Rep. Herrera Beutler in middle of impeachment trial turmoil
(Al Drago/Pool via AP, File)VANCOUVER, Wash. – Jaime Herrera Beutler has spent a decade in Congress as a low-key moderate Republican who largely avoided heated partisan battles. Herrera Beutler has worked to help other families facing long-term medical crises and has pushed legislation to make child care more affordable. Like other Republicans who broke with Trump, Herrera Beutler was condemned by her local and state party. Herrera Beutler said people should not be surprised by her recent statements surrounding impeachment and her conversation with McCarthy. ___This story has been corrected to reflect that Herrera Beutler represents Washington's 3rd Congressional District.
Biden: 'We can't wait any longer' to address climate crisis
President Joe Biden signs an executive order on climate change, in the State Dining Room of the White House, Wednesday, Jan. 27, 2021, in Washington. “We can’t wait any longer'' to address the climate crisis, Biden said Wednesday at the White House. “When I think of climate change and the answers to it, I think of jobs,'' Biden said. Former Secretary of State John Kerry, now Biden's climate envoy, said oil, gas and coal workers “have been fed a false narrative'' that ”somehow, dealing with climate is coming at their expense. Biden also directed U.S. agencies to use science and evidence-based decision-making in federal rules and announced a U.S.-hosted climate leaders summit on Earth Day, April 22.
U.S. Reps. Michael Burgess and Joaquin Castro seek House leadership roles
Burgess' aim is to be the top Republican — known as ranking member — on the House Energy and Commerce Committee, while Castro is seeking the chairmanship of the House Foreign Affairs Committee. The House Energy and Commerce Committee leadership is one of the most coveted roles on Capitol Hill. His top rival in the race is Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers, a popular Washington state member who once served in House leadership. Last month, he secured a fifth term in Congress, and he is an emerging leader within the Texas Democratic delegation. Republicans sharply cut into the House Democratic majority this year.
US: Snake River dams will not be removed to save salmon
SPOKANE, Wash. The U.S. government announced Friday that four huge dams on the Snake River in Washington state will not be removed to help endangered salmon migrate to the ocean. The federal failure to remove the dams despite clear supporting science is a disaster for our endangered salmon and orcas, said Sophia Ressler of the Center for Biological Diversity. The Pacific Northwest population of orcas also called killer whales was placed on the endangered species list in 2005. Snake River sockeye were the first species in the Columbia River Basin listed under the Endangered Species Act in 1991. On the way to the ocean, juvenile salmon can get chewed up in the dams turbines.