This week, I met with representatives from California Community Colleges, which oversees 116 colleges across the state. I also spoke with the Kern County Community College District, which encompasses the Bakersfield, Cerro Coso, and Porterville Community Colleges. In both meetings, we discussed the importance of local partnership programs to build a stronger workforce in our region and I got to hear directly from current students who were eager to share their experiences. Community colleges are crucial in shaping the next generation of professionals in the Central Valley, and I’m looking forward to our continued partnership.

As natural disasters become more frequent, California homeowners are facing increasing difficulty in maintaining insurance for their properties. To help combat this, last week I joined my colleagues, Reps. Doug LaMalfa and Mike Thompson, to co-sponsor the introduction of the Disaster Resiliency and Coverage Act. This bill would establish a grant program to help homeowners fund risk reduction upgrades, including a tax credit of up to 30% of the costs, and would direct insurers to consider the disaster mitigation efforts when determining homeowners’ insurance premiums. This legislation is a great first step towards bringing California families some much-needed relief, and I’m proud to support it.

Last year, the California Air Resource Board (CARB) proposed the Advanced Clean Fleets Rule, which would require trucking companies to begin transitioning to zero-emission vehicles this year with a complete ban on the sale of conventional trucks by 2036. While I support efforts to cut down on emissions and improve air quality, this one-size-fits-all rule is impractical and would ultimately lead to higher prices for consumers. To combat this, in September I led my colleagues in sending a letter to the EPA Administrator to deny California’s waiver request to enact the rule. Thankfully, CARB recently withdrew its misguided request, which is a win for California’s economy and supply chain. To read my full letter to the EPA, click here.

As a Board member of the Congressional Hispanic Leadership Institute (CHLI), I was proud to attend their New Congress Reception to meet with leadership and their new cohort of Global Leaders. The CHLI program provides a unique opportunity to college students of the Hispanic community to intern on Capitol Hill, and I’m excited to welcome two members from this cohort to my office as interns. Luis and Eduardo will be assisting my team this semester and gaining invaluable experience, and I’m excited to have them.

While I was in Washington this week, Team Valadao was out in the Valley connecting with the community. On Saturday, the Tim Tebow Foundaton hosted the Night to Shine event in Bakersfield. This annual event provides individuals with intellectual disabilities with an unforgettable prom night experience. My office was proud to attend the event and present certificates to the organizer.

This past week, Tulare hosted the World Ag Expo. This event showcases some of the newest advancements in farming technology and equipment, and members of Team Valadao attended the event to see some of the innovations firsthand.

Trying to get an answer from a federal agency can often be a time-consuming and frustrating process. If you ever need help navigating a federal agency, you can visit my website or call my Hanford office at (559) 460-6070. My team is ready to assist you!

Tratar de obtener una respuesta de una agencia federal a menudo puede ser un proceso frustrante y que requiere mucho tiempo. Si alguna vez necesita ayuda con una agencia federal, puede visitar mi sitio de web aquí o llamar a mi oficina de Hanford al (559) 460-6070. ¡Mi equipo está listo para ayudarte!

Our question this week comes from Richard in Bakersfield. He asked:

"Do you support increasing the debt limit?"

Thank you for your question, Richard. As you may know, the federal debt ceiling was reinstated at the beginning of this year at $36.1 trillion after being suspended back in 2023. If the debt ceiling isn’t raised, the United States could default on its obligations and unable to pay some of its bills. This would mark the first time in our nation’s history that we’ve defaulted on our debt, and the economic consequences would be catastrophic. Raising the debt ceiling is the only way to prevent such devastating impacts. 

The reality is that for many years, the U.S. Government has been spending well beyond its means. Just as a household can’t spend more than its income, the government should operate under the same principle—and for far too long that hasn’t been the case. The majority of Americans believe raising the debt ceiling should be accompanied by commonsense spending reforms, and it’s past time for Congress to come to an agreement and get back to fiscal responsibility.

Do you have a question about my position on an issue? How the Congress operates? My thoughts on the news of the day?

Send your first name, town, and question to AskDavid@mail.house.gov and I might answer yours right here in one of my weekly newsletters. Make sure to subscribe to my weekly email updates to see if your question was answered!

If you want to share your opinion with me on issues of importance, you can always contact me on my website.

Did you know you can now sign up for texts from my office to stay up to date on my work in Washington D.C.? To sign up to receive updates from me directly to your phone, just text VALADAO to (559) 387-4346 and you will be automatically subscribed. You can also sign up for text alerts using this form here.  

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