July marked Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez’s first year and a half in office representing the Third Congressional District in U.S. Congress.
She first stepped into office after she narrowly defeated Republican challenger Joe Kent for the seat, flipping the GOP-dominant district.
“Halfway through this year, I’m incredibly grateful for the folks I’ve had the opportunity to meet with and hear from, and I’m excited about the progress we’re making for southwest Washington. I’ve passed bipartisan legislation to cut wasteful spending and support small businesses, brought our tax dollars home for community investments, and delivered results for constituents having trouble with federal agencies,” Rep. Gluesenkamp Perez said in a press release. “As an independent voice for southwest Washington, I look forward to working with Republicans to keep up this urgent momentum — including to lower costs for hardworking families, support our first responders and veterans, fight the flow of fentanyl, and strengthen our rural and agricultural communities.”
Below is a list of achievements stated in her office’s mid-year report:
Constituent service achievements:
• Recovered $1,818,217 for constituents owed to them by federal agencies.
• Assisted 1,320 residents with a federal agency, including the IRS, Veterans Administration, State Department and more.
• Sent 100,428 responses to calls, emails and letters from residents.
• Had 583 meetings with southwest Washington constituents, stakeholders and community leaders, including 289 in southwest Washington and 294 in Washington D.C.
• Visited 10 career and technical education programs.
• Organized 19 roundtables with community members with topics including access to childcare, rural broadband, manufacturing and clean water.
• Hosted six sets of mobile office hours to assist residents of rural communities with federal agencies.
• Held a Small Business Resource Fair to connect small-business owners and prospective business owners with local resources.
Legislative achievements:
• Introduced 45 bipartisan bills, which made up 84% of all the bills she introduced.
• Co-sponsored 22 bipartisan bills that passed the House.
• Authored 46 amendments considered on the House floor, 14 of which passed the House.
• Attended 52 committee hearings and markups.
• Cast more than 1,000 votes on the House floor, 74% of which were bipartisan.
In 2024, Rep. Gluesenkamp Perez:
• Was ranked the most bipartisan member of Congress in Washington state and the 12th most in the country, as well as being recognized for fiscal responsibility.
• Introduced the House-passed bipartisan SPUR Act to help more small businesses access federal contracts.
• Introduced the House-passed bipartisan FULL Act to cut wasteful spending on government office space.
• Introduced House-passed provisions to reauthorize support for landslide preparedness and response efforts.
• Was endorsed by the National Farm Bureau, the only Democrat to ever receive the endorsement.
2024 Federal funding achievements:
• Secured $21.4 million for 15 fiscal year 2024 community projects, including to build infrastructure for farmers and fishermen, support rural public safety and to strengthen clean water and wastewater infrastructure.
• Helped secure $1.499 billion for the I-5 Bridge Replacement project from the U.S. Department of Transportation.
• Helped secure $17.4 million for new infrastructure in the Heights District from the U.S. Department of Transportation.
• Helped secure $200 million for the Hood River-White Salmon Bridge replacement from the U.S. Department of Transportation.
• Successfully fought to pass the bipartisan Fire Grants and Safety Act to extend federal grant programs for departments across southwest Washington.
• Requested $35.6 million for 15 fiscal year 2025 community projects, including to mitigate sea lion populations, support fire protection and build housing for local veterans.
Other achievements listed in the press release:
• Delivered 16,000 signatures to the VA from veterans and community members in support of reopening a VA clinic in Lewis County.
• Nominated 7 outstanding students for a service academy who began training this summer.
• Helped get weather buoy 46029 repaired at the mouth of the Columbia River to help fishermen, bar pilots, and Coast Guardsmen stay safe on the water.
• Helped launch the Slow Fashion Caucus to support high-quality American-made clothing for working families.
• Fixed 1 car radio for her Republican colleague.
