Jumping into pools in formal attire, cursing on podcasts, voting to the beat of her own drum — Washington’s Third Congressional district Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, D-Skamania County, continues to show her willingness to stray from the norm.
In a news release from her office last week, the local congresswoman listed highlights from her first six months in office. Co-owning an auto repair shop with her husband Dean in Portland, Gluesenkamp Perez has emphasized her desire to sponsor legislation related to trade school education, day care, right-to-repair, forest management and other Southwest Washington environmental issues.
As her news release notes, her focus on largely bipartisan issues has made her the seventh most frequent Democratic cosponsor of Republican bills in the U.S. House of Representatives.
Not always keeping in line with the party has earned Gluesenkamp Perez a fair amount of criticism, too, especially when she voted against President Joe Biden’s student loan relief plan.
Critics called her hypocritical given that she and her husband took loans for their business during the COVID-19 pandemic.
As previously reported by The Reflector, in a town hall, Gluesenkamp Perez said was well aware that vote was unpopular for many.
“I disappointed and angered a lot of people with that vote,” Gluesenkamp Perez said, later adding, “I also am doing my level best to represent the values of Southwest Washington, and I’m going to do that regardless of what my party thinks that I need to be doing.”
Other statistics related to work in the district Gluesenkamp Perez highlighted in the six months wrap-up included sending 31,250 letters to area residents, returning $389,172 in money owed to residents by federal agencies, being an intermediary between 599 residents and federal agencies including the IRS and the state department, being present for five in-person town hall meetings and having 324 meetings with Southwest Washington constituents, stakeholders, and community leaders. The release stated 142 of those were in in Southwest Washington and 182 were in Washington, D.C.
Gluesenkamp Perez also had two “Pints with Perez” events in Pacific and Wahkiakum Counties, the release stated. She’s also hosted three Farm Bill listening sessions with agricultural leaders from across Southwest Washington.
In the other Washington, Gluesenkamp Perez has cast over 280 votes on the House floor and earned a bipartisan cosponsor percentage of more than 85%, according to the news release. She has introduced eight bipartisan bills, authored four amendments and helped secure $40 million in funding for the Washougal 32nd Street Underpass Project, the release stated.
In the release, the congresswoman is quoted saying: “I’m going to keep working as an independent voice to tackle the issues that matter most to Southwest Washington.”
It’s capped off by a photo of Gluesenkamp Perez jumping head first into the Cathlamet Swimming Pool to celebrate the Wahkiakum High School’s robotics team winning an international competition.
