eNewsletters

11.28.16

Giving Back and Giving Thanks

Dear Friend, I hope you are recovering after a long weekend of food, football (how about those Huskies? Trying to forget the Seahawks), family, and Black Friday sales. Generally as Thanksgiving approaches, we usually get a little excited. Some dream about the delicious food they are going to pile high on their plate. Maybe you look forward to a steady stream of football games and family time with uncles, aunts, and cousins you haven't seen in a while. I've found that nothing brings people … Continue Reading


11.14.16

A New Day

Dear Friend, Since my last update, the 2016 election took over newsfeeds, dinner table conversations, and our airwaves, and then finally came to an end. I'm honored that folks in our region decided to re-hire me and give me the opportunity to be their voice in our nation's capital again. Thank you for that. I'll continue to be accountable and accessible to the folks I represent. As part of that, I promise to keep sending these newsletters straight to your inbox! As you can imagine, I've heard … Continue Reading


10.31.16

A Special Honor for Our Region

Dear Friend, I talk a lot in my updates to you about what makes our region special. For example, recently I wrote about an amazing hike we took in the Olympic National Park to honor the Park Service Centennial. Or the sites of downtown Tacoma - museums and theaters that have made the City of Destiny a City of Destinations! Puget Sound Naval Shipyard is certainly one of those assets. The Shipyard recently celebrated 125 years of maintaining our nation's Naval power and providing quality jobs. … Continue Reading


10.17.16

After the Storm

Dear Friend, Phew. While the storm that hit this weekend wasn't as brutal as some forecasts had expected, in many parts of our region, this was a tough and tumultuous weekend. It was a relief not to have "The Storm of the Century," though the storm that hit our area still brought high winds, heavy rains, and huge waves that threatened properties and required fast action (particularly by those on the coast). Those coastal communities saw firsthand the encroachment of the ocean with serious surg… Continue Reading


10.03.16

An Anchor in our Region

Dear Friend, There are some pretty special things about our neck of the woods. Sure, some might say I'm biased because I was born and raised here. But where else can you find Dungeness Spit - the world's longest naturally occurring sand spit. Or how about a 73 mile long wilderness coast? I'm not just talking about natural landscapes either. Our region is home to folks like Gig Harbor's Megan Blunk. After being paralyzed in a motorcycle crash in 2008, she discovered a love for wheelchair basket… Continue Reading


09.19.16

Coming Together

Dear Friend, Our region is special. We celebrate together, we volunteer together, and we remember together. Each of us have moments in our lives we won't forget. Some are personal. I, for one, will forever remember the days when my daughters were born. My 106-year-old grandmother still talks about the day her village in Holland was liberated during World War II as though it was yesterday. But there are moments as a community and as a nation that we won't forget. Moments that stick with us. An… Continue Reading


09.06.16

A Long Time Coming

Dear Friend, As many of you know, my approach to this job is guided by my belief that I work for you. It's why I enjoy traveling across our region to listen to your ideas and thoughts and bring them back to Congress. That way, we can build progress together. Another key part of that is helping you, your family, or your business get the service you deserve from government. I'm proud of the extraordinary casework my office does on a daily basis. I encourage anyone who is grappling with a federal… Continue Reading


08.22.16

Modeling Good Behavior in the Pacific Northwest

Dear Friend, Too often Congress - and our political scene in general - looks like a clip from the World Wrestling Federation. Lately, we've seen far too many insults and jabs (though thankfully, we've mostly avoided actual body slams). But even the biggest Hulkamaniac has got to feel the need for greater civility. For more progress. For the voices of the American people to be listened to in our political process. Having said that, despite the smackdown that we see on TV every day, I've got som… Continue Reading


08.08.16

A Call to Action

Dear Friend, Is there a better place to be in August than the Pacific Northwest? Sunshine, the outdoors, and a bevy of delicious food to eat at fairs, parades, and festivals. Plus, can you think of another organization in baseball that would mark Boston Red Sox slugger David Ortiz's last game at Safeco Field by giving him 34 pounds of salmon? I don't think so. We also try to encourage civic engagement in our neck of the woods. Here in Washington, we've tried to make it easier for folks to cast… Continue Reading


07.25.16

Need to get it done

Friends, The former coach of the Miami Dolphins, Don Shula, was known as a great motivational leader. When asked the secret of his success, he said, "I'm just a guy who rolls up his sleeves and goes to work." Like most folks, I'd like to see Congress follow that ethic. Less bickering. Less games. More progress. More work. Sadly, Congress recently went into one of its longest recesses in recent decades. And worse still, it did so without getting the job done on a multitude of issues. Congress… Continue Reading


07.11.16

A Difficult Week

Friends, This past week was a difficult one for our country. After several days of tragedies, it's important that we don't simply go about our business. Rather, now is a time for reflection and dialogue. Too often, in Washington DC, these moments lend themselves to partisan bickering. But something constructive and unique happened on Friday when House Speaker Paul Ryan and Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi joined together to make a joint statement. Speaker Ryan commented, "Every member of this bo… Continue Reading


06.27.16

Time for a Sit-Down

Dear Friend, Many of you know that I first got involved in public service because I wanted to leave a better world for my kiddos. As a representative - and as a dad - I've been heartbroken to read the stories of lives lost in Orlando. These folks were just out on a Saturday, enjoying a place where they felt at home and could be themselves. This also happened during Pride Month. A time where, in general, we note the important strides we've made in securing equality and dignity for every America… Continue Reading


06.13.16

School's Out

The first day of summer might not be until next week but you can feel it in the air. The sun is shining, the Mariners are winning (honestly! Not far from the Rangers!), and Sophie and Tess are counting down the minutes until the end of school. When school is out, we try to keep our daughters busy. Whether it's summer camps, day trips, or bike rides in the neighborhood, we try hard to avoid hearing the perilous refrain: "Mom, Dad - we're bored." For our family, the great outdoors are a "go-to"… Continue Reading


05.30.16

Working for those who protect us

Today our nation takes a moment to pay tribute to those patriotic Americans who have lost their lives in service to our nation. I'm reminded - not just as your representative - but as the dad of two little girls that our country is stronger and freer as a result of the service and sacrifice of those who serve. To me, it begs a larger question: What do we do to honor their memory? Certainly, saying thank you to every service member, to every family member, is a start. To try to h… Continue Reading


05.16.16

Transformers: 2016

Many of you know that I'm a big movie buff. I love everything about the movies. Popcorn - love it. Milk Duds - love them. Milk Duds in my popcorn - LOVE IT! Not only do I like the one-off classic movies, I'm a fan of franchises. As the biggest Star Wars fan in Congress, I'm a fan of that whole series (though I admit, I'm still not keen on Jar Jar Binks). I've enjoyed every single one of the Hunger Games films. And why have one Rocky movie when you can have seven? I confess, though, that I've … Continue Reading


05.02.16

6th District Art at the U.S. Capitol

For the record, I am not an artist. But I love art. In fact, I love the fact that ? every morning before I open my refrigerator ? I get to look at a Tess Kilmer original. Over the years, my kiddos have shown their creativity in paintings, drawings, and even funky-looking apples made with tiny pieces of tissue paper. But their work makes our home a lot more fun. That's true in our communities too. Think about the amazing cultural assets we have throughout our region. The theaters, museu… Continue Reading


04.18.16

A Win for Everyone

As the Representative for our region I get a lot of good questions. Sometimes people want to know about how we can get veterans the care they need. Or they want to ask a question about the budget dysfunction in DC. But since my daughter's birthday some folks want to know??who was that copy of Star Wars: The Force Awakens really for? Well, I can assure you that this was, in fact, my present to Sophie for her 10th birthday (but that doesn't mean I can't watch it with her). My next Star W… Continue Reading


04.04.16

A big week for our family!

This is a week of big milestones in our family. My oldest daughter, Sophie, turns 10 today (yes ? I've talked her into birthday pie rather than cake? that's my girl!). And at the end of last week, my grandmother ? aka Oma ? turned 106 years old! Many of you might have heard me talk about how I hope to have inherited her genes. I've continued to eat my vegetables and hit the gym ? but Oma has yet to reveal the secret sauce for how she does it. Oma has seen a lot during her lifetime. She's witn… Continue Reading


03.21.16

Oh Canada

Dear Friend, Since my last update I was honored to meet Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. I joined six of my colleagues and several of the senior government officials from Canada in a meeting to discuss some of our common interests. Among the issues I raised with the Prime Minister was my strong interest in protecting our shared waters. As many of you know, for decades the Victoria area of British Columbia has been dumping raw sewage into the shared waters of the Strait of Juan d… Continue Reading


03.08.16

Remembering Our Neighbors

Dear Friend, By and large when I send you these email updates, I generally start with an upbeat story or a joke. But, honestly, as I write this, I do so with a heavy heart. Recently, tragedy struck our region when a shooting in Belfair took the lives of a family and one of their neighbors. This senseless violence shocked us all. It's something we have seen too often, in too many communities. As is often the case in our region, this tragedy also showed how we support one another. People … Continue Reading

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