Local Congresswoman Jaime Herrera Beutler wore a Columbia River Crab Fishermen’s Association hat during a 2015 visit to the Port of Ilwaco.

VANCOUVER — Politicians in Washington are preparing for Tuesday’s State of the Union.

Some polls show that most Americans would like to see the country’s elected leaders work together more. But the Clark County Republican Party isn’t so sure.

The group is weighing whether to pass a resolution that would censure GOP Congresswoman Jaime Herrera Beutler for, among other things, working too closely with Democrats.

Washington’s 3rd District Congresswoman won last November’s election with more than 60 percent of the vote.

Still, some members of the Clark County Republican Party aren’t happy with Herrera Beutler.

A draft resolution to censure her lists a series of votes the congresswoman took last year.

It says she “established a pattern of voting with Democrats to increase spending, increase the debt, and increase regulations.”

And indeed earlier this month Herrera Beutler spoke on the floor of the House in favor of a bi-partisan bill called the Regulatory Accountability Act, even though it’s aimed at curbing regulations.

“Mr. Speaker,” she said, “we’re not trying to bring down the federal bureaucracy, although some would appreciate it if we did, we’re simply trying to bring some common sense into how they operate.”

The county GOP’s resolution goes on to list a series of votes Herrera Beutler took including a vote for the Farm Bill as well as her vote to re-elect John Boehner as Speaker of the House.

If the county party decides to adopt the resolution as it’s written now, Herrera Beutler would be barred from any county party speaking engagements or from receiving its campaign support.

“Please understand, we receive no satisfaction from disciplining one of our own,” the resolution states. “However, silence is acceptance, and we cannot accept your poor voting record; therefore we cannot remain silent.”

Christian Berrigan, a precinct committee officer with the county party, said he agrees with many of the points raised in the resolution.

“What the congresswoman has done generally is follow mostly what leadership suggests that she do and that would be one of my personal objections,” he said.

Still, Berrigan said he’s not yet sure censuring the congresswoman is the way to go.

“I’m confident that we’re going to work this out through a more harmonious conclusion then maybe what it appears to be right now,” he said.

Through a spokesperson, Herrera Beutler declined an interview. But she addressed the resolution in a letter sent to the county party last week.

In it she defended her voting record, stating that, “four years ago the voters of Southwest Washington sent a conservative to Congress. I’m still here and I’m still conservative.”

Lisa Ross, vice chair of the Clark County Republican Party, said she doesn’t support the idea of disciplining Herrera Beutler over the votes. But she added that’s her own view and she wasn’t speaking on behalf of the party.

“The censure is about having problems with her votes and the vast majority of the time she goes with the party. So the question is, is the problem with the party? Or is it a problem with Jaime?” she said. “I can’t see how we can censure a Republican for voting with Republicans.”

Sharon Long is also a member of the county party. She said, “there is a great deal of discontent with the leadership within the Republican Party at the national level. They’re probably not as conservative as maybe the local party is.”

Long said Herrera Beutler is clearly a social conservative. And even though she’d like to see Herrera Beutler act as more of a fiscal conservative, she doesn’t support the resolution.

“I’m not going to agree with every single thing that she does,” Long said. “But I am okay with that.”

Todd Donovan is a professor of political science at Western Washington University.

His take on the situation? “It’s just weird.”

He said even though the hard-core party activist may not be happy, most voters like to see the two parties work together.

“For a county Republican organization to target a well-known, moderate Republican for occasionally working with Democrats is probably going to make her look good,” Donovan said.

Not only that, but Donovan said if they do censure Herrera Beutler, she could end up with a little more time on her hands.

“Elected officials, they don’t like to go to a lot of those events the county party folks put on so they might be doing her a favor,” he said.

The Clark County Republican Party is expected to take up the resolution at a meeting in March.