Weekly Update for Monday, November 13, 2006

Weekly Update for Monday, November 13, 2006

The Monday Memo is Back

With this year's election behind us, the Monday Memo's back and it's time to get down to business as the Senate comes back into session this week. At this critical juncture for our state and country, we must do more to make education and health care affordable and deliver a new energy policy for America that makes energy independence a reality. We need to change the course in Iraq and make sure Iraqis stand up and take control of their own security so we can begin bringing our troops home; and we must honor the sacrifices of our veterans by giving them access to the health and education benefits they were promised. During the next few weeks, securing an extension of the state sales tax deduction will be one of my top priorities. We must also tackle the many pressing local issues we face, including the need to secure relief and support after the severe flooding that recently affected much of Western Washington. We have a lot of work ahead, and I'll keep you updated each week on my work in Congress during the busy months ahead.

Honoring America's Veterans

Every day, America's soldiers stand up and put their lives on the line for our country's most enduring values. As a nation, we have a distinct and important responsibility to make sure service members, veterans, and their families receive the benefits and recognition they have earned and so greatly deserve. We must never forget what they have given up to defend our nation. Like those from generations past, our soldiers today lead this nation with courage in the face of daunting challenges. This Veterans Day, we celebrate and honor the men and women who have served and fought to keep us safe and our nation strong. We thank America's military personnel and their families, and must never forget those who have given their lives so we may live in freedom. Their strength and dedication honors this nation and inspires its people.

Investing in Northwest Biofuels

During the months since my last Weekly Update, full-scale construction began in Grays Harbor County on what will be one of our country's largest biodiesel plants. After helping to secure the final permits needed for construction, I visited the site last month with Congressman Norm Dicks to get a first-hand look at the progress on this exciting new cornerstone in Washington's emerging biofuels industry. Once completed, the 540,000 square foot facility will produce up to 100 million gallons of biodiesel annually, fueling our local economy and someday possibly even exporting renewable fuels to countries across the Pacific. By taking advantage of our local resources, we're giving our economy a solid boost while at the same time curbing our addiction to foreign oil. This is exactly the kind of forward-looking investment we need.

As our local alternative energy industry continues to grow, I'm going to keep pushing to increase our commitment to alternative fuels and to open new markets for the clean energy technologies we produce. On Monday I returned from leading a business delegation to Beijing where I discussed trade and energy cooperation with Chinese officials and business leaders. With our region poised to become a global leader in new energy technologies, we can take advantage of China's growing energy and infrastructure needs by exporting biofuels and energy-related technologies developed here in our state. Enhancing our energy cooperation with China will also help reduce world energy supply pressures and mitigate Chinese air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions.

Meth Prevention Day Becomes Official

Earlier this year, to help increase awareness of the dangers associated with meth use, I joined Representative Brian Baird in introducing legislation calling on the Administration to create a National Meth Prevention Week. Both the House and Senate approved our proposal. In late-October, the Department of Justice responded by establishing a National Meth Awareness Day, which will occur annually during the school year on November 30. To continue this progress during the upcoming Congress, I'm going to keep working to increase the funding reserved for anti-meth initiatives, to curb meth trafficking across the U.S.-Canada border, and to investigate the link between meth and other crimes like identity theft.

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