WA Rep. Kilmer hopes to ‘find common ground’ ahead of State of the Union

With 2020’s State of the Union address taking place Tuesday evening, Washington Rep. Derek Kilmer weighed in on what he hopes to see from the President.

Washington Rep. Kilmer: US border policies ‘entirely unacceptable’

Kilmer represents Washington state’s Olympia Peninsula in Congress, a constituency he looks to for guidance on how he governs.

“My constituents expect me to stand my ground on issues where the president’s actions are in direct conflict with the interests of my constituents,” Kilmer told KIRO Radio’s Dave Ross. “I’ve been doing that on everything from health care, to climate change, to some basic issues around the treatment of immigrants and civil rights.”

With the State of the Union looming, he also hopes to see some semblance of political unity when it’s all said and done.

“My constituents also expect me to work to find common ground when we can,” Kilmer said. “We are in a divided government right now, and there is, I think, hope that Democrats and Republicans in our nation’s capital — on issues where they can find agreement — can actually get some stuff done.”

Specifically, Rep. Kilmer points to climate change as an issue where lawmakers are “starting to see at least some bipartisanship.”

Washington Rep. Kilmer spurs push for gun control in Congress

“While that leadership does not come from the president yet, you’re seeing Democrats and Republicans around the country — not just elected officials, but everyday Americans — who believe that climate change is real, and that it requires action,” he said.

The State of the Union address takes place at 6 p.m. PST Tuesday, and will be aired live on KIRO Radio.

Listen to Seattle’s Morning News weekday mornings from 5 – 9 a.m. on KIRO Radio, 97.3 FM. Subscribe to the podcast here.

Follow @NickNorthwest