eNewsletters
The town hall tour
Dear Friend, I just wrapped up my week-long town hall tour this past Saturday. Following my "Town-Hall-a-Palooza," Sophie, Tess, and I went up north and visited grandma and grandpa for a delicious meal. It was some great family time before flying back to D.C. today! Over the course of the week, I held seven town halls, visiting every county in the district I represent. We had a terrific turnout and even had a few citizens attend multiple town halls (I kind of wanted to get them a "Town Ha… Continue Reading
02.08.16
Lutefisk! Get your Lutefisk here!
Dear Friend, We know that we have a lot of work to do to fix a broken Congress. Two weeks ago, legislation was not the only thing that was stuck in place as Snowpocalypse 2016 hit Washington, D.C. The snowy mess gave me additional days to work in our region and I enjoyed meeting and listening to many of you - and a chance to chow down on some tasty Lutefisk. What can I say? It's growing on me. (Honestly, if you put enough butter and bacon bits on anything, it can be… palatable). Thi… Continue Reading
01.25.16
Education, like Wheaties, is good for you
Dear Friend, A quality education can unlock so many doors. It can broaden our horizons. It can help people pursue a new career. It can empower someone to make it in America. Education all starts with memorable teachers that make a difference. I see that when I run into someone who was inspired after having had my mom or dad as a teacher in school. I'm reminded of it when I think of the instructors that made an enormous impact on my life. And it's something I touched on while marking my dad… Continue Reading
01.11.16
Progress with your help
Dear Friend, One of the most memorable moments of the 1990s for me took place on October 8, 1995. Watching Ken Griffey Jr. in a dead sprint, running around the bases, and scoring the winning run against the Yankees in the Division Series was unforgettable. Though it happened more than twenty years ago, in some ways it feels like just yesterday. How cool was it to see "The Kid" with a giant smile on his face at the bottom of that pile as his teammates celebrated?!?! I watched the clip of th… Continue Reading
12.29.15
Year in review
Dear Friend, I hope you had a terrific holiday! Thankfully, the Kilmers had a fun few days of family, friends, food and football (that's about as much alliteration as I can use in a sentence - my high school English teacher, Mrs. Elliott, would be proud). First things first: Congrats to the Huskies and the Cougars for two Boxing Day victories in bowl games. Sophie and I pounded through a whole vat of the Kilmer Secret Recipe Bean Dip and watched some good football. As we look to 2016, bo… Continue Reading
12.14.15
Holiday deadlines
Friends, As you read this, Congress is trying to avert another shutdown. Congressional approval ratings have hit the single digits before, seeming to signal that only close friends and family members gave a thumbs up. If Congress can’t get its act together before the holidays, I imagine ratings like that could go even lower. The dysfunctional way in which Congress approaches budgeting gives you a strong sense of how Congress earns such a low approval. Need proof? At the end of Septemb… Continue Reading
11.30.15
A plate of turkey, with a side of service
Dear Friend, I hope by the time you're reading this you’ve recovered from the food coma that seems to strike following Thanksgiving. I was thankful to spend some quality time with my family (not to mention some quality time with delicious turkey, stuffing, and corn casserole). If you follow me on Facebook or are a regular newsletter subscriber, you might have read about my efforts show support for those in need this season. That’s why last Monday I kicked off a ‘Week of Thanks’ where I g… Continue Reading
11.16.15
Saying thanks for service
Dear Friend, Each year on Veterans Day we get a chance to say thanks for the bravery and service our veterans have shown defending our nation. It means a lot in our neck of the woods since so many of our friends and neighbors have answered the call to serve. Around here we know it’s important for our kids to understand that it’s not just a day off from school or a day off of work to buy a mattress or an appliance. It’s meant to be a day to honor our veterans. Last week I joined the celebr… Continue Reading
11.02.15
A New (Budget) Deal
Dear Friend, As you read this we are flying through fall. Halloween has now come and gone (though, in my house, the candy will likely last for a few more days). Colorful leaves are now begging to be raked into a pile (and to become a target for my kids to jump into). And pumpkin pie, pumpkin spice latte, and pumpkin muffins have taken over grocery stores and coffee shops. We’re not just seeing seasonal transitions. We also had some changes under the Capitol Dome, as Speaker John Boehner re… Continue Reading
10.19.15
Time to get outside
Dear Friend, Sometimes on a weekend afternoon or a day off from school I run into a challenge. It usually starts along these lines - my two daughters have already watched Frozen 45 times. They’ve built entire communities in Minecraft and they’re uninspired by Barbie (and even Skipper). When they start to pull out the Pretty Pedicure Salon and eye my feet for a makeover, it’s about time for me to declare, “Let’s go outside!” For Sophie and Tess, there is nothing better than escaping the hou… Continue Reading
10.05.15
The Golden Rule
Dear Friend, At some point when you were growing up a teacher, pastor, or parent probably told you to never forget one thing: ‘The Golden Rule’. The idea of treating others the way you want to be treated follows you throughout life. It’s relevant when you are picking teams for kickball on the playground, meeting new kids at high school, or walking through the doors of your first big job. It’s also a lesson that Congress should pay attention to more often! Congress got its own reminder of t… Continue Reading
09.21.15
Avoiding a shutdown
Dear Friend, You can always count on certain things during the fall. The leaves are changing, the kids are back in school, and the Seahawks have kicked off another season. But these days, there are real concerns that Congress may also be kicking off a new tradition: shutting down the federal government. For the second time in two years, Congress is playing a dangerous game of political brinkmanship. Congress has until the end of the month to pass a spending measure or else funding for our … Continue Reading
09.08.15
Honoring America's workers
Dear Friend, Greetings from 30,000 feet above America. As I send this, I’m heading back to Washington, D.C. following the August recess. If you’ve been following my activities on Facebook, you’ll know that I’ve been busy (my wife, Jennifer, finds the word “recess” a completely unfitting description of the past month). I’ve enjoyed running from pillar to post around our region. Like many of you, I also enjoyed celebrating Labor Day weekend. This past weekend wasn’t just a time for summer fe… Continue Reading
08.24.15
Kilmer on a stick
Dear Friend, By the end of August, I will have visited 8 fairs and festivals in one month. It’s a great opportunity for me to get to visit with the folks I represent and hear what’s on your mind. It’s also a great opportunity for me to consume fair food. I’ve been alternating between the two basic fair food groups: 1) fried food and 2) meat on a stick. In Grays Harbor, I went chicken on a stick. In Clallam County, it was deep fried Oreos. Next up, the coup de grace...Combining the two food… Continue Reading
08.10.15
Milestones for America
Dear Friend, Milestones come in many shapes and sizes. Some are small but still memorable. Like the first time Sophie got a hit in baseball. There are graduations, new jobs, and birthdays. Just this past Friday, I attended a 20th anniversary celebration for Paladin Data Systems, a terrific employer in Poulsbo. Some milestones are bigger. Many readers and my Facebook friends probably know that my grandmother (aka Oma) turned 105 earlier this year. I hope I have the good fortune of inheritin… Continue Reading
07.27.15
The Really Big One
Dear Friend, At this point a recent magazine article called “The Really Big One” has probably shown up on your Facebook feed or landed in your inbox. If you read it I hope that, unlike me, you didn’t do so right before turning in for the night. That’s because of the description it gives of a mega-quake hitting the Northwest. “By the time the shaking has ceased and the tsunami has receded,” the author writes, “the region will be unrecognizable.” Frankly, it freaked me out. I’m sure you… Continue Reading
07.15.15
Are you a Facebook friend yet?
Friend, In the week leading up to Independence Day, I visited nearly every nook and cranny of our district, hitting all 6 counties that I represent. When you travel around our region as much as I do, one thing becomes very clear: We live in the most glorious place in the world. That was really brought home over the last few weeks when we had our Facebook Cover Photo Contest. We invited folks to submit shots from all over our district, and many of them were absolutely outstanding. If yo… Continue Reading
06.30.15
Honoring two amazing educational leaders
Friends, The last few weeks have been hot and humid in Washington, D.C. There’s nothing quite like 100 degree heat with 90% humidity to make you feel like you're in a swamp. I now have a much better understanding of why two states gave that property up for nothing. Despite the heat (and, have I mentioned, the humidity?) we’ve been getting a lot of visitors lately. I was proud to host Ian Wheelock, the winner of the Congressional Art Competition for our region. His art now hangs in the … Continue Reading
06.15.15
President McKinley and the Sandspit
Dear Friend, Last week the ‘ribbon-cutting’ for the transfer of a sandspit from the federal government to the City of Gig Harbor (that holds our historic lighthouse) included an unusual twist. Along with other local officials and Senator Maria Cantwell I climbed into a boat and rowed across the water to the lighthouse. Three things I noticed: First, Senator Maria Cantwell was out to win the race to the lighthouse. Second, I apparently need to work on my upper body strength and cardio.… Continue Reading
06.01.15
Putting memorial back in Memorial Day
Friend, Since I last wrote, our nation commemorated Memorial Day. Over the course of Memorial Day weekend I found myself asking the question; how do we honor the memory of those who have sacrificed, those who never made it home? I think it's on us - on each of us - to make sure that our kids truly understand what this day is about. This is not a day off from school. It's not a day off from work or a day to buy a mattress or an appliance. It's meant to be a day of remembrance. And I be… Continue Reading