After a rocky start, the 118th Congress has begun and Southwest Washington’s new representative, Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, D-Washougal, has been sworn in.
An owner of an auto repair shop in Portland and mother of one, Gluesenkamp Perez takes over for Jaime Herrera Beutler, R-Battle Ground, after a narrow victory over her opponent, a Trump-endorsed Republican from Yacolt, Joe Kent.
The brand-new congresswoman released a statement after her swearing-in took place Friday.
“I’m deeply honored to serve as Southwest Washington’s independent voice in Congress and excited to finally get to work after days of delay,” she wrote in the statement. “I promised that I would put country over party and people over politics to get the job done for our community, and that’s exactly what I’ll do.”
She outlined several goals in her statement, including “to protect our rights, defend our democracy and level the playing field for working families. I’m here to pass a right-to-repair bill, rebuild jobs in the woods, invest in career and technical education, and cut red tape for small businesses. My bipartisan team and I will also deliver top-notch constituent services to make sure every Southwest Washingtonian can thrive,” wrote Gluesenkamp Perez.
She wrapped up with a thanks to the voters of Washington’s 3rd district for entrusting her with the responsibility of service, punctuating with: “Let’s get to work.”
Along with other new lawmakers, her oath of office was delayed by the protracted battle to elect a new House speaker in the now Republican-controlled U.S. House of Representatives.
