Yesterday, Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (WA-03) visited Clark, Cowlitz, and Skamania Counties to discuss her forestry priorities, tour a saw manufacturer and career and technical education (CTE) program, and take a ride-along with the Vancouver Police Department.

“If we don’t invest in workforce education for trades and forestry careers, we can lose local mills, plants, and jobs for good. I’m continuing to work on bipartisan solutions in Congress that will drive Southwest Washington’s economy forward and empower our next generation in the trades,” said Rep. Gluesenkamp Perez. “I also appreciate VPD for showing me their work firsthand. Public safety officers have tough jobs made more difficult by the worsening overdose epidemic, so we need to make sure they have the resources necessary to keep our communities safe and deal with the stresses of their work.”

Rep. Gluesenkamp Perez speaks at the AFRC’s Annual Meeting.

Rep. Gluesenkamp Perez began her day in Skamania County speaking at the American Forest Resource Council’s Annual Meeting. She provided an update on her first year in Congress, progress on forestry legislation, and bipartisan pathways forward.

Last year, she visited every mill across Washington’s Third District and her bipartisan Treating Tribes and Counties as Good Neighbors Act passed the House to ensure Tribes and counties can fully share in the successes of Good Neighbor Authority (GNA) forest management projects.

Rep. Gluesenkamp Perez goes on a ride-along with the Vancouver Police Department.

Afterwards, Rep. Gluesenkamp Perez went on a ride-along with the Vancouver Police Department to discuss their work and barriers to entry to becoming an officer, as well as current efforts to address juvenile crime and the fentanyl epidemic. 

Rep. Gluesenkamp Perez helped introduce bipartisan legislation to support grants for recruiting and training officers and expand access to the program in rural communities.

She also cosponsored the END FENTANYL Act in the House, which was signed into law last month to keep inspection practices up to date at ports of entry and reduce the amount of fentanyl being smuggled into the country.

Rep. Gluesenkamp Perez visits CREWTEK in Woodland.

Next, Rep. Gluesenkamp Perez visited CREWTEK, a new, nonprofit crane and mobile equipment operations program in Woodland. She toured the facility, tried a VR crane simulator, and spoke with instructors and students about workforce challenges and their plans for the future.

Rep. Gluesenkamp Perez operated an auto repair and machine shop before coming to Congress, and she has prioritized legislation to build the trades workforce of the future, including bipartisan bills to help small businesses hire graduates of trade schools and strengthen awareness of career and technical education (CTE) opportunities.

Rep. Gluesenkamp Perez tours Burton Mill Solutions in Ridgefield.

Rep. Gluesenkamp Perez wrapped up her day with a tour of Burton Mill Solutions, a manufacturer of industrial saw and milling tools in Ridgefield. They discussed the importance of strengthening the local manufacturing and timber industries to support family-wage jobs across Southwest Washington.

The Congresswoman has introduced bipartisan legislation to prepare young people for jobs in the timber industry, drive timber innovation, and build markets for forest products.