Fulcher: Health care, immigration dominating time in DC

COEUR d'ALENE — The difference Girl Scouts make in their North Idaho communities hasn't gone unnoticed by Rep. Russ Fulcher.

The Idaho freshman thanked Girl Scouts for their leadership and dedication during his stop in Kootenai County on Thursday.

"I'm so proud of you for making an impact," Fulcher told the girls at his Coeur d'Alene office.

Examples of the achievements Fulcher heard include: Sandpoint High's Caitlyn Smith for completing two projects and 100 hours of service to achieve a Gold Award — which fewer than 6% of Girl Scouts achieve — and Ramsey Elementary's Cassidy Crookham, who sold more than 2,000 boxes of cookies.

Lake City High's Jacquelyne Duncan, who serves on the regional Girl Scout board, said she hadn't met a U.S. congressman until Thursday.

"I'm really glad that I got this experience," said Duncan, who has been a Girl Scout for 12 years.

She said she was thankful for the interest Fulcher showed toward the scouts' hard work.

"I wouldn't be the person I am if it wasn't for Girl Scouts," the senior said. "It has helped me become a leader in band and all my other activities."

Fulcher also announced that he has created a position in his Coeur d'Alene office to improve assistance to local constituents.

Terri Seymour has been hired as the constituent services representative at Fulcher's office at 1250 W. Ironwood Dr., Suite 200.

"Case work has typically been performed at the offices in Boise and Meridian," he said. "North Idahoans have their own challenges, and we want to localize the service."

Fulcher said veterans who are having problems with access to health care, passports, Medicare/Medicaid and leases on federal lands are examples of federal-related issues his office can take on. He said his office is working on about 150 such cases statewide.

Fulcher said four words sum up what's been consuming about 90% of his recent time in Washington — health care, immigration and shootings.

He’s the only freshman serving on committees navigating reform in health care and immigration.

Fulcher said transparency, the free market and affordability/competition are the themes on health care.

"How do Medicare and Medicaid roll into this, rural vs. urban … there's so many pieces to it," he said. "We want to have a comprehensive health care reform package as an alternative to Obamacare."

Fulcher said the goal is to have the package completed before the 2020 election.

Immigration reform is farther along, he said.

Fulcher said programs serving three different sectors — agriculture, retail and construction — are being bantered.

"The idea is to cover rural-urban and seasonal and year-round," he said. "It would be a five-year visa that's renewable, but you have to register and pay taxes. It does not nor will it contain the automatic family provision."

Fulcher said the proposal "seems to be getting a fair amount of traction."

"I'm in support of it, provided we are enforcing the law," he said.

Fulcher said he has sat in on recent conference calls involving President Donald Trump to address shootings that have devastated the country.

Fulcher said a separate initiative he's taking is meeting with faith leaders and civic groups to obtain citizens' perspectives on how to attempt to reduce the tragedies.

"I'd like to engage this from that level," he said. "Government has proven that it is ineffective in dealing with this. It has to be dealt with from another level."

Fulcher said the animosity toward Trump in Washington was rampant.

"But, as soon as you leave that beltway, it changes quickly," he said. "He still has rock-solid support here and we rarely hear negative comments from our constituents about the President."