August Legislative Recess Wrap-Up

This August, I have been hard at work in Central Washington meeting with constituents, small businesses, and more!

Here are some of the things that I have been up to:

Attended the Association of Washington Institute (AWBI) and Children's Campaign Fund Action's (CCFA) Childcare Roundtable. The topics of discussion included challenges around childcare availability, funding, its role as a barrier to higher education, and women in the workforce.

Gave the keynote speech at the Quincy Rotary luncheon to speak about topics such as irrigation, WOTUS, wildfires, the Congressional Western Caucus, and more.

The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is a threat to American democracy, and the United States is currently engaged in a great power struggle. It is paramount that we respond with tough policies that will protect our farmland, rebuild our national supply chains, and safeguard American sovereignty.

China-based businesses and Chinese investors currently own approximately 500 acres of farmland in Klickitat County and roughly 6,000 acres in Kittitas County.

While this number does not represent the majority of land ownership in Central Washington, China’s rise—coupled with its geopolitical heft and its strategic goals that are sometimes at odds with Washington's—has raised questions over who owns this land and how much control the Chinese government has over the ownership.

I have introduced numerous pieces of legislation this Congress to protect Central Washington from the CCP's influence, including the Prohibition of Agricultural Land for the People’s Republic of China Act, Protecting U.S. Farmland and Sensitive Sites from Foreign Adversaries Act, Promoting Agriculture Safeguards and Security (PASS) Act, and an amendment to the Agriculture and Rural Development Appropriations Bill to require the Secretary of Agriculture to take necessary actions to prohibit the purchase of U.S. agricultural land by the CCP, Russia, North Korea, or Iran.

I have long been a supporter of our Central Washington agricultural producers and will continue to do all that I can to both protect their interests and stop this threat to our national security.

Reminder, the annual Central Washington Congressional App Challenge is in full swing!

This competition is open to all middle and high school students who reside in or attend a school in Washington's 4th Congressional District, and is a wonderful opportunity for all students from Central Washington to represent our region and demonstrate their ingenuity and creativity. Students may participate individually or in teams of up to four.

The Congressional App Challenge is now open and will run through November 1, 2023. The winning apps will be featured in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C., on house.gov, and on the Congressional App Challenge Website. Winning students will be invited to the #HouseofCode reception on Capitol Hill and will be awarded additional prizes, to be announced later.

I strongly encourage any student with a STEM background or who is interested in STEM to create an app and show your skills to the country!