Protecting Central Washington from the CCP

This week, I questioned former U.S. Attorney General William Barr and former Drug Enforcement Agency Chief of Operations, Ray Donovan, on how the Chinese Communist Party is subsidizing, awarding, and investing in the production of illicit fentanyl precursor chemicals.

As you all know, the fentanyl epidemic has taken far too many American lives. Now we know that the CCP is encouraging the production of these chemicals, which are illegal in China, and that they are sent to Mexican drug cartels where they are turned into the fentanyl that comes over our border. 

This is unacceptable and is the latest example of how the CCP is seeking to harm our culture and way of life. 

But these precursor chemicals are not the only substance funded by the CCP. Recently, the House Select Committee on the CCP discovered that a number of marijuana farms in the United States are actually funded and operated by the CCP here on American turf. I joined The Bottom Line Show on FOX Business to discuss this issue. 

COMING SOON: Central Washington Job Fair

If you are seeking employment or looking for a change in career, I invite you to attend my Central Washington Job Fair!

Date: April 27, 2024

Time: 10:00 AM - 2:00 PM PST

Location: Yakima Convention Center, 10 N 8th St, Yakima, WA 98901

This event is free and open to all Central Washington job seekers and their families. Applicants should come prepared with resumes and/or interview materials.

Fighting for a Comprehensive Farm Bill

This week, I spoke on the House floor supporting a Farm Bill that works for our farmers and ranchers.

Passing a Farm Bill means securing the priorities of rural America, and as Chairman of the Western Caucus and a third-generation farmer, I understand the importance of this legislation more than most.

Today's farmers and ranchers feel all too often the consequences of a heavy-handed federal bureaucracy, and over the past three years, agricultural operations large and small have been impacted by excessive regulations and tax burdens. This also comes at a time when our producers are also facing unprecedented labor shortages and high costs, which is why at this critical moment, we cannot turn our backs on them.

While the Farm Bill is still in the works, the House Committee on Agriculture has been doing their due diligence to gather real farmers' perspectives, evaluate current programs, and include strong policies that put rural America first.

This legislation will send a message to America’s farmers and ranchers that we still have their back, and I will continue to support them just as they support our nation.

Corps of Engineers Request Threatens Salmon

This week, I questioned officials with the Army Corps of Engineers and Bureau of Reclamation about the Lower Snake River dam’s salmon mitigation and spillage operations during a hearing with the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development.

The annual budget request by the Corps of Engineers proposes $75.2 million for the Columbia River Fish Mitigation Program, while research shows spillage operations harms water quality and could result in a surge in salmon mortality.  

There has been a longstanding debate over the survival of the Lower Snake River Dams, and those advocating for breaching often cite that salmon mortality is a large reason. Why, then, are these same advocates proposing an operation which will both kill salmon and decrease our hydroelectric capacity?

The Lower Snake River Dams provides the Pacific Northwest with clean, renewable, and affordable hydropower energy and are vital to our all-of-the-above energy future. Removing them is not only misguided—it also directly goes against this administration's clean energy goals.

I have said it before, and I will say it again—Congress alone has the authority to breach the Lower Snake River Dams, and as long as I am your representative, I will fight to ensure our dams remain in place.

ICE: “We just don’t have as many personnel to go out to pick up at-large individuals”

Earlier this week, I questioned Patrick Lechleitner, Acting Director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), on how the crisis at the Southern Border is causing other sectors of the Department of Homeland Security to fall behind.

Surprisingly, the Acting Director cited ICE’s inability to detain at-large illegal immigrants currently inside the country due to the agency’s resources being pulled to assist with the record high flow of illegal immigrants flooding the Southern Border. 

As we all know, our Southern Border is at a tipping point, and swift action must be taken to secure it. Over 189,900 illegal migrants flooded our border in February, and these surges just keep coming.

ICE should not be forced to give up necessary resources to combat the border crisis created by the Biden Administration, which is why myself and my colleagues on the House Appropriations Committee will work hard to ensure they have the proper tools to protect our communities.

Visiting with the Tacoma-Pierce County Chamber

Discussing Priorities with Business and Civic Leaders from Washington State

Meeting with Rural Electric Cooperatives About Energy Challenges in Central Washington