Meeting with Rep Schrier’s Staff

As Indivisibles, we support our electeds when they use their position to uphold the values of our democracy and speak out for basic human decency and against the cruel agenda of the MAGA regime. We hold our electeds accountable to us – their constituents – when they do not.

In 2025, IWA8 resumed quarterly in-person meetings in Rep. Schrier’s District Director and Deputy Director in the Issaquah office. Her staff later added a representative from Indivisible Valley (Carnation/Duvall) to our meetings. We have had three quarterly meetings since May.

Yet, the urgency of our times calls for nimble engagement – not complacency. Not just showing up “on a schedule”. So, since January of this year,

• IWA8 called for a Rapid Response team of Indivisibles interested in going to Rep. Schrier’s office in response to an issue of concern.
• IWA8 members who were able to have “dropped everything” to turn up and express concern to Kim’s staff about an upcoming vote or to deliver letters signed by members of IWA8 and other Indivisible groups across CD-8 asking her to take various actions. Examples: speak out against ICE abuses, visit the ICE detention center in Tacoma, vote No on MAGA budget bills, protect Medicaid, Medicare, and food assistance, and more.
• IWA8 members have made these impromptu visits to her office 8 times. We have updated you along the way. Many of you have signed the letters!

November 12, 2025, was our latest quarterly meeting. The conference room is small, so our numbers are limited. We discussed:

• The Republicans’ government shutdown, the Democrats’ fight for health insurance for millions of Americans and safeguards so appropriated funds are used as directed by Congress, and Rep. Schrier’s budget vote later that day. We stressed that, “she had to come through with her vote.” Later that day, her staff informed us that she had held firm and voted No.
• Issaquah and Sammamish immigrant neighbors who have been taken away by masked men, without due process, including the preschool mother and a 19-year-old restaurant worker, and the unacceptable health conditions at the privately-run ICE detention center in Tacoma. We reiterated our call on Rep. Schrier to speak up, as our representative in Congress and as a pediatrician, against these abuses. Children and families in our communities are being traumatized. We repeated our request that she visit the detention center. Staff said they would look into one issue that we raised, about funds detainees have for purchasing toilet paper, feminine hygiene products, food, and phone cards that they need.
• Federal government actions taken against people exercising their First Amendment rights, and threats to send the military to Seattle and “cities like Seattle”. We asked if our representative is working with other elected officials to protect against reprisals and threats, stressing we cannot wait for bad things to come and that speaking out has worked to get the regime to modify their plans, or back down. Staff said they would ask if Rep. Schrier is working with others on this.
• Staff took notes and said they were meeting with Rep. Schrier after our meeting and would report to her on our meeting.

Our persistence and engagement are making a difference. Since March, on issues where we were not certain where she stood and where we were not seeing her publicly speaking out –

• We have seen our Congresswoman speak out more strongly on issues of high concern;
• She voted NO on two scapegoating, anti-immigrant House Republican Resolutions; and
• She has used her “bully pulpit” more often and more effectively on health care-related issues.

These are positive signs. Another: IWA8 has not had to call for a Rapid Response action for a while. We will put out the call again, however, when needed.