On Memorial Day, I joined the Brewster American Legion Post 97 at Locust Grove Cemetery to honor the brave men and women who have fallen in service to our nation.

While there, I spoke with veterans and visited the graves of friends and family that have paid the ultimate sacrifice to protect our freedoms. 

It is imperative that we remember the sacrifice our fallen soldiers have made and reaffirm our commitment to bettering the lives of those who served going forward. For it is their commitment that has and will continue to protect our way of life.

The United States can remain the land of the free, only because of the brave.

This week, I joined state Rep. Jacqueline Maycumber for a roundtable discussion with the orchardists of Washington State.

While there, we discussed the challenges our orchardists are facing in the wake of unrelenting labor cost increases, falling prices, unprecedented crop loss, and loan programs that simply do not work for our producers.

Hearing about the challenges our producers are facing helps me better represent their needs in Congress and underscores the need to pass a comprehensive Farm Bill.

On Tuesday, I joined the Quilts of Valor group for their Lunch with Veterans event.

The Quilt of Valor is a beautiful tradition that started in 2003 when Catherine Roberts decided to welcome her son home from the Iraq War with a handmade quilt. This quilt is meant to symbolize empathy and comfort, and has been presented to over 320,000 veterans and counting.

While there, I spoke with Central Washington veterans and learned more about the wonderful Quilts of Valor program.

Thank you for your service, and may God bless you.

On Thursday, I attended the Washington State Agriculture Viability Conference and spoke at their fireside chat. This conference was an opportunity to discuss the challenges our producers face within the industry as well as the future of agriculture.

I spoke about topics ranging from the Farm Bill and agricultural labor reform, to issues such as rising input costs and crop insurance.

The future of Washington agriculture is promising, but it is imperative that we face the reality: food security is national security, and right now, our food security is threatened.

As a third-generation farmer, I understand agriculture better than most of my colleagues in Congress, and I will continue to use that knowledge to advocate for priorities that will ease the burden our producers are facing. 

On Tuesday, I met with the Forest Service and travelled to the Colville National Forest to see the damage from wildfires.

While there, I saw firsthand the devastation these fires caused and how badly residents were affected.

The catastrophic wildfires facing our region are, unfortunately, something we have come to expect during the dry, summer months, but I am committed to working with local officials to ensure we have the resources we need to prepare, prevent, and recover when the time comes. 

On Thursday, I had the honor of meeting with Grandview High School's American Politics class.

We discussed everything from the general powers and responsibilities of the legislative branch to the importance of civic engagement.

Getting to spend time with such bright young minds instills confidence in our next generation.

On Thursday, I attended the official ribbon cutting ceremony for the new Burns & McDonnell office opening in Richland.

Their innovative business model will add new jobs to our communities, and bring about exciting advancements in the energy sector.

Burns & McDonnell play a critical role in the important work being done at Hanford and PNNL, and projects like these are sure to bring new opportunities to the Tri-Cities.

Today, I attended the Columbia Basin Electrical Training Center ribbon cutting and had a chance to tour their newly built facilities, operated by the Columbia Basin Electrical Training Alliance.

The facility includes labs and classrooms and will serve as a place to train for electrical apprentices.

This new training center will not only help educate new tradesmen—it will also support the growing electrical industry and bring new jobs to the Tri-Cities.