[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 207 (Friday, December 15, 2023)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1239-E1240]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      RECOGNIZING NADINE WOODWARD

                                 ______
                                 

                      HON. CATHY McMORRIS RODGERS

                             of washington

                    in the house of representatives

                       Friday, December 15, 2023

  Mrs. RODGERS of Washington. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize 
Nadine Woodward and thank her for both her dedication and service as 
the 45th Mayor of Spokane.
  Nadine has been a trusted member of our Spokane community since 1990, 
when she first arrived after earning her degree from the University of 
Portland. She began her career--and quickly became a household name--
working for two of our region's television news stations, KREM and 
KXLY.
  In 2019, after nearly three decades as a broadcast journalist, Nadine 
decided to step into the political arena and run for public office. In 
2020, she was sworn in as mayor and got to work for our city. For 4 
years, she worked tirelessly and dedicated herself to making Spokane a 
better place for people to live, work, and enjoy.
  This wasn't always easy. Mayor Woodward took office during the peak 
of the COVID-19 pandemic, and she quickly proved herself to be the 
fierce leader we needed in times of uncertainty. She fought to protect 
individual liberty, get children back in school, and did everything she 
could to keep businesses open--all while making sure people had access 
to the health care they needed during an unprecedented time in our 
nation's history.
  Nadine also made it a top priority to support our city's men and 
women in blue who work around the clock to keep our community safe. She 
was instrumental in establishing a violent crime task force that 
empowered law enforcement officers to do their jobs and get dangerous 
offenders off the streets. She also tackled the homelessness crisis 
head-on, working hard to clean up Camp Hope, which was at one time the 
largest homeless encampment in Washington state and a hotbed for drug 
dealing and other criminal activity.
  Leading with compassion on this issue, Mayor Woodward worked side-by-
side with shelter organizations to increase capacity by more than 500 
beds. But she didn't stop there, instead championing efforts to 
increase homeownership within our community, working with the city 
council on the Spokane Housing Action Plan to help increase affordable 
and accessible housing options for families. The plan, which included 
new zoning laws to fast-track construction, will have a long-lasting 
impact by making it easier to create new residential areas that meet 
Spokane's current and future housing needs.
  Perhaps what I'm most grateful to Mayor Woodward for is her 
commitment to being a steadfast partner in the fight against fentanyl. 
It has been encouraging to work with her to bring together law 
enforcement, community leaders, and families in an effort to stop the 
flow of this deadly poison that is destroying lives and families in our 
city. Her leadership on this issue has been so important to not only 
raising awareness, but actually beginning to get these drugs off our 
streets.
  Mr. Speaker, I am grateful for Nadine's committed service to the 
Spokane community that I am blessed to call home. She has been a 
tremendous advocate for our city, and as she moves on from her position 
as mayor, I

[[Page E1240]]

ask that my colleagues join me in thanking her for her years of 
devotion and public service.

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