The Willapa National Wildlife Refuge is a beautiful place, enjoyed for years by Pacific County residents and visitors alike. Yet just a few months ago, a plan to permanently alter the refuge was nearly set in motion — and most folks within Pacific County knew nothing about it.
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By U.S. Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler On April 13 at George Washington University, President Obama delivered a warning to Americans that if we don't make changes to Medicare, we "won't be able to keep our commitments to a retiring generation." The president was right. Our country has now compiled more than $14 trillion in debt, and there is simply no way the federal government can continue to borrow 42 cents on each dollar it spends. If we don't take action, something will undeniably give out. Spec...
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By U.S. Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler Sunday, March 27, 2011 I was not elected to Congress because of my foreign policy experience. During the recent election people wanted to know what I would do to deal with issues here at home: The economy, jobs and the rising federal debt. Those are the issues that I have spent my time focusing on during my first months in Congress. But we suddenly find that are in a new war in Libya and people ask what I think and how I will act, so here is my response. My bac...
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Last year, I put more miles on my 1998 Ford Explorer than I thought possible, driving around Southwest Washington in my run for Congress. In all communities and during every meeting I was given the same directive: put Washington, D.C.'s focus on jobs. The pages of The Daily News just days ago gave us another reminder why jobs is the most pressing topic in every corner of Southwest Washington. The headline read, "State reports 12.8 percent January jobless rate in Cowlitz County." Southwest Washin...
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Last year, for the first time in history, Congress failed to pass a budget. That means Americans had no way of knowing how much of our money Congress intended to spend or where they intended to spend it. Taxpaying citizens, many of them unemployed or underemployed, were financially responsible for what basically amounted to a blank check for Washington, DC. Even more troubling was that Congress perpetrated this lack of fiscal planning after years of overspending. Americans have been losing jobs ...
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In early January, we were all shocked to learn a gunman had opened fire on Arizona Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords and a crowd of innocent bystanders at a public event. The event was a "Congress on your Corner" meeting where, in the tradition of town halls, citizens are able to personally share their ideas, questions and concerns with their elected representatives. The ability for public servants to meet the citizens they represent is the lifeblood of our democracy. Still, the Arizona shooting ...
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Residents of Southwest Washington deserve low-cost, accessible, quality health care. Unfortunately, the "Obamacare" health care bill that became law last year didn't bring us closer to such a goal. This year we have a chance to start over with reform that actually lowers costs and improves the quality of health care for all Americans. Both parties are to blame for our broken health care system. When Republicans were in the majority, they failed to put forth their own solutions. Democrats deserve...
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