Josie McLaurin has been promoted to Legislative Director in the office of Rep. Dan Newhouse (R-WA-4), effective May 1, 2026. McLaurin has worked her way up through Newhouse's office over the past several years, holding roles as a shared staff member, legislative assistant, and most recently senior legislative assistant before stepping into the top legislative role.

A Portfolio Built on Agriculture and Natural Resources

In her new role, McLaurin oversees a broad portfolio that includes agriculture and food, animals, commerce, environmental protection, foreign trade and international finance, public lands and natural resources, telecommunications, and veterans affairs. The issue set maps closely to the priorities of Newhouse's Central Washington district, which is home to significant agricultural and natural resource industries.

McLaurin holds a bachelor's degree in agricultural business policy and law from Mississippi State University, earned in 2019, giving her a substantive academic foundation for the policy work she now leads.

Background in Congressional Work

Before joining Newhouse's personal office, McLaurin served as a staff assistant for the Senate Budget Committee from July to October 2019. She later returned to Capitol Hill as a policy adviser for the Congressional Western Caucus from May 2023 to January 2025, a role she held concurrently with a shared staff position in Newhouse's office beginning in May 2023.

She transitioned into a full legislative assistant role in Newhouse's office in January 2025, was elevated to senior legislative assistant in January 2026, and now serves as legislative director.

The Legislation She'll Be Working On

Newhouse has an active legislative agenda in the 119th Congress that McLaurin will be central to advancing. Among the most notable bills:

H.R. 1576, the Protecting American Agriculture from Foreign Adversaries Act of 2025, introduced in February 2025, would require the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States to review agricultural land transactions referred by the Department of Agriculture. The bill has drawn 60 cosponsors.

On public lands and water, Newhouse has introduced several bills focused on the Lower Snake River dams. H.R. 2073, the Defending our Dams Act, would prohibit federal spending on breaching or studying removal of four dams on the Lower Snake River. A related measure, H.R. 2074, the POWER Act, would restrict dam breaching more broadly if it would increase carbon emissions, reduce navigation, or require replacement energy sources occupying significantly more land. Both bills have received subcommittee attention.

H.R. 626, the Northwest Energy Security Act, would require Federal Columbia River Power System operations to follow the framework of a 2020 environmental impact statement, and is also in committee consideration.

On forestry, Newhouse is a cosponsor of H.R. 1110, the Grazing for Wildfire Risk Reduction Act, which has been reported out of the House Natural Resources Committee. The bill would direct the Forest Service to develop a strategy using livestock grazing to reduce wildfire risk on federal lands.

Committee Hearings on the Horizon

Newhouse sits on the House Agriculture Committee, the House Natural Resources Committee, and the House Appropriations Committee, among others, giving McLaurin a wide range of hearings to track and prepare for.

The House Agriculture Committee held a markup in March 2026 on H.R. 7567, the Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026, during which Newhouse offered an amendment. Earlier hearings in the 119th Congress have covered the economic pressures facing farm country, the state of the livestock industry, agricultural innovation, and the role of the National Animal Health Laboratory Network in safeguarding U.S. agriculture, all areas that fall squarely within McLaurin's portfolio.

The Office She's Joining

Newhouse announced earlier this year that he will not seek re-election in 2026, meaning McLaurin steps into the legislative director role during what will be the final months of his congressional tenure. The congressman has used the current Congress to push forward priorities tied closely to his district, including hydropower preservation, agricultural trade promotion, and federal land management, all of which McLaurin will now help shepherd through the remainder of the session.

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