We all agree that senseless acts of violence are unacceptable, and in our nation of law and order, there is no room for gun violence. Unfortunately, the Biden Administration is utilizing heartbreaking crimes to push its agenda.

One of the biggest issues remaining in this year’s legislative session is whether the majority party will push through a massive transportation package that includes 33 tax increases.

Politicians like to tell you that there’s only one way to pay for new projects: raising taxes. After all, the money has to come from somewhere. Right?

After two straight weeks of voting, we reached what’s called, ‘House of Origin cutoff’ on Tuesday. That means Tuesday was the last day the House and Senate could pass bills that originated in their respective chambers.

In the first two and a half months of 2021, illegal immigration has reached a crisis point. There have been more than 200,000 illegal border crossings with as many as 5,000 illegal crossing encounters in one day. In order to maintain the rule of law and keep criminals out of our country, we must continue working to enhance our border security.

When our state moved into Phase 2 of Governor Inslee’s latest iteration of a reopening plan, it signaled a well-deserved step forward for our region. Following guidelines under the leadership of local health districts and elected officials, we worked together to reduce our hospitalization rates, prevent the spread of the virus, and lower the number of cases in our regions. We earned our way into Phase 2.

Last week, the Washington State House of Representatives passed House Bill 1078 that would allow convicted felons to automatically regain their ability to vote before they have completed their full sentences. While I believe in redemption, I also believe that voting is a privilege, not a right.

Here’s an interesting statistic: Jobs in trade fields will account for one-third of all new jobs by the end of next year.

Our Native communities are making it clear; they will no longer suffer in silence. Just last week, community members gathered in Toppenish for a vigil to remember and honor the missing and murdered indigenous women (MMIW) of our region and across the country.

As we enter week six of this year’s legislative session, the debate over our state’s budgets is heating up. It’s important you know the facts.

Hydropower and hydroelectric dams have truly transformed our region into what it is today. Central Washington and much of the Pacific Northwest is naturally arid, but with the construction of federal water infrastructure, it has transformed into a productive agricultural region with a growing population and an increasingly successful, diverse business community.

Central Washington is one of the most agriculturally rich and diverse regions in the United States. Since coming to Congress, I have had the honor of representing our agricultural producers, advocating for strong trade agreements and market protection measures, and securing the tools and resources our state needs to remain at the cutting edge of agriculture innovation.

Government shouldn’t be able to give away something it doesn’t own. But that’s what happened when Gov. Jay Inslee stopped property owners from evicting non-paying tenants. He took something of value from the landlords and gave it to the tenants.

With the early weeks of the 117th Congress under way, my commitment remains as strong as ever to stand up for the people of Central Washington and rural communities across the country.