A provision authored by Washington Democrat Marilyn Strickland that would ensure U.S. military bases not be named after Confederate officers was stripped out of the final compromise version of the fiscal 2026 defense authorization at the last minute, after President Donald Trump threatened to veto the measure over it, she said. The language had been included in the House-passed and Senate-passed versions and had been agreed upon by Armed Services leaders in both parties, knowledgeable sources said. But Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., acquiesced to Trump’s wishes and removed the language as discussions over the final bill were concluding. “Speaker Johnson and the President killed my bipartisan amendment that passed in committee — at the last minute,” Strickland said via email. “They are choosing to honor Confederate traitors, who fought to uphold the institution of slavery and lost a war, rather than supporting our servicemembers — 40 percent of whom are people of color.” Strickland still voted for the final bill, which passed the House on Dec. 10.
Getting to Congress: Strickland began her career in the business world, having worked at an advertising agency, the American Cancer Society and Starbucks’ corporate office. She won her first electoral victory in 2007, claiming a spot on the Tacoma City Council. She won the mayoral race two years later, and served two terms. Strickland was president and CEO of the Seattle Chamber of Commerce when four-term Democratic Rep. Denny Heck announced his retirement ahead of the 2020 elections. She came out on top of the crowded, 19-person all-party primary before securing the seat in the general election with 58 percent of the vote against fellow Democrat Beth Doglio, a state legislator.
Her District: Washington’s 10th District covers the southern end of the Puget Sound, taking in parts of Tacoma and surrounding cities and the state capital of Olympia. In the middle is the massive Joint Base Lewis-McChord, home to the U.S. Army’s operational command of the Pacific and the Air Force’s 62nd Airlift Wing, as well as nearly 300,000 military and civilian residents — giving the district one of the largest active military populations among all congressional districts, at over 29,000 by 2024 Census Bureau estimates. Tacoma is a shipping hub thanks to the deepwater Port of Tacoma in the neighboring 6th District. Olympia is known for its arts scene, including grunge rock in the 1990s, and for Evergreen State College, a nontraditional public liberal arts college. The 10th District has been consistently held by Democrats since it was first created after the 2010 census granted Washington an additional House seat. Strickland has won each of her three terms by at least a 14-point margin.
What’s New: The Senate cleared last month, by unanimous consent, a bill authored by Strickland that would require the Department of Veterans’ Affairs to periodically review group life insurance coverage offered to servicemembers and veterans, taking inflation into account. The measure won House passage by voice vote in April and has been sent to the president’s desk.
Point of Interest: The daughter of a military family, Strickland was born in Seoul, South Korea and lived in Virginia and Alaska before the family settled in Tacoma, where they stayed after her father’s retirement.
John M. Donnelly contributed to this report.
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