Dear Friend,

Last night the horrible shooting at the Cascade Mall terrified the Burlington community and devastated the families and friends of the people we lost. Please join me in sending your thoughts and prayers to the loved ones of the victims and stay safe as the investigation continues.

This week we also watched 24-hour news coverage of the fatal shootings in Tulsa, Oklahoma and Charlotte, North Carolina and the protests and riots that followed. I fear we will continue waking up to tragedies if we do not look beyond ourselves and past the preconceived conclusions on all sides of police-community issues.

As we mourn with the families who have lost loved ones, we must remind ourselves that we are all on the same team, fighting for the same goal of peace and security in our neighborhoods. If you have not already, please read the OpEd I wrote with civil rights leader, Congressman John Lewis (D-GA), about the need to walk in each other’s shoes and focus on our shared values as we work toward rebuilding police-community relationships.

To read the OpEd published in The Hill, click HERE.

Letting Olympians and Paralympians Take Their Prizes Home

For the few athletes who get the opportunity to win a medal at the Olympics or Paralympics and sing the national anthem as the American flag is risen, you would be hard-pressed to find one who said the sacrifices were not worth that moment. While the U.S. government can never take away an athlete’s pride, it can punish them for winning an Olympic or Paralympic medal. Right now, the medals our nation’s best athletes win are taxed when they come back home. While some athletes are lucky enough to earn sponsorships, many struggle to find the money to continue competing and make ends meet. As Co-Chair of the Olympic and Paralympic Caucus, I’m proud that on Thursday the House passed bipartisan legislation to stop taxing medal winners.

Holding Iran Accountable

Just this past summer, the State Department released its annual report on global terrorism. Once again, Iran was found to be the biggest state sponsor of terrorism. The United States must not turn a blind eye to the harm Iran causes around the world, and we must be absolutely sure we are not inadvertently supporting its terror funding through ransom payments or business deals. This week, I joined my House colleagues in passing legislation that will hold Iran accountable and prevent the U.S. from negotiating ransom payments with a government that uses that money to support terrorism.

A Big Win for Washington State and America

On Thursday, the Word Trade Organization found that the EU and four of its member States illegally subsidized Airbus to the sum of nearly $22 billion, depriving Boeing of the sale of hundreds of aircraft and potential aerospace employees in Washington State the chance at a good-paying job. This was the largest trade ruling from WTO in history.

This ruling is not only a huge victory for the United States, the 15,000 workers employed by the aerospace industry in our district, and the 170 aerospace suppliers in our region, it is a win for the rule of law and for all those who believe that trade rules are critical to empowering U.S. workers and consumers to compete in the 21st Century economy.

Celebrating Women in Business

Throughout Washington’s Eighth Congressional District, we have women leaders in every sector of the economy from tech to agriculture. Liz Lasater, CEO of the transportation and logistics company, Red Arrow Logistics, is one of those women. Women like Liz and aspiring female entrepreneurs should be recognized every day, but in honor of National Women in Business Day, which we celebrated earlier this week, I would like to give Liz and all the female leaders across our region a special shout out.

Enjoy the rest of your weekend and I willl see you next time!