Quick Look

USDA appoint key senior staff

WASHINGTON D.C.—The following individuals will hold senior staff positions in Washington, D.C.

Senior Program Officer focusing on nutrition at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Anne Knapke was named Deputy Assistant Secretary for Congressional Relations.

Liz Archuleta was named Director in the Office of Intergovernmental Affairs. Archuleta served as a County Supervisor for Coconino County, Arizona, where she was the first Latina ever elected to that office in Coconino County.

Staff Director for the Subcommittee on Nutrition, Oversight, and Departmental Operations on the House Committee on Agriculture Jasmine Dickerson was named Legislative Director in the Office of Congressional Relations.

Former Obama Administration Outreach Director at the Department of Treasury and Special Assistant at USDA, Jamal Habibi was named Chief of Staff for the Rural Housing Service.

Director of Human Resources for the 2021 Presidential Inaugural Committee and Pennsylvania Democratic Party as the commonwealth’s Human Resource Director Brandon Chaderton was named Deputy White House Liaison in the Office of the Secretary.

Weekly New Unemployment Claims Report

OLYMPIA–There were 16,102 initial regular unemployment claims During the week of January 24-30, (down 2.2 percent from the prior week) and 489,741 total claims for all unemployment benefit categories (up 1.6 percent from the prior week) filed by Washingtonians, according to the Employment Security Department (ESD).

Approval of disaster relief for Malden and Pine City

WASHINGTON D.C.–The statewide federal emergency disaster declaration submitted by Gov. Jay Inslee was recently approved by the Biden administration. Cathy McMorris Rodgers indicated the approval makes critical FEMA funding available for counties in Eastern Washington, including Whitman County’s Malden and Pine City.

Conservation Reserve Program signup extended

WASHINGTON D.C.– The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is extending the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) General Signup period, which had previously been announced as ending on Feb. 12, 2021. USDA will continue to accept offers as it takes this opportunity for the incoming Administration to evaluate ways to increase enrollment. Under the previous Administration, incentives and rental payment rates were reduced resulting in an enrollment shortfall of over 4 million acres. The program, administered by USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA), provides annual rental payments for 10 to 15 years for land devoted to conservation purposes, as well as other types of payments.

Latest USDA Farm Income Forecast

WASHINGTON, D.C.–The farm income forecast and export data released recently reflects a growing need to ramp up our focus on expanding existing markets to create new opportunities for farmers, ranchers and producers at home and abroad. New market opportunities will ensure our producers are not so reliant on government support or the whims of a handful of trading partners.

McMorris Rodgers leads effort to protect lower Snake River dams

WASHINGTON D.C.–Representatives Dan Newhouse (WA-04), Jaime Herrera Beutler (WA-03) and Russ Fulcher (ID-01) joined Cathy McMorris Rodgers (WA-05) in reaffirming their support for hydropower and emphasizing the importance of protecting existing hydropower resources in the Pacific Northwest. In a resolution, the Representatives expressed that it is the sense of Congress that hydropower is an essential source of Energy in the United States, which should not only be protected, but also increased substantially.

Recreation fees waived Feb. 15

Portland, Ore.–The USDA Forest Service will waive fees at day-use recreation sites in Washington on Oregon on Monday, Feb. 15, in honor of Presidents’ Day.

State can learn about reopening from school districts in 9th District

OLYMPIA–While Senate Bill 5037 co-sponsored by Sen. Mark Schoesler, which establishes transparent metrics for school opening, has stalled in the Senate. Yet, many school districts in the 9th District are reporting they are completely open. In fact, the Colfax School District tops a new list from the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction–it reports 100.4% in-person instruction.

In comparison, many of the largest-enrollment districts are at the opposite end of the scale: Auburn, Everett, Edmonds, Issaquah, Seattle, Federal Way, and Renton are no more than 1% in person, and none of the 25,632 students in the Kent School District are in classrooms. But those are all in the Puget Sound region that met the governor’s standards for moving into Phase 2.