By Mariannette Miller-Meeks and Dan Newhouse Our local communities are capable of making land use and water decisions far better than a bureaucrat thousands of miles away Water is one of our most precious natural resources. Whether for drinking, farming, or fishing, clean water is a national priority, and future generations depend on us doing our part to preserve and protect bodies of water throughout the United States. In Iowa and in rural communities throughout the country, we recognize that farmers and ranchers are the original conservationists. They depend on clean air and water to sustain their livelihoods, and in many cases, they are leading efforts to improve our land and overall health of local ecosystems. The Navigable Waters Protection Rule (NWPR) was put in place in August 2020 to replace the Waters of the United States (WOTUS), a controversial and overreaching regulation that left our nation's farmers and rural communities facing uncertainty. In turn, the NWPR balances our environmental protection efforts with the land rights of individuals and small businesses in rural communities throughout the United States -- just as it always should have been. The Clean Water Act gives the Environmental Protection Agency and the Army Corps of Engineers jurisdiction over "navigable waters" in the United States, but it leaves this definition up to the federal agencies to define. WOTUS drastically expanded this jurisdiction over bodies of water like streams and ponds -- including those on private land -- that the Clean Water Act never intended to regulate. Instead of burdening private citizens with confusing and ambiguous standards that could end up costing them thousands of dollars, the NWPR ensures that the federal government's clean water efforts are focused on clearly defined bodies of water. Clean water is something all rural communities need, and Iowans of all walks of life have benefited from this revised rule, which provides much-needed certainty and predictability. The NWPR ensures that farmers, ranchers, private landowners, and small businesses -- vital sectors of our rural economies -- are able to continue operating with a clear and concise direction and without the fear of the federal government's overreach. Empowering our state and local governments, communities, tribes, and businesses to work collaboratively with the federal government results in stronger environmental protections. These are the kind of partnerships we should be encouraging, and that is exactly what the NWPR does. Not only will this rule result in stronger protections for clean water, but when business owners have clarity, it leads to job creation. We have seen this firsthand in Iowa. Sen. Joni Ernst has been a strong leader in preserving the protections for Iowa industries under the NWPR, and we are proud to join her in these efforts as members of the Congressional Western Caucus. As representatives of rural communities in Congress, we understand that clean water protections are not contrary to economic development, and these efforts don't have to punish those who live, work, and raise a family throughout rural America. Today, we introduced a resolution with the support of over 100 members of Congress to reaffirm our commitment to clean water and to support the NWPR. This resolution is a strong demonstration of our continued environmental protection efforts as we work to ensure that families, farmers, ranchers, business owners, and individuals in rural communities continue to work together -- alongside the federal government -- toward responsible stewardship of our resources. Our local communities are capable of making land use and water decisions far better than a bureaucrat thousands of miles away. We are committed to maintaining the Navigable Waters Protection Rule because we know that rural America is dedicated to clean water, and we will continue working to lead the way. Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks represents Iowa's 2nd Congressional District and is a member of the Congressional Western Caucus. Rep. Dan Newhouse represents Washington's 4th Congressional District and is the Chair of the Congressional Western Caucus. ###

By Don Newhouse The U.S. Constitution guarantees law-abiding Americans the right to keep and bear arms, but once again, our Second Amendment rights are under attack by the left. This week, Democrats in the House are bringing forth two pieces of legislation that aim to make it even harder for citizens to legally obtain a firearm. Contrary to what the media may say about H.R. 8 and H.R. 1446, these bills will do nothing to prevent mass shootings or ensure guns do not fall into the wrong hands. H.R. 8 will essentially criminalize gun sales and transfers without the permission of the federal government. The fact of the matter is that restricting a law-abiding citizen's ability to acquire a gun will not protect our communities from wrongdoers. It's likely that the opposite will be true. The other bill, H.R. 1446, would extend the window for completion of a federal background check from 3 days to 10 days. Not only is this 10-day requirement completely arbitrary, but with the technological advances throughout our society and increased attention on ensuring safe and legal firearm sales, access to this important information is essentially in the palms of our hands. If anything, we should decrease the burdensome delay. Besides, do Democrats really think that a 10-day background check extension is going to stop a criminal from buying a gun? It won't. Under existing law, there are 10 classes of persons prohibited from purchasing, receiving, transporting, or possessing firearms including felons, drug addicts, violent offenders, illegal immigrants, and more. These people do not fall into the category of "law-abiding American citizen," and they should not have access to a firearm. Republicans are not opposed to screening perspective gun owners, and we -- along with Americans across the country -- support keeping guns out of the hands of criminals. Congress must ensure that our background check system is as accurate, up-to-date, and efficient as possible, and Republicans have already supported efforts to address these issues. In the 115th Congress, Republicans passed the Fix NICS Act, a bill that requires states and federal agencies to ensure the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) has the updated, necessary information to ensure an accurate and timely background check for gun purchases. These are the types of common-sense improvements Congress should be making. Let's make sure our existing laws and systems are working before we pile on new, burdensome regulations that infringe upon our constitutional rights. Despite the picture that may be painted by my colleagues on the other side of the aisle, we know in Central Washington that our Second Amendment rights extend beyond just the ability to own a gun. The Constitution guarantees our right to protect ourselves and our families, and hunting is an integral tradition of Western culture that is passed down from generation to generation. I grew up shooting jackrabbits and sage rats with my friends, and I regularly go shooting with my children, my wife, and our friends on our farm. Limiting the ability for any law-abiding American to buy a gun will not make America safer, and these two bills will only increase the federal governments influence on our daily lives. I am strongly opposed to H.R. 8 and H.R. 1446 because I support our constitutional right to keep and bear arms, and I will continue to defend that right on behalf of Central Washington.

By Don Newhouse When our state moved into Phase 2 of Governor Inslee's latest iteration of a reopening plan, it signaled a well-deserved step forward for our region. Following guidelines under the leadership of local health districts and elected officials, we worked together to reduce our hospitalization rates, prevent the spread of the virus, and lower the number of cases in our regions. We earned our way into Phase 2. Quite reasonably, members of our community including small business owners and local leaders are now asking: What's next? What is Phase 3? What are the next steps we can take to further reopen our local economies and get people back to work? Unfortunately, Governor Inslee refuses to give us any answers. When a reporter dared to ask the Governor to provide Washingtonians specifics about the public engagement process for developing the parameters of Phase 3, the Governor condescendingly snapped back that he had already provided the specifics and went on to sarcastically describe his morning routine of making calls to his advisors before eating his morning piece of toast -- so what more specifics could we the people possibly want? The people of our state -- including the reporters simply trying to provide the public with important information -- deserve better. I have said all along that these decisions directly impacting Washingtonians' lives should be made at the local level. This has been further demonstrated by the leadership I have witnessed by local health districts, chambers of commerce, city and county officials, and other community leaders. When there was a discrepancy in figures reported in a county in the South Central region, it was local leaders who came together to ensure the mistake was corrected so the region was able to move forward into Phase 2 with the rest of the state. I have heard firsthand accounts from all counties in our district throughout the pandemic. Phase 2 is a good step forward, but they are becoming increasingly frustrated with the Governor's lack of direction. In March of last year, we were told that we needed two weeks to flatten the curve of COVID-19 and stop the spread of the virus. Two weeks has turned into a year. We stayed home, we missed holidays, and we cancelled our travel plans. Our businesses shut their doors or dramatically reduced their capacity. Hospitals cut off essential services in order to keep beds open. Our grocery stores saw dangerously low levels of supplies while our agriculture workers continued to ensure we had food to put on our tables. Event spaces and venues closed, hotel guest lists became barren, and gyms and movie theaters remained empty. Our students stayed home, and teachers transitioned their classrooms online. While some were able to work from home, far too many of our neighbors lost their jobs or were forced to provide for their families on reduced hours. At the beginning of the pandemic, the Governor's office released a 4-phase reopening plan that was "based on science." That plan has been replaced by another plan, which was replaced by another plan… which has now been changed again. The Governor is leaving the individuals, families, and businesses who depend on a safe and swift reopening in the lurch. Without a clear, concrete plan to move forward, our communities will lose hope. We all want to defeat this virus, return to a sense of normalcy, and do our part to ensure our district doesn't suffer from further economic devastation. But in order to do that, we need real leadership -- and Governor Inslee is failing to deliver.