Latest news with #DanNewhouse
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Disappointed that Newhouse caved on supporting energy tax credits
I had high hopes that our Representative Dan Newhouse would leverage the narrow Republican majority to retain continuation of the energy tax credits that are powering $5.5 billion in energy projects in our district. He was not alone in his appeal to U.S. House leadership for continuation, for which I am thankful. However, I am deeply disappointed in his vote for the budget reconciliation bill that requires energy projects to 'commence construction' within 60 days of the bill's enactment and phases out the energy tax credits by 2028. Rep. Newhouse did not fold alone. Indeed, all of those Republican representatives who appealed to House leadership went along with the crowd. The pain of losing the energy tax credits, and the pain of losing Medicaid funding for so many people, is being driven by the Republican insistence on extension of the tax cuts first passed by Congress in 2017. That's a fine deal for those getting big tax cuts. But what about the rest of us? I'm sure there were multiple considerations in his vote. Rep. Newhouse owes his constituents an explanation, and not just one written for his MAGA constituents. Democrats made the difference in Newhouse's two re-elections over MAGA candidates. Their patience with him is wearing very thin. Without a vote for at least one of their priorities, he cannot count on their continued support. While the reconciliation bill will damage most of the clean energy and transportation industries, it does keep energy tax credits for advanced nuclear energy and restores 'transferability' of a nuclear production tax credit. That's important, because nuclear energy provides reliable carbon-free energy. Wind and solar energy are inexpensive when the wind blows and the sun shines, but are not when energy must be stored or transmitted for when and where they don't. Attention now shifts to the Senate, which also has Republican support for energy tax credits and other differences with the House. We can expect the Senate version of the budget reconciliation bill to differ from the House version, so the House will be called to negotiate with the Senate and vote on a final version. I urge Rep. Newhouse to leverage the narrow Republican majority to restore continuation of energy tax credits in the negotiated bill. Climate scientist Steve Ghan leads the Tri-Cities chapter of Citizens Climate Lobby.
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Baumgartner, Newhouse help House pass Trump's 'Big, Beautiful Bill' after GOP state lawmakers warn of Medicaid cuts
May 23—WASHINGTON — Two Republicans from central and Eastern Washington voted on Thursday to pass President Donald Trump's signature bill to cut taxes and boost spending on immigration enforcement, after their fellow GOP lawmakers who represent the same areas in Olympia warned against the legislation's cuts to Medicaid. Reps. Michael Baumgartner of Spokane and Dan Newhouse of Sunnyside helped narrowly pass what Trump has dubbed "One Big, Beautiful Bill" — now the legislation's official name — by a vote of 215-214. Two of their GOP colleagues voted no, another slept through the vote after the House pulled an all-nighter to rush the bill through before its Memorial Day recess, and one Republican voted "present," lamenting that the bill doesn't do enough to reduce the federal budget deficit. The package would make permanent the sweeping tax cuts Republicans passed during the first Trump administration in 2017, which are set to expire at the end of the year, and it includes additional short-term tax cuts that would further reduce government revenue. "This bill delivers the largest tax cut in American history, saving the average American $5,000 a year and cutting taxes by 15% for working families," Baumgartner said in a statement. "In Eastern Washington, it protects 467,500 taxpayers from a looming 25% tax hike and increases funding for much needed technology to bolster border security. It's not a silver bullet for D.C.'s $7 trillion spending problem, but it's a strong start, and a major win for Eastern Washington." According to an analysis by the nonpartisan Tax Foundation, the average taxpayer in Baumgartner's 5th congressional district would see their taxes increase in 2026 by nearly $2,400 and in Newhouse's 4th congressional district by more than $2,000 if Congress doesn't act by year's end. Those tax hikes would be higher in districts west of the Cascades. If Republicans succeed in passing a bill by Dec. 31, they will keep tax rates largely flat, with some additional tax cuts for tips, overtime wages and other provisions Trump promised during his campaign. GOP leaders have made contradictory claims that making the 2017 tax law permanent represents a historic tax cut and effectively costs nothing, because extending the existing tax cuts would keep government revenue on its current trajectory. To pay for the additional tax cuts and spending, the bill would cut spending on Medicaid by imposing new restrictions intended to prevent unauthorized immigrants and young, able-bodied Americans from receiving the government-funded health insurance. The Congressional Budget Office, a nonpartisan agency that provides information to lawmakers, estimates that the legislation would result in at least 8.6 million people losing their health insurance. When the Affordable Care Act was passed fifteen years ago states were allowed to expand Medicaid coverage up to individuals at 138% of the federal poverty line. About 90% of that cost is covered by the federal government. Under the new bill, states would not receive that 90% back of what they spend. Instead, the federal government would provide states with a lump sum based on their population per capita, regardless of the state's actual Medicaid costs. This change could significantly shift the cost of Medicaid expansion to the states, incentivizing them to roll back the Obamacare expansion or cut spending elsewhere to cover the costs. That Medicaid expansion reimbursement would also be cut an additional 10% to states that provide Medicaid coverage to undocumented immigrants. As of last year, undocumented immigrants in Washington are eligible for Medicaid if their income is under 138% of the federal poverty line. The expansion is fully funded by the state, but the new bill would still cut Medicaid reimbursement across the board if Washington state does not remove Medicaid eligibility for undocumented immigrants. In a letter to Washington's entire congressional delegation on Wednesday, 23 Republican state lawmakers asked their federal counterparts to protect Medicaid for the state's residents. Like Idaho and many other states, Washington expanded Medicaid to cover more people after Congress passed the Affordable Care Act of 2010. "If federal funding for the expansion population is cut or federal financing is reduced, Washington will have to use significant state funds to fill the gap," the GOP lawmakers wrote. "Without federal funding, we will be forced to make further cuts to health care, endangering local health care organizations and eliminating coverage for many constituents." Noting that a quarter of Washingtonians are enrolled in the state's Medicaid plan, Apple Health, the state legislators said they support the goal of rooting out "waste, fraud and abuse" but warned that Washington "will be among the states hardest hit by Medicaid losses," partly because the federal government contributes a relatively small portion of the state's Medicaid budget. "We urge you to protect Medicaid," they wrote. "We can't afford to lose local health care resources, and our rural communities will not be able to ride out the economic shockwaves that are sure to follow if this program is significantly cut. Simply put, we cannot lose another rural hospital or clinic, nor another long-term care facility. We depend on a stable health care system, and we're counting on your leadership to ensure Medicaid's survival." Letter co-signer Leonard Christian said he signed the letter to protect the rural hospitals in his rural state Senate district in Eastern Washington. "Our hospitals are already suffering with the biggest tax increase ever in state history, and so the hospitals are already in pretty bad shape," said the Republican. "If we cut Medicaid as well, the reality is many of our rural hospitals would close pretty quickly. They're hanging on by a thread." While Christian wants to see a smaller federal government, he believes Congress should look elsewhere. "When it comes to lives and having hospitals be available for folks, there's other things we need to be looking at cutting before this," he said. Christian also criticized state Democratic leaders who have made undocumented immigrants eligible for Medicaid — saying the policy has put strain on an already fragile health care system. "We're just continually piling more people on a system that's already in trouble. The state's been irresponsible in this for many years," he said. The more than 1,000-page House bill contains a wide range of GOP priorities, headlined by a major spending boost for border security and immigration enforcement. It includes $46.5 billion for construction of barriers along the U.S.-Mexico border, $45 billion for immigrant detention facilities and $4 billion to hire more Customs and Border Patrol officers. It also increases spending on the military by $150 billion, including $25 billion to start building a new missile defense system Trump has dubbed the "Golden Dome," combining his admiration for Israel's Iron Dome system with his personal affinity for gold. And it would raise the nation's borrowing limit by $4 trillion, allowing the government to avoid defaulting on its debt, which now exceeds $36 trillion. To offset that additional spending and the new tax cuts, the legislation aims to cut costs by rolling back Biden-era energy policies and reducing spending on Medicaid and SNAP, the nutritional assistance commonly known as food stamps. Estimates published Tuesday by the Congressional Budget Office projected that the bill would increase the deficit by $3.8 trillion through 2034, and would cause a decrease in resources for the lowest-income 10% of Americans and an increase in resources for the highest-earning 10%. Facing opposition from Democrats and even some Republicans to cutting health care and food aid for low-income Americans while enacting tax cuts that would benefit the nation's highest earners, GOP leaders scaled back their initial plans for Medicaid. They landed on a set of restrictions intended to remove unauthorized immigrants and young, able-bodied Americans from the government-funded health insurance program. Democrats and other opponents of the Medicaid reforms say the new requirements are onerous and will result in more people losing their health insurance. In a call with reporters on Wednesday, Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., spoke alongside CEOs of rural hospitals in Asotin and Klickitat counties who warned that cutting Medicaid funding could force some hospitals to close. "The House Republicans are now trying to cobble together what I believe is a serious attack on Medicaid," Cantwell said. "It undermines the program by shifting the burden to the states and making the entire healthcare system more expensive. When you think about it, if you cut Medicaid, and you cut people on Medicaid, they're not going to stop having health care needs. They're just going to go to a more expensive, unfunded setting to get that care." Republicans counter that their bill will preserve Medicaid for those who need it most while cutting costs. In a statement on Thursday, Newhouse said he had voted "to restore fiscal sanity in the federal government." "We have made real, common-sense reforms to strengthen the integrity of Medicaid, protecting the program for low-income families, seniors, and those with disabilities," he said. "By implementing work requirements for able-bodied adults without dependents, and preventing those here illegally from accessing the program, we are protecting Medicaid for those who truly need it most." In a Thursday press conference Governor Bob Ferguson called the bill passed by Congress "cruel and harmful." "Our state will change in fundamental ways if this goes forward," the Democrat said. "As governor, obviously we're doing everything we can to persuade the Senate to walk back from the brink of an action that would have truly dire consequences for many thousands of Washingtonians." According to Ferguson, the bill would cost Washington state approximately $2 billion in federal funds in the next four years if it is passed. At least 200,000 out of 2 million Washington Medicaid recipients would lose their coverage by the end of next year, he said. Ferguson did not say how his office calculated this initial projection. "Hospitals will close in Washington state, in rural parts of our state, and in urban parts of our state. You can just take that to the bank. That's going to happen," he said. Harborview Medical Center CEO Sommer Kleweno Walley said the Seattle hospital could close parts of its operations if the bill were passed. Harborview, our Board of Trustees and our King County elected officials will have to have some incredibly difficult conversations about what parts of Harborview can stay open and what parts we have to rethink," she said at the Governor's press conference of the level 1 trauma center. The bill now goes to the Senate, where the GOP majority plans to make changes before sending it back to the House, using a procedure called budget reconciliation to sidestep the Senate's usual 60-vote supermajority requirement and overcome universal opposition from Democrats. If both chambers can pass the same version of the bill, it will go to Trump's desk to become law. Orion Donovan Smith's work is funded in part by members of the Spokane community via the Community Journalism and Civic Engagement Fund. This story can be republished by other organizations for free under a Creative Commons license. For more information on this, please contact our newspaper's managing editor.
Yahoo
03-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Newhouse must wake up. We Washingtonians are fed up
People are speaking against our autocratic government. Competent government employees not willing to agree with Trump's destructive actions are resigning or being fired. Rep. Dan Newhouse is losing popularity because he votes for whatever Trump wants. Farmers are losing the labor needed to harvest crops. People are losing their homes and/or jobs, being deported without due process, suffering high inflation, and losing most of what makes life livable for the middle and lower classes. Billionaires are becoming richer and exercising more influence on our government. Are members of Congress getting richer by performing insider trading as Trump initiates actions such as imposing, backing off, and raising tariffs in the name of balancing foreign trade and bringing jobs to America? Congress is forcing us to live under the tenets of evangelical Christianity. Women and minorities are no longer gaining equality with white males. Many rights of individuals are being eliminated. The GOP is allowing democracy, the Constitution, and the rule of law to be eliminated in order to retain power. Is this treason? Good News: a new majority may understand why their lives are being subjected to chaotic circumstances, are raising their voices against it, and may vote Republicans out of office in 2026. Perhaps there is some light at the end of the tunnel. Jim Tow, Richland I'd like to thank Rep. Dan Newhouse for signing the letter signed by 21 Republicans in Congress in favor of continued funding for clean energy tax credits. Clean energy tax credits are bringing our area: Skilled jobs Low electric bills for local homes and businesses A reliable and growing electricity supply to serve our growing population I hope you'll keep supporting these tax credits in the current budget reconciliation negotiations. Gail Taff, Richland Rep. Dan Newhouse has made it his business to be seen in AmeriCorps T-shirts, helping out on AmeriCorps building projects, and trumpeting the fire protection projects, community programs and quality of life improvements that AmeriCorps service members provide the people of Central Washington since his first days in office. Where is he now? On April 25, thousands of AmeriCorps contracts in Washington State were illegally canceled by DOGE as part of its reckless strategy of cutting things for the sake of cutting things. These are important jobs, done by volunteers who receive a small living stipend in exchange for a year of service. Aren't these positions exactly the kind of civic-minded career development Newhouse is always trumpeting? Isn't this exactly the kind of common-sense, on-the-ground patriotism we want to encourage in each generation? Opportunities for them to do good in their community? But not anymore, because if Newhouse were to stand up and do his Constitutional duty in defense of an avowedly bipartisan program, that would mean he ends up on the naughty list of the tyrant in chief, and Newhouse will sell anyone out — you, your family, your neighbors, anybody — if and when the billionaires tell him to. Corbin Muck, Richland While cycling with my friend Jerry Lewis, we got into a discussion about the utility of the Herald's publishing the results of the Department of Health restaurant inspections. I am not a fan, while Jerry is. I know of no other paper that publishes the inspection results as if these findings are a result of some long-running investigation by the Herald. In fact, these results are freely available on the DOH website for anyone interested. I trust that the DOH is doing its job, and that any restaurant not fit to eat in is under their supervision or closed. The restaurant industry is hard enough without the Herald shaming small businesses because some teenage new hire did not have a food worker card. This kind of 'news' is not worthy of the front page of the Herald, in my opinion. My friend Jerry says he feels otherwise, but he is naturally a contrarian in our discussions. Unless he sees the food samplers at Costco on the naughty list at some point, I don't believe he is really that interested. John Fisher, Richland
Yahoo
20-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Don't be fooled, working-class Americans. GOP tax cut is for wealthy, not you
Most Americans rightly believe that the wealthy don't pay their fair share of taxes. The inequality of wealth in our nation is glaringly obvious despite a relentless onslaught of narratives that flatter the wealthy and complain that the rich actually pay too much in taxes. Economist Robert Reich has a 50-minute YouTube video on the subject that is entertaining, understandable and mind-blowing. It's actually a collection of shorter videos. There is some overlap in the content of the presentations, which helps reinforce the viewers' understanding and also to reassure them that, 'Yeah, you heard that right!' True rags-to-riches stories are very rare. Riches to ridiculous riches stories are much more common. The top 1% own 50% of stocks and 35% of all assets. Current tax laws promote family dynasties and further concentration of power in ever-smaller numbers of hands. These are just a few of many fascinating and alarming points. American voters need to know these things, and they won't hear it from Congressman Dan Newhouse. The GOP wants to extend and increase tax cuts for the wealthy while having working-class Americans believe it's for them. Don't be fooled. Knowledge is power. Greg Carl, Richland April is National Child Abuse Prevention Month. According to the National Children's Alliance, the U.S. child welfare authorities investigate the safety of more than 7.5 million kids annually. Of those, around 3 million children received an investigation or alternative response from child protective services agencies. It is important to raise awareness and help engage the community to reflect on protective factors as parents/guardians. Some possible signs of child abuse and neglect include: Sudden changes in behavior or school performance Unexplained injuries Frequent absences from school The Support, Advocacy and Resource Center (SARC) has staff trained to document and report disclosures, as well as provide services to the victim as well as any non-offending family members. Another way to get involved is to attend community awareness events happening in April, such as the Little Hearts Project at the Kennewick Mid-Columbia Library. SARC also holds a Kid Haven Benefit Auction in May to fund the joint venture between city and county governments and SARC. For more information on how to donate or become a sponsor, or if you have any questions, call SARC at 509-374-5391 or visit the website at Lizbeth Salazar, Richland This letter has to do about KEPR broadcasting out of Pasco. Why do they claim to be a local news broadcasting station when they are not a local news broadcasting station at all? They are only doing news articles as a minority for us here in the Tri-Cities. … (with) a majority of news articles of everywhere else. So how can KEPR call themselves a local news broadcasting station? ... They are lying like crazy. The change I would love to see is that they do a good, strong majority of news articles of the Tri-Cities, Washington State, Benton and Franklin counties, and everywhere else that's local (to) this part of Washington State and get away from doing ... Ellensburg, Seattle and all those other areas that are not local to us. I'm sure there's others who feel the same way as I do. And I would love to see others voice the same sentiment. … And also news broadcast stations are too dependent on artificial intelligence machines and not enough on humans. Michael K. Walter, Richland This week, our congressional Rep. Dan Newhouse did not directly respond to questions about whether he supports impeaching Trump from office. This is upsetting and I am unhappy seeing this lack of foresight and leadership from my district's representative. As a concerned citizen and voter from Moses Lake, it's obvious that Trump is leading the country into authoritarianism. His threats not to leave at the end of this term are highly credible. Hyperbole about the danger of his administration — from immigration to the economy — has become reality. He and his cabinet are lawless, unaccountable to our justice system and have committed a multitude of crimes. If we don't impeach him now, American democracy may not survive his path of destruction. I'm not willing to risk that. I am encouraging Congressman Newhouse to publicly commit to upholding his most fundamental democratic role - removing tyrants from office. Commitment to these basic facts – that Trump is a tyrant and Congress needs to act now to get him out of the White House – will be a major litmus test for any 2026 candidate. I hope we get a good response on this critical issue soon. Shawn Doherty, Moses Lake
Yahoo
08-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Newhouse needs to meet with voters before cuts gut programs Tri-Citians rely on
To Rep. Dan Newhouse: We would like to meet with you in person. There are many issues we'd like to discuss with you; we want to explain our concerns and understand your position. Foremost is the just-passed budget resolution. In your press release, you say you look forward to working with colleagues in both chambers to identify savings and efficiencies in federal spending. Do you consider the Musk/DOGE approach of slash and burn, mistakenly firing then rehiring, to be an effective way of identifying savings and efficiencies? In your Feb. 22 newsletter, you wrote that the federal employee terminations and furloughs directly impact families in Central Washington, and you've heard from residents of the Fourth Congressional District about concerns they have with these actions. Good. You've heard from us. You acknowledged that a strong, well-trained federal workforce is essential, and that you've communicated to the Trump administration that 'there should be a more nuanced approach to terminations and furloughs.' Please explain what you mean by 'a more nuanced approach to terminations and furloughs.' We want to hear you explain this nuanced approach. Please set up a town hall meeting for your constituents immediately. Lynne Harrison, Dale Width, Pamela Gaudet, Barbara Fowler, Yvonne Rodriquez, Pasco Dear President Zelensky: I write to you with profound respect, and with deep regret over the events that transpired during your recent visit to the White House. As a 20-year veteran of the United States Air Force, please believe me when I tell you that President Trump's obnoxious statements were not reflective of the values that so many Americans hold dear. The boorish behavior of President Trump and Vice President Vance was an embarrassment. You deserve far better. The brave men and women of Ukraine deserve better. America must never waver in its commitment to Ukraine and its NATO allies. To do so would not only be a betrayal of our most fundamental principles but also a grave strategic error. Abandoning Ukraine would embolden aggressors, weaken global security and threaten the very foundations of democracy. The American people's commitment to Ukraine's cause remains resolute. I stand with you, as do countless others who recognize that the fight for Ukraine is, at its core, a fight for the free world. I pledge my personal support for you and your people as you continue this monumental struggle. Your victory will be historic. Slava Ukraini! Richard V. Badalamente, Lt Col, USAF (Retired), Kennewick Regarding (Rep. Dan) Newhouse backing the GOP plan for Medicaid: How disingenuous coming from a politician who has access to and is the recipient of the best medical coverage in this country. He should at the very least stand up for the many constituents in the district who elected him who, in spite of hard work, multiple jobs and long hours, often can not make enough to provide more than basic needs, much less medical coverage. Shame on him. Mary Carlisle, Kennewick To local officials who support Elon Musk: I suggest instead of simply admiring Musk that you take real action. By forming the Tri-Cities Regional Office of Government Efficiency and Nonsense (TROGEAN aka Trojan), you can perform your own efficiency slashing. Trogean committee members would be known as 'Musketeers' with their motto the immortal, 'We have met the enemy, and he is us.' It must be true that our local governments are rife with inefficiencies, not just the feds. Slashing local bureaucracies would offer more support of Musk than fawning admiration. Cut local government employees by at least 25%, maybe more! Cut local law enforcement, ambulances and firefighters by at least 10%! There are no fires here! We have too many policemen. Eliminate local transit, since walking is healthier. We have three bridges across the Columbia. What a waste! Shut one of them down immediately. But let's cut to the chase: We need Trogean to address consolidation. This is where the big efficiency savings are. Long live Kennascoland! Please either be quiet about Musk or address consolidation if you are serious about efficiency. Unless you just like to watch others lose their jobs and celebrate that it is not you. Chuck Henager, Kennewick Our new Democratic governor who can't balance a checkbook any better than the previous Democratic governor could today recommended to his Democrat-controlled Legislature that all state employees need to take off one day per month for two years without pay to help in balancing his checkbook. All the while he will receive a $30,000 plus pay increase per year from $200,000-plus to $230,000-plus. A $29,000-plus pay increase for his attorney general, also a Democrat, and of course don't forget the Democrat-controlled (state) House and Senate will also get a raise. Nice to be king!. When will we become smart enough to take control away from the I-5 Corridor Democrats and take control of this state like the Republicans took control of Washington, D.C., and our great nation? We need our own state Trump and DOGE. If they eliminated DEI bull in all of state agencies and associated costs, the deficit would be 70% eliminated. Donald J. Taylor, Kennewick At Benton County Fire District 4, we are proud to serve nearly 25,000 residents, providing the highest level of emergency response and fire protection. Our commitment to the community goes beyond answering calls — we also want to stay connected with those we serve. I'm excited to introduce 'Coffee with the Chiefs,' an opportunity for residents to meet with me and our new Deputy Chief, Dan Drayton, in an informal setting. We invite you to join us for a cup of coffee, share your thoughts, and ask questions about what's ahead for Fire District 4. Thanks to the ongoing support of our community and careful financial planning, we're making critical service improvements this year — upgrading facilities, enhancing equipment, and hiring additional firefighters — all without a tax increase. These investments will help us continue delivering the reliable emergency response you depend on. Our first 'Coffee with the Chiefs' will take place on March 11, from 10 to 11 a.m. at Indulgences Espresso & Delights, 5449 W. Van Giesen St., West Richland. We hope to see you there! Paul Carlyle, Fire Chief, Benton County Fire Protection District No. 4 The Tri-Cities area greatly benefits from a long history of taxpayer-funded government programs starting with the building of the Grand Coulee Dam and continuing now with the Hanford site and Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. Government-funded dams provide water that created our agricultural and wine industry and gave us cheap electricity and cheap water. Hanford contractors and PNNL get around $4.7 billion in government funding every year. They employ 19,000 people with high-paying jobs as well as two to three times that number in indirect jobs. PNNL and its employees alone contributed $31.9 million dollars in taxes to our local and state economy in 2022. What area our size do you know of that has cheap electricity rates, 23 miles of public riverfront trails, at least 60,000 jobs directly or indirectly coming from government funding, and thousands of agricultural and food processing jobs? I grew up in a town that did not get billions of dollars in government funding and they don't have all of these jobs, a brand new town hall, a really nice library, a John Dam Plaza with stage and a fancy Xmas lighting show like we have in Richland. All of these things come from the tax base created by a large amount of government funding. They would be considered luxuries in many communities. I think many people in our area claim they don't like government funding; however, they are here because of the funding and/or enjoy and take for granted all of the benefits we get from government funding. Barbara Tarasevich, Richland On Feb. 19, Congressman Dan Newhouse sent out a constituent newsletter, 'Protecting America's Role in the Fight Against Hunger.' In it, he describes the United States as a leader in delivering aid in the fight against global hunger under the Food for Peace program within the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). In response to the decision by Mr. Trump to freeze all funds for USAID, Rep. Newhouse has proposed moving the Food for Peace program to the Department of Agriculture (USDA). Congressman Newhouse says that 'efforts by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) to reduce unnecessary spending are important' and that 'there is plenty of unnecessary, and often times ridiculous, spending within USAID.' Further, he says, 'I am supportive of efforts to be better stewards of taxpayer dollars.' Both USAID and USDA have been overseen by their own Inspectors General, by the Government Accountability Office and numerous congressional committees in both the House and the Senate. Why is it exactly that the congressman feels oversight and accountability provided by these bodies was inadequate? And exactly how is the process being used by DOGE expected to improve on oversight and accountability for these agencies? Barbara Seiders, West Richland Three years ago, Russia launched an unprovoked, full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The people of Ukraine are fighting bravely for their freedom, and they deserve our support. President Trump has stained our national reputation by embracing Russian propaganda concerning Ukraine. On March 24, he compounded the disgrace by sponsoring a United Nations resolution about the war that failed to even mention Russian aggression, while opposing a resolution condemning the aggression. In taking these actions, he caused the United States to join forces with countries like North Korea, Belarus, Syria, Nicaragua and, of course, Russia itself. Rep. Dan Newhouse has been a strong supporter of liberty and of Ukraine, but he must speak out now against what appears to be no more than a plan of appeasement, perhaps with a deal for mineral rights or oil concessions on the side. In 2024, Americans voted to reduce inflation and limit immigration. They did not vote for surrender and alignment with tyranny. Norman Werth, Colville In January, the U.S. flag was lowered to half staff in honor of ex-President Jimmy Carter. When he lost the election for a second term, he did not whine, blame fraud nor encourage a mob to destroy heretofore respected property or commit violence on those whose job was to protect it and the people inside. The mob wanted even more violence had they not been stopped. Jimmy Carter started a charity, Habitat for Humanity to help people own their own homes and taught Sunday School. I think the flag should have remained at half staff for February to grieve the death of decency when the American people elected Donald Trump president of the United States. Deena Smith, Richland Lies, lies and more lies! When are our representatives, Democrats and Republicans alike, going to stand up and call out the lies? DOGE: what a joke, $65 billion saved? More like a little over $2 billion. Why not cut the $8 billion given to DOGE? Talk about inefficiencies. $300 billion to Ukraine? More like half of that. U.S. spending twice Europe's contribution? Europe is funding over 60%. Cutting funding approved by Congress? Not only illegal but harmful to farmers, our parks, your health, international humanitarian aid and so much more. As someone once said, 'The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good people to do nothing.' Richard Stachowiak, Kennewick I find it reprehensible that our government has forgotten the lessons of both World War I and II. My mother was an Army nurse in North Africa, Italy, France and Germany. My father was in the Army Air Corp in the Pacific. Both fought to save the freedom of those countries overrun by oppressive regimes that were bent on creating empires. Fast forward to today, and our government is playing the role of a bully to a country that was invaded. Ukraine did not ask for this war, Russia invaded it, and in the process has committed countless war crimes. If the America that we love wants to be 'Great Again' we cannot side with dictators who invade other countries and murder their own opponents to stay in power. The lesson from the World Wars is clear: We must stand with our allies and fight for democracy and freedom, not only for ourselves, but for all countries. Douglas Macomber, Kennewick To those criticizing President Zelensky, look back at how many times he has humbly and publicly thanked the U.S. for our support, then realize it is every lover of freedom and democracy who owes a thank you to Zelensky and Ukraine for their three-year, bloody fight to keep Europe out of the hands of Putin. Again, look back at the fatigues Winston Churchill wore to the White House during World War II in respect for his people at home fighting a war, and like Ukraine, living in a war zone. The U.S. president showed weakness, lack of self control and fear of Putin as he threw a screaming tantrum in a diplomatic meeting with a war hero. Can Zelensky's critics conceive of living three years in a war zone, and losing over 12,000 of your family, friends and neighbors? The U.S. is aligning with the autocrats, and imperialist Putin, while removing offensive cyber operations that are our guard rails. We're watching as the president of the United States abandons our security, and our allies while simultaneously ignoring the Constitution and separation of powers. Rep. (Dan) Newhouse, please find some courage, and act to save our democracy from the traitor in the White House. Kathryn Schroeder, Kennewick
