Jaime Herrera Beutler facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Jaime Herrera Beutler
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| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Washington's 3rd district |
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| In office January 3, 2011 – January 3, 2023 |
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| Preceded by | Brian Baird |
| Succeeded by | Marie Gluesenkamp Pérez |
| Member of the Washington House of Representatives from the 18th district |
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| In office November 29, 2007 – January 2, 2011 |
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| Preceded by | Richard Curtis |
| Succeeded by | Ann Rivers |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Jaime Lynn Herrera
November 3, 1978 Glendale, California, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse |
Daniel Beutler
(m. 2008) |
| Children | 3 |
| Education | Bellevue College University of Washington (BA) |
Jaime Lynn Herrera Beutler (born November 3, 1978) is an American politician. She was a U.S. representative for Washington's 3rd district from 2011 to 2023. This district is in southwestern Washington state.
As a member of the Republican Party, Herrera Beutler had also served in the Washington House of Representatives before joining the U.S. House. She was one of ten Republicans who voted to impeach Donald Trump after the January 6 United States Capitol attack. This vote led to her losing her seat in the 2022 election. She was replaced by Democrat Marie Gluesenkamp Perez.
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Early Life and Education
Jaime Lynn Herrera was born in Glendale, California. Her parents are Candice Marie (Rough) and Armando D. Herrera. Her father has Mexican roots, and her mother has English, Irish, Scottish, and German family history. Jaime grew up in Ridgefield, Washington. She was home-schooled until ninth grade and then graduated from Prairie High School, where she played basketball. In 2004, she earned a degree in communications from the University of Washington.
Before becoming a politician, Herrera worked as an intern in the Washington State Senate and at the White House in Washington, D.C.. She also worked as a senior aide for U.S. Representative Cathy McMorris Rodgers.
Washington State House of Representatives
Jaime Herrera Beutler was elected to the Washington State House of Representatives in 2008. She won her election with 60% of the votes.
Her Time in Office
Herrera Beutler became the Assistant Floor Leader, which made her the youngest person in her party's leadership in the State House. Her first bill helped military business owners by giving them tax relief. The governor signed this bill into law in 2008.
During her time in the State House, Herrera Beutler also spoke out against a bill that aimed to make sure boys and girls were treated equally in sports programs.
Committees She Served On
- Health Care and Wellness
- Human Services
- Transportation
U.S. House of Representatives
Elections
Jaime Herrera Beutler ran for the U.S. House of Representatives in 2010 when the previous representative, Brian Baird, retired. She won the election against Democrat Denny Heck with 53% of the votes. She won in five out of the six counties in her district. After this election, she took her husband's last name, becoming Jaime Herrera Beutler.
She was re-elected several times:
- In 2012, she won with 60% of the vote.
- In 2014, she won with 60% of the vote.
- In 2016, she won with 62% of the vote.
- In 2018, she won a closer race with 53% of the vote.
- In 2020, she won with 56% of the vote.
2022 Election
In 2022, Jaime Herrera Beutler faced a challenge from Joe Kent, a strong supporter of Donald Trump. Kent ran against her because she had voted to impeach Trump. In the primary election, Herrera Beutler finished third and did not get enough votes to move on to the main election. She said she was proud that she "always told the truth, stuck to my principles, and did what I knew to be best for our country." Joe Kent later lost the general election to Democrat Marie Perez.
Her Time in Congress
In March 2011, Herrera Beutler introduced her first bill in Congress. It was called the "Savings Start With Us Act" and would have cut the salaries of members of Congress, the president, and the vice president by 10%.
After her daughter Abigail was born in 2013, Herrera Beutler announced she would still vote on important issues but would spend a lot of time caring for Abigail. In 2014, she suggested a bill called the "Advancing Care for Exceptional Kids Act." This bill aimed to help coordinate care for children with complex medical needs who relied on Medicaid.
Herrera Beutler is part of groups like the Republican Main Street Partnership and the Congressional Western Caucus.
In December 2019, she voted against the first impeachment of Donald Trump. However, in January 2021, after the attack on the U.S. Capitol, she supported Trump's second impeachment. She said there was "indisputable evidence" that Trump had "acted against his oath of office." She blamed him for causing the attack and for not doing enough to stop it. She was one of only ten Republican representatives who voted to impeach Trump.
In March 2021, she voted against the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, which was a large COVID-19 relief bill. In November 2021, she voted for a bill that helps create confidential databases to keep records of vaccinations.
Committees She Served On
- Committee on Appropriations
- Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies
- Subcommittee on the Legislative Branch (Ranking Member)
- Joint Economic Committee
Groups She Joined
- Congressional Hispanic Conference
- Republican Main Street Partnership
- Republican Governance Group
- Problem Solvers Caucus
Political Views
During her time in Congress, Herrera Beutler often voted with her party. She was known for being one of the more bipartisan members of the House, meaning she sometimes worked with members of other parties.
Bio-defense
In 2019, a group called the Alliance for Biosecurity gave Herrera Beutler an award. This award recognized her work to improve the country's ability to prevent and fight major threats to national security, like diseases or biological attacks.
Budget
In April 2011, Herrera Beutler voted for a budget plan that would have lowered taxes for the highest earners and changed Medicare into a voucher system.
Donald Trump
In December 2019, Herrera Beutler voted against impeaching President Trump. She said there wasn't enough proof that he had abused his power. However, in 2021, she voted to impeach him after the attack on the U.S. Capitol, saying he was responsible for starting it.
In May 2021, she was one of 35 Republicans who voted with all Democrats to create a special committee to investigate the January 6th Capitol attack.
Health Care
Herrera Beutler believes the Obamacare law should be ended. In 2017, she said she would vote against a Republican plan to replace Obamacare because it would negatively affect children who rely on Medicaid for their health care.
Immigration
In 2017, after President Trump issued an order banning immigration from some Muslim-majority countries, Herrera Beutler was somewhat critical of the order. She also voted for bills that allowed more temporary work visas and prevented immigration officials from working with health services to detain sponsors of unaccompanied children.
Iraq
In June 2021, Herrera Beutler was one of 49 House Republicans who voted to end the special permission that allowed the use of military force against Iraq since 2002.
LGBT Rights
Herrera Beutler does not support same-sex marriage. In July 2022, she voted against the Respect for Marriage Act, a bill that would protect same-sex and interracial marriages under federal law.
Steve Bannon
In October 2021, Herrera Beutler was one of nine House Republicans who voted to hold Steve Bannon in contempt of Congress. This meant he would be charged for refusing to cooperate with an investigation.
Ukraine
In 2022, Herrera Beutler voted to provide about $14 billion in aid to the government of Ukraine.
After Congress
After leaving Congress in January 2023, Herrera Beutler started working for the Children's Hospital Association (CHA) as an adviser. In October 2023, she announced she would run for Washington Public Lands Commissioner in the 2024 election. However, she lost this election to Democrat Dave Upthegrove.
Personal Life
In August 2008, Jaime Herrera married Daniel Beutler. They live in Camas, Washington. In December 2010, she officially took her husband's last name.
In May 2013, Herrera Beutler announced she was expecting her first child. The next month, she shared that her unborn baby had been diagnosed with Potter's Syndrome. This is a serious condition where low amniotic fluid prevents the baby's lungs from developing properly, often because of kidney problems. A stranger suggested an experimental treatment: injecting saline into her uterus. After trying several hospitals, a doctor at Johns Hopkins agreed to try it. For four weeks, she drove daily for these injections.
On July 29, 2013, her daughter, Abigail, was born two weeks early. Abigail was born without kidneys and became the first child in recorded medical history to breathe on her own without both kidneys. Herrera Beutler called her "every bit a miracle." In early December 2013, Abigail was able to go home from the hospital after nearly six months. On February 8, 2016, when Abigail was two years old, she received a kidney from her father.
In May 2016, Herrera Beutler gave birth to a boy. In May 2019, she had her third child, a girl named Isana. Her husband is a stay-at-home father.
See also
- List of Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States Congress
- Women in the United States House of Representatives
Images for kids
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Jaime Herrera Beutler's official portrait.
