Notice: Undefined index: HTTP_REFERER in /home/stparch/public_html/headmid_temp_main.php on line 4394
Newspaper Archive of
Shelton Mason County Journal
Shelton, Washington
September 20, 2022     Shelton Mason County Journal
PAGE 36     (36 of 41 available)        PREVIOUS     NEXT      Jumbo Image    Save To Scrapbook    Set Notifiers    PDF    JPG
 
PAGE 36     (36 of 41 available)        PREVIOUS     NEXT      Jumbo Image    Save To Scrapbook    Set Notifiers    PDF    JPG
September 20, 2022
 
Newspaper Archive of Shelton Mason County Journal produced by SmallTownPapers, Inc.
Website © 2025. All content copyrighted. Copyright Information
Terms Of Use | Privacy Policy | Request Content Removal | About / FAQ | Get Acrobat Reader




Page 36 — Shelton-Mason County Journal Thursday, Sept. 29, KkélSIIELMAlER,Ic_ohtinIled from pang 4. The 6th District has a distinct balance of suburban and rural areas, how would you effectively balance representing the differentneeds and values of these groups? My job will be to represent ALL of the citizens of the 6th Congressional District, regardless of geographic location, economic status, or other differ- ences. I will do this both by hearing and responding to the particular and dif- fering needs and issues of the various subgroups within our CD6 population (e.g., urban, suburban, and rural; civilian, active duty military, and veterans; and different demographic groups such as working families, retirees, stu- dents, Tribal members and business owners). However, I also believe firmly that the most pressing problems facing us today (such as inflation and crime) cut across all of those different subgroups and pose a threat to us all. There- fore, promoting and achieving solutions that work to curb inflation (through reigning in spending, lowering taxes, and restoring energy independence) and to increase public safety (through supporting our police and military, securing our border, and eradicating homelessness) will serve us all equally well. ' 5. With the Supreme Court recently. striking down Roe vs. Wade, abortion has emerged as a central topic at both the state and federal level. Would you explain your» position? The overturning of Roe v. Wade via the Dobbs decision simply returned complex and emotionally-laden decisions regarding abortion issues back to the States, where they rightfully belong. Individual states will wrestle with such decisions, as they should. Regardless of my views on abortion (personally, I am pro-life), I am of the mind that we need to address the most urgent issues relating to America’s security and prosperity first, before we can attend to anything else. Issues surrounding our economy and public safety simply must come first, because if we don’t survive economically or materially as a country, nothing else we might decide will matter. It’s a matter of triage. RILMER, continued from page construction. I’ve sponsored a bill — supported by Democrats and Republicans —- focused on addressing veterans’ homelessness because, in the land of the free and the home of the brave,'every brave service member should have a home. And I’ve worked on bipartisan legislation to provide more resources to address mental health and substance abuse issues because those are often factors re- lated to homelessness. ’ I’ll keep pushing to make sure folks in our region have economic security. 3. If elected, what are your day goals in Congress? On Day One, I’ll push to reintroduce bills that passed the House but that have been blocked by Mitch McConnell in the Senate. We’ve seen how high the stakes are this year. Basic rights - including re- productive freedom - are on the ballot this year. I sponsored the Women’s Health Protection Act to ensure women can make their own healthcare deci- sions. I sponsored the Equality Act because nobody should face discrimination in housing, employment, or anything else, based on who they are or who they love. ‘ Democracy is on the ballot this year. I was in DC on January 6“ of last year and I saw how fragile our democracy is. That’s why I sponsored the For the People Act to reduce the role of money in politics. I sponsOred the Protect- ing Our Democracy Act to secure our democracy and ensure that elected offi- cials are acting in the people’s interest — not in their own interest. I sponsored a new Voting Rights Act so that Americans don’t face barriers to the ballot box. Economic security is on the ballot this year. I sponsored the Raise the Wage Act to increase the federal minimum wage so that people who aré working full- time don’t end up living in poverty. I sponsored the Protecting the Right to Or- ganize Act to protect the right to organize a union and bargain for better pay and benefits. I sponsored the Paycheck Fairness Act which embraces a very ’ simple principle —- equal pay for equal work. Let’s get these done. 4. The 6th District has a distinct balance of suburban and rural areas, h0w would you effectively balance representing the 1 different needs and values of these groups? My job is to make sure that We are meeting the needs of all of the communi- ties I represent. I grew up on the Olympic Peninsula, so I’m committed to making sure rural areas like Mason County get our fair share. That’s why I worked professionally in economic development for a decade. I’m focused on helping our communities and small businesses recover from the pandemic —- and empowering folks to navigate economic change. That’s why I wrote part of the new law supported by Republicans and Demo- crats to make our economy more competitive with China. This provision will bring more federal money to communities that have struggled to create good- paying jobs, because no community should have to worry that its top export will be its young people. I helped create the Olympic Forest Collaborative to get folks from the timber industry and the conservation community at the same table to develop a strat- egy for responsibly increasing harvest levels in our federal forests ‘ I helped lead the effort to increase funding for our national parks that Presi- dent Trump signed into law. Our parks draw people and their dollars to our region. , And I helped bring Democrats and Republicans together to support the larg- est investment in our nation’s infrastructure in years. That means more mon- ey for fixing roads and bridges in our region without raising taxes. It means funding for rural broadband internet access. That helps our businesses com- pete and our children learn. I I’ll keep fighting for our area. 5. With the Supreme Court recently striking - down Roe vs. Wade, abortion has emerged as a central tepic at both the state and ‘ federal level. Would youexplain your position? I know this is a big difference between my opponent and me. She’s on the record of saying abortion should be banned even in cases or rape and incest. I believe decisions about women’s health care are best made by women in consultation with their doctors not by politicians. That’s why I’ve voted to support the Women’s Health Protection Act to pro- vide statutory protections for the right to choose and ensure reproductive‘fi'ee- dom in every state. Congress should pass that into law and codify the protec- tions that existed under Roe Wade. - And don’t think for a second that We aren’t at risk here in our state. Trump Republicans in Congress have made clear that they intend to pursue a nation— wide abortion ban. And one of the state legislators in my distriCt has a bill that would make women who seek an abortion in our state felons. Ijust don’t think that’s where our values are here. I will continue to stand up for women’s reproductive freedom—and oppose legislation that impedes those rights. I Also, it’s important to acknowledge that the Court decision —— and Justice Thomas’s opinion in particular -—- puts other rights into jeopardy ~— including access to birth control and marriage equality. I’ve supported action in Con- gress to make sure the next generation doesn’t have fewer rights than our generation. ’