Herrera Beutler for help. Herrera Beutler and her staff contacted the U.S. Postal Service and, after two weeks, had helped locate the package and ensure it was finally delivered to Craig and his wife. Southwest Washington residents can request help on Herrera Beutler's website at JHB.House.Gov or by calling her Vancouver office at (360) 695-6292.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://newhouse.house.gov/media-center/weekly-columns-and-op-eds/column-strengthening-our-water-supply-infrastructure,COLUMN: Strengthening Our Water Supply Infrastructure,2019-10-14,2019,2019-10,Republican,House,WA,Dan Newhouse,N000189,newhouse.house.gov,,,legacy,"As a farmer, former state Director of Agriculture, and now a Congressman representing one of the most flourishing agricultural regions in America, I fully understand how important it is that we reinvest in the water infrastructure our farms and communities were built upon much of which is over a century old at this point. I have made it a priority to address these important issues for Central Washington and for rural communities across the West. Last week, I was joined by local farmers, irrigators, and elected officials at Willard Farms in Prosser to announce the introduction of legislation to help local water managers access the funds they need to repair and rebuild aging Bureau of Reclamation (BOR) facilities and ensure our existing surface storage facilities are operating as efficiently as possible. My bill, the Water Supply Infrastructure Revitalization and Utilization Act, aims to meet the needs of our agricultural economy and local communities by addressing the BOR's maintenance backlog at water supply infrastructure projects. Far too much of BOR's infrastructure, which includes dams, hydropower plants, canals, and irrigation conveyances, is in serious need of maintenance and repair. My legislation creates a clearly-defined application and review process, so local water operators can initiate maintenance projects with extended repayment to a revolving Aging Infrastructure Account. Local users need the flexibility to access these resources, and this bill will help them do just that. When President Trump signed my bill into law to authorize the next phase of the Yakima Project, we celebrated clearing one of the most significant hurdles for water needs in Central Washington. But as many of us know, authorization is only the first key step. Next comes what some would say is the more difficult part: securing the resources and funding to implement the authorized projects. I have been working on the Yakima Project for much of my career, and this new bill will create an easier, more streamlined process to access funds for this desperately-needed infrastructure in Central Washington. The legislation also strengthens the Safety of Dams program to improve structural integrity of dams across the country by increasing the program's authorization cap in order to meet BOR's project funding needs for their future workload. In our region, we are no stranger to the benefits dams provide for irrigation districts and the agricultural industry. Washington's 4th District truly is at the epicenter of need for ensuring the stability of BOR dams of all sizes, but like much of our nation's infrastructure, our dams are aging and require regular maintenance and upkeep. The Safety of Dams program is important for ensuring all BOR dams continue to operate safely and efficiently from the Grand Coulee Dam down to the Sunnyside, Prosser, and Roza Diversion dams. Finally, the bill creates a pilot program to give more flexibility to reservoir operators. Communities across the West know the impacts of droughts all too well, and this legislation allows local operators to temporarily store water in dedicated flood control space during certain low-risk times of the year. By addressing the maintenance backlog at our water supply projects, strengthening the structural integrity of our water infrastructure, and providing flexibility for water storage to best equip our communities in times of drought, we can secure the resources required to meet the current and future water needs for Central Washington and across the West. I believe the Water Supply Infrastructure Revitalization and Utilization Act is step forward in doing so, and I look forward to working with my colleagues to send it to the President's desk.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://newhouse.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/newhouse-leads-letter-support-colville-request-indian-health-center,Newhouse Leads Letter to Support Colville Request for Indian Health Center Clinic in Omak,2019-10-11,2019,2019-10,Republican,House,WA,Dan Newhouse,N000189,newhouse.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, D.C. Today, Rep. Dan Newhouse (R-WA) led a bipartisan, bicameral letter to the Indian Health Center (IHS) in support of the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Indian Reservation's (Colville Tribes) application for a new IHS clinic in Omak through the Joint Venture Construction Program. The letter was co-signed by Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Representative McMorris Rodgers (R-WA), Representative Kim Schrier (D-WA), and Representative Denny Heck (D-WA). Through the Joint Venture Construction Program, the Colville Tribes would fully fund the construction of a new clinic in Omak. In return, IHS would provide staffing and operate the clinic at no cost to the tribe for a period of 20 years. If the Colville Tribes' application were to be ultimately selected, it would address the urgent need for a new clinic in Omak and allow the Colville Tribes to update its staffing levels, the letter reads. Both outcomes would benefit not only the Colville Tribes and its members but would also provide new investment in the health care infrastructure of north central Washington, which would be a benefit to all. Randy Cawston, Chairman of the Colville Tribes Business Council, said, The Colville Tribes is very pleased that Congressman Newhouse and our Congressional delegation communicated to IHS the critical need for a new Omak clinic. If our application is successful, the new health providers, specialized staff, and technology that the facility would bring will benefit all of North Central Washington by creating greater access to resources and increased capacity to serve. The full letter can be found here and below. Dear Directors Weahkee, Hartz, and Seyler: For decades, the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Indian Reservation (Colville Tribes) and its membership have lacked a tribal health care facility in Omak, one of the largest districts on the Colville Reservation. In July 2003, the Tribes, recognizing the health needs, used tribal funds to modify a small modular office building for use as a clinic and relocated personnel from its already understaffed Colville Service Unit to provide at least some health care to Omak residents. The current modular building is so constrained that it barely allows for wheelchair access in its main hallway. The lack of square footage has inhibited the Colville Tribes' ability to add and retain health care providers in Omak, which has resulted in long wait times for patients and fewer patient encounters. The Colville Service Unit has been operating under historically low staffing ratios since the late 1930s, so the Colville Tribes were already facing a critical shortage of providers in its health delivery system. The reduction in patient encounters caused by the lack of providers has had the domino effect of eroding the Colville Tribes' user population count and negatively impacting the Colville Service Unit's base funding. Now, for the second time in the last decade, the Colville Tribes have applied to replace the modular Omak site with a new clinic through the Indian Health Service's Joint Venture Construction Program. Today, the Colville Tribes stand strong with the ability to fund the construction of a new Omak clinic. The Colville Tribes has been able to invest tribal resources to develop plans for the new Omak facility and secure financing for that facility. The Colville Tribes is confident that its current application will score much higher than its last application in 2014 because the current application includes data relevant to the Omak clinic that was not included in the prior application. We are hopeful that the Indian Health Service will give full and fair consideration to the Tribes' Joint Venture Construction Program application for a new clinic in Omak. This facility will provide health care for thousands of underserved IHS eligible patients. If the Colville Tribes' application were to be ultimately selected, it would address the urgent need for a new clinic in Omak and allow the Colville Tribes to update its staffing levels. Both outcomes would benefit not only the Colville Tribes and its members but would also provide new investment in the health care infrastructure of north central Washington, which would be a benefit to all. We appreciate your attention to this letter and your consideration of these matters. Sincerely,",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://newhouse.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/newhouse-introduces-bill-maintain-repair-water-supply-infrastructure,Newhouse Introduces Bill to Maintain & Repair Water Supply Infrastructure Across the West,2019-10-10,2019,2019-10,Republican,House,WA,Dan Newhouse,N000189,newhouse.house.gov,,,legacy,"PROSSER, WA Today, Rep. Dan Newhouse (R-WA) announced the introduction of the Water Supply Infrastructure Rehabilitation and Utilization Act. This legislation would help local water operators and managers maintain and repair critical Bureau of Reclamation (BOR) water supply infrastructure. As a farmer, former state Director of Agriculture, and now a Congressman representing one of the most flourishing agricultural regions in America, I fully understand how important it is that we reinvest in the water infrastructure our farms and communities were built upon much of which is over a century old at this point, said Rep. Newhouse. I have made it a priority to address these important issues for Central Washington, and rural communities across the West, that have Bureau of Reclamation projects in their regions. He continued, That is why I am introducing this legislation: to help local water managers access the funds they need to repair and rebuild aging facilities and ensure our existing surface storage facilities are operating as efficiently as possible. Click here for bill text and click here for a one-pager. Rep. Newhouse was joined by local water managers and elected officials to discuss how the bill would benefit local irrigation districts, Central Washington counties, federal infrastructure projects like the Bureau of Reclamation's Yakima and Columbia Basin Projects, and implementation of the 30-year Yakima Basin Integrated Plan. Jim Willard, Vice President of Roza Irrigation District's Board of Directors: The main message here is that we are working on structures the Bureau built 50, 60, 70, 80 years ago, and we're having to do significant repairs on them [Congressman Newhouse] understands water, he understands the value of it, and the need to maintain our system. I'm really glad that he's in office in DC helping us with these decisions. Ron Anderson, Yakima County Commissioner: Congressman Newhouse championed the successful authorization for the next phase of [the Yakima Project], which will help ensure our region's future is defined not by drought, but by a flourishing economy where current and future water needs are met. Now that this crucial authorization has been signed into law, the next step is to secure the financing and needed resources to implement the plan. Scott Revell, Manager of the Roza Irrigation District: Addressing things like critical infrastructure needs, water supply, and drought resiliency, and ensuring the safety and structural integrity of our dam system, our canals, and our irrigation conveyances is absolutely critical to our growers, and we thank you for your help. Click here to watch a live stream of the press conference. The bill has garnered support from regional, state, and national organizations: There is a great need to reinvest in the decades-old infrastructure on the Columbia Basin Project. This bill establishes a much-needed revolving fund to continuously address extraordinary maintenance needs at Bureau of Reclamation Transferred Works. This new fund, known as the Aging Infrastructure Account,' would allow water managers to access funds for outstanding maintenance needs on projects in the West, including the Columbia Basin Project. These investments would help support the $4 billion economic activity in the Columbia Basin region, said Vicki Scharlau, Executive Director of the Columbia Basin Development League. ""Water is the lifeblood of Washington state's and our nation's economy. Maintaining a healthy network of water infrastructure is crucial to efficient water delivery to farms and cities. Congressman Newhouse's legislation will provide needed financial resources to invest in water infrastructure helping to supply a safe, reliable and affordable supply of water for this and future generations, said Tom Myrum, Executive Director of Washington State Water Resources Association. The increasing demand on water supplies underscores the need to maintain critical infrastructure. While NWRA members manage many of these facilities, the federal government owns them. As the owner, the Bureau of Reclamation must play an active role in supporting the increased maintenance and replacement costs of these valuable assets, said Ian Lyle, Executive Vice President of the National Water Resources Association. The Water Infrastructure Rehabilitation and Utilization Act will help increase water supply, improve efficiency, and address drought concerns. We appreciate Congressman Newhouse's leadership on this important issue, and we look forward to working with him to pass this legislation. Background: The Water Supply Infrastructure Rehabilitation and Utilization Act aims to maintain and update critical water infrastructure that communities across Central Washington and the West rely upon. The bill will address BOR's maintenance backlog by streamlining the process for local water operators, strengthen the Safety of Dams program to improve the structural integrity of BOR dams across the United States, and provide flexibility in reservoir storage for flood control during low risk times of the year. Rep. Newhouse's bill is a companion to legislation introduced in the U.S. Senate. Senator Martha McSally introduced S. 2044 on June 27, 2019. The bill was passed out of the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources on September 25, 2019.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://newhouse.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/newhouse-honored-legislator-year-award-pacific-northwest-waterways,Newhouse Honored with Legislator of the Year Award from Pacific Northwest Waterways Association,2019-10-09,2019,2019-10,Republican,House,WA,Dan Newhouse,N000189,newhouse.house.gov,,,legacy,"VANCOUVER, WA Today, Rep. Dan Newhouse (R-WA) was honored as Legislator of the Year by the Pacific Northwest Waterways Association (PNWA) at the group's annual convention in Vancouver, WA. PNWA annually awards its Legislator of the Year award to a member of Congress who has gone above and beyond in supporting waterborne commerce, economic development, and navigation infrastructure in the Pacific Northwest. Our river system is vital to our way of life in Central Washington and the Pacific Northwest, from the affordable and reliable electricity provided by our dams to the barging and transportation options for agricultural producers, said Rep. Newhouse. It is truly an honor to receive this award, and I look forward to continuing to work with PNWA as a partner in protecting and promoting the benefits of our rivers and waterways. ""Congressman Newhouse has been one of the most vocal supporters of renewable hydropower and reliable, efficient inland navigation in our Congressional delegation, prominently highlighting the Columbia Snake River System in hearings, press conferences, and other venues in his district and the nation's capital,"" said PNWA Executive Director Kristin Meira. ""We are thankful for his leadership, and pleased to present him this award in honor of his significant efforts.""",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://newhouse.house.gov/media-center/weekly-columns-and-op-eds/column-dams-and-salmon-can-and-do-coexist,COLUMN: Dams and Salmon Can and Do Coexist,2019-10-07,2019,2019-10,Republican,House,WA,Dan Newhouse,N000189,newhouse.house.gov,,,legacy,"There has been a lot of buzz around the Snake River dams. In the decades-old argument, anti-dam advocates consistently point out that if the people of the Northwest love salmon, the dams have got to go. The communities I represent have grave concerns over the removal of the Snake River dams, which provide reliable and affordable energy that is vital to our region. These communities are also concerned about salmon survival, which is why I am proud to support our dams while also supporting research to improve fish passage. In light of what seems like constant attacks on our way of life in Central and Eastern Washington, we come together in support of the dams and the many benefits they provide: clean and renewable energy, transportation for our goods to port, irrigation and flood control for our communities and agricultural economy, and robust recreational opportunities. We also recognize that in order to have a fully resilient energy infrastructure, we must continue to improve conditions for endangered salmon through the dam system and build upon the 95% fish passage rate. While our governor, many in the state legislature, and some privately-funded entities on the westside of the state continue to debate the costs and benefits of the Snake River dams, calling for the removal of the dams in order to protect Washington's native salmon species and the orca populations off the coast is a misguided approach. While the dams' benefits and impacts on local communities and our state are enormous, it is important to remember the Snake River dams are federally-owned and operated. The State has no jurisdiction over this infrastructure. The federal government is committed to protecting our environment, and as I have pointed out in response to the numerous attacks on our dam system, they are currently conducting a comprehensive environmental analysis of the river power system. As a member of the House Appropriations Committee, I have consistently supported funding for endangered salmon research and other opportunities to improve our hydropower systems. Meanwhile, federal agencies and partners are investing in the dam system to demonstrate that dams and salmon can and do coexist. Last week, I joined U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Walla Walla District Commander Lt. Col. Dietz at the Ice Harbor Dam in Burbank. Ice Harbor is the site of a new, high-tech test turbine, which was designed by the Corps to increase the efficiency of power production and improve safety for fish passing through the dam. This turbine the first of its kind is supported by more than 20 years of research, combining the expertise of the Corps, Bonneville Power Administration, and the National Marine Fisheries Service. While on this visit, scientists from the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) deployed their groundbreaking Sensor Fish technology. Dr. Daniel Deng explained how Sensor Fish devices mimic a fish's pathway and movements through the dam system, so scientists and researchers at PNNL can better understand how to improve their passage. PNNL, which is located right here in the heart of the Columbia Basin, is avidly studying ways to increase salmon runs while maintaining the clean, reliable energy benefits provided by the dams. In Central Washington, we understand the vitality of our dams, and we are lucky to have the support of federal entities and partners who are working to improve them. As communities around the world continue to call for clean energy solutions, I will continue to work with my colleagues in Congress to support research and innovation for our renewable energy infrastructure, to improve conditions for our iconic salmon species, and to save our dams.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://newhouse.house.gov/media-center/weekly-columns-and-op-eds/local-communities-deserve-be-heard-grizzly-bear-proposal,COLUMN: Local Communities Deserve to be Heard on Grizzly Bear Proposal,2019-09-30,2019,2019-09,Republican,House,WA,Dan Newhouse,N000189,newhouse.house.gov,,,legacy,"In light of the proposal that just never seems to go away: introducing grizzly bears in the North Cascades, I invite all constituents of the 4th Congressional District to join me in expressing your opinion about how this will affect you and your family. Grizzly bears in the wild are not the cuddly creatures we see portrayed in movies or television. They are apex predators, weighing up to 850 pounds and standing up to 8 feet tall. To get an idea of the impact these powerful bears have on populated communities, all you have to do is ask the people who live in areas where grizzly bears have been introduced. Just last week, four hunters in Montana were attacked by grizzlies in three separate attacks over a matter of days. This is not something our community wants to see in our region. I have heard opposition from my constituents across Central Washington, not just those living in the northern region of our district. The North Cascades National Park is a beautiful place, where hundreds of people hike, boat, and camp. The threat of running into a grizzly bear on an afternoon hike or an overnight family camping trip would deter visitors. An attack by a grizzly bear on one of these visitors could not only pose life-threatening consequences, but it could also harm North Central Washington's thriving recreational economy. The debate over grizzly bear introduction in Washington state isn't new. In 1995, Washington lawmakers mandated by law that grizzly bears shall not be transplanted or introduced into the state. Since then, the federal government has made multiple attempts to ignore the wishes of our state and illegally introduce the apex predator into the North Cascades Ecosystem. The initial proposal under the Obama Administration included a public comment period for input. Hundreds of thousands of comments were submitted from all over the country, but the voices that matter most the voices of the communities directly affected were ignored. The treatment of local families and concerned citizens at the public forum conducted in Okanogan County was unacceptable, leaving many feeling that the federal government did not care about their concerns for their families, neighbors, and businesses. As the Department of the Interior continued to pursue this proposal, I demanded of both former Interior Secretary Zinke and Interior Secretary Bernhardt, that this time must be different the voices of these communities must be heard. A public meeting is the best way for officials at the National Park Service (NPS) and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) to hear directly from the local communities who would have to live with the consequences of grizzly bears transplanted into the North Cascades. I am grateful Secretary Bernhardt heard my concerns and agreed to host an upcoming meeting on October 7th in Okanogan. Attendees at this meeting will have the opportunity to speak their mind. Through a lottery system, those in attendance will be chosen to provide up to two minutes of public comment on the record. Those who do not wish to speak at the event can provide their public comment in writing to NPS and USFWS officials. I will be attending to express my grave concerns and wholehearted opposition. I hope this public meeting will empower Central Washington communities to not let federal bureaucrats dictate their futures. It is imperative that local voices be heard.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://herrerabeutler.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=401624,Jaime Herrera Beutler Applauds Federal Economic Development Grant for City of Longview,2019-09-27,2019,2019-09,Republican,House,WA,Jaime Herrera Beutler,H001056,herrerabeutler.house.gov,,,legacy,"Today, Congresswoman Jaime Herrera Beutler applauded the U.S. Department of Commerce's announcement that it had awarded a $1.9 million grant to the city of Longview for the Beech Street extension project. This effort is projected to create more than 200 jobs and bring an anticipated $111 million in private investment to the city. share: f t Today, Congresswoman Jaime Herrera Beutler applauded the U.S. Department of Commerce's announcement that it had awarded a $1.9 million grant to the city of Longview for the Beech Street extension project. This effort is projected to create more than 200 jobs and bring an anticipated $111 million in private investment to the city. These Economic Development Administration grants are being targeted to designated Opportunity Zones. Opportunity Zones were created in the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act Herrera Beutler helped usher into law to spur economic development by giving tax incentives to investors in economically-distressed communities like Longview. Nearly two years ago, I helped usher the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act into law because of its potential to strengthen Southwest Washington's economy and infrastructure, Herrera Beutler said. I had communities like Longview in mind when I helped champion the Opportunity Zones that this law created, because they bring additional employment to a community that certainly wants more jobs. I welcome the announcement of these funds coming to Cowlitz County and commend the City of Longview for successfully taking advantage of this opportunity put forth by Congress. Beech Street represents a shining example of the private sector and government at all levels working creatively together to bring jobs, investment and an improved quality of life to our community, Longview Mayor Don Jensen said. On behalf of the citizens of Longview, I offer my heartfelt thanks and appreciation to Senator Murray and Congresswoman Herrera Beutler for bringing this meaningful economic development project to fruition. According to Mayor Jensen, the Beech Street extension project: Opens up approximately 48 acres of land for commercial/light industrial purposes Is estimated to create more than 200 family-wage jobs Is anticipated to attract $111 million in private investment",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://herrerabeutler.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=401626,Jaime Herrera Beutler Applauds FCC Waiver for Earthquake Early Warnings,2019-09-27,2019,2019-09,Republican,House,WA,Jaime Herrera Beutler,H001056,herrerabeutler.house.gov,,,legacy,"Congresswoman Jaime Herrera Beutler applauded the decision by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to protect the viability of earthquake early warning systems like ShakeAlert as they make changes to the Wireless Emergency Alert (WEA). The waiver issued by the FCC will ensure alerts issued by the ShakeAlert system will reach affected individuals' cell phones in a timely manner, increasing their chances of being able to get to safety. share: f t Congresswoman Jaime Herrera Beutler applauded the decision by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to protect the viability of earthquake early warning systems like ShakeAlert as they make changes to the Wireless Emergency Alert (WEA). The waiver issued by the FCC will ensure alerts issued by the ShakeAlert system will reach affected individuals' cell phones in a timely manner, increasing their chances of being able to get to safety. The FCC is developing changes to the WEA system to improve alerts for wildfires. However the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has expressed concern that these changes could delay alerts in the event of an earthquake. In July, Herrera Beutler and 18 other members of Congress sent a letter urging the FCC to work with USGS to ensure earthquake alerts would not be negatively impacted by changes to the WEA system. Earthquakes pose a major threat to families in Southwest Washington and early warnings can save lives and property. I'm pleased the FCC responded favorably to our request to protect the viability of our earthquake early warning system, Herrera Beutler said. ShakeAlert system is a vital tool that will save lives by alerting citizens and communities of incoming earthquakes and give them precious time to get to safety. From Herrera Beutler's position on the U.S. House Appropriations Committee, she has supported $83.4 million for the Earthquake Hazards program, including more than $16 million for the continued development of the earthquake early warning system in Washington and along the Pacific coast.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://mcmorris.house.gov/mcmorris-rodgers-statement-in-support-of-japan-trade-agreement-announcement/,McMorris Rodgers Statement in Support of Japan Trade Agreement Announcement,2019-09-27,2019,2019-09,Republican,House,WA,Cathy McMorris Rodgers,M001159,mcmorris.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, D.C. (September 27, 2019) Eastern Washington Congresswoman Cathy McMorris Rodgers (WA-05) today released a statement regarding the announcement this week of a partial trade agreement with Japan. Eastern Washington farmers need certainty, and this agreement will help solidify an incredibly important market for wheat and other commodities,said Cathy.From the beginning, I've encouraged the Trump administration to move forward on trade agreements that will allow our farmers and ranchers to sell their products and provide food security to the world.This is an important step to lower tariffs and provide access into the world's third largest economy. NOTE:This week, the Trump administration reached an agreement with Japan to lower agricultural tariffs and industrial tariffs, and set new rules for digital trade. Cathy has been outspoken about the need to reduce tariffs and move forward on trade negotiations. Last year, she wrote an op-ed in the Capital Presswhere she said, Farmers and manufacturers in Eastern Washington have, and will continue to have, a champion for fair trade as I urge the administration to walk back tariffs, stop threats, and move more quickly on negotiating trade agreements that are good for all of us. In August, she also joined in welcoming the Japanese Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries to Spokane to discuss the importance of a positive U.S.-Japan trade relationship. # # #",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://mcmorris.house.gov/my-votes-week-of-september-23/,My Votes – Week of September 23,2019-09-27,2019,2019-09,Republican,House,WA,Cathy McMorris Rodgers,M001159,mcmorris.house.gov,,,legacy,"RULE BILLS **A rule bill is a bill passed through a full House vote under a rule that has been voted and agreed upon by the Rules Committee. Rule bills require a simple majority of the House to pass (218 votes) through a recorded vote. Result and Date Bill # Bill Title My Vote What it means for you and your family 9/25/2019 PASSED 321 103 H.R. 1595 SAFE Banking Act of 2019 YES While I am concerned about the consequences of legalizing Marijuana, Washington has decided to move in this direction. Currently, Washington banks cannot take funds from the Marijuana industry, which means that cash has been piling up and creating dangerous situations. The safety of our community is one of my top priorities, which is why I voted to allow banks to stop the flow of cash onto our streets. 9/25/2019 PASSED 230-194 H.R. 2203 Homeland Security Improvement Act NO This legislation does not address the surge of illegal immigrants crossing our border and wastes taxpayer dollars by creating unneeded, duplicative oversight panels. It's clear that our immigration system is broken, but this legislation is certainly not the solution. 9/25/2019 PASSED 421-0-2 H.Res. 576 Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives with respect to the whistleblower complaint of August 12, 2019, made to the Inspector General of the Intelligence Community YES Oversight and investigation is one of the primary responsibilities of Congress. This legislation called for the delivery of the August 12th Whistleblower report to be delivered to Congress, enabling oversight. 9/26/2019 PASSED 230-184 H.R. 3525 U.S. Border Patrol Medical Screening Standards Act NO This legislation would require that the Department of Homeland Security establish an electronic health record database for illegal immigrants within 90 days of being signed into law. We should fulfill our promise of creating an electronic health database for our Veterans before we begin doing so for illegal immigrants. 9/27/2019 PASSED 236-174 S.J.Res. 54 Relating to a national emergency declared by the President on February 15, 2019 YES Read my full my statement on the resolution regarding the President's National Emergency. SUSPENSION BILLS **A suspension bill is a bill passed by the House through suspending the rules to move quickly, circumventing the House Rules Committee. Suspension bills are typically less controversial pieces of legislation, and as the rules are being suspended, they require a higher threshold, two-thirds of those voting in the House, to pass. Additionally, these bills are often passed by a voice vote, without a formal roll call vote. Result and Date Bill # Bill Title My Vote What it means for you and your family 9/24/19 PASSED H.R. 2229 First Responders Passport Act of 2019 YES Passed by voice 9/24/19 PASSED H.R. 1632 Southeast Asia Strategy Act YES Passed by voice 9/24/19 PASSED H.R. 2327 Burma Political Prisoners Assistance Act YES Passed by voice 9/24/19 PASSED 394-21 H.R. 3190 BURMA Act of 2019 YES This legislation imposes sanctions on Burma for human rights abuses. 9/24/19 PASSED H.Res. 127 Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives on the importance and vitality of the United States alliances with Japan and the Republic of Korea, and our trilateral cooperation in the pursuit of shared interests YES Passed by voice 9/24/19 PASSED H.Res. 444 Reaffirming the importance of the United States to promote the safety, health, and well-being of refugees and displaced persons YES Passed by voice 9/26/19 PASSED H.R. 2528 STEM Opportunities Act of 2019 YES Passed by voice 9/26/19 PASSED H.R. 335 South Florida Clean Coastal Waters Act of 2019 YES Passed by voice 9/26/19 PASSED H.R. 3710 Cybersecurity Vulnerability Remediation Act YES Passed by voice 9/26/19 PASSED H.R. 2589 Unifying DHS Intelligence Enterprise Act YES Passed by voice 9/26/19 PASSED H.R. 3691 TRANSLATE Act YES Passed by voice 9/26/19 PASSED H.R. 3675 Trusted Traveler Reconsideration and Restoration Act of 2019 YES Passed by voice 9/26/19 PASSED H.R. 3694 Helping Families Fly Act of 2019 YES Passed by voice 9/26/19 PASSED H.R. 3246 Traveling Parents Screening Consistency Act of 2019 YES Passed by voice 9/26/19 PASSED H.R. 3526 Counter Terrorist Network Act YES Passed by voice 9/26/19 PASSED H.R. 3106 Domestic and International Terrorism DATA Act YES Passed by voice 2019 PAST VOTES:",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://mcmorris.house.gov/mcmorris-rodgers-attends-united-nations-general-assembly/,McMorris Rodgers Attends United Nations General Assembly,2019-09-24,2019,2019-09,Republican,House,WA,Cathy McMorris Rodgers,M001159,mcmorris.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, D.C. (September 24, 2019) Today, Eastern Washington Congresswoman Cathy McMorris Rodgers (WA-05) served as the Republican member of the House of Representatives to the United Nations General Assembly as part of President Donald J. Trump's delegation. She released the following statement after the event: This was an exciting opportunity to hear from world leaders and advocate for the American values of democracy, free markets, and individual rights,said Cathy.President Trump offered a message of Americanleadership and our goals of peace, cooperation, security, and mutual gain for all. He also delivered a strong condemnation of Iran, their anti-Israel and anti-Semitic rhetoric, and their threats to peace around the world.In a time when too many advocate for socialism or communism, we must unite around the foundational value of liberty and fight for it not just here in America, but all around the world. # # #",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://mcmorris.house.gov/mcmorris-rodgers-statement-on-impeachment-proceedings-announcement/,McMorris Rodgers Statement on Impeachment Inquiry Announcement,2019-09-24,2019,2019-09,Republican,House,WA,Cathy McMorris Rodgers,M001159,mcmorris.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, D.C. (September 24, 2019) Eastern Washington Congresswoman Cathy McMorris Rodgers (WA-05) released the following statement on Speaker Pelosi's announcement to move forward on an impeachment inquiry against President Donald Trump. This is yet another example of the hyper-partisan political climate today. Instead of waiting for all the facts, House Democrats are jumping to unfounded conclusions.When people we represent are searching for hope and expecting results, both Republicans and Democrats need to dig a little deeper and be more focused on solving problems that make a difference, not just a point,said Cathy.I'm pleasedthe President is being transparent and releasing the transcript of the conversation this week. I will be reviewing the facts before making any decisions on what's best for the American people. # # #",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://newhouse.house.gov/media-center/weekly-columns-and-op-eds/column-creating-opportunities-agriculture-research,COLUMN: Creating Opportunities for Agriculture Research,2019-09-23,2019,2019-09,Republican,House,WA,Dan Newhouse,N000189,newhouse.house.gov,,,legacy,"With over 300 different commodities, Washington state has one of the most diverse agriculture industries in the country, and we are recognized around the world as a top producer of specialty crops. From apples and tree fruit to hops and wine grapes, Washington has cultivated a unique community of growers and producers who are leading the country in agriculture research and innovation. Promoting specialty crop research should be a no brainer. The Specialty Crop Research Initiative (SCRI) supports critical research being done on everything from soil health to pest management in specialty crops. Research universities, like Washington State University (WSU), and commodity groups that represent different sectors of Washington agriculture apply for SCRI dollars through a competitive grant program. In fact, WSU is currently leading two national research teams using SCRI funding. Hanu Pappu, a professor in the WSU Department of Pathology, received a grant to study and stop pests and diseases in onions and garlic. Michelle Moyers, an associate professor with the WSU Viticulture & Enology program, received funding to study fungicide resistance in grapes and raisins. Both of these research projects span across multiple states, but they will have huge implications for Washington. However, even WSU, the nation's top recipient of U.S. Department of Agriculture research funding, faces limits in applying for these competitive grants because language left out of the 2018 Farm Bill puts SCRI recipients at a disadvantage. Most research grant programs administered through the USDA provide discretion to the Secretary of Agriculture to waive a funding match requirement on research projects of significant importance to the agriculture industry. SCRI recipients must match 100% of the federal funds they receive. This lack of secretarial discretion creates a disadvantage for groups and research facilities looking to pursue larger-scale projects for specialty crops. Last week, the House passed a bipartisan Continuing Resolution that contained language I worked to include to remedy this discrepancy within SCRI. By allowing the USDA Secretary to waive a funding match requirement on critical projects, we create more opportunities for world-class research right here in Central Washington. This program is essential for identifying and addressing threats from pests and diseases, improving production efficiency, and preventing potential food hazards. SCRI recipients deserve to be on the same playing field as other agriculture researchers. As we work to remain on the cutting edge of agricultural innovation, we must empower our universities and research institutions that are eager to pursue groundbreaking specialty crop research. I will continue to advocate for our scientists and researchers as they work to support our state's and our nation's agriculture industry.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://mcmorris.house.gov/my-votes-september-16/,My Votes – September 16,2019-09-20,2019,2019-09,Republican,House,WA,Cathy McMorris Rodgers,M001159,mcmorris.house.gov,,,legacy,"RULE BILLS **A rule bill is a bill passed through a full House vote under a rule that has been voted and agreed upon by the Rules Committee. Rule bills require a simple majority of the House to pass (218 votes) through a recorded vote. Result and Date Bill # Bill Title My Vote What it means for you and your family 9/19/2019 PASSED 301-123 H.R. 4378 Making continuing appropriations for fiscal year 2020 NO This legislation extends federal funding through November 21, 2019. Every night across our country families sit at their dinner tables and make difficult financial decisions. As legislators, we should fulfill our duties and complete the budget by the end of the fiscal year and not continually kick the can down the road.I voted against this resolution because it's past time we rein in federal spending and fix a broken budget process. 9/20/2019 PASSED 225-186 H.R. 1423 FAIR Act NO Arbitration is a quick and less complicated way for alleged victims to be compensated. The FAIR Act would force class action lawsuits, which often take years to complete with no guarantee of a better outcome, by eliminating Arbitration. SUSPENSION BILLS **A suspension bill is a bill passed by the House through suspending the rules to move quickly, circumventing the House Rules Committee. Suspension bills are typically less controversial pieces of legislation, and as the rules are being suspended, they require a higher threshold, two-thirds of those voting in the House, to pass. Additionally, these bills are often passed by a voice vote, without a formal roll call vote. Result and Date Bill # Bill Title My Vote What it means for you and your family 9/17/2019 PASSED H.R. 2211 STURDY Act YES Passed by Voice 9/17/2019 PASSED H.R. 1618 Nicholas and Zachary Burt Carbon Monoxide Poisoning Prevention Act of 2019 YES Passed by Voice 9/17/2019 PASSED H.R. 806 Portable Fuel Container Safety Act of 2019 YES Passed by Voice 9/17/2019 PASSED 417-1 H.R. 4285 Department of Veterans Affairs Expiring Authorities Act of 2019 YES 9/17/2019 PASSED H.R. 2134 Helen Keller National Center Reauthorization Act of 2019 YES Passed by Voice 9/17/2019 PASSED H.R. 2486 FUTURE Act YES Passed by Voice 9/19/2019 PASSED H.R. 3625 PCAOB Whistleblower Protection Act of 2019 YES Passed by Voice 9/19/2019 PASSED H.R. 3619 Appraisal Reform Act of 2019 YES Passed by Voice 9/19/2019 PASSED H.R. 2290 Shutdown Guidance for Financial Institutions Act YES Passed by Voice 9/19/2019 PASSED H.R. 2613 Advancing Innovation to Assist Law Enforcement Act YES Passed by Voice 9/19/2019 PASSED H.R. 550 Merchant Mariners of World War II Congressional Gold Medal Act of 2019 YES Passed by Voice 9/19/2019 PASSED H.R. 1396 Hidden Figures Congressional Gold Medal Act YES Passed by Voice 9/19/2019 PASSED H.R. 3589 Greg LeMond Congressional Gold Medal Act YES Passed by Voice 9/19/2019 PASSED H.R. 1830 National Purple Heart Hall of Honor Commemorative Coin Act YES Passed by Voice 9/19/2019 PASSED S. 239 Christa McAuliffe Commemorative Coin Act of 2019 YES Passed by Voice 2019 PAST VOTES:",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://newhouse.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/newhouse-secures-ag-research-program-fix-continuing-resolution,Newhouse Secures Ag Research Program Fix in Continuing Resolution,2019-09-19,2019,2019-09,Republican,House,WA,Dan Newhouse,N000189,newhouse.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, D.C. Today, Rep. Dan Newhouse (R-WA) released the following statement after the House of Representatives passed H.R. 4378, the FY20 Continuing Resolution, to extend FY19 funding levels through November 21, 2019. The bill included language, secured by Rep. Dan Newhouse (R-WA), to promote agricultural research for specialty crops through the Specialty Crop Research Initiative (SCRI). He released the following statement: The Specialty Crop Research Initiative is critical in supporting America's agricultural research, said Rep. Newhouse. Universities and commodity groups representing Washington agriculture are eager to pursue world-class specialty crop research, but provisions left out of the 2018 Farm Bill left SCRI recipients at a disadvantage. I was proud to work as a Member of the Appropriations Committee to include this language to give certainty to these institutions as they compete for federal grant funding and continue their groundbreaking research at facilities throughout Washington and the United States. The Specialty Crop Research Initiative (SCRI) is a key U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) plant pest and disease prevention research program targeting fruits and vegetables. SCRI has historically been one of the most subscribed of all of USDA research programs. The 2018 Farm Bill inadvertently left out language allowing the Secretary of USDA to waive the match requirement within SCRI for projects considered to be of significant value to agriculture stakeholders. This waiver language was maintained for other research programs, leaving SCRI as the only program where the Secretary does not have this waiver authority. The absence of Secretarial discretion to waive matching funds placed many projects in jeopardy and created confusion for stakeholders. As a national leader in specialty crop research, Washington State University (WSU) approached Rep. Newhouse to identify the omission of this authority and the effect it had on WSU and similar institutions. We appreciate the work to find a solution to the SCRI funding match issue. The effect of the required match and the current lack of the waiver have required Institutions like WSU to walk away from submitting proposals for competitive research funding supporting our state's agriculture industry. This has impacted ground breaking research and resulted in proposals not being submitted,said Dr. Andre Wright, Dean of WSU College of Agricultural, Human and Natural Resource Sciences. We are grateful for the work of Congressman Newhouse and his colleagues in Congress to find a solution that will allow us to continue to support the agriculture needs of our stakeholders.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://herrerabeutler.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=401603,Jaime Herrera Beutler Works to Remove Barriers for More Affordable Housing in Southwest Washington,2019-09-18,2019,2019-09,Republican,House,WA,Jaime Herrera Beutler,H001056,herrerabeutler.house.gov,,,legacy,"Last night, U.S. Representatives Jaime Herrera Beutler (R-WA), Denny Heck (D-WA), Trey Hollingsworth (R-IN) and Mike Quigley (D-IL) introduced a bipartisan bill, H.R. 4351, that encourages communities to prioritize measures that will increase housing supply and affordability. share: f t Last night, U.S. Representatives Jaime Herrera Beutler (R-WA), Denny Heck (D-WA), Trey Hollingsworth (R-IN) and Mike Quigley (D-IL) introduced a bipartisan bill, H.R. 4351, that encourages communities to prioritize measures that will increase housing supply and affordability. Under the bill, local governments applying for federal housing development funds through the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program would have to explain decisions not to adopt the recommended pro-affordability, anti-discriminatory housing policies. This act increases transparency in land use, zoning and housing decisions; sheds light on exclusionary policies; and ultimately encourages communities to eliminate barriers to much-needed housing. We are facing a national housing crisis that has hit Southwest Washington particularly hard a surging number of people are facing homelessness, and everywhere I go families talk about the lack of affordable housing options, Herrera Beutler said. The cities and communities I represent are desperate to address homelessness and barriers to affordable housing, so I'm pleased to offer this solution that would provide more people with more affordable housing options. I'm particularly hopeful that our bill's approach of making recommendations versus putting onerous federal mandates on cities will allow them to decide how to make pro-housing reforms in the way that works best for our entire community. The Senate companion bill, S. 1919, was introduced in June by Senators Brian Schatz (D-HI) and Todd Young (R-IN).",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://newhouse.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/newhouse-calls-ustr-elevate-washington-apple-access-india,Newhouse Calls on USTR to Elevate Washington Apple Access in India,2019-09-18,2019,2019-09,Republican,House,WA,Dan Newhouse,N000189,newhouse.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, D.C. Today, Rep. Dan Newhouse (R-WA) sent a letter to U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer, calling on him to elevate Washington apple access in India by reducing tariff rates for U.S. apple growers. Washington state is the largest apple producing state in the country, totaling $2.4 billion annually, and our apple growers are shouldering significant economic losses estimated in the hundreds of millions of dollars as a result of various WTO illegal retaliatory actions of India, Mexico, and the People's Republic of China, Rep. Newhouse wrote. India is currently imposing a 70% tariff on U.S. apples 50% Most Favored Nation tariff in addition to the recently imposed 20% retaliatory tariff, and Trade Representative Lighthizer is expected to continue negotiations with Indian Prime Minister Narenda Modi this coming weekend. He continued, The actions by India to increase tariffs on U.S. apples is a damaging situation that will substantially impact growers, packers, employees, and the thousands of jobs they support throughout Washington state I request, on behalf of Washington apple growers, that you continue to work with India to find a positive outcome in our trading relationship, including a reduction to the pre-retaliatory rates as soon as possible. The full letter can be found here and below. Dear Ambassador Lighthizer: Thank you for all of your hard work as the United States Trade Representative. American farmers very much appreciate your continued support. I write to you today seeking your assistance on a vital trade issue concerning market access of Washington apples in India. For over a decade, Washington apple growers invested heavily to develop the market in India. Washington apples going to India are a true success story of market diversification, but this positive investment is now at risk due to India's Section 232 retaliatory tariff of 20%. When added to the existing Most Favored Nation (MFN) tariff, this amounts to a total of 70%. This sharp increase is truly damaging to the U.S. and Washington state apple markets by virtually locking out U.S. growers It is my understanding your office is currently in negotiations with India to resolve current trade policies. In your negotiations with Prime Minister Narendra Modi this coming weekend, I urge you to prioritize the immediate removal of Section 232 retaliatory tariffs and obtain a commitment to reduce India's 50% MFN tariff on U.S. apples. Washington state is the largest apple producing state in the country, totaling $2.4 billion annually, and our apple growers are shouldering significant economic losses estimated in the hundreds of millions of dollars as a result of various WTO illegal retaliatory actions of India, Mexico, and the People's Republic of China. India has been Washington states' second-largest apple export destination at approximately $148 million in farmgate sales. Red Delicious apple growers, for example, will be impacted heavily, as 20% or more of all Red Delicious apples harvested were shipped to India from 2017 to 2018. Red Delicious consistently accounts for 48% of all exports by variety. The actions by India to increase tariffs on U.S. apples is a damaging situation that will substantially impact growers, packers, employees, and the thousands of jobs they support throughout Washington state. Additionally, an increased supply of Washington apples due to tariff barriers could cause a ripple effect within the domestic supply chain, negatively affecting other major U.S. apple-growing regions. I appreciate your efforts to improve market access for American farmers with our international trading partners. I request, on behalf of Washington apple growers, that you continue to work with India to find a positive outcome in our trading relationship, including a reduction to the pre-retaliatory rates as soon as possible.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://herrerabeutler.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=401601,"Reps. Herrera Beutler, Schrader Introduce Legislation to Extend Harvesting of Special Forest Products",2019-09-17,2019,2019-09,Republican,House,WA,Jaime Herrera Beutler,H001056,herrerabeutler.house.gov,,,legacy,"U.S. Representatives Jaime Herrera Beutler (R-WA) and Kurt Schrader (D-OR) introduced a bill today to permanently reauthorize the U.S. Forest Service's (USFS) Special Forest Products pilot program that allows the sustainable harvest of special forest products on lands in the National Forest System. The program allows the public to harvest natural forest resources for personal or commercial use; these special products include mushrooms, roots, seeds, Christmas trees and firewood, among others. share: f t U.S. Representatives Jaime Herrera Beutler (R-WA) and Kurt Schrader (D-OR) introduced a bill today to permanently reauthorize the U.S. Forest Service's (USFS) Special Forest Products pilot program that allows the sustainable harvest of special forest products on lands in the National Forest System. The program allows the public to harvest natural forest resources for personal or commercial use; these special products include mushrooms, roots, seeds, Christmas trees and firewood, among others. We have a rich abundance of natural resources in our public forests that benefit rural communities, tribal residents and visitors to our region. Folks should be able to responsibly harvest some of these products from their forests for their enjoyment and benefit, Herrera Beutler said. I'm pleased to introduce legislation today to permanently extend this program that allows for the sustainable harvesting of special forest products, which in turn, helps with responsible stewardship of our federal forests. The Pacific Northwest is home to a myriad of natural products that the public should be able to use and enjoy,Schrader said.This bipartisan bill will allow for individuals and tribes to continue to enjoy and harvest our natural forest's bounty while ensuring that commercial users pay a reasonable fee for utilizing these resources. As a community-based partnership of diverse stakeholders who work together to advance projects that enhance forest health, economic vitality, recreation, and public safety on the southern Gifford Pinchot National Forest and in surrounding communities, we value the benefits of the Special Forest Products program for Forest Service operations, local communities, and tribes. We strongly support permanent authorization for the vital Special Forest Products program included in this bill, said South Gifford Pinchot Collaborative Coordinator Lisa Naas Cook. Individuals who intend to harvest at a commercial level must obtain a permit and pay a fee to the USFS, the revenue from which helps administer the program. Those harvesting products for personal-use are exempt from permit requirements. Gathering of products by federally-recognized tribes for traditional or medicinal use is permitted under the personal-use exemption. Threatened, endangered or rare products are protected from harvest under the pilot program. Importance of the Special Forest Products Program (SFP) in Southwest Washington: Approximately $860,000 in product value is harvested each year on the Gifford Pinchot National Forest the largest program in the nation. SFP contributes to responsible, sustainable stewardship of our National Forests by removing excess forest products. SFP is self-sustained and doesn't need federal government funding. SFP employs a handful of people fulltime and keeps the money from the harvests in the local economy.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://mcmorris.house.gov/mcmorris-rodgers-joins-in-introducing-legislation-to-ensure-staffing-levels-along-northern-border/,McMorris Rodgers Joins in Introducing Legislation to Ensure Staffing Levels Along Northern Border,2019-09-17,2019,2019-09,Republican,House,WA,Cathy McMorris Rodgers,M001159,mcmorris.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, D.C. (September 16, 2019) Last week, Eastern Washington Congresswoman Cathy McMorris Rodgers (WA-05) joined Representatives Brian Higgins (D-NY) and EliseStefanik(R-NY) in introducing the Border Officer Utilization for National Defense (BOUND) Act to require minimum staffing levels at Customs and Border Protection ports of entry on the U.S.-Canada border. Many communities in Northeastern Washington rely on travel and commerce between both U.S. and Canadian towns for their livelihood,said McMorris Rodgers.While it's important for us to address the crisis at the southern border, we must also maintain the integrity of our northern border and the relationship between communities on both sides.This legislation will ensure minimum staffing levels at these ports of entry to keep our country safe and support our local economy. # # #",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z