The 8th Congressional District needs to send change to Washington D.C. Little has been accomplished by Congress this year, even though the GOP controls both Congress and the White House.

As I write this, the Senate is getting ready to vote on the long-promised tax bill. If it passes, it will be the only “accomplishment” this year in Congress — providing permanent tax breaks to billionaires and corporations, while giving token and temporary relief to tax-paying Americans (or even raising their taxes.)

My Congressman, Dave Reichert, helped write the House version of the bill which will add $1.5 trillion to the national debt. Reichert and his colleagues are closing out the year with nothing to show:

• Without funding the Children’s Health Insurance Program, which provides health coverage for 9 million kids.

• Without addressing DACA, which leaves hundreds of thousands of young Americans to live with fear, uncertainty and likely deportation from the only home they’ve known.

• Without health care reforms which are needed to fix the Affordable Care Act.

• Without addressing the gap left by Trump withdrawing from the Paris Climate Accord.

• Without passing any gun legislation as we’ve lost count of the number of mass shootings this year alone.

• Without any closure on the impact of Russia on our elections, Trump’s ties with Russia, nor any redress for Trump’s flagrant violation of the emoluments clause of our Constitution.

As we move to the 2018 elections we must raise our expectations for our elected officials. We can no longer accept results like we saw this year. They work for the American people and it’s time they act like it.

Chris Petzold

Issaquah