Accomplishments

My number one priority is to create an economic environment that grows jobs and strengthens the foundation for future economic growth.

I am working hard to grow the economy, reduce unemployment and help hardworking families and small businesses in Northwest Washington by:

Fighting to See the Label “Made in America” Again

• Ensuring that Boeing builds the next Air Force Tanker in the Northwest by the best aerospace workers in the world
• Supporting our small shipyards by championing grants to help increase productivity and create jobs
• Fighting to keep the Intalco plant in Ferndale, which currently employees over 500 people, open for business
• Investing in the Skagit Valley College Marine and Advanced Manufacturing & Repair program to train the next manufacturing workforce
• Introducing the Small Manufacturers Export Initiative in Congress and implementing a District-based export promotion program to help small businesses export their products – not their jobs – overseas

Helping Small Businesses Get the Tools and Resources They Need to Grow and Hire

• Fighting to help small businesses get access to much-needed capital so they can grow and hire
• Supported the National Exports Initiative to help small businesses export their products, not jobs
• Supported tax credits for capital investments and equipment purchases so small businesses could afford to expand in these tough economic times

Keeping our Communities Safe

• Helped Snohomish County law enforcement officers purchase concealed cameras and vehicle trackers to better tackle drug trafficking organizations
• Helped Whatcom County law enforcement purchase specialized software that enables better information-sharing between local, state, federal and border authorities
• Supported increased resources for the Northwest High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTA)
• Working to ensure that the northern border is safe by advocating for the Office of National Drug Control Policy and the Department of Homeland Security to coordinate a counterdrug strategy for the northern border
• Have taken the lead in Congress to protect our children from dextromethorphan (DXM) abuse by introducing H.R. 1259 – the Dextromethrophan Distribution Act of 2009 --  that would increase regulation of DXM.
• Fighting against the use of methamphetamine by introducing legislation to increase resources to help educate 12-17 year-olds about the devastating effects of meth

Tax Relief for Families

• Supported a tax cut for 95 percent of American workers including 291,000 families in the 2nd Congressional District
• Helped 67,000 students in Washington afford sky-rocketing tuition payments through a new $2500 federal college tax credit
• Helped over 32,000 families in our state achieve the dream of homeownership by supporting a homebuyer tax credit

Working Hard for Our Farmers

• Worked to improve dairy pricing that will help stabilize prices nationwide and reduce the impact that price fluctuations have on local jobs and hardworking farmers
• Led the fight in Congress to have nearly $2 billion of tariffs slapped on U.S. agricultural products by Mexico
• Supported a Small Fruits Center in Corvallis to help our small fruit farmers combat diseases

Supporting NS Everett, NAS Whidbey, and our Military Families

• Supported  our servicemembers and their families by increasing military pay by 1.9%
• Fighting for increased EA-18G Growlers to be located at NAS Whidbey and leading the charge in Congress on electronic warfare issues
• Successfully fought to award bonuses on top of other pay and benefits for servicemen and women who agree to serve in Afghanistan until the U.S. mission is declared complete
• Secured $3.8 million in infrastructure improvements for NS Everett

Supporting Schools, Improving Education

• Fighting to ensure school districts get timely reimbursements of Impact Aid resources so teachers, students and their families do not suffer from the budgetary uncertainties of Impact Aid
• Supporting the Pell Grant program so that college is a reality for any student who wants to attend
• Provided critical funding that will help save 408 education jobs in the Second Congressional district

Protecting our Environment

• Introduced and passed legislation to protect Illabot Creek, an important endangered salmon spawning habitat in Skagit County
• Introduced and passed legislation to reauthorize the Northwest Straits Commission, an organization focused on the overall health of the Northwest Straits marine ecosystem
• Fought for resources to acquire the Mitchell Hill property near San Juan County Island National Historical Park to protect this land from development and enhance recreational opportunities for visitors

Improving Health Care in the District

• Fought to improve Medicare reimbursement rates for Washington state doctors included the health care reform legislation
• Successfully fought against the implementation of new provider taxes for rural hospitals, which would harm rural critical access hospitals including Whidbey General and United
• Working for new hospital safety net assessment that will protect Washington state's safety net system of care for Medicaid and CHIP enrollees
• Supported the expansion of health care access for 11 million kids through SCHIP