Author: MIL-OSI Publisher

Source: United States Senator for Connecticut – Chris Murphy

Source: United States Senator for Connecticut – Chris Murphy

WASHINGTON—U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), a member of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee, on Tuesday asked U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken about the efficacy of continuing the Trump-era sanctions on Iran, and the importance of funding the Global Engagement Center (GEC) in countering propaganda and misinformation from abroad as the Secretary justified the president’s FY2022 foreign affairs budget request before Congress.

On assessing the efficacy of Trump-era sanctions on Iran, Murphy said: “[I]n assessing the efficacy of the maximum pressure campaign, I think we have to have a reckoning with what we got. The Trump administration put on the table 12 demands—from what I can tell, none of them were met.”

Murphy continued: ‘…[I]n fact, isn’t there evidence that Iran’s behavior in many respects got worse, not better, during that time?…They broke out of the nuclear program, they start shooting at our troops again in Iraq, they upped their support for many of their proxies in the region, and they refused to come back to the table. It doesn’t seem like we got a lot for the sanctions that were re-imposed, and the new sanctions that were imposed during the Trump administration, which calls into question what we would get by keeping them in place for another four years.”

Blinken agreed with Murphy that Iran’s behavior has gotten worse—not better—under the sanctions regime imposed under former President Trump’s maximum pressure campaign.

Murphy then went on to ask Blinken about the GEC’s role to counter Russian, Chinese and other propaganda around the world: “I know you’ve requested in your budget essentially flat funding for the Global Engagement Center, but my read is that there are more potential partners that the Global Engagement Center could work with around the world than there is funding. The Global Engagement Center is not really doing sort of direct counter propaganda work. They’re going out and you know, making sure that independent journalists and truth tellers, and folks who are rooting out propaganda have the support to do so…What role do you envision GEC playing in our efforts to counteract Russian propaganda, but also non-state actor propaganda, Chinese propaganda around the world?”

On Tuesday, Murphy applauded the inclusion of his provision that more than doubles funding authorization for the GEC in order to counter propaganda and misinformation from countries like China and Russia in the Senate’s passage of the United States Innovation and Competition Act. Murphy along with U.S. Senator Rob Portman (R-Ohio) introduced the Countering Foreign Propaganda and Disinformation Act, which was signed into law in December 2016. The law enhanced the United States government’s capabilities for combating malign influence from America’s adversaries by establishing the GEC, which is charged with leading the U.S. government’s efforts to counter foreign propaganda and disinformation.

In March, Murphy along with U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), U.S. Representative David Cicilline (RI-01), and U.S. Representative Ami Bera (CA-07) proposed a $12 billion increase to the international affairs budget for Fiscal Year 2022 to better address America’s national security challenges. Investing in 21^st Century Diplomacy called for the increased funding to be directed towards three specific challenges: (1) competing with China; (2) preparing for the next pandemic in a post COVID-19-era; and (3) fighting climate change.

You can read Murphy’s full exchange with Blinken below:

MURPHY: “…I wanted to just come back to the Iran nuclear deal for a moment. I think you answered this question, in part, in response to some comments from the Chair and the Ranking Member.

“But in assessing the efficacy of the maximum pressure campaign, I think we have to have a reckoning with what we got. The Trump administration put on the table 12 demands—from what I can tell, none of them were met. The country that I pay the closest attention to, Yemen, saw an increased amount of activity from Iran with respect to their proxy forces there. Our forces in Iraq started getting shot at again by Iran, Iran’s proxies there.

“I guess I sort of come to the conclusion as we’re sort of weighing whether to continue forward with the Trump era sanctions or waive or release them in exchange for a new commitment from Iran on its nuclear program, I think it’s important for us to ask what we got for those sanctions. And in fact, isn’t there evidence that Iran’s behavior in many respects got worse, not better, during that time? Am I wrong about my assessment here?

“They broke out of the nuclear program, they start shooting at our troops again in Iraq, they upped their support for many of their proxies in the region, and they refused to come back to the table. It doesn’t seem like we got a lot for the sanctions that were re-imposed, and the new sanctions that were imposed during the Trump administration, which calls into question what we would get by keeping them in place for another four years.”

BLINKEN: “Yeah, I share that assessment. I think that’s right, and it’s unfortunately borne out by the facts.”

MURPHY: “The second topic, and I’m surprised Senator Portman didn’t bring it up because he normally does, we were together as part of this delegation in Ukraine. He and I, as you know, spent a lot of time working on standing up the capacity inside the State Department to combat misinformation.

“I know you’ve requested in your budget essentially flat funding for the Global Engagement Center, but my read is that there are more potential partners that the Global Engagement Center could work with around the world than there is funding. The Global Engagement Center is not really doing sort of direct counter propaganda work. They’re going out and you know, making sure that independent journalists and truth tellers, and folks who are rooting out propaganda have the support to do so.

“I know we’re still looking for someone to head up that capacity at the State Department. What role do you envision GEC playing in our efforts to counteract Russian propaganda, but also non-state actor propaganda, Chinese propaganda around the world?”

BLINKEN: “Senator, I think it’s got a vital role to play and one that we want to see strengthened even further. It’s as you know very well engaged in campaigns to educate, to expose, to mitigate disinformation and misinformation. And it is already as it stands really the premier platform for information sharing.

“I think there are about 400 partners across 29 or so countries at this point that the take advantage of it. It’s worked very effectively, for example, to expose Russian websites that were removed from social media for propagating misinformation, disinformation from the PRC as well, in third country elections. It exposed that and put a light on that. And it’s done very good I think open source mapping of some of the PRC’s use of surveillance and data collection, for example, in Xinjiang. So we’re seeing it effective across the board.

“I think that the request that we made is appropriate and will enable it not only to sustain but to actually grow its mission. Having said that, I’d welcome you know working with you to make sure that it is properly resourced and operating as effectively as possible. And yes, we are working on bringing a new leader to the enterprise.”

MURPHY: “Well, I know your personal commitment to this mission. I thank you for it. And I’d also commend to both the committee and to you, making sure that we have the right integration between the counter propaganda mission at State and through the GEC and the counter propaganda mission at Department of Defense. In the prior administration, I don’t know that they were coordinating at the level that they could, something that we can do better on. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Thank you, Mr. Secretary.”

BLINKEN: “Thanks, Senator.”

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Source: United States Senator for Delaware – Tom Carper

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the U.S. Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works will hold a hearing on how PFAS contamination is affecting communities across the country.

Below is the opening statement of Chairman Tom Carper (D-Del.), as prepared for delivery:

“Recognizing the critical importance of the matter before us today, I am pleased to call this hearing to order.

“And, I am particularly pleased to welcome a panel of witnesses uniquely prepared to help us understand better the impacts of PFAS in our lives, our communities, and our states. A warm welcome to Joanne Stanton, Jim Kenney, Scott Mandirola, and Tracy Mehan. Thank you all for your willingness to share your experiences and perspectives with us.

“As you all may know, I am privileged to represent Delaware, one of the smallest states in our Union, albeit a state that oftentimes punches above its weight. Despite the fact that our population numbers just under a million people, every one of our three Delaware counties has been plagued by the presence of PFAS chemicals in drinking water.

“In fact, while I hate to say it, there is not one of the states represented by the Senators sitting around this dais—or in the entire Senate—that is not struggling to address this problem for their citizens and communities.

“If this were merely a question of some pesky pollutant that occasionally finds its way into our groundwater and water wells on a very localized level, that would be one thing. 

“That is not the situation we all face today. 

“What we’re dealing with here is an almost universal, persistent toxin whose presence in our water—at levels measured in parts per trillion—creates a very real risk of adverse developmental effects to fetuses and breastfed infants, testicular and kidney cancer, liver tissue damage, as well as harmful changes to the thyroid and the immune system. 

“This is not just a public health concern. The presence of PFAS in our communities and our drinking water is having a major impact on livelihoods, as well. People in affected communities are worried about falling property values, and farmers with contaminated lands and dairy herds are—well—out of business in a number of cases.

“According to Bloomberg News, Stoneridge Farms—a 100-year-old family business near Arundel, Maine—was forced to shutter in 2019 due to PFAS contamination from sludge that was spread on the farm as fertilizer. As we’ll hear shortly in testimony here, the farm in Maine is far from the only farm adversely affected by PFAS contaminated sludge.

“We will also hear that states across America are scrambling to protect citizens and restore contaminated lands and waters in the absence of needed federal action on PFAS. 

“In early May, Attorneys General from 18 states and the District of Columbia commented on the challenges posed by EPA inaction in their comments to EPA on its proposed rule to required public water systems to test for 29 PFAS compounds. In those comments, these AGs said, and I quote:

‘Millions of people across the United States are exposed to PFAS-contaminated drinking water and widespread releases of PFAS into the environment. Many of the states have limited resources to comprehensively assess and address PFAS. Therefore, it is crucial for EPA to broadly regulate PFAS . . . to protect public health and the environment.’

“Another outcome of varied state approaches to regulating PFAS is the familiar challenge of a patchwork of regulatory requirements, which could hamper an effective and efficient national effort to manage a nationwide public health threat. It will not be long before we all hear from our business communities about the challenge of meeting disparate requirements amongst the states.

“The bottom line is this: PFAS is a sinister and pervasive threat to our families’ health, a drag on local, state, and national economies, and a problem that will not go away on its own. We need strategic national policies, programs, and investments to help us determine where PFAS contamination is, the health threats that these chemicals can pose, the best methods to rid our water and lands of this so-called ‘forever’ chemical, and a host of other issues that are related with this class of chemicals.

“What we lack—and I suspect all our witnesses here today will agree—is a sense of urgency to address these and other questions and to provide the relief that many affected communities and families need, particularly those with vulnerable infants and children.”

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Source: United States Senator for Delaware – Tom Carper

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Tom Carper (D-Del.), Chairman of the Senate Finance Subcommittee on International Trade, Customs, and Global Competitiveness and Chairman of the Environment and Public Works Committee, today hailed the Senate’s passage of the U.S. Innovation and Competition Act, which included several top trade priorities championed by Carper. The bill adds environmental criteria to the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) program for the first time, restarts and reforms the section 301 tariff exclusions process and includes the Miscellaneous Tariff Bill (MTB), greatly benefiting Delaware.

“For too long, consumers, small business owners, retailers, manufacturers and farmers have felt the all too real consequences of China’s manipulation of the global trading markets. This bipartisan bill will increase transparency in U.S. trade actions, help boost U.S. competitiveness and take important steps to combat China’s unfair trade practices,” Carper said. “I’m especially proud that trade measures I’ve long championed were included in the U.S. Innovation and Competition Act, which taken together will give American businesses relief by restarting and reforming the Section 301 tariff exclusion process, ensure environmental protections are included in our trade relationships with developing nations, and reduce import tariffs paid by American businesses by more than $1.5 billion – saving Delaware businesses at least $87 million alone over the next three years. I want to thank Chairman Wyden and Ranking Member Crapo for their tenacious work and leadership to ensure these crucial trade priorities made it through the Senate.”

More information on trade measures championed by Carper in the U.S. Innovation and Competition Act, added onto an amendment authored by Sen. Mike Crapo:

Section 301 tariff exclusion process: In April, Senator Carper and Senator Rob Portman (R-Ohio) led a letter with 38 of their colleagues to U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) Katherine Tai asking her to restart the exclusion process for imports from China subject to tariffs under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974. The U.S. Innovation and Competition Act restarts and reforms that process, and includes robust, enhanced oversight. 

Addition of environmental criteria to the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) trade program: The bill adds new environmental criteria to the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) trade program, taking a long overdue and important step forward in incentivizing developing countries around the world to improve their environmental standards.

Miscellaneous Tariff Bill: The U.S. Innovation and Competition Act also includes the Miscellaneous Tariff Bill, or MTB, which would reduce import tariffs by more than $1.5 billion over three years, bolstering manufacturers and other businesses in the United States, especially small and medium-sized manufacturers. Specifically, the MTB would support the competitiveness of manufacturers in Delaware by reducing the import tariffs they pay by at least $87 million over the next three years, benefitting a number of companies operating throughout the First State.

View full text of the amendment language here.

 

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Source: United States Senator for Delaware – Tom Carper

Legislation would safeguard against anti-abortion laws like Mississippi’s 15-week ban to be argued in front of Supreme Court next year

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Tom Carper and Chris Coons, along with U.S. Representative Lisa Blunt Rochester (all D-Del.), joined U.S. Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) and Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.) and U.S. Representatives Judy Chu (D-Calif.), Lois Frankel (D-Fl.), Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass.), and Veronica Escobar (D-Texas) in introducing the Women’s Health Protection Act (WHPA), bicameral legislation guaranteeing equal access to abortion throughout the United States. The bill’s introduction follows the Supreme Court’s decision to hear arguments in a case that directly threatens 50 years of precedent protecting access to abortion, and comes as states like Texas continue to pass anti-choice laws.

Introduced with historic support, WHPA has 48 total co-sponsors in the Senate and 176 co-sponsors in the House of Representatives.

WHPA would create a federal statutory right for health care providers to provide abortion care, free from medically unnecessary restrictions that single out abortion and impede access. 

From Roe v. Wade in 1973 to Whole Woman’s Health v. Hellerstedt in 2016, the Supreme Court has repeatedly recognized abortion as a constitutional right. However, anti-abortion advocates have worked for years at the state-level to pass laws meant to undermine or eliminate access to abortion care. In the last decade, state lawmakers have pushed through nearly 500 restrictive laws that make abortion difficult and, sometimes, impossible to access. Just this year, four states have passed bans on abortion at six weeks of pregnancy, before many women even know they’re pregnant. Lawmakers in Arkansas and Oklahoma attempted to ban abortion completely.

WHPA would stop these attacks and ensure that abortion access first guaranteed under Roe is a reality for everyone, everywhere.

“In courts and state capitol buildings, the Constitutional rights of women are under attack like never before,” Carper said. “This critical bill would ensure women can make their own health care decisions – no matter their zip code. I’m proud to support this legislation, and thank Senator Blumenthal and Representative Chu for their leadership.”

“Since 1973, the Supreme Court has recognized the right to choose as deeply rooted in the Constitution,” Coons said. “With new attacks on Roe v. Wade across the country, this bill affirms that right, and guarantees that every person in America, no matter their background, income level, or zip code, has access to safe, affordable, and legal reproductive care. I’m proud to join Senator Carper, Congresswoman Blunt Rochester, and a number of our colleagues in fighting back against repeated attacks on women’s rights.”

“At a time when the Constitutional rights, personal health care choices of women, and abortion rights are under attack like never before, I’m proud to be a cosponsor of the Women’s Health Protection Act,” Blunt Rochester said. “Roe v. Wade is the law of the land, has long been settled precedent, and should be protected. This critical piece of legislation will ensure that women, in consultation with their doctors can make the health choices that are best for them and will protect abortion rights for women across the country.”

The text of the Senate bill – including the full list of cosponsors – is available here. The text of the House bill – including the full list of cosponsors – is available here.

  

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Source: United States Senator for Washington State Patty Murray

ICYMI: Senator Murray’s diverse panel recommends U.S. judicial candidates in Washington – READ MORE HERE

***WATCH SENATOR MURRAY’S REMARKS HERE***

(Washington, D.C.) – Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) spoke in strong support of three nominees – Lauren King, Judge David Estudillo, and Tana Lin – for U.S. District Court Judicial vacancies in the Western District of Washington at a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing. Tana Lin, a former public defender and civil rights attorney, and Lauren King, a pro tem judge in the tribal court system, have both been nominated to serve in the Seattle courthouse, while Grant County Superior Court Judge David Estudillo, a former immigration lawyer, has been nominated to serve in the Tacoma courthouse.

Senator Murray recommended each candidate to the Biden-Harris administration in early 2021 after their names were submitted to the Senator for consideration by Murray’s judicial merit selection committee. Senator Murray has pushed highly qualified candidates with an emphasis on demographic and professional diversity to help create a more fair and representative federal bench.

“Each of these exceptional nominees will bring important experience and a critical perspective to the federal bench, establishing a more fair and just judicial system for Washington state families,” said Senator Patty Murray. “I am extraordinarily proud of these three nominees before the Committee today – they represent the best of Washington state and their country. It was my honor to submit their names to President Biden, and I look forward to a full vote on the Senate floor confirming these three highly qualified nominees.”

Judge David Estudillo was appointed by  Governor Jay Inslee to the position of Grant County Superior Court Judge in 2015. He ran to retain his position on the Court in 2016, and during that election cycle he was endorsed by both Republican and Democratic elected officials of Grant County. In 2020, Estudillo ran unopposed and was elected to serve a second 4-year term. He currently serves as the Presiding Judge of the Grant County Superior Court and is the President of the Washington State Superior Court Judges’ Association. Estudillo began his career working at a mid-size firm in North Central Washington and later worked for an insurance defense firm in Seattle that focused on multi-party complex litigation.  In 2005, with a desire to reengage with the Latino community in which he was raised and to utilize his Spanish language skills, Estudillo opened his own law firm with offices in both Eastern and Western Washington where he specialized in immigration law. Estudillo represented clients in removal proceedings before the Seattle and Tacoma Immigration Courts, successfully presenting and trying claims for asylum, cancellation of removal, and other forms of relief from deportation. He also frequently volunteered at immigration legal clinics to assist immigrants in applying for citizenship and often presented information in Spanish about immigration policy and procedure at local community forums. 

Estudillo’s nomination is endorsed by the Washington State Association of Justice, Police Chief of Moses Lake, City Administrator of Ephrata, Mayor of Moses Lake, Superior Court Judges Association, DSHS Division of Children, Youth and Family, and the Office of Public Defense Director Brett Hill.

Read more about Judge Estudillo’s nomination HERE.

Lauren King chairs Foster Garvey P.C.’s Native American Law Practice Group and has served as a pro tem appellate judge for the Northwest Intertribal Court System since 2013. Ms. King is also an appointed Commissioner on the Washington State Gambling Commission. She previously taught Federal Indian Law at the Seattle University School of Law. Prior to joining Foster Garvey, King was an associate at Byrnes Keller Cromwell LLP from 2010 to 2012 and at K&L Gates from 2008 to 2009. Ms. King is a citizen of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation, which is located in Oklahoma where she was born, and received her undergraduate degree from the University of Washington in 2004 before going on to graduate from the University of Virginia School of Law in 2008. Since then, Ms. King has been a judge for eight years for the Northwest Intertribal Court System, which adjudicates cases for its 24 member tribes. In that role, she has heard appeals in various tribal courts on diverse subject matters, ranging from child welfare cases and landlord-tenant disputes to procedural issues. If confirmed, King will be only the third Native American federal judge in the country and the first Native American federal judge in Washington state history.

King’s nomination is supported by the Washington Leadership Institute, National Native American Bar Association, Midwest Alliance of Sovereign Tribes/Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa, Native American Rights Fund, National Congress of American Indians (NCAI), Northwest Indian Bar Association, Federal Bar Association Indian Law Section, Northwest Tribal Court Judges Association, Seattle Indian Health Board, Sault Tribe Law Enforcement, Great Plains Tribal Chairmans Association, Mechoopda Indian Tribe of Chico Rancheria, Ewiiaapaayp Band of Kumeyaay Indians, United South and Eastern Tribes (USET), Nez Perce Tribe, Washington State Gambling Commission, Muckleshoot Tribe, Suquamish Tribe, Spokane Tribe, Association on American Indian Affairs, and Affiliated Tribes of Northwest Indians (ATNI).

Read more about Lauren King’s nomination HERE.

Tana Lin is Counsel at Keller Rohrback L.L.P. in Seattle where she practices in the complex litigation group, working to vindicate the rights of employees, consumers, and shareholders. She currently serves as President of the Board of Directors of the ACLU of Washington. She has also served as a cooperating attorney for the ACLU, successfully challenging the Trump Administration’s travel ban, obtaining a nationwide injunction preventing the Administration from enforcing the policy with regard to refugees, and settling the case favorably for her clients in February 2020. In other pro bono activities, Lin has worked with Columbia Legal Services and the Lawyers Fostering Independence Program. Lin began her career at the Public Defender Service for the District of Columbia. She then became a trial attorney in the Employment Litigation Section of the Civil Rights Division of the United States Department of Justice. Lin continued her work enforcing federal anti-discrimination laws in the Chicago District Office of the United States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. She then spent three years on a range of equal justice projects at the Michigan Poverty Law Program before moving to Seattle and joining Keller Rohrback. Lin would be the first Asian American appointed to be a federal judge in Washington state’s history.

Lin’s nomination is supported by Alliance for Justice (AFJ), ACLU of Washington, Michigan Poverty Law Program, Washington State Asian Bar Association, NYU School of Law, National Asian Pacific Bar Association, and National Legal Aid and Defender Association.

Read more about Tana Lin’s nomination HERE.

Senator Murray’s full remarks as prepared for today’s committee hearing are below:

“Chairman Durbin and Ranking Member Grassley, it’s my honor today to introduce three nominees for federal district court vacancies in the Western District of Washington.

“As this Committee knows, Washington state has had these vacancies open for a number of years, so I’ll start by thanking President Biden and the Judiciary Committee for working so quickly to provide some long-awaited reinforcements to our bench in Seattle and Tacoma.

“In addition, I want to especially thank the non-partisan judicial merit selection committee, comprised of 10 Washington state lawyers and co-chaired by Ian Warner and Rob McKenna, who guided us in selecting these highly qualified nominees before you today.

“I’ll introduce the nominees alphabetically.

“First, I’d like to introduce Judge David Estudillo.

“He is here today with his family—his wife Sandra, and three children Sofia, Sara, and Sebastian.

“Judge Estudillo currently serves as a Grant County Superior Court judge and had a distinguished career as a litigator and immigration attorney before his current role as the Presiding Judge of the Grant County Superior Court.

“He is a graduate of the University of Washington School of Law, and is a Washington state native whose parents came to the United States from Mexico through the Bracero Program in the 1960s.

“Throughout his career, Judge Estudillo has consistently provided pro bono services and legal education to Latino communities across Washington state, helping people to better understand immigration policy and procedure at community forums.

“Judge Estudillo works hard to ensure that every person who enters his courtroom is treated with respect and dignity.

“I know that he will bring that same approach to the federal bench in Tacoma, and is well-prepared to serve as a federal district court judge.

“Turning to Ms. Tana Lin. Ms. Lin is here today with her family—her husband Paul Michael Holland, her son Patrick, and her daughter Julia.

“Ms. Lin is a litigator with Keller Rorhback in Seattle, where she practices in the complex litigation group.

“Her career has been dedicated to serving the public, having served as President of the Board of Directors of the ACLU of Washington, as a Public Defender for the District of Columbia, a trial attorney with the Civil Rights Division at the Department of Justice, and as an attorney with the Michigan Poverty Law Program.

“Ms. Lin has consistently sought opportunities to help train the next generation of lawyers, having also served as an adjunct professor for Seattle University School of Law, and developing trainings for the National Institute for Trial Advocacy and National Legal Aid and Defenders Association.

“Ms. Lin would also make history if confirmed—she would be the first Asian American federal judge in Washington state history.

“A Chinese-American, Ms. Lin emigrated from Taiwan with her family when she was a child.

“She would strive to run a courtroom where all litigants are seen, heard, and treated fairly. I wholeheartedly support her nomination.

“Finally, turning to Ms. Lauren King. Ms. King is here today with—her father, Jeff, her mother Lisa, and her fiancé Sean.

“Ms. King currently chairs Foster Garvey’s Native American Law Practice Group, and has served as a pro tem appellate judge for the Northwest Intertribal Court System.

“She has served as a Commissioner on the Washington State Gambling Commission, and taught Federal Indian Law at Seattle University School of Law.

“Ms. King is a citizen of the Muscogee Nation, and she would make history by being the first Native American federal judge in Washington state.

“She would join only two other currently serving Native American federal judges, and become the fifth ever in United States history.

“Washington state is home to 29 federally recognized Indian tribes and it is absolutely essential that federal judges better reflect and understand the unique histories of Native peoples and the legal principles that protect and preserve Native American standing under federal law.

“Ms. King will bring important experience and a critical perspective to the federal bench.

“I am extraordinarily proud of these three nominees before the Committee today. They represent the best of Washington state and their country.

“It was my honor to submit their names to President Biden, and I hope all the members of this Committee will join me in supporting these three highly qualified nominees.”

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