Last week, Congresswoman Cathy McMorris Rodgers was in Olympia to meet with state leaders and advance important priorities for Eastern Washington, like the future of Fairchild Air Force Base, services for Veterans, and the completion of Spokane’s North-South Freeway.

At the Washington State Capitol, she spoke with state legislators about work underway in Congress to rein in one-size-fits-all regulations from bureaucrats in D.C. and restore power to the People.

McMorris Rodgers speaks with Washington State Legislators

ON EDUCATION: McMorris Rodgers highlighted the Every Student Succeeds Act, which puts students and parents back in the driver seat and rolls back broken bureaucratic mandates that emphasize paperwork first, the student second. The Wall Street Journal described it as “the largest devolution of federal control to the states in a quarter-century.”

“We’re empowering State and local leaders to make the best decisions for students in their communities, rather than one-size-fits-all programs from Washington D.C,” McMorris Rodgers said.

ON RESTORING THE PEOPLE’S VOICE: Speaking to members of the Washington State House, McMorris Rodgers talked about the importance of the “People’s House.”

“The House of Representatives is, by design, the body closest to the people. We are the most accountable, and we must be the most transparent and responsive,” McMorris Rodgers said. “At the Federal level, I am leading an effort to rethink government from the top down, to restore representative government.”

Before she was elected to Congress, McMorris Rodgers was the minority leader of the Washington State House.

ON SERVING THE PEOPLE: As she returned to the place where she previously served, McMorris Rodgers honored those who mentored her: “When I come back, I am reminded that we all stand on the shoulders of giants—for me, people like Senator Bob Morton and Senator Scott Barr.”

She also shared a word of encouragement for those currently serving: “I am also reminded, all of us who are in the battle right now often look back on our founding fathers and we think that they were a little different than us. But, you know what? They weren’t. They were just like us. They had challenges and struggles, and they were doing their part. I thank you for being here and doing your part.”