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About Brent Hennrich
I was born in 1979 in Portland, Oregon, the second child of a multigenerational Oregon family. My mother was a public health nurse and administrator at the Multnomah County Health Department, and my father was a licensed pilot and aviation mechanic. He later started a small Oregon made products business where I worked during summers and school vacations. My older sister is a PhD Special Education teacher in a Title 1 elementary school in Portland. My family has been politically active my whole life and has advocated many candidates who supported healthcare access and reform, as well as those who focused on women’s rights. After graduating from Benson Polytechnic High School, I continued work in movie theaters. Although I briefly attended Louisiana State University, I decided that college was not for me and returned home to sharpen my technical skills in the cinema Industry. And moved to Vancouver in 2001. During my tenure at Cinetopia from the original “Dinner and a Movie” Multiplex starting in 2005, I continued to move upward, eventually designing, budgeting, and overseeing the construction and operational openings of new multiplex theaters. I also met my wife Amber while working at Cinetopia. In 2016, during a resurgence of the cinema industry, I joined Christie Digital Systems. I excelled with their global implementation project for Dolby Cinema and quickly became the go-to site manager for installs and calibration of the cutting edge laser-based projection system. In this role, I traveled all over the United States, Europe, and the Middle East. My experience has helped me hone my ability to know when to advise the people who were turning the wrenches, and when I needed to step in and turn the wrenches myself. My loving wife Amber and I have been married since January 2009. We are the proud parents of four wonderful children. Briana, Addison, Braydon, and Brynlee. Tragically, our beloved daughter Addison was born and passed on the same day in 2012 (see Issues’ Pro-Choice page for the full story). As heartbreaking as this was, I experienced firsthand many of the healthcare issues that until then had been “esoteric.” Facing the immediate life and death issues surrounding Amber’s care and Addison’s short life, not to mention the resulting financial burdens of this family tragedy, has become one of the larger motivating forces in my life. As such, I have personal knowledge of life and death decision making. In the current political climate, some of the choices we had to make to save my wife’s life wouldn’t be available. If the events of 2012 were happening today, I would be a widower and a father of one, instead of a husband and a father of four. Of our surviving children, they proudly attend public elementary school in the Evergreen School District. I have called Southwest Washington my home for over half my life. My life’s experiences have taught me to take decisive action when presented with complex problems. No one person has all the answers, and I understand that seeking counsel is a tenet of informed decision making. As your representative, I will listen to the problems you face and work towards solutions that benefit all the citizens of Washington’s 3rd Congressional District. Together we can move towards a brighter, more prosperous and healthier future.
With a background in community advocacy and leadership, Brent brings valuable experience to address the constituents’ needs effectively.
Driven by the goal to enhance the quality of life for all constituents, Brent is committed to upholding integrity, transparency, and fairness in his approach. Brent has a track record of serving diverse communities and working tirelessly to address their concerns with compassion and diligence.
Core Values
Discover the guiding principles that define our commitment to the constituents of the 3rd congressional district.
Integrity
Brent prioritizes honesty and ethical behavior in all our actions and decisions, ensuring trust and credibility in our service.
Empathy
Brent approachs every issue with compassion and understanding, recognizing the diverse needs and perspectives of our constituents.
Dedication
Brent is dedicated to working tirelessly for the betterment of our community, investing the time and effort to create positive change.
Washington’s 3rd Congressional District Candidate
The time has come to send a message to D.C. – and to Marie Gluesenkamp Perez. With our nation in crisis, Democrats in Congress must do everything in their power to block the radical Trump agenda. Still, our incumbent has been far too willing to compromise on bills that threaten our rights, our prosperity, and our health. Be the change. Vote for Brent Hennrich this primary season.
Universal Healthcare
“Of all the injustices, lack of access to healthcare is the most inhumane.” – Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
Healthcare isn’t just access to doctor appointments, medications, or treatments. Healthcare takes care of the whole person. Medical, dental, vision, hearing, reproductive care, and mental health are all essential components of comprehensive healthcare, and this list is by no means exhaustive. Our current healthcare system has convinced me that we must stand up to do better for our people. I’ve experienced the shortcomings of this system firsthand. My second daughter, Addison, died hours after her birth. My wife and I left the hospital with a heavy emotional load, as well as a significant financial burden. This “double trauma” is by no means unique. This shouldn’t happen in the most prosperous nation on Earth. As a member of Congress, I will vote for reforms that make progress towards universal healthcare coverage. I’ll take a stand against Big Pharma and fight to lower prescription drug prices. The Republicans have voted to defund rural hospitals, and I will fight to make sure that this decision is reversed. We must move forward to reduce the poor outcomes that too many Americans experience. Every aspect of our lives depends on our health, and far too many people suffer needlessly from the inequity that is built into our current national healthcare system.
Pro-Choice
There can be no restrictions or hurdles placed between a person and their access to reproductive care. No one has the right to stand between them and the choices they can make about their own body.
This is not a stance I take lightly; it stems from a decision I had to make on behalf of my wife and me. To say that she would not be alive today without unfettered access to that care is the absolute truth, not hyperbole. On October 25th, 2012, my wife lay bleeding on a hospital bed. She was 20 weeks pregnant with our second child, a little girl we would name Addison, and had suffered a placental abruption. The long and short of the tale is that she was hemorrhaging blood faster than her dedicated healthcare team could replace it. I was informed of two options – I could hope and pray for a miracle while my wife and unborn child bled out, or they could induce labor, saving Amber (my wife), and we would be able to hold our daughter (Addison) as she faded over the next few hours. Time slowed to a crawl, and in that agonizing instant, I considered every possible, conceivable outcome. Praying for a “miracle” wasn’t an option while my wife lay at death’s door. The choice was clear. I had to save my wife, and we could hold our daughter while she faded. The Supreme Court decided to protect a woman’s right to choose on January 22nd, 1973. (Roe v. Wade) Since that judgment, that decision has been attacked. It has been dissected and rechallenged time and time again from every conceivable angle. Roe v. Wade was not simply a judgment in favor of a person’s right to bodily autonomy. It allows educated healthcare professionals and informed families the option to choose a treatment that aligns with all of the factors they face in any given healthcare situation. There is no doubt that the drug (Pitocin) administered to my wife was done in her best interest, and as such, saved her life. However, that drug has come under scrutiny in relation to labor-induced terminations. Medicine is by far an imperfect science, and it is impossible to foresee every probability. With this ideal in mind, there can be no uncrossable line in the potential care of anyone, in any conceivable situation. No line can be drawn that encompasses all eventualities. No Doctor, no Nurse, no physician assistant should hold sway over the judgment of care at any point. That is why all potential avenues of reproductive care must be accessible and offered at all times to every patient, in any and all situations. EVERY. SINGLE. TIME.
Protect and Build Up Education
“If you think education is expensive, try ignorance.” –Derek Bok, Dean of Harvard University
Education is the cornerstone of the America that we know and love. Yet sadly, the rising cost of tuition and books has put school out of reach for most people. If we don’t act now to remedy the situation, future generations will continue to watch the American standard of living diminish. An informed public has many ripple effects. People become more compassionate and inventive, make better financial and healthcare choices, and have the ability to anticipate future needs. We need to provide early childhood education, more opportunities for advanced education, as well as training for technical and trade jobs. Student loans have gotten out of hand, and they need to be brought back to reality. As a representative, I would support legislation to provide federal student loans at 0% interest. Additionally, we need stronger protections against banks engaging in predatory lending practices.
Fighting the Housing Crisis
The housing crisis needs to be addressed before it worsens
The housing crisis can no longer be put off or ignored. We have a whole generation questioning if they will ever be able to own a home. Specifically, we need to encourage the construction of affordable housing. It used to be the case that you would first buy a starter home and work toward your dream home. Now starter homes have become a thing of the past, and there is no easy stepping stone to enter the market. To encourage construction, we need to support legislation to cover the cost of permits for those who will build and sell to an individual homeowner at an “affordable price” based on the market. All too often, permits can be over $50k of a build, and that is money the cities and counties need for their budgets. This would allow the Federal Government to refund permit fees to the builder after the home is sold. However, we must also acknowledge that private equity firms and hedge funds are part of the problem. They have purchased starter homes and converted them into rentals. All this is to line their pockets, while middle-class Americans struggle to enter the market.
Common Sense Budgeting
People often want to discuss spending, rather than the self-inflicted wounds that decades of crippling tax cuts have wrought upon us.
Let’s think about spending in terms we all can understand. If one makes $5,000 a month but spends $6,000, one has a deficit. By the same token, if your roof has a leak and you have to go into debt to fix it, you are protecting your investment. Whether debt is good or bad depends on how you spend your money. The federal budget requires income to offset spending, yet we currently spend more than we take in. To remedy this means making the rich pay their fair share in taxes. We need to crack down on tax loopholes to ensure this happens, and we need to pass legislation that establishes a minimum tax rate that billionaires cannot evade. Additionally, America needs to stop purchasing weaponry at inflated prices from weapons manufacturers who are trying to nickel and dime the American taxpayers. A step we can take in the positive direction is to repair our infrastructure so that next time there’s a significant ice storm or hurricane, we’re not paying triple to repair the damage.
Support Unions and the Working Class
People should work to live, not live to work. Everyone deserves a salary that allows them to live a life worth living. Workers need more than an income that barely allows them to survive in the current economy.
The “minimum wage” is just that, “minimum.” It only allows people to live a minimum life. They can’t save, go to school, and they are always just one mishap away from bankruptcy or homelessness. Hard-working people should not have to toil long hours for a wage that doesn’t support their lives or families. That is why I support a minimum wage that keeps pace with rising costs. The federal minimum wage has fallen so far behind what is needed that it is an insult to the American people. I have always been and will continue to be a staunch supporter of our labor unions. That is why I make sure all my campaign merchandise and printed materials come from union shops right here in SW Washington. Our campaign spending is creating and sustaining jobs in the district. Unions enable workers to negotiate from a position of strength, providing them with training, support, and opportunities for upward mobility. That is why legislation that bolsters unions and their protections, such as the PRO Act, has my full support.
Peace and Foreign Policy
“… In the councils of government, we must guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence, whether sought or unsought, by the military industrial complex. The potential for the disastrous rise of misplaced power exists and will persist We must never let the weight of this combination endanger our liberties or democratic processes. We should take nothing for granted. Only an alert and knowledgeable citizenry can compel the proper meshing of the huge industrial and military machinery of defense with our peaceful methods and goals, so that security and liberty may prosper together.”
–President Dwight D. Eisenhower’s Farewell Speech
The United States can no longer afford to become involved in one never-ending war after another. We need to work towards resolving conflicts worldwide. The Russia-Ukraine war has been going on for almost three years now. We need to supply Ukraine with the items they are requesting that will put them in a position to reach a peace deal before both countries burn themselves past the point of recovery. Once Ukraine is successful in stopping the Russian aggression, the US must take its role as a global leader and nominate Ukraine to join NATO. There is another tragedy happening in the world right now. The Israeli government is committing genocide against the Palestinian people. The United States needs to stop rubberstamping money and weapons to the Israeli government as they continue their assault with little regard for human life. We must act and establish a path to peace. As your representative, I say no more to these never-ending wars that weigh down the American taxpayer. We cannot continue to burden the American taxpayer with one war after another. Every single person should be entitled to peace and self-determination.
Immigration Reform
When people say border security, they are usually speaking about the border between the United States and Mexico. Our southern border is no more secure now than it was four years ago, or eight years ago, or 20 years ago!
There is a humanitarian crisis along the southern border of our nation. For any number of reasons—war, crime, poverty, freedom—people are fleeing for their lives, leaving their homes and everything they know to seek a better life. In fact, in some cases, parents are sending their children ahead of them to cross the border alone in the desperate hope that their child will have greater freedom and security than they will. As a parent, I cannot begin to comprehend a situation so dire that I would take that chance. Consequently, legal immigration is a lengthy and arduous process, which is why some individuals are crossing the border without going through that step. Those who are discovered and arrested must be treated humanely and afforded due process while awaiting a determination on their immigration status. To do anything less is contrary to everything we stand for as a beacon of liberty. However, we must acknowledge that our immigration process is deeply flawed and requires repair. We must invest in immigration courts and streamline our processes in order to make the legal way possible. Finally, so long as we’re discussing border security, let us not forget that all our borders — north, south, east, and west—are vulnerable. Immigrants from the south must not be the only people we concern ourselves with, or be viewed as scapegoats for the ills of our nation.
Equality for All
We must stand for equality for all
The American Dream is meant to be for all. And yet we have politicians trying to limit this dream based on race, gender identity, religion, sexual orientation, and the list goes on. We cannot allow this to happen. Too many people have started to turn their backs on this idea of equality. However, now more than ever, we need to be championing this cause. We cannot turn our backs on our fellow Americans. As your representative, you can count on me to be a fighter for equality. I will support LGBTQ+ anti-discrimination legislation and any other anti-discrimination language at the Federal level. Minority groups are under attack from the government, and this must be stopped.
Fixing our Tax Code
The current US tax code is regressive! It punishes the poor and middle class, while favoring the ultra-rich.
The wealthy elite have conveniently tried to turn the middle class against the poor, or whatever scapegoat is politically convenient for them. They enjoy extreme luxury while working with members of Congress to shift the costs of running this nation onto the poor and middle class. The rich should give back to the country that provided them with the opportunity and infrastructure to acquire their wealth. According to a recent analysis by the Rand Corporation, the incomes of the wealthiest American families have grown faster than those of the middle class since 1975. If income had been spread equitably over this period, the bottom 90% of workers would have earned $2.5 TRILLION more. This inequity is unsustainable if we are to have the schools, infrastructure, savings, and potential that were once the envy of the world. We need to raise taxes on the wealthiest of America’s people! If you are reporting over $400,000 in income each year, you need to contribute a greater margin. Additionally, for billionaires, there should be a minimum tax rate that they cannot go under without incurring severe penalties. The middle class needs a tax cut, not the billionaires! The poorest Americans need to be relieved of the regressive tax burdens placed on them. We need to fix our social safety nets so people can be caught, thrive, and climb out rather than our current system that just further entangles them.
Balancing the Climate Crisis and the Demand for Energy
The health of our Earth has a direct impact on its inhabitants. When it comes to energy, a significant problem facing the United States is that states like Washington are invested in renewable energy, while other states are burning coal to produce electricity. This is drastically speeding up our climate crisis.
Someday very soon, we must stop drilling, digging, and fracking just because we are used to it. We need energy independence, and we can achieve it! We can focus more on creating green electric energy by using solar, wind, and other petroleum-free alternatives. That is why I also support looking at nuclear energy options. All options should be considered for our future energy needs. The Clean Water and Clean Air Acts need to be bolstered and protected from any attacks. We cannot lose ground on the progress we have already made, at the expense of the American people. While some legislators believe we should limit our carbon emissions by creating negative consequences, such as a gas tax, I think the opposite. We should invest in tax credits for consumers who install solar panels and purchase electric vehicles. We need to move forward in a positive and conscious manner. While not burdening the poorest amongst us with higher prices to get to and from work.