Congressman Derek Kilmer

Representing the 6th District of Washington
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Working to Promote Fiscal Responsibility

Representative Kilmer believes that most people in our region want Congress to spend less time playing partisan games designed to make the other party look bad and more time working on pragmatic solutions to solve our nation’s long-term challenges. As a member of the Bipartisan Working Group and the Problem Solvers Caucus, he’s committed to working with his colleagues from across the aisle to try to find common ground to move our nation’s budget discussions forward.

  • Representative Kilmer has voted to cut billions of dollars in wasteful spending this Congress. Whether it’s outdated and inefficient farm subsidies and defense programs, or ending needless subsidies to oil and gas companies, Representative Kilmer is working to ensure taxpayer dollars are being put to good use.
     
  • One of the fundamental jobs of Congress is to deal with our nation’s finances. That means regularly passing budgets. Representative Kilmer is a cosponsor of legislation known as No Budget, No Pay which says that if Congress doesn’t do its job and pass a budget, Members of Congress shouldn’t get paid.
     
  • Representative Kilmer strongly opposed the senseless, across-the-board spending cuts that furloughed workers and undermined key programs that serve seniors and our most vulnerable populations. Instead, Representative Kilmer believes Congress should fully repeal sequestration and work on a more thoughtful, strategic, and common-sense approach to the budget.

When Congressional dysfunction resulted in a government shutdown last year, Representative Kilmer fought for a deal that would get local shipyard workers, park rangers and other public servants back to work. During the government shutdown, Representative Kilmer returned his own pay, because Members of Congress shouldn’t get paid when they cause the rest of government to close its doors.
 

More on Working to Promote Fiscal Responsibility

Oct 29, 2013 Press Release

Seeking to help reverse a decline in Americans’ personal savings rates, Representative Derek Kilmer today introduced the bipartisan American Savings Promotion Act with Representatives Tom Cotton and Niki Tsongas. This bill would allow more financial institutions to offer raffle-based, prize linked savings accounts – a safe, regulated, and innovative product that is designed to encourage saving.

May 14, 2013 Press Release

 

Feb 27, 2013 In The News
Before joining Congress seven weeks ago, I spent a decade working in economic development, helping businesses to create jobs. I know that when government works well — making smart investments and fostering a friendly and predictable business climate — it can help companies invest in new equipment and hire new workers. What government does and doesn’t do can often have a direct impact on the ability of our economy to grow.
Feb 21, 2013 In The News

In his first speech on the House floor, Congressman Derek Kilmer talked about how much his district would suffer if lawmakers allow across-the-board federal spending cuts to take effect March 1.

Speaking last week in Washington D.C., the Democrat from Gig Harbor said allowing $85 billion in cuts would throw the fragile economy back into a recession.

"By doing nothing," the freshman representative said, "we hurt the men and women who spend their days protecting our nation and providing essential services to the American people."

Feb 21, 2013 In The News

Shipyard workers not only face forfeiting one work day per week, they could lose benefits and even their security clearances, they told U.S. Rep. Derek Kilmer on Tuesday.

Kilmer, who’s been in Norm Dick’s former House seat for seven weeks, invited 18 labor leaders to his Norm Dicks Government Center office to share their concerns about impending federal budget problems.

Feb 14, 2013 Press Release
This morning, in his first speech on the floor of the US House of Representatives, Representative Derek Kilmer highlighted the local impact and concerns that people around our region have about the upcoming across-the-board cuts that will go into effect at the end of the month
Feb 12, 2013 Press Release

Representative Derek Kilmer released the following statement after attending President Barack Obama’s State of the Union address.  Representative Kilmer was glad to hear more from the President on how we can replace looming across-the-board cuts with a balanced deficit reduction plan that includes retaining key investments to create jobs, and protect the middle class.  Last month, Puget Sound Naval Shipyard had to postpone a job fair because of budget uncertainty and a plunge in military spending may have caused our economy to dip slightly in the fourth quarter of 2012.

Jan 30, 2013 Press Release

Representative Derek Kilmer released the following statement on the news that gross domestic product contracted by  0.1 percent in the final quarter of 2012, in part due to a plunge in military spending.  Military spending will be heavily reduced if Congress does not prevent the deep cuts set for March 1st that would result from sequestration.