In the News

Last spring, as the novel coronavirus spread around the world and the nightly news was full of closures, cancelations and grim warnings, we Americans were just coming to realize the once-in-a-generation crisis this virus would represent. And while today we have three approved vaccines and there are signs of a return to normalcy, too many of our friends and neighbors are still hurting.

U.S. Reps. Kurt Schrader (D-OR), Kim Schrier (D-WA), and Mike Simpson (R-ID) recently introduced a measure they said is designed to protect communities from the catastrophic impact of wildfires.

The National Prescribed Fire Act of 2021 would invest in hazardous fuels management by increasing the pace and scale of prescribed burns while also creating a preseason controlled burn workforce and streamlining smoke regulations in winter months.

A bipartisan group of lawmakers unviewed legislation Monday that will direct federal land management agencies to digitize and standardize mapping records. Supporters of the Modernizing Access to our Public Land Act, better known as the MAPLand Act, says this legislation will allow hunters, anglers, and millions of other federal land users to access essential information about public lands as well as their respective management agencies.

8th District Representative Kim Schrier discussed her efforts to address wildfire concerns on the federal level.

Schrier said it's alarming that the region already has had over 200 fires and we're not even in fire season yet.

"We do need sort of a conservation corps to go and make our forests resilient. At least get the areas of our forest where there is a wildland/urban interface." Schrier said, "Communities that are right in the thick of it need to be able to thin the forest surrounding that area where people live."

Although much is still being learned about the side effects of the coronavirus, a local legislator feels like more progress can be made to educate constituents about the benefits of vaccines and their effects in the long battle against the pandemic.

U.S. Eighth District Rep. Kim Schrier (D) took time to talk with reporters last week in a virtual roundtable event, where she used her experience as a physician to weigh in on issues related to the pandemic.

On Earth Day, Washington Rep. Kim Schrier (WA-08) introduced the Legacy Roads and Trails (LRT) Act in Congress. The bill would provide critical public funding to help maintain roads and trails on U.S. Forest Service lands in order to protect endangered species and improve water quality on public lands. Rep. Derek Kilmer (WA-06) cosponsored the legislation.

8th District Representative Kim Schrier talked about the proposed $2.3 trillion American Jobs Plan Wednesday.

While some have accused Democrats of not involving Republicans in the process, Schrier said it's definitely been a bipartisan effort.

"I'm hearing from my Republican colleagues that they have had visits with the president to talk about their ideas on infrastructure, and I have yet to have a meeting with the president, so he's definitely reaching out. It's not just leadership talking about this," Schrier explained.

8th District Representative Dr. Kim Schrier spoke Wednesday about children and COVID-19 vaccinations. The FDA is likely set to approve the Pfizer shot for kids 12-15 years old by early next week.

New variants have made the virus more dangerous for kids and officials have become increasingly worried by the lingering effects of what's being called ‘long COVID'.