Smiley addresses priorities in congressional race

MOSES LAKE — Tiffany Smiley decided to run for Congress again, this time for the U.S. House of Representatives 4th Congressional District, after she said residents of the district expressed concerns about incumbent Dan Newhouse, R-Wash., and encouraged her to run. 

“More and more people from the community in the Fourth District kept asking me or saying, ‘We’re worried, and would you please run,’” Smiley said.

After seeing the results of a poll that showed what she thought would be a strong pathway to a win, she committed to running. Smiley said the district is where her roots are and after her husband left the U.S. Army, they moved back to the area to build a life for themselves and their family. 

Smiley said she was concerned about Newhouse’s ability to work with the executive branch of government if Donald Trump, the presumptive Republican presidential candidate, is elected back into the Oval Office after Newhouse voted to impeach Trump following the events of January 6, 2021. Newhouse had said during open session of the House that he would vote for the impeachment because he felt Trump had failed in his oath to uphold the Constitution when Trump did nothing to quell attacks on the U.S. Capitol as legislators were working to certify election results. 

Agriculture

Smiley said she would work to ensure people were aware of how vital the dams on the Snake and Columbia rivers are to the economy and wellbeing of farmers in the Columbia Basin. She acknowledged that the dams were not only a source of clean, viable energy but also produced irrigation water and made it so that crops such as grain and vegetables could be moved along to ports vital for trade and the region’s economy.

Smiley said the loss of the dams would be devastating, not only to the general economy of the region, but to the welfare of farmers specifically.

“We need to protect the dams because breaching those dams will cost our farmers millions — if not billions — (of) dollars in losses, which is absolutely unacceptable,” she said. 

Housing

Smiley said she felt housing was a challenge for the area along with several other factors of the cost of living. Congress needs to step up, she said, and address issues associated with supply chain management, including fuel costs and other factors that slow down housing development. 

One thing she felt could be done was to reduce the amount of obstacles in the way for small businesses to flourish. By doing that, money would be more available for those looking for affordable housing options. 

“We need to cut the red tape that the current administration has imparted on so many small businesses so that they can grow and make sure that everyone has a shot at the American dream,” Smiley said. 

Dams

Smiley, when asked specifically about dams in Eastern Washington, again said it was vital to keep them in place. She went on to say that she felt Newhouse had waffled back and forth on the issue of dams and had not engaged on the issue or communicated with expert constituents to have them speak on panels or at meetings addressing the issue. 

“For years and years and years, no one’s ever been asked to speak on a panel. Never been asked to share expertise at the federal level, and that’s problematic,” she said. 

However, Newhouse has been consistent on the dams in general and has hosted multiple panels at various locations to address the issue. At a June 2023 meeting, Newhouse heard from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Bonneville Power Administration, the Port of Lewiston, Idaho and the Washington Association of Wheat Growers as well as the Environmental Director of the Washington Policy Center and a researcher from British Columbia’s Kintama Research Services. More recently, he participated in a panel debate in April wherein he defended the dams alongside Washington Policy Center Environmental Director Todd Myers. 

Legislation

Smiley said, if elected, her legislative priorities would include securing the U.S.-Mexico border, work to revitalize the American economy with a focus on American energy independence both from a fossil fuels and renewable energy perspective. 

Smiley said she supported Trump-era policies which established a remain-in-Mexico policy and funding and completing a wall at the U.S.-Mexico border to ensure it was not easy to go between the two countries without following proper immigration processes. She said fentanyl flowing in from the southern border is a huge concern, alongside human trafficking and other criminal activity.

“I’ve been down to the southern border. I’ve seen it with my own eyes, how easy it is (to cross) and how the current administration has just allowed free access into our country,” she said. 

While Smiley said Newhouse has not been strong on immigration reform and securing the border, citing a vote in 2021 wherein Newhouse voted to expand some instances of those in the U.S. illegally being allowed to stay.

“That is basically saying, ‘Come to our country.’ It’s the green light … come to our country illegally and there will be no ramifications,” Smiley said. 

Wildfires

Smiley said the ongoing threat of wildfires is unfortunate because of how it negatively impacts the natural beauty of Washington state. She said it is important to sustainably manage forests in the area. She felt working hand in hand with local representatives in Washington would be key to mitigating the problem. She felt it was important to ensure tools were available to address wildfires promptly. 

“I truly believe in the hand-in-glove approach from the federal Congressional level, working closely and diligently with our local representatives and those that can help,” Smiley said. “Not only that, but make sure that we are armed and ready to stop any massive forest fires should they arise.”

Health Care and SSI

Smiley’s time was limited during her interview with the Columbia Basin Herald and she was unable to answer a question relating to health care. However, Smiley is a nurse by her professional background and holds a nursing degree from Whitworth University. 

After her husband was blinded during his military service, Smiley cared for him and her campaign website indicates that she has become an advocate for helping veterans facing negative career impacts after being wounded in combat.

Smiley also was unable to address a question related to managing Social Security. Those questions have been submitted to her campaign and responses will be published once a response is received. 

Correction: Smiley's husband was in the Army.

Candidate info: 

Tiffany Smiley (www.tiffanysmileyforcongress.com ) is one of several candidates in the race for U.S. Representative for Congressional District 4. She is facing incumbent Dan Newhouse (www.dannewhouse.com) and the other candidates listed below. The Columbia Basin Herald is reaching out to all candidates to provide readers with information prior to the August primary.

Mary Baechler
www.maryforcongress.org.

Benny “B3” Garcia
Vote4bennyWA04@zohomail.com

Barry Knowles
4thdistrictelectbarryk@gmail.com

John Malan
www.restore-america.info

“Birdie” Jane Muchlinski
birdie4uscongress@gmail.com

Jerrod Sessler
www.jerrodforcongress.com