Jaime Herrera Beutler was first elected to Congress at the age of 31 to represent Southwest Washington’s 3rd District. Both Democrat and Republican presidents have signed Jaime’s legislation into law, helping her earn the ranking as Washington state’s most effective Member of Congress[1]. She is also the first Hispanic in history to represent Washington state on the federal level.

Jaime grew up in Southwest Washington and brings an independent voice and a desire to serve her home community to Washington, D.C. Jaime graduated from Prairie High School and was a member of Prairie’s women’s basketball team. She also participated in activities like 4-H, fishing at Battle Ground Lake on opening day, and swimming in the Lewis River. Jaime has a deep appreciation for what makes Southwest Washington special.

Protecting good-paying jobs and economic opportunity for Southwest Washington residents has been Jaime’s top priority since taking the oath of office. Jaime has authored and secured into law multiple legislative solutions to protect employers and create jobs in sectors across Southwest Washington including the fishing, manufacturing, and forest products industries. Each year, she hosts an annual jobs fairs where thousands of job-seekers have connected with hiring employers.

Jaime’s record of success comes from her ability to work productively with both Republicans and Democrats on solutions that protect our way of life in Southwest Washington. She was ranked the 15th most bipartisan member of the U.S. House by Georgetown University and the Lugar Center. As a senior member of the House Appropriations Committee, Jaime has successfully secured federal support for vital priorities in the Columbia Gorge and coastal communities including maintenance of the Columbia River, dredging for small ports along the coast, and resources for salmon recovery. Jaime also successfully wrote and championed landmark legislation that’s now law to prevent the extinction of whole runs of salmon and steelhead by lethally removing some sea lions from the Columbia River. Through hard work and cooperation, Jaime helped garner the support of every member of the Pacific Northwest delegation for this solution.

She also co-founded the bipartisan Maternity Care Caucus, the first of its kind in Congress, and has been a champion for maternal and child health. Most notably, Jaime successfully spearheaded legislation that was signed into law to address maternal mortality, the largest step Congress has taken to prevent moms from dying during pregnancy, childbirth and postpartum. When her bipartisan ACE Kids Act became law, it allowed more than 300,000 children with complex medical conditions to access life-saving treatment – regardless of their family’s income or their zip codes. And thanks to her leadership and advocacy through the caucus, the Food and Drug Administration made a critical change to help prevent fatal birth defects in Hispanic communities.

Jaime earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in Communications from the University of Washington. She worked on the congressional staff of U.S. Representative Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-Spokane), and then served as State Representative from Washington state’s 18th Legislative District from 2007 until being elected to Congress in 2010.

Jaime, her husband Daniel Beutler, and their children Abigail, Ethan and Isana, reside in Battle Ground.

HEALTH CARE

I believe every single Southwest Washington resident deserves access to quality, affordable health care, regardless of a pre-existing condition or if they’ve hit hard times economically.

I’m a steady proponent of patient-centered solutions, which includes allowing the purchase of insurance across state lines, expanding Health Savings Accounts, and strengthening Medicare Advantage plans. I also support lowering the cost of prescription drugs and have introduced and supported multiple bipartisan solutions to slash drug prices for our seniors and others who rely on life-saving medications.

To really fix health care, we must get serious about implementing a plan that doesn’t grow the government but gets at the root causes of rising health care costs in Southwest Washington and across the country.

Here are some patient-centered solutions I support:

• No Surprise Bills for New Moms Act: I’ve introduced bipartisan legislation which would simply the process for enrolling newborns in health coverage. As parents in Southwest Washington welcome a newborn baby, many are unknowingly incurring thousands of dollars in surprise medical billing simply because the window to complete enrollment paperwork is so narrow during this hectic time. This kind of surprise billing is contributing to rising health care costs for families across our nation. This bill will help give parents peace of mind that they’ll have more flexibility to enroll their child in health insurance after birth without risking these exorbitant and unnecessary costs.

• Safe and Affordable Drugs from Canada Act: This legislation I’ve helped lead in Congress would allow the safe, responsible importation of certain prescription drugs from Canada.

• Helping Medicaid Offer Maternity Services Act (MOMS Act): I introduced this legislation in Congress, which has now been signed into law, that aims to reduce and end America’s growing maternal mortality crisis. Nearly 70% of new moms will have at least one health complication within a year of giving birth, so the Helping MOMS Act would ensure moms can see a doctor and obtain treatment for that critical 12-month period.

• Living Donor Protection Act: I’ve introduced legislation to help protect living donors. A 2014 study in the American Journal of Transplantation as many as 27% of living organ donors experience difficulty securing or paying for insurance after their procedures because of discriminatory practices. The Living Donor Protection Act would protect living organ donors and promote organ donation by removing barriers to organ donation, provide certainty to donors and recipients, and protect living donors in the private and civil service sector.

• Legislation to expand Medigap insurance coverage for patients living with end-stage renal disease: Folks living with end stage renal disease should have access to life-saving medications, dialysis, and kidney transplants needed to treat their illness. However, thousands of Americans under the age of 65 living with ESRD are barred from obtaining a Medigap plan that could help cover the cost of these treatments. This legislation I’m helping lead would expand Medigap insurance coverage to all patients living with end-stage renal disease, regardless of age.

• Maternal Health Quality Improvement Act: This legislation I’ve championed, which passed the U.S. House in 2020, would increase access to health services for women in rural areas, expand telehealth grants to include maternal health providers, and improve the quality of care and training for maternal health providers to improve birth outcomes and save lives during pregnancy, childbirth and postpartum.

• Advancing Care for Exceptional Kids Act (the ACE Kids Act): I’m proud to have led this bill through Congress, which has now been signed into law. Two out of the three million medically complex children across the country are enrolled in Medicaid, accounting for 40% of costs for all children on Medicaid. Prior to this bill’s passage, many kids were severely limited from accessing the medical care they needed simply because of their zip code. The ACE Kids Act helped provide these kids with better care which, in addition to saving Medicaid spending (and taxpayer dollars), provides parents with the flexibility to seek care at the hospital that can help their child – even when that hospital is in another state.

There is much more to do to make sure residents have the health care coverage they need – and I’ll continue working on solutions that get us there.

VETERANS

America’s support for our troops shouldn’t stop once active duty ends. After all of the sacrifices they have made, we owe our military veterans the best health services and resources available.

Taking care of our veterans has always been a priority of mine. When I began my career in public service as a state representative, my very first bill was a bipartisan proposal to give tax relief to business owners serving in the military. My commitment to those who have risked their lives to keep our country safe will not waver.

Unfortunately, backlogs in VA disability claims have kept too many veterans waiting for months and even years to gain access to health care or disability payments that they earned through their service to our country.

Tragically, some veterans have lost their lives while waiting to get the care they deserve.

Through my position on the Appropriations Committee, I have been working to fix the systemic problems that impact wait times, staffing shortages, and veterans falling through the cracks in the scheduling process. One report said that over 10% of Vancouver area veterans were waiting an average of 30 days just to get their first health care appointment. Since I began demanding specific accountability for these facilities, wait times have dropped – but the VA has more work to do.

When I discovered that a VA-owned “mobile medical unit” was sitting largely idle in a parking lot, I worked diligently over multiple years to bring this taxpayer-funded resource to serve veterans living in our rural communities. That mobile medical unit now makes quarterly, week-long visits to Pacific County to save veterans from 60-plus mile round trips to the nearest VA facility. They offer basic services like blood draws, prescription fills, and immunizations. One elderly veteran had a serious health issue detected during a routine exam, and it was treated before it cost him his life.

I won’t stop fighting in Congress to fulfill the promises made to our military heroes. Whether it’s consistently supporting cost of living increases in veteran benefits and disability, or helping pass a bill into law that allows veterans the choice of getting care outside of the VA system, my goal is to bring real improvements to the lives of those at home.

MEDICARE

Medicare is a critical program seniors rely on for their health care, and I want to make sure it’s there not just for today’s seniors, but those who will retire tomorrow and 10 years from now.

Unfortunately, the Affordable Care Act (ACA) destabilized Medicare when it cut $ 700 billion from the program, including $156 Billion from the popular Medicare Advantage program.

First, we need to stop the ACA’s raid on the Medicare trust fund so the program avoids insolvency within the next two decades. Whether it’s traditional Medicare, Medicare Advantage, or a different form of Medicare coverage, I want seniors to have the choice of Medicare coverage that works best for them – and we must strengthen the program to make sure it’s on solid financial footing. I’m committed to taking action that will ensure seniors have this important program for generations to come.

EDUCATION

Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Print this Page Share by Email I know first-hand that a good education involves parents, teachers and local schools. My door is open to all educators in Southwest Washington. We share the same goal: ensure our children receive a world class education so they are prepared to succeed in the global economy.

My priorities for education:

• Put students at the center of our decisions regarding education; students should be our focus, not the adults in the system.

• Increase local control over our education system. Parents, teachers, and local educators are the best equipped to address the needs of their children and students – not bureaucrats in Washington, D.C.

• Equip our children to compete in the global 21st century economy, with a focus on S.T.E.M. education (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math).

• Increase career and technical education opportunities. When children leave the K-12 system, we must also ensure they are ready and prepared to choose the best path for them, whether that’s technical/vocational training, a university or other forms of higher education.

• Require high standards and accountability from our education system, so Southwest Washington employers can hire from a qualified local workforce.

• Alleviate the monetary burden student loan debt has on college graduates. As the cost of college tuition rises, a growing number of students from our community are struggling to pay off their loans in this difficult economic climate.

• Ensure that students in rural communities are treated fairly in a system where federal land ownership reduces the resources available for rural schools.

ENERGY

As our nation continues to grow its economy and get people back to work, we need an energy policy that provides Southwest Washington with affordable and reliable energy. Higher energy costs hurt families and make it harder for businesses to compete. Every time gas prices go up, our region loses jobs. Sound energy policies also allow us to sever our dependence on oil-rich nations that do not honor our values or have our best interests in mind.

We are well-situated in Southwest Washington to take full advantage of an “all of the above” approach to energy. Our region is home to clean and renewable hydropower, natural gas and a growing biomass industry. By pursuing these and other forms of energy, we can keep costs affordable and ensure our energy supply is stable. Reasonable energy prices will also help us both maintain the businesses we have and attract new businesses – and jobs – to Southwest Washington.

I share a desire for cleaner energy, and I don’t believe that it has to come at the cost of more jobs to our communities. Incentives, not punishment, should be the path to more renewable energy. Arbitrary “clean energy” mandates that value certain favored forms of clean energy over others at the expense of efficiency and cost, and backdoor attempts at cap-and-trade taxes on families and businesses, are not in the best interest of our recovering economy.

CHILD CARE

Southwest Washington has been labeled a “child care desert” for its lack of quality, affordable child care facilities and providers. I believe Congress can and should take action to confront this problem. That’s why I’m working on solutions that will help working families save money on their child care bills and more easily find quality child care services.

• AVAILABILITY: As many families struggle to find access to available child care, states are continuing to experience a noticeable decline in the number of child care providers, leading to the expansion of “child care deserts.” So, I joined with my colleagues from both sides of the aisle, and both chambers of Congress, to write a bill to address the shortage. The Child Care Workforce and Facilities Act will focus on rural communities by providing competitive grants to states to support the education, training or retention of child care workers and build, renovate or expand child care facilities in areas with child care shortages.

• AFFORDABILITY: Additionally, we must make child care more affordable for working families. I joined with my Democrat colleague Rep. Katie Porter, a single mom from California, to write the Family Savings for Kids and Seniors Act which would more than double the amount of money families can set aside pre-tax in Dependent Care Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs) to help pay for preschool, summer day camp, before or after school programs and child care.

• PAID FAMILY LEAVE: And most recently, I joined with colleagues in a bipartisan manner to introduce a bill to help provide financial relief to new parents. Our bill, the Advancing Support for Working Families Act, gives new parents the option of receiving up to $5,000 following the birth or adoption of a child through the Child Tax Credit (CTC). This money can help cover a parent’s leave from work or infant care costs. In exchange for this benefit, families would take a $500 reduction from their future annual CTC over the following 10 years.

MATERNITY CARE

Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Print this Page Share by Email Each year, approximately four million women give birth in the United States, and even though the U.S. spends significantly more on childbirth than any other industrialized nation, America continues to rank far behind almost all other developed countries in healthy births. We must do better.

As a mom of young children, I’m familiar with the information and services available to pregnant moms in this country – and my goal is to use this experience to translate into real-life solutions to improve birth outcomes for mothers and children.

For this reason, I helped launch the bipartisan Congressional Caucus on Maternity Care. Our focus is on finding common ground and moving forward on solutions that help save lives and lead to better health in mothers and babies.

SOCIAL SECURITY

Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Print this Page Share by Email Millions of Americans who are retired or near retirement are counting on a promise made by the U.S. government that Social Security will be there for them. I will work to make sure Social Security is funded so that we can keep that promise. Privatizing Social Security is not an option and I do not support it.

The real threat to Social Security is overspending by politicians in Washington, D.C. For years, they have taken money from the Social Security trust fund and left nothing but I.O.U.’s.

It is my job to help stop the overspending in other areas of government, so that we can put Social Security back on steady financial ground and keep our promises to those who depend on this program.

TRANSPORTATION

Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Print this Page Share by Email Businesses, families and individuals throughout Southwest Washington depend on a safe, efficient transportation system to keep our economy moving. As a member of the U.S. House Appropriations Committee, I am committed to ensuring that tax dollars are being targeted to our region’s most pressing transportation needs.

From city centers to forest roads and trails, I’ve helped get results to make commutes faster, roads safer and destinations more accessible. For example, in Ridgefield we secured a critical federal grant to fix the Ridgefield Pioneer Street Railroad Overpass – one of the most dangerous rail crossings in Washington state. I’ve also made sure federal policies and spending keep small towns and remote forests open and accessible to hikers, sportsmen, bicyclists, off-road enthusiasts and those who live and work in these rural areas. The careful preservation of forest roads and trails will always be important here.

I-5 is a federal highway, and I will continue to ensure that federal resources are available for a safe, affordable I-5 bridge across the Columbia River that reduces congestion and helps our ports and businesses move freight more efficiently. But any solution must earn the support of Southwest Washington citizens who will use and help pay for it through their hard earned tax dollars. Clark County residents have rejected light rail as a component of this bridge on multiple county-wide ballots, and I will respect the will of the voters.

We can get this right. If we do, this key roadway and crossing will serve our growing region well for generations to come.

ENDING GOVERNMENT OVERSPENDING

Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Print this Page Share by Email After years of government overspending by both parties, America is perilously close to bankruptcy as a nation. The federal deficit threatens job creation today and the futures of our children and grandchildren tomorrow. Before I was elected, Congress went on a spending binge: trillions of dollars spent on bailouts, stimulus packages and massive new government programs. Now, we have spent the last several years trying to reign in government spending and give relief to families and small businesses.

It’s time to stop the excessive credit card spending and reverse course. It’s time to make difficult decisions, and establish a framework for responsible budgeting. In doing so, we’ll remove barriers to economic growth and help create new, family-wage jobs.

From day one, I have worked to keep my pledge to stop the overspending. My first vote as a Member of Congress was to cut my own office budget, along with the budgets for every other congressional office. The $35 million we saved taxpayers didn’t eliminate the deficit overnight, but it was a start.

I have also co-sponsored and voted for a U.S. Constitutional Amendment that would require Congress not to spend more than it receives in revenues each year. If families can carefully establish budgets that they must live within, why shouldn’t the government? The very first bill that I introduced in Congress would cut the salaries of Members of Congress, the President and Vice President by 10%. I believe as elected leaders we need to do our share to reduce the debt.

Americans understand that we cannot stay on this path of overspending and achieve a full economic recovery. The nation’s staggering national debt is one of the greatest challenges our country faces today, but we can overcome it if we put a stop to the overspending and force the federal government to live within its means. Once we do, we will be much closer to sustained economic recovery, new jobs, and a more secure nation.

NATIONAL SECURITY

Providing for the defense of our country is the federal government’s primary constitutional responsibility. This is a duty I take very seriously.

In the current global climate, there are para-state entities and organizations with radical ideologies like ISIS that rely on terrorism to further their agenda. Whenever these groups pose a threat to America and her citizens, the U.S. must take action to eliminate the threat.

It’s important that our military has the resources to be well-trained, well-equipped, and well-protected in combat. But we must also recognize that aggression in the 21st century from nation-states that don’t have our best interests in mind will come in the form of cyber-attacks meant to weaken our critical systems and sensitive institutions. I support a robust and advanced U.S. strategy to deter any such attacks.

LOWERING DRUG COSTS

Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Print this Page Share by Email Southwest Washington seniors and other patients pay way too much for prescription drugs and it’s not uncommon for them to skip doses, cut pills in half or forego filling prescriptions altogether. This is not right and it’s why I’ve focused my efforts in Congress on helping seniors on fixed incomes pay less for insulin, blood pressure medicine and cholesterol-lowering drugs.

JOBS AND OUR ECONOMY

Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Print this Page Share by Email Here in Southwest Washington, the need to grow our economy and create jobs is as great as any other region in the country. From the Gifford Pinchot Forest to Long Beach, our region has a reputation for our tremendous resources – but the greatest resource of all is our people.

Congress needs to maintain employment and the economy as its number one focus.

Small business and private enterprise act as America’s engine for job creation, but right now these job creators are struggling to survive.