The Issues Really Don't Favor Dan Newhouse, But Who's Paying Attention?

Dan Newhouse Cutting a Ribbon

Congressman Dan Newhouse’s 2020 election year activity seems to consist mostly of meaningless photo ops, something he's learned to do well in his 3 terms as the Representative of Washington's 4th Congressional District. Newhouse includes the following issues on his campaign website:

• Budget and Taxes
• Seniors
• Immigration
• Hanford
• Agriculture
• Veterans

Newhouse has a very brief blurb under each heading. Suffice it to say, his ideas about what matters in those areas aren't going to convince any Progressive voters that he's the man to represent them. An examination of what's actually happening under any one of these areas could give even the most committed Republican voter pause, consider "Budget and Taxes," for example. But most Republicans aren't even going to read what Newhouse has written. They'll just vote for him out of habit; historically about 65% of the vote in this district goes to the Republican candidate. Christine Brown did well to get 37.2% of the vote in 2018.

What might convince Independents to give McKinley (@Doug_McKinley) a second look, and might even cause some moderate Republicans to scratch their heads and rethink their unwavering support of good-ole Dan, is what's missing from Dan's list of issues, i.e.:

• Health care
• Trade
• Climate Change

These are issues that should concern any voter in the sprawling, ag-intense, rural, 4th District of Eastern Washington. 

 Health Care

Newhouse voted some 56 times with his Republican colleagues to “repeal and replace” the Affordable Care Act. Never happened, so they went about doing everything they could to undermine it. President Donald Trump has said multiple times he'd have a "beautiful, fantastic" plan in place, the last time it was before August of this year. That never happened, either. Now, Trump is suing to overturn the ACA. He’s installing a conservative justice to replace RBG, who already opined that the ACA was unconstitutional.

Rural hospitals/clinics in the 4th are practically broke. All while COVID-19 is raging. Even those who survive an attack, are likely to be left with pre-existing conditions. If the ACA goes, so goes coverage for them. Furthermore, Trump’s 2017 tax cut, taken together with the economic impact of the pandemic, means that big cuts are looming for Social Security and Medicare/Medicaid. If I read the census tables correctly, there are about 228,000 people in Newhouse’s district covered only by Medicare or Medicaid.

Trade

The retaliatory tariffs resulting from Trump’s trade war with China have hurt Washington’s farmers.  Dairy exports to China dropped by 75%, fruit exports dropped by over 16%, and wheat exports dropped by an amazing 94%. But Trump is buying off the farmers with massive taxpayer-funded bailouts; the Administration gave farmers across the country $12 billion in 2018 and another $16 billion in 2019, as part of the Market Facilitation Program (MFP), aka “socialism.” But  bailout money is distributed based on acreage and not a farmer’s need, so about half of the money (47%) went to the largest 10% of operations across the country.

Climate Change

Steve Ghan (@steveghan1), who leads the Tri-Cities chapter of the Citizens Climate Lobby has tried multiple times to get Newhouse to join the bipartisan House Climate Solutions Caucus. Newhouse won't do it. There is not one single Republican from Washington on the caucus. Agriculture accounts for $51 billion (13%) of Washington’s yearly economic activity. The counties that play the biggest role in the state’s agricultural economy are Grant and Yakima.

The Climate Impacts Group at the University of Washington has for some time assessed the consequences of a warming climate on Washington. In a 2019 report, “No Time to Waste,” they wrote, "Warming is expected to increase the number of very hot days and the chance of both droughts and floods, bring larger and more frequent wildfires to both sides of the Cascades and challenge agriculture through stresses on irrigation supplies and changing pests and diseases.” They went on identify health impacts, increased wildfires, impacts on water availing, etc. Why is Newhouse, like so many other Republicans,  ignoring this? Because of vested interests in a carbon-intensive economy.

Congressman Newhouse's demonstrated appreciation for environmental issues generally is reflected in the ratings he receives from various environmental NGOs, i.e.:

• Defenders of Wildlife -- 0%
• Clean Water Action -- 0%
• Washington Sierra Club -- 0%
• Environment America -- 3%
• League of Conservation Voters -- 4%
• National Parks Conservation Assoc. -- 4%

 Doug McKinley

Check out Doug McKinley's campaign website, and Facebook page. Attend one of his weekly town hall meeting via Zoom. Learn more about what Doug stands for and help give our district a better chance to choose a better candidate, donate to Doug's campaign.

Election for Washington’s Fourth Congressional District

 By Wendy Culverwell: 509-582-1514, @WendyCulverwell
Tri-City Herald, Sunday July 24, 2016

Voters won’t have to dig deep to find the differences between the three leading candidates running to represent Washington’s Fourth Congressional District. The freshman incumbent, Dan Newhouse, 61, is a Sunnyside farmer and Republican who favors limited government, a balanced budget and strong national security. He is challenged by a fellow Republican, Clint Didier, 57, an Ephrata farmer who leans further to the right, and by Doug McKinley, 53, a Richland lawyer running as a Democrat on a mission to restore the middle class.The race also includes Republican Glenn Jakeman of Yakima and Democrat Jake Malan of Pasco. Jakeman is a retired electrician. Malan has not been available for interviews since filing for election.

In 2014, Newhouse very narrowly defeated Didier, a former NFL player, in the race to succeed Richard “Doc” Hastings in the House of Representatives. With one term behind him, Newhouse has a voting record. Didier is attacking it.

Didier said he filed for a rematch to ensure Newhouse didn’t run unopposed. That was before the three other candidates entered the race.

Newhouse is not the conservative voters supported in 2014, Didier said during a recent candidate forum organized by the League of Women Voters and the Latino Coalition. He singled out Newhouse’s December “yes” vote on the federal budget bill, aka the “omnibus bill,” which funds a wide range of federal activities

“He says he’s a conservative, but he voted for the omnibus bill,” Didier said, saying it funded Planned Parenthood, the Affordable Care Act (“Obamacare”), supported sanctuary cities and shifted money from Social Security to Social Security Disability.

The Omnibus Bill is actually 12 separate appropriation bills passed in a single move. The arrangement forces representatives to support some programs in order to fund others.

Newhouse counters that Didier’s criticism is unfounded.

“None of that was in the Omnibus Bill,” he said

Newhouse and Didier agree on one point — both want to eliminate “omnibus” bills in favor of streamlined legislation that doesn’t force lawmakers to take the good and the bad. Newhouse said the bill did fund issues important to Washington, including Hanford cleanup.

“I worked really hard to get those funding levels. I couldn’t very well convince people we needed that money in Hanford and then turn around and vote against it,” he said

Didier insists the bill funds a liberal agenda that includes welcoming Syrian refugees

Newhouse and Didier agree on one point — both want to eliminate “omnibus” bills in favor of streamlined legislation that doesn’t force lawmakers to take the good and the bad.

“We’ve got to get away from these omnibus bills,” Didier said.

The top issues

Income inequality is the leading threat to America's Middle Class -- Doug McKinley

McKinley wants Congress to take on income inequality, which he called the leading threat to the American middle class. He and his opponents agree on issues such as economic stability, but they differ on the causes and solutions, he said.

“People are witnessing the same events and they’re giving two or three separate explanations for it,” McKinley said.

“We’re seeing a lot of what used to be family wage jobs ending, and the replacement jobs are much lower pay.”

McKinley wants to compel U.S. corporations to devote a greater share of their earnings to employee salaries, which he said will lift many of America’s working poor out of poverty and off public benefit systems. “The economic data show these companies are earning plenty of money and could pay a higher wage,” he said.

McKinley opposes Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump’s call to deport 11 million illegal immigrants as unreasonable, and a humanitarian catastrophe that would hurt agriculture. He prefers a higher federal minimum wage, and for the House to pass the 2013 comprehensive immigration bill, which has already cleared the U.S. Senate.

"The climate is what God wants it to be because this is God’s earth." -- Clint Didier

Didier said he’s focused on border security, sovereignty and reigning in a federal bureaucracy and tax burden that is strangling America. He cites the What’s Upstream campaign as an example of the government antagonizing agriculture. The federal Environmental Protection Agency, through a grant to a nonprofit, funded the Washington-based campaign to encourage the state’s residents to advocate for clean water regulations. The campaign used stock imagery to imply dairy farmers allow cows to wade into streams. “It’s an all-out assault,” Didier said.

Didier supports Second Amendment gun rights and said that climate change is real, but not caused by humans. “The climate is what God wants it to be because this is God’s earth,” he said during the candidate’s forum.

"I have a concrete record that you can look at" -- Dan Newhouse

 Newhouse was one of 145 members of the House who demanded the EPA account for the use of federal funds for advocacy work.

He also favors a pathway to citizenship for law-abiding immigrants. He agrees that the climate is changing, but disagrees that humans are causing it.
Newhouse continues to be alarmed by the growth in the size and scope of the federal government, he said. He supported increased spending on security. More recently, he’s seen an increase in interest in violence targeting police.
Newhouse said the tone and tenor of the 2016 primary campaign is similar to the 2014 campaign, except that he didn’t have a voting record then.
He stands behind his voting record and said he continues to advocate to reign in the growth of the federal government, to pass a balanced budget amendment, to enhance national security and keep fighting to fund Hanford

Newhouse supported two measures through the reconciliation process that sent bills to the president, he said. One would have prevented federal funding for abortion and the other would have gutted the Affordable Care Act. Both were vetoed.
He said the Social Security fund transfer was in a separate bill that he opposed.
“I have a concrete record that you can look it. It’s important that people are critical of it are accurate in the criticisms they make,” he said.
In the online voter’s guide, Jakeman indicated his top priorities are state’s rights, border control, balancing the budget and eliminating some outdated programs.
In the online voters’ guide, Malan indicated his top priorities including supporting the Bill of Rights, state sovereignty, fair trade rather than free trade and restoring military strength.

What’s next

The top two finishers in the Aug. 2 primary will advance to the Nov. 8 general election, regardless of party affiliation.
Newhouse’s re-election bid is endorsed by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the National Federation of Independent Business and the National Rifle Association, among others.
McKinley has been endorsed by the Benton County Democrats, Franklin County Democrats, Yakima County Democrats and the Eighth and 16th Legislative District Democrats.
Didier said he is not actively seeking endorsements, though he expects to announce several shortly

All ballots must be returned or postmarked by Aug. 2.

Read more here: http://www.tri-cityherald.com/news/local/article91550872.html#storylink=cpy

Benton-Franklin League of Women Voters Candidate Forum for WA 4th Congressional District

Recap of League of Women Voters (LWV) Candidate Forum
2016 WA 4th Congressional District

Candidates in attendance were Clint Didier, Republican, and Doug McKinley, Democrat

Incumbent Dan Newhouse had State Senator Sharon Brown read his statement in which he lamented the size of government and promoted the Republican-led “Balanced Budget Amendment,” which the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities has lambasted (see http://www.cbpp.org/research/a-constitutional-balanced-budget-amendment-threatens-great-economic-damage). Newhouse’s statement ended with a laundry list of his endorsements, including most recently, the Washington State Farm Bureau.

The other candidates who filed, John Malan and Glenn Jakeman, did not respond to LWV contact attempts.


This is an inexact on-the-fly transcript of the comments made by the candidates. Watch the video for the more accurate presentation of what the candidates said.

Opening Statements

Clint Didier opened by claiming that Dan Newhouse gets “failing grades” from conservative organizations, such as the Heritage Action for America (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heritage_Action) and the “Freedom Foundation.” He claimed Newhouse received a 57% rating. He also criticized Newhouse for voting for the 2015 bipartisan omnibus budget bill (http://www.politico.com/story/2015/12/democratic-support-for-omnibus-growing-216931). Didier said the bill “funded everything I’m against, and claimed it “stole $150 billion from Social Security” and diverted it to Disability Insurance, “where the biggest disability is they can’t speak English” (https://www.ssa.gov/legislation/legis_bulletin_110315.html).

Doug McKinley started by saying that he agreed with “Clint” that Newhouse wasn’t fulfilling the promises he made in running for office, and agrees that there are serious problems in America that must be addressed. He said he believes our differences are in what the solutions are to those problems.

What’s Causing Climate Change and what should be done about it?

Clint Didier said that the “earth’s climate has always changed,” that volcanos cause more emissions than man, and that, “the ice cap has grown.” He said he worked on his farm in past years when it was 117(?) and it’s not that hot now. He claimed that people who are promoting climate change legislation are doing so to “get power.” He ended by saying “the climate is what God wants it to be.”

Doug McKinley said that said that in as much as he isn’t a climate scientist, he depends on the experts for his information on what’s happening and why. He said the “experts overwhelmingly point to human caused CO2 emissions as the cause of global warming.” He said that the few scientists who deny this are funded by the fossil fuel industry. He said “we are driving temperature up and there will be consequences.”

Do you favor Immigration Reform?

Clint Didier said we must first “secure the borders.” He said we are “over inundating” America with immigrants. Asked if he would support a path to citizenship he said, illegal immigrants would have to “pay a fine — there should be a penalty for coming illegally — get in line, learn English, take the test, and become a citizen.”

Doug McKinley pointed out that a bill had been passed by the House (Secure Our Borders First Act of 2015), but that the legislation wasn’t going to solve the problem (see DHS statement on the bill https://www.dhs.gov/news/2015/01/22/statement-secretary-jeh-c-johnson-concerning-hr-399-secure-our-border-first-act-2015). He said the so-called “Gang of 8” immigration reform bill was a more comprehensive attempt to address the issue (the bill didn’t pass for various reasons http://www.factcheck.org/2015/12/did-cruz-support-legalization/). McKinley spoke to the benefits immigrants bring to our region, especially in ag, and spoke with feeling about the people — good, hard-working people.

Would you favor stronger gun laws?

Doug McKinley said he would support background checks across the board, so that people couldn’t buy guns on the Internet or in gun shows, or on the street. He would support laws preventing guns from being sold to people on the terrorist watch list, in addition to not selling guns to felons.

Clint Didier said “Our government sold guns to Mexican criminals during ‘Fast and Furious’ that turned up in attack on [Paris] France” (this was a viral right-wing conspiracy Internet story). Didier said gun ownership is a 2nd Amendment right, not to be infringed. He said “Thomas Jefferson said that our 2nd Amendment right to bear is to protect us from a tyrannical government (Jefferson never said this). Didier said it’s already against the law for felons to own guns.

What’s your position on the U.S. economy, and the role of the Federal Reserve?

Clint Didier said, “I’d eliminate the Federal Reserve and put us back on the gold standard.” He lamented that the Fed’s influence keeps going up. He said the federal government spends too much and doesn’t do us any good. He said, “I farm 1100 acres and have to struggle to make ends meet because of the $.71 gas tax” (state gas tax is 62.9c/gal, but is scheduled to rise by 7c to fund infrastructure repair http://dor.wa.gov/content/findtaxesandrates/othertaxes/tax_mvfuel.aspx).

Doug McKinley said the federal government built the dams and irrigation infrastructure that makes our multi-billion dollar agriculture industry possible. He said the way to fix the budget deficit is to “restore the Middle Class.” He said all the income and wealth is going to the top 1% and prosperity must be shared. He said wages have stagnated since the 1980s.

Do you support the TPP?

Doug McKinley said we have a global economy and trade agreements are a necessary part of it. Washington's economy, especially agriculture, depends on trade. “If you don’t write the rules, someone else will,” he said.

Clint Didier said, the federal government didn’t build the dam, people built the dam and some of them are buried under them. He said, “No, I don’t support these trade agreements.” He said, “They result in less jobs.” He said “China is a currency manipulator.” He said, “We have the cleanest coal plants in the world. Think about the resource we’re shipping away. China has no concern about the environment.”

If nothing is done about it, Social Security benefits will have to be reduced in 2037. A number of suggestions have been made, … What would you do about that?

Clint Didier said, “They stole Social Security money to pay for disability. I’d support having people create their own retirement plan. Tax free.”

Doug Mckinley said he supports the suggestions [mentioned by the moderator], and added that we can also help stabilize Social Security by raising wages.

How would deal with the issue of student debt?

Doug McKinley said he favors free public university/college education up to incomes of $125K.

Clint Didier said we should “reevaluate colleges.” He said, “Professors are making too much money and filling students’ minds with mush.” He said students should have to pay their debts. He said “Colleges should be held responsible for jobs not being there when students graduate.

What is your position on our foreign policy and military deployments?

Clint Didier said, Thomas Jefferson warned us about foreign entanglements. “We are the friends of liberty everywhere, but guardians of ours alone” (this is a favorite saying of conservatives, but I find no evidence it was said by Jefferson). Didier then went on to decry transgender bathroom laws.

Doug McKinley said that our military intervention in the Middle East hasn’t been successful, and said drone strikes that kill civilians are causing a backlash. He said ISIS is not a state, and it does not represent Muslims or the Islamic religion. He said, “We should not allow ISIS to control the narrative.”

What are your priority issues?

Doug McKinley (https://www.facebook.com/vote4mckinley/) said: raising income at all levels of middle class, and comprehensive immigration reform. He said our problems are non-partisan. It’s the prosed solutions that have become partisan.

Clint Didier “My opponent is playing the game” (I don’t know if was referring to McKinley or Newhouse). He said, “We got to united and take our country back.” He urged people to go to his website, clintforcongress.org, and pointed out that someone had stolen his domain name containing Didier, so he had to change it to Clint. He also urged people to listen to his 0830 broadcast on ACN, and donate to his Washington Patriots PAC (http://docquery.fec.gov/cgi-bin/forms/C00571687/992702/).