The U.S. Foreign Service is vital to safety and security | Opinion

Foreign Service vital to security

I served our country for 12 years as a commissioned Foreign Service officer and am dismayed by the ongoing efforts to reduce America’s diplomatic and development capacity. Firings, hiring freezes, budget cuts and the dismantling of key agencies jeopardize our national security, our economic strength and our global leadership.

Richland’s own Gen. James Mattis once told Congress, “... if you don’t fully fund the State Department, I’ll need to buy more ammunition...’ because our diplomatic and development professionals provide our best chance to avoid sending our troops into foreign conflicts.

These cutbacks prevent our diplomats from opening export markets for U.S. businesses. They reduce America’s influence and leave a vacuum that China and Russia will rush to fill. And they risk our government’s ability to assist Americans in trouble overseas – when a passport is lost, a family member is injured or imprisoned or when natural disasters strike.

My former colleagues perform difficult jobs in difficult places every day, serving under administrations of both parties. They took an oath to serve America and support the Constitution. They make America safer, stronger and more respected. They deserve our support, not disrespect, firings and budget cuts.

Check out www.servicedisrupted.org for more information.

Ron Rhinehart, Kennewick

PFAS in water are unacceptable

I am writing to express my concern regarding the escalating issue of forever chemicals, specifically PFAS, in our Tri-Cities community.

Recent reports highlighting the presence of these harmful pollutants in our water sources are deeply troubling and demand immediate action. The potential long-term health consequences associated with PFAS exposure, including cancer, immune system deficiencies and developmental problems, are simply unacceptable.

Our local governments must prioritize the testing of all water sources and transparently share the findings with the public. This transparency is critical in building trust and ensuring informed decision-making. Furthermore, I urge our elected officials to explore and implement effective solutions for PFAS remediation, investing in advanced filtration technologies and exploring innovative solutions for contaminant removal.

This isn’t simply an environmental concern, it’s a public health crisis requiring decisive and immediate action. We deserve clean water and a safe environment, and I believe the Tri-Cities community deserves and demands better.

Natalie Lancheros, Kennewick

Drug problems in schools a concern

I am respectfully writing to bring attention to the growing drug problem in our cities, especially near our schools. Every day, hundreds of teens are exposed to drugs. Dealers sell pills at very low prices to get kids dependent early, turning them into long-term customers. Many don’t realize how dangerous these drugs are to their future.

Street drugs are addictive and can seriously harm a child’s future. They affect the brain in many ways. According to the National Library of Medicine (NLM), drugs like marijuana and heroin mimic natural brain chemicals but send abnormal signals. Others, like cocaine and amphetamines, release too much of certain chemicals or block their recycling, disrupting how the brain works.

We want our community to be strong and drug-free. Drugs don’t help our youth, they harm them. Studies by the NLM show that students who used drugs in the past year were more likely to skip school and have low grades, while those who never used reported greater confidence and stronger engagement in school.

We must educate teens on how drugs impact their brains and futures. It’s heartbreaking to see our generation trapped by substances that steal their potential.

Yahaira Lopez, Kennewick

Stand by country, not the president

“Patriotism means to stand by the country. It does not mean to stand by the president or any other public official, save exactly to the degree in which he himself stands by the country. It is patriotic to support him insofar as he efficiently serves the country. It is unpatriotic not to oppose him to the exact extent that by inefficiency or otherwise he fails in his duty to stand by the country. In either event, it is unpatriotic not to tell the truth, whether about the president or anyone else.” — President Theodore Roosevelt

Judith Loomis, Richland

Reader explains his Newhouse vote

In response to Steve Gahn’s op-ed in the Tri-City Herald, I am one of those Democrats who regularly helps elect Rep. Dan Newhouse to Congress as the more moderate and experienced choice.

Newhouse is wise for signing a letter to the Ways and Means Committee to continue the energy tax credits to his district, and I thank him for it. Preserving the tax credits will allow billion-dollar clean energy projects to continue to be built in our district.

We need the additional clean energy they will help produce for the growing demand of electricity for AI, electric vehicles and heat pumps, and in the necessary transition away from polluting fossil fuel energy. This transition is not happening quickly enough!

I also ask Rep. Newhouse to use his experience to persuade other congressmen to protect these tax credits that will bring good paying and stable jobs and clean air to their districts.

Please write to thank him and ask him to continue to publicly support the clean energy tax credits. Together, we can continue the progress to expand clean energy. “The most important thing an individual can do, is join together with others in movements large enough to make change.”

Bill McKibben, Richland

Newhouse silent when voters call

I have repeatedly contacted Rep. Dan Newhouse’s office about the administration’s ongoing efforts to dismantle our democracy, to no avail. In an effort to get my message to him through a different platform, here’s my latest letter:

Dear Congressman Newhouse:

It is way past time for you to stand up to the authoritarian regime in the White House. They are disappearing people from U.S. streets, holding them without due process and/or abducting them to foreign countries, punishing our allies (Afghans) by revoking protected status and giving refugee status to Afrikaners who created and perpetuated apartheid in South Africa.

What kind of a country are we living in? Clearly not one that abides by the Constitution or our long-held position as a welcoming place for those at the margins who seek safety and opportunity. When will you stand up and stand against authoritarianism?

I have contacted your office over and over on a variety of issues, and I never get a direct response or see anything from you that indicates you are willing to stand for what is right. Shame on you. The Fourth District deserves better.

Susan Dobkins, Richland

Newhouse backs cuts in health care

Rep. Dan Newhouse is backing policies that could strip health coverage from thousands in our district. He supports adding work requirements to Medicaid — rules that sound reasonable but have been tried in states and failed.

The result? People lose coverage not because they don’t qualify, but because they can’t keep up with confusing paperwork. The Congressional Budget Office estimates 8.6 million could lose benefits this way.

Here in Washington’s Fourth District, nearly 70% of children rely on Medicaid (Apple Health) for care. Many recipients are kids, people with disabilities or already working in low-wage jobs. The truth is (that) most who can work, already do.

Still, Newhouse supports Speaker Mike Johnson’s plan to cut Medicaid in order to pay for tax breaks that primarily benefit the wealthy. He called it “a good path.” A good path — for whom?

If you or others you know rely in medicaid benefits, your health is on the line. Let Rep. Newhouse know you oppose these harmful cuts. We deserve a representative who protects our care, not one who makes it harder to keep.

Your voice matters. Call, write, and vote like your healthcare depends on it. Newhouse’s Washington, D.C., Office can be reached at 202-225-5816.

Cory Miller, Kennewick