A Conservative in the Pacific Northwest Fights for Her Political Life

Plus: Learning from U.S. failures before COVID-19, two senators introduce a sweeping bill aiming to improve pandemic preparedness.

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Good morning.

Jaime Herrera Beutler’s Fight for Another Term

My colleague Harvest has an in-depth profile on Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler on the website this morning. You can read the full piece here. Below are a few key moments from Harvest’s interview with Herrera Beutler, a Washington state Republican who voted to impeach former President Donald Trump after the January 6 attack on the Capitol.

She remembers January 6 vividly.

In an interview with The Dispatch, Herrera Beutler recounts evacuating the House floor as rioters broke down barricades and fought their way into the Capitol. After holing up in Washington Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers’ office, she decided to try to get back to where her staff waited in her own office.

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  1. Avatar photo
    Octávio Lima

    That the Congresswoman is at risk of losing her election because of impeaching Mr. Trump is a travesty. The GOP lost its way.

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    Paul Hoover

    Are our august representatives really going to debate a bill to “ban discrimination on the basis of an individual’s hair texture or style”? We’re $30 trillion in debt and inflation is soaring, and *this* is the most important issue? We are so screwed …

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    Earl King

    Any article written by someone named Harvest has to read. As I wrote about Cheney who is facing a MAGA primary. A lot depends on the case you make against Trump. How nuts is you opponent. Do they believe in the Zombie Apocalypse? Do have 5 years of food in their basement? Do they have a winning personality. Are they really likable.

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  4. Brian Brady

    I am very happy with my subscription to the Dispatch and I plan to continue to subscribe. I enjoy the thoughtful and in depth analysis that I find in every article that I find time to read. But can you please just write one article, just one, that does not demonstrate your blatant dislike for Donald Trump? Or just get over it altogether and stop writing about him? Instead of pointing out how he "downplayed" the virus, maybe you could point out the task force that he formed and how many consecutive days he stood in front of the American people to address plans and answer questions and withstand criticism from the press?

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      Jonathan McAnulty

      Trump would be less newsworthy if the GOP stopped trying to ignore or placate him and instead repudiated him strongly. Until such time, as long as he remains the 2024 GOP frontrunner, then he's probably going to continue to make the news and be relevant to most discussions involving politics. And most discussion about him is going to invariably, because of the nature of the man, involve something that reflects less than well on his character.

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    2. KIttye

      There is no way to talk about Beutler without mentioning Trump. You do remember Beutler’s role in Trump’s second impeachment? Unfortunately, that is is why some Republicans won’t support her, when they should be lauding her honesty and courage . That is the main thrust of the article.

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      Clifford from WA

      They've talked about Trump way less since he left office, but he is still a significant force in American politics, so they can't ignore him

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    Dpatricola

    Rep. Beutler's decision to impeach Trump should be heralded in the years and decades to come. This includes other Republicans (Kinzinger, Cheney, etc) who did what was right, not what was easy.

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    Marty

    Three cheers for Senators Murray and Burr and their eminently sensible and sorely needed PREVENT Pandemics Act. Here's hoping for speedy passage and implementation. There will be more pandemic-threatening viruses down the road -- the only question is when, not if -- and we need to be prepared. Thanks for reporting on this.

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      Aylene Wright

      I must admit having Richard Burr supporting the bill is ironic in the way Chester Arthur supporting Civil Service reform was. (Burr was caught saying totally different things in public and to a private group of donors regarding COVID, and was accused of dumping certain stocks based on his knowledge of the coming pandemic).

      However it does seem COVID is one of the rare issues where an investigative commission can both be a good idea on its own terms, and one where both political parties can see an advantage to their side. Democrats obviously hope to find ammunition to use against Trump. Republicans obviously hope to find ammunition to use against Fauci and other public health bureaucrats. And so, as both principles and politics align, it's likely to actually happen. (Very similar to the 9/11 commission.) A tad cynical a take, perhaps. But hopefully it results in a good outcome.

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      1. KIttye

        I agree. It is ironic but I would like to think he is trying to atone for his mistakes. As a constituent of Burr’s I felt betrayed by his separate speech to his big donors and his public speeches, not to mention his stock sale. I have voted for him and against him; however, I have always appreciated his even-handed stance on issues even when I didn’t agree with him. I am sorry he won’t be running in the Senate race. I would have voted for him, especially when I look at the candidates seeking to replace him. I realize our representatives aren’t perfect. I look at the overall span of their term in office. Overall, he has done a good job even though I don’t agree with him a lot of the time. He reminds me of what the Republican Party used to be.

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