Recognizing Nadine Woodward

Floor Speech

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

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