Our agriculture industry has been severely impacted by recent severe weather. I stopped by J Milicic & Sons Farms and Storage to see the challenges they are facing as they recover from the storms and flooding. Our Valley farmers are the ones who feed the world, and it is critical that Congress support them through these difficult times. I’ll continue working with my colleagues to get our community the resources it needs to recover. 

I visited the Central California Food Bank to tour their facilities and talk about the importance of strengthening anti-hunger programs in the upcoming Farm Bill. The Central California Food Bank plays a vital role in feeding those in need across the Valley, serving over 450,000 students in Tulare, Kings, and Kern counties during the summer months. As more and more people struggle to keep up with rising food prices, organizations like the Central California Food Bank are critical to helping ensure our communities receive the proper nutrition they need.

A few weeks ago, I had the chance to visit  ASV Wines here in McFarland. During my visit, I got to tour their bottling and Aptco operations and discussed the capabilities of expanded polystyrene, the upcoming Farm Bill, and some of the biggest issues impacting our local agriculture community. It was a very informative tour, and I want to thank the team at ASV for a great visit.

The Central Valley is one of the best places in the country for utilizing solar power. I visited the SOLV Energy solar farms in Stratford to learn more about the benefits of solar power for our communities. Utilizing solar power is an important part of the all-of-the-above approach to permanently reducing energy prices for Valley families. 

Central Valley families have seen their monthly energy bills go up significantly under this administration's misguided energy policies. The U.S. has some of the best energy resources in the world, and we should have an all of the above approach to drive prices down for consumers. 

I want to hear from you: 

Earlier this month, I participated in a field tour and hearing about wildfires and forest management in Yosemite. This hearing was a joint effort on behalf of the House Committee on Natural Resources and the Congressional Western Caucus to highlight the importance of proper forest management in combatting wildfires that have devastated people’s livelihoods, homes, and businesses.

The bureaucratic regulations that prevent proper forest management are the same that make managing our waterways in the Valley so difficult. As your representative in Washington, I’ll continue working with my colleagues to reduce red tape and ensure Californian’s livelihoods are protected.

I recently wrote an Op-Ed in the Fresno Bee about the importance of proper forest management for reducing the severity of wildfires. Read more here. 

I participated in a ride-along with Bakersfield Mayor Karen Goh, City Manager Christian Clegg, and other city leaders to visit the area of the MLK Jr. BLVD Complete Streets Project. I was glad to submit a federal funding request for the project in this year’s appropriations bill. This much-needed project will improve the public safety, economic development, and accessibility of the area. 

I had a great time at the Santa Rosa Rancheria Tachi Yokut Tribe’s annual Pow Wow, one of the largest tributes to Native American culture in the Valley. While I was there, I also got to speak with tribal leaders about some of the issues most impacting their community. It was an honor to participate in this great tradition with hundreds of Native American tribes from across the region. 

The discovery of the illegal medical lab in Reedley is extremely concerning. I support a congressional investigation to provide people with answers and ensure these kinds of labs are not operating in other parts of the country.

I want to hear from you: 

Last week, I had the privilege of attending the unveiling of the new Larry Hallum Library at Arvin High School, where I also presented a Congressional Record honoring Larry's life to his wife, Brenda. Larry's service to our community and dedication to the students of Arvin will always be remembered, and I was honored to attend. 

I recently had a very productive meeting with the city manager and mayor pro tem of Arvin. During the meeting, we discussed important issues facing their community such as land development, expanding wastewater infrastructure, and important upcoming projects across the city. 

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.

As the August district work period wraps up, I'll be heading back to Washington to work on the long to-do list Congress has for the rest of the year. As Congress works on critical issues like funding the federal government, passing the National Defense Authorization Act, and working on a new Farm Bill, I'll continue to send updates through this weekly newsletter. Make sure to sign up for updates to your inbox every week and catch up on past editions of my newsletter here to hear more about my work representing you in the nation's capital. 

I want to know which issues are most important to you as Congress begins our fall session: 

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