Disappointed by Herrera Beutler’s ‘fear-mongering, outright lies’ during election
I can’t begin to describe how disappointed I am in the type of ads and the overall smear campaign used by Republican Congresswoman Jamie Herrera Beutler. Like the leader of her party, Herrera Beutler invoked fear-mongering and outright lies in this election. Constituents are not important to her unless they already have declared their support. She refused to debate on real issues, and she refuses to have in-person town halls because she is fearful of criticism. We have not seen or heard from her in White Salmon for eight years.
She represents the worst of what the American political system has become: a career politician who is only interested in her re-election, her power and her greed and will sink to the lowest level of a false and disgusting campaign to win. I will give her credit for one thing: she understands her base and only has to use trigger words like taxes and tolls to get them fired up. Out of the many issues our country and world face, Herrera Beutler chooses to simply ignore them. She feels no obligation to stand up for democratic values and norms. She feels no obligation to call for civility, to engage in discussion. She feels no obligation to protecting our country from the nastiness that has taken over her party. She feels no obligation to role model ethical and moral behavior as part of the privilege of being elected in our country. As this country and culture devolves, we can thank people like her and the insane leader of her party.
Sue Kusch, White Salmon, Washington
House should rescue 2013 bipartisan immigration reform bill
On June 27, 2013, the U.S. Senate passed a bipartisan immigration reform bill by a veto-proof 68-32 margin. With a bipartisan House of Representatives majority in favor (Froma Harrop, Spokesman-Review, Jan. 20, 2018) and President Obama’s signature assured, the bill was destined to become law — until the Republican House leadership, including Washington state’s Cathy McMorris Rodgers, violated majority rule by not allowing a vote of the full House.
The bill included a nationwide employment eligibility verification system (E-Verify) and stricter border control, along with a path to citizenship for eleven million undocumented immigrants, an innovative temporary worker program, and increased visa numbers for skilled foreign workers.
Can the new House Democratic majority rescue this legislation? President Trump has made rumblings of bipartisan accomplishments with the new House, and the bill does not involve new undocumented immigrants toward whom he’s obsessively hostile. Should the unpredictable president renege, perhaps the Senate could reassemble a veto-proof majority; and the House likewise with new House Democrats joining a semblance of the original bipartisan House majority.
This may be overly optimistic, but it’s certainly worth a try and would relieve some of our country’s divisiveness and stress on immigrants already in the U.S.
Norm Luther, Spokane, Washington
