Folks,

I recently attended a private screening for activists of a new documentary called The Snake and The Whale – about the critically endangered Southern Resident Orcas here in Washington state.

Our cultural ties to these incredible creatures run deep. For the indigenous tribes of the region, especially the Lummi and Tulalip tribes, orcas are an integral part of their identity.

But the orcas are dying, and it’s entirely our fault.

For decades, experts have been warning about the impact of the Lower Snake River Dam system in Eastern Washington, which is killing off Chinook salmon – a MAJOR source of food for the Southern Resident Orcas.

“Unless the four lower Snake River dams are breached in the very near future as part of the recovery measures, the Southern Resident orcas will not survive or recover.”

Dr. Deborah Giles

Wild Orca

Look, there’s a hundred reasons these dams should come down.

Despite claims that the dams are significant, clean, and efficient sources of alternative energy (they’re not), that they provide jobs that are irreplaceable (they don’t), or that they’re essential for moving commercial goods (they aren’t) – every single expert assessment for decades has concluded that the negative environmental impacts outweigh any modest benefit the dams provide.

Bottom line: we don’t need these dams. Everyone in Washington knows this. The longer we maintain them the more it costs – literally.

But like every single issue that matters to our community, my opponent Rick Larsen refuses to act against corporate interests. He’s on the record saying “I don’t support breaching the dams,” while he makes noises of concern about the environmental impact. He cashes campaign checks from the biggest polluters on the planet and vaguely defends the “commercial benefits” of the dams.

I’m an activist. When I see a problem, my instinct is to organize and respond to it; to make sure people know what’s happening and what we can do about it. And then to get it done.

I’m not an expert on orcas. So, I listen to the people who ARE experts and I take their counsel to heart. And that’s what I will do as your congressman – for every issue. Rick Larsen can’t say the same.

Our primary is just a few days away, and we’re still reaching out to voters who haven’t cast their ballots yet. Thanks to everyone who contributed, we’ve been able to broaden our outreach and we keep connecting with votes who are so hungry for change. Can you pitch in now to fund our voter contact in the final stretch?

This is not a new issue for me. I’ve been following these developments for years. I know how important the orcas are to our community. They’re important to me, too.

I don’t have to be an expert to make the connection that the orcas are dying because of decisions humans have made – decisions we can and should change.

If we lose the Southern Resident Orcas, we lose a piece of ourselves. Every time we sacrifice our planet and the creatures we share space with to put another dollar in a rich man’s pocket, a part of us dies.

What’s happening to our orcas is just another symptom in the sickness of capitalism. To save them we have to change our relationship with our planet and our people. We have to reassess what matters and make it a priority.

As your congressman, my door will always be open to conservationists, activists, and concerned citizens. Corporate lobbyists can go to hell.

If we want to change the culture in Congress, we have to change the congressmen. We have a chance to make history on Tuesday. Please give what you can and help me spread the word in these final days.

In solidarity,

Jason

P.S. To learn more about efforts underway – and to take action yourself – to press the Biden administration to breach the dams that are killing salmon and our orcas, visit BidenBreachNow.com.