After a year of mostly empty classrooms, parents and students have reached a breaking point. A mom from Battle Ground recently wrote to me, “I am struggling to get my kindergartner to do his assignments, and doing them on the computer is difficult and time-consuming. It is killing their love for learning before it is even given a chance to start.” A teacher from a nearby school district said of her students: “They are falling farther and farther behind academically, but honestly what concerns me...
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Over the past few weeks, we didn’t have to turn on the TV or see photos online to understand the severity of the wildfires burning up and down the West Coast. Unbreathable air shut us into our homes. The dark skies gave us a gut-wrenching, hopeless feeling. Many Washington, Oregon, and California residents lost homes and businesses. Hundreds of thousands of acres of vital wildlife habitat were destroyed. As always, our brave first responders battled the blaze in a huge effort to protect our comm...
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‘Child care is crazy expensive.” Chris, a dad and engineer in Vancouver, told me recently he and his wife are paying more annually for day care for their young child than if they were sending him to the University of Washington. And in the case of college tuition, they could at least get a loan to ease the burden. I hear these sentiments echoed by parents across Southwest Washington. As the demand for child care increases, the number of quality care providers has dwindled, setting up a crisis fo...
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The rising cost of prescription drugs is forcing seniors and other patients to take drastic measures in Southwest Washington. It’s not uncommon for me to hear from folks who are skipping doses, cutting pills in half or foregoing filling prescriptions altogether. Meanwhile, the price of insulin, blood pressure medicine and cholesterol-lowering drugs continue to rise. This is not right and it’s why I’m focusing my efforts in Congress to help lower the cost of drug prices. Just a few weeks ago I vo...
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As a young mom and a lawmaker, I often consider the intersection of public policy and family health. It’s this experience that has spurred me to work hard on policy focused on improving health care for mothers—whether it’s keeping them safe during pregnancy, expanding access to maternal telehealth services or simply allowing mothers to carry breast milk through airport security. These are issues that matter to everyone.
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Whether you’re a commercial fisherman on the coast or a farmer living in the shadow of Mt. Adams—I work for you. Taking your voice to Congress is not only important, it’s the only way to operate as a public official. And here’s my secret to success:
Listening.
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As this region’s federal representative, I’ve worked to protect our endangered species — from promoting a healthy Gifford Pinchot National Forest to boosting native salmon runs to brokering collaborative solutions that preserve endangered species such as the Oregon spotted frog.
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America is a leader in many respects, but there is an alarming exception: We are the only industrialized nation on earth where the rate of mothers dying before, during and after childbirth is growing. As a citizen, legislator and expectant mother myself, I refuse to sit idly by while we lose more women each year.
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The halls of a children’s hospital are not something you forget. If you’ve been there, the experience sticks with you. As does the courage shown by so many young patients within those walls. For a parent, having confidence that your child is getting the best possible care, and that the doctors and nurses are all part of the same team – your team – can get you and your family through the long, hard days.
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