I will be hosting my last Telephone Town Hall of the year next Tuesday, December 12th at 6:00 pm PST, to answer your questions about my work in Washington on behalf of the Central Valley. Make sure to sign up for the town hall here.

There are many issues facing our nation right now - from inflation to the chaos at our southern border, to the ongoing wars in Ukraine and Israel. But I want to hear from you: 

The storms and flooding we saw this year had a major impact on parts of the Central Valley. The property damage, feed loss, and transportation costs from moving livestock during the flooding were devastating to Central Valley dairy farmers as well, but there are currently limited avenues that exist for them to be reimbursed for these costs.

That’s why this week, I introduced the Emergency Assistance for Dairy Producers Act. This legislation would let dairy producers access funds in the USDA's Commodity Credit Corporation for emergency assistance due to a natural disaster. I look forward to working with my colleagues to move this important legislation through the House. 

You can read more about my bill here. 

This week, my friend former Speaker Kevin McCarthy announced he would be stepping down from his seat and retiring at the end of the year. Over the years, he and I have had the opportunity to work together on several critical issues impacting our neighboring districts in the Central Valley, including bringing more water to our communities and supporting the farmers who feed the world. Kevin’s service to the Valley, the state of California, and our nation has been extraordinary, and our nation owes him an enormous debt of gratitude. His leadership and presence in the halls of Congress will be greatly missed.

This week, the House Committee on Energy and Commerce passed my bill, the Online Dating Safety Act, out of a full committee markup with unanimous support. It is alarmingly easy for predators online to lie about their identity and manipulate innocent people, and my legislation is an important step to enhance online safety, combat fraud, and help people make more informed decisions. I want to thank my colleagues on the Energy and Commerce Committee for their support and I look forward to working with my colleagues to move this bill through the House.

Read more about the Online Dating Safety Act here.

Rural communities – like many of those in the Central Valley – are too often overlooked for critical investments. That’s why I’m proud to support H.R. 4736, the Investing in Rural America Act. This legislation would make it easier for Farm Credit institutions to partner with USDA and community banks to invest in important community facility projects like senior care centers and rural hospitals. As your voice in Washington, I will always fight to ensure rural communities have the resources they need.

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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