WASHINGTON, DC – Congressman Derek Kilmer (WA-06) is seeking a wounded warrior or medically retired veteran for a fellowship position in his Washington, DC office.
The fellow will manage a policy portfolio, work with the military and veteran constituents to handle veterans-related casework, and act as a facilitator between constituents and government agencies at the federal, state and local level.
“Veterans bring a unique and valuable perspective to the workplace,” Rep. Kilmer said. “Working on legislation and advocating for veterans and military families who ask for assistance from my office is a great way to continue serving the country.”
The fellowship is funded through the Wounded Warrior Fellowship Program, which was established by the House of Representatives to provide employment opportunities for wounded or disabled veterans within congressional offices.
The program is limited to veterans who meet all of the following requirements: Honorably discharged, released from active duty within the last five years, terminal pay grades at or below E-5 or O-3, 20% or greater service connected disabilities (waived if you have a Purple Heart). Veterans who are in receipt of a 20-year or Temporary Early Retirement Authorization (TERA) retirement are not eligible for the program.
During Senate health committee hearing, Senator Murray shared stories from Washington state underlining grave impact of opioid misuse on individuals, families & communities
Press release issued 1/ 9/ 18(Washington, D.C.) – Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), top Democrat on the Senate health committee, examined the impact of the opioid addiction in Washington state and the government’s role in the fight against the opioid epidemic during a committee hearing to discuss how the opioid crisis evolved and the urgent need to respond with additional funding and services. During the hearing, Senator Murray heard testimony from Sam Quinones, author of “Dreamland: The True Tale of America’s Opiate Epidemic,” and emphasized the broad impact of the opioid epidemic, sharing stories from her visits with patients, medical providers, and law enforcement officials throughout Washington state about how opioid misuse affects families and communities. Senator Murray also criticized the Trump Administration for failing to live up to its promises of serious action to address opioid addiction.
As part of her on-going commitment to help prevent opioid misuse and end the opioid epidemic in Washington state and across the nation, Senator Murray previously led bipartisan efforts to pass the 21st Century Cures Act and the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act (CARA) which provide federal investments to help combat opioid misuse and addiction. Through her leadership on the Senate health committee, Senator Murray will convene additional hearings on the opioid crisis, including a hearing to learn more about how families are impacted by the epidemic. (cont. on page 2 are her remarks)
Senators Murray, Cantwell Shred Trump Administration’s Expansion of Offshore Oil Drilling
Press release issued 1/ 9/ 18(WASHINGTON, D.C.) – Today, U.S. Senators Patty Murray (D-WA) and Maria Cantwell (D-WA), the ranking member of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, sharply criticized the Trump Administration’s decision to ignore years of public input and fact-finding and instead reopen offshore oil and gas drilling leases three years ahead of schedule, putting vast stretches of Washington state’s coastline and coastlines along the Pacific and Atlantic coasts and in the Arctic at risk. In a letter to Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke, the Senators urged the Department to reverse its decision to expand offshore oil and gas drilling and maintain current regulations protecting the country’s continental waters.
“This draft proposal is an ill-advised effort to circumvent public and scientific input, and we object to sacrificing public trust, community safety, and economic security for the interests of the oil industry,” wrote Senators Murray and Cantwell. “We urge you to abandon this effort and maintain the protections outlined in the current 2017-2022 plan.”
In the letter, the Senators highlighted overwhelming public concern and outright opposition to new leases, including states, cities, businesses, and members of the fishing community.
“The governors of New Jersey, Maryland, Delaware, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, California, Oregon, Washington, and the Attorney General of Rhode Island all are formally opposed to new leasing off their respective shores,” the Senators continued. “Additionally, more than 150 municipalities on the East Coast, West Coast, and Gulf of Mexico have passed resolutions opposing offshore oil and gas drilling and exploration. The New England, Mid-Atlantic, and South Atlantic Fishery Management Councils, the Department of Defense, Air Force, and NASA have all weighed in expressing serious concerns or opposition to offshore exploration and drilling. More than 41,000 businesses and 500,000 fishing families have also expressed opposition to drilling in their communities.”
The Trump Administration’s decision to push a rewrite of the existing 2017-2022 offshore drilling plan has wasted valuable taxpayer resources and ignored extensive community input that went into the original plan. In Washington state and many locations across the country, public input urged strong protections against drilling, as coastal communities that rely on commercial fishing and tourism for their economies feared the impacts that drilling and the potential of spills could have on their ecosystems, businesses and jobs. Last January, Senators Murray and Cantwell introduced legislation to permanently prohibit offshore oil and gas drilling on the outer continental shelf off of Washington, Oregon, and California. ( the letter sent can be seen on page 2)
Cantwell, Markey Announce Net Neutrality Resolution Reaches 40-Vote Milestone in the Senate
Press release issued 1/ 9/ 18Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA) continued her push to protect the open internet and restore the 2015 net neutrality rules. Today, Senator Cantwell, Senator Edward J. Markey (D-MA), and Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) – among others – announced that 40 senators have signed on to co-sponsor a Congressional Review Act (CRA) resolution of disapproval that overturns the anti-consumer regulations passed in December by Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Ajit Pai and supported by Donald Trump to end net neutrality.
At a press conference, Democrats made clear they will “force a vote” on the resolution to restore the 2015 Open Internet Order. Thirty members are needed to send the CRA to the floor for a vote and a simple majority is needed for its passage. The measure will be formally introduced after the FCC regulation has been published in the Federal Register.
“Over the last several years, the biggest job growth that we have seen in America has come from internet businesses. We are seeing an attack on that internet economy by FCC rolling back this open internet rule,” said Senator Cantwell. “We cannot allow the FCC to put a chokehold on the internet by allowing big corporations to artificially charge consumers more. The open internet rule was here for a reason. It was to protect a level playing field and to make sure no one artificially created opportunity and access by controlling the internet.”
“Last month, the FCC turned a deaf ear to millions of Americans standing up for a free and open internet and instead gutted net neutrality,” said Markey. “The anti-consumer regulations passed by the Trump administration takes away a fundamental right that ensures the internet is a diverse, dynamic and open to everyone. We can force a vote to restore net neutrality and level the playing field away from the big corporations. There will be a political price to pay for those on the wrong side of history. Momentum is on our side.”
Last month, the FCC voted to repeal the 2015 Open Internet Order, which the D.C. Circuit Court upheld in 2016. The Open Internet Order prohibited internet service providers from blocking, slowing down, or discriminating against content online. Repealing the net neutrality rules could lead to higher prices for consumers, slower internet traffic, and even blocked websites. A recent poll showed that 83 percent of Americans do not approve of the FCC action to repeal net neutrality rules.
Speakers Concerned About Violent Protests over Delayed Presidential Election as Security Council Discusses Situation in Democratic Republic of the Congo
UN press release issued 1/ 9/ 18Discussing the situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo today, Security Council members expressed their concern about the recent protests in the country over the delays in holding presidential elections, as well as violence last December that left 15 United Nations peacekeepers dead and many others wounded.
Presenting the report of the Secretary‑General on the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO) (document S/2018/16), Jean‑Pierre Lacroix, Under‑Secretary‑General for Peacekeeping Operations, said that the Comprehensive and Inclusive Political Agreement signed last December had given the Council great hope, but one year later its implementation was still incomplete. In addition, violent demonstrations showed that the situation in the country remained fragile.
On a more positive note, preparations for the upcoming elections were advancing despite continued political tensions, he said. The electoral calendar had been published, the amended electoral law had been promulgated by the President, and the voter registration process was near completion. To support those efforts, MONUSCO had enhanced its support to the political and electoral processes and continued to provide logistical and technical support to the Electoral Commission for voter registration and other electoral activities.
The Secretary‑General had appointed former Assistant Secretary‑General Dmitry Titov to lead a special investigation into the circumstances surrounding the incident in North Kivu that resulted in the deaths of 15 Tanzanian peacekeepers and the wounding of 44 others, said Mr. Lacroix, noting that it was the latest in a string of deadly attacks perpetrated by suspected Allied Democratic Forces.
The representative of the Democratic Republic of the Congo emphasized that the focus of all political actors had been on the electoral process and the efforts to revise the electoral register. The country’s President had underscored in a public address that the authorities were determined to hold elections. He cautioned, however, that fringe groups of the opposition were not ready to take part in them.
Referring to the holding of public demonstrations, he said that they were regulated by legislation that required the submission of a request to authorities to ensure order and protect demonstrators. The organizers of the 31 December demonstrations did not comply with those requirements, he said. The Congolese national police had not recorded any deaths in places of worship that were associated with those demonstrations, and the only recorded violent deaths on that date had nothing to do with the protests.
Sweden’s representative noted that the Democratic Republic of the Congo faced surging humanitarian needs, and that the lack of resilience among the population had made it vulnerable to conflict. There were more people forced to flee their homes in that country in 2017 than in any other country in the world, he said.
The representative of Bolivia said that the threat of armed groups had led to the deterioration of the humanitarian situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, which had resulted in the internal displacement of 4 million people. On the upcoming elections, he welcomed the publication of the electoral calendar and underscored the importance of holding timely, credible voting that resulted in the peaceful transfer of power.
Also highlighting the need for credible elections in the country, the representative of Côte d’Ivoire said that it was up to all stakeholders to do their utmost to ensure that the 23 December 2018 election date was respected. The parties involved should also work towards the establishment of conditions that were conducive to the holding of democratic and peaceful voting, he said.
Delegates also denounced the incident in North Kivu, with the representative of Kuwait condemning the repeated attacks against MONUSCO, including the armed attack of 7 December 2017. He called on the Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo to bring the perpetrators of the attack to justice.
The representative of the Netherlands noted that her delegation approved of the establishment of an inquiry to investigate the attack in order to determine how MONUSCO should be reformed to ensure its ability to protect civilians. The suffering of the Congolese people had reached unimaginable levels, she said, pointing out that the country’s famine was man‑made, and that 7.7 million people faced severe food shortages.
Port Angeles City Mayor: " It is an honor and privilege to serve as the Mayor of our beautiful City."
After emailing out new city mayor, Sissi Bruch, she emailed the following statement on being selected as City Mayor:" It is an honor and privilege to serve as the Mayor of our beautiful City. We have a new council filled with much energy and drive and I am looking forward to working with them. For me, my main priority is updating our comprehensive plan, as that leads us into the future. I'm proud of our previous council that took action on difficult decisions, while ensuring that our children are not saddled with the burden. I'm looking to our new council to help plan and set our future vision.
Port Angeles is a community that welcomes and celebrates diversity. As proof of this, for the first time, an immigrant Latina woman with Native South American heritage is leading our City. I believe this is also the first time that Port Angeles will be represented by two women.
I am grateful to the citizens for this great opportunity and welcome all feedback and suggestions on how to continue to grow and improve our City."
CLALLAM COUNTY MEETINGS
Work session agenda item highlight
Letter to Charlie Wright, Bloedel Timberlands Development Inc., requesting his support to begin the process of negotiations with Bloedel Timberlands for a 1.5 acre strip of property in the City of Forks (1c)
(see full agenda)
Regular County Commission meeting agenda highlights
Resolution calling for a hearing to be held at 10:30 a.m., January 30, for consideration of the following Debatable Emergency:
Clerk – Transfer of funds from the 2017 budget to the 2018 budget for the purchase of 11 bar code printers for the new statewide software system Odyssey/$6,551
Letter to the Washington State Legislature in support of the William Shore Pool District’s request for funding
Resolution establishing right of way acquisition procedures and appointing staff personnel responsible for the various elements of the acquisition process and authorize the Chair to sign the Clallam County Right of Way Procedures and Waiver of Appraisal Procedure form
(see full agenda)
(see more local & regional meetings on page 2)
Table of Context other leading stories:
