Washington, DC – Representative Derek Kilmer (WA-06) has been awarded the inaugural “Teddy Roosevelt Courage Award” by Issue One, a leading cross-partisan political reform organization, for his efforts to fight to fix the broken political system and secure American elections. The Teddy Roosevelt Courage Award is given in the spirit of the 26th president of the United States who was a staunch defender of good, ethical government and the U.S. political system.
In receiving the award, Kilmer was recognized for his leadership in chairing the Select Committee on the Modernization of Congress, a committee tasked with identifying reforms to Congress more responsive to the needs of the American people. In addition, Issue One highlighted Kilmer’s leadership on campaign finance reform and working to reduce the role of money in politics.
“For a long time, folks have been justifiably frustrated with the performance of the government. There’s been too much money, too many special interests, and too little accountability. I’m working every day to fix that and ensure Congress takes concrete steps toward creating a government that works better for the American people,” said Rep. Kilmer. “I’m honored to receive this award and I thank Issue One for supporting the ongoing efforts to modernize Congress and get our government back on track.”
“It's hard to find profiles in courage in Congress these days because our political environment doesn't reward it,” said Issue One Executive Director Meredith McGehee. “But Congressman Kilmer continues to step up and tackle the hard issues like fixing our broken political system and making Congress work better for all Americans. That's why he deserved the Teddy Roosevelt Courage Award.”
“Congressman Kilmer is an example of what real bipartisanship in this town is all about,” said former Representative Zach Wamp (R-TN), Co-Chair of the ReFormers Caucus. “We need more leaders like him.”
“Nothing could be more important to the American people than the work that Chairman Derek Kilmer (D-WA) and Vice Chair Tom Graves (R-GA) are doing with the Select Committee on the Modernization of Congress,” said former Ambassador Tim Roemer (D-IN), Co-Chair of the ReFormers Caucus.
“Senators James Lankford (R-OK) and Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), and Representatives Mike Gallagher (R-WI) and Derek Kilmer (D-WA) have consistently reached across the aisle and championed political reform when Washington is at its most divided. They are working to rebuild public trust in our great experiment of self-government at a time when it is cratering,” said Issue One CEO Nick Penniman. “Every day, Americans yearn for leadership and evidence that their concerns about our broken political system are being heard. These four leaders are listening and working in a bipartisan fashion to protect our elections, fix our politics, and modernize Congress. Issue One is proud to work with them to strengthen our democracy as they carry on the tenacious spirit of the 26th president.”
Kilmer has taken the lead in Congress on campaign finance reform and continues to push for legislation that would improve transparency, create publicly financed elections, and fix the commission charged with enforcing federal election laws.
He co-sponsored and voted to pass H.R. 1, the For the People Act of 2019, a sweeping package of reform bills aimed at strengthening the voice of the American people in their democracy by making it easier to vote, reducing the role of big money in the political process, and ensuring public officials work for the public interest. This comprehensive reform package includes two bipartisan bills led by Representative Kilmer, the Honest Ads Act and the Resorting Integrity to America’s Election Act, which aim to increase transparency in our campaign finance and election laws.
Kilmer also served as an original co-sponsor of the SHIELD Act, legislation to combat foreign interference in American elections by closing loopholes that allow foreign spending in our elections, boosting disclosure and transparency requirements with the inclusion of Kilmer’s Honest Ads Act, and creating a duty to report illicit offers of campaign assistance from foreign nations or governments.
Kilmer was appointed in January to serve as the Chair of the House Select Committee on the Modernization of Congress, which was created by an overwhelming bipartisan vote at the beginning of the 116th Congress to produce recommendations to promote a more modern and efficient Congress. The Select Committee has issued 29 recommendations to increase transparency in Congress by making congressional operations and legislative updates more accessible and understandable for the American people; improve the way Members of Congress can communicate and connect with their constituents; increasing staff retention on Capitol Hill; improve accessibility in the House for Americans with disabilities, and; overhaul the current onboarding and education processes for new and current Members of Congress. Last week, the U.S. House of Representatives voted to extend the Select Committee through the end of the next calendar year to continue its work delivering bipartisan reforms to make Congress work better for the American people.
Co-authored with Oregon Governor Kate Brown
The only stoplight on Interstate 5 between Canada and Mexico is on the bridge over the Columbia River. As the governors of Washington and Oregon, we know that for too long the antiquated bridge has held our region back, literally and figuratively.
More than 138,000 vehicles cross the I-5 bridge each weekday. People travel between Vancouver and Portland for work, recreation, shopping, and visiting friends and family. The bridge’s importance to the entire region and our connectivity cannot be overstated.
This crucial link has become a major congestion point, and instead of moving the entire region full speed ahead, the bridge has become a symbol of traffic and frustration. Congestion can be so severe during morning and evening commutes that speeds on this interstate highway can be reduced to 15 miles per hour.
We’ve been stuck behind the traffic accidents – the rate of which quadruple during bridge lifts – and stuck behind one of our country’s worst freight bottlenecks that constrains the economy. We’ve been stuck with insufficient high-capacity transit and active transportation options even as our population centers grow. And we’ve been stuck behind a century-old structure built on river sand that’s susceptible to damage in even moderate earthquakes.
None of that benefits Oregonians, Washingtonians, and the millions of people who drive this stretch of highway every year.
For safety, traffic relief and jobs, we are recommitting to replacing the I-5 bridge.
Govs. Inslee, Brown announce plans to begin joint project to replace I-5 bridge.
Govs. Inslee, Brown announce plans to begin joint project to replace I-5 bridge
Gov. Jay Inslee joined Oregon Gov. Kate Brown in Vancouver Monday to announce a bi-state effort to replace the Interstate 5 bridge that spans the Columbia River and connects the two states.
“This is a new day,” Inslee said. “We need to replace the I-5 bridge over the Columbia River to benefit both Washingtonians and Oregonians. Our states are separated by a magnificent river but our values are consistent on both sides of the river. We are starting this process anew, moving forward with resources for a project office and a transparent, data-driven process that listens to the community’s needs.”
The aging bridge poses significant safety risks to drivers during an earthquake, and locals consider the bridge a source of major congestion. Brown said seismic resilience is the project’s first priority. The governors are also exploring options around high capacity transit that could reduce overall congestion.
“The current interstate bridge is over 100 years old, and it’s showing its age,” Brown said. “Replacing the interstate bridge is critical to the safety and economies of both Oregon and Washington. Our states are more interconnected than ever, and by working together, we can make our communities and roads safer while we improve mobility and support the economic vitality of our communities.”
During the event, the governors signed a Memorandum of Intent, an official agreement that reopens the transportation project and lays out next steps.
The two states have allocated $44 million in funding to open an office for the I-5 bridge project. Brown said the new office will gather community input, explore available federal funding options, incorporate past progress and research, and report back to both state legislatures with a plan.
Roger Millar, secretary of transportation at the Washington State Department of Transportation, also attended Monday’s event. He said he looks forward to working with various groups now that the project is back on the table.
“These are complex and difficult problems to solve but we have the partnership to see this through,” Millar said.
Kris Strickler, director at the Oregon Department of Transportation, said the state-to-state partnership is the most important thing going forward because hundreds of thousands of people cross the bridge each day.
“Those bridges have been out there for more than 100 years — at least one of them has — and we need to build something that lasts that long or at least longer,” Strickler said.
In 2017, Washington re-established a baseline of planning information that kept the focus on I-5 and helped move the project forward. This year, the state secured an important extension from the federal government to keep transportation funding options open.
And, in 2015, Washington secured more than $98 million for key infrastructure projects. The money went toward projects such as the I-5 Mill Plain Boulevard interchange (an integral part of the I-5 bridge project) to ease traffic congestion.
Inslee and Brown met with area transportation leaders, stakeholders and legislators during their time in Vancouver.
WORLD NEWS HEADLINES
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Violence in Syria continues to kill and maim civilians with reports that missiles fired into settlements for people fleeing conflict in the country’s northwest on Wednesday night, killed at least 12 people and wounded dozens more, including children, UN humanitarians said on Thursday.
A recap of Wednesday’s stories: UN envoy reiterates position on illegality of Israeli settlements, World Children’s Day marked with calls for rights of children to be upheld, new report highlights major gap between use of fossil fuels and commitments to limit global warming.
The situation in Africa’s Sahel region continues to be “of serious concern and urgent action is needed”, a high-level United Nations official told the Security Council on Wednesday, attributing a rising number of attacks to terrorist armed groups.
Although the world has made historic gains over the past three decades in improving children’s lives, urgent action is required if the poorest children are to feel the impact, a new UN report published on Monday warns.
The longstanding position of the UN regarding Israeli settlements in Occupied Palestinian Territory – that they are in breach of international law – is unchanged, Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric said during a press briefing on Tuesday in New York, reacting to the policy reversal announced by the United States.
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