As a dairy farmer, I’ve been paying close attention to the outbreak of avian influenza (otherwise known as bird flu) in dairy cattle throughout the United States. Although there are no confirmed cases in dairy cattle in California, it’s important that we stay proactive to ensure dairy cattle and the workers who interact with these animals on a daily basis remain healthy. This week I joined my colleague, Congresswoman Elissa Slotkin (MI-07) to introduce the Avian Influenza Research and Response Act. This bill would prioritize critical research of avian influenza and ensure that dairy producers are provided compensation for loss of milk production in the event of infection of their cattle. You can read more about this bill here.

Since the beginning of my time in Congress, I have made it a priority to ensure that our veterans are well taken care of. That’s why I’m cosponsoring the Veteran Education Assistance Adjustment Act. This bill would provide additional financial support for veterans who are pursuing vocational training or higher education. I am proud to support legislation to ensure our veterans are able to successfully transition to civilian life.

Earlier this week I had the chance to visit the CAPK Friendship House in Bakersfield. The Friendship House provides crucial resources for both kids and adults from low-income households. Their services include assisting individuals to secure steady employment as well as after school/summer programs for kids. I had a great time speaking with the students and staff about the various programs offered at the Friendship House to learn more about how I can support their work in Congress. It was inspiring to see the positive impact that this facility is having on the community.

Like many of you, I’ve enjoyed rooting for the talented American athletes competing in the Summer Olympics in Paris. As of today, the Team USA is leading the medal count with 41. Good luck to Team USA during the last couple weeks of the games!

One of my highest privileges as a member of Congress is nominating students from the Central Valley to attend a United States Service Academy. Serving in our nation’s military is among the highest callings there is. I am excited to share that my office will be hosting a Service Academy Information Night on August 29th for middle and high school students from the Central Valley who are interested in attending a military academy.  This event will be taking place at the Porterville Military Academy from 6-8pm. You can RSVP for this event here.

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 here 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 Paula in Arvin. She asks:

"Why can we not have a Federal Law that makes it illegal to buy or sell anyone for Human Trafficking?"

Thanks for your question, Paula. Since the establishment of the 13^th amendment in 1865, United States Law has prohibited slavery or involuntary servitude of all individuals. In 2000 the Trafficking Victims Protection Act was the first extensive federal law which took on human trafficking directly and provided specific legal basis to protect victims and prosecute traffickers. But to your point, more needs to be done to prevent this horrible crime and ensure those responsible are held accountable to the fullest extent of the law. Unfortunately, California has the highest number of reported human trafficking cases of any state in the country, and it’s impacting communities right here in the Central Valley. More efforts must be made to prevent human trafficking.

As the co-chair of the Human Trafficking Caucus, I’m committed to working with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to put an end to human trafficking. Last month I introduced the Human Trafficking Awareness Training Recognition Act. In many instances, employees in the entertainment, hospitality, and transportation industries are the first line of defense in detecting human trafficking. My bill would incentivize these employees to complete human trafficking awareness training so they’d be better equipped to report these crimes. We must continue to work together at the local, state and federal level to bring an end to this growing and disturbing crime.

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.

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