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://newhouse.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/newhouse-names-winners-2021-congressional-app-challenge,Newhouse Names Winners of 2021 Congressional App Challenge,2021-12-30,2021,2021-12,Republican,House,WA,Dan Newhouse,N000189,newhouse.house.gov,newhouse,https://newhouse.house.gov/media-center/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – Rep. Dan Newhouse (R-WA) announced the winners of the 2021 Central Washington Congressional App Challenge, an app competition for middle and high school students. Three 8th graders from the West Valley Innovation Center – Andrew Modine, Torin Rauch, and Tyler Iverson – have been named the competition winners. Their winning app, Beating Heart Health, aims to promote teen health and wellness by offering tools to practice and improve mindfulness and healthy sleep habits. Click here to see a preview of the winning app.

“Congratulations to Andrew, Torin, and Tyler on their winning app, Beating Heart Health!” said Rep. Newhouse. “Ensuring American students are equipped with the necessary tools to succeed in an increasingly competitive global economy is of paramount importance. Each year, I am impressed by the enthusiasm for STEM exhibited by Central Washington students who make submissions to the App Challenge, and I am confident that our region will continue to cultivate young professionals who will be leaders in the field.”

The winning app was selected by a panel of expert judges from the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. The winners will receive a computer science mentorship session with scientists from the laboratory. 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 CAC was created because Congress recognized that STEM and computer-based skills are essential for economic growth and innovation and that the U.S. has been falling behind on these fronts. By some estimates, the U.S. may be short by as many as 1 million programmers by 2021. These are high-paying, high-demand jobs. To maintain American competitiveness, it’s crucial that the United States invests in our youth now and helps them acquire these valuable skills. The CAC encourages students to pursue those skills and recognizes them for their efforts.",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T20:37:48Z
https://newhouse.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/newhouse-carter-introduce-bill-hold-biden-administration-accountable,"Newhouse, Carter Introduce Bill to Hold Biden Administration Accountable for Energy Crisis",2021-12-16,2021,2021-12,Republican,House,WA,Dan Newhouse,N000189,newhouse.house.gov,newhouse,https://newhouse.house.gov/media-center/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Reps. Dan Newhouse (R-WA) and Buddy Carter (R-GA) introduced the Make Energy Affordable Act, a bill to hold the Biden Administration accountable for the ongoing energy crisis.

Since President Biden took office, gas prices nationwide have spiked 56%. Home heating costs will rise as much as 54% this winter, and the cancellation of the Keystone XL Pipeline forced the termination of 11,000 good-paying energy jobs. The Make Energy Affordable Act will require the Administration to create a report on rising energy prices in the U.S. and a plan to combat it. The plan must consider all energy sources, include regulatory and permitting reforms, and monthly updates on how energy prices are impacting consumers.

""The Biden Administration's failed energy policies have had an impact on every individual, family, and business in Central Washington,"" said Rep. Newhouse. ""On top of the highest rate of inflation we've seen in the last 40 years, gas prices have shot through the roof directly as a result of President Biden's attack on our domestic energy production. The American people deserve answers and our bill helps us deliver them by requiring the Administration to take responsibility for the energy crisis they've created and increase transparency around how their decisions are affecting the American people.""

""This bill is a no-brainer. The American people are feeling the squeeze of Joe Biden's energy policies, and it's time his Administration recognizes the hardships they are inflicting on the working class,"" said Rep. Carter. ""If the Biden Administration truly stands by the energy-related decisions they've made since coming to power, then they should welcome this bill as an opportunity to demonstrate the impacts of those decisions on our energy sector.""

Read the full text of the Make Energy Affordable Act here.

The bill was introduced with the support of Reps. Stephanie Bice (R-OK), Jeff Van Drew (R-NJ), Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R-IA), Ted Budd (R-NC), Troy Balderson (R-TX), Adam Kinzinger (R-IL), Randy Weber (R-TX), Steve Chabot (R-OH), Bob Gibbs (R-OH), Ashley Hinson (R-IA), David Valadao (R-CA), and Dave Joyce (R-OH).

Background:

The Make Energy Affordable Act requires the Administration, in consultation with the Secretary of Energy, Secretary of Interior, Secretary of Labor, the Administrator of the Energy Information Administration, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, and the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, to create a report on rising energy prices in the United States.

The report must include:

How higher energy prices have led to increases in consumer prices across the economy, and how many energy sector jobs have been lost since January 1, 2021

An assessment of federal actions that contribute to energy prices that must include the specific effects of ending the Keystone XL pipeline, the moratorium on fossil energy development on federal lands, a ban on oil exports, and releases from the SPR.

Lists of energy projects awaiting federal permits or approval, and projects requiring state and local action.

analyses and projections for residential and commercial energy prices for the next year

Description of actions the Federal government is taking now to address the current high energy prices and shortages.

Plan to address rising energy prices that considers all energy sources, regulatory and permitting reforms, and ensures U.S. energy independence.",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T20:37:48Z
https://newhouse.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/newhouse-biden-abandon-your-vaccine-mandate,Newhouse to Biden: Abandon Your Vaccine Mandate,2021-12-15,2021,2021-12,Republican,House,WA,Dan Newhouse,N000189,newhouse.house.gov,newhouse,https://newhouse.house.gov/media-center/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Rep. Dan Newhouse (R-WA) joined Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY) and 11 other colleagues in sending a letter to President Biden urging him to drop his plans to mandate a COVID-19 vaccination for essential travelers, such as those engaged in trade and emergency management.

""We write to you expressing our deep concerns over your Administration's plan to require proof of COVID-19 vaccination for essential travelers entering the United States starting in January 2022,"" wrote the lawmakers. ""Such a requirement will have significant negative impacts on essential cross-border trade and exacerbate the severe supply chain disruptions hindering our economic recovery.

They continued, ""Our nation is already facing the most significant supply chain disruptions in generations. An ill-conceived policy that would require essential travelers to be vaccinated to enter the United States will only exacerbate our supply chain crisis. As you know, the large majority of goods transiting North America are transported via overland trucking. A vaccine mandate for essential travel will be disruptive to millions of individuals in the trucking industry alone, as well as countless others involved in emergency response and other critical functions.

The lawmakers concluded, ""We urge you to abandon this effort to institute such a mandate and work with the Canadian government to ensure no further damage is done to our cross-border economic partnership. After over 20 months of pandemic-related restrictions, it is past time to facilitate a return to normal cross-border travel between the U.S. and Canada.""

You can read the full letter here and below.

Dear President Biden,

We write to you expressing our deep concerns over your Administration's plan to require proof of COVID-19 vaccination for essential travelers entering the United States starting in January 2022. Such a requirement will have significant negative impacts on essential cross-border trade and exacerbate the severe supply chain disruptions hindering our economic recovery.

As you know, when the U.S. and Canada mutually agreed to restrict non-essential travel across the U.S. - Canada border in March 2020, essential travel was permitted to continue without restriction. In establishing and extending the restrictions on non-essential travel, the Department of Homeland Security acknowledged that maintaining essential travel throughout the pandemic was necessary so that such restrictions did ""not interrupt legitimate trade between the two nations or disrupt critical supply chains that ensure food, fuel, medicine, and other materials reach individuals on both sides of the border."" While the number of COVID-19 infections have fluctuated since the onset of the pandemic, we are not aware of any indication or evidence that individuals engaged in essential cross-border travel have had a substantive effect on COVID-19 transmission.

Our nation is already facing the most significant supply chain disruptions in generations. An ill-conceived policy that would require essential travelers to be vaccinated to enter the United States will only exacerbate our supply chain crisis. As you know, the large majority of goods transiting North America are transported via overland trucking. A vaccine mandate for essential travel will be disruptive to millions of individuals in the trucking industry alone, as well as countless others involved in emergency response and other critical functions.

Americans have experienced extraordinary hardships from the sluggish economic recovery, the skyrocketing price of everyday goods due to inflation, and continued supply chain disruptions. As President, you have the power to alleviate these burdens on the American people and ensure that the policies you enact do not worsen the already difficult conditions for millions of citizens. Instituting this vaccine mandate for essential cross-border travel will have profound negative consequences on millions of Americans, as well as on our economy.

We urge you to abandon this effort to institute such a mandate and work with the Canadian government to ensure no further damage is done to our cross-border economic partnership. After over 20 months of pandemic-related restrictions, it is past time to facilitate a return to normal cross-border travel between the U.S. and Canada.",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T20:37:48Z
https://newhouse.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/newhouse-questions-gov-inslees-hypocritical-climate-proposals,Newhouse Questions Gov. Inslee’s Hypocritical Climate Proposals,2021-12-15,2021,2021-12,Republican,House,WA,Dan Newhouse,N000189,newhouse.house.gov,newhouse,https://newhouse.house.gov/media-center/press-releases,scraper,"""This week, in the latest of his questionable moves, Governor Inslee released a climate proposal intended to support Washington's ""clean energy and economic growth"" while actively working to tear down our dams, the very same clean energy infrastructure that serves as the backbone of the Pacific Northwest's renewable, affordable, carbon-free energy. As if that wasn't hypocritical enough, his plan focuses on benefitting Seattle and other West-side communities at the expense of our communities in Central Washington.

Governor Inslee is clearly more concerned with appearing climate-friendly than actually supporting the clean energy infrastructure communities in Central Washington and across the state rely upon. No matter how big a bow he ties, Central Washington won't be fooled by this package.""",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T20:37:48Z
https://newhouse.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/newhouse-introduces-legislation-increase-food-donations-promote-food,Newhouse Introduces Legislation to Increase Food Donations & Promote Food Security,2021-12-13,2021,2021-12,Republican,House,WA,Dan Newhouse,N000189,newhouse.house.gov,newhouse,https://newhouse.house.gov/media-center/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Reps. Dan Newhouse (R-WA), Jackie Walorski (R-IN), Jim McGovern (D-MA), and Chellie Pingree (D-ME) introduced the bipartisan Food Donation Improvement Act to expand food donation efforts across the country. With millions of Americans facing food insecurity, ambiguous, outdated, and limited liability protections often prevent many businesses and organizations from donating food. The Food Donation Improvement Act would encourage food donation efforts by extending liability protections to food donors when food is either given directly to a person in need or when a recipient pays a deeply reduced cost.

""The law should never discourage people from helping their neighbors or encourage them to throw away perfectly good food,"" said Rep. Newhouse. ""The Food Donation Improvement Act will enact logical reforms that will provide clarity and protections to farmers, retailers, and non-profits seeking in good faith to assist the hungry, helping those in need have access to food that would otherwise go to waste.""

""Making it easier for restaurants, grocery stores, farms, and other businesses to donate food to their neighbors is a commonsense tool to help communities fight hunger,"" said Rep. Walorski. ""Americans have long been characterized by a spirit of generosity, and Congress stands ready to eliminate burdensome barriers to this charitable giving. Tackling hunger is a bipartisan priority, and the Food Donation Improvement Act has the potential to make a huge difference for Americans facing food insecurity.""

""Despite the crisis of hunger and food insecurity we face, billions and billions of pounds of food go to waste in this country every single year,"" said Rep. McGovern. ""We have plenty of food to feed everyone in America. Our legislation seeks to bridge the gap between abundance and need by removing roadblocks in the way of food donation and making it easier to prevent food waste—putting perfectly good food to use by feeding those who struggle with hunger.""

""In 2021, it's estimated that approximately 85,000 Mainers experience very low food security, representing a 10-percent increase from before the pandemic. Meanwhile, $161 billion worth of food is wasted each year. Confusing and limited liability protections discourage food donations and add to our nation's unacceptable and staggering waste. Rather than hindering donation efforts, this bill will encourage food donations to help fill the plates of those who need it most,"" said Rep. Pingree.

The Food Donation Improvement Act would extend liability protections to food donors when food is given directly to a person in need rather than a nonprofit intermediary, or when food is given at a deeply reduced cost. Expanding these protections would allow retail grocers, wholesalers, agricultural producers, restaurants, caterers, school food authorities, and higher education institutions to increase the quantity and efficiency of their food donation efforts. The bill would also clarify labeling standards that food products must meet to be eligible for liability protections.

Click here to read the full text of the Food Donation Improvement Act.",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T20:37:48Z
https://newhouse.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/newhouse-urges-irs-address-backlog-help-central-washington-taxpayers,"Newhouse Urges IRS to Address Backlog, Help Central Washington Taxpayers",2021-12-10,2021,2021-12,Republican,House,WA,Dan Newhouse,N000189,newhouse.house.gov,newhouse,https://newhouse.house.gov/media-center/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Rep. Dan Newhouse (R-WA), released the following statement after joining 98 of his colleagues in sending a letter to Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Commissioner Charles Rettig requesting information on how the agency plans to resolve its process and prepare for the upcoming 2022 tax filing season, given the current backlog of unprocessed returns.

""In Central Washington alone, I have received numerous calls from concerned constituents who are unable to communicate with the IRS on their own, and receive threatening, misleading letters from the agency even after their cases were supposedly resolved,"" said Rep. Newhouse. ""This is no way to run an organization, and I urge the IRS to address this backlog and put in place measures to ensure they are prepared for the coming tax filing season.""

Rep. Newhouse's office has been contacted by dozens of constituents who have not yet received their 2020 tax returns and/or are unable to get in contact with employees at the IRS. So far this year, there is a backlog of more than 9.6 million paper returns, and district representatives in Rep. Newhouse's office have been informed there is a processing wait time of up to 30 days for congressional inquiries.

You can read the full letter here and below.

Dear Commissioner Rettig:

As the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) prepares for the 2022 tax filing season, we write with great concern regarding the backlog of unprocessed returns from the current 2021 and 2020 filing seasons. Our concern is underscored by the frequent outreach we are receiving from our constituents about the processing delays and inadequate taxpayer assistance associated with the backlog. Moreover, the Taxpayer Advocate Service's (TAS) recent decision to no longer accept any cases regarding amended returns will only exacerbate this problem.

This massive backlog is causing significant and unnecessary burdens for families and small businesses who can't get answers from the IRS about why their returns have not been processed. The IRS is in danger of falling into a vicious backlog cycle that will harm millions of taxpayers.

IRS and TAS employees are to be commended for the tremendous work they do to ensure that taxpayers receive high levels of service and assistance as they navigate the tax filing season. We are concerned, however, that they have not been given the tools to succeed, which in turn degrades the level of service American taxpayers expect and deserve.

Despite a voluntary compliance rate of over 80 percent in the United States, the Biden Administration has focused its advocacy efforts on securing mandatory funding for tens of thousands of additional IRS auditors and for provisions that would require financial institutions to transmit their customers' private, sensitive data to the IRS. Given the feedback we are receiving from our constituents, it's clear that too little attention is focused on the first aspect of the IRS's stated mission: to ""provide America's taxpayers top quality service by helping them understand and meet their tax responsibilities.""

According to recent data provided to Congress by the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA), there are currently more than 9.6 million unprocessed paper returns received in Calendar Year 2021, while an additional 5 million paper and e-file returns have been suspended during processing. Some portion of those 5 million returns is from the 2020 filing season, though we understand that TIGTA is unable to categorize returns in suspension by tax year.

On December 1, 2021, the IRS launched its ""Get Ready for Taxes"" campaign for the 2022 tax season. While we appreciate the IRS's outreach to encourage taxpayer preparedness, we have serious doubts about the IRS's own preparedness for the new season. To that end, we request that you provide Congress with information regarding the steps the IRS is taking to ensure today's backlog of unprocessed and suspended returns do not roll over to the 2022 tax filing season, which would effectively guarantee that the backlog will persist indefinitely. Specifically, we request a response to the following questions:

What is the IRS's plan to process all paper returns before the official start of the 2022 tax filing season?

What steps is the IRS taking to resolve issues with returns that were suspended while processing during the 2021 filing season?

Has the IRS fully returned to regular, in-person work? If not, what steps is the IRS taking to bring employees back and provide a safe working environment for them?

Will the IRS use its existing authority to hire any additional non-enforcement employees specifically to help process tax returns this year and next year, if necessary?

For taxpayers who have 2021 returns (or 2020 returns) that have not yet been processed by the start of the 2022 filing season, what will the IRS do to alleviate their burdens and help them navigate a season for which, at no fault of their own, they are not prepared?

The agency must take urgent action now to alleviate the backlog and be ready for the start of the 2022 filing season. We request that you provide answers to our questions by December 17, 2021.",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T20:37:48Z
https://newhouse.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/newhouse-introduces-legislation-increase-border-security,Newhouse Introduces Legislation to Increase Border Security,2021-12-09,2021,2021-12,Republican,House,WA,Dan Newhouse,N000189,newhouse.house.gov,newhouse,https://newhouse.house.gov/media-center/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Rep. Dan Newhouse (R-WA) released the following statement after introducing the Upholding the Law at Our Border Act. This legislation would require the Inspector General of the Department of Homeland Security to investigate the vetting and processing of migrants apprehended along the southern border and to ensure that all laws are being upheld.

""The responsibility for the crisis at our southern border lands squarely at the feet of the Biden Administration, whose policies have directly led to an exponential increase in border crossings and drug trafficking,"" said Rep. Newhouse. ""This bill will hold the Biden Administration accountable and ensure that it upholds its most basic duty of enforcing our nation's laws.""

This bill was introduced in the Senate by Senator Rick Scott (R-FL) on November 18, 2021.

Click here to read the full text of the Upholding the Law at Our Border Act.

Background:

Specifically, this bill would require the Inspector General of the Department of Homeland Security to conduct an investigation and submit a report to Congress with:

Vetting procedures of those apprehended along the southern border of the United States;

Total number of illegal migrants who were processed and released into the interior of the United States;

Number of individuals who received parole;

Results of the audit of parole applications;

Total number of illegal migrants who have been placed in removal proceedings including how many have been removed and how many are eligible for immigrant benefits;

Results of the audit of asylum applications;

Total number of illegal migrants who have been placed in expedited removal proceedings;

Efforts of the Department of Homeland Security to continually monitor all of the individuals who were apprehended along the southwest border of the United States and then released on parole;

Total number of illegal migrants who were processed and released into the interior of the United States without participating in an alternative to the detention program; and

States and counties in which the Department of Homeland Security or the Department of Health and Human Services has resettled illegal migrants since January 20, 2021.",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T20:37:48Z
https://newhouse.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/newhouse-opposes-new-cms-vaccine-mandate,Newhouse Opposes New CMS Vaccine Mandate,2021-12-07,2021,2021-12,Republican,House,WA,Dan Newhouse,N000189,newhouse.house.gov,newhouse,https://newhouse.house.gov/media-center/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – Rep. Dan Newhouse (R-WA), along with over 100 of his colleagues, sent a letter to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Administrator Chiquita Brooks-LaSure opposing the Biden administration's vaccine mandate for Medicare and Medicaid service providers.

CMS's vaccine mandate, issued in November, requires health care workers whose employers participate in the Medicare and Medicaid programs be fully vaccinated by January 4. There are approximately 76,000 providers that employ over 17 million health care workers that would be required to comply with the mandate. Many of America's physicians also operate as small businesses and would be required to comply with these new rules and regulations, the same as large hospitals.

""We fully support your agency's goal of ""[e]nsuring patient safety and protection,"" but if seniors are unable to access care because their provider no longer participates in the Medicare program, this rule will undermine its stated goal,"" wrote the lawmakers. ""By subjecting providers to egregious federal overreach, our nation's most vulnerable populations will be at risk and America's seniors will bear the brunt of any provider loss due to non-compliance with this heavy-handed and constitutionally dubious vaccine mandate.""

While the implementation of the final CMS rule is on hold until it works its way through the court system, fully abandoning this one-size-fits-all federal mandate will relieve any undue burden on America's already-struggling health care providers.

You can read the full letter here and below.

Dear Administrator Brooks-LaSure:

The COVID-19 pandemic has taken a significant toll on the American public both physically and emotionally for almost two years. In that time, though, multiple vaccines have become widely available for those wishing to be vaccinated. According to the Mayo Clinic, nearly 60 percent of the United States population over the age of 12 is fully vaccinated, including over 83 percent of the Medicare-aged population.

Thankfully, the United States has seen an overall decrease in new COVID-19 infections, hospitalizations and deaths since vaccines became readily available, and while we are not yet out of the woods, many are saying the end of the pandemic is in sight. Former Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Scott Gottlieb, M.D. recently stated the pandemic ""may well be over"" by January 4, which is the deadline the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) set for complying with either its vaccination mandate or enforcing the continued use of masks and weekly testing.

At a time when we are facing a growing health care workforce shortage – including a projected physician shortage of more than 100,000 by 2034 – implementing a federal vaccine mandate will only serve to exacerbate the problem. By your own admission, ""[t]hese requirements will apply to approximately 76,000 providers and cover over 17 million health care workers across the country."" It is difficult, if not impossible, to reconcile the rationale for implementing a mandate like this at the tail end of the pandemic while we, as a nation, are struggling to staff hospitals, physician offices and other ancillary providers.

We fully support your agency's goal of ""[e]nsuring patient safety and protection,"" but if seniors are unable to access care because their provider no longer participates in the Medicare program, this rule will undermine its stated goal. By subjecting providers to egregious federal overreach, our nation's most vulnerable populations will be at risk and America's seniors will bear the brunt of any provider loss due to non-compliance with this heavy-handed and constitutionally dubious vaccine mandate. Americans are quitting their jobs at a record pace, and this new federal mandate will only make matters worse and keep more Americans out of the workforce.

There are over 54 million Medicare-aged Americans, and it is our duty as Members of Congress representing those seniors to ensure they maintain access to their preferred health care provider. This is especially true when that means opposing an administrative agency's actions that will lead to fewer options for our constituents; longer wait times; and the inevitability of adverse health outcomes due to fewer available providers.

We strongly urge you to abandon implementing this onerous new rule and instead heed current statistics that show seniors are vaccinated at a higher rate than the rest of the population of vaccinated Americans while also uniquely vulnerable to disruptions in the health care system and consider the potentially negative consequences this mandate will have on the size and strength of our health care workforce. To truly ensure patient safety and protection, we must preserve Americans' access to their preferred providers rather than impose a new one-size-fits-all federal mandate on our nation's health care providers at a time when they can least afford it.",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T20:37:48Z
https://newhouse.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/newhouse-pingree-blumenthal-reintroduce-bicameral-bill-standardize-food,"Newhouse, Pingree, Blumenthal Reintroduce Bicameral Bill to Standardize Food Date Labels, Cut Food Waste",2021-12-07,2021,2021-12,Republican,House,WA,Dan Newhouse,N000189,newhouse.house.gov,newhouse,https://newhouse.house.gov/media-center/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Reps. Dan Newhouse (R-WA) and Chellie Pingree (D-ME) and U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) reintroduced the bipartisan, bicameral Food Date Labeling Act, a bill designed to end consumer confusion around food date labeling and ensure Americans do not feel it is necessary to throw out safe, useable food. Studies have shown that Americans are confused by food date labels, resulting in a significant amount of edible food ending up in landfills. The Food Date Labeling Act will reduce food waste by standardizing date labels on food products.

""To allow confusing food labeling practices to contribute to unnecessary food waste is absurd – especially when there are tens of millions of Americans experiencing food insecurity,"" said Rep. Newhouse, co-chair of the Bipartisan Food Recovery Caucus. ""This is a commonsense solution to a pervasive problem, and as co-chair of the Food Recovery Caucus, I am proud to partner with Rep. Pingree and Sen. Blumenthal to reintroduce this legislation which will reform outdated labeling practices, reduce food waste, and help Americans save money.""

""It's estimated that around 90 percent of Americans prematurely throw out perfectly safe food, in part because of confusion about what date labels mean. Meanwhile, more than 38 million Americans—including 12 million children—are food insecure, the climate crisis is worsening by the day, and our economy is losing billions every year due to food waste. This staggering waste is not only unacceptable—it's avoidable,"" said Rep. Pingree, co-chair of the Bipartisan Food Recovery Caucus. ""Our current food labeling practices are outdated, confusing, and completely arbitrary. The Food Date Labeling Act gives us an opportunity at the federal level to ensure food is being used and eaten, rather than being thrown out.""

""This bill will help prevent perfectly safe food from going to waste simply because of confusing labeling. Nearly half of our country's food gets thrown out each year while millions of Americans go hungry and the climate crisis worsens,"" said Sen. Blumenthal. ""The Food Date Labeling Act would create a uniform food date label that gives consumers a clear understanding of when food is still safe to eat—helping keep good food out of landfills and on Americans' plates.""

Click here to read the full text of the Food Date Labeling Act.

Background:

Currently, there are no federal regulations related to date labels on food products, aside from infant formula. Date labeling regulations are left up to states, which means consumers are left trying to sort out a patchwork of confounding terms. ""Sell by,"" ""use by,"" ""freshest on,"" and ""expires on"" are just a few of the phrases currently being used on food products. The bipartisan Food Date Labeling Act establishes an easily understood food date labeling system—""BEST If Used By"" communicates to consumers that the quality of the food product may begin to deteriorate after the date and ""USE By"" communicates the end of the estimated period of shelf life, after which the product should not be consumed. Under the legislation, food manufacturers will decide which food products carry a quality date or a discard date. This legislation will also allow food to be sold or donated after its labeled quality date, helping more perfectly good food reach those who need it.

Forty percent of all food produced in the U.S. is wasted, costing our nation $161 billion annually. It is estimated that if all food waste represented an individual country, it would be the third largest emitter of greenhouse gases globally. Domestic food production accounts for 50 percent of U.S. land use, 80 percent of freshwater consumption, and 10 percent of our total energy budget. Consequently, recovering food helps to ensure that the hard work and resources that go into producing food is not wasted.

INDUSTRY AND ADVOCACY STATEMENTS OF SUPPORT FOR THE FOOD DATE LABELING ACT

Emily Broad Leib, Harvard Law School Food Law and Policy Clinic: ""Clarifying and standardizing date label language is one of the most cost-effective and commonsense methods to reduce the 40% of food that goes to waste each year in the United States. Action at the federal level will help ensure that businesses and consumers alike can use and understand date labels more effectively, standardizing these labels across food products and around the country in order to reduce food that ends up in landfill and encourage more donation of safe surplus food. I am thrilled to see the leadership that Representatives Pingree and Newhouse and Senator Blumenthal have taken by introducing the Food Date Labeling Act as a vehicle to address both hunger and environmental impacts of food waste.""

Yvette Cabrera, Director of Food Waste, Natural Resources Defense Council: ""Date label confusion is a leading cause of food waste in the U.S. The Food Date Labeling Act would standardize date labels, build consumer awareness around them, and make donating safe food easier. This low-cost solution would keep money in people's pockets and food on people's plates instead of in landfills, where it produces greenhouse gases that contribute to climate change.""

Herrish Patel, Executive Vice President, Foods & Refreshment, Unilever North America: ""On behalf of Hellmann's, we greatly appreciate your leadership introducing the Food Date Labeling Act. We are committed to helping reduce the 54 million tons of food that go to waste every year in the United States. This bipartisan, bicameral solution will help to do just that while eliminating the patchwork of state laws that confuse consumers, increase food waste, and reduce the availability of safe foods for donation to food insecure Americans. Hellmann's is committed to inspiring more than 100 million people around the world to waste less food each year through consumer education, policy advocacy, and strategic philanthropy. This effort is part of a larger commitment to help achieve the UN's Sustainable Development Goal of reducing food waste by 50% by 2030. As food manufacturers, we believe this bill is an important and simple step to address food waste and eliminate consumer confusion in America."" Click here to read Patel's full letter of support.

Pete Pearson, Senior Director, Food Waste, World Wildlife Fund: ""In the US, it's estimated that 30-40 percent of our food supply is lost or wasted. At the same time, the footprint of agriculture continues to expand, threatening the last remaining biodiverse regions on our planet; places like the native grasslands of the Northern Great Plains. When we waste food, we waste the land, water, and energy used to produce it. We also generate significant methane emissions as this food decomposes in landfills. We need to conserve our vital resources to ensure future generations inherit a planet where food production and consumption exist in balance with nature. In this context, preventing food waste represents a critical act of conservation. The Food Date Labeling Act along with nationwide consumer education will help ensure more food reaches people who need it, heighten awareness on food waste, and help us all navigate confusing expiration dates so that we can all waste less and save more. This is a win-win for consumers and the environment.""",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T20:37:48Z
https://newhouse.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/newhouse-supports-parents-role-greater-transparency-education,"Newhouse Supports Parents’ Role, Greater Transparency in Education",2021-12-03,2021,2021-12,Republican,House,WA,Dan Newhouse,N000189,newhouse.house.gov,newhouse,https://newhouse.house.gov/media-center/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Rep. Dan Newhouse (R-WA) released the following statement after cosponsoring H.R. 6056, the Parents Bill of Rights Act. This legislation would put practices in place that facilitate meaningful dialog between a family and their child's school and lead to more parental input throughout the learning process. It amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act to ensure that federally-funded schools provide parents with the transparency they deserve.

""Parents know what's best for their children and are their greatest advocates. Ensuring that they have a say in their child's education is just common-sense,"" said Rep. Newhouse. ""I'm proud to sponsor this legislation that will provide families with more options to collaborate with school districts, have more access to information regarding their children's education, and ultimately provide a better curriculum and learning experience for our next generation of leaders.""

Click here to read the full text of H.R. 6056.

Background:

The Parents Bill of Rights is built on five core principles that would apply to all schools nationwide that receive federal funding.

Parents have the right to review their school's curriculum, reading materials, and state academic standards.

Requires school districts to post their curriculum publicly

Requires states to provide the public a copy of any revisions to the state's academic standards or learning benchmarks

Requires that school districts give parents notice of any plan to eliminate gifted and talented programs

Requires schools to provide parents with a list of books and reading materials available in the school library.

Parents have the right to lawfully engage with their local school board and educators.

Requires teachers to offer two in-person meetings with parents each year

Requires parents be allowed to address the school board

Includes new protections under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) and updates and clarifies provisions in the Protection of Pupil Rights Act (PPRA).

Parents have the right to see a school's budget and spending, including detailed information about revenues and expenditures.

Parents have the right to protect their child's privacy.

Bans schools from sharing student data with tech companies without parental permission

Bans schools from selling student data for commercial purposes

Requires parental input when schools develop or update their student privacy policies and procedures

Parents also must consent before any medical exam takes place at school, including mental health or substance use disorder screenings

Parents have the right to keep their child safe and be updated on any violent activity at school.

Requires schools to notify parents of violent activity occurring on school grounds or at school-sponsored events while still protecting the privacy of students",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T20:37:48Z
https://newhouse.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/newhouse-announces-5m-grant-enhance-central-washington-healthcare,Newhouse Announces $5M Grant to Enhance Central Washington Healthcare,2021-11-29,2021,2021-11,Republican,House,WA,Dan Newhouse,N000189,newhouse.house.gov,newhouse,https://newhouse.house.gov/media-center/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Rep. Dan Newhouse (R-WA) released the following statement after the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) awarded $5,030,719 to the Columbia Basin Health Association (CBHA) through its Health Center Cluster program. This grant was funded from FY21 appropriations, which Republicans approved in December of 2020.

""Organizations like the Columbia Basin Health Association are critical to ensuring our rural communities receive the same standard of healthcare as our urban counterparts,"" said Rep. Newhouse. ""I am pleased HHS has awarded this much-needed funding to the CBHA, and I look forward to continuing to partner with these organizations to deliver the affordable, accessible, and quality healthcare the people of Central Washington deserve.""

Background:

Through the Health Resources & Services Administration, HHS awards grants to organizations that meet standards of federally qualified health centers. HRSA defines Health Centers as organizations that:

Deliver comprehensive, culturally competent, high quality primary health care, as well as supportive services such as health education, translation, and transportation.

Provide services regardless of patients' ability to pay and charge for services on a sliding fee scale.

Develop systems of patient-centered and integrated care that respond to the unique needs of diverse medically underserved areas and populations.

Private non-profit or public entities, including tribal and faith-based organizations, that operate under the direction of a patient-majority governing board.",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T20:30:49Z
https://newhouse.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/newhouse-mcmorris-rodgers-urge-president-biden-support-colville,"Newhouse, McMorris Rodgers Urge President Biden to Support Colville Disaster Recovery",2021-11-29,2021,2021-11,Republican,House,WA,Dan Newhouse,N000189,newhouse.house.gov,newhouse,https://newhouse.house.gov/media-center/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Reps. Dan Newhouse (R-WA) and Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) urged President Joe Biden to approve a Major Disaster Declaration for the Colville Confederated Tribes (CCT). If approved, Public Assistance would be made available to remove debris, rebuild roads and bridges, and address recovery efforts on the Colville Indian Reservation in the wake of extreme wildfires earlier this year.

""The Colville Indian Reservation sustained damage from five uncontrolled fires that burned between July and September. The Chuweah Creek and Summit Trail Fires grew quickly and merged with smaller fires. When they were finally contained, another storm system passed through the region and ignited additional blaze on Reservation lands,"" the lawmakers wrote.

They continued, ""Despite full mutual aid response from surrounding fire districts, the CCT lost major power and communications infrastructure, primary homes, outbuildings, and vehicles and equipment. Now, much of the Reservation is at risk of flooding and erosion.""

They concluded, ""The damage sustained is beyond the capacity of the CCT to address on its own. [We] request that the CCT's request for a Major Disaster Declaration and aid from Public Assistance Programs receive full and fair consideration.""

NOTE: Approval of a Major Disaster Declaration would allow funds from the Public Assistance Program to be used for debris removal, emergency protective measures, roads and bridges, water control facilities, public buildings and contents, public utilities, as well as parks, recreational, and other facilities.

You can read the full letter here and below.

Dear President Biden,

We are writing in support of the Colville Confederated Tribes' (CCT) recent request for a Major Disaster Declaration, following extreme fire and straight-line winds that led to extensive damage on the Colville Indian Reservation from July 12, 2021 through September 24, 2021.

Due to the severity and magnitude of the disaster and damages, the CCT has requested assistance from all categories within the Public Assistance Program, including debris removal, emergency protective measures, roads and bridges, water control facilities, public buildings and contents, public utilities, as well as parks, recreational, and other facilities.

We are in full support of this request and ask that it receive full and fair consideration.

The Colville Indian Reservation sustained damage from five uncontrolled fires that burned between July and September. The Chuweah Creek and Summit Trail Fires grew quickly and merged with smaller fires. When they were finally contained, another storm system passed through the region and ignited additional blaze on Reservation lands. Despite full mutual aid response from surrounding fire districts, the CCT lost major power and communications infrastructure, primary homes, outbuildings, and vehicles and equipment. Now, much of the Reservation is at risk of flooding and erosion.

The damage sustained is beyond the capability of the CCT to address on its own. Again, we request that the CCT's request for a Major Disaster Declaration and aid from Public Assistance Programs receive full and fair consideration.

Should you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact Liz Payne (Liz.Payne@mail.house.gov) or Stephanie McBath (Stephanie.McBath@mail.house.gov) in our offices.",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T20:30:49Z
https://newhouse.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/newhouse-torres-urge-action-savannas-act,"Newhouse, Torres Urge Action on Savanna’s Act",2021-11-23,2021,2021-11,Republican,House,WA,Dan Newhouse,N000189,newhouse.house.gov,newhouse,https://newhouse.house.gov/media-center/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – Rep. Dan Newhouse (R-WA) and Rep. Norma Torres (D-CA) sent a letter to Attorney General Merrick Garland requesting an update on the implementation of Savanna's Act, legislation passed last year to address the disproportionately high number of missing or murdered Native American women. The bill requires the Department of Justice to implement additional law enforcement protocols for investigating such cases.

""Savanna's Act was signed into law over a year ago and requires the Department of Justice to update Congress on how the reforms and guidelines are being implemented to better protect native women and communities. I am deeply disappointed this statutory deadline has not been met, given the dire state of the crisis of missing and murdered indigenous women in Central Washington and across the country,"" said Rep. Newhouse. ""We worked hard with our tribal partners and local advocates to get Savanna's Act signed into law, and now we urge Attorney General Garland to act swiftly to execute these bipartisan policies in order to deliver justice to the families and loved ones of these women.""

The full text of the lawmakers' letter is here and below.

Dear Attorney General Garland:

We write to you today to respectfully inquire about your implementation of Savanna's Act (Public Law 116-165), bipartisan legislation that was signed into law on October 10, 2020. The law addresses the disproportionately high number of missing Native American women by directing the Department of Justice (DOJ) to review, revise, and develop law enforcement protocols, increase coordination, and improve data collection to address missing or murdered Native Americans. Additionally, the law authorizes the Department to provide grants to carry out these activities. Savanna's Act was signed into law more than a year ago and we are eager for your report on how DOJ has implemented these reforms to better protect indigenous women.

All too often, cases involving indigenous women go unreported, despite the fact that they are murdered and disappeared at unconscionably high rates. For instance, federal statistics show that Native American women are murdered at rates more than 10 times the national average and yet are the least likely of all ethnic groups to have newspaper coverage. Native Americans, women of color, and their families deserve the primetime coverage and government and public response that other cases have received. According to a Government Accountability Office report released on November 1, 2021, the implementation of Savanna's Act would, ""present opportunities to increase and improve data on the number of missing or murdered Indians, including AI/AN women"" (GAO-22-104045).

We understand that the change in executive administration and agency leadership has adversely impacted your ability to meet the deadlines set forth in the law, but our communities cannot wait any longer. You play a pivotal role in the national effort to find justice for these women, and we urge you to provide Congress with an update on your efforts to implement Savanna's Act. We hope you will do your utmost as Attorney General to oversee a robust law enforcement agency response to cases of missing or murdered Native Americans, the recording of Tribal enrollment information or affiliation of victims in Federal databases, and the reporting of this data to the public. We are requesting complete transparency in the implementation process of this legislation, which calls for a report from the Department detailing the annual data on missing Native Americans and the law enforcement agencies that provide such data.

Thank you for your unwavering commitment to finding justice for those who lack a voice. We appreciate your assistance in this matter and look forward to your response.

Background:

On May 14, 2019, Rep. Newhouse joined Reps. Norma Torres (D-CA) and Deb Haaland (D-NM) to introduce Savanna's Act, a bill that aims to address the crisis of missing and murdered indigenous women (MMIW) across the country. The bill develops guidelines and best practices for law enforcement agencies across the country, improves coordination between law enforcement agencies, and enhances reporting, record keeping, and communication for law enforcement and families of victims.

Since the bill's introduction, Rep. Newhouse has continued to urge Congress to act and pass legislation to provide relief to Native communities. In October 2020, he hosted an hour-long bipartisan call-to-action on the House floor. Click here to watch remarks by Rep. Newhouse and his colleagues.

Later that month, Rep. Newhouse arranged meetings with House leadership for two Yakama Nation leaders, then-Chairman JoDe Goudy and Councilwoman Lottie Samm, who traveled to Washington, D.C., to express the impact the MMIW crisis was having on local communities and to discuss the importance of passing legislation like Savanna's Act.

Savanna's Act was referred to the House Judiciary Committee and the House Natural Resources Committee. While House Judiciary Chairman Jerry Nadler (D-CA) did not meet with the delegation, Rep. Newhouse and the Yakama Nation leaders met with Chairman Raul Grijalva (D-AZ) of the House Natural Resources Committee, Chairman Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) of the House Natural Resources Subcommittee on Indigenous Peoples, and Chairwoman Karen Bass (D-CA) of the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security.

Following the announcement of the Presidential Task Force on Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls, or Operation Lady Justice, Rep. Newhouse invited Department of the Interior Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs Tara Sweeney to Central Washington to hear firsthand from tribal leaders. The group discussed how federal actions and legislation would help Native communities more effectively investigate crimes and deliver justice to the loved ones of these women. Click here to read more about the meeting in the Yakima Herald-Republic.

Last month, Rep. Newhouse convened a similar meeting, inviting U.S. Attorney Bill Hyslop to meet with local, state, and tribal law enforcement officers and discuss the challenges they face in curbing the disproportionately high murder and violence rates against Native American women. At this meeting, Rep. Newhouse discussed how Savanna's Act would aid law enforcement agencies to track findings and more effectively investigate cases of MMIW. The U.S. Attorney also announced Operation White Swan, a federal effort that aims to curb violence on the Yakama Nation reservation.

On March 11, 2020, Savanna's Act passed through the House Judiciary Committee unanimously. Rep. Newhouse issued a statement of support.

On July 17, 2020, Rep. Newhouse led a bipartisan letter to Speaker Pelosi, urging congressional action on Savanna's Act and the Not Invisible Act before August recess. The letter has not received a response.

On September 17, 2020, Rep. Newhouse was joined by his Congressional Western Caucus colleagues, Reps. Chris Stewart (R-UT), Pete Stauber (R-MN), and Dusty Johnson (R-SD), to demand a House vote on Savanna's Act and the Not Invisible Act.

On September 21, 2020, the U.S. House of Representatives passed Savanna's Act and the Not Invisible Act unanimously.

On October 10, 2020, President Trump signed Savanna's Act and the Not Invisible Act into law.",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T20:30:49Z
https://newhouse.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/newhouse-stands-against-socialist-spending-spree,Newhouse Stands Against Socialist Spending Spree,2021-11-19,2021,2021-11,Republican,House,WA,Dan Newhouse,N000189,newhouse.house.gov,newhouse,https://newhouse.house.gov/media-center/press-releases,scraper,"""Today's vote leaves me concerned for the future of our country, and I am deeply disappointed in my Democratic colleagues for pushing through this partisan package.

""The American people are already struggling to make ends meet thanks to the skyrocketing inflation that has negatively impacted wage growth, supply chain disruptions, labor shortages, and increasing gas prices we've been experiencing under the Biden Administration. Not only will this package raise taxes on Washington families, but it goes even further by borrowing against our children's future, raising our national debt by $367 billion dollars.

""Our national debt has already surpassed $28 trillion – to put that number in perspective, that's roughly 230 thousand dollars per taxpayer. Speaker Pelosi and other Democratic leaders might have 230 thousand dollars just lying around, but most people—the vast majority of the people I represent—don't.

""Now, Speaker Pelosi and the Democrat leaders are throwing more of your money down the drain as they seek to achieve their socialist dream of expanded government by adding more IRS agents, taxing our small businesses, preventing domestic energy production, creating Green New Deal programs, and eliminating work requirements for welfare benefits.

""It is abundantly clear that this legislation will be devastating for the men and women I represent in Central Washington who produce so much of the food and fiber that feeds our nation, and I urge my colleagues in the Senate to prevent this piece of legislation from going any further.

""We owe our children, grandchildren, and future generations a return to fiscal responsibility. That starts with legislating responsibly and thoughtfully, not just catering to the radicals in the Democratic Party. It's time that they learn: We don't need bigger government, we need better leadership.""",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T20:30:49Z
https://newhouse.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/newhouse-introduces-bill-protect-critical-workers-and-supply-chain,Newhouse Introduces Bill to Protect Critical Workers and Supply Chain from President Biden’s Overreach,2021-11-16,2021,2021-11,Republican,House,WA,Dan Newhouse,N000189,newhouse.house.gov,newhouse,https://newhouse.house.gov/media-center/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Rep. Dan Newhouse (R-WA) released the following statement after introducing H.R. 5978, the Exemptions for Critical Workers Act. This legislation would provide an exemption for federal workers identified as ""critical"" and/or ""essential"" by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) from the Biden Administration's overreaching vaccine mandate that all federal employees receive a COVID-19 vaccine by November 22nd or face termination.

""Our supply chain is already experiencing nationwide shortages and delays exacerbated by the Biden Administration's reckless policies. Now, President Biden is holding the workers who keep our country running, and who have been on the frontlines since the onset of the pandemic providing essential service, hostage through his vaccine mandates, further threatening the stability of our economy.

""Countless federal employees throughout Central Washington who operate and protect critical facilities are facing termination over what should be a personal medical decision. Mandates are not the answer to the economic problems that families in my district are facing, and I stand with our essential workers in calling for an end to the Biden Administration's overreach.

""Let me be clear: our frontline workers do not deserve to be fired. My legislation ensures these critical workers who have kept our key industries functioning long before there was a vaccine available to them, can make the health decision that is right for them, while continuing to do their important work.""

Original cosponsors include:

Reps. David McKinley, Mariannette Miller-Meeks, David Rouzer, Randy Weber, Tracey Mann, and Rick Crawford.

Click here to read the full text of H.R. 5978.

Background:

On September 9, 2021, President Biden released an Executive Order requiring all federal employees and contractors be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 by November 22, 2021 or face the risk of termination.

Vaccination rates in Central Washington currently hover around 60 percent fully vaccinated and continue to go up.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency defines ""Essential Critical Infrastructure Workers"" as ""Workers who support crucial supply chains and enable cyber and physical security functions for critical infrastructure. The industries that essential workers support represent, but are not limited to:

Medical and healthcare

Telecommunications

Information technology systems

Defense

Food and agriculture

Transportation and logistics

Energy

Water and wastewater

Law enforcement

On October 26, Rep. Newhouse introduced the Options Over Terminations Act, which provides federal employees and contractors with the option to provide proof of prior COVID-19 infection and antibody presence as an exemption from President Biden's federal vaccine mandate.

According to the Centers for Disease and Control and Prevention report on October 28 and November 5 previous infection with SARS-CoV-2 (the virus that causes COVID-19) or COVID-19 vaccination can provide immunity and protection from subsequent SARS-CoV-2 infection and illness.",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T20:30:49Z
https://newhouse.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/newhouse-votes-no-hr-3684,Newhouse Votes No on H.R. 3684,2021-11-08,2021,2021-11,Republican,House,WA,Dan Newhouse,N000189,newhouse.house.gov,newhouse,https://newhouse.house.gov/media-center/press-releases,scraper,"""Friday's vote represented a complete and total failure on the Democrats' part to listen to the American people.

""After months of backroom dealings with no input from Republicans, Speaker Pelosi held a vote in the dead of night to pass the ""Bipartisan"" Infrastructure Package and tee up the massive socialist spending spree linked to it, known as the Build Back Better Act.

""I voted against these bills because I could never in good faith vote to pass legislation that would harm the people I took an oath to represent.

""Not only does the infrastructure package fall short of providing the much-needed reforms and funding Central Washington deserves, but the House Democrat leadership refused to consider any amendments offered by Republicans throughout this so-called process. Both pieces of legislation are directly tied to tax increases on Washington families who are already struggling with crippling inflation and supply chain shortages.

""If the Democrats had truly operated in good faith, we could have provided more to the American people while costing them less. The Democrats' inability to do so is a failure to provide the leadership to the American people they purport to represent.""",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T20:30:49Z
https://newhouse.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/newhouse-introduces-legislation-block-biden-administration-paying,Newhouse Introduces Legislation to Block Biden Administration From Paying Off Illegal Immigrants,2021-11-05,2021,2021-11,Republican,House,WA,Dan Newhouse,N000189,newhouse.house.gov,newhouse,https://newhouse.house.gov/media-center/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Rep. Dan Newhouse (R-WA) released the following statement after joining Rep. Tom McClintock (R-CA) and 145 colleagues in introducing the Illegal Immigrant Payoff Prohibition Act of 2021. This legislation will prevent the Attorney General from making settlement payments to individuals and families who entered the United States illegally. It is a direct response to reports that the Biden Administration is proposing to pay as much as $450,000 per person to compensate migrant families that unlawfully entered the United States and were separated at the border.

""The Biden Administration is now openly advocating for individuals to not only cross our border, but to be paid over 13 times the median American income for doing so,"" said Rep. Newhouse. ""It is completely unacceptable for this Administration—whose policies created this border crisis—to signal to the rest of the world that we are no longer a nation that enforces our laws. The perpetuation and exacerbation of this border crisis lands squarely on their shoulders.""

Click here to read the full text of the bill.",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T20:30:49Z
https://newhouse.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/newhouse-demands-pelosi-reveal-price-tag-massive-socialist-tax-and,Newhouse Demands Pelosi Reveal Price Tag of Massive Socialist Tax and Spending Spree,2021-11-04,2021,2021-11,Republican,House,WA,Dan Newhouse,N000189,newhouse.house.gov,newhouse,https://newhouse.house.gov/media-center/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Rep. Dan Newhouse (R-WA) joined Rep. Jay Obernolte (R-CA) and members of the House Republican Conference in sending a letter to Speaker Nancy Pelosi demanding she postpone a vote on H.R. 5376, the Build Back Better Act, until the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO) can assign a score to the bill and determine its costs and economic impacts.

""If you take a moment to look at the state of our country today, it's clear: we are in a time of crisis thanks to the extremist policies of President Biden and the Democrats in Congress,"" said Rep. Newhouse. ""Now, the Biden Administration is doubling down with one of the most expansive socialist spending sprees this country has ever seen: the ""Build Back Better"" agenda.""

Remarks as prepared are below:

""If you take a moment to look at the state of our country today, it's clear: we are in a time of crisis thanks to the extremist policies of President Biden and the Democrats in Congress.

Now, the Biden Administration is doubling down with one of the most expansive socialist spending sprees this country has ever seen: the ""Build Back Better"" agenda.

This legislation would be devastating for the men and women I represent in Central Washington who produce so much of the food and fiber that feeds our nation. And the worst part? We don't even know how much it will cost us in the long term. Talk about fiscal insanity.

Today, I stand with the members of the Republican Conference to call attention to this madness and ask that Speaker Pelosi do what's right: postpone the vote on a bill that will, quite literally, change the course of this country, until the Congressional Budget Office has had to opportunity to conduct an analysis on this legislation. It would be irresponsible for Members to vote on this bill before fully understanding the economic, fiscal, and tax implications this legislation will have.

Our national debt has already surpassed $28 trillion – to put that number in perspective, that's roughly 230 thousand dollars per taxpayer. Now, Speaker Pelosi and other Democratic leaders might have 230 thousand dollars just lying around, but most people—the vast majority of the people we all represent—don't.

We owe our children, grandchildren, and future generations a return to fiscal responsibility. That starts with legislating responsibly and thoughtfully, not just catering to the radicals in the Democratic Party.""

The full text of the lawmakers' letter is here and below.

Dear Madam Speaker and Majority Leader Hoyer,

We write to you requesting you permit the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO) to fulfill its responsibility and publish a full cost estimate for the fiscal year 2022 reconciliation bill, H.R. 5376, the Build Back Better Act, before the House of Representatives considers and votes on this legislation.

For months, Congress has been engaged in ongoing debate about what will be included in the reconciliation bill and its overall cost. While we the undersigned have serious concerns with the portions of the bill that we have seen, certainly we should all be able to agree that Members of Congress should have a full accounting of how this bill will impact spending, deficits, and debt now and in the future. To date, CBO has provided estimates for less than ten percent of the bill reported by the Budget Committee. Based on the available estimates, three authorizing committees have exceeded their respective reconciliation targets.

As we approach the end of the year without having completed the annual appropriations process as well as facing a looming debt ceiling cliff, it would be unconscionable to commit to the purported trillions of dollars that the reconciliation bill might cost without knowing its true price tag. Given that the price of this bill makes it the most expensive piece of legislation in American history, it is imperative Members of Congress are not asked to vote on it until a full cost estimate is available for their review. The Administration claims that the plan will add nothing to the federal deficit. Given the policies that may or may not be included in the final package at this point, we find that difficult to believe. According to some estimates, the current form of the reconciliation bill would add as much as $3 trillion to our national debt, which already sits at more than $28 trillion.

Our nation is also experiencing record levels of inflation, and many economists cite increased federal spending as a root cause. Inflation is on pace to exceed 7 percent this year – the highest it's been in forty years. Americans are facing increased costs for everyday necessities – gas prices are up 58 percent, meat prices are up 14.5 percent, clothing prices are up 10.5 percent, and coffee prices are up 6.1 percent. All Americans are experiencing this inflation crisis, particularly working-class families. As Congress considers spending trillions more of American taxpayer dollars, then as stewards of the public trust we should not commit to do so until a full accounting of this legislation's potential fiscal impact is available, both in the short and over the long term.

Giving the CBO time to provide Congress with this critical analysis will ensure we know the potential impact of this legislation before making this critical decision. Allowing the CBO to do its job before a vote on this legislation will help answer these questions. Both the Congressional Budget and Impoundment Control Act of 1974 and House Rule XIII require a formal score of this bill prior to House consideration. It would be both imprudent and a disservice to Congress and the American people to ignore these requirements given the broad scope and reported cost of this legislation.

We thank you for your consideration of this request and hope you will give Congress and the American people a chance to know what the reconciliation bill will cost before voting on it.",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T20:30:49Z
https://newhouse.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/newhouse-we-must-enforce-our-immigration-laws,Newhouse: “We Must Enforce Our Immigration Laws”,2021-11-04,2021,2021-11,Republican,House,WA,Dan Newhouse,N000189,newhouse.house.gov,newhouse,https://newhouse.house.gov/media-center/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Rep. Dan Newhouse (R-WA) along with nearly 100 of his Republican colleagues, sent a bicameral letter to Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Mayorkas regarding the organized caravan of 3,000 migrants heading towards our southern border and his agency's preparedness to handle the situation.

""We are writing today with serious concerns about the organized migrant caravan currently on its way from southern Mexico toward the United States. It is estimated over 3,000 migrants from Haiti, South America, and Central America will reach our southern border within the corning weeks,"" wrote the lawmakers.

The lawmakers continued, ""In the past year alone, U.S. Border Patrol has recorded nearly 1.7 million migrant apprehensions at the southern border, which is the highest number of illegal crossings in history. If the Administration does not begin to appropriately respond to these caravans and the ongoing border crisis, these surges will surely continue.""

They concluded, ""We must enforce our immigration laws as we do any other laws and ensure migrants in this caravan with nonexistent asylum claims will not be released into the United States. The safety of our American citizens and future migrants depends on your actions.""

Read the full letter here and below:

Dear Secretary Mayorkas:

We are writing today with serious concerns about the organized migrant caravan currently on its way from southern Mexico toward the United States. It is estimated over 3,000 migrants from Haiti, South America, and Central America will reach our southern border within the corning weeks.

As you know, the caravan has already surged past a blockade of 400 Mexican law enforcement officers in Tapachula, who were prepared in anti-riot gear and attempted to block their path from getting to the U.S.-Mexico border. It has been reported that a number of minors were injured as a result of the breakthrough. We are deeply concerned about what the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is doing to prevent a similar situation at our southern border, especially when Customs and Border Protection (CBP) field agents are already overworked, undermanned and under-supplied as a result of the influx of migrants this year.

Additionally, this caravan comes only weeks after ten thousand migrants flooded Del Rio, Texas, overwhelming border personnel and later gaining entry into the United States. While the strategy DHS released on September 18, 2021, stated that migrants ""who cannot be expelled under Title 42 and do not have a legal basis to remain will be placed in expedited removal proceedings,"" this did not occur in Del Rio. In fact, Senior Executive Branch officials stated that migrants were released into the United States on a ""very, very large scale."" We believe this incentivized the recent caravan to journey to the United States.

To better understand DHS 's preparation strategy and make sure individuals with nonexistent asylum claims are placed in expedited removal proceedings, we ask that you respond to the following questions:

What has DHS done to prepare for this caravan, including diplomatic efforts with Central American countries to stop it as it gains momentum?

How is DHS collecting, receiving, and sharing intelligence on this caravan through the interagency process to ensure malign actors are not making their way to---and into---the United States?

How are these actions different from the actions taken in Del Rio?

Will OHS expel migrants encountered at the border using Title 42?

What are OHS' plans to process and deport migrants who cannot be expelled under Title 42 and do not have a legal basis to remain in the U.S.?

In the past year alone, U.S. Border Patrol has recorded nearly 1.7 million migrant apprehensions at the southern border, which is the highest number of illegal crossings in history. If the Administration does not begin to appropriately respond to these caravans and the ongoing border crisis, these surges will surely continue. In fact, organizers made migrants who wished to participate in the current caravan ""register with a QR code on their phones or a web link to participate."" As this shows, the situation at our border is only getting worse.

We must enforce our immigration laws as we do any other laws and ensure migrants in this caravan with nonexistent asylum claims will not be released into the United States. The safety of our American citizens and future migrants depends on your actions. Thank you for your prompt attention to this matter, and we look forward to your response.",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T20:30:49Z
https://newhouse.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/newhouse-calls-cbo-report-economic-cost-bidens-socialist-agenda,Newhouse Calls for CBO Report on Economic Cost of Biden's Socialist Agenda,2021-11-03,2021,2021-11,Republican,House,WA,Dan Newhouse,N000189,newhouse.house.gov,newhouse,https://newhouse.house.gov/media-center/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Rep. Dan Newhouse (R-WA) along with nearly three dozen of his House Republican colleagues, sent a letter to Congressional Budget Office (CBO) Director Phillip Swagel requesting the CBO to analyze the economic, tax, and fiscal impacts of President Biden's Build Back Better Act.

""While text of the Build Back Better Act is not yet finalized, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi indicated she is ready to schedule the bill for a vote in the House of Representatives,"" wrote the lawmakers. ""This bill is long, expensive, and will fundamentally alter social programs and tax structures in our country. It is essential that each member of Congress have a complete and full understanding of such an expansive piece of legislation prior to voting on it. Members need to make informed decisions on behalf of their constituents.""

The House Committee on Rules is expected to debate the Build Back Better Act soon. If the Rules Committee votes to advance the bill, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi can schedule the Build Back Better Act for a vote on the House Floor.

Read the full letter here and below:

Dear Director Swagel,

Thank you for your nonpartisan work to produce budgetary and economic analyses of proposed legislation. Especially now, as bills often exceed a thousand pages, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) ensures hidden and costly provisions are properly noticed. I write today to request information on the financial impacts of the Build Back Better Act.

While text of the Build Back Better Act is not yet finalized, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi indicated she is ready to schedule the bill for a vote in the House of Representatives. This bill is long, expensive, and will fundamentally alter social programs and tax structures in our country. It is essential that each member of Congress have a complete and full understanding of such an expansive piece of legislation prior to voting on it. Members need to make informed decisions on behalf of their constituents.

I respectfully request CBO answer the following questions after analyzing the ten-year impact of the Build Back Better Act:

What is the total cost of new and expanded federal programs?

How much federal government revenue will be raised through this legislation?

How much will the implementation of this bill increase the national deficit?

What is the net impact on the national deficit, excluding projected economic growth attributed to new and expanded programs?

To what extent will revenue-raising measures within the bill impact American households earning less than $400,000 and small businesses?

I appreciate your attention to these important questions as the Build Back Better Act awaits final consideration by the U.S. House of Representatives. Thank you for your time, and I look forward to hearing from you.",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T20:30:49Z
https://newhouse.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/newhouse-rejects-biden-administrations-million-dollar-payout-rewarding,Newhouse Rejects Biden Administration’s Million Dollar Payout Rewarding Illegal Immigration,2021-11-01,2021,2021-11,Republican,House,WA,Dan Newhouse,N000189,newhouse.house.gov,newhouse,https://newhouse.house.gov/media-center/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – Rep. Dan Newhouse (R-WA) along with 75 of his Republican colleagues, sent a letter to U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, U.S. Department of Justice Attorney General Merrick Garland, and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra requesting information regarding President Biden's intent to reward illegal immigrants almost $1 million for breaking our nation's laws.

""According to an October 28th Wall Street Journal article, the Biden administration is considering offering almost $1 million per family to those who were taken into custody and separated after illegally crossing our southern border,"" wrote the lawmakers. ""If finalized, the total settlement could reach $1 billion or more. Unfortunately, this is just the latest in a litany of issues created by extreme policy changes that have led to the ongoing, persistent, and preventable historic humanitarian crisis at our border. These changes have signaled to human traffickers and drug cartels that the United States southern border is open for business, so long as you are not entering legally.""

The Members requested information to confirm the Administration's intent with this policy, and whether the award amount would in fact be larger than that dispensed to the victims of the September 11th terrorist attack, as reported.

The lawmakers continued, ""While immigration has been a bedrock of the United States since its founding, we should not be creating policy that encourages individuals to illegally enter our country by traveling thousands of miles through some of the most dangerous parts of the world organized by international criminal syndicates responsible for thousands of murders throughout Mexico and the U.S. – all during a global pandemic.

Read the full letter here and below:

Dear Secretary Mayorkas, Attorney General Garland, and Secretary Becerra:

According to an October 28th Wall Street Journal article, the Biden administration is considering offering almost $1 million per family to those who were taken into custody and separated after illegally crossing our southern border. If finalized, the total settlement could reach $1 billion or more. Unfortunately, this is just the latest in a litany of issues created by extreme policy changes that have led to the ongoing, persistent, and preventable historic humanitarian crisis at our border. These changes have signaled to human traffickers and drug cartels that the United States southern border is open for business, so long as you are not entering legally.

While immigration has been a bedrock of the United States since its founding, we should not be creating policy that encourages individuals to illegally enter our country by traveling thousands of miles through some of the most dangerous parts of the world organized by international criminal syndicates responsible for thousands of murders throughout Mexico and the U.S. – all during a global pandemic. Furthermore, it is ironic that this administration would focus on the well-being of illegal immigrants when, in July 2021, several whistleblowers came forward to shed light on the deplorable conditions at a Ft. Bliss detention center responsible for overseeing the care of more than 5,000 children. The reports claimed that COVID spread among the kids, contractors hired by the Department of Health and Human Services lacked childcare experience, and it took months to receive supplies to quell a lice outbreak among the young people. Unconscionably, bureaucrats in Washington advised those on the ground to paint a rosy picture and to not allow the public to find out how decrepit the conditions were.

The family separation policy was ended in June 2018, and, in some cases, already resolved for far less than the reported figures this administration is discussing. To better understand this negotiation, we request you answer the below questions expeditiously.

Is the reporting correct and could families who illegally crossed the southern border and were separated receive larger settlements than the victims of the September 11th terrorist attack?

What is the total amount of American taxpayer dollars that the administration plans to authorize to settle these cases?

Will those families who illegally crossed the southern border and were separated be given preferential treatment to remain in the United States over those attempting to legally immigrate?

We appreciate your attention to this matter and look forward to hearing your response.",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T20:30:49Z
https://newhouse.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/newhouse-announces-5m-grant-support-northwest-hop-research,Newhouse Announces $5M Grant to Support Northwest Hop Research,2021-10-28,2021,2021-10,Republican,House,WA,Dan Newhouse,N000189,newhouse.house.gov,newhouse,https://newhouse.house.gov/media-center/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Rep. Dan Newhouse (R-WA) released the following statement after the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) awarded $4,853,908, under the Specialty Crop Research Initiative (SCRI) grants program, to Washington State University to conduct research on enhancing supply chain sustainability and global competitiveness for pacific northwest hops. This funding was authorized through the 2018 Farm Bill.

""As one of the leading producers of specialty crops in the country, our regional future depends on finding ways to ensure that our farmers can get their products to market,"" said Rep. Newhouse. ""This funding will go a long way toward ensuring that our producers are able to weather unstable and broken supply chain conditions like the ones we are currently experiencing. I applaud the USDA on this decision to support Central Washington's hop industry, and I congratulate WSU on this well-deserved funding award.""

Background:

USDA awarded a total of $74 million to 21 recipients through the Specialty Crop Research Initiative (SCRI) grants program. SCRI program investments address critical challenges facing conventional and organic food and agricultural production systems across the specialty crop industry. The program's priority focus areas include improving crop characteristics, managing threats from pests and diseases, improving production efficiency, profitability, and technological innovation, and mitigating food safety hazards. SCRI gives priority to projects that are multistate, multi-institutional, or trans-disciplinary, and include ways to communicate results to producers and the public.",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T20:24:51Z
https://newhouse.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/newhouse-leads-inquiry-overreaching-vaccine-mandate-national-wildfire,Newhouse Leads Inquiry into Overreaching Vaccine Mandate on National Wildfire Preparedness,2021-10-28,2021,2021-10,Republican,House,WA,Dan Newhouse,N000189,newhouse.house.gov,newhouse,https://newhouse.house.gov/media-center/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – Rep. Dan Newhouse (R-WA) led a bicameral letter to U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Tom Vilsack and U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) Secretary Deb Haaland requesting information regarding the impacts President Biden's vaccine mandate will have on national wildfire preparedness.

President Biden's COVID-19 vaccine mandate requires federal employees to be fully vaccinated by November 22, 2021 and federal contractors to be fully vaccinated by December 8, 2021. The loss of essential employees across the country who will be terminated or who leave the workforce due to the mandate will undermine federal wildland firefighting efforts.

""Due to these trends, we are concerned the COVID-19 vaccine mandate for federal employees may adversely affect the number of wildland firefighters serving at USDA and DOI,"" wrote the lawmakers. ""Coupled with other factors contributing to the depletion of federal firefighter ranks and the lack of management fueling longer, more sever wildfire seasons, President Biden's actions may exacerbate challenges in the ongoing effort to combat wildfires.""

The Members requested Secretaries Vilsack and Haaland produce documents and comprehensive analyses on the mandate's impact and to determine if an exemption for USDA and DOI firefighters is appropriate to preserve our ability to combat and prevent wildfires throughout the United States.

They continued, ""Understanding the adverse impact of President Biden's mandate on USDA's and DOI's federal wildland firefighter force is critical to assessing the federal government's ability to effectively manage and respond to wildfires.""

Read the full letter here and below:

Dear Secretary Vilsack and Secretary Haaland,

As of October 15, 2021, almost 6.5 million acres in the United States burned from more than 47,000 wildfires since the beginning of the year. The Forest Service (FS) is responsible for wildfire management and response for 193 million acres of the National Forest System (NFS) while the Department of the Interior (DOI) manages response for more than 400 million acres of public land. These 593 million federal acres have 14,500 Department of Agriculture (USDA) and 5,000 DOI wildland firefighters dedicated to protecting our federal lands.

In their roles, these federal wildland firefighters also coordinate emergency responses with state, local, and tribal partners, and are the tip of the spear to combat ongoing wildfire threats. As President Joe Biden stated earlier this year, ""we've got to be prepared and have every resource available to make sure we're there for the American people."" The full availability of these federal firefighters is imperative to the health and safety of our federal lands and the communities near those lands. Therefore, we seek to assess the consequences of President Biden's recent vaccination mandates on the staffing of USDA and DOI wildland firefighters.

Due in large part to decades of inadequate forest management, wildfire seasons now last year-round and put increasingly significant strains on our federal wildland firefighters and firefighting resources. This year, the United States spent more consecutive days at the highest wildfire preparedness level, Preparedness Level 5, than in any other year. According to FS Chief Randy Moore, firefighting resources are already stretched to the limit and the agency continually struggles to recruit and retain new firefighters. The Biden Administration's policies forcing our wildland firefighters, who professionally risk their lives, to choose between their livelihood and their own personal health decision is therefore counterintuitive to ensuring necessary recruitment and retention.

Rather than allowing federal employees to consult with their doctor to determine appropriate medical actions, President Biden mandated that federal employees and contractors receive COVID-19 vaccinations. Federal employees must be fully vaccinated by November 22, 2021, and federal contractors must be fully vaccinated by December 8, 2021. Employees not in compliance with this requirement will face consequences, including termination of employment.

Several federal employee advocacy groups criticized President Biden's vaccine mandate as misguided and an inappropriate overreach. For example, the Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association opposed the mandate and encouraged its members to seek individual medical advice about vaccinations. Numerous Members of Congress also urged President Biden to reconsider the mandate. Similar vaccination mandates at state and local levels received negative reactions, particularly from firefighters. Across the country, essential employees left the workforce because of COVID-19 vaccination mandates.

Due to these trends, we are concerned the COVID-19 vaccine mandate for federal employees may adversely affect the number of wildland firefighters serving at USDA and DOI. Coupled with other factors contributing to the depletion of federal firefighter ranks and the lack of management fueling longer, more severe wildfire seasons, President Biden's actions may exacerbate challenges in the ongoing effort to combat wildfires.

Additionally, many stakeholders are concerned about the vaccination mandate's harmful impact to federal contractors, specifically those completing critical forest management projects that are essential to reducing the risk and severity of catastrophic wildfires and improving forest health. We echo their concerns that the mandate is likely to disrupt work in rural America, ultimately jeopardizing wildfire prevention efforts and potentially endangering hundreds of communities at risk of destruction due to catastrophic wildfire.

These trends also raise doubts about USDA's and DOI's ability to maintain the appropriate level of preparedness necessary to effectively respond to wildfire threats. President Biden's actions, however, ignore the reality of the unique environments in which wildland firefighters must work, and the efficacy of COVID-19 precautions. In Chief Moore's recent congressional testimony, he confirmed that ""the Forest Service and our interagency partners have seen success with our COVID-19 prevention and mitigation measures."" Two weeks ago, the Mine Safety and Health Administration determined that the strength of existing mine worker protections are sufficient to not require COVID-19 vaccinations. USDA and DOI should similarly examine the existing protections for federal wildland firefighters and contractors to determine if an exemption from the vaccination mandates is appropriate. At a minimum, the agencies must evaluate reasonable accommodations and alternatives to vaccinations, such as routine testing.

Understanding the adverse impact of President Biden's mandate on USDA's and DOI's federal wildland firefighter force is critical to assessing the federal government's ability to effectively manage and respond to wildfires. Therefore, to assist with our oversight activities, please produce the following, as soon as possible, but no later than 5:00 p.m., October 26, 2021:

A document sufficient to describe the estimated number of fully vaccinated federal wildland firefighters at your Department as of October 19, 2021.

A document sufficient to describe your Department's plan for employees and contractors who do not comply with President Biden's vaccination mandates.

All documents and communications, including, but not limited to, internal memoranda and e-mails, referring or relating to attrition concerns at your Department because of President Biden's vaccination mandates for federal employees and contractors.

All documents and communications referring or relating to the decision to implement vaccination mandates between January 20, 2021 and October 19, 2021.

A document sufficient to describe your Department's contingency plan to address the attrition of federal wildland firefighters and relevant contractors because of President Biden's vaccination mandates for federal employees and contractors.

A document sufficient to describe your Department's analysis of working conditions for both federal wildland firefighters and relevant contractors to assess the appropriateness of an exemption from President Biden's COVID-19 vaccination mandates.

All documents and communications referring or relating to the National Interagency Coordination Center's unfulfilled dispatching or mobilization requests of wildland firefighter crews, staff to assist wildland firefighters, and resources needed to combat wildfires between January 20, 2021 and October 19, 2021.

Please contact the House Natural Resources Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee Minority staff at (202) 225-7107 with any questions about this request and to coordinate the delivery of your response to room 1329 of the Longworth House Office Building.

An attachment contains additional instructions for responding to this request. Thank you for your prompt attention to this matter.",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T20:24:51Z
https://newhouse.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/newhouse-announces-new-investments-whitestone-reclamation-district,Newhouse Announces New Investments in Whitestone Reclamation District to Combat Drought,2021-10-27,2021,2021-10,Republican,House,WA,Dan Newhouse,N000189,newhouse.house.gov,newhouse,https://newhouse.house.gov/media-center/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Rep. Dan Newhouse (R-WA) applauded the $900,000 in funding to help communities and agricultural producers in Okanogan County build drought resiliency and conserve water as part of the WaterSMART Initiative, a joint effort between the Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Department of Interior's Bureau of Reclamation (BOR). Through the WaterSMART Initiative, USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) provides targeted Environmental Quality Incentives Program funding for farmers and ranchers, who work in tandem with irrigation districts, water districts and other organizations funded by the BOR. This funding was provided from FY21 appropriations, which Republicans approved in December of 2020.

""These grants are a major win for Central Washington. In the arid West, water is truly our most precious resource, and our local district managers and operators work around-the-clock to conserve and manage our limited supply,"" said Rep. Newhouse. ""These grants – which are awarded as our district and many like it across the country face devastating drought conditions – will allow for necessary improvements and for our local water operators to continue to efficiently deliver water to our rural communities and producers.""

Whitestone Reclamation District: The Whitestone Reclamation District (WRD) in Okanogan County, WA used two Reclamation WaterSMART grants to reduce water loss from seepage and evaporation by lining canals or replacing them with pipe which further allowed increased efficiency from pressurizing the system. The improvements resulted in saving at least 331 acre-feet of water per year from needing to be withdrawn from Toats Coulee Creek. The Okanogan Conservation District will work with the WRD using NRCS tools to measure and help monitor flow rates before and after the upgrades and estimate benefits to the fish, wildlife, and wetlands in the area. Outreach activities include efforts to reach Hispanic owners and or operators in the area. With additional NRCS assistance, more sections of the aging canal and other infrastructure may be lined, piped, or upgraded and farmers will be able to improve irrigation water management for fruit trees, hay, and pasture. In addition to the water savings and drought resiliency benefits, EQIP funds will help improve energy use efficiency and crop productivity and health.

Background:

Private land managers such as farmers and ranchers can leverage money and resources of irrigation districts, water districts, and other organizations with water delivery authority in their community by coordinating their efforts to conserve and use water more efficiently; increasing the production of renewable energy; mitigating future water conflict in areas at a high risk; and other activities that contribute to water supply sustainability in the Western United States. Visit the WaterSMART webpage to learn more.

Through the WaterSMART Initiative, funds are allocated to targeted areas for eligible participants to enter contracts. Each WaterSMART Initiative project area is carrying out different phases of program delivery at the same time— funding, implementation and evaluation.

NRCS and Reclamation, the nation's largest wholesale water supplier and second largest producer of hydroelectric power, have been coordinating EQIP and WaterSMART investments since 2011, the effort began as a pilot in California.

This federal collaboration works to provide states, Tribes, local water management entities, and water users alike with coordinated resources to plan and implement actions which balance water supply and demand through modernizing existing infrastructure, improving agricultural landscapes to conserve water resources and bringing attention to local water conflicts.",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T20:24:51Z
https://newhouse.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/newhouse-applauds-mental-health-funding-central-washington-producers,Newhouse Applauds Mental Health Funding for Central Washington Producers,2021-10-27,2021,2021-10,Republican,House,WA,Dan Newhouse,N000189,newhouse.house.gov,newhouse,https://newhouse.house.gov/media-center/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Rep. Dan Newhouse (R-WA) applauded the $500,000 in funding to Washington State's Department of Agriculture to support Farm and Ranch Stress Assistance Network (FRSAN) State Department of Agriculture (SDA) projects funded by the 2018 Farm Bill. The Washington State Department of Agriculture will collaborate with Washington Department of Health and Washington State University Extension to create two programs to address suicide prevention and behavioral health.

""Our farmers and ranchers have been working under intense conditions over the last year and a half to continue ensuring our food supply chain remains uninterrupted, and our grocery store shelves remain full,"" said Rep. Newhouse. ""This grant funding will go a long way towards helping these men and women deal with the stress this has caused in a healthy, manageable way.""

Background:

Long before the pandemic caused an increase in stress around the world, stress-related mental health was already a rising concern across farm communities coast to coast. USDA-NIFA introduced a competitive grants program, the Farm and Ranch Stress Assistance Network (FRSAN), reauthorized by the 2018 Farm Bill, which supports projects that provide stress assistance for people in farming, ranching, and other agriculture-related occupations.

FRSAN offers a conduit to improving behavioral health awareness, literacy, and more favorable outcomes for them and their families.

In fiscal year 2020, NIFA awarded $28.7 million to four regional entities contributing to FRSAN, to ensure vulnerable agricultural producers and their families have more options for high-quality, affordable help close to home.",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T20:24:51Z
https://newhouse.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/newhouse-honors-true-family-2021-angels-adoption,Newhouse Honors True Family as 2021 Angels in Adoption,2021-10-27,2021,2021-10,Republican,House,WA,Dan Newhouse,N000189,newhouse.house.gov,newhouse,https://newhouse.house.gov/media-center/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Rep. Dan Newhouse (R-WA) recognized Yakima residents Pat and Sonia True as Central Washington's 2021 Angels in Adoption. The Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute (CCAI)'s Angels in Adoption program honors families, individuals, and organizations making extraordinary contributions to adoption, permanency, and welfare. The True's were nominated by Rep. Newhouse to receive this honor.

""Pat and Sonia have, time and again, opened up their home to those in need,"" said Rep. Newhouse. ""They have provided a sanctuary for children to heal from trauma, mothers to recover from abuse, and families to come together. The True's serve as an inspirational example of how, even in the darkest of times, there is always hope. They are angels who truly exemplify the family values we hold dear in Central Washington.""

Over the last several years, the True's have offered their home and care to a number of families in need, outside of foster care or other state-run systems. They have had custody of several children, four of whom live with them today. These children come from backgrounds of generational poverty, chronic neglect, gang affiliation, drug addiction, absent and/or incarcerated parents. The True's not only offer their home, but they also assist other Central Washington families in overcoming challenges with the hope of bringing families back together. In the last 5 years, the True's have opened their home to more than 20 children, ranging in ages 2 months to 17 years.

Background:

The Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute (CCAI) is a non-profit organization that works to raise awareness about the needs of children without families and to remove policy barriers that hinder children from knowing the love and support a family provides. CCAI's Angels in Adoption initiative provides an opportunity for Members of Congress to honor an individual or entity from their district which has made an extraordinary contribution on behalf of children in need of homes.

CCAI is a 501(c)3 nonpartisan organization dedicated to raising awareness about the tens of thousands of orphans and foster children in the United States and the millions of orphans around the world in need of permanent, safe and loving homes through adoption.",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T20:24:51Z
https://newhouse.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/house-passes-newhouse-bill-honor-13-fallen-servicemembers,House Passes Newhouse Bill to Honor 13 Fallen Servicemembers,2021-10-26,2021,2021-10,Republican,House,WA,Dan Newhouse,N000189,newhouse.house.gov,newhouse,https://newhouse.house.gov/media-center/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Rep. Dan Newhouse (R-WA) released the following statement after the House passed his legislation to posthumously award the Congressional Gold Medal to the 13 U.S. military servicemembers who were killed in Afghanistan: Staff Sgt. Darin Taylor Hoover, Sgt. Johanny Rosario Pichardo, Sgt. Nicole Gee, Cpl. Hunter Lopez, Cpl. Daegan Page, Cpl. Humberto Sanchez, Cpl. David Lee Espinoza, Lance Cpl. Jared Schmitz, Lance Cpl. Rylee McCollum, Lance Cpl. Dylan Merola, Lance Cpl. Kareem Nikoui, Hospitalman Maxton Soviak, and Staff Sgt. Ryan Knauss.

""I'm proud the House passed my bipartisan legislation to award the Congressional Gold Medal – Congress' highest honor – to the brave men and women whose lives were taken far too soon,"" said Rep. Newhouse. ""I urge the Senate to quickly take up this legislation and send it to the president's desk, so we can honor their legacy.""

Click here to read the full text of the bill.

Rep. Newhouse introduced the bipartisan legislation with Rep. Lisa McClain (R-MI) and 162 original cosponsors:

Reps. Don Bacon (R-NE), Jim Banks (R-IN), Stephanie Bice (R-OK), Andy Biggs (R-AZ), Larry Buschon (R-IN), Ken Calvert (R-CA), Andre Carson (D-IN), Madison Cawthorn (R-NC), Steve Chabot (R-OH), Rick Crawford (R-AR), Warren Davidson (R-OH), Jeff Fortenberry (R-NE), Russ Fulcher (R-IN), Andrew Garbarino (R-NY), Bob Gibbs (R-OH), Carlos Gimenez (R-FL), Bob Good (R-VA), Lance Gooden (R-TX), Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA), Morgan Griffith (R-VA), Brett Guthrie (R-KY), Diana Harshbarger (R-TN), Yvette Herrell (R-NM), Jody Hice (R-GA), Ashley Hinson (R-IA), Richard Hudson (R-NC), Bill Huizenga (R-MI), Sara Jacobs (D-CA), Dave Joyce (R-OH), Mike Kelly (R-PA), Doug Lamborn (R-CO), Bob Latta (R-OH), Nicole Malliotakis (R-NY) Tom McClintock (R-CA), David McKinley (R-WV), Peter Meijer (R-MI), Carol Miller (R-WV), Blake Moore (R-UT), Seth Moulton (D-MA), Stephanie Murphy (D-FL), Burgess Owens (R-UT), August Pfluger (R-TX), Guy Reschenthaler (R-PA), Adrian Smith (R-NE), Bryan Steil (R-WI), Greg Steube (R-FL), Mike Turner (R-OH), Ann Wagner (R-MO), Tim Walberg (R-MI), Jackie Walorski (R-IN), Rob Wittman (R-VA), Elise Stefanik (R-NY) Joe Wilson (R-SC), Randy Weber (R-TX), Roger Williams (R-TX), Blaine Luetkemeyer (R-MO), Bennie Thompson (D-MS), Young Kim (R-CA), Ben Cline (R-VA), Matt Gaetz (R-FL), Jim Jordan (R-OH), Trent Kelly (R-MS), Al Lawson (D-FL), Doug LaMalfa (R-CA), Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R-IA) John Moolenaar (R-MI), Alex Mooney (R-WV), Steven Palazzo (R-MS), Chris Pappas (D-NH), Lloyd Smucker (R-PA), Claudia Tenney (R-NY), Bruce Westermann (R-AR), Don Young (R-AK), Rick Allen (R-GA), Mark Amodei (R-NV), Jaime Herrera-Beutler (R-WA), Gus Bilirakis (R-FL), Mo Brooks (R-AL), Kat Cammack (R-FL), Jerry Carl (R-AL), Tom Cole (R-OK), John Curtis (R-UT), Scott DesJarlais (R-TN), Drew Ferguson (R-GA), Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA), Chuck Fleischmann (R-TN), Scott Franklin (R-FL), Mike Garcia (R-CA), Anthony Gonzalez (R-OH), Michael Guest (R-MS), Vicky Hartzler (R-MO), Chris Jacobs (R-NY), Dusty Johnson (R- SD), Bill Keating (D-MA), Adam Kinzinger (R-IL), David Kustoff (R-TN), Elaine Luria (D-VA), Tracey Mann (R-KS), Brian Mast (R-FL), Greg Murphy (R-NC), Gary Palmer (R-AL), David Rouzer (R-NC), David Schweikert (R-AZ), Chris Smith (R-NJ), Darren Soto (D-FL), Victoria Spartz (R-IN), David Valadao (R-CA), Beth Van Duyne (R-TX), Filemon Vela (D-TX), Andy Harris (R-MD), Liz Cheney (R-WY), Tim Burchett (R-TN), Scott Fitzgerald (R-WI), Lee Zeldin (R-NY), Mike Gallagher (R-WI), Trey Hollingsworth (R-IN), Ruben Gallego (D-NV), Jason Smith (R-MO), Ralph Norman (R-SC), G.T. Thompson (R-PA), Vicente Gonzalez (D-TX), Buddy Carter (R-GA), Rodney Davis (R-IL), Mike Levin (D-CA), Tom Emmer (R-MN), Jake LaTurner (R-KS), Garrett Graves (R-LA), Pat Fallon (R-TX), Pete Aguilar (D-CA), Debbie Lesko (R-AZ), Elise Slotkin (D-MI), Jennifer Gonzalez-Colon (R-PR), Steven Horsford (D-NV), Greg Pence (R-IN), Barry Moore (R-AL), Ted Budd (R-NC), Jay Obernolte (R-CA), Barry Loudermilk (R-GA), Cathy McMorris Rogers (R-WA), Mike Bost (R-IL), Maria Salazar (R-FL), Jim Costa (D-CA), Lucy McBath (D-GA), Glenn Grothman (R-WI), Julia Letlow (R-LA), Jared Golden (D-ME), Joseph Morelle (D-NY), Mike Simpson (R-ID), Dan Bishop (R-NC), and Byron Donalds (R-FL)",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T20:24:51Z
https://newhouse.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/newhouse-introduces-legislation-provide-antibody-exemption-federal,Newhouse Introduces Legislation to Provide Antibody Exemption to Federal Mandate,2021-10-26,2021,2021-10,Republican,House,WA,Dan Newhouse,N000189,newhouse.house.gov,newhouse,https://newhouse.house.gov/media-center/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Rep. Dan Newhouse (R-WA) introduced the Options Over Terminations Act. This legislation would provide an exemption to any Federal COVID–19 vaccine mandate for any Federal employee or contractor who provides proof of COVID–19 antibodies.

""Federal employees who have opted not to receive the vaccine because they have natural immunity developed after recovering from the virus do not deserve to be fired,"" said Rep. Newhouse. ""President Biden's overreaching mandate has severe ramifications for communities across the country, especially for communities like Central Washington who make up a large part of the federal workforce. Instead of forcing our federal workforce to choose between employment and vaccination, my bill provides them with an option – a permissible, science-based exception from President Biden's recent Executive Order.""

Click here to read the full text of the Options Over Terminations Act.

""The working families of the UA and our Building Trades have been on the front lines since the beginning of this pandemic, risking their families health and safety to ensure our Federal and State projects never missed a beat. For our members, becoming vaccinated is a personal choice between them and their families, their doctor and their faith. The narrow provisions required under this current executive order, places our members between that intimate personal choice and their ability to earn a living for their families. Safe and effective alternatives to this mandate are paramount in protecting the health and safety of our workplaces and the individual liberties of our members. Congressman Newhouse's legislation will ensure our members have access to the personal options and respect they deserve."" —Nickolas A. Bumpaous, Assistant Business Manager of Plumbers and Steamfitters Local 598 and the President of the Central WA Building Trades Council

""Reportedly, some 75 million workers in private workplaces across the country continue to show resistance or reluctance to the COVID-19 vaccines. While we encourage our workforce to get vaccinated, it simply is not practical to impose expansive ""one size fits all"" programmatic mandates based on the state of the pandemic. We must also acknowledge the need to develop patient-centered solutions based on the medical evidence. To this end, we strongly urge the acknowledgement of infection-acquired immunity in addition to vaccine-acquired immunity. We thank Rep. Newhouse for introducing this important piece of legislation."" —National Electrical Contractors Association

Background:

On September 9, 2021, President Biden released an Executive Order requiring all federal employees and contractors be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 by November 22, 2021 or face the risk of termination.",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T20:24:51Z
https://newhouse.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/newhouse-announces-2m-rural-broadband-funding-central-washington,Newhouse Announces $2M in Rural Broadband Funding for Central Washington,2021-10-22,2021,2021-10,Republican,House,WA,Dan Newhouse,N000189,newhouse.house.gov,newhouse,https://newhouse.house.gov/media-center/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Rep. Dan Newhouse (R-WA) announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has awarded grant funding for telemedicine and distance learning to Yakima County, Yakama Reservation, Adams County, and for teledentistry across Central Washington. The $1,990,193 in grant funding will increase access to education, training and health care resources that are otherwise limited or unavailable for rural communities in Central Washington. Funds for these grants is provided from FY21 appropriations, which Republicans approved in December of 2020.

""Telemedicine is a vital way to reach patients in outlying and underserved areas, particularly in rural communities across Central Washington,"" said Rep. Newhouse. ""Supporting the expansion of telemedicine and remote patient monitoring will empower our healthcare providers to ensure that no patient is left behind. These grants will give our rural hospitals, clinics, and community health centers in Central Washington and beyond the tools they need to increase access to quality, effective healthcare.""

Background:

Rep. Newhouse has taken a number of actions to increase access to rural broadband as well as telemedicine for Central Washingtonians:

In June 2020, Rep. Newhouse introduced the Increasing Rural Health Access During the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency Act, a bill that aims to increase telehealth access for rural communities and facilitate the use of remote patient monitoring technology during the COVID-19 pandemic.

In February 2021, Rep. Newhouse introduced the Rural Maternal and Obstetric Modernization of Services Act (Rural MOMS Act). The bill aims to improve healthcare access and outcomes for new and expecting mothers in rural communities across the United States by addressing rural maternal mortality and morbidity rates and expanding access to healthcare services for pregnant women and new mothers in remote areas.

In June 2021, Rep. Newhouse introduced the Rural Remote Monitoring Patient Act. This legislation would create a pilot grant program within the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), an agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, to facilitate the use of remote patient monitoring technology in rural areas. Companion legislation was introduced in the Senate by Sen. John Kennedy (R-LA).

In July 2021, Rep. Newhouse sponsored H.R. 3369, the Broadband for Rural America Act, which provides more than $7 billion in authorizations for USDA broadband connectivity programs.

To learn more about ReConnect Program eligibility, technical assistance and recent announcements, visit www.usda.gov/reconnect.

To learn more about the Distance Learning and Telemedicine (DLT) program, click here.",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T20:24:51Z
https://newhouse.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/newhouse-mcmorris-rodgers-herrera-beutler-react-inslee-murrays-dam,"Newhouse, McMorris Rodgers, Herrera Beutler React to Inslee-Murray’s Dam-Breaching Plan",2021-10-22,2021,2021-10,Republican,House,WA,Dan Newhouse,N000189,newhouse.house.gov,newhouse,https://newhouse.house.gov/media-center/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Reps. Dan Newhouse (R-WA), Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA), and Jamie Herrera Beutler (R-WA) released the following joint statement in reaction to Governor Inslee and Senator Patty Murray's joint statement on their plans to breach the lower Snake River dams:

""It is becoming more and more clear that the public and stakeholders who rely on the Columbia Snake River System have been shut out of conversations between the Biden administration, federal agencies, and groups whose sole mission is to breach the Lower Snake River dams. The fact that the DOJ announced a settlement to stay the Columbia River System Operation Environmental Impact Statement (CRSO EIS) litigation until July 2022 – the same time Governor Inslee and Senator Murray plan to release their plans to breach the Lower Snake River dams – is suspicious at best. This appears to be nothing more than a predetermined backdoor deal in the making, and it should sound the alarm for anyone interested in transparency and a balanced public dialogue over the vital role the dams play in the Pacific Northwest. There is something fishy going on, and it's not just the promising salmon returns we are seeing on the Lower Snake River.""

Background:

May 2021 – Governor Inslee and Senator Murray publicly rebuke plans to breach Lower Snake River Dams.

October 15, 2021 – Gov. Inslee and Sen. Murray announce plans to assess the breaching of the Lower Snake River dams.

October 21, 2021 – Department of Justice announces a settlement reached between the CRSO EIS plaintiffs and federal agencies on injunctive relief, including a stay on the CRSO EIS litigation until July 2022.

October 22, 2021 – Gov. Inslee and Sen. Murray announce next steps to deliver a report intended to justify breaching the Lower Snake River by July 2022",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T20:24:51Z
https://newhouse.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/newhouse-biden-address-supply-chain-crisis-american-ports,Newhouse to Biden: Address the Supply Chain Crisis at American Ports,2021-10-21,2021,2021-10,Republican,House,WA,Dan Newhouse,N000189,newhouse.house.gov,newhouse,https://newhouse.house.gov/media-center/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – Rep. Dan Newhouse (R-WA) joined 160 of his Republican colleagues in sending a letter to President Biden requesting his Administration halt their harmful policy initiatives that have led to the current supply chain crisis.

""We must address the global supply chain and ports crisis before Congress even considers additional social spending and taxation legislation. Our priority right now should be strengthening our Nation's economy and increasing our global competitiveness,"" wrote the lawmakers. ""The policies of your Presidency and party's leaders in Congress are exacerbating or simply ignoring the underlying supply chain crisis. These policies include the mishandling of the COVID response in ways that are prolonging unemployment and worker shortages across the economy, to your push for a multi-trillion-dollar spending spree that is driving up prices of everything from gas to groceries. These efforts only serve to weaken American competitiveness and shrink our economy, and they will certainly ensure that this Christmas will not be merry.""

The lawmakers continued, ""despite calls from the private sector for help addressing growing supply chain issues, like expanding capacity, your Administration has only further fueled the crisis by increasing energy costs, triggering significant inflation through reckless unchecked spending, and attacking American businesses. Ironically, it is now the private sector that you are calling on to ""step up"" and fix the supply chain problems.""

The lawmakers concluded, ""Further consideration of your massive expansion of social spending, paid for by anti-competitive tax increases on small businesses and families, only stands to worsen the supply chain crisis. We urge you to call on your Congressional allies to halt discussions on a budget reconciliation bill that aims to reshape the social fabric of this country and instead work on real infrastructure solutions that focus on moving goods and people safely and efficiently throughout our great country and around the world.""

Read the full letter HERE and below.

Dear President Biden:

As House Republicans, we write because we refuse to stand by and watch as your Administration dilutes America's ability to ensure the safe and efficient movement of goods, people, and services throughout our transportation network. House Republicans have repeatedly demonstrated a willingness to work on bipartisan solutions to improve our infrastructure. We regret that our efforts have been spurned as Speaker Pelosi, Majority Leader Schumer, and your Administration use infrastructure as a Trojan horse to push radical polices that make it more difficult and expensive for families to find or afford basic goods and for businesses to continue the long road to recovery from the pandemic.

We must address the global supply chain and ports crisis before Congress even considers additional social spending and taxation legislation. Our priority right now should be strengthening our Nation's economy and increasing our global competitiveness. The policies of your Presidency and party's leaders in Congress are exacerbating or simply ignoring the underlying supply chain crisis. These policies include the mishandling of the COVID response in ways that are prolonging unemployment and worker shortages across the economy, to your push for a multi-trillion-dollar spending spree that is driving up prices of everything from gas to groceries. These efforts only serve to weaken American competitiveness and shrink our economy, and they will certainly ensure that this Christmas will not be merry.

The current supply chain crisis exposes how close to its limit our transportation system operates. There is little redundant capacity. Once bottlenecks develop, cargo backs up and remains stranded offshore on ships that overcrowd the coastline, creating additional safety and environmental risks. For example, clustering a large number of container ships waiting to be unloaded increases the risk of large anchors damaging our underwater infrastructure, such as pipelines. This unfortunately was likely the case with the recent Huntington Beach oil spill. Rather than responding to an oil spill, prevention is the best way to avoid environmental damage. We believe this environmental and economic harm could have been avoided in the first place had this Congress and this Administration remained focused on our core transportation network assets. Yet, this oil spill is emblematic of the harm your party's policies are creating for America's broader infrastructure network and the economy. Moreover, despite calls from the private sector for help addressing growing supply chain issues, like expanding capacity, your Administration has only further fueled the crisis by increasing energy costs, triggering significant inflation through reckless unchecked spending, and attacking American businesses. Ironically, it is now the private sector that you are calling on to ""step up"" and fix the supply chain problems.

Mr. President, we think it's time that you step up and reevaluate your Administration's priorities. While many in both business and labor have agreed to step up, House Republicans are calling on you, your Administration, and your allies in Congress to do the same. Your Administration must step up for American workers and businesses by halting your reckless tax and spending plan currently pending before Congress. We request that you stop the litany of harmful regulatory actions that are driving up energy costs and to stop disarming the same American businesses you are asking to bail you out with vaccine mandates and excessive benefits that are disincentivizing work. While you might not be able to save this holiday season, you can reverse course and prevent further economic damage.

Further consideration of your massive expansion of social spending, paid for by anti-competitive tax increases on small businesses and families, only stands to worsen the supply chain crisis. We urge you to call on your Congressional allies to halt discussions on a budget reconciliation bill that aims to reshape the social fabric of this country and instead work on real infrastructure solutions that focus on moving goods and people safely and efficiently throughout our great country and around the world.",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T20:24:51Z
https://newhouse.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/newhouse-stands-against-bidens-overreaching-irs-proposals,Newhouse Stands Against Biden’s Overreaching IRS Proposals,2021-10-21,2021,2021-10,Republican,House,WA,Dan Newhouse,N000189,newhouse.house.gov,newhouse,https://newhouse.house.gov/media-center/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Rep. Newhouse joined Rep. Ferguson, along with every Republican member of the Ways and Means Committee, in introducing the Prohibiting IRS Financial Surveillance Act. This legislation would prohibit the IRS from implementing any form of the Biden Administration's aggressive bank surveillance scheme. In addition, Rep. Dan Newhouse (R-WA) joined Rep. Tom Emmer (R-MN) and 200 of his Republican colleagues in sending a letter to U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen opposing President Biden's intrusive financial information reporting proposal.

""President Biden's attempt to weaponize the IRS to ""close the tax gap"" not only further burdens our local banking institutions with additional reporting requirements but is a significant privacy concern for an institution that has already failed to protect the data of American citizens,"" said Rep. Newhouse. ""This action would set an incredibly dangerous precedent for the amount of power the IRS can hold, and I remain unequivocally opposed.""

Click here to read the full text of the Prohibiting IRS Financial Surveillance Act.

Read the full letter HERE and below.

On September 13th, 142 Members of Congress wrote to you expressing concern with the Administration's proposal to significantly expand the amount of financial data collected on virtually every American. Since then, hundreds of thousands of our constituents have reached out to our offices – in addition to every state bank and credit union association, and many state financial officers – voicing their opposition to this initiative. Your Department's response to these concerns was not only insincere, but it also demonstrated just how out-of-touch the proponents of this effort are with the grave and sincere concerns that millions of Americans have with this idea.

The Treasury Department's initial plan sought to require financial institutions and other financial services providers to report a range of new data points on accounts with annual gross inflows and outflows totaling more than $600 to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). After receiving pushback from Americans in every state, there have been reports that the Administration and the majorities in Congress are considering increasing the threshold from $600 to $10,000 (or an even higher amount).

The impact that these new reporting requirements will have on tens if not hundreds of millions of unsuspecting Americans cannot be emphasized enough. Arbitrarily increasing the threshold to $10,000, as most recently proposed, will still apply to individuals at every rung of the income ladder.

Further, your September 29th response cited enhanced transparency, improved tax compliance, and increased federal income as the main reasons for this proposal, while failing to substantively address one of our primary concerns: privacy protections. The IRS's history when it comes to protecting Americans' personal information is suspect at best. Not to mention, one of the foremost reasons so many Americans are unbanked is due to privacy concerns, according to a 2019 survey published by the FDIC.

Your proposal, if enacted and regardless of the compliance threshold, will likely sow further distrust in our financial system due to the ongoing and valid concerns about the IRS's ability to protect the privacy and financial data of the American people and potentially enlarge the unbanked population.

Lastly, after a historic year when banks and credit unions were front and center, providing financial lifelines to families, businesses, and communities during the COVID-19 pandemic, we cannot emphasize strongly enough the negative impact that new and additional reporting requirements will have on these same financial institutions by your proposal. Financial institutions already report a tremendous amount of data to the IRS, and there is ample evidence to show that the IRS needs to do a better job using the information it already has to close the ""tax gap."" The last thing our financial institutions need is another layer of administrative reporting requirements to take away from their daily efforts to provide the capital that is the lifeblood of Main Street America.

In light of our continuing concerns, and your inability to adequately address them, we ask you to abandon this proposal and encourage congressional Democrats to do the same. We must protect Americans and our financial system, not make them the victim of government overreach in the name of raising revenue.",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T20:24:51Z
https://newhouse.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/newhouse-urges-usda-expedite-disaster-assistance-central-washington,Newhouse Urges USDA to Expedite Disaster Assistance to Central Washington Farmers,2021-10-20,2021,2021-10,Republican,House,WA,Dan Newhouse,N000189,newhouse.house.gov,newhouse,https://newhouse.house.gov/media-center/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – Rep. Dan Newhouse (R-WA), along with the entire Washington delegation, sent a letter to U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) urging them to take all statutory eligibilities into account when distributing the $10 billion in aid to agricultural producers hit hard by extreme heat, drought, and wildfires this summer. The $10 billion in agricultural aid was designated for Rep. Newhouse's legislation, H.R. 267, the 2020 WHIP+ Reauthorization Act, which was included in the Extending Government Funding and Delivering Emergency Assistance Act, signed into law in September.

""Congress provided $10 billion to cover qualifying losses experienced by agricultural producers as part of H.R.5305, the Extending Government Funding and Delivering Emergency Assistance Act. As the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) works to swiftly implement the program, we write to urge you to utilize the full eligibilities provided in the statute to assist producers in our states hit hard by extreme heat, drought, wildfires, smoke exposure, and related crop quality losses,"" wrote the lawmakers. ""Additionally, we request that USDA offer guidance as soon as practicable on what types of documentation will be needed for farmers so that they can be ready and able to access this assistance.""

The lawmakers continued, ""many of the producers who suffered some of the greatest heat-related losses—scorched fruit, damaged canes, increased shellfish mortality—were either located in counties not covered by the drought designations, experienced losses not covered by drought assistance programs, or both. To better address the extent of these losses, Congress provided new flexibilities in H.R.5305 to amend the previous Wildfire and Hurricane Indemnity Program-Plus (WHIP+) authorization, including coverage for losses related to excessive heat and smoke exposure for wine grapes—and inclusive of crop quality loss and damage to on-farm stored commodities.""

The letter is signed by Senators Murray (D-WA), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), and Maria Cantwell (D-WA) as well as Representatives Suzan K. DelBene (WA-01), Dan Newhouse (WA-04), Kim Schrier, M.D. (WA-08), Derek Kilmer (WA-06), Peter A. DeFazio (OR-04), Marilyn Strickland (WA-10), Cathy McMorris Rodgers (WA-05), Adam Smith (WA-09), Pramila Jayapal (WA-07), Suzanne Bonamici (OR-01), Jamie Herrera Beutler (WA-03), and Rick Larsen (WA-02).

Read the full letter HERE and below.

Background:

Rep. Newhouse first introduced the WHIP+ Reauthorization Act in November 2020 and reintroduced it in January 2021. In July 2021 it passed the House Committee on Agriculture.

The bill was amended by the Agriculture Committee to reauthorize WHIP+ for 2020 and 2021 disasters and to provide relief for a broad range of events, including wildfires, hurricanes, drought, high winds or derechos, freeze, polar vortexes, excessive heat, and smoke taint. The amended legislation also changed the eligibility requirements for drought from a D3 declaration to a D2 declaration for at least 8 consecutive weeks.

The Additional Supplemental Appropriations for Disaster Relief Act of 2019 authorized the Wildfire and Hurricane Indemnity Program Plus (WHIP+) to help agricultural producers affected by natural disasters in 2018 and 2019. WHIP+ covers losses of crops, trees, bushes, and vines that occurred as a result of hurricanes, wildfires, and other qualifying natural disasters. Click here to learn more about the WHIP+ program.

Dear Secretary Vilsack:

Thank you for your continued work to deliver relief to our farmers, ranchers, Tribes, and communities in the Pacific Northwest impacted by severe weather events. To support those efforts, Congress provided $10 billion to cover qualifying losses experienced by agricultural producers as part of H.R.5305, the Extending Government Funding and Delivering Emergency Assistance Act. As the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) works to swiftly implement the program, we write to urge you to utilize the full eligibilities provided in the statute to assist producers in our states hit hard by extreme heat, drought, wildfires, smoke exposure, and related crop quality losses. Additionally, we request that USDA offer guidance as soon as practicable on what types of documentation will be needed for farmers so that they can be ready and able to access this assistance.

A number of us wrote to you in July regarding the extreme heat, drought, low soil moisture, and wildfires the Pacific Northwest experienced this summer, with temperatures reaching as high as 120 degrees Fahrenheit. As we mentioned then, many of the producers who suffered some of the greatest heat-related losses—scorched fruit, damaged canes, increased shellfish mortality—were either located in counties not covered by the drought designations, experienced losses not covered by drought assistance programs, or both. To better address the extent of these losses, Congress provided new flexibilities in H.R.5305 to amend the previous Wildfire and Hurricane Indemnity Program-Plus (WHIP+) authorization, including coverage for losses related to excessive heat and smoke exposure for wine grapes—and inclusive of crop quality loss and damage to on-farm stored commodities.

As USDA drafts guidelines for the new program, we ask that you work with producers to include temperature-based thresholds for eligibility to capture heat-related losses, similar to extreme temperature models utilized in the Emergency Livestock Assistance Program. This will be critical for berry crops, shellfish, tree fruits, potatoes, dairy products, and beef cattle in parts of the Pacific Northwest which suffered some of the greatest yield and quality losses as a result of the severe heat wave, but may not operate in counties covered by D3 or 8-week D2 drought designations.

We urge prompt implementation of this critical assistance and appreciate your continued work to deliver relief to our agricultural producers in the Pacific Northwest impacted by severe weather events. Thank you for your consideration.",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T20:24:51Z
https://newhouse.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/newhouse-congratulates-central-washington-law-enforcement-grant,Newhouse Congratulates Central Washington Law Enforcement Grant Recipients,2021-10-19,2021,2021-10,Republican,House,WA,Dan Newhouse,N000189,newhouse.house.gov,newhouse,https://newhouse.house.gov/media-center/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Rep. Dan Newhouse (R-WA) announced that the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has awarded grant funding to the police departments of the City of Yakima, the City of Moses Lake, and the City of Kennewick. Moses Lake and Yakima received funding through the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) Program and Kennewick received funding through the Law Enforcement Mental Health and Wellness Act (LEMHWA).

""Our law enforcement officers put their lives on the line for our communities each and every day,"" said Rep. Newhouse. ""These funds will go a long way towards helping our local police departments—who are already facing limited officers due to Governor Inslee's unilateral mandates—have access to the resources they need to continue to do their jobs and protect our families and communities.""

The Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) Program allows states and units of local government, including tribes, to support a broad range of activities to prevent and control crime based on their own state and local needs and conditions. Grant funds can be used for state and local initiatives, technical assistance, training, personnel, equipment, supplies, contractual support, and information systems for criminal justice, including for any one or more of the following program areas: 1) law enforcement programs; 2) prosecution and court programs; 3) prevention and education programs; 4) corrections and community corrections programs; 5) drug treatment and enforcement programs; 6) planning, evaluation, and technology improvement programs; and 7) crime victim and witness programs (other than compensation) and 8) mental health programs and related law enforcement and corrections programs, including behavioral programs and crisis intervention teams. You can read more about JAG grants here.

The City of Moses Lake will receive $10,134.

The City of Yakima will receive $63,105.

The Law Enforcement Mental Health and Wellness Act (LEMHWA) Program funds are used to improve the delivery of and access to mental health and wellness services for law enforcement through training and technical assistance, demonstration projects, implementation of promising practices related to peer mentoring mental health and wellness, and suicide prevention programs. You can learn more about the LEMHWA Program here.

The City of Kennewick will receive $70,400.",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T20:24:51Z
https://newhouse.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/newhouse-takes-action-support-central-washington-seniors,Newhouse Takes Action to Support Central Washington Seniors,2021-10-12,2021,2021-10,Republican,House,WA,Dan Newhouse,N000189,newhouse.house.gov,newhouse,https://newhouse.house.gov/media-center/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Rep. Dan Newhouse (R-WA) released the following statement after taking two major actions to support Central Washington's seniors:

""Keeping the promises we make to our senior citizens is one the highest responsibilities of representing Washington's Fourth Congressional District in Congress,"" said Rep. Newhouse. ""Preserving Social Security benefits for the men and women who are counting on them – including public servants who have dedicated their professional careers to public service – and placing our country back on a fiscally responsible track are critical not only for today's seniors, but for the generations to come.""

Rep. Newhouse sent a letter to Social Security Administration Acting Commissioner, Dr. Kilolo Kijakazi, and Everett Kelley, President of the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) urging them together to reopen field offices to ensure seniors have access to the Social Security services promised to them.

Rep. Newhouse also cosponsored H.R. 82, the Social Security Fairness Act which would ensure public sector workers and their families can receive full Social Security benefits after two previous statutes reduced them. The Social Security Fairness Act would repeal the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and the Government Pension Offset (GPO) from the Social Security Act, both of the statutes significantly reduce benefits for nearly 2.3 millionAmericans.

Click here to read the full text of H.R. 82, the Social Security Fairness Act.

The full text of the letter can be found here and below:

Dear Dr. Kijakazi and Mr. Kelley,

We write to urge you to work together to develop a plan to reopen the more than 1,500 Social Security field offices that are currently closed to the public. Numerous constituents across our districts have reached out to us to express their frustrations with access to Social Security Administration (SSA) field offices. Many of our constituents from vulnerable populations who lack access to reliable internet, or do not have a reliable phone number or mailing address, are struggling to access Social Security services. In order to provide the services the American people are entitled to, it is imperative that these field offices reopen.

We are also concerned the continued closure of SSA's field offices will result in further delays in processing critical benefits and other services, on top of the already existing benefits backlog. A recent report from the SSA's Office of the Inspector General found that SSA is facing a backlog of unprocessed mail, including benefit applications and requests for Social Security cards. As you are aware, delays in these areas can cause significant hardship for beneficiaries.

The health and safety of federal employees should be a priority in any reopening plan. With the availability of three safe and highly effective vaccines however, it is clear that field offices can be reopened safely. Numerous public and private entities throughout the country have resumed normal operations. It is time the Social Security Administration reopen as well.",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T20:24:51Z
https://newhouse.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/newhouse-delivers-republican-address,Newhouse Delivers Republican Address,2021-10-09,2021,2021-10,Republican,House,WA,Dan Newhouse,N000189,newhouse.house.gov,newhouse,https://newhouse.house.gov/media-center/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – On Friday, Rep. Dan Newhouse (R-WA) delivered the weekly House Republican address, calling out the Biden Administration's burdensome regulations that are threatening to cripple rural American communities and family farms.

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Rep. Newhouse's full address can be viewed HERE and above, the full transcript is below.

""Hello, I'm Congressman Dan Newhouse, a third-generation farmer representing the 4th Congressional District of Washington state, and I'm honored to be delivering this week's Republican Address.

Central Washington is made up of honest, hardworking, freedom-loving Americans who provide food and fiber for this nation, and my district is home to some of the most dedicated and innovative agriculture producers in the country.

Washington's farmers and ranchers produce more than 300 commodities, including high-quality hay, wheat, beef, dairy, and specialty crops like apples, hops, potatoes, cherries, mint, and winegrapes. Blessed with the conditions to produce such a diverse range of crops, Central Washington is proud to share its natural abundance in helping feed the country – and the world. Those of us who live here have a deep appreciation for our nation's farmers and recognize how important it is that we have a strong domestic agriculture sector.

But lately, President Biden and his far-left Democrats are so focused on radically altering the country with their $4.3 trillion dollar spending spree that they're blind to the impacts their own policies are already having on Americans across the country. Inflation is at a 13-year high, and now they are looking to raise taxes on small businesses and family farms—all while hiring 87,000 more IRS collection agents.

As a lifelong farmer, former director of agriculture for Washington state, and current Chairman of the Congressional Western Caucus, I understand the vested interest we share in supporting our agriculture producers – and I am proud to join my House Republican colleagues in advocating against burdensome regulations that impact rural communities.

The Democrats' proposed Death Tax would devastate Central Washington families looking to pass their farm on to their children. In fact, this provision alone often determines whether family farmers and ranchers can maintain their land from one generation to the next – or if that land will be broken up, sold off, and paved over.

I always find it ironic that the same politicians who decry ""Big Agriculture"" are also the ones who constantly advocate for policies and regulations that make it harder and harder for small family farms – like mine and those of my neighbors' – to survive.

It's not just Democrats' disastrous poliamamcies we're having to fend off. That's why I, alongside my Republican colleagues, am leading the effort to stop our foreign adversaries, like Communist China, from gobbling up American farmland and taking control of our food supply chain.

Even as Congressional Democrats pile regulatory burdens on rural Americans, President Biden continues to stretch the limits of his executive authority. His Administration is trying to revive the single most overreaching federal regulation in history: the ""Waters of the United States"" – or WOTUS – rule. This dangerous policy empowers federal bureaucrats to place every single body of water – every ditch, puddle, and stream – under federal regulation, and as a result, the livelihoods of farmers and rural communities across the nation are at stake.

A farmer could be fined thousands of dollars by the EPA if they so much as rotate their crops without asking permission from the federal government – that is the real-world impact of these ridiculous policies.

It is clear to me – just as I know it is clear to my constituents – that President Biden and Democrats in control of Congress are failing to display the leadership America needs and deserves. Instead of continuing to cater to the radicals in their party, it's time for them to take a look at how their policies are harming us here in Central Washington and in rural communities across the country. We deserve far better.""",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T20:24:51Z
https://newhouse.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/newhouse-mcmorris-rodgers-bentz-react-lopsided-columbia-basin,"Newhouse, McMorris Rodgers, Bentz React to Lopsided Columbia Basin Collaborative Membership",2021-10-07,2021,2021-10,Republican,House,WA,Dan Newhouse,N000189,newhouse.house.gov,newhouse,https://newhouse.house.gov/media-center/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Reps. Dan Newhouse (R-WA), Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA), and Cliff Bentz (R-OR) released the following joint statement in reaction to the release of the unbalanced membership list for the Columbia Basin Collaborative:

""The concerns plaguing the Columbia Basin Collaborative from its onset only continue to grow—particularly concerning its lack of consideration provided to, and representation of, the local communities we represent. It appears the disproportionate membership of this group was chosen due to a political agenda, not an ability to represent the diverse views in our region.

""The issues being discussed within this four-state agreement have an enormous impact on our districts, and all of our constituents deserve a strong voice when debating decisions that have the potential to decimate their livelihoods and the economic future of their region.

""Meanwhile, with the State of Oregon positioned as a plaintiff in the lawsuit against the CSRO EIS—as well as the recent news that the plaintiffs and federal government have requested a pause in the proceedings to discuss matters that could have an impact on the outcome of the case—it is clear just how inappropriate the name of this so-called ""Collaborative"" truly is. Its architects strategically formed this entity with the clear purpose of evading the federal statutory processes and plans already developed. They have no desire to engage in serious, comprehensive solutions for the benefit of the region; rather, they have a singular, ideologically driven motivation: dam-breaching.

""We remain committed to continuing our work to promote science-based efforts to improve salmon recovery, while ensuring the residents of Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and Montana continue to enjoy the benefits provided by our dams from clean, reliable, and affordable energy to irrigation, navigation, and beyond.""

Background:

In October 2020, Oregon Governor Kate Brown, Washington Governor Jay Inslee, Montana Governor Steve Bullock, and Idaho Governor Brad Little entered into a four-state agreement to form the Columbia Basin Collaborative to rebuild the Columbia River salmon and steelhead stocks and to advance the goals of the Columbia Basin Partnership Task Force ‘in a collaborative, public process to be defined with involvement from the region's tribes, federal agencies, and stakeholders.'

In July 2021, Reps. Newhouse and McMorris Rodgers released a joint statement calling out a filing by the state of Oregon and other environmental groups that called for injunctive relief, including 24-hour maximum spillovers at all eight Columbia and Snake River dams as obstructive and detrimental to the four-state agreement.",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T20:24:51Z
https://newhouse.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/newhouse-leads-wa-republicans-letter-usda-urges-vilsack-hire-state-usda,"Newhouse Leads WA Republicans in Letter to USDA, Urges Vilsack to Hire State USDA Leadership",2021-10-04,2021,2021-10,Republican,House,WA,Dan Newhouse,N000189,newhouse.house.gov,newhouse,https://newhouse.house.gov/media-center/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – Rep. Dan Newhouse (R-WA), led the Washington State Congressional Republican delegation in a letter to Secretary of Agriculture Vilsack, urging him to prioritize the hiring of state executives to help with the backlog of disaster relief applications currently plaguing the agency.

The lawmakers wrote, ""As you are aware, agricultural operations in Washington have been significantly impacted by the wildfires and ongoing severe drought. We have heard from our constituents that the creeks have gone dry and that cattle and crops have been lost.""

They continued, ""Combined with these disasters, eligible producers are now waiting months for paperwork to be approved solely due to a lack of staffing. Getting timely assistance out to ranchers and farmers could mean the difference for many operations between being able to stay open or closing for good.""

The lawmakers concluded, ""We respectfully request that USDA focuses on putting FSA State Executive Directors in place and hiring staff in an expeditious manner. We thank you for your continued response to these disasters and stand ready to work with you on these efforts moving forward.""

Dear Secretary Vilsack,

We write to express concern over the lack of staffing at the Washington State Farm Service Agency (FSA) offices within the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). We have heard from the agricultural producers we represent that their disaster relief applications are taking months to be approved. This is unacceptable. We urge USDA to prioritize appointing FSA Executive Directors and getting staff into place before this process becomes unmanageable.

As you are aware, agricultural operations in Washington have been significantly impacted by the wildfires and ongoing severe drought. We have heard from our constituents that the creeks have gone dry and that cattle and crops have been lost. Combined with these disasters, eligible producers are now waiting months for paperwork to be approved solely due to a lack of staffing. Getting timely assistance out to ranchers and farmers could mean the difference for many operations between being able to stay open or closing for good. Proper staffing will also translate to much-needed technical expertise at the start of the process for applicants seeking financial assistance, leading to efficient accurate reviews of documentation and timely aid being delivered to those who need it. The current reality is that farmers and ranchers are being bogged down in the paperwork process and experiencing significantly delayed financial assistance.

We appreciate your support through your recent disaster designations for droughts for many counties across the Western states. However, Congress has approved billions of dollars in emergency assistance intended for these communities affected by disasters. Failing to deliver this aid in a timely manner will prove catastrophic in an already difficult year.

We respectfully request that USDA focuses on putting FSA State Executive Directors in place and hiring staff in an expeditious manner. We thank you for your continued response to these disasters and stand ready to work with you on these efforts moving forward.",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T20:24:51Z
https://newhouse.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/newhouse-led-disaster-relief-bill-signed-law,Newhouse-Led Disaster Relief Bill Signed Into Law,2021-10-01,2021,2021-10,Republican,House,WA,Dan Newhouse,N000189,newhouse.house.gov,newhouse,https://newhouse.house.gov/media-center/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Rep. Dan Newhouse (R-WA) released the following statement after President Joe Biden signed into law H.R. 5305 – Extending Government Funding and Delivering Emergency Assistance Act (Continuing Resolution), which included $28.6 billion in emergency supplemental appropriations for natural disasters occurring as far back as 2019 and Rep. Newhouse's legislation, H.R. 267, the 2020 WHIP+ Reauthorization Act. This legislation includes coverage for losses of crops (including smoke-tainted wine grapes, excessive heat and Quality Loss Assistance) occurring in calendar year 2020 and 2021. In addition, $10 billion of the emergency supplemental appropriations were designated for the 2020 WHIP+ Reauthorization Act.

""Producers across Central Washington and the West are all too familiar with the damage that wildfires, smoke, excessive heat and drought can do to their lives and livelihood,"" said Rep. Newhouse. ""WHIP+ is a necessary resource for many producers as they continue to recover from this year's devastating wildfires, excessive heat, and drought conditions in our region – while facing new threats every day. I am glad to see this much-needed legislation make its way to the President's desk and be signed into law.""

Click here to read the text of the bill.

Background:

Rep. Newhouse first introduced the WHIP+ Reauthorization Act in November 2020 and reintroduced it in January 2021. In July 2021 it passed the House Committee on Agriculture.

The bill was amended by the Agriculture Committee to reauthorize WHIP+ for 2020 and 2021 disasters and to provide relief for a broad range of events, including wildfires, hurricanes, drought, high winds or derechos, freeze, polar vortexes, excessive heat, and smoke taint. The amended legislation also changed the eligibility requirements for drought from a D3 declaration to a D2 declaration for at least 8 consecutive weeks.

The Additional Supplemental Appropriations for Disaster Relief Act of 2019 authorized the Wildfire and Hurricane Indemnity Program Plus (WHIP+) to help agricultural producers affected by natural disasters in 2018 and 2019. WHIP+ covers losses of crops, trees, bushes, and vines that occurred as a result of hurricanes, wildfires, and other qualifying natural disasters. Click here to learn more about the WHIP+ program.",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T20:24:51Z
https://newhouse.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/newhouse-congratulates-moses-lake-grant-funding,Newhouse Congratulates Moses Lake on Grant Funding,2021-09-30,2021,2021-09,Republican,House,WA,Dan Newhouse,N000189,newhouse.house.gov,newhouse,https://newhouse.house.gov/media-center/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Rep. Dan Newhouse (R-WA) announced that the City of Moses Lake was one of 25 small towns to win a T-Mobile Hometown Grant to jumpstart vital community development projects to re-energize the town and build upon what makes it unique. The funds will be used to set up a creative community incubator that will have art, live music, events, a lounge, and a maker space.

""This grant funding is great news for Central Washington,"" said Rep. Newhouse. ""Moses Lake is quickly becoming a regional hub for innovation and growth, and these funds will further power that development by highlighting the remarkable creativity our rural communities have to offer and enabling them to share it with others. I appreciate T-Mobile's investment in rural America and encourage private ventures to take note of what a special community we have in Moses Lake.""

Background:

The City of Moses Lake will receive $50,000 through this program.

T-Mobile partnered with Main Street America and Smart Growth America, two consulting partners with a combined experience of more than 60 years working to help build stronger, more prosperous small towns and rural communities. Together, they determined the grant recipients based on detail and fullness of the submission, community impact, viability of the project among other factors. Recipients are selected and awarded on a quarterly basis, so towns with populations less than 50,000 are eligible and encouraged to apply

For full details on how to submit a proposal for Hometown Grants, visit https://www.t-mobile.com/brand/hometown-grants.",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T20:17:01Z
https://newhouse.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/newhouse-introduces-legislation-reduce-food-waste-schools-supporting,"Newhouse Introduces Legislation to Reduce Food Waste in Schools, Supporting our Growers",2021-09-30,2021,2021-09,Republican,House,WA,Dan Newhouse,N000189,newhouse.house.gov,newhouse,https://newhouse.house.gov/media-center/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Rep. Dan Newhouse (R-WA) along with Reps. Chellie Pingree (D-ME) and Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR) introduced the bipartisan School Food Recovery Act. This bill will create a new program at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to support schools working on food waste reduction projects.

Reps. Newhouse and Pingree recently relaunched the Food Recovery Caucus, a bipartisan group of members who are committed to reducing food waste nationwide in recognition of the environmental and economic harms of food waste.

""Most Americans are shocked when they discover 40% of the food in this country goes to waste. The School Food Recovery Act can help alleviate this by empowering our schools to lead on food recovery,"" said Rep. Newhouse. This bill will give our school boards and administrations the resources they need to educate staff and students on proper sustainability and prevention. I'm proud to partner with Representatives Pingree and Bonamici as we continue to support important reforms that will reduce food loss and ensure our students have access to the healthy food American farmers and ranchers work so hard to provide.""

""An estimated 530,000 tons of food is wasted in American schools each year, costing us as much as $1.7 billion and emitting almost 2 million metric tons of greenhouse gases. Rather than ending up in landfills, these meals should be feeding our students,"" said Rep. Pingree. ""The K-12 education system offers a great opportunity to work collaboratively with creative educators, school nutrition professionals, and students to both reduce food waste in schools and build lifelong habits that will reduce food loss and waste. With these grants, schools could purchase new equipment, provide trainings for staff, or create food recovery programs in their cafeterias. I'm proud to introduce this bill alongside Reps. Newhouse and Bonamici to promote innovation and curb the issue of food waste in our nation's schools.""

""Reducing food waste in schools will give students the opportunity to develop responsible habits that can benefit their communities and our planet throughout their lives,"" said Rep. Bonamici. ""I'm pleased to introduce the bipartisan School Food Recovery Act with Reps. Pingree and Newhouse so schools will have the support and resources they need to engage in important food waste reduction programs.""

Background:

The School Food Recovery Act would create a new program at USDA that would provide grants to schools to work on food waste reduction projects. Schools would be eligible if they participate in the National School Lunch Program or the School Breakfast Program. This funding would support capacity-building and implementation of food waste measurement and reduction programs in schools. Eligible grant activities would include food waste measurement and reporting, prevention, education, and reduction projects, including purchasing equipment and providing training. The federal grants would not exceed 75% of the total cost of the project.

World Wildlife Foundation, Natural Resources Defense Council, ReFED, and the Harvard Food Law Policy Center recently released a food loss and waste policy plan for Congress and the Biden administration. The ambitious but achievable set of policy recommendations includes an endorsement of the School Food Recovery Act.

Rep. Newhouse currently serves as co-chair of the Bipartisan Food Recovery Caucus with Rep. Pingree.",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T20:17:01Z
https://newhouse.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/newhouse-upholds-second-amendment-calls-removal-red-flag-law-ndaa,"Newhouse Upholds Second Amendment, Calls for Removal of Red Flag Law from NDAA",2021-09-30,2021,2021-09,Republican,House,WA,Dan Newhouse,N000189,newhouse.house.gov,newhouse,https://newhouse.house.gov/media-center/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – Rep. Dan Newhouse (R-WA), along with 160 of his colleagues, sent a letter to the chairmen and ranking members of the House and Senate Armed Services Committees, urging the full removal of a ""red flag"" provision in H.R. 4350, the House National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) during the conference committee process.

The letter expresses deep concern that if Sec. 529 of the NDAA were to be enacted, the Second Amendment rights of U.S. military servicemembers would be violated by allowing military judges and magistrates to issue military court gun confiscation orders.

The lawmakers wrote, ""Even more concerning, under this provision, such an order could be issued by a military court on an ex parte basis – meaning the order could be issued without the servicemember even being present in court to defend themselves. We believe this is a serious breach of due process that demands your full attention.""

The lawmakers concluded, ""Every single day, brave American servicemembers serve in harm's way to defend our nation, our way of life, and the very constitutional rights that Sec. 529 would erode. This dangerous provision must be excluded from the final package.""

Rep Newhouse has previously stated that he will not support the final passage of this legislation until these provisions are rightly stripped from the bill.

The full text of the letter can be found here and below:

Dear Chairman Smith, Ranking Member Rogers, Chairman Reed, and Ranking Member Inhofe:

As you begin the conference committee process to reconcile the House and Senate versions of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2022, we write to strongly urge you to strike Sec. 529 of the House version, H.R. 4350. We are greatly concerned that if enacted, Sec. 529 would violate the Second Amendment rights of our nation's brave servicemembers by allowing military judges and magistrates to issue military court gun confiscation orders.

Even more concerning, under this provision, such an order could be issued by a military court on an ex parte basis – meaning the order could be issued without the servicemember even being present in court to defend themselves. We believe this is a serious breach of due process that demands your full attention.

Every single day, brave American servicemembers serve in harm's way to defend our nation, our way of life, and the very constitutional rights that Sec. 529 would erode. This dangerous provision must be excluded from the final package. Again, we ask for your support to strike Sec. 529 of H.R. 4350 from the final conference report of the FY 2022 NDAA. Thank you for your attention to this important matter and please don't hesitate to contact us with any questions.",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T20:17:01Z
https://newhouse.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/newhouse-backs-sanctions-afghan-rare-earth-mineral-transactions,Newhouse Backs Sanctions on Afghan Rare Earth Mineral Transactions,2021-09-29,2021,2021-09,Republican,House,WA,Dan Newhouse,N000189,newhouse.house.gov,newhouse,https://newhouse.house.gov/media-center/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Rep. Dan Newhouse (R-WA) introduced H.R. 5404, the Taliban Rare Earth Minerals Sanctions Act with 10 of his Republican colleagues. The legislation seeks to impose sanctions on foreign persons or entities sourcing rare earth minerals in Afghanistan. After the Biden Administration's catastrophic withdrawal from Afghanistan and subsequent takeover by the Taliban, the United States must ensure that we are not further enabling our adversaries.

""Since the Biden Administration's disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan, the Taliban now has control over one of the largest deposits of rare earth minerals in the world, giving it the opportunity to become one of the wealthiest terrorist organizations in the world,"" said Rep. Newhouse. ""Hostile regimes that threaten U.S. national security or our allies must be put on notice that there will always be a heavy price to pay. In light of the threat posed by the Taliban, Congress should exercise its authority to ensure that sanctions are implemented against its regime.""

Click here to read the full text of the bill.

Background:

Congress can create new mandatory secondary sectoral sanctions to penalize foreign persons developing or investing in any rare earth minerals in areas of Afghanistan under Taliban control.

Putting in place a sectoral approach (reaching all entities involved in the sector) facilitates the ability to quickly sanction entities (such as Chinese firms) involved in sourcing Afghan rare earth minerals.

Such an approach would cut off Chinese firms operating in Afghan rare earth minerals from access to U.S. markets and the U.S. financial system.",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T20:17:01Z
https://newhouse.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/newhouse-president-biden-has-duty-act,Newhouse: President Biden Has a Duty to Act,2021-09-28,2021,2021-09,Republican,House,WA,Dan Newhouse,N000189,newhouse.house.gov,newhouse,https://newhouse.house.gov/media-center/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Rep. Dan Newhouse (R-WA) released the following statement after introducing H.Res. 676, a resolution urging the Biden Administration to fully enforce our immigration laws in light of the current surge at the border and the ongoing, self-created border crisis.

""There is no doubt about it: There is a crisis at our southern border, and the Biden Administration's reversal of our immigration policies is directly responsible for creating it,"" said Rep. Newhouse. ""An open southern border threatens our national security and the safety of all Americans. In order to prevent the continuation of the security and humanitarian crises we are seeing at our southern border, it is critical that our federal government enforce our nation's immigration laws, reimplement successful policies from the Trump Administration, and commit further support for our Border Patrol agents and Customs enforcement officers. President Biden has a duty to act.""

Click here to read the full text of the resolution.

Background:

The resolution also requests the Biden Administration take the following actions:

Reinstate the Remain in Mexico Policy

Continue to enforce Title 42 expulsions.

Commit more CBP and ICE agents and resources to the southern border

Support Governor Abbott's September 20th statewide emergency disaster request.

In response to the ongoing crisis at the southern border, Rep. Newhouse has also done the following this year:

In March, Rep. Newhouse sent a letter along with 70 colleagues requesting that the U.S. Government Accountability Office investigate the Biden Administration's suspension of border wall construction.

In April, Rep. Newhouse alongside House Appropriations Republicans sent a letter to Vice President Kamala Harris regarding the staggering number of migrants that have been apprehended while illegally crossing the southwest border during this Administration's first 100 days, urging her to use funds appropriated for border security to immediately address the crisis.

In May, Rep. Newhouse visited the southern border with some of his Republican colleagues to see the crisis firsthand.

In July, Rep. Newhouse signed Rep. Roy's discharge petition for H.R. 471, the Pause Act, which would reinstate the enforcement of President Donald Trump's Title 42 COVID protocols at the southern border.

Rep. Newhouse also served on the House Appropriations Committee Subcommittee on Homeland Security, where he helped secure nearly $4.5 billion for the border wall, increased funds for Border Patrol agents, increased Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention capacity, and increased funds for additional border technology, including autonomous vehicles, towers, integrated intelligence software.",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T20:17:01Z
https://newhouse.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/newhouse-stands-dreamers,Newhouse Stands Up for Dreamers,2021-09-28,2021,2021-09,Republican,House,WA,Dan Newhouse,N000189,newhouse.house.gov,newhouse,https://newhouse.house.gov/media-center/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Rep. Dan Newhouse (R-WA) released the following statement after the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) today announced a notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) that would preserve and fortify the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) policy. DHS will open a 60-day public comment period for the public to submit comments relevant to the proposed rule.

""I wholeheartedly believe Congress must deliver certainty for Dreamers in Central Washington and across the country. Unfortunately, just as President Obama did in 2012, the Biden Administration is overstepping its authority,"" said Rep. Newhouse. ""This action is undermining our ongoing efforts in Congress to provide a lasting solution for these young people. It is up to Congress - not the Administration - to enact a solution that strengthens our national security, allows DACA recipients to continue contributing to our communities, and secures our southern border. I continue to work to develop and pass legislation that will do just that, and I urge my colleagues to join me in these efforts. We must provide certainty for America's Dreamers, once and for all.""

Background:

There are over 17,000 DACA recipients in Washington state, with one-third of them residing in the 4th Congressional District. Rep. Newhouse represents more DACA recipients than any other Republican Member of Congress. The average Dreamer came to this country at the age of 6 and is now 26. They speak English and are as culturally American as any native-born citizen.

In March, Rep. Newhouse voted to support H.R. 6, citing the need for a bipartisan solution that provides certainty for DACA recipients as well as enhanced border security. Click here to read his statement.",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T20:17:01Z
https://newhouse.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/newhouse-introduces-resolution-honor-gold-star-families,Newhouse Introduces Resolution to Honor Gold Star Families,2021-09-23,2021,2021-09,Republican,House,WA,Dan Newhouse,N000189,newhouse.house.gov,newhouse,https://newhouse.house.gov/media-center/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Rep. Dan Newhouse (R-WA) introduced H.Res. 675, a resolution to establish a national period to honor the sacrifices made by the families of U.S. military servicemembers who lost their lives in service to the nation.

The resolution designates Sept. 19-25, 2021, as Gold Star Families Remembrance Week.

""We owe an enormous debt to the men and women who sacrificed their lives to protect our nation and the values we all hold so dear. But we also owe an enormous debt to those whom they have left behind, their widows, orphans, and other loved ones,"" said Rep. Newhouse. ""To them, the loss is as tangible as a missing family member or a chair at the table that can never be filled. With this resolution, we honor and recognize these families and commit to celebrating the lives of those who made the ultimate sacrifice.""

""We thank Representative Dan Newhouse (R-WA-04) for introducing this important resolution recognizing the extraordinary and ongoing sacrifice of families who have lost loved ones serving in our Armed Forces,"" said Bonnie Carroll, President and Founder of the Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors (TAPS). ""We are heartened by the inclusiveness of the resolution that guarantees that no surviving military family is forgotten.""

Click here to read the full text of the resolution.

Background:

The Gold Star Families Remembrance Week resolution recognizes the loss and sacrifices of families in support of fallen member of the Armed Forces, as well as veterans. It encourages Americans to perform acts of community service and good will to honor these families.

Commemoration of Gold Star Families Remembrance Week serves as a build up to Gold Star Mother's Day, which has been observed by presidential proclamation since 1936 on the last Sunday of September.",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T20:17:01Z
https://newhouse.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/newhouse-backs-school-choice,Newhouse Backs School Choice,2021-09-22,2021,2021-09,Republican,House,WA,Dan Newhouse,N000189,newhouse.house.gov,newhouse,https://newhouse.house.gov/media-center/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Rep. Dan Newhouse (R-WA) cosponsored two pieces of legislation introduced by Rep. Dan Bishop (R-NC) to support and expand school choice. The NO Corrupt Racist Training (NO CRT) Act would make funding opportunities available to families to cover private school tuition, homeschooling expenses, and educational materials if they currently attend a school teaching or advancing Critical Race Theory. The Mask Off Act, would allow students to access Opportunity Grants to cover private school tuition, homeschooling expenses, and the cost of educational materials if they attend a school that requires them to wear masks.

""All families should have the choice to receive quality instruction regardless of income, zip code, or personal belief,"" said Rep. Newhouse. ""These two bills will ensure that parents are able to provide quality education for their children in a way that respects both the families and the school choices they may make. It's time we start funding students instead of systems. Equipping families to make their own choices is the only way forward.""

""Federal education dollars should follow America's students, not the system. This should be true in all cases, but especially if a school is forcing masks on children or teaching divisive Critical Race Theory. If such mandates or indoctrinating curricula are in place, then families should be able to do what is best for their own kids and have the freedom to pursue alternative education options,"" said Rep. Bishop. ""My bills will help families do that. Our education system must serve our students—not the agenda of the Leftist political class.""

Click here to read the full text of the NO Corrupt Racist Training (NO CRT) Act.

Click here to read the full text of the Mask Off Act.

Background:

Both pieces of legislation provide access to grants that are mean tested based on household income.

Both pieces of legislation preclude the federal government from impacting any aspect of private, religious, or home education providers, discriminating against religious providers, or requiring any change in creed, practice, admissions policy, or curriculum.",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T20:17:01Z
https://newhouse.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/newhouse-calls-inslee-support-rural-hospitals,Newhouse Calls on Inslee to Support Rural Hospitals,2021-09-22,2021,2021-09,Republican,House,WA,Dan Newhouse,N000189,newhouse.house.gov,newhouse,https://newhouse.house.gov/media-center/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Rep. Dan Newhouse (R-WA) sent a letter to Governor Inslee calling on him to prioritize and publicly acknowledge the success and the availability of monoclonal antibody therapy as a tool that has the ability to save lives and reduce the number of breakthrough COVID-19 cases that are currently overwhelming Washington's healthcare system.

""According to data from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, monoclonal antibody treatments have been distributed to only 30 health centers across Washington state. At the same time, as of September 9th, the statewide ICU occupancy of COVID-19 patients was over 34%,"" wrote Rep. Newhouse. ""I continue to hear from hospital CEOs, doctors, nurses, and support staff that they are overwhelmed with COVID-19 cases, mostly as a result of the spread of the Delta variant.""

Rep. Newhouse continued, ""While some hospitals have been able to administer monoclonal antibody treatments to patients, I have heard from other providers that while they stand willing to participate, they are lacking proper state support to do so.""

Rep. Newhouse concluded, ""As our hospitals and healthcare systems continue their fight against COVID-19, I urge you to prioritize this safe and effective method of treatment and equip our state with the resources possible to administer it to patients in need. It is crucial that Washingtonians have accessibility to this life-saving therapy, and I look forward to working with you to help them overcome this challenge.""

Central Washington hospitals expressed their support for Rep. Newhouse's letter:

""Samaritan Healthcare is committed to ensuring our community has ready access to COVID-19 vaccines and treatment. Monoclonal antibodies can reduce severity of illness for some patients. While we have been providing monoclonal antibody infusions for several months, we would like to see more options for administering this treatment. Making injections available instead of just infusions could shorten time required of staff and could be done outside the hospital to free up our resources for more critical care needs. We thank Congressman Newhouse for his advocacy on this issue,"" said Theresa Sullivan, CEO of Samaritan Healthcare.

""While COVID vaccines are the gold standard to prevent people from getting COVID-19 in the first place, we fully support the use of monoclonal antibodies as a treatment for COVID patients. Increased availability of this treatment would likely free up critical space in hospital beds in Yakima and across the state during this relentless surge,"" said Dr. Marty Brueggemann, Chief Medical Officer of Yakima Valley Memorial.

Read the full letter here and below.

Dear Governor Inslee,

Monoclonal antibodies have proven to be an effective treatment for patients infected with COVID-19. In fact, monoclonal antibody treatments have been shown to reduce the risk of hospitalization by up to 70% for unvaccinated COVID patients at risk of developing severe disease. While four different monoclonal antibody treatments have been granted Emergency Use Authorization by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), there is an overwhelming lack of availability for, and adoption of, these treatments in central Washington.

In his newly unveiled COVID-19 action plan, President Biden called for an increase of monoclonal antibody treatment availability, boosting the shipment of said treatments to states by 50%. That plan also includes expanding the role of COVID-19 surge response teams to now include monoclonal antibody response teams, designed to assist hospitals and healthcare systems in administering monoclonal antibody treatments to patients. To greater expand the reach of these treatments, COVID-19 Surge Response Teams have and will continue to conduct in-person technical assistance and virtual trainings for physicians and staff to speed up the administration of monoclonal antibody treatments.

One of the biggest challenges in standing up a monoclonal antibody clinic is the fact that all the patients would be known COVID-positive. This drug is most effective when given early in the course of the disease, when patients are highly infectious. They would have to receive the treatment in an area separate from uninfected patients.

According to data from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, monoclonal antibody treatments have been distributed to only 30 health centers across Washington state. At the same time, as of September 9th, the statewide ICU occupancy of COVID-19 patients was over 34%. I continue to hear from hospital CEOs, doctors, nurses, and support staff that they are overwhelmed with COVID-19 cases, mostly as a result of the spread of the Delta variant.

While some hospitals have been able to administer monoclonal antibody treatments to patients, I have heard from other providers that while they stand willing to participate, they are lacking proper state support to do so. I have also heard from hospitals and other providers who wish to administer the treatments via injection rather than via infusion. The infusion method is time, resource, and labor intensive – three things that our hospitals simply do not have enough of given the Delta variant related influx. Further, many providers outside the hospital setting are simply not equipped to provide infusions but could provide injections. The injection method of monoclonal antibody treatment is as effective, allows more providers to participate, and saves providers valuable time and resources.

Since Operation Warp Speed initiated a rapid development of vaccines to prevent COVID-19, I have been an advocate for vaccination and encouraged my constituents, in consultation with their healthcare providers, to get vaccinated. However, the surge of the Delta variant has continued to inundate our rural hospital systems, overwhelming doctors, nurses, and support staff. Across the state, hospitals beds are full, and the hospitals need to utilize all FDA-approved treatment options in order to help people recover and ease the strain that our hospitals are facing.

Monoclonal antibody therapeutic treatments are currently available at over 30 hospitals throughout Washington. While I understand the method of allocation is now again being directed by the federal government, there are important steps the state can take to ensure the availability of these lifesaving therapeutics in Washington State and to have them administered in non-inpatient facilities to lessen the burden on our hospitals. However, there are challenges that our area providers face in administering these treatments to patients. On behalf of my constituents, I ask the following questions:

Why has the Washington State Department of Health not yet provided monoclonal antibody subcutaneous injections to some local providers as a form of treatment, and what plans does the Department have to meet the demands of these providers?

How is the Washington State Department of Health supporting, equipping and standing up local pharmacies and clinics with the necessary supplies and staff to provide this service to our communities, including those in remote areas?

How is the Washington State Department of Health enabling providers such as home health agencies, nursing homes, and freestanding clinics or infusion centers to be able to administer these treatments to our most vulnerable population?

Will the Washington State Department of Health issue standing orders for treatment in order to expedite access to monoclonal antibodies?

Given the Biden Administration's renewed allocation strategy through the federal government, which may limit our state's access to monoclonal supplies, what efforts have you taken with the Administration to prioritize Washington State and ensure our hospitals receive said treatments in a timely fashion?

How do you plan to inform Washingtonians of the availability of monoclonal antibody treatments, and what resources will you make available to them in order for them to make informed decisions about their health?

I urge you to prioritize and publicly acknowledge the success and the availability of monoclonal antibody therapy as a tool that has the ability to save lives and reduce the number of breakthrough COVID-19 cases that are currently overwhelming our healthcare system.

Further, to whatever extent possible, I encourage you to join me in urging the Biden Administration to prioritize monoclonal antibody treatments in rural communities in our region, which is facing the highest numbers of documented COVID-19 cases in the state, to help them address their immediate needs.

As our hospitals and healthcare systems continue their fight against COVID-19, I urge you to prioritize this safe and effective method of treatment and equip our state with the resources possible to administer it to patients in need. It is crucial that Washingtonians have accessibility to this life-saving therapy, and I look forward to working with you to help them overcome this challenge.",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T20:17:01Z
https://newhouse.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/house-committee-unanimously-passes-newhouse-bill-preserve-agricultural,House Committee Unanimously Passes Newhouse Bill to Preserve Agricultural Fairs in Central Washington,2021-09-21,2021,2021-09,Republican,House,WA,Dan Newhouse,N000189,newhouse.house.gov,newhouse,https://newhouse.house.gov/media-center/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Rep. Dan Newhouse (R-WA) released the following statement after the House Committee on Agriculture passed H.R. 2424, the Agricultural Fairs Rescue Act unanimously by voice vote:

""Fairs in Central Washington represent the best of rural America and give our communities an opportunity to come together and better understand where our food and fiber come from. Fairs also serve as an economic opportunity for many of our rural communities by supporting thousands of jobs and giving farmers a way to promote their products,"" said Rep. Newhouse. ""This is a step in the right direction for the recovery of our economy, and I am hopeful that we can maintain this momentum to pass this legislation in the House and through the Senate.""

Rep. Newhouse introduced the Agricultural Fairs Rescue Act to help preserve agricultural fairs across the country and offset the devastating financial losses they have experienced due to COVID-19. The Agricultural Fairs Rescue Act will provide grant funding for agricultural fairs through state departments of agriculture to keep them functioning and preserve them for the future.

Background:

The Agricultural Fairs Rescue Act authorizes $500 million in Agricultural Fair Rescue Grants for agricultural fairs, administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS). The AMS will provide the grant funding to states or state departments of agriculture based on the loss of attendance those fairs have experienced in 2020.",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T20:17:01Z
https://newhouse.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/newhouse-biden-embarrasses-us-world-stage,Newhouse: Biden Embarrasses U.S. on World Stage,2021-09-21,2021,2021-09,Republican,House,WA,Dan Newhouse,N000189,newhouse.house.gov,newhouse,https://newhouse.house.gov/media-center/press-releases,scraper,"""In front of the UN today, President Biden defended his actions over the last several months and vowed to work towards ""relentless diplomacy."" What he failed to address were the repercussions his so-called leadership has had on our country's standing in the world. Our European allies were left aghast at our catastrophic withdrawal from Afghanistan, leaving hundreds of Americans and thousands of allies trapped under a terrorist regime in the largest hostage situation in U.S. history. France, our oldest ally, recalled their ambassador—another first in American history—due to a completely foreseeable foreign policy failure by the Biden Administration. Border crossings have reached such unprecedented levels that even the Mexican government has criticized our handling of the situation. Not to mention skyrocketing inflation and unprecedented new spending threatening both our nation's economy as well as the global recovery. The worst part? Today's speech did nothing to reassure our allies we have the leadership in place to tackle these crises.

President Biden has said ""America is back"" under his presidency—but right now, with his hands on the wheel, we only continue to pile on crisis after crisis, embarrass ourselves on the world stage, and weaken our standing in the face of our adversaries. It's time we changed course, reassert our leadership in the world, and defend our principles so once again our friends and allies have reason to trust us.""",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T20:17:01Z
https://newhouse.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/newhouse-defends-us-constitution-demands-national-archives-remove,"Newhouse Defends the U.S. Constitution, Demands the National Archives Remove “Harmful Content” Label",2021-09-21,2021,2021-09,Republican,House,WA,Dan Newhouse,N000189,newhouse.house.gov,newhouse,https://newhouse.house.gov/media-center/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Rep. Dan Newhouse (R-WA) sent a letter to the Biden Administration's National Archives Record Administration (NARA) calling on them to remove the ""harmful content"" warning they've placed on their cataloged website, including on documents like the Declaration of Independence, the Bill of Rights, and the U.S. Constitution. This warning labels the governing documents of the United States as ""harmful or difficult to view.""

""The role of the National Archives should be to preserve our shared histories and educate future generations, not to deny, change, or demonize our past,"" wrote the lawmakers. ""Unfortunately, by employing a harmful content label, the National Archives Record Administration has abandoned these responsibilities, adhering instead to a Leftist perspective that judges our past, discourages honest conversations about our history, and obscures the truth: that these documents were written to protect individual liberties and fundamental rights, and that the nation they established grew into the world's greatest republic.""

The lawmakers concluded, ""Therefore, we demand that you immediately remove this harmful content label from your catalog, stop weaponizing words and needlessly politicizing the American story, and return the National Archives to its true mission of strengthening our democracy instead of attacking it.""

Read the full letter here and below.

Dear Mr. Ferriero,

We are deeply concerned by the National Archives Record Administration's ""harmful content"" warning displayed on the Archives' cataloged website, including on seminal documents such as the Declaration of Independence, the Bill of Rights, and the U.S. Constitution.

This content warning was put in place after a National Archives Task Force insisted that its records be ""contextualized,"" and notices be made that ""forewarn audiences of content that may cause intense physiological and psychological symptoms."" Though the task force made multiple recommendations, describing the sacred documents on which our nation was founded as ""harmful or difficult to view"" is as bad as any one of the foolish capitulations to cancel culture we have ever seen.

The role of the National Archives should be to preserve our shared histories and educate future generations, not to deny, change, or demonize our past. Unfortunately, by employing a harmful content label, the National Archives Record Administration has abandoned these responsibilities, adhering instead to a Leftist perspective that judges our past, discourages honest conversations about our history, and obscures the truth: that these documents were written to protect individual liberties and fundamental rights, and that the nation they established grew into the world's greatest republic.

Therefore, we demand that you immediately remove this harmful content label from your catalog, stop weaponizing words and needlessly politicizing the American story, and return the National Archives to its true mission of strengthening our democracy instead of attacking it.",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T20:17:01Z
https://newhouse.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/newhouse-announces-federal-funding-granger-police-department,Newhouse Announces Federal Funding for Granger Police Department,2021-09-17,2021,2021-09,Republican,House,WA,Dan Newhouse,N000189,newhouse.house.gov,newhouse,https://newhouse.house.gov/media-center/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Rep. Dan Newhouse (R-WA) announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has awarded grant funding to the City of Granger through its Economic Impact Initiative Grant Program. The funds will be used to replace two police cars that have high mileage and require significant servicing, improving operations for the police department and benefiting the city's residents.

""With the unprecedented challenges they have faced over the last several months, our Central Washington law enforcement officers need our support more than ever,"" said Rep. Newhouse. ""I am pleased to see these well-deserved funds awarded to the Granger police department so they will have the resources they need as they selflessly put their lives in the line to protect our neighbors, families, and communities.""

Background:

The City of Granger will receive $52,300 as part of this grant funding.

The purpose of the Economic Impact Initiative Grant Program is to provide funding to assist in the development of essential community facilities in rural communities with extreme unemployment and severe economic depression.

You can read more about the grants here.",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T20:17:01Z
https://newhouse.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/newhouse-applauds-kennewick-irrigation-district-title-transfer,Newhouse Applauds Kennewick Irrigation District Title Transfer,2021-09-17,2021,2021-09,Republican,House,WA,Dan Newhouse,N000189,newhouse.house.gov,newhouse,https://newhouse.house.gov/media-center/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Rep. Dan Newhouse (R-WA) announced the Bureau of Reclamation (BOR) has transmitted official congressional notification of the proposed conveyance of title to the Kennewick Irrigation District (KID). He released the following statement in support of the title transfer:

""Communities in Central Washington and across the western United States are too often faced with the detrimental impacts of droughts and water shortages. By transferring BOR works to a local entity like KID, water suppliers can better manage critical water resources and empower water managers to be as responsive, efficient, and innovative as possible in serving their community,"" said Rep. Newhouse. ""In addition to transferring works, the title transfer will provide for reduced federal liabilities, and with KID prepaying for the works, there is an additional cost-saving benefit to the federal government. This action is a win-win for local water providers, Central Washington's communities, and taxpayers.""

""Title transfer is an essential part of the future of KID and our ability to best manage precious water resources for our ratepayers in an era of climate variability. We are grateful to Congressman Newhouse for his unwavering support of this endeavor, and we look forward to reaping the benefits that title transfer will provide to the Tri-Cities and the lower Yakima River basin through increased flexibility and efficiency in water management,"" said Gene Huffman, President of the KID Board of Directors.

Background:

Rep. Newhouse introduced legislation to authorize the Kennewick Irrigation District (KID) title transfer, which conveys title for the facilities managed and operated by KID. It does not privatize federal water projects or properties within the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation (BOR).

Earlier this year, Rep. Newhouse toured KID facilities to learn how the upcoming title transfer would impact local communities. Read more here.

The John D. Dingell, Jr. Conservation, Management, and Recreation Act, signed into law by President Trump in 2019, created a process for title transfers to be completed administratively.

The law requires the Administration to transmit a congressional notification of the proposed conveyance. Congress has 90 days to enact a joint resolution disapproving the conveyance.

After 90 days, under this title transfer, BOR will convey all rights, titles, and interest, including mineral interest, of the United States in and to the KID subject to the terms and conditions included in the title transfer agreement.

Upon conveyance of title, KID will take ownership and manage these assets to meet current needs in compliance with all applicable federal, state, and local laws.",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T20:17:01Z
https://newhouse.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/newhouse-announces-fema-funding-firefighters-central-washington,Newhouse Announces FEMA Funding for Firefighters in Central Washington,2021-09-08,2021,2021-09,Republican,House,WA,Dan Newhouse,N000189,newhouse.house.gov,newhouse,https://newhouse.house.gov/media-center/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Rep. Dan Newhouse (R-WA) announced that the Department of Homeland Security's Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has awarded over $515,000 to Okanogan County Fire District 6 in Twisp and Douglas County through the Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) Program. These funds will be used to improve operations and safety for the local fire departments.

""Our firefighters are working under immensely dangerous and difficult conditions throughout our district in what is shaping up to be a landmark fire season. These grants will enable them to continue their critical work,"" said Rep. Newhouse. ""Our first responders are heroes, and it's imperative we ensure they stay safe and have the tools they need to continue protecting our communities.""

Individual Grant Awards:

Okanogan County Fire District 6 will receive $244,150.17 for operations and safety.

Douglas County will receive $271,472 for operations and safety.

Background:

The purpose of the AFG Program is to award grants directly to fire departments, nonaffiliated Emergency Medical Services (EMS) organizations, and state fire training academies to enhance their ability to protect the health and safety of the public, as well as that of first-responder personnel. Using a competitive process that is informed by fire service subject-matter experts, grants are awarded to applicants whose requests best address the priorities of the AFG Program. You can read more about the AFG Program here.",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T20:17:01Z
https://newhouse.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/newhouse-announces-water-conservation-project-funding-central,Newhouse Announces Water Conservation Project Funding for Central Washington Irrigation Districts,2021-09-02,2021,2021-09,Republican,House,WA,Dan Newhouse,N000189,newhouse.house.gov,newhouse,https://newhouse.house.gov/media-center/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Rep. Dan Newhouse (R-WA) applauded the announcement by the Bureau of Reclamation of three Central Washington irrigation district projects that have been selected to receive federal Small Scale Water Efficiency Grants. These grants, which are part of the U.S. Department of the Interior's WaterSMART program, aim to help water entities across the nation use water more efficiently and improve water supply reliability. Washington state recipients of these grants include the Columbia Irrigation District, East Columbia Basin Irrigation District, and the Kennewick Irrigation District.

""These grants are a major win for Central Washington. In the arid West, water is truly our most precious resource, and our irrigation district managers and operators work around-the-clock to conserve and manage our limited supply,"" said Rep. Newhouse. ""These grants – which are awarded as our district and many like it across the country face devastating drought conditions – will enable our local irrigation districts to make necessary improvements and continue to efficiently deliver water to our rural communities and producers.""

Three Central Washington irrigation districts received Reclamation funding for small-scale water efficiency projects:

Columbia Irrigation District: Reclamation awarded $75,000 for installing automated gates at four locations along Lateral 1 and 2, a spillway along each lateral, and several flow meters along the laterals. The automation of these laterals will reduce spillage at the end of the canal, improve water delivery consistency, and improve canal safety. This will allow the district to operate in a ""just in time"" mode where water is delivered where it is needed when it is needed, reducing waste and improving efficiency.

East Columbia Basin Irrigation District: Reclamation awarded $75,000 for upgrading six existing turnout gates with automated gates along the East Low Canal. Automating the gates will reduce spills and allow more accuracy on the amount of water being sent down the lateral. The increased efficiency of the East Low Canal will support the District's ability to replace groundwater in the Odessa Subarea with surface water.

Kennewick Irrigation District: Reclamation awarded $75,000 for the consolidation of two existing pump stations with the existing, larger Kennewick Southeast Regional reservoir and pump station. The District will install 1,800 linear feet of polyvinyl chloride pipe to connect the pump stations and installing a pressure reducing valve station. This project will allow the District to better manage their water by pump stations the water flows through.

Background:

Small Scale Water Efficiency Projects are part of the WaterSMART program. For more than 100 years, Reclamation and its partners have developed sustainable water and power future for the West. This program focuses on improving water conservation and reliability while helping water resource managers make sound decisions about water use. Learn more about the WaterSMART program.

Under this funding opportunity, applicants can request up to $75,000 in Reclamation funding and must contribute a non-federal cost-share of at least 50% of total project costs. Learn more here.",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T20:17:01Z
https://newhouse.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/newhouse-backs-legislation-support-rural-health-care-providers,Newhouse Backs Legislation to Support Rural Health Care Providers,2021-09-02,2021,2021-09,Republican,House,WA,Dan Newhouse,N000189,newhouse.house.gov,newhouse,https://newhouse.house.gov/media-center/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Rep. Dan Newhouse (R-WA) cosponsored H.R. 4735, the Provider Relief Fund Deadline Extension Act. This legislation delays Provider Relief Funds (PRF) repayment until the end of 2021 or the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic public health emergency period, allowing hospitals to have extended access and opportunity to use federal funds that were already allocated to support them.

""Provider Relief Funds are critical for providers in Central Washington looking to treat patients, improve infection control, and protect the health of their workforce, especially for our rural providers that were feeling the strain even before this pandemic,"" said Rep. Newhouse. ""We need to continue to support our healthcare providers, rural hospitals, and staff as they address the needs of our communities—ensuring they have access to the funds they need is part of this support.""

Click here to read the full text of the bill.

""The Provider Relief Fund Deadline Extension Act will correct a hastily applied arbitrary deadline and recognizes that this fight is far from over. Thank you, Congressman Newhouse, for supporting our frontline healthcare workers,"" said John Reynolds, Chief Executive Officer, North Valley Hospital District.

Background:

The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act established – and the Paycheck Protection Program and Health Care Enhancement Act added to – the PRF in light of the COVID-19 pandemic to support hospital and provider response to the crisis. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) allocated a total of $178 billion to providers.

HHS announced that if providers do not use their allocated funds by a certain deadline, they are required to return the money to HHS.

The most recent change in reporting requirement guidance came less than one month prior to the first deadline to use funds, which was on June 30, 2021.

Similar legislation was introduced in the U.S. Senate by Sens. Kevin Cramer (R-ND) and Michael Bennet (D-CO).",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T20:17:01Z
https://newhouse.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/newhouse-biden-betrayal,Newhouse to Biden: This is a Betrayal,2021-08-31,2021,2021-08,Republican,House,WA,Dan Newhouse,N000189,newhouse.house.gov,newhouse,https://newhouse.house.gov/media-center/press-releases,scraper,"""As Commander-in-Chief, President Biden has no greater responsibility than the security of the American people. Indeed, on his Inauguration Day, he pledged:

I will always level with you.

I will defend the Constitution.

I will defend our democracy.

I will defend America.

Where is that defense now? Americans have been abandoned, left to the mercy of a terrorist regime that wants to destroy Western culture and institutionalize widespread and systematic gender apartheid. Our military weapons and equipment have been turned over to our adversaries for their use against us. Our President continues to negotiate with terrorists after our service men and women have been murdered.

This is not the leadership America needs nor deserves. This is a betrayal of the very promises he made.

President Biden has failed to uphold his commitments to the American people and defend our country against its adversaries. Every last American must make it home. Anything less is inexcusable and a dereliction of his sworn oath.""",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T20:11:17Z
https://newhouse.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/newhouse-honors-13-fallen-servicemembers,Newhouse Honors 13 Fallen Servicemembers,2021-08-31,2021,2021-08,Republican,House,WA,Dan Newhouse,N000189,newhouse.house.gov,newhouse,https://newhouse.house.gov/media-center/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Rep. Dan Newhouse (R-WA) joined 158 members in introducing legislation to posthumously award the Congressional Gold Medal to the 13 U.S. military servicemembers who were killed in Afghanistan last week: Staff Sgt. Darin Taylor Hoover, Sgt. Johanny Rosario Pichardo, Sgt. Nicole Gee, Cpl. Hunter Lopez, Cpl. Daegan Page, Cpl. Humberto Sanchez, Cpl. David Lee Espinoza, Lance Cpl. Jared Schmitz, Lance Cpl. Rylee McCollum, Lance Cpl. Dylan Merola, Lance Cpl. Kareem Nikoui, Hospitalman Maxton Soviak, and Staff Sgt. Ryan Knauss.

""The loss of the 13 brave servicemembers whose lives were taken in the line of duty is tremendous, and I join all Americans in mourning for them,"" said Rep. Newhouse. ""Awarding them the Congressional Gold Medal – Congress' highest honor – is just one small way to remember their ultimate sacrifice and honor their legacy. May God bless them and their families.""

Click here to read the full text of the bill.

Rep. Newhouse introduced the bipartisan legislation with Rep. Lisa McClain (R-MI) alongside 157 original cosponsors:

Reps. Don Bacon (R-NE), Jim Banks (R-IN), Stephanie Bice (R-OK), Andy Biggs (R-AZ), Larry Buschon (R-IN), Ken Calvert (R-CA), Andre Carson (D-IN), Madison Cawthorn (R-NC), Steve Chabot (R-OH), Rick Crawford (R-AR), Warren Davidson (R-OH), Jeff Fortenberry (R-NE), Russ Fulcher (R-IN), Andrew Garbarino (R-NY), Bob Gibbs (R-OH), Carlos Gimenez (R-FL), Bob Good (R-VA), Lance Gooden (R-TX), Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA), Morgan Griffith (R-VA), Brett Guthrie (R-KY), Diana Harshbarger (R-TN), Yvette Herrell (R-NM), Jody Hice (R-GA), Ashley Hinson (R-IA), Richard Hudson (R-NC), Bill Huizenga (R-MI), Sara Jacobs (D-CA), Dave Joyce (R-OH), Mike Kelly (R-PA), Doug Lamborn (R-CO), Bob Latta (R-OH), Nicole Malliotakis (R-NY) Tom McClintock (R-CA), David McKinley (R-WV), Peter Meijer (R-MI), Carol Miller (R-WV), Blake Moore (R-UT), Seth Moulton (D-MA), Stephanie Murphy (D-FL), Burgess Owens (R-UT), August Pfluger (R-TX), Guy Reschenthaler (R-PA), Adrian Smith (R-NE), Bryan Steil (R-WI), Greg Steube (R-FL), Mike Turner (R-OH), Ann Wagner (R-MO), Tim Walberg (R-MI), Jackie Walorski (R-IN), Rob Wittman (R-VA), Elise Stefanik (R-NY) Joe Wilson (R-SC), Randy Weber (R-TX), Roger Williams (R-TX), Blaine Luetkemeyer (R-MO), Bennie Thompson (D-MS), Young Kim (R-CA), Ben Cline (R-VA), Matt Gaetz (R-FL), Jim Jordan (R-OH), Trent Kelly (R-MS), Al Lawson (D-FL), Doug LaMalfa (R-CA), Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R-IA) John Moolenaar (R-MI), Alex Mooney (R-WV), Steven Palazzo (R-MS), Chris Pappas (D-NH), Lloyd Smucker (R-PA), Claudia Tenney (R-NY), Bruce Westermann (R-AR), Don Young (R-AK), Rick Allen (R-GA), Mark Amodei (R-NV), Jaime Herrera-Beutler (R-WA), Gus Bilirakis (R-FL), Mo Brooks (R-AL), Kat Cammack (R-FL), Jerry Carl (R-AL), Tom Cole (R-OK), John Curtis (R-UT), Scott DesJarlais (R-TN), Drew Ferguson (R-GA), Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA), Chuck Fleischmann (R-TN), Scott Franklin (R-FL), Mike Garcia (R-CA), Anthony Gonzalez (R-OH), Michael Guest (R-MS), Vicky Hartzler (R-MO), Chris Jacobs (R-NY), Dusty Johnson (R- SD), Bill Keating (D-MA), Adam Kinzinger (R-IL), David Kustoff (R-TN), Elaine Luria (D-VA), Tracey Mann (R-KS), Brian Mast (R-FL), Greg Murphy (R-NC), Gary Palmer (R-AL), David Rouzer (R-NC), David Schweikert (R-AZ), Chris Smith (R-NJ), Darren Soto (D-FL), Victoria Spartz (R-IN), David Valadao (R-CA), Beth Van Duyne (R-TX), Filemon Vela (D-TX), Andy Harris (R-MD), Liz Cheney (R-WY), Tim Burchett (R-TN), Scott Fitzgerald (R-WI), Lee Zeldin (R-NY), Mike Gallagher (R-WI), Trey Hollingsworth (R-IN), Ruben Gallego (D-NV), Jason Smith (R-MO), Ralph Norman (R-SC), G.T. Thompson (R-PA), Vicente Gonzalez (D-TX), Buddy Carter (R-GA), Rodney Davis (R-IL), Mike Levin (D-CA), Tom Emmer (R-MN), Jake LaTurner (R-KS), Garrett Graves (R-LA), Pat Fallon (R-TX), Pete Aguilar (D-CA), Debbie Lesko (R-AZ), Elise Slotkin (D-MI), Jennifer Gonzalez-Colon (R-PR), Steven Horsford (D-NV), Greg Pence (R-IN), Barry Moore (R-AL), Ted Budd (R-NC), Jay Obernolte (R-CA), Barry Loudermilk (R-GA), Cathy McMorris Rogers (R-WA), Mike Bost (R-IL), Maria Salazar (R-FL), Jim Costa (D-CA), Lucy McBath (D-GA), Glenn Grothman (R-WI), Julia Letlow (R-LA), Jared Golden (D-ME), Joseph Morelle (D-NY), Mike Simpson (R-ID), Dan Bishop (R-NC), and Byron Donalds (R-FL)",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T20:11:17Z
https://newhouse.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/newhouse-holds-biden-accountable-situation-afghanistan,Newhouse Holds Biden Accountable for Situation in Afghanistan,2021-08-25,2021,2021-08,Republican,House,WA,Dan Newhouse,N000189,newhouse.house.gov,newhouse,https://newhouse.house.gov/media-center/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – Rep. Dan Newhouse (R-WA) joined 143 Republican colleagues in cosponsoring H. Res. 607, a resolution condemning President Biden for deficient planning and failed execution of the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan and calling on him to conduct a multi-agency accounting of resources left behind and report to Congress on intelligence gaps as well as committing to maintaining the evacuation operation for as long as necessary.

""Under President Biden's version of leadership, the U.S. Embassy in Afghanistan was forced to close as the Taliban converged on Kabul while the interpreters and Afghan soldiers who aided U.S. troops for years were left behind,"" said Rep. Newhouse. ""Taliban leaders are actively seeking out American allies, and women throughout the country – who only recently gained basic human rights and education and who have only just begun to recover from the effects of the Taliban's repressive regime – are forced into hiding. President Biden alone is responsible for the situation in Afghanistan, and ensuring our citizens and allies are safely evacuated is the bare minimum of his responsibilities as Commander-in-Chief.""

Click here to read the full text of the resolution.",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T20:11:17Z
https://newhouse.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/newhouse-biden-what-your-plan,Newhouse to Biden: “What is your plan?”,2021-08-24,2021,2021-08,Republican,House,WA,Dan Newhouse,N000189,newhouse.house.gov,newhouse,https://newhouse.house.gov/media-center/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Rep. Dan Newhouse (R-WA) joined 68 lawmakers in a bicameral letter to President Biden demanding he answer critical questions about what happened in Afghanistan and what his plan to move forward is.

""Over the past weeks, the world watched with utter shock as the Taliban took over Afghanistan with astonishing speed, the result of unforced errors made by withdrawing completely the small remaining footprint of our main military force from Afghanistan, and by unnecessarily delaying the evacuation of U.S. personnel and our Afghan partners,"" wrote the lawmakers. ""The situation in Afghanistan has rapidly metastasized into Taliban rule with reinstated oppression of women and girls, the repression of civil society, the displacement of countless Afghans from their homes who the Taliban then use force to prevent from fleeing Afghanistan, and a power vacuum that China seeks to fill by increasing its ties to the Taliban.""

They continued, ""The consequences of withdrawal from Afghanistan are not isolated to that country, or even to the Middle East region. The withdrawal carried geopolitical and strategic consequences that have already begun to unfold and will reverberate for decades. Dealing with these consequences means that we must take action now to chart the course for American strategy, while we manage the immediate repercussions of this self-inflicted crisis in Afghanistan. To this end, we write to ask you to outline what your plan is to move America forward.""

Read the full letter here and below.

Over the past weeks, the world watched with utter shock as the Taliban took over Afghanistan with astonishing speed, the result of unforced errors made by withdrawing completely the small remaining footprint of our main military force from Afghanistan, and by unnecessarily delaying the evacuation of U.S. personnel and our Afghan partners. The situation in Afghanistan has rapidly metastasized into Taliban rule with reinstated oppression of women and girls, the repression of civil society, the displacement of countless Afghans from their homes who the Taliban then use force to prevent from fleeing Afghanistan, and a power vacuum that China seeks to fill by increasing its ties to the Taliban.

The consequences of withdrawal from Afghanistan are not isolated to that country, or even to the Middle East region. The withdrawal carried geopolitical and strategic consequences that have already begun to unfold and will reverberate for decades. Dealing with these consequences means that we must take action now to chart the course for American strategy, while we manage the immediate repercussions of this self-inflicted crisis in Afghanistan.

To this end, we write to ask you to outline what your plan is to move America forward. There remain several unanswered, urgent questions, and we would like to know the following:

What is your plan to evacuate Afghan SIVs and other vulnerable Afghans like women, girls, and former Afghan civil service employees from Afghanistan? Do you have a plan to protect prominent women journalists, scholars, and employees of prominent non­government organizations? Will you ensure that religious and ethnic minorities, like the Hazaras, are also prioritized for Pl/P2 visas within this evacuation sequence?

Will you commit to abandoning the arbitrary August 31 withdrawal deadline and continuing Noncombatant Evacuation Operation until all Americans, allies, and at-risk Afghans are processed for evacuation?

The intelligence community has warned that Al Qaida and ISIS-K will be given carte blanche by the Taliban to use Afghanistan as a safe haven to train and equip for future terrorist attacks against the United States. What is your plan to ensure that Al Qaida does not resurge and regain a foothold in Afghanistan? What ""over the horizon"" operations are you prepared to use to counter this threat?

Given that the Taliban has taken Kabul, does the Taliban now have de facto command and control over the Afghan security forces' former personnel, equipment, and infrastructure? If so, does this mean that the Taliban possess an air force through this de facto control? What is your plan to disable any air forces that operate under orders from the Taliban?

What is your plan to ensure that more U.S. and Afghan military equipment does not end up in the hands of the Taliban? What is your plan to reclaim U.S. military equipment that has already fallen into the hands of the Taliban?

How many U.S. funded aircraft have been taken out of the country by Afghan pilots, and what are you currently doing to retrieve said aircraft?

What is your plan to secure Third Country Agreements for transit and resettlement functions for Afghan refugees?

What is your plan to support Hamid Karzai International Airport (HKIA)'s air traffic control functions long-term? Are there sufficient Afghan personnel to maintain the operability of HKIA after U.S. troops fully withdraw?

Do you plan to support any free Afghanistan resistance or security force that organizes outside of Afghanistan?

What is your plan to counter the Chinese Communist Party's growing relationship with the Taliban?

What is your plan to ensure that American influence in the Middle East does not erode after so rapidly dissipating in Afghanistan?

Are you prepared to support regional allies militarily in the event that the Taliban militarize the Afghanistan border? What is your plan to help to ensure that the Taliban does not destabilize its nuclear neighbor, Pakistan?

Do you have a plan to ensure that Afghanistan, under Taliban occupation, will never acquire a nuclear weapon?

Since Afghanistan is a Major Non-NATO ally, how will you reassure the United States' other MNNA countries that this powerful symbol of our close relationship to those countries can still be relied on?

With respect to any answers that may involve sensitive or classified information, we would welcome a briefing from your national security team. We look forward to your response.",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T20:11:17Z
https://newhouse.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/newhouse-protects-voting-rights-fights-back-against-democrats,"Newhouse Protects Voting Rights, Fights Back Against Democrats’ Unconstitutional Power Grab",2021-08-24,2021,2021-08,Republican,House,WA,Dan Newhouse,N000189,newhouse.house.gov,newhouse,https://newhouse.house.gov/media-center/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Rep. Dan Newhouse (R-WA) released the following statement in advance of voting against H.R. 4. This unprecedented power grab would nationalize elections and give the Biden Administration authority to veto states' voter identification laws, essentially removing states' control over their elections process in direct opposition to the U.S. Constitution.

""The right to vote is fundamental to our democracy, and I firmly believe in protecting this right for all Americans. Unfortunately, the Democrats are more concerned with eroding states' rights than ensuring free and fair elections,"" said Rep. Newhouse. ""This ‘voting rights' legislation is yet another effort to nationalize elections by subjecting every state and locality across the country to heavy-handed federal oversight. I reject this legislation because it is antithetical to our very nature of government, and I will vote to protect our states' rights against the Biden Administration's latest unconstitutional power grab.""

Background:

Voting discrimination remains against the law and Sections 2 and 3 of the VRA prohibit voting discrimination and allow federal courts to place preclearance requirements on discrimination jurisdictions.

This legislation is not a response to discrimination in voting, but yet another effort to nationalize elections by subjecting every state and locality across the country to heavy-handed federal oversight even when no racially discriminatory treatment has occurred.

H.R.4 turns the Attorney General into an Elections Czar, an unelected, unaccountable bureaucrat under control of the President and in charge of all voting across the country.

The overly broad preclearance formula in the bill would subject election jurisdictions to preclearance based on an arbitrary number of strikes over a period of 25 years even if they are not based on actual discriminatory practices.

Just like H.R. 1, H.R. 4 also attempts to destroy state photo voter ID and voter roll accuracy laws by treating them as suspect and presuming they are discriminatory attempts to suppress minority votes.

States could now be subject to preclearance for implementing new voter laws even if identical non-discriminatory laws are in place in another state.",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T20:11:17Z
https://newhouse.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/newhouse-stands-central-washington-opposes-democrats-socialist-tax-and,"Newhouse Stands Up For Central Washington, Opposes Democrats’ Socialist Tax and Spending Spree",2021-08-24,2021,2021-08,Republican,House,WA,Dan Newhouse,N000189,newhouse.house.gov,newhouse,https://newhouse.house.gov/media-center/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Rep. Dan Newhouse (R-WA) released the following statement after Speaker Pelosi deemed the Democrats' budget resolution for Fiscal Years 2022 and 2023 adopted by a procedural gimmick, with no debate or vote on the House floor. The resolution is a $3.5 trillion spending spree which will result in increased federal spending and higher taxes for Central Washingtonians:

""President Biden and his cohort of far-left Democrats are racking up debt that Americans cannot afford. This runaway spending package is a continuation of the Biden Administration's reckless policies that have created an unstable outlook for our economy, our nation's future, and the next generation of Americans,"" said Rep. Newhouse. ""Not only does this package unravel the progress we have made to encourage work and raise wages in a non-inflationary environment, but it increases the national debt by $17 trillion dollars, putting our national security further at risk. Speaker Pelosi and the far-left are wildly spending tax dollars on their socialist priorities while increasing taxes on small businesses and family farms and by raising the corporate tax rate to a level higher than Canada, Italy, the UK, and even communist China, which we know will directly hurt job and wage growth for the men and women across our communities. This is not the fiscal responsibility Central Washington's communities deserve, and as their voice in Congress, I remain unequivocally opposed to this package.""",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T20:11:17Z
https://newhouse.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/reps-newhouse-mcmorris-rodgers-schrier-invite-usda-and-doi-secretaries,"Reps. Newhouse, McMorris Rodgers, Schrier Invite USDA and DOI Secretaries to Visit Central Washington in Midst of Historic Wildfires",2021-08-24,2021,2021-08,Republican,House,WA,Dan Newhouse,N000189,newhouse.house.gov,newhouse,https://newhouse.house.gov/media-center/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – Reps. Dan Newhouse (WA-04), Cathy McMorris Rodgers (WA-05), and Kim Schrier (WA-08) invited U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and U.S. Department of the Interior Secretary Deb Haaland to visit Central Washington to see firsthand the destruction they are facing due to catastrophic wildfires and to discuss how they can work together to address this endemic.

""This year, Washington state continues to face severe wildfire conditions, and we are only just entering our fire season,"" wrote the lawmakers. ""For years, strategies to mitigate and fight wildfires have not yielded results – just look at the amount of damage that has occurred in Central and Eastern Washington over the last six years. Federal agencies must act now to address these devastating wildfires.""

Over Labor Day weekend in 2020, Central and Eastern Washington experienced catastrophic wildfires including the 189,923-acre Cold Springs Fire and the 223,739-acre Pearl Hill Fire, which resulted in the loss of land, businesses, homes, and lives. During the same weekend, the Babb Road Fire completely decimated the towns of Malden and Pine Springs. In 2021, these same communities face equal devastation.

The lawmakers concluded, ""We urge you to come to our districts in Central and Eastern Washington to meet with local leaders and hear directly from them on the challenges we continue to face. We hope to find common ground and develop new strategies to prevent and protect the lives and land that continue to meet these disastrous challenges. This is not the legacy we want to leave our children.""

Central Washington officials have echoed support for the invitation:

""Technology today provides us with comprehensive and timely coverage of climate conditions and wildfires; however, there is nothing quite like seeing, firsthand, the challenges being met in protecting lives and property with such limited resources. Congressman Newhouse's effort to provide that on-site review for Secretaries Vilsack and Haaland is timely, responsive and, hopefully convincing in communicating the need to increase the pace and scale of forest treatment to reduce the threat of these catastrophic events,"" said Chris Branch, Okanogan County Commissioner.

""The impacts of the 2021 wildfire season in Okanogan County have had an increased affect due to the drought the county is enduring. These major wildfires began in early July and they are continuing to affect the community. In total, these catastrophic wildfires have consumed over 260,000 acres in Okanogan County. While several towns and communities have had to evacuate their homes for their personal safety, the entire region feels the daily impact of the hazardous air conditions due to the smoke. These fires have interrupted commerce and tourism to the area by closing State Route 20 as well as destroyed thousands of acres of our timber resources and the grazing land our ranchers depend on to feed their herds,"" said Okanogan County Sheriff Tony Hawley. ""I appreciate [Rep. Newhouse's] efforts to bring Secretary Vilsack of the Department of Agriculture and Secretary Haaland of the Department of Interior to Okanogan County so they are able to get a firsthand look at this destruction and the impacts these fires have had on our communities."" Click here to read his full letter of support.

""I am grateful to Rep. Newhouse for leading the effort to bring Secretaries Vilsack and Haaland to visit the fire damages in North Central Washington and echo his invitation. As a PUD commissioner, 3-generation cattle rancher and 24-year lineman, I understand how important it is that they hear from real people on the ground who deal with these fires and the gross mismanagement of federal land year-after-year,"" said Scott Vejraska, Okanogan County Public Utility District Commissioner.

The Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation invited Secretary Haaland to witness the drought and fire damage on the Colville Reservation in July.

Read the full letter here and below.

Dear Secretary Vilsack and Secretary Haaland,

We write to you today concerning the destruction wildfires are inflicting across Washington state. Over the last several years, Washington has faced extreme heat and drought conditions, along with outdated forest management policies that have severely exacerbated fire conditions. These recent events have decimated critical conservation areas, including greater sage grouse recovery efforts, tree fruit operations, and cattle operations in Washington. We urge you to visit Central and Eastern Washington to witness the damage being done and the need for new solutions.

In Central and Eastern Washington, we are all too familiar with catastrophic-sized wildfires and their repercussions. Over Labor Day weekend in 2020, we witnessed a firestorm in Douglas and Okanogan Counties that was fast and destructive. The 189,923-acre Cold Springs Fire jumped the Columbia River to burn an additional 223,730 acres in the Pearl Hill Fire. The Cold Springs Fire burned so fast that one family was left stranded and severely burned while their son lost his life, and the mother lost her unborn child due to the extent of her injuries. Over the same weekend in Whitman County, the Babb Road Fire completely decimated the towns of Malden and Pine City.

Our towns are still recovering from the devastation of these events.

This year is no different. Just last week in Washington, there were 14 major fires. Nine of those fires burned or are actively burning in Okanogan County, and others pose significant threats to suburban and rural communities:

The Cedar Creek and Cub Creek Fires, two active fires near the cities of Winthrop and Twisp, have already burned 123,939 acres and are still growing. These fires continue to threaten these communities and have halted the recreational activities the area depends on for economic viability.

The Muckamuck Fire has been encroaching on the town of Conconully. This fire has already burned grazing permitted land and left no time to relocate the livestock in the area.

The Walker Creek Fire and Chickadee Fire continue to burn between the towns of Tonasket and Republic. These two active fires are threatening over 900 structures where evacuation orders remain in place. Both fires continue to burn through grazing permitted land, logging areas, recreation sites, and lynx habitats.

The Whitmore Fire is actively burning at 58,280 acres, and the Summit Trail Fire is at 42,670 acres. These fires are expected to grow even larger as they have minimal containment.

The Corkscrew Fire north of Spokane has already claimed several homes.

The Schneider Springs fire in Yakima County, northwest of Naches has burned just under 70,000 acres and continues to grow.

The TwentyFive Mile fire in Chelan County just north of Chelan continues to grow in size and is only 8% contained.

Unfortunately, earlier this summer, the Colville Reservation was in the path of the Chuweah Creek wildfire. The Chuweah Creek Fire burned 36,752 acres, including three homes, and almost burned down the town of Nespelem. Washington State has faced significant challenges over the last decade with the persistent spread of catastrophic wildfires. Secretary Vilsack, you might recall the wildfires that occurred during your previous tenure as Secretary in 2014 and 2015 when the Mills Canyon, Carlton Complex, and the Okanogan Complex, among others, burned over 1.4 million acres. Much of the same areas are burning today.

This year, Washington state continues to face severe wildfire conditions, and we are only just entering our fire season. For years, strategies to mitigate and fight wildfires have not yielded results – just look at the amount of damage that has occurred in Central and Eastern Washington over the last six years. Federal agencies must act now to address these devastating wildfires. We urge you to come to our districts in Central and Eastern Washington to meet with local leaders and hear directly from them on the challenges we continue to face. We hope to find common ground and develop new strategies to prevent and protect the lives and land that continue to meet these disastrous challenges. This is not the legacy we want to leave our children.

We look forward to your response and hosting you in Washington state.",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T20:11:17Z
https://newhouse.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/reps-newhouse-and-thompson-request-usda-support-battle-against-little,Reps. Newhouse and Thompson Request USDA Support in Battle Against Little Cherry Disease,2021-08-20,2021,2021-08,Republican,House,WA,Dan Newhouse,N000189,newhouse.house.gov,newhouse,https://newhouse.house.gov/media-center/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Rep. Dan Newhouse (WA-04) and House Agriculture Committee Republican Leader Glenn ""GT"" Thompson (PA-15), wrote a letter to USDA Administrator Kevin Shea regarding the spread of Little Cherry Disease (LCD) and its impacts on sweet cherry growers across the United States. In a recent visit to Central Washington, Rep. Newhouse and Leader Thompson met with tree fruit growers to discuss the industry's ongoing challenges, including Little Cherry Disease.

""We write to you today concerning the emergence of Little Cherry Disease (LCD), currently impacting United States sweet cherry growers. We appreciate the attention that Deputy Administrator Osama El-Lissey has paid to this issue in meeting with representatives of the cherry industry last month,"" wrote the lawmakers.

They continued, ""Over the last three years, the virus has reemerged and reached epidemic levels in Washington state. It is also spreading in Oregon, and cases have been reported in California and Utah. LCD infects the tree, resulting in small and bland fruit that is unmarketable. The only current remedy is tree removal. Symptoms are often not observed before LCD has already spread, ultimately requiring the entire orchard to be removed.""

They concluded, ""As the battle against LCD continues, we respectfully request the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service continue to work with the cherry industry and allocate additional resources to research and testing capacity to eradicate LCD.""

Quotes from supporting organizations are below.

""Little Cherry Disease (LCD) is having a serious impact on the Pacific Northwest cherry industry and continues to spread at an alarming rate. We appreciate the leadership of Representative Newhouse and Ranking Member Thompson in raising the need to dedicate funds to critical research and testing needs with APHIS. Without swift action, LCD will continue to attack more and more orchards,"" said Mark Powers, President, Northwest Horticultural Council.

""Cherry growers in the Pacific Northwest face a serious threat as Little Cherry Disease (LCD) continues to spread rapidly. Prompt action is needed to ensure we can effectively combat this disease. Representative Newhouse and Ranking Member Thompson encouraging USDA to dedicate funds for the LCD research and testing we need is greatly appreciated,"" said Sean Gilbert, President, Gilbert Orchards.

Read the full letter here and below.

We write to you today concerning the emergence of Little Cherry Disease (LCD), currently impacting United States sweet cherry growers. We appreciate the attention that Deputy Administrator Osama El-Lissey has paid to this issue in meeting with representatives of the cherry industry last month.

This particular disease was first spotted in British Columbia, Canada, in the 1930s and soon after moved into Washington state and California in the 1940s and 1970s, respectively. When the virus first emerged, it completely decimated the regional cherry industry.

Over the last three years, the virus has reemerged and reached epidemic levels in Washington state. It is also spreading in Oregon, and cases have been reported in California and Utah. LCD infects the tree, resulting in small and bland fruit that is unmarketable. The only current remedy is tree removal. Symptoms are often not observed before LCD has already spread, ultimately requiring the entire orchard to be removed. Replanting costs are currently estimated at $64,000 per acre, with lost revenue estimated at an additional $54,000 over the seven years it will take for the new trees to achieve full production. i

The cherry industry has invested nearly $2 million in research on LCD. Additional resources through federal programs like the National Clean Plant Network and the Plant Pest and Disease Management and Disaster Prevention Program are needed for research, as well as to expand testing so that LCD can be detected early to reduce the potential for it spreading to neighboring trees and orchards.

Congress continues to have a strong interest in combatting LCD. In the report accompanying H.R. 133, the Fiscal Year 2021 Omnibus and COVID Relief and Response Act, it states that:

The agreement is concerned by the growing prevalence of Little Cherry Disease in the Pacific Northwest and California, and the significant threat that it poses to the region's stone fruit. The agreement encourages the Secretary to prioritize work and research on detection and mitigation of the disease and to work with growers, universities, and other partners to develop effective control mechanisms.

Again, we appreciate the attention of Deputy Administrator El-Lissey to LCD and his work with the sweet cherry industry. We also appreciate the continued support from the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service and its partnership with the State of Oregon and Oregon State University to monitor LCD in the PNW. As the battle against LCD continues, we respectfully request the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service continue to work with the cherry industry and allocate additional resources to research and testing capacity to eradicate LCD.",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T20:11:17Z
https://newhouse.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/newhouse-announces-9-million-grants-improve-local-airport,Newhouse Announces $9 Million in Grants to Improve Local Airport Infrastructure,2021-08-19,2021,2021-08,Republican,House,WA,Dan Newhouse,N000189,newhouse.house.gov,newhouse,https://newhouse.house.gov/media-center/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Rep. Dan Newhouse (R-WA) announced that municipal airports in Washington's 4th Congressional District received a combined $9 million in grants from the U.S. Department of Transportation Administration's Federal Aviation Administration for much-needed infrastructure improvements. These grants were allocated by funding secured by Rep. Newhouse in the Fiscal Year 2021 Appropriations process.

""Local airports spur a significant amount of economic development throughout our district and provide a steady source of income for our communities,"" said Rep. Newhouse. ""These grants are a substantial federal investment that will allow these airports to improve safety and increase our infrastructure connectivity to bring further economic prosperity to Washington.""

The U.S. Department of Transportation awarded the following grants:

$6,085,230 to Chelan Douglas Regional Port Authority (Pangborn Memorial) to reconstruct the apron and apron lighting.

$1,034,619 to the City of Yakima (Yakima Air Terminal/McAllister Field) to rehabilitate the apron.

$2,671,267 to the Port of Benton (Richland) to acquire or rehabilitate an emergency generator, install airfield guidance signs, and install miscellaneous navigational aids.",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T20:11:17Z
https://newhouse.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/newhouse-condemns-biden-failure-take-responsibility-afghanistan,Newhouse Condemns Biden for Failure to Take Responsibility in Afghanistan,2021-08-15,2021,2021-08,Republican,House,WA,Dan Newhouse,N000189,newhouse.house.gov,newhouse,https://newhouse.house.gov/media-center/press-releases,scraper,"""Last month, President Biden reassured the American people that the Afghanistan government was ""well-equipped"" to defend themselves against the Taliban, and the withdrawal of American troops from Afghanistan would be fine. Just a few days ago, President Biden emphasized that we wouldn't see helicopters evacuating the embassy. And yet, over the past three days, we have seen terrorists released from prison, the Taliban take over Bagram airbase, and our embassy personnel left in the crosshairs of this conflict.

Not only is this a complete and utter failure of President Biden's foreign policy, but it has severe ramifications at home where we are dealing with an ever-escalating border crisis, and for the women and schoolgirls who have only just begun to recover from the effects of the Taliban's repressive regime.

President Biden is either guilty of intentionally misleading the American public and the military he presides over or was widely misled by his own political appointees.

President Biden needs to take action now to rectify this situation rather than suggesting we ""negotiate"" with terrorists. American lives and our allies are at risk; President Biden must own up to his mistakes, protect our men and women on the ground, assist our Afghan allies, and prevent the resurgence of Al Qaeda before it's too late.""",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T20:11:17Z
https://newhouse.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/newhouse-joins-call-answers-puget-sound-salmon-recovery,Newhouse Joins Call for Answers on Puget Sound Salmon Recovery,2021-08-12,2021,2021-08,Republican,House,WA,Dan Newhouse,N000189,newhouse.house.gov,newhouse,https://newhouse.house.gov/media-center/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Reps. Dan Newhouse (R-WA), Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA), and Cliff Bentz (R-OR) sent a letter to Comptroller General of the United States Gene Dodaro requesting a federal review of efforts to recover salmon populations in the Puget Sound.

The Pacific Northwest lawmakers specifically requested the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) examine the actions taken by the federal government and the federal funding provided to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) related to salmon recovery.

""These and other federal agencies have numerous programs and have spent millions of dollars in an effort to restore Puget Sound salmon, yet salmon numbers continue to decline,"" wrote the lawmakers. ""Of particular concern is that municipal wastewater treatment facilities in Puget Sound continue to exceed standards for water quality discharges.""

Several of the region's salmon species are listed as endangered or threatened under the Endangered Species Act. NMFS is responsible for the protection, conservation, and recovery of species, and because pollution has negatively affected water quality, the EPA also plays a role in salmon recovery.

Dear Mr. Dodaro:

We are writing to request GAO to review federal efforts to recover salmon populations in Puget Sound. Salmon populations throughout the Pacific Northwest, including Puget Sound, continue to decline, with several populations being listed as threatened or endangered under the Endangered Species Act.

Numerous federal agencies are involved in the effort to restore Puget Sound salmon. Under the Endangered Species Act, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) is responsible for the protection, conservation, and recovery of species. In addition, because pollution has negatively affected water quality, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) also plays a major role in salmon recovery.

These and other federal agencies have numerous programs and have spent millions of dollars in an effort to restore Puget Sound salmon, yet salmon numbers continue to decline. Of particular concern is that municipal wastewater treatment facilities in Puget Sound continue to exceed standards for water quality discharges.

We are requesting GAO examine actions taken and related funding provided by NMFS and EPA related to Puget Sound salmon recovery. In particular:

What are the key factors identified by NMFS as contributing to the decline of or hindering the recovery of Puget Sound salmon?

What are the key programs and other efforts, and related funding, by NMFS and EPA directed at restoring Puget Sound salmon?

What is the frequency and magnitude of Clean Water Act violations in Puget Sound, and what actions have EPA and Washington state taken to address those violations?

What actions have EPA and Washington state taken related to Puget Sound water quality and how have EPA and the state coordinated their actions to support salmon recovery in Puget Sound?",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T20:11:17Z
https://newhouse.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/newhouse-announces-greater-wenatchee-irrigation-district-title-transfer,Newhouse Announces Greater Wenatchee Irrigation District Title Transfer,2021-08-05,2021,2021-08,Republican,House,WA,Dan Newhouse,N000189,newhouse.house.gov,newhouse,https://newhouse.house.gov/media-center/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Rep. Dan Newhouse (WA-04) announced the Bureau of Reclamation (BOR) has transmitted official congressional notification of the proposed conveyance of title to the Greater Wenatchee Irrigation District (GWID). He released the following statement in support of the title transfer:

""In Central Washington, we do everything we can to conserve our most precious resource: water,"" said Rep. Newhouse. ""This title transfer is a major win because it enables the management of GWID's water supplies to be handled by those who know our needs best – those who live, work, and farm right here in our communities. I'm proud to have played a small part in finalizing this transfer, but it is truly our local water managers and operators who have been laying the groundwork and effectively advocating for local management of our resources. This is exactly the kind of improvement we need to allow our irrigation districts to efficiently deliver water to our rural communities. Congratulations to the Greater Wenatchee Irrigation District and to all who so greatly benefit from their important work for our region.""

""This is a big day for local water users and farmers in North Central Washington,"" said Mike Miller, Greater Wenatchee Irrigation District (GWID) Manager. ""After 30 years working for this district and providing service for 10,000 acres of tree fruit – fruit that feeds the world – I am proud to see this transfer through to fruition and to help pave the way for additional title transfers, guaranteeing a brighter future for a more reliable water supply in local communities across the United States. Thank you to our water managers, users, and federal partners – including Congressman Newhouse – for their support in making this conveyance a reality.""

Background:

The John D. Dingell, Jr. Conservation, Management, and Recreation Act, signed into law by President Trump in 2019, created a process for title transfers to be completed administratively.

The law requires the Administration to transmit a congressional notification of the proposed conveyance. Congress has 90 days to enact a joint resolution disapproving the conveyance.

After 90 days, under this title transfer, BOR will convey all right, title, and interest, including mineral interest, of the United States in and to the GWID subject to the terms and conditions included in the title transfer agreement.

Upon conveyance of title, GWID will take ownership and manage these assets to meet current needs in compliance with all applicable federal, state, and local laws.",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T20:11:17Z
https://newhouse.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/newhouse-defends-life-pivotal-supreme-court-case,Newhouse Defends Life in Pivotal Supreme Court Case,2021-07-29,2021,2021-07,Republican,House,WA,Dan Newhouse,N000189,newhouse.house.gov,newhouse,https://newhouse.house.gov/media-center/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – In an effort to protect the lives of all Americans, particularly the most innocent, Rep. Dan Newhouse (R-WA) joined more than 200 other lawmakers in filing a bicameral amicus brief in the Supreme Court of the United States. The brief is in support of the petitioners in the case of Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization. With abortion ranking as the leading cause of death in America, the time to act is now.

""As described in our Declaration of Independence, life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness are the God-given rights of all people. A society that cherishes the liberty of all must be reminded that unborn children deserve their chance at freedom. Whether or not we maintain the sanctity of life as one of our highest priorities is an indication of our national commitment to our founding documents,"" said Rep. Newhouse. ""This case provides our nation the opportunity to uphold that commitment.""

Click here to read the full text of the amicus brief.

Background:

This amicus brief is in support of the petitioner, Thomas Dobbs, the Health Officer of the Mississippi Department of Health.

The underlying case stems from a law passed by the Mississippi legislature in 2018 which restricts all abortions after 15 weeks. The Jackson Women's Health Organization (JWHO), the only licensed abortion provider in the state, brought suit against the state.

In the suit JWHO cited Roe v. Wade and Planned Parenthood v. Casey, which held that a state may not place an undue burden on a woman to prevent her from terminating a pregnancy before the stage of viability, which is generally thought to occur around 24 weeks.

The district court found for JWHO and the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed.

SCOTUS granted certiorari on May 17, 2021 for the fall term.

The case asks the Court to rule on whether all pre-viability abortion restrictions are unconstitutional.",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T20:03:51Z
https://newhouse.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/newhouse-introduces-legislation-strengthen-american-energy-independence,Newhouse Introduces Legislation to Strengthen American Energy Independence,2021-07-29,2021,2021-07,Republican,House,WA,Dan Newhouse,N000189,newhouse.house.gov,newhouse,https://newhouse.house.gov/media-center/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Reps. Dan Newhouse (R-WA) and Elaine Luria (D-VA) introduced the Nuclear Power Purchase Agreement Act. This legislation would establish a long-term nuclear power purchase agreement program, directing the Secretary of Energy to enter into one or more agreements to purchase nuclear power from reactors licensed after January 2020. It also requires the Secretary of Energy to enter into one national security-related nuclear power purchase agreement prior to 2026 to provide reliable and resilient power in remote off-grid and emergency scenarios.

""Nuclear technologies are a vital part of our nation's energy portfolio, and we must continue to create a strong pathway forward for nuclear research and technologies,"" said Rep. Newhouse. ""This legislation would bring the federal government and industry together and encourage continued innovation to bolster our national security, provide reliable and resilient power in remote off-grid and emergency scenarios, and create jobs in communities like ours in Central Washington.""

""Having operated nuclear reactors on aircraft carriers, I know nuclear energy has immense potential as a clean and safe energy source,"" said Rep. Luria. ""Almost one-third of the Commonwealth's energy is derived from nuclear power and my goal is to continue to make Virginia a national leader in driving American energy independence. The Nuclear Power Purchase Agreements Act will direct the federal government to purchase power from advanced nuclear reactors. This will incentivize innovation in the nuclear sector and spark more widespread adoption of nuclear power. As we strive to reduce and eliminate carbon emissions, nuclear energy must be part of the solution.""

Click here to read the full text of the bill.

Background:

This bill would establish a long-term, up to forty years, nuclear PPA program. It would direct the Secretary of Energy to consult with other federal agencies that could benefit from purchasing nuclear power and direct the Secretary to enter into one or more agreements to purchase power from newly licensed reactors.

Additionally, the bill would carve out a special PPA to address national security concerns. This would direct the Secretary of Energy to enter at least one national security related PPA before 2026 that would provide reliable and resilient power in remote off grid and emergency scenarios.",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T20:03:51Z
https://newhouse.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/house-agriculture-committee-approves-newhouse-led-disaster-relief-bill,House Agriculture Committee Approves Newhouse-Led Disaster Relief Bill,2021-07-28,2021,2021-07,Republican,House,WA,Dan Newhouse,N000189,newhouse.house.gov,newhouse,https://newhouse.house.gov/media-center/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Rep. Dan Newhouse (R-WA) released the following statement after the House Agriculture Committee advanced his legislation, the WHIP+ Reauthorization Act, to provide much-needed relief to agriculture producers who experienced impacts from natural disasters in 2020 and 2021.

Rep. Newhouse and Rep. Mike Thompson (D-CA), Co-Chairs of the Congressional Wine Caucus, introduced this legislation in January alongside Members from west coast states that were impacted by wildfires in order to offer critical assistance to winegrape growers whose crops were destroyed by smoke taint.

""Winegrape growers and small farms across Central Washington and the West are all too familiar with the damage that wildfires and smoke can do to their lives and livelihood,"" said Rep. Newhouse. ""WHIP+ is a necessary resource for many producers as they continue to recover from last year's devastating wildfires in our region – while facing new threats every day. I am glad to see this much-needed legislation approved by the Agriculture Committee, and I'll work to ensure it's considered on the House floor as soon as possible.""

""From extreme fires to historic drought, our district and our nation have seen devastating disasters this year and last year. The Federal government must provide every tool and resource possible as we rebuild. That includes supporting family farmers and producers who had their crops ruined by smoke damage in the 2020 fires in our district,"" said Rep. Thompson.

Click here to read the text of the bill.

Quotes from supporting organizations are below.

""Wildfires and the potential for smoke exposure on winegrapes is a huge threat and sadly, we expect to see more up and down the West Coast. Congressman Newhouse has been listening carefully, and this relief is vital to our producers and the nation's wine industry. Congressman Newhouse's legislation is a major win for Washington's winegrape growers, and we thank him, but we also call on the rest of Congress to back this needed legislation,"" said Vicky Scharlau, Executive Director, Washington Winegrowers Association.

""Weather events and fires are continual threats to Pacific Northwest tree fruit orchards. The reauthorization and expansion of the WHIP program will potentially provide a new a tool to growers as they seek to manage the losses associated with these threats. We thank Representative Newhouse for continuing to advocate for our growers in Congress,"" said Mark Powers, President, Northwest Horticultural Council.

""On behalf of Washington's wine industry, I am grateful to Congressman Newhouse for his leadership to provide much-needed relief to our industry who are still working to recover from the impacts of last year's wildfires. With this year's fire season well underway, this legislation could not be moving forward at a more critical time. We urge Congress to support this important legislation,"" said Josh McDonald, Executive Director, Washington Wine Institute.

""NMPF is grateful that the ANS approved by the House Agriculture Committee reauthorizes for calendar years 2020 and 2021 the Wildfires and Hurricanes Indemnity and Milk Loss (WHIP-ML) Program which provides indemnity support to dairy producers for milk that was dumped or otherwise removed from commercial channels due to weather-related natural disasters including hurricanes, floods, and snowstorms,"" said Jim Mulhern, President and CEO, National Milk Producers Federation.

Background:

Rep. Newhouse first introduced the WHIP+ Reauthorization Act in November 2020 and reintroduced it in January 2021.

The bill was amended by the Agriculture Committee to reauthorize WHIP+ for 2020 and 2021 disasters and to provide relief for a broad range of events, including wildfires, hurricanes, drought, high winds or derechos, freeze, polar vortexes, excessive heat, and smoke taint. The amended legislation also changed the eligibility requirements for drought from a D3 declaration to a D2 declaration for at least 8 consecutive weeks.

Reps. Newhouse and Thompson co-chair the Congressional Wine Caucus, a bipartisan organization of 117 Members from across the United States that advocate for the wine community from grape to glass. In September 2020, wine industry officials sent a letter to the U.S. House of Representatives outlining the effects of wildfires on the West Coast wine community and urging Congress to reauthorize WHIP+ for 2020.

The Additional Supplemental Appropriations for Disaster Relief Act of 2019 authorized the Wildfire and Hurricane Indemnity Program Plus (WHIP+) to help agricultural producers affected by natural disasters in 2018 and 2019. WHIP+ covers losses of crops, trees, bushes, and vines that occurred as a result of hurricanes, wildfires, and other qualifying natural disasters. Click here to learn more about the WHIP+ program.

In Washington state, there are more than 1,000 wineries and over 300 winegrape growers. With 16 unique AVAs across the state, Washington's wine industry continues to grow and produce high-quality varieties that are enjoyed all over the world. In addition, Washington State University is one of the country's leading viticulture research institutions and one of only 14 universities in the United States to offer a Viticulture & Enology degree.",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T20:03:51Z
https://newhouse.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/newhouse-calls-inslee-believe-science-stop-discouraging-washingtonians,"Newhouse Calls on Inslee to Believe in Science, Stop Discouraging Washingtonians from Receiving the COVID-19 Vaccine",2021-07-28,2021,2021-07,Republican,House,WA,Dan Newhouse,N000189,newhouse.house.gov,newhouse,https://newhouse.house.gov/media-center/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Rep. Dan Newhouse (R-WA) issued the following statement in response to Governor Jay Inslee's announcement that he will mandate the use of masks in K-12 school during the upcoming school year and recommend masks indoors for Washingtonians, regardless of whether or not they have been vaccinated.

""Governor Inslee has, once again, acted hastily and ignored science by mandating mask wear for teachers and students for a school year that is still weeks away from beginning,"" said Rep. Newhouse. ""Not only are children at decreased risk of COVID-19, but they have already experienced a year and a half of devastating losses in learning and critical effects on their mental and emotional heath.""

He continued, ""This move by the Governor is undermining public trust in the efficacy of the vaccine. If he truly wants to prevent the spread of this virus, he should stop backtracking on the progress we've made and discouraging hesitant Washingtonians from protecting themselves against COVID-19. Getting vaccinated should not be political.""

Background:

Gov. Jay Inslee announced at a press conference on July 28, 2021, that he would mandate mask wearing for all students and teachers in K-12 schools when the fall term begins next month, despite their vaccination status.

A CDC report from July 27, 2021, states that ""available evidence suggests that the COVID-19 vaccines presently authorized in the United States offer protection against known emerging variants, including the Delta variant"" and that guidance suggesting otherwise is based on ""[s]tudies from India with vaccines not authorized for use in the United States.""

Washington has one of the highest vaccination rates in the country, with 57.3% of the population fully vaccinated, exceeding the national average of 49.8%.",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T20:03:51Z
https://newhouse.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/newhouse-advocates-agriculture-relief-following-historic-wildfires,"Newhouse Advocates for Agriculture Relief Following Historic Wildfires, Droughts, Heat in PNW",2021-07-27,2021,2021-07,Republican,House,WA,Dan Newhouse,N000189,newhouse.house.gov,newhouse,https://newhouse.house.gov/media-center/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Reps. Dan Newhouse (WA-04) and Suzan DelBene (WA-01) led a bipartisan, bicameral effort to secure more relief for farmers, ranchers, and other agriculture producers in the western United States affected by historic wildfires, droughts, and extreme heat. In a letter to U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, the lawmakers urge the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to open relief programs to more producers that have lost crops and livestock to the ongoing disasters.

In addition to droughts and wildfires, an extreme heatwave hit the Pacific Northwest in June with temperatures reaching as high as 120 degrees Fahrenheit. In response, Secretary Vilsack issued several disaster designations, unlocking vital federal resources. However, many of the producers who suffered the greatest heat-related losses were either located in counties not covered by the drought designations, experienced losses not covered by drought assistance programs, or both.

""Although the extent of damages relating to the extreme heat has yet to be fully determined, agricultural producers expect these impacts to be severe,"" the lawmakers wrote. ""We respectfully request USDA explore all potential flexibilities for additional relief within existing programs and identify other options to deliver federal relief to producers in our states so they have the resources to overcome the extreme drought and heat crisis.""

Read the full letter here and below.

Dear Secretary Vilsack:

Thank you for your recent disaster designations for droughts for many counties across the Western states. These designations are vital to helping agricultural producers work with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to determine disaster impacts and apply for federal relief. We also commend your efforts with the formation of the Interagency Working Group between USDA and the U.S. Department of the Interior to address significant droughts in the West for our farmers, ranchers, tribes, and communities impacted by worsening drought conditions.

In addition to ongoing droughts, low soil moisture, and wildfires, an extreme heat wave hit the Pacific Northwest in June, with temperatures reaching as high as 120 degrees Fahrenheit. Unfortunately, many of the producers who suffered the greatest heat-related losses were either located in counties not covered by the drought designations, experienced losses not covered by drought assistance programs, or both. Additional heat waves are expected to hit the Western and Central states in late July and droughts are predicted to last through October. Due to the severity of the ongoing situation, we believe that additional federal assistance will be needed beyond what can be offered through current USDA drought relief programs. Therefore, in an effort to provide financial and other assistance to these producers, we respectfully request USDA explore all potential flexibilities for additional relief within existing programs and identify other options to deliver federal relief to producers in our states so they have the resources to overcome the extreme drought and heat crisis.

Although the extent of damages relating to the extreme heat has yet to be fully determined, agricultural producers expect these impacts to be severe. Reports across the Pacific Northwest and Western states to date indicate berry crops, tree fruits, grain and pulse crops, potatoes, hops, dairy products, forage crops, wine grapes, nursery crops, poultry, beef cattle, and general livestock experienced excessive heat impacts to yield and quality. Specifically, raspberry, blueberry, and blackberry farmers are reporting widespread losses of 20 to 80 percent of their crops due to excessive heat, and such heat also impacted the canes that will produce next year's crop. Cherry growers in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, and Utah have so far lost an estimated 20 percent of their overall crop due to the extreme heat wave.3 In the northern plains, ranchers have been forced to cull significant shares of their herds, over half in some cases, due to a severe shortage of feed. Early modeling for shellfish suggests an estimated 1 billion sea creatures including clams, oysters, mussels, and geoducks died along the Salish Sea's 4,000 miles of coastline during the heat wave, with reported mortality rates for certain shellfish farmers up to 90 percent.4 For crops including apples and pears, the full extent of losses may not be known until harvest in the fall, or even later if damage manifests in storage. As producers continue to assess losses over the next 18 months, it is likely that the total impact of the heat wave will be much higher than current estimates.

In addition, we respectfully invite USDA to work with Congress and provide technical assistance as we craft additional authorities and appropriations to address the 2020 and 2021 seasons that include wildfire, drought, and excessive heat-related losses. We thank you for your continued response to these natural disasters and stand ready to work with you on efforts to provide additional relief to agricultural producers facing wildfire, drought, and heat-related losses.",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T20:03:51Z
https://newhouse.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/newhouse-acts-stop-gun-grab-defends-constitution-landmark-supreme-court,"Newhouse Acts to Stop Gun Grab, Defends Constitution in Landmark Supreme Court Case",2021-07-20,2021,2021-07,Republican,House,WA,Dan Newhouse,N000189,newhouse.house.gov,newhouse,https://newhouse.house.gov/media-center/press-releases,scraper,"July 20, 2021

New York State Rifle and Pistol Association v. Corlett is the first major Second Amendment case to be heard by the Court in over a decade

WASHINGTON, D.C. – In an effort to uphold the constitutionally-protected Second Amendment rights of all Americans, Rep. Dan Newhouse (R-WA) joined Rep. Claudia Tenney (R-NY) and 174 other lawmakers in sending a joint amicus brief to the Supreme Court of the United States in support of the petitioners in the case of New York State Rifle and Pistol Association (NYSRPA) v. Corlett.

""The right to keep and bear arms is preserved in our Constitution. Carrying a firearm outside the home is part and parcel of these rights,"" said Rep. Newhouse. ""The gun control measures being challenged in this case amounts to a blanket ban on the right to keep and bear arms outside the home. For rural communities like ours in Central Washington, it is particularly important that our Second Amendment rights are not directly and significantly restricted.""

Background:

This amicus brief encourages the Supreme Court to reverse the decision of the Second Circuit Court of Appeals in the Case of NYSRPA v. Corlett.

At issue in the case are state laws that unconstitutionally restrict the right to possess a firearm in public by requiring concealed carry applicants to justify their need for a permit.

In this case specifically, the Plaintiffs were denied concealed carry permits in New York because they failed to ""demonstrate a special need for self-protection distinguishable from that of the general community or of persons engaged in the same profession,"" which is the standard under the state law, applied at the discretion of local law enforcement.

The plaintiffs filed suit in the Northern District of New York, where the court dismissed the case. On appeal, the Second Circuit affirmed the dismissal. The Supreme Court granted a writ of certiorari on April 26, 2021.

The plaintiffs have asked the Court to determine ""whether the Second Amendment allows the government to prohibit ordinary law-abiding citizens from carrying handguns outside the home for self-defense.""

This is the first major Second Amendment case that the Court will hear in over a decade.

###",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T20:03:51Z
https://newhouse.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/newhouse-introduces-legislation-prevent-wildfires,Newhouse Introduces Legislation to Prevent Wildfires,2021-07-20,2021,2021-07,Republican,House,WA,Dan Newhouse,N000189,newhouse.house.gov,newhouse,https://newhouse.house.gov/media-center/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Rep. Dan Newhouse (R-WA) introduced H.R.4573, the Stop Causing Alarming Tree, Air, and Soil Trauma Resulting from Obstructive Progressives' and Hypocritical Environmentalists' Schemes Act (Stop CATASTROPHES Act). This legislation enhances an important tool known as ""categorical exclusions"" to improve forest health to reduce the risk of wildfire.

""The Stop CATASTROPHES Act is commonsense policy that will act as a tool in combating catastrophic wildfires through proper forest management,"" said Rep. Newhouse. ""Far too often, misguided special interest groups prevent innovative management from being implemented, resulting in poor forest health and thereby increasing the threat of devastating wildfires. Active forest management, including actions authorized in my legislation, enables us to reduce hazardous fuels and is an important part of protecting our rural communities.""

""Every year, the number of record-breaking wildfires grows as we continue to neglect and properly manage our forests. They're devastating rural communities, critical wildlife habitats and economies across America. Congressman Newhouse's Stop CATASTROPHES Act will allow us to improve and restore lands in the National Forest System and on public lands to reduce the risks of wildfire. The Stop CATASTROPHES Act will work as a part of larger solutions like the Resilient Federal Forests Act, allowing us to address years of neglect and improve our lands for the enjoyment of generations to come,"" said House Committee on Natural Resources Ranking Member Bruce Westerman (R-AR).

Click here to read the full text of the bill.

Background:

Under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), agencies are allowed to issue categorical exclusions that do not individually or cumulatively have significant effects on the environment. Categorical exclusions may be excluded from further NEPA analysis.

Under this bill, categorical exclusions are expanded to include the removal of noxious weeds, hazardous fuel management, creating fuel/fire breaks, allowing fencing to improve wildlife habitat, erosion control devices and the creation of permanent infrastructure, such as stock ponds.

This bill also increases acreage caps for categorical exclusions to 10,000 acres in order to allow these forest management activities to be covered.",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T20:03:51Z
https://newhouse.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/newhouse-mcmorris-rodgers-react-oregon-lawsuit-columbia-river-system,"Newhouse, McMorris Rodgers React to Oregon Lawsuit on Columbia River System Operations",2021-07-20,2021,2021-07,Republican,House,WA,Dan Newhouse,N000189,newhouse.house.gov,newhouse,https://newhouse.house.gov/media-center/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Reps. Dan Newhouse (R-WA) and Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) released the following joint statement in reaction to a filing by the state of Oregon and other environmental groups that calls for injunctive relief, including 24-hour maximum spillovers at all eight Columbia and Snake River dams:

""It was not long ago that parts of Oregon suffered regular devastation from flooding – flooding that has since been significantly mitigated by dams. This filing is further proof that some groups will stop at nothing to breach all dams on the Columbia and Lower Snake Rivers, regardless of the tremendous hydropower, flood control, and navigation benefits they provide. We also have to question why Oregon Governor Kate Brown seems eager to abandon the four-state agreement Oregon supported just last year. At the time of the agreement, the four states had determined a need to work together towards our common goal of rebuilding Columbia River salmon and steelhead stocks ‘in a collaborative, public process to be defined with involvement from the region's tribes, federal agencies, and stakeholders.' Tossing what was billed as a collaborative process aside to pursue yet another obstructive lawsuit means abandoning the hard work necessary to recover salmon.

It's clear by these actions that Oregon's leadership is refusing to consider the negative ramifications this filing will have on energy reliability and affordability – as well as safety – for the people in its own state and in Washington, Idaho, and Montana.""

Background:

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Bureau of Reclamation, and Bonneville Power Administration's final Record of Decision for the Columbia River System Operation Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) found that the Lower Snake River Dams should not be breached. That EIS is being challenged in court. This latest filing for an injunctive relief is an attempt to effectively breach the dams while the EIS is litigated.

In October 2020, Oregon Governor Kate Brown, Washington Governor Jay Inslee, Montana Governor Steve Bullock, and Idaho Governor Brad Little committed to working together to rebuild the Columbia River salmon and steelhead stocks and to advance the goals of the Columbia Basin Partnership Task Force ‘in a collaborative, public process to be defined with involvement from the region's tribes, federal agencies, and stakeholders.'",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T20:03:51Z
https://newhouse.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/newhouse-introduces-amendment-save-innocent-lives-stop-federal-funding,"Newhouse Introduces Amendment to Save Innocent Lives, Stop Federal Funding of Abortions",2021-07-15,2021,2021-07,Republican,House,WA,Dan Newhouse,N000189,newhouse.house.gov,newhouse,https://newhouse.house.gov/media-center/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Rep. Dan Newhouse (R-WA) released the following statement after introducing an amendment to reinstate the longstanding, bipartisan Hyde Amendment, dropped by Committee Democrats, during the Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education FY22 full committee markup.

""The Hyde Amendment is a critical provision of law that has long protected American taxpayers from being coerced into funding abortions,"" said Rep. Newhouse. ""It is unconscionable that Committee Democrats have tried to remove this longstanding amendment and reject the will of the American people.""

Click here to read the text of the amendment.

Background:

The Hyde Amendment, first enacted by Congress on September 30, 1976, must be renewed every year. This amendment prevents federal taxpayer dollars from paying for abortions, particularly through Medicaid.

This amendment has been passed by Congress every year since 1976 and signed into law by presidents of both parties.

Over two million lives have been saved by the Hyde Amendment, according to the Charlotte Lozier Institute.

Repealing the Hyde Amendment could increase abortion rates by 25%.

A recent Marist poll found that almost two in three Americans oppose taxpayer funding of abortions.",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T20:03:51Z
https://newhouse.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/newhouse-backs-legislation-boost-rural-broadband,Newhouse Backs Legislation to Boost Rural Broadband,2021-07-14,2021,2021-07,Republican,House,WA,Dan Newhouse,N000189,newhouse.house.gov,newhouse,https://newhouse.house.gov/media-center/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Rep. Dan Newhouse (R-WA) released the following statement after cosponsoring H.R. 3369, the Broadband for Rural America Act introduced by Rep. Glenn ""GT"" Thompson (R-PA), which provides more than $7 billion in authorizations for USDA broadband connectivity programs.

""Without access to high-speed internet, broadband, or sometimes even a cellphone signal, our rural communities face challenges conducting the business of life,"" said Rep. Newhouse. ""To truly participate in a 21st-century economy, we must expand our broadband infrastructure. By continuing to invest in broadband, we can empower families, better serve rural America, and fuel global economies.""

Click here to read the full text of H.R. 3369.

Background:

Specifically, this bill does the following:

Authorizes $3.7 billion per year for critical rural broadband programs, including the ReConnect Rural Broadband Program, the Middle Mile Broadband Program, and the Innovative Broadband Advancement Program.

Eliminates duplicative programs by codifying the popular ReConnect program.

Builds on the successes of ReConnect by:

Establishing 25/3 Mbps connections as the threshold for minimum broadband service, and;

Imposing rigorous new buildout requirements to ensure that broadband networks financed through USDA meet the long-term needs of rural residents.

Targets limited resources so assistance is focused on the most rural and least-connected residents, which are often the most expensive to connect.

Promotes borrower accountability and protects taxpayers with new tools to ensure promised services are delivered to rural communities.

Expands investment in ""middle mile networks,"" an essential, but often overlooked, component of Internet connectivity for many rural communities that connects local networks in one region to the Internet backbone.",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T20:03:51Z
https://newhouse.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/newhouse-honored-friend-farm-bureau-support-washington-agriculture,Newhouse Honored as “Friend of Farm Bureau” for Support of Washington Agriculture,2021-07-14,2021,2021-07,Republican,House,WA,Dan Newhouse,N000189,newhouse.house.gov,newhouse,https://newhouse.house.gov/media-center/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – Rep. Dan Newhouse (R-WA) was named a ""Friend of Farm Bureau"" by the American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) for his work supporting Washington's farmers, ranchers and agricultural communities during the 116th Congress. He was nominated for the award by the Washington Farm Bureau (WFB) and presented the award by WFB President Mike LaPlant.

""Central Washington farmers and producers are the lifeblood of our district, working around-the-clock to ensure a secure and safe food supply for Washingtonians and people across the world,"" said Rep. Newhouse. ""Washington's farmers, ranchers, and dairymen are stewards of our lands, job creators, economic drivers, and community leaders. I am honored to represent and advocate for them in Congress.""

Background:

The ""Friend of Farm Bureau"" is awarded to members of Congress who have supported the American Farm Bureau Federation's policy priorities, were nominated by their respective state Farm Bureaus and approved by the AFBF Board of Directors.

As a third-generation farmer and former director of Washington State's Department of Agriculture, Rep. Dan Newhouse understands the importance of agriculture for families, jobs, and trade in Central Washington.

Click here to view Rep. Newhouse's 117th Congress Agriculture Accomplishments.",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T20:03:51Z
https://newhouse.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/newhouse-denounces-socialism-stands-cuban-people,"Newhouse Denounces Socialism, Stands with Cuban People",2021-07-13,2021,2021-07,Republican,House,WA,Dan Newhouse,N000189,newhouse.house.gov,newhouse,https://newhouse.house.gov/media-center/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Rep. Dan Newhouse (R-WA) released the following statement after joining Rep. Nicole Malliotakis (R-NY) in introducing a resolution standing with the Cuban people and their struggle for freedom, democracy, and human rights. The people of Cuba have recently taken to the streets in the biggest protest for freedom Cuba has seen in 60 years with no access to food, healthcare, or internet as a direct result of failed socialist policies and communist rule.

""Socialism and communism never work, and it is imperative that we reject these systems in the harshest terms,"" said Rep. Newhouse. ""The Cuban protests remind us of the liberties we hsitesave and hold so dear: liberties our forefathers gave their lives to attain and our men and women in uniform protect every day. We cannot take these freedoms for granted. I stand with the Cuban people as they fight for their own freedom against the oppressive Communist dictatorship they live under.""

Click here to read the full text of the resolution.

Background:

Rep. Malliotakis is the daughter of a Cuban refugee who fled Cuba when Castro came to power. Her resolution calls for the U.S. House of Representatives to stand in solidarity with the people of Cuba and their fight to achieve freedom, democracy, and human rights.",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T20:03:51Z
https://newhouse.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/newhouse-provides-critical-relief-agriculture-industry-expands-labor,"Newhouse Provides Critical Relief for Agriculture Industry, Expands Labor Access",2021-07-13,2021,2021-07,Republican,House,WA,Dan Newhouse,N000189,newhouse.house.gov,newhouse,https://newhouse.house.gov/media-center/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Rep. Dan Newhouse (R-WA) released the following statement after the House Committee on Appropriations approved an amendment introduced by Reps. Dan Newhouse (R-WA) and Henry Cuellar (D-TX) to the Fiscal Year 2022 Homeland Security Appropriations Act. Rep. Newhouse and Rep. Cuellar's amendment would allow the H-2A temporary agriculture guestworker program to be accessed year-round for Fiscal Year 2022, opening the program to producers in all sectors of agriculture, including dairy, greenhouses, and other agricultural operations with year-round labor needs. The amendment was adopted by voice vote.

""Our farmers and ranchers are in desperate need of a legal and reliable workforce,"" said Rep. Newhouse. ""Unfortunately, the H-2A program does not work for all of agriculture. As farming methods have become less seasonal or able to produce multiple harvests, the H-2A program must be updated to meet the needs of the agriculture industry. This amendment supports legal immigration while making H-2A more workable for farmers.""

Watch Rep. Newhouse's Remarks on H-2A Amendment

Background:

Rep. Newhouse and Rep. Cuellar's amendment clarifies that for FY2022 all of agriculture may use the H-2A program. Under the amendment, H-2A would still remain a temporary guestworker program. Additionally, the amendment would not change the time limits a worker employed through the H-2A program can stay in the U.S., and it would maintain the requirement that farmers advertise open positions and are trying to hire American workers first. The agriculture industry's labor situation has been a concern for many years, and currently large segments of American agriculture face a critical shortage of workers. This shortfall is exacerbated by the fact that the H-2A program is not working for all of agriculture, such as dairies and agriculture operations with multiple crops and harvests. Click here for the amendment text.",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T20:03:51Z
https://newhouse.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/newhouse-welcomes-43-million-investment-rural-water-infrastructure,Newhouse Welcomes $4.3 Million Investment in Rural Water Infrastructure,2021-07-07,2021,2021-07,Republican,House,WA,Dan Newhouse,N000189,newhouse.house.gov,newhouse,https://newhouse.house.gov/media-center/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Rep. Dan Newhouse (R-WA) announced that the Town of Naches will be receiving $4,357,000 through the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Waste and Water Disposal Loan and Grant Program to revitalize its Wastewater Treatment Plant. Funding for this program was provided under the Trump Administration through H.R. 133, the FY2021 Omnibus and COVID Relief and Response Act.

""This funding is a substantial federal investment that will allow Naches to implement important safety measures and continue to support the community,"" said Rep. Newhouse. ""I am grateful to the U.S. Department of Agriculture for prioritizing our rural communities helping us increase access to our most precious resource – clean water.""

This Rural Development investment will be used to eliminate identified deficiencies and implement recommended improvements by the State Regulatory Agency for National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permitting of the Town of Naches' Wastewater treatment plant. These improvements will provide more efficient operations, reduce maintenance costs and enhance effluent quality, benefitting the 795 residents of the town.

Background:

USDA's Waste and Water Disposal Loan and Grant Program will provide $2,361,000 in loans and $1,996,000 in grants to the Town of Naches.

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. The program serves households and businesses in eligible rural areas with populations of 10,000 or less.",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T20:03:51Z
https://newhouse.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/newhouse-applauds-major-investment-central-washington-economy,Newhouse Applauds Major Investment in Central Washington Economy,2021-07-01,2021,2021-07,Republican,House,WA,Dan Newhouse,N000189,newhouse.house.gov,newhouse,https://newhouse.house.gov/media-center/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Rep. Dan Newhouse (R-WA) announced that Darigold, Inc. is building a new premium protein and butter operation in Pasco, Washington. The 400,000-square-foot plant will process approximately eight million pounds of milk a day after construction is complete in 2023.

""I am proud that Darigold recognized the benefits and the potential of the Port of Pasco for this major investment that will revitalize our rural economy. This new Darigold plant will create over a thousand local jobs while providing important state-of-the-art processing for our region's dairy producers,"" said Rep. Newhouse. ""I look forward to their continued innovation and investment in our district.""

""Congressman Newhouse has been a steadfast champion of Washington State's agricultural community, including our dairy farmers,"" said Stan Ryan, President and CEO of Darigold. ""We are especially grateful to him for his leadership on everything from introducing the Farm Workforce Modernization Act of 2021, which provides a sustainable long-term solution to labor challenges, to supporting the Port of Pasco agreement so that we can grow the rural economy and take care of our cooperative's farmer-owners. He is looking out for rural Washington like none other and we look forward to our continued partnership.""

Background:",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T20:03:51Z
https://newhouse.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/newhouse-slams-house-democrats-allowing-us-funding-benefit-chinese,Newhouse Slams House Democrats for Allowing U.S. Funding To Benefit Chinese Communist Government,2021-07-01,2021,2021-07,Republican,House,WA,Dan Newhouse,N000189,newhouse.house.gov,newhouse,https://newhouse.house.gov/media-center/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Rep. Dan Newhouse (R-WA) introduced an amendment to the State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs appropriations bill to prohibit funding in the bill from being used, directly or indirectly, by recipients of U.S. assistance to repay debts owed to the Government of the People's Republic of China. Unfortunately, the amendment was blocked by Committee Democrats, with all Republicans and one Democrat voting in support.

""Let me be clear: the Chinese Communist Party and the Government of the People's Republic of China are not our allies,"" said Rep. Newhouse. ""Ensuring that U.S. taxpayer dollars are not being used to make debt repayments to bankers in Communist China should not be controversial. We should be taking every action we can to avoid enabling our adversaries. I am disappointed in my Democratic colleagues for blocking this common-sense amendment.""

Click here to read the full text of the amendment.

Background:

The Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), a $1 trillion flagship foreign policy effort of Chinese leader Xi Jinping, could reshape global networks of trade, transport, and political ties within and between countries for decades to come. But since its announcement, the BRI has remained shrouded in confusion and controversy. China is a major lender for countries of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). Accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic, many of these countries have seen their sovereign debt become unsustainable.

In 2020, former Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin testified that, at the time, Treasury was working with the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank to gain full transparency of countries' debts from China's Belt and Road infrastructure initiative and ensure that funds from the institutions are not used to repay China.

Earlier this year, during the State Department and Foreign Operations Subcommittee, the current Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, said ""We would be very concerned to see the resources that are provided to these countries used to repay Chinese debt. That would defeat the purpose of the programs.""",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T20:03:51Z
https://newhouse.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/newhouse-protects-us-food-supply-chinese-influence,Newhouse Protects U.S. Food Supply From Chinese Influence,2021-06-30,2021,2021-06,Republican,House,WA,Dan Newhouse,N000189,newhouse.house.gov,newhouse,https://newhouse.house.gov/media-center/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Rep. Dan Newhouse (R-WA) introduced an amendment to the Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies appropriations bill to prohibit the purchase of agricultural land by the People's Republic of China (PRC) and make agricultural lands currently owned by the People's Republic of China ineligible for farm programs.

""In recent years, the Chinese government has been buying up U.S. agricultural assets. Allowing this practice to continue would lead to the creation of a Chinese-owned agricultural monopoly and pose an immediate threat to U.S. national security and food security,"" said Rep. Newhouse. ""The U.S. cannot become dependent on China for our domestic agriculture and food supply.""

Click here to read the full text of the amendment.

Background:

A 2018 report from USDA's Economic Research Service has found that Chinese investment in the agricultural sector has grown tenfold in the last decade.

A 1978 federal law, known as the Agricultural Foreign Investment Disclosure Act, requires foreign entities to report transactions of farmland to the USDA's Farm Service Agency. The data covers years 1900 through 2016.

Already, six states have laws banning foreign ownership of farmland. Those states are Hawaii, Iowa, Minnesota, Mississippi, North Dakota and Oklahoma State, but restrictions on Chinese land ownership can be circumvented by Chinese investors buying large U.S. corporations that own agricultural land.",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T19:57:00Z
https://newhouse.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/washington-gop-congressional-delegation-calls-border-assistance-gov,Washington GOP Congressional Delegation Calls for Border Assistance from Gov. Inslee,2021-06-30,2021,2021-06,Republican,House,WA,Dan Newhouse,N000189,newhouse.house.gov,newhouse,https://newhouse.house.gov/media-center/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Washington State Congressional Republicans, Reps. Dan Newhouse, Cathy McMorris Rodgers, and Jaime Herrera Beutler sent a letter to Governor Inslee requesting he respond to Texas Governor Greg Abbott and Arizona Governor Doug Ducey's joint request for Washington state to assist in their response to the crisis at America's southern border by sending Washington National Guard troops to the border.

""An open southern border threatens our national security and the safety of all Americans. Hundreds of thousands of foreign nationals are entering our country each month with no documentation and unknown motives,"" wrote the lawmakers. ""At the current rate, illegal immigration from outside of Mexico and the northern triangle will be almost three times higher in 2021 than it was in 2019.""

They continued, ""The Emergency Management Assistance Compact (EMAC) allows states to share resources during disasters. According to Governor Ducey and Governor Abbott's letter, as required by Article III(B) of EMAC, Texas and Arizona officials ""will be contacting their counterparts in your State to prepare an appropriately detailed request for law-enforcement assistance."" While we should not be risking the safety of our own communities by taking resources away from them, we are fortunate to have a strong National Guard who are ready and able to assist.""

The lawmakers concluded, ""American families in all 50 states are harmed by the influx of illegal immigrants crossing our southern border. On behalf of our constituents in Washington, we're requesting that you approve Texas and Arizona's requests for assistance and follow the lead of your fellow governors by deploying National Guard troops to help secure the southern border. State and federal officials have a duty to respond.""

Read the full letter here and below.

Dear Governor Inslee,

We're writing to you today regarding Texas Governor Greg Abbott and Arizona Governor Doug Ducey's joint request for Washington state to assist in their response to the crisis at America's southern border.

The meteoric rise in illegal immigration created by President Biden's open border agenda required Governor Abbot to issue a disaster declaration in Texas and Governor Ducey to declare an emergency in Arizona.

An open southern border threatens our national security and the safety of all Americans. Hundreds of thousands of foreign nationals are entering our country each month with no documentation and unknown motives. At the current rate, illegal immigration from outside of Mexico and the northern triangle will be almost three times higher in 2021 than it was in 2019. Over the past six months, a staggering number of Unaccompanied Alien Children have made the dangerous trip across our border, risking sexual assault, violence, and even death. Even more alarming, in April of this year, CBP arrested two Yemeni men on a terror watch list.

The opiate epidemic is a leading public health scourge that impacts all states, and the ongoing surge of illegal immigrants is diverting federal resources away from combating the illegal drug trade and encouraging drug smuggling. By April 6, 2021, U.S. Customs and Border Protection had already seized more fentanyl than in all of 2020.

The Emergency Management Assistance Compact (EMAC) allows states to share resources during disasters. According to Governor Ducey and Governor Abbott's letter, as required by Article III(B) of EMAC, Texas and Arizona officials ""will be contacting their counterparts in your State to prepare an appropriately detailed request for law-enforcement assistance."" While we should not be risking the safety of our own communities by taking resources away from them, we are fortunate to have a strong National Guard who are ready and able to assist.

American families in all 50 states are harmed by the influx of illegal immigrants crossing our southern border. On behalf of our constituents in Washington, we're requesting that you approve Texas and Arizona's requests for assistance and follow the lead of your fellow governors by deploying National Guard troops to help secure the southern border. State and federal officials have a duty to respond.",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T19:57:00Z
https://newhouse.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/newhouse-calls-biden-address-lack-progress-failure-update-pnw,"Newhouse Calls On Biden to Address Lack of Progress, Failure to Update PNW Delegation on Columbia River Treaty Negotiations",2021-06-29,2021,2021-06,Republican,House,WA,Dan Newhouse,N000189,newhouse.house.gov,newhouse,https://newhouse.house.gov/media-center/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Rep. Dan Newhouse (R-WA) and the entire bicameral Pacific Northwest congressional delegation sent a letter to President Biden requesting he update the Pacific Northwest congressional delegation on the status of negotiations for a modernized Columbia River Treaty. The letter follows 12 months of no formal negotiations taking place with Canada and an unacceptable lack of communication from the State Department with the region's Members of Congress.

""As Members of Congress from the Pacific Northwest, we write regarding the Columbia River Treaty (Treaty) and the urgency of prompt negotiation of a modernized Treaty. We stress the need for a top-level White House led strategy for the Treaty negotiations, as well as regular substantive updates to Members of Congress on the status of negotiations and estimated funding needs,"" wrote the lawmakers.

The lawmakers continued, ""After almost a decade of work in the Northwest and British Columbia and 10 rounds of formal Treaty talks between the two countries, the time to press for completion of the Treaty modernization effort is now. The status quo is not acceptable to our region and comes at significant economic harm.""

They concluded, ""The U.S. and Canada have not held a formal negotiation round in nearly a year. Given the lack of information provided to Congress regarding negotiation status, we request a meeting as soon as possible with senior Administration officials from the White House, State Department, the United States Entity, and other relevant federal agencies responsible for the Treaty. We reject the argument that providing adequate information to the delegation puts our negotiating position at risk. We need to understand the United States strategy, policy positions, and tools available to the United States and provide our input to successfully and promptly complete negotiations with Canada to modernize the Columbia River Treaty.""

Read the full letter here and below.

Dear President Biden:

As Members of Congress from the Pacific Northwest, we write regarding the Columbia River Treaty (Treaty) and the urgency of prompt negotiation of a modernized Treaty. We stress the need for a top-level White House led strategy for the Treaty negotiations, as well as regular substantive updates to Members of Congress on the status of negotiations and estimated funding needs.

The 1964 Treaty provided the framework for the United States and Canada to provide certainty and benefits to both nations. Much has changed over the past 57 years. Population growth, changing weather patterns, clean energy and carbon reduction state-based requirements, and coal plant retirements are all driving transformational changes in our regions' utility sector and broader economy. After almost a decade of work in the Northwest and British Columbia and 10 rounds of formal Treaty talks between the two countries, the time to press for completion of the Treaty modernization effort is now. The status quo is not acceptable to our region and comes at significant economic harm.

Federal funding will be necessary for flood risk management as soon as fiscal years 2023 and 2024. To date, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) has not articulated a strategy to reach a flood risk management agreement with Canada or identified funding requirements for post-2024 flood control operational changes dictated within the Treaty. Without regular, ongoing consultation, it may not be feasible for Congress to appropriate funds in a short time frame, in potentially variable amounts, especially considering budget constraints. This is made more unattainable if Congress does not receive funding justification through the budget process as early as possible.

The 2013 Regional Recommendation made clear that power benefits to Canada, known as the Canadian Entitlement, must be rebalanced to reflect an equitable sharing of the Treaty's benefits. The U.S. government and others have studied the issue and concluded that the U.S. is vastly overpaying Canada for the benefits it receives, now more than $150 million per year. This cost is passed on to our constituent ratepayers. We oppose any assumption or negotiation position that our ratepayers will continue to indefinitely pay the outdated and unfair Canadian Entitlement or be responsible for flood control payments that should be a federal obligation.

The U.S. and Canada have not held a formal negotiation round in nearly a year. Given the lack of information provided to Congress regarding negotiation status, we request a meeting as soon as possible with senior Administration officials from the White House, State Department, the United States Entity, and other relevant federal agencies responsible for the Treaty. We reject the argument that providing adequate information to the delegation puts our negotiating position at risk. We need to understand the United States strategy, policy positions, and tools available to the United States and provide our input to successfully and promptly complete negotiations with Canada to modernize the Columbia River Treaty.",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T19:57:00Z
https://newhouse.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/newhouse-leads-forum-skyrocketing-lumber-prices-and-impacts-american,Newhouse Leads Forum on Skyrocketing Lumber Prices and the Impacts on American Forests,2021-06-29,2021,2021-06,Republican,House,WA,Dan Newhouse,N000189,newhouse.house.gov,newhouse,https://newhouse.house.gov/media-center/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressional Western Caucus Chairman Dan Newhouse (WA-04) and House Natural Resources Ranking Member Bruce Westerman (AR-04) led a forum on skyrocketing lumber costs and potential solutions to the resulting impacts on American forests and communities.

""Today's forum highlighted an issue impacting rural communities and forests in the West and across the country: skyrocketing lumber prices and public land mismanagement,"" said Chairman Newhouse. ""I believe we must look to our public lands as the answer to our issues surrounding supply and demand. With proper forest management, we can achieve both utilization and revitalization of our national forests. Our witnesses today testified to what we know to be true: By working together, we can expand our resources to both stabilize lumber prices and restore the resiliency of our nation's forests. The two are not mutually exclusive – in fact, they are dependent upon one another.""

""While the lumber price crisis has been years in the making, like our forum title suggests, it is being exacerbated today by the ongoing failure to properly manage our national forests and, consequently, invest in new sawmill capacity and infrastructure,"" said Ranking Member Westerman. ""Declining management of our federal forests, particularly out west, in recent decades has not only shut down hundreds of mills and eliminated thousands of family-wage jobs, but has also fueled the present wildfire crisis wreaking havoc on our western landscape year after year. We must take bold, aggressive action to improve the health of our national forests.""

Congressional Western Caucus Members and House Natural Resources Republicans heard from four witnesses during the forum:

Bill Imbergamo, Executive Director of the Federal Forest Resource Coalition

Caroline Dauzat, Owner of Rex Lumber

Marshall Thomas, President of F&W Forestry

John ""Chuck"" Fowke, Chairman of the National Association of Home Builders

""In the late 1990's, we made a public policy mistake,"" said Mr. Imbergamo. ""We assumed that large land set asides would protect wildlife habitat, ensure clean water, and stimulate the economy. We're now paying the price for that mistake. The species that were supposed to benefit haven't. The watersheds we were told were protected are now burnt. And mills continue to struggle when National Forests fail to meet current, modest timber targets. We look forward to working with you to find further solutions that will begin to turn this situation around.""

""As the country and the economy slowly return to normal, sawmills have continued to manufacture lumber as quickly as possible to meet ongoing high demand,"" said Ms. Dauzat. ""However, we are constrained by current manufacturing limits, and increasing production is more complicated than simply deciding to make more lumber. Sawmill infrastructure declined significantly when the Great Recession began in 2007. In the South, for example, the total number of pine mills operating in 2007 was 276. In 2017, the total was only 240. In fact, production of Southern Yellow Pine's previous peak was 19 billion board feet in 2005. The industry did not return to this level until 2019. Meanwhile, housing starts grew almost 200 percent between the fourth quarter of 2010 and first quarter of 2021.""

""This is a very complex issue with a lot of stakeholders, including loggers, growers, truckers, sawmillers, lumber retailers, home builders and home owners,"" said Mr. Thomas. ""Southern tree growers are actually facing a very different issue. ...The reason we have low prices is due in part to our ability to grow trees fast in the South, and this has been confounded by government policy concerning tree planting back in the late 1980s.""

""According to the American Forest & Paper Association, one-third of the United States, or approximately 766 million acres of land, is forested,"" said Mr. Fowke. ""Privately-owned forests account for approximately 58 percent of that and supply 90 percent of the wood harvested in the United States. On the other hand, U.S. state, tribal, and federal forests comprise 42 percent of our forestlands and supply a mere 8 percent of the wood used by the forest products industry. We are not doing a very good job of managing this critically important, sustainable, renewable resource. As the U.S. housing market continues to grow to meet our nation's housing demand and make up for a decade of under building, demand for lumber and other building materials will increase. Moreover, global demand for lumber is also increasing, especially in China. Unless additional supply can be brought into the market, there will be ongoing upward pressure on prices.""

Click here to watch.

Background:

A perfect storm of new home building, remodeling, and home improvement projects during the COVID-19 pandemic created an unprecedented demand for new lumber, along with other materials like steel, concrete and copper. The increased demand has driven up prices and resulted in shortages of these materials.

Unprecedented stress on the supply chain, coupled with a lack of sawmill infrastructure and federal trade, labor, transportation, and timber harvesting policies, have all contributed to the current lumber shortage. No single policy can stabilize lumber prices, but Congress can take important action – like incentivizing better forest management and utilization of our national forests – to address this issue and reduce prices for the average consumer.

These actions are not only important to stabilize lumber prices, but they are also vital to restoring the health and resiliency of our national forests. Last year, 10.3 million acres burned in another historic wildfire season. Actively managing our national forests with tools like thinning, prescribed burns and timber harvesting is critical to reducing the likelihood and severity of catastrophic wildfires.",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T19:57:00Z
https://newhouse.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/newhouse-announces-major-investment-central-washington-infrastructure,Newhouse Announces Major Investment in Central Washington Infrastructure,2021-06-25,2021,2021-06,Republican,House,WA,Dan Newhouse,N000189,newhouse.house.gov,newhouse,https://newhouse.house.gov/media-center/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Rep. Dan Newhouse (R-WA) announced that the Wenatchee Apple Capital Loop Project in Washington's 4th Congressional District has been awarded $92.4 million by the U.S. Department of Transportation's INFRA Grant Program. This will be the largest INFRA Grant awarded this year nationwide.

""Investment in the Apple Capital Loop project is a major win for Central Washington,"" said Rep. Newhouse. ""I have been advocating for this project over the past several years, and I am proud to see it finally come to fruition. This project will improve safety and create significant new opportunities for economic growth, potentially bringing investments of over $500 million to our region. As the most trade-dependent state in the nation, this project will increase infrastructure connectivity and position our state to continue to grow exports, strengthen our relations abroad, and bring economic prosperity to Washington.""

Background:

Rep. Newhouse has sent requests to the U.S. Secretary of Transportation every year for the last five years requesting funding for this important project (previous requests here).

The Apple Capital Loop is the result of years of planning by local, state and regional community partners including the Colville Confederated Tribes and the Yakama Nations. The Apple Capital Loop supports the various layers of Central Washington's economy by bringing together vital, interconnected projects that comprise the backbone of the Wenatchee Valley regional transportation network, and the local component of the National Highway Freight Network (NHFN). The project is broadly supported throughout the community as evidenced by investments of more than $100 million over the past decade though private and public partners. This multi-modal network of projects will yield improved safety, system reliability, and congestion relief coordinated with deployment of a modernized, rapid-charge battery electric commuter transit system with faster speed and increased frequency (one of the first communities with this technology). At completion, the project will allow much-needed investment in housing, retail, and industrial development by bringing additional infrastructure to the area. It will leverage more than $200 million in investments by our agricultural sector in production, storage, and transportation.",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T19:57:00Z
https://newhouse.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/newhouse-announces-launch-2021-central-washington-congressional-app,Newhouse Announces Launch of 2021 Central Washington Congressional App Challenge,2021-06-24,2021,2021-06,Republican,House,WA,Dan Newhouse,N000189,newhouse.house.gov,newhouse,https://newhouse.house.gov/media-center/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Rep. Dan Newhouse (R-WA) announced the launch of the annual Central Washington Congressional App Challenge (CAC), open to all middle and high school students who reside or go to school in Washington's 4th Congressional District. Students may participate as individuals or in teams of up to four.

""The Congressional App Challenge is an excellent opportunity for the students of our district to demonstrate their talent and creativity,"" said Rep. Newhouse. ""I strongly encourage all students who are interested in or passionate about the STEM field to create and submit an app.""

The CAC will begin today, June 24, 2021, and will run through November 1, 2021. Applicants can submit their app at any time throughout this period. Winners will be selected by a panel of judges and given congressional recognition for their outstanding achievements in STEM and Computer Science. Their apps will be featured in the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C, on house.gov, and on the Congressional App Challenge website. Additional prizes will be announced.

For more information about the Congressional App Challenge and submission criteria, click here.

Background:

The Congressional App Challenge (CAC) was established in 2013 and officially launched by the U.S. House of Representatives in 2015 because Congress recognized that STEM and computer-based skills are essential for economic growth and innovation, and that the U.S. has been falling behind on these fronts. To maintain American competitiveness, it is crucial that the U.S. invests in our youth now and helps them acquire these valuable skills. The CAC encourages students to pursue those skills and recognizes them for their efforts.

Last year's winners, Brianna Simpson of Richland High School, Conner Anderson of Chiawana High School, Taran Zorn of Kamiakin High School, and Erika Gaskins of Southridge High School worked as a team to design the winning app, ""Llama Trauma."" The app was designed to draw attention to the growing problem of food insecurity in the United States and encourage Americans to donate to their local food banks. Click here to see a preview of the winning app.",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T19:57:00Z
https://newhouse.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/newhouse-critical-race-theory-has-no-place-our-schools,Newhouse: “Critical Race Theory Has No Place in Our Schools”,2021-06-23,2021,2021-06,Republican,House,WA,Dan Newhouse,N000189,newhouse.house.gov,newhouse,https://newhouse.house.gov/media-center/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Rep. Dan Newhouse (R-WA) cosponsored two key pieces of legislation introduced by Rep. Burgess Owens (UT-04), H.R. 3235 and H.Res. 397, to combat the Biden Administration's proposal to fund education programs informed by Critical Race Theory (CRT).

""President Biden has abandoned his commitment to equal treatment under the law with his most recent proposal to fund Critical Race Theory programs,"" said Rep. Newhouse. ""Teaching students to be ashamed of our country and to judge each other based on the color of their skin is wrong and divisive. Critical Race Theory has no place in our schools. I am proud to support Rep. Burgess Owens in these important efforts.""

""I grew up attending segregated schools in the Jim Crow South during a time when people were treated differently based on the color of their skin,"" said Rep. Owens. ""Critical Race Theory preserves this way of thinking and undermines civil rights, constitutionally guaranteed equal protection before the law, and U.S. institutions at large. This is the United States of America, and no one should ever be subjected to the discrimination that our laws so clearly prohibit.""

Click here to read the full text of H.R. 3235.

Click here to read the full text of H.Res. 397.

Background:

The bill H.R. 3235 would restrict the promotion of CRT within federal institutions by revoking President Biden's Executive Order 13950 Combating race and Sex Stereotyping that unwisely nullified the Trump Administration's efforts to stop CRT from being taught to federal employees.

The resolution opposing teaching CRT in U.S. Schools (H.Res. 397), expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that CRT serves as an ideological tool and should not be taught in K-12 classrooms.",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T19:57:00Z
https://newhouse.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/newhouse-defends-2nd-amendment-introduces-legislation-designate,"Newhouse Defends 2nd Amendment, Introduces Legislation to Designate Firearms Industry Workers as “Essential”",2021-06-22,2021,2021-06,Republican,House,WA,Dan Newhouse,N000189,newhouse.house.gov,newhouse,https://newhouse.house.gov/media-center/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Rep. Dan Newhouse (R-WA) introduced the Second Amendment is Essential Act. This legislation would categorize the firearms industry as a critical infrastructure sector and those it employs as critical infrastructure workers.

""It is always unconstitutional for government to restrict the rights of law-abiding gun owners, but to do so in the midst of a crisis is especially unconscionable. By denying Federal Firearms Licensees the ability to operate under ""essential worker"" designations, Governors across the country, including Jay Inslee, have not only infringed on the Second Amendment rights of Americans, but have recklessly tied the hands of our law enforcement officers who require access to these tools to ensure the safety of our communities,"" said Rep. Newhouse. ""This legislation protects law-abiding citizens' ability to exercise their Second Amendment rights and prevents future anti-gun restrictions that restrict lawful access to firearms in times of emergency.""

Quotes from supporting organizations are below.

""The firearm industry is deeply appreciative of the leadership and commitment of Congressman Newhouse to ensure the men and women in our industry can deliver for law-abiding American citizens without interference under the guise of a declared health emergency or disaster. This is exactly what happened in last year's COVID-19 pandemic shutdowns. Politicians overreached on their authority and were only forced back under the threat of legal action. This necessary legislation is critical to prevent an administration that is hostile to lawful firearm ownership from using an emergency declaration to shutter the industry and deny Americans the ability to approach the gun counter. That's where Second Amendment rights begin – when those who obey the law make the decision to lawfully purchase a firearm. Congressman Newhouse is making that access to gun ownership inviolable,"" said Lawrence G. Keane, Senior Vice President and General Counsel, National Shooting Sports Foundation.

""The way many anti-gun politicians reacted to the COVID-19 crisis was proof these politicians will exploit any opportunity to push their agenda. Last year, we fought numerous attempts by lawmakers and regulators to shut down firearms retailers and keep them closed, limiting Americans' ability to protect themselves when they felt most vulnerable. The Second Amendment is Essential Act of 2021 makes it clear the firearms industry and its workers are to be deemed ""essential"" in any future emergency proclamations. On behalf of our 5 million members, we thank Rep. Dan Newhouse for putting forward a bill to protect the industry and law-abiding gun owners' right to self-defense from future attacks in times of national distress,"" said Jason Ouimet, Executive Director, NRA-ILA.

""Rep. Newhouse's legislation clarifies that the government has no authority to infringe upon the essential role that Federal Firearms License holders fulfill in maintaining the right to keep and bear arms—such as during a pandemic and nationwide civil unrest. It is unconscionable to subject our constitutionally-protected rights to the whimsical ""health"" concerns of anti-gun politicians and bureaucrats. Congress can never allow these failed gun laws to harm American gun owners again,"" said Aidan Johnston, Director of Federal Affairs, Gun Owners of America.

""Our officers must have the necessary tools to train and perform their duties to ensure the safety of our communities. The Second Amendment is Essential Act of 2021 would reduce the long wait times for firearms and ammunition that those in the law enforcement profession are currently experiencing by preventing state governments from enacting arbitrary, anti-gun restrictions,"" said Kevin Fuhr, Police Chief, City of Moses Lake.

""I strongly support the Second Amendment is Essential Act of 2021. Governors across the country, including Jay Inslee, have used the COVID-19 pandemic as justification to disregard our Founding Fathers' intent to preserve our right to keep and bear arms, excluding those in the firearms industry from ""essential worker"" designations. This legislation will ensure that the Second Amendment can be freely enjoyed by Americans when they need it most: in times of crisis,"" said Jerome Delvin, Benton County Commissioner, District 1.

""As legislative representatives, it is our sacred charge to protect and ensure a free Nation with the same deliberate care and deep concern for preserving the individual right to Freedom and Liberty our founding fathers possessed. ""Let us not insult the free and gallant citizens of America with suspicion, that they would be less able to defend the rights of which they would be in actual possession, than the debased subjects of arbitrary power would be to rescue theirs from the hands of their oppressors."" [James Madison] The global pandemic of our time has brought renewed awareness of our individual vulnerabilities and a heightened awareness for self-preservation, a reminder of the same circumstances present during the birth of our Nation. I stand in resolute support of the essential nature of the creation of arms which makes possible every citizen's right to bear arms,"" said Amanda McKinney, Yakima County Commissioner, District 1.

Original cosponsors include:

Reps. Madison Cawthorn, Doug LaMalfa, Chris Stewart, Don Young, C. Scott Franklin, Jefferson Van Drew, Matt Gaetz, Yvette Herrell, Tracey Mann, Liz Cheney, Randy K. Weber, Sr., Dan Crenshaw, Doug Lamborn, Bill Johnson, Ralph Norman, Markwayne Mullin, David G. Valadao, Jody B. Hice, Thomas P. Tiffany, Dusty Johnson, Ted Budd, Pete Sessions, Andy Harris, Tom McClintock, Dan Bishop, Tom Emmer, Alexander X. Mooney, and Claudia Tenney.

Click here to read the full text of the bill.

Click here for a one pager on the bill.

Background:

The Homeland Security Act of 2002 directed the Administrator of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to establish guidelines for States regarding who should constitute ""critical infrastructure workers"" in the event of a natural disaster, act of terrorism, or other man-made disaster. Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, we have often referred to these individuals as ""essential workers.""

Similarly, the USA Patriot Act defined ""critical infrastructure"" as ""systems and assets, whether physical or virtual, so vital to the United States that the incapacity or destruction of such systems and assets would have a debilitating impact on security, national economic security, national public health or safety, or any combination of those matters.""

In 2020, gun sales increased by 64% as Americans sought to exercise their Second Amendment right so they could have peace of mind during such a turbulent time. Nevertheless, Governors across the country, including Jay Inslee, have used the COVID-19 pandemic as justification to disregard the founders' intent to preserve the right to bear arms, excluding Federal Firearms Licensees (FFLS) from ""essential worker"" designations.",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T19:57:00Z
https://newhouse.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/newhouse-mcmorris-rodgers-applaud-improving-salmon-runs-snake-river,"Newhouse, McMorris Rodgers Applaud Improving Salmon Runs for Snake River",2021-06-21,2021,2021-06,Republican,House,WA,Dan Newhouse,N000189,newhouse.house.gov,newhouse,https://newhouse.house.gov/media-center/press-releases,scraper,"""The latest data for the Snake River Spring Chinook returns are encouraging and demonstrate that we are making real strides with our current mitigation efforts. Despite radical environmental groups trying to paint a dire picture of extinction, Spring Chinook returns are trending in the right direction for a second year in a row, proving what we already know: dams and salmon can – and do – co-exist. This year's significant return increase builds on the progress we made last year and is a strong rebuke of hydropower opponents,"" said Reps. Newhouse and McMorris Rodgers.

They continued, ""We should also celebrate three new orca calves in the Southern Resident pod! According to researchers, with the healthy calves, the pod looks better than it has in a decade. Our goal will continue to be recovering salmon by addressing threats of predation, loss of habitat, and untenable conditions of the ocean and Puget Sound. Together, we can restore our salmon and save the orcas, while also protecting the benefits our dams provide for our region and the leading source of Washington state's clean, reliable, renewable, and affordable energy.""",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T19:57:00Z
https://newhouse.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/newhouse-advances-rural-patient-healthcare,Newhouse Advances Rural Patient Healthcare,2021-06-17,2021,2021-06,Republican,House,WA,Dan Newhouse,N000189,newhouse.house.gov,newhouse,https://newhouse.house.gov/media-center/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Reps. Dan Newhouse (R-WA) and Tom O'Halleran (D-AZ) introduced the Rural Remote Monitoring Patient Act. This legislation would create a pilot grant program within the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), an agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, to facilitate the use of remote patient monitoring technology in rural areas. Companion legislation was introduced in the Senate by Sen. John Kennedy (R-LA).

""Our health system must meet people where they are, and that starts with empowering them to self-manage at home,"" said Rep. Newhouse. ""Remote monitoring technology provides rural Americans personalized, constant attention to ensure they get the care they need to manage their chronic conditions. This legislation will give our rural hospitals, clinics, and community health centers in Central Washington and beyond the tools they need to increase access to quality, effective healthcare.""

""Families in rural Arizona must often travel hundreds of miles to access even basic health care,"" said Rep. O'Halleran. ""Investing in remote patient monitoring technology in rural areas will allow more patients to remain comfortably at home with their support systems while staying in contact with the doctors and medical staff that monitor their care.""

""Rural Louisianians often have to rely on technology to manage their health remotely. Our bill would improve access to this technology and help health care providers better serve their patients,"" said Sen. Kennedy. ""I'm grateful to partner with Congressman Newhouse on this important initiative to help rural Americans.""

The following Central Washington healthcare providers issued statements of support for the Rural Remote Monitoring Patient Act:

Alan Fisher, CEO, and Dr. Jennifer Thill, CMO of Mid-Valley Hospital: ""Despite having three hospitals and several medical clinics throughout the county, there continue to be significant gaps in care in our vast and rural region where people are bound by high poverty, extreme weather conditions, and lack of public transportation. Noting limitations to high-speed broadband we agree with facilitating the use of low frequency remote patient monitoring technology that is an FDA-cleared, and cellular-enabled to operate at lower frequency levels to facilitate adoption in rural areas without broadband access. This will enhance the capability of providing these services and other specialty services to rural residents and avoiding critical delays in care by enhancing telehealth access. We thank Congressman Newhouse for his foresight and leadership in assisting with providing innovative rural health care opportunities for all citizens."" Click here to read Mid-Valley's letter of support for the bill.

Theresa Sullivan, CEO of Samaritan Healthcare: ""As rural healthcare facilities, we have limited resources to be able to make the investment in such important technologies that can improve access to care, improve quality of care, and at the same time, can reduce health care costs. This proposed pilot project could assist rural facilities to deploy this technology. Ensuring reimbursement for these services is also essential for sustainability. Thank you, Representative Newhouse, for your ongoing support, innovation, and leadership on behalf of rural healthcare and striving to ensure access to care for those we serve."" Click here to read Samaritan Healthcare's letter of support for the bill.

Brandon Isaacs, Program Director of the Central Washington Family Medicine Residency Program: ""Locally as a program director for a rural training family medicine residency, I see indirectly the effects on the rural population when access to care is unavailable. Nationally we also see that healthcare outcomes are directly related to one's zip code and rural communities see the brunt of significantly poorer outcomes. The Increasing Rural Telehealth Act offers a needed solution in helping to resolve that deficit by increasing access to much needed healthcare. It is physically impossible and financially non-sustainable to keep needed healthcare providers in smaller communities and this act offers a solution whereby patients with chronic illnesses can still get healthcare interventions through telehealth management opportunities. Patients in these communities most often cannot travel the needed distances to reach direct care particularly if they have challenging illnesses. It is even more of a problem when weather dictates that travel is impossible. In response patients often do not access care and thus they have poorer outcomes. Through telehealth, providers can offer needed access for patients who would not otherwise get the care they need. It increases efficiency, reduces financial burdens, and improves access."" Click here to read Central Washington Family Medicine Residency Program's letter of support for the bill.

Peter Rutherford, CEO of Confluence Health: ""The pandemic we have lived through over the last 16 months has shown the potential for, and power of, the use of non-face-to-face patient care and the benefits of remote patient monitoring in improving healthcare outcomes. Remote patient monitoring helps patients with better management of chronic health conditions, as well as episodic conditions like pregnancy in a more timely and cost-effective manner. Remote monitoring does require current equipment as well as training of patients and healthcare staff so that maximal benefit can be realized. Remote patient monitoring as part of a healthcare delivery effort can and does breakdown many geographic, financial, and social barriers to equitable healthcare for healthcare for rural Americans."" Click here to read Confluence Health's letter of support for the bill.

Click here to read the full text of the bill.

Background:

Remote patient monitoring (RPM), uses connected digital technologies and mobile medical devices to collect patient-generated health data from individuals in one location and electronically transmit that information securely to a care team in a different location for assessment and intervention. This type of service allows for ongoing monitoring and management of chronic and acute conditions.

To capture data, RPM can employ a host of wired or wireless peripheral measurement devices such as blood pressure cuffs, glucometers, scales, implantables, biosensors, and pulse oximetry, as well as sensors that collect data passively (e.g., beacons in a home that can transmit data on movement and specific activity/inactivity). Some RPM may also allow for real-time video interactions between the patient and provider.

RPM allows our health system to meet people where they are, beginning by empowering them to self-manage at home, and then use physicians, to treat those who need it.

Entities eligible for grants must:

Be located in a rural area;

Use remote patient monitoring technology that is an FDA-cleared, and cellular-enabled to operate at lower frequency levels to facilitate adoption in rural areas without broadband access.

Grantees may use federal funds for salaries, equipment, and operating or other costs, including the cost of—

developing and delivering remote patient monitoring services that enhance access to community-based health care services in rural areas, frontier communities, or medically underserved areas, or for medically underserved populations;

developing and acquiring, through lease or purchase, computer hardware and software, audio and video equipment, computer network equipment, interactive equipment, data terminal equipment, and other equipment that furthers the objectives of the telehealth network grant program;

Providing for transmission of medical data, and maintenance of equipment.

The bill authorizes $50 million to be used to carry out this program.",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T19:57:00Z
https://newhouse.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/newhouse-biden-get-handle-border-crisis,Newhouse to Biden: Get a Handle on the Border Crisis,2021-06-17,2021,2021-06,Republican,House,WA,Dan Newhouse,N000189,newhouse.house.gov,newhouse,https://newhouse.house.gov/media-center/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Rep. Dan Newhouse (R-WA) joined Republican colleagues in sending a letter to President Biden requesting he relieve Vice President Harris of her border crisis responsibilities.

""Vice President Harris has said it herself, ‘to fix a problem, you have to go where it exists.' I've seen the border crisis firsthand, and it is truly out of control,"" said Rep. Newhouse. ""It is inexcusable for this Administration and VP Harris, our ‘border czar,' to continue ignoring this crisis. It is high time for President Biden to appoint someone better suited for the position.""

The lawmakers wrote, ""The Vice President was tasked with solving this crisis on March 24, 2021, at a time when we were seeing roughly 5,500 encounters per day and record numbers of unaccompanied alien children (UAC) at our southern border. Despite being in the midst of a border crisis this country has not seen in two decades, Vice President Harris has not yet shown adequate interest in observing this crisis first-hand. In the 85 days since the Vice President has been tasked with solving this crisis, she has yet to visit the border and meet with Border Patrol agents, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials, and local law enforcement officials. In our experience, it is important to meet with these officials to learn about their perspectives and observations about the origins and motivations of the thousands of people coming here every day. It is an insult to our hardworking Border Patrol, ICE, and local law enforcement officials that put their lives on the line every day that the Vice President has yet to speak with them.""

Read the full letter here and below.

Dear President Biden:

We write to express our serious concerns regarding Vice President Kamala Harris' appointment as your administration's leader to solve the border crisis.

In May 2021, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) encountered 180,034 individuals at the southern border, compared to just 23,237 during the same month last year – a 675 percent increase. This figure does not even include ""got aways"", or those who sneak in without detection, which CBP officials estimate to be around 1,000 per day, compared to an average of just under 200 ""got aways"" per day in fiscal year 2020.

The Vice President was tasked with solving this crisis on March 24, 2021, at a time when we were seeing roughly 5,500 encounters per day and record numbers of unaccompanied alien children (UAC) at our southern border. Despite being in the midst of a border crisis this country has not seen in two decades, Vice President Harris has not yet shown adequate interest in observing this crisis first-hand. In the 85 days since the Vice President has been tasked with solving this crisis, she has yet to visit the border and meet with Border Patrol agents, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials, and local law enforcement officials. In our experience, it is important to meet with these officials to learn about their perspectives and observations about the origins and motivations of the thousands of people coming here every day. It is an insult to our hardworking Border Patrol, ICE, and local law enforcement officials that put their lives on the line every day that the Vice President has yet to speak with them.

Vice President Harris and your spokespeople have made excuses about her role in solving the crisis, claiming that her responsibility is to examine the ""root causes"" of migration. Vice

President Harris wrongly presumes that ""root causes"" of migration can only stem from a migrant's country of origin. Even if we assume that ""root causes"" only stem from a migrant's country of origin, the exclusive focus on Central American countries ignores the fact that we see many migrants attempting to illegally cross our southern border from countries all over the world, including Russia, Brazil, Cuba, and Haiti. We are also aware of no dramatic changes in Central American countries over the last few months that would result in such a wide gap of encounters at the southern border compared to last year. Additionally, this presumption ignores the role of policy decisions made in the first four months of your administration play in enticing migrants to illegally cross our southern border. Perhaps if the Vice President took a moment to speak with our Border Patrol agents who are on the frontlines of this crisis, or even the thousands of migrants currently held in our border facilities, she and your administration would be able to grasp this reality.

At the time of her appointment, you stated, ""I can think of nobody who is better qualified to do this"". We disagree. This country cannot afford another minute of inaction from Vice President Harris. While you have publicly defended the Vice President, even you must be discouraged with her inaction. We have all made mistakes in hiring and understand when someone else needs to be assigned to a task. We sincerely urge you find someone else in your administration to assist you in getting a handle on this border crisis.",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T19:57:00Z
https://newhouse.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/newhouse-backs-legislation-expedite-disaster-assistance-rural,Newhouse Backs Legislation to Expedite Disaster Assistance to Rural Communities,2021-06-16,2021,2021-06,Republican,House,WA,Dan Newhouse,N000189,newhouse.house.gov,newhouse,https://newhouse.house.gov/media-center/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Rep. Dan Newhouse (R-WA) sponsored Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers' (WA-05) Making Aid for Local Disasters Equal Now Act (MALDEN Act) to expedite the deployment of disaster assistance to rural communities impacted by a natural disaster. The bill is named after the town of Malden, Washington, which was devastated by the Babb Road Fire in 2020.

""The people of Central Washington and across the West understand the challenges of rebuilding after a natural disaster like a catastrophic wildfire,"" said Rep. Newhouse. ""Like Malden, communities in our district have been directly impacted by delays in disaster declarations from the federal government as recently as this year, and don't deserve to be left at the mercy of bureaucrats in D.C. I'm proud to sponsor this legislation to ensure that families, homeowners, businesses, and farmers can get the help they need, when it matters most.""

Click here to read the full text of the bill.

Background:

The MALDEN Act would amend the Stafford Act to:

Require the president to approve or deny a disaster declaration request within 30 days. If the request is not denied within 30 days, then it is approved.

Ensure rural communities receive recovery assistance by requiring FEMA to work in coordination with state leadership to provide guidance to local emergency managers on developing a recovery team. They must also assist in identifying short and long-term recovery resources, including resources to prevent secondary natural disasters like flooding, mudslides and rockslides.

Instruct FEMA to work with the state emergency management agency to make disaster case workers available for rural communities in the event that a request for Individual Assistance is made and denied.",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T19:57:00Z
https://newhouse.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/newhouse-kirkpatrick-introduce-local-journalism-sustainability-act,"Newhouse, Kirkpatrick Introduce Local Journalism Sustainability Act",2021-06-16,2021,2021-06,Republican,House,WA,Dan Newhouse,N000189,newhouse.house.gov,newhouse,https://newhouse.house.gov/media-center/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Reps. Dan Newhouse (R-WA) and Ann Kirkpatrick (D-AZ) reintroduced the Local Journalism Sustainability Act, a bill that helps preserve community journalistic endeavors throughout the United States.

Small newspapers around the country were already facing financial hardships prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, which have only worsened over the last year. The Local Journalism Sustainability Act seeks to provide a pathway to financial viability for these publications through a series of three tax credits.

""For many rural communities like ours in Central Washington, local news is the only way to receive important information and updates. Unfortunately, many of our locally-owned newspapers have been struggling to make ends meet,"" said Rep. Newhouse. ""By providing tax credits for readers and small businesses and by empowering our local journalists, we can begin to help our small newspapers remain resilient and continue to provide in-depth perspectives that inform their readership regarding local current events.""

""Local Journalism is a bedrock pillar of communities across the United States,"" said Rep. Kirkpatrick. ""Unfortunately, journalistic endeavors throughout the country are facing major economic struggles that put the future of many publications in serious jeopardy. These struggles existed before COVID, but the pandemic only made them more severe. We need to make sure these publications can sustain themselves through this crisis and beyond, and I believe the credits in this bill make significant progress in providing a pathway to that sustainability.""

The legislation has also gained support of journalism and newspaper industry leaders:

""Local news is collapsing, threatening the health of communities and democracy. Reps. Kirkpatrick and Newhouse's bottom-up approach is terrific – bringing serious help to local news organizations without allowing political favoritism or harm to the First Amendment."" – Steven Waldman, President of Report for America and Chair of the Rebuild Local News Coalition

""The ongoing challenges at local newspapers were made worse by the pandemic. The result is even more pressure to maintain newsroom positions and the critical local news gathering that is at the heart of our democracy. As local newspapers continue their progression to a sustainable digital future, the Local Journalism Sustainability Act will provide meaningful assistance as newspapers seek to provide information in new ways to meet the needs of their audience. This act will also help the local advertisers that are critical to local communities, and we are grateful to Reps. Kirkpatrick and Newhouse for their work in filing this important legislation."" – Dean Ridings, CEO of America's Newspapers

Click here to read the full text of the bill.

Background:

The Local Journalism Sustainability Act offers a series of three tax-credits aimed at sustaining and providing a pathway to viability for the local journalism industry in the years to come.

The first credit works to incentivize annual subscriptions to local papers that primarily produce content related to local news and current events.

The second credit is a five-year refundable credit for local newspapers to employ and adequately compensate journalists.

The last of the three credits is a five-year non-refundable tax credit that incentivizes small businesses to advertise with local newspapers, as well as local radio and television stations.

The proposed credits in the Local Journalism Sustainability Act will encourage Americans to subscribe to local publications, help those publications retain and compensate journalists, and provide businesses and publications alike with much-needed advertising dollars.

The legislation was previously introduced in the 116th Congress by Reps. Newhouse and Kirkpatrick.",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T19:57:00Z
https://newhouse.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/newhouse-supports-central-washington-businesses-urges-sba-release,"Newhouse Supports Central Washington Businesses, Urges SBA to Release Emergency Relief Funding",2021-06-16,2021,2021-06,Republican,House,WA,Dan Newhouse,N000189,newhouse.house.gov,newhouse,https://newhouse.house.gov/media-center/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Rep. Dan Newhouse (R-WA) joined over 200 of his House colleagues in sending a letter to Small Business Administration (SBA) Administrator Isabel Guzman requesting an explanation for the months-long delay in the distribution of Shuttered Venue Operators Grant Emergency Relief Program (SVOG) funds which were allocated by Congress in December of 2020.

The lawmakers wrote, ""According to the Office of Disaster Assistance, as of June 9, the SBA has only approved 90 grants out of the over 14,000 applications submitted, and nearly two-thirds of the applications have not yet reached the review stage.""

They continued, ""The slow pace is becoming increasingly untenable for the small businesses in our districts. Their banks have threatened to call in the full amount of small business loans, they do not have the funds to pay their landlords full rent, and they cannot retain staff. We are hearing from venue operators who are days away from closing their doors if these funds are not sent soon. These small businesses not only provide good jobs and contribute economically to our local communities, they contribute to the spirit and local culture as well. We must act now.""

Read the full letter here and below.

Dear Administrator Guzman,

We write today to urge the Small Business Administration to expedite the release of funds to beneficiaries of the Shuttered Venue Operators Grant (SVOG) program and provide answers to the questions below in a timely manner.

For over a year, we have consistently heard from venue operators about the unprecedented and unsustainable economic impacts the COVID-19 pandemic had on their small businesses. This community was relieved when the SVOG program was created in the Economic Aid to Hard-Hit Small Businesses, Nonprofits, and Venues Act in December of 2020 and additional funding was added as a part of the American Rescue Plan.

However, the rollout of this program and the release of funds is of great concern to us and many of our constituents. In addition to the initial crash of the application portal on April 8th and delay of the opening to April 28th, there has been a significant delay in the processing of applicants and awarding of funds. According to the Office of Disaster Assistance, as of June 9, the SBA has only approved 90 grants out of the over 14,000 applications submitted, and nearly two-thirds of the applications have not yet reached the review stage.

The slow pace is becoming increasingly untenable for the small businesses in our districts. Their banks have threatened to call in the full amount of small business loans, they do not have the funds to pay their landlords full rent, and they cannot retain staff. We are hearing from venue operators who are days away from closing their doors if these funds are not sent soon. These small businesses not only provide good jobs and contribute economically to our local communities, they contribute to the spirit and local culture as well. We must act now.

We understand the complexity and difficulty of managing a program of this size; however, we request the disbursement of funds be expedited immediately.

In addition, we respectfully request answers to the following questions are made available to all Members and staff:

What is causing the delay of processing applications and disbursement of funds? Is further action by Congress needed to help you address these issues?

Since the Priority 1 Tier deadline has passed, will funding be awarded retroactively to those who didn't receive funding in the Priority 1 Tier?

When can businesses expect to receive these funds? What plans are in place to communicate a likely timeline for disbursement of funding to afford small venue operators the opportunity to appropriately plan and respond to their individual needs?

Would you and the SBA staff host a briefing for Members and staff on this program and the issues with its implementation?

Thank you and your staff for your hard work to implement the various SBA programs in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. We know you are committed to serving our small businesses and we look forward to working together to ensure these funds are distributed and these issues are addressed efficiently.",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T19:57:00Z
https://newhouse.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/newhouse-opposes-tax-disabled-veterans-calls-atf-withdraw-proposed,"Newhouse Opposes Tax on Disabled Veterans, Calls on ATF to Withdraw Proposed Stabilizing Brace Guidance",2021-06-15,2021,2021-06,Republican,House,WA,Dan Newhouse,N000189,newhouse.house.gov,newhouse,https://newhouse.house.gov/media-center/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Rep. Dan Newhouse (R-WA) joined Rep. Richard Hudson (R-NC) and 139 Members in sending a letter to Attorney General Merrick Garland and Acting Director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Marvin Richardson regarding the proposed guidance on ""Factoring Criteria for Firearms with Attached ‘Stabilizing Braces.'""

ATF has repeatedly stated, ""the brace concept was inspired by the needs of disabled combat veterans who still enjoy recreational shooting but could not reliably control heavy pistols without assistance. Consequently, ATF agrees that there are legitimate uses for certain ""stabilizing braces.""

""If this is the stance of the ATF, then this is not an attempt to curb gun violence as suggested by this proposed guidance, but a direct tax on disabled combat veterans. Should this guidance go into effect, a disabled combat veteran who has chosen the best stabilizing brace for their disability is now a felon unless they turn in or destroy the firearm, destroy the brace, or pay a $200 tax,"" wrote the lawmakers. ""Furthermore, it could make millions of law-abiding citizens felons overnight. It is unclear if someone currently in possession of a pistol with a stabilizing brace is expected to apply the test to the lawfully possessed firearm or if there is some other expectation to clarify the classification. Additionally, and more troubling, is the omission of any outlined process for disabled veterans to report a disability exempting them from this unconstitutional process.""

They continued, ""We are disturbed a government agency would issue guidance that would tax and take away the ability of tens of millions of Americans, including disabled veterans to enjoy constitutionally protected rights. In fact, the ATF seems committed to attacking the constitutionally protected rights of all law-abiding citizens.""

Read the full letter here and below.

Dear Attorney General Garland and Acting Director Richardson:

We write to you today to express our deep concern regarding the recent Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) notice for proposed guidance on ""Factoring Criteria for Firearms with Attached 'Stabilizing Braces.'"" This proposed guidance is alarming and jeopardizes the rights of law-abiding gun owners and disabled combat veterans across the country.

The ATF has repeatedly stated, ""the brace concept was inspired by the needs of disabled combat veterans who still enjoy recreational shooting but could not reliably control heavy pistols without assistance. Consequently, ATF agrees that there are legitimate uses for certain 'stabilizing braces.""' If this is the stance of the ATF, then this is not an attempt to curb gun violence as suggested by this proposed guidance, but a direct tax on disabled combat veterans. Should this guidance go into effect, a disabled combat veteran who has chosen the best stabilizing brace for their disability is now a felon unless they turn in or destroy the firearm, destroy the brace, or pay a $200 tax. Furthermore, it could make millions of law-abiding citizens felons overnight. It is unclear if someone currently in possession of a pistol with a stabilizing brace is expected to apply the test to the lawfully possessed firearm or if there is some other expectation to clarify the classification. Additionally, and more troubling, is the omission of any outlined process for disabled veterans to report a disability exempting them from this unconstitutional process.

We are disturbed a government agency would issue guidance that would tax and take away the ability of tens of millions of Americans, including disabled veterans to enjoy constitutionally protected rights. In fact, the ATF seems committed to attacking the constitutionally protected rights of all law-abiding citizens.

The Second Amendment is the right that allows us to defend our other rights. If we are to uphold the Constitution, this right cannot be infringed.

We urge you to take action to correct this injustice immediately by withdrawing this proposed guidance.",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T19:57:00Z
https://newhouse.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/newhouse-slams-biden-administration-eliminating-federal-funding-hanford,Newhouse Slams Biden Administration for Eliminating Federal Funding for Hanford Communities,2021-06-15,2021,2021-06,Republican,House,WA,Dan Newhouse,N000189,newhouse.house.gov,newhouse,https://newhouse.house.gov/media-center/press-releases,scraper,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Rep. Dan Newhouse (R-WA) released the following statement after the Biden Administration's recent budget proposal to Congress for Fiscal Year 2022 eliminated Payment in Lieu of Taxes (PILT) funding for communities surrounding the Hanford Site. Under President Biden's budget, other cleanup sites across the nation – except the Hanford Site in Central Washington and the Savannah River Site in South Carolina – would continue to receive Department of Energy (DOE) PILT funding.

""The Biden Administration's proposal is absolutely unacceptable for our communities who are bearing the burden of the Department of Energy's largest environmental cleanup project in the United States here at the Hanford Site in Central Washington,"" said Rep. Newhouse. ""These PILT payments are vital sources of funding and serve as a lifeline for rural communities in Central Washington with nontaxable federal lands. Without this funding, our rural communities will face devastating budget shortfalls as they juggle planning and paying for basic services like public safety, firefighting, social services, and transportation with a reduced local tax base. I am committed to reversing this terribly misguided move by the Biden Administration and will do everything in my power as a Member of the Appropriations Committee to ensure our local communities remain whole.""",1,2026-03-30T01:40:41Z,2026-04-06T19:57:00Z