Democrat Emily Randall is new to Congress.
She is in her freshman year representing Washington’s 6th Congressional District, which covers much of Tacoma, Kitsap County and the Olympic Peninsula.
Even though Democrats are in the minority in D.C. for the moment, Randall said her party is not without power.
“The tools that we have to hold our government accountable are regular, everyday people,” Randall said. “And we have to keep building relationships and partnerships and strengthen civic engagement in a broader way to make sure that we protect our constitution.”
Randall stopped by KNKX’s Tacoma studio Thursday while she was back in town during a break in the congressional calendar.
Click "Listen" above to hear their conversation and find highlights below.
Interview Highlights
On restoring civility in Congress
I think it would be better for all of us if we treated each other like human beings and neighbors in the Capitol and in our regular congressional business. I think normal, everyday people want to see their civil servants working for them, not scoring political points against each other. And that's an ethos that I tried to bring with me, like I said, to Olympia, and was much easier to accomplish there. Here [in Washington, D.C.] it feels like, especially in the Oversight Committee folks are just ready with their clickable sound bite.
On federal job cuts in her district
I hear a lot of concern, a lot of worry from federal employees – [There are] 27,000, plus or minus. Obviously, the Naval Base Kitsap and the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard, the biggest employer in the district.
We get stories all the time from neighbors via email or on the phone or sometimes on the sidewalk or the grocery store, who don't know if they should be as active [as] union members, as they have been before; if they should be speaking out about working conditions like they would normally with protections, or if they should stay quiet for fear of losing their jobs. Employees who have served their country as active duty members of the military, and then retired or separated from service and come to work as civilians, who are now being questioned about their job performance or whether their job is even worth it.
On Elon Musk’s potential conflicts of interest with the Department of Transportation
I think taxpayers deserve to know whether there are personal motivations and whether Elon Musk's individual power as an owner in Starlink and Tesla have anything to do with the way the contracts are shaping up. We're hearing that he has basically hired his own company attorneys to do work inside DOT which is a huge conflict. These contracts on the federal level are huge.
On how federal cuts could affect national parks and forests in Washington
We're watching this really carefully. Our neighbors in Tacoma, in Forks, all around the peninsula, and even folks from all around the world understand that we are caretakers of real treasures here. And it's our responsibility to preserve this natural beauty, the only temperate rainforest in the northern hemisphere. And this Mount Tahoma that is a jewel when it's out on days like it is today.
But this administration's decisions are definitely worrisome. I mean, not only are they cutting Forest Service and National Parks staff – folks who ensure that the environment is kept protected and safe, when we have an increase in tourism. But they're also talking about selling off national forest lands in numbers that we have not seen in a very long time.
Rep. Randall was elected in 2024 to represent Washington’s 6th Congressional District. She sits on both the Natural Resources Committee and Oversight and Accountability Committee in the U.S. House.
