Elizabeth Diers
For The Skamania Observer

Marie Gluesenkamp Perez kicked off her first Town hall in Stevenson, WA, at the Skamania fairgrounds this past week. Moderated by the Mayor of Stevenson, Scott Anderson. There was an estimated 140 members from the community at the event.

The questions asked and answered by Gluesenkamp-Perez covered various topics, ranging from working across the aisle, alternative energy, to abortion.

The questions were submitted in writing and were read aloud by the moderator after being screened.

"Will you cross the aisle for reasonable GOP bills," asked one resident. "Yes, absolutely," Responded Gluesenkamp-Perez. "I don't care who sponsored the bill. I care what the bill is." She mentioned her support of the house resolution that condemned vandalism against churches and "pro-life facilities" after the verdict to overturn Roe v. Wade.

On the topic of abortion, Gluesenkamp-Perez's vote against H.R. 26, The Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act bill, was brought to question by a resident of the community.

In an article by the Interim in 2013 at an abortion clinic, Deborah Edge, Gigi Aguliar, and Krystal Rodriguez, employees at the time, testified to witnessing infants being born alive after an abortion and being terminated after birth in the most gruesome ways. The three informants came forward in response to Operation Rescue's Abortion Whistleblower Program, which offers $25,000 for information enabling the arrest of abortionists violating the law. There is also a fourth anonymous informant who filed an affidavit. The women provided graphic photos of babies older than the 24-week abortion limit, likely born alive, who had been killed outside the womb.

"If we had 20-something patients, of course, 10, or 12, or 15 patients would be large procedures, and out of those large procedures, I'm pretty sure that I was seeing at least three or four fetuses that were completely delivered in some way or another," said Edge.

The H.R. 26 bill, which Gluesenkamp-Perez voted against, aims to prosecute any individual who intentionally kills or attempts to kill a child born alive. It also explicitly bans the criminal prosecution and protects a mother of a child born alive under this bill.

When questioned about her decision to vote against the bill, Gluesenkamp-Perez responded that there were already bills in place protecting these children and that the difference with this bill was that it mandated that they get taken to a hospital and took away the responsibility of the mother or doctor present to determine whether or not the child needed to get transported.

As the bill states, "Any health care practitioner present at the time the child is born alive shall exercise the same degree of professional skill, care, and diligence to preserve the life and health of the child as a reasonably diligent and conscientious health care practitioner would render to any other child born alive at the same gestational age."

She claimed that this bill would only stand to hurt rural communities. "It's so amazing to me because it felt like this bill was written by someone in the city, who doesn't know what it means not to have a hospital three blocks away from your house," said Gluesenkamp-Perez.

Gluesenkamp-Perez stated that many pregnancies end in miscarriage. She claimed that she doesn't see a scenario where the federal government will be able to improve this and regulate when, where, and who should have access to abortion.

When asked how she can support abortion as a Christian, Gluesenkamp-Perez responded, "I am a Christian, and I take my faith seriously. But it's also important to me to legislate and advocate in a way that aligns with my belief that the federal government is not the solution to all our problems."

On a question about President Biden's efforts to end oil production, Gluesenkamp-Perez redirected the conversation, stating that the country needs to rely less on foreign producers for its energy. She stressed the benefits of using other energies such as hydro, wind, nuclear and solar.

Another issue brought up that is very important to Gluesenkamp-Perez was the right to repair. The right to repair refers to proposed government legislation that would allow consumers the ability to repair and modify their own consumer products (e.g., electronic, automotive devices or farm vehicles such as tractors), where otherwise the manufacturer of such products requires the consumer to use only their offered services by restricting access to tools and components, or software barriers put in place to hinder independent repair or modification. She brought up the issue of John Deere tractors installing computer chips in their equipment that can only be accessed by the dealership—taking power away from the owners of these half-million-dollar pieces of equipment to fix their own equipment. "I really believe that as Americans, it's in our DNA to fix our own things and understand the technology we rely on. Many corporations are trying to take that right away from us right now. And if we don't nip it in the bud, we will be turned into a class of permanent renters and not owners and stewards of our belongings."

The Town Hall concluded after about an hour and twenty minutes of questions. Gluesenkamp-Perez stated that she was initially pretty nervous about the event. But she was grateful to have actual substantial conversations. "My goal is to always listen respectfully and hear from you and be accountable to you all."