MOSES LAKE — There are issues that are important to Central Washington, but the region is not immune from national concerns, said U.S. Congressman Dan Newhouse.

Newhouse was in Moses Lake on Monday, touring New Hope/Kids Hope and the site of the new Samaritan Hospital.

“Certainly a lot of national issues that people are concerned about touch us too,” Newhouse said. One of those is immigration.

“The open southern border — a lot of the human trafficking, the drugs that are coming into the country, come right up here,” Newhouse said. “So many people coming into the country illegally when we need legal immigrants. Trying to make that situation better so we can have the immigrants that we need. So we don’t have an open border overwhelmed with immigrants.”

Homelessness is one of those local and national issues that highlight the complexity of solving the big problems, he said. A lack of housing contributes to the problem in Washington, and the regulatory environment makes it difficult to build affordable housing in the state, he said. But housing is only part of the problem.

“All these things are intertwined - it’s not an easy, simple, ‘this is what we have to do.’ There are a lot of things that contribute to homelessness. There are the drug issues, mental health issues, all of those kinds of things. Housing costs for sure, the tough economy and the lack of resources to help people weather the storms. I wish there was an easy solution.” 

Newhouse is a third-generation farmer in the Yakima Valley and said it’s not easy being in agriculture right now.

“The ag economy has got some real challenges,” he said. “High input costs, interest rates are going up, low commodity prices - there are a lot of challenges. Agriculture is a big part of our economy. Certainly, they’re on my mind.”

Newhouse also cited labor issues and high energy costs as adding to the challenges faced by farmers. 

“Energy costs are a big part of what drives everything,” he said. “High prices for gas and groceries. Everybody is talking about that. So trying to get a handle on that, making sure our energy costs are more affordable.”

Newhouse said he’s hoping to see progress in the Columbia Basin Project, and eventually its completion. He’s been a leading opponent of removing dams along the lower Snake River. 

“Why would we want to tear down things we worked so hard to build?” he said.

Newhouse received a tour of both New Hope and Kids Hope, which provide services to adults and children who are victims of sexual assault and domestic violence. Director Suzi Fode said the scope of its services has been expanded to include victims of other crimes.

“Anyone who’s been hurt or harmed by someone else,” Fode said.

New Hope and Kids Hope work out of the same facility but are separated - literally by a concrete wall, Fode said. That actually helps facilitate operations, Fode said.

“We try to keep our kids very separate,” she said.

The organization is one of the few in the state that offers services for different kinds of victims in the same location, Fode said. 

Kids Hope also has a four-legged member of its staff — Valor, the Kids Hope courthouse facility dog. Valor is there to provide companionship and comfort to children who are clients at New Hope or Kids Hope. Sometimes he provides comfort to adults, too, Fode said, from the staff to police officers who must investigate crimes against children.

Samaritan Chief Executive Officer Theresa Sullivan and hospital district commissioners showed Newhouse the progress on the construction of the new hospital.

Cheryl Schweizer can be reached via email at cschweizer@columbiabasinherald.com.

Info box:

Newhouse is running for reelection to Congress this year, and has seven challengers in the August primary. Contact information for the candidates is below.

Mary Baechler

www.maryforcongress.org.

Jerrod Sessler

www.jerrodforcongress.com

John Malan

www.restore-america.info

Dan Newhouse 

www.Dannewhouse.com

Benny “B3” Garcia

Vote4bennyWA04@zohomail.com

Barry Knowles

4thdistrictelectbarryk@gmail.com

Tiffany Smiley

www.tiffanysmileyforcongress.com

“Birdie” Jane Muchlinski

birdie4uscongress@gmail.com

    Fourth District Representative Dan Newhouse, right, shakes hands with Samaritan Healthcare commissioner Alan White, left.
  

    New Hope/Kids Hope Director Suzie Fode, left, goes over some of the agency’s funding sources with Congressman Dan Newhouse, right.
  

    Dan Newhouse, Fourth District Representative in the U.S. House, left, talks with victim advocate Abraham Ta[pia, right, during a Monday visit to Moses Lake.