John, welcome to the latest edition of Emily’s Notes!

FIRST OFF: My team and I have been closely monitoring the flooding across Western Washington. I visited the Lake Sylvia Dam and Chehalis River with local, state, and tribal leaders to make sure we were “boots on the ground” alongside them. Our state’s delegation urged President Trump to issue an Emergency Declaration, which unlocks federal funds and assistance for disaster relief. The situation is moving quickly as I write this, but we’re doing everything we can to keep our neighbors safe and secure the resources to rebuild.

Some more updates from Washington’s 6th and Washington, D.C.:

• Does anyone recognize this guy? 😁

At a gathering with freshman congressmembers hosted by Freshman Class President Rep. Yassamin Ansari, I finally met President Barack Obama. I think my face says it all. 

He spoke to us about public service and how we can meet this moment. The evening left me feeling, say it with me: fired up and ready to go!

• Man, I feel like a legislator! – I passed three bills off the House floor this month!

The Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe Project Lands Restoration Act and Quinault Indian Nation Land Transfer Act uphold our treaty obligations and transfer land back to Tribal ownership. The Protecting America’s Workforce Act restores collective bargaining rights to thousands of federal workers.

Add to that hours of managing floor debate (along with my Republican colleague Jeff Hurd of Colorado), and I feel like an actual legislator in a way I haven’t for much of this year. We’re not here to perform for cameras, we’re here to make policy!!!

• My 17th and final town hall of 2025 — We held our third tele-town hall this month, and 14,000 (!!) constituents joined, asking questions about SNAP, healthcare premiums, and holding officials like Pete Hegseth and Kristi Noem accountable. 

The Trump administration needs to know that people are watching – and we want leaders who uphold the Constitution. If you missed it, the video of the full town hall is on YouTube.

• Speaking of Kristi Noem – DHS Secretary Kristi Noem came to the Hill to testify in front of Congress. I was on my way to hold her accountable for having ICE agents use attack dogs and ask about the inhumane treatment of detainees at the Tacoma Detention Center, but she left early.

We should be using taxpayer dollars to help families dealing with the floods in Washington, not to harass, terrorize, and deport American citizens, including veterans.

Now is the part where I ask you for an end-of-year donation.

As I write this, three Republicans just broke ranks and joined Democrats to force a vote on extending ACA healthcare funding.

All it took was three. And with retirements and special elections coming up, that margin could shrink.

It’s no wonder Trump and his team are begging red states to gerrymander their maps, picking their voters before the voters have the chance to pick someone else!

I sound like a broken record, but taking back the House next year is priority #1. We need leaders who understand their job is to check and balance the Executive Branch, not rubber-stamp everything they ask for.

In 2025, thanks to your support, we were able to lend early support to Democrats in swing districts. That includes a PAC donation to JoAnna Mendoza in Arizona’s 6th and additional funding for the DCCC, the House Democrats’ political arm.

The “outside Congress” part of our strategy relies on your grassroots donations, and we need about $10,000 more before the end of the year. If you can make a one-time gift – or even better, make it monthly – that’ll go a long way toward setting up the House to flip in 2026!

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Thank you so much for your patience, enthusiasm, and support during this wild year. Happy holidays!

– Emily