Over the past year and a half — as Democrats have controlled both chambers of Congress and the White House — rural communities across the country have been harmed by the failed policies coming out of our nation’s capital. As Members who represent these communities, we have worked tirelessly to elevate their voices and bring to light the negative impacts our constituents are experiencing.
While serious leadership has been hard to find in Washington, D.C., our efforts on behalf of our respective districts have been reinforced by our participation in the Congressional Western Caucus, a group of 75 Members of the U.S. House of Representatives working together to advance commonsense energy, agriculture, and natural resources policies that benefit the local communities we represent.
Since the start of 2021 when he was elected Chairman of the Western Caucus, Congressman Dan Newhouse has led the organization with determination to serve the rural communities currently battered by climbing energy costs, soaring gas prices, and the worst inflation in 40 years. Throughout his tenure, he has taken time to travel to many of our districts to listen to communities on the ground who are often forgotten by bureaucrats in Washington, D.C.
This week, we were here in Central Washington — in Chairman Newhouse’s district — for a field tour to learn more about issues impacting the local communities for whom he so passionately advocates. He has long touted the unique energy portfolio utilized in his district — home to a true all-of-the-above energy strategy that Members of the Western Caucus advocate for every day. Now, we got to see it for ourselves.
During our time in the Tri-Cities area, Chairman Newhouse showcased the Ice Harbor Lock and Dam, so we better understand the critical role the Columbia and Snake River dams play in producing clean, renewable, affordable, baseload power. By hearing firsthand from local leaders representing the energy, agriculture, irrigation, transportation, and tourism sectors — as well as from scientists at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers — we learned about the comprehensive benefits these dams provide for the region and how federal-to-local partnerships are ensuring these dams can operate efficiently while providing species and habitat conservation for native salmon.
We also heard from experts at Energy Northwest, PNNL, and local businesses and utilities to highlight the exciting nuclear energy developments unfolding right here in Central Washington. With Columbia Generating Station — the region’s only nuclear power plant — and new advanced nuclear technologies coming to this area, Washington’s 4th Congressional District is clearly soon to be a leader in nuclear energy innovation and grid resilience for the country.
Finally, as one of just a few farmers in Congress and former director of the Washington State Department of Agriculture, Chairman Newhouse provides unique expertise on agricultural policy. He constantly works to address challenges like drought, labor shortages, and the skyrocketing input costs that are straining farmers’ and ranchers’ ability to feed the nation and the world. We visited with Washington’s agriculture advocates, presidents of state Farm Bureaus from across the West, and leaders from the state’s land-grant institution — Washington State University — who will share the priorities and challenges facing America’s producers.
Chairman Newhouse’s leadership in D.C. has been a welcomed bright spot in what has been an otherwise dim city the past year and a half. We are proud to serve alongside him as Members of the Congressional Western Caucus advocating for solutions for rural America. Dan is “dam proud” of his district, and we greatly appreciated the opportunity to learn more about the issues he champions every day in our nation’s capital.
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