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Newhouse Brings GOP Congress Members to Tri-Cities to Learn About NW Issues 1st Hand by Annette Cary Tri-City Herald, June 1, 2022

About 40% of Washington state's energy is produced within a 100-mile radius of the Tri-Cities.

Newhouse is the chairman of the Congressional Western Caucus, which bills itself as "The Voice for Rural America."

The group of more than 60 members of Congress from across the nation advocate for issues that include responsible resource development, energy independence and support of agriculture with water infrastructure.

Newhouse was joined in the Tri-Cities by Rep. Bruce Westerman, Ark., the vice chairman of the caucus, and Reps. Cliff Bentz, Ore.; Matt Rosendale, Mont., and Mariannette Miller-Meeks, Iowa. All are Republicans.

On Wednesday they met with farm bureau presidents from Washington, California, Oregon and Idaho.

Most of the rest of their visit was to be devoted to energy issues.

They spent most of Wednesday on a boat tour of Columbia and Snake river dams to discuss the role the hydroelectric dams play in the Pacific Northwest's way of life.

Topics covered included the importance of hydroelectric power and the ongoing efforts of supporters of the four lower Snake River dams to save them.

On Thursday, June 2, caucus members will be at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory in Richland, for a roundtable discussion of energy policy and electric grid resilience.

Speakers will include PNNL Director Steve Ashby; Bob Schuetz, chief executive of Energy Northwest, and Maria Korsnick, president of the Nuclear Energy Institute.

Other speakers will represent the Bonneville Power Administration, Washington State University, Framatome, NuScale and the Tri-City Development Council.