The following are remarks from a press conference on Feb. 13, 2025.
On my inauguration, which I think was exactly a month ago, I promised to work with President Trump where I can, and to stand up to him when we must.
That promise still stands.
Unfortunately, President Trump is showing very little inclination in working with states that do not agree with his worldview. It has been, to put it mildly, a chaotic first few weeks of his administration.
I want to take some time to share with the people of Washington state how we are responding – and importantly, the principles that are guiding us as we deal with these challenges moving forward.
The core message that I have for Washingtonians is that we are dealing with the chaos that's coming down from Washington, D.C.
But at the same time, we are going to preserve our values as a state.
And importantly, we're going to move forward on the issues that unite us as a state – to make our state more affordable, to make it more safe, to make opportunities available for all Washingtonians.
We're moving forward on that. But we have some challenges we're dealing with, and I want to talk about those.
First, I want to start with a brief update on where we are with the Trump Administration's attempts to freeze federal funding.
Next, I'll talk about a range of issues, including reproductive freedom and healthcare for transgender individuals; diversity, equity and inclusion; threats to Muslim Americans; threats to undocumented residents; and threats to clean energy jobs.
I want to start with funding.
Washington state received – as some of you know – approximately $27 billion in federal funding in the last fiscal year. That's approximately one-third of our state budget.
As you also know, a significant amount of funding was frozen, or threatened to be frozen, in the last three weeks, including the Department of Transportation's hydrogen stations, DNR wildlife preparations and NIH funding to research institutions.
Currently, as of Thursday [Feb. 13, 2025] morning – and this is a moving target pretty much every day – $162 million in federal funds are frozen that we're aware of. Most of that is in the Department of Commerce: $156 million from the Solar for All program, and $3 million under the Climate Pollution Reduction Planning Grant. The Department of Natural Resources also has about $3.3 million intended for wildlife preparedness that is frozen.
Things are literally changing daily, if not hourly. As an example, that $150 or $160 million connected in part with the Solar for All program was frozen on Monday [Feb. 10, 2025], then unfrozen, but refrozen Thursday morning. So, we're literally changing our speaking points in real time.
I want to be very clear: We are continuing to fight for those funds.
Thanks especially to the whole team and, in particular, to Attorney General Nick Brown and his excellent team, including the Wing Luke Civil Rights Division, who have been in court making sure the president must follow the law when it comes to freezing any potential funds.
This is a daily issue that we grapple with, as you might imagine, because any frozen funds can have a huge impact on a whole range of issues.
I want to be clear that the freezing of funds is not the only threat to federal funding. For example: The United States Attorney General Pam Bondi sent a directive declaring that “sanctuary jurisdictions” can lose access to federal law enforcement funding. The Department of Justice has filed lawsuits, for example, against the state of Illinois and the city of Chicago. I think they also filed a lawsuit against the state of New York and I believe in New York City regarding some of these policies.
Washington state receives approximately $58 million in federal funding from the Department of Justice. I'll speak more about this a bit later, but we believe those funds are not impacted by this directive.
Regardless of how many victories we win in court, thanks to the hard work at the AG's Office, we know that the president's efforts to wield federal appropriations as a hammer in order to force Washington to change our values is unlikely to stop anytime soon.
Fortunately, the 10th Amendment protects the rights of states, like Washington state, to set public policies as long as those policies do not conflict with laws passed by Congress or the Constitution.
I'm going to address several of these areas where the Trump administration is targeting specific groups or programs and detail our approach.
Reproductive Freedom and Health Care for Transgender Washingtonians
Let’s start with health care.
When it comes to health care, Washington state will be guided by doctors and other health care providers, not politicians in Washington, D.C.
In contrast, we've seen the consequences when states do not follow this principle: pregnant people turned away from emergency rooms; or having to access health care in another state like Washington state because doctors are afraid they'll be prosecuted for caring for their patients.
Washington state strongly supports reproductive rights – and a majority of Americans agree that they don't want the government deciding what type of medical care they or their loved ones can receive.
The transgender community, in particular, is under attack right now, including their ability to access health care.
As you know, if an individual’s sex assigned at birth is incongruent with their innate gender identity, this can cause varying degrees of gender dysphoria, a serious medical condition.
That's not a political opinion – that's a medical fact.
Gender dysphoria is a medical diagnosis contained in the American Psychiatric Association's DSM Fifth Edition.
Health care provided to treat gender dysphoria is just that – it’s health care. In Washington state, we will not treat health care like a political football.
Because Washington's health care laws will be informed by health care professionals, we will continue protecting access to a full range of reproductive health care options, as well as health care for transgender individuals.
Health care is a human right – and a civil right. In Washington state, we will respect that.
Diversity Equity and Inclusion
President Trump has put a target on diversity, equity and inclusion. In fact, he seems to be obsessed with it.
Here's our response to these attacks – Washington state will continue to use state dollars to promote anti-racism, diversity, equity and inclusion.
These values improve our government. They make us more responsive to the people.
Cities and counties in Washington state will face their own choices, but Washington state will, within the budget constraints we face, preserve trainings and programs that improve government.
Programs, by the way, that ensure that we see and consider the impacts of policies and decisions on every Washingtonian – not just those who can access government, not just those who can afford higher lobbyists.
Every single Washingtonian is considered when we all make big decisions that impact – guess what? – all Washingtonians.
That seems fair to me, that seems right to me, we're going to continue doing that.
President Trump will find that many laws passed by Congress and appropriations made by Congress explicitly acknowledge the goals of diversity and inclusivity, and we will raise those points with the courts when necessary.
It is, of course, possible that some federal funding in this area will be eliminated. However, the president cannot stop Washington state from using our resources to advance our values.
We will ensure that our government represents all Washingtonians, including those who have been historically marginalized and underrepresented.
We're also going to help our employees feel a greater sense of belonging in our state.
Muslim Americans
During his last administration, the first group that President Trump targeted was Muslim Americans.
We stopped him with that first Muslim travel ban.
It has been reported that President Trump is preparing a revamped travel ban. In September, he said, “Remember the famous travel ban? We didn’t take people from certain areas of the world. We're not taking them from infested countries.”
We will be resolute in the following principle as a state: We respect the civil rights of all Washingtonians, regardless of their faith – and we will do everything in our power to protect those rights.
Undocumented Residents
Washington state law is very clear: State and local officials, including law enforcement, may not share non-public information about an individual's immigration status in a non-criminal matter, except as required by federal law or court order.
This is the Keep Washington Working Act. In short, the law ensures that the president cannot commandeer our state and local resources. The United States Constitution, thankfully, protects states against this type of federal overreach.
It is important to remember that the Keep Washington Working Act serves two very important purposes.
Number one, it protects the hardworking Washingtonians who are abiding by our state laws and serving our state in a variety of ways. It keeps these individuals working and contributing to our economy and businesses, which is why it's called the Keep Washington Working Act.
Second, the Keep Washington Working Act protects our scarce law enforcement resources. Washington ranks last in the number of law enforcement officers we have per capita – I'm working with the Legislature and Senator Jeff Holy and Senator Manka Dhingra to change that.
But the point is, we have real public safety challenges in Washington state – and we cannot afford to divert scarce law enforcement resources away from solving crimes and making our communities safer.
Washington's Keep Washington Working Act is consistent with – and requires compliance with – binding federal law. Consequently, we are confident that Washington's law and policies do not violate Attorney General Pam Bondi's directive, and there's no basis for withholding funding, some of which supports our state's multijurisdictional drug and gang task forces.
If necessary, we will see the president in court if he attempts to block this funding.
Here's where I agree with the president: Undocumented individuals convicted of serious felonies in Washington state are placed in Department of Corrections’ custody.
Washington law, including the Keep Washington Working Act, does not prohibit the Department of Corrections from sharing information with federal immigration authorities regarding individuals in its physical custody.
Groups that I respect have asked that I seek to change this law or proactively direct the Department of Corrections to cease providing information to ICE. I will not do that. My direction is that the Department of Corrections continue to lawfully work with federal immigration authorities regarding those individuals.
It’s one thing if the president wants to invest additional resources in deportation actions against undocumented Washingtonians who commit serious crimes. However, the overwhelming majority of undocumented residents of our state – and every other state for that matter – are decent, hardworking, law-abiding residents who contribute significantly to our economy and our communities.
We will protect law-abiding Washington families, and Tana Senn will have more to say about that in a few minutes.
Clean Energy Jobs
The president is targeting funding that supports the Clean Energy Economy.
The primary impact to federal funding in the first weeks of the Trump administration involves federal funding that supports the Clean Energy Economy.
Because the president is attempting to disinvest from clean energy jobs in all 50 states, somewhat oddly, he's actually presenting us with an opportunity to lead the nation.
Because we're not stepping back on these issues, we’re up on these issues.
Three months ago, Washingtonians overwhelmingly voted to preserve the Climate Commitment Act. That act allows Washington to invest significantly in the same jobs that President Trump seems determined to eliminate: manufacturing jobs that create clean energy infrastructure like electrification, solar wind, hydrogen and fusion; and forestry jobs that help us fight wildfires.
Whether the president likes it or not, the transition to a clean energy economy is coming to Washington state. President Trump may be setting back the United States, but he's giving us a head start on leading the nation, and we will seize that opportunity.
You can expect announcements from me in the coming weeks about investments that we are making in exciting companies in Washington state that will create good-paying jobs in the clean energy economy all across Washington state.
To conclude, my hope is that every Washingtonian, regardless of who they voted for president, can get behind the following principles…
We will protect the civil rights of all Washingtonians.
We will respect the right to health care that is prescribed by a doctor, not a politician.
We will stand up for all law-abiding residents who are contributing to our state and our economies, regardless of their immigration status.
We will create good paying jobs in all corners of our state.
My message to President Trump is fairly simple: I'll work with you in areas of common interest, but you're making it tough. I'm still committed to that. I really am. But if you overstep your authority, we will stand up to you.
President Trump's chaos will not stop us from working on behalf of the people. We will continue to do our job and serve the everyday needs of Washingtonians while we are protecting Washingtonians from any cruel and unconstitutional actions.
Is what's happening in D.C. taking some of my time as governor? Yes, of course it is. Does it take most of my time? No, it does not. I want Washingtonians to know that.
We are, as a group – and many others who could not be here today because they've got busy jobs they're doing as well – are all committed to this. We're going to deal with what's coming at us from Washington, D.C. We're working very hard to be extremely coordinated in that effort. And at the same time, preserve our values as a state and move forward on the important issues we're facing.
Last weekend, I was in Ellensburg speaking to prospective college students and their parents. Why? I was reminding them to fill out their FAFSA form.
Thanks to our legislative leaders, we have incredible opportunities for financial assistance for so many Washingtonians. It’s incredible what the state has done to make that available.
Guess what? We do a lousy job of getting students and their parents to fill out the form. We rank near the bottom. We need to change that. That’s why I was there in person to talk to those students and those parents about the form and encourage them to complete it.
We’re working hard with a bipartisan group of legislators. I mentioned Senator Holy and Senator Dhingra to create a $100 million dollar grant program to hire more law enforcement officers across our state.
We're moving forward to make Washington a better state, and a more affordable state, and a safer state.
We're going to continue fighting to ensure that every Washingtonian, regardless of where they live, whom they love, what they believe, how they identify, where they work, or where they were born has access to quality education and skills-training, health care, safe communities, clean air and water and safe work environments.
We will keep fighting to make our state safer, government more efficient, ferries more reliable and our state more affordable for families.
We're going to keep moving forward.
We're not going to change our values. In fact, we are going to lean into them.
That is how we're going to deal with this. That's how we're going to be successful as a state.
We've been through this before, and I think we came through it pretty well.
Thanks to a lot of hardworking people, working very hard.
We're going to do it again.