Kohl-Welles receives legislator of the year honor

OLYMPIA – For her state-level work against the Iraq War and her introduction of Senate Joint Memorial 8003, requesting the U.S. Congress to refrain from funding an escalation of the American presence in Iraq and to require the president to seek congressional approval prior to any escalation, Sen. Jeanne Kohl-Welles, D-Seattle, was one of three state legislators in the country to receive the “Legislator of the Year” award from the Progressive States Network at its April 19 gala in Washington, D.C.

Also honored were U.S. Sen. Jon Tester, D-Mont., and Democratic Party activist Deborah Rappaport for their efforts at the national level.

Kohl-Welles also participated in a news conference with U.S. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., and U.S. Sens. Ted Kennedy, D-Mass., and Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, on efforts by state legislatures requesting Congress and the president to end the war in Iraq.

According to the Progressive States Network, Kohl-Welles is being recognized for her courageous leadership in bringing forward her petition to Congress from Washington state opposing sending more troops to Iraq.

“During the past four years, it has become quite clear that the president’s schoolyard bully approach to foreign policy is an abysmal failure,” Kohl-Welles said. “The war in Iraq has cost us too much, in lives and dollars, and I stand with the majority of Washingtonians and my constituents in the 36th Legislative District who have been outspoken in their opposition to the war and in calling for an end to this debacle.”

SJM 8003 received a public hearing in the Senate Government Operations & Elections Committee last month. Families of service members who died in action and former soldiers joined representatives from several organizations in testifying in support of the memorial.

In her testimony, Kohl-Welles spoke to the nexus between the state of Washington and the war effort.

“Our state has lost 67 sons and daughters, husbands and wives, brother and sisters there. We’ve spent more than $8.6 billion since the outbreak of hostilities. In very painful and very direct ways, Iraq is close to us.”

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