Jaime Herrera Beutler

At 33, Jaime Herrera Beutler is the youngest woman serving in Congress, and the first Hispanic person to represent Washington state in the U.S. House of Representatives. But she’s already making a name for herself on Capitol Hill: Her first bill would cut the salaries of the president, the vice president, and members of Congress by 10 percent. She also cosponsored a bill that would require the federal government to balance its budget every year.

Beutler started her political career as an intern in her home state’s Senate, in the White House Office of Political Affairs, and on Capitol Hill before working as a senior legislative aide for U.S. Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-Wash.), advising the congresswoman on health care policy, education, and veterans’ and women’s issues. She also served in the Washington state legislature before winning election to Congress.

Now, Beutler is focused on the economy and jobs. On her website, she says she wants Congress to make job creation its top priority. She also says she wants to safeguard Medicare, fix health care through “patient-centered solutions,” and take an “all of the above” approach to energy. Last year, she wrote a guest opinion column for The Daily News in Washington, touting bipartisanship as the best way to solve problems. “Unemployment, a troubled housing market, and big government deficits loom overhead. No one would say these are just Republican or Democratic challenges. To solve these problems, both parties are needed,” she wrote. The new bride — she got married shortly after she won her first Congressional campaign in 2010 — differs from her opponent on many issues, but says that making positive change isn’t limited to red or blue. “I don’t believe one party has a monopoly on good ideas in this country, and I will continue to work with folks from both parties as long as the solution benefits our region,” she wrote.


Photo: Courtesy of Francisco Canseco