WASHINGTON – Last week, Congressman David Valadao (CA-22) voted in favor of H.R. 5371, the Continuing Appropriations, Agriculture, Legislative Branch, Military Construction and Veterans Affairs, and Extensions Act, 2026, to reopen the government. This bill, which was signed into law by President Trump on November 12th, included a Continuing Resolution (CR) to reopen the government and three full-year appropriations bills that will provide funding for some of our nation’s most important programs. These bills include the Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, and Legislative Branch Appropriations Act.

“As a member of the House Committee on Appropriations, I was proud to vote to return to regular order and advance three full-year funding bills,” said Congressman Valadao. “These bills deliver real wins for CA-22—supporting our families and farmers, investing in our rural communities, and improving care for our veterans. I’m especially proud that the Agriculture Appropriations bill includes my Community Project Funding requests for the Kaweah Siphon Resiliency Project and the Tulare County Fire Department. These investments will help boost groundwater levels, protect drinking water quality, and improve emergency response times in underserved communities. Passing this package is an important step forward, and I’ll keep working with my colleagues in the House and Senate to deliver the rest of the full-year funding bills.”

Key investments secured by Congressman Valadao in the Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act:

• $3.5 million for the Kaweah Siphon Resiliency Project. 
  • Funds a new siphon for the Main Intake Canal under the Kaweah River, providing surface water supplies to roughly 65,000 acres in the Tulare Irrigation District for irrigation and groundwater recharge.
  • This project will provide surface water to increase groundwater levels, avoid subsidence, and improve groundwater quality throughout the irrigation district’s boundaries, protecting drinking water access for families and preserving the farmland that drives our economy.
• $1.64 million for the Tulare County Fire Department Apparatus Acquisition Project.
  • Funds a new 110’ Aerial Ladder Truck for unincorporated communities in Tulare County including Tipton, Pixley, Earlimart, Terra Bella, and Alpaugh to help improve emergency response times.

Additional highlights from the Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act:

• $1.79 billion for the Agricultural Research Service (ARS), including investments to help fight High-Path Avian Influenza (HPAI).
• $1.16 billion for the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), including increases for animal health and specialty crop programs and funding to combat emerging diseases like New World Screwworm, chronic wasting disease, and avian influenza.
• $9.957 billion in FSA Agricultural Credit Insurance Fund program loan authorizations to ensure CA-22 farmers and producers can access affordable credit and plan for next year.
• $4.1 billion for Rural Development programs including affordable housing rental assistance, the Section 502 homeownership loan program, and rural broadband grants and loans.
• $37.84 billion for Child Nutrition Programs—an increase of $4.5 billion—including funding for the National School Lunch Program, School Breakfast Program, and Summer Food Programs.
• $8.2 billion for the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) and $107.5 billion in mandatory funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) to help put food on the tables of our most vulnerable.
• $460 million for the Commodity Supplemental Food Program to help feed lower-income senior citizens.
• $1.2 million for the Food for Peace Program and $240 million for the McGovern-Dole International Food for Education and Child Nutrition Program. Both programs purchase commodities from CA-22 farmers and producers, helping support our local economy.

Additional highlights from the Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act:

• $59.2 billion for direct care at VA facilities.
• $34 billion for community care providers so veterans in rural communities can receive care even if they live far away from a VA facility.
• $18.9 million for veterans’ mental health care.
• $945 million for veterans’ medical and prosthetic research.
• $342.5 million for veterans’ rural health initiatives.
• $1.4 billion for major construction efforts of VA hospitals and cemeteries.

Additional highlights from the Legislative Branch Appropriations Act:

• Fully funds salaries for U.S. Capitol Police sworn officers and civilian personnel to ensure students, families, and visitors are safe when visiting the Capitol.
• Provides resources for the upkeep and maintenance of the historic U.S. Capitol complex.
• Prohibits the purchase of technology and telecommunications equipment from the People’s Republic of China and other foreign adversaries.

###