The recent storms have been devastating for families and farmers in the Central Valley, with homes, critical infrastructure, and livelihoods damaged by flooding. State and local resources have been seriously strained due to the ongoing response and recovery efforts. This week Governor Newsom requested a Major Disaster Declaration for the counties most impacted.

This week, I co-led all 52 members of the California Congressional Delegation, as well as both of California’s Senators, in a bipartisan letter to President Biden urging him to approve California’s request. I urge President Biden to move as quickly as possible to approve the Governor’s request to deliver much-needed assistance to the Central Valley residents impacted by these storms. 

You can read the full letter here. 

In order for additional federal resources to be made available to our state, the Governor’s office has to accurately report the damages these storms have caused. California Office of Emergency Services is required to justify a request for additional federal support from the Federal Emergency Management Agency by presenting the reported costs and losses that the public reports. 

If you have experienced weather-related damages or losses during these storms, it is critical to report them to your respective counties

Kings County Flood Damage Survey

Tulare County Flood Damage Survey

Kern County Flood Damage Survey

Don’t forget to:

• Sign up for your county’s emergency alert system and follow evacuation orders
• Do not travel to see dangerous weather events
• Report property damages to your county

Central Valley families have seen gas prices skyrocket and monthly energy bills double under the Biden Administration’s regulatory assault on American energy production. The United States has some of the greatest energy resources in the entire world. We should be utilizing these resources to create jobs, strengthen our national security, and lower prices for Valley residents. 

That is why this week, I was proud to vote for H.R. 1 - the Lower Energy Costs Act. This critical legislation focuses on implementing commonsense reforms to increase domestic energy production and reform our broken energy permitting process. On Tuesday, I spoke on the House floor about why I support H.R. 1 and how it will lower costs for Valley families. You can watch my remarks here or below:

I’m also proud that my bill, the Determination of NEPA Adequacy Streamlining Act, was included as part of the final H.R. 1 package. This bill would reform NEPA permitting by cutting red tape to help move previously tied-up energy projects across the finish line.

Read more about the bill here.

This week, the Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) announced that Central Valley Project users would be getting an increased water allocation for 2023.

This is welcome news and a big relief to our family farms, local economies, and communities that have suffered from drought conditions, burdensome regulations, and below adequate water allocations for years. We must maximize what can be moved through the Delta and cut red tape to build critical water storage infrastructure, so our communities are more resilient to drought in the future.

You can read my full statement on Reclamation’s updated 2023 water allocations here. 

This week, I had the opportunity to question the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner, Dr. Robert Califf, during a House Committee on Appropriations subcommittee hearing. Last year when Dr. Califf came to testify before the committee, I asked him about the ongoing baby formula shortage. On Wednesday, I asked the Commissioner how the FDA has addressed this issue since it has been nearly a year since those shortages caused widespread stress for families in the Valley and across the country.

I was stunned to learn that Dr. Califf has yet to visit any of the baby formula facilities that have struggled with bacterial outbreaks. It is unacceptable that after a year, the senior leadership of the FDA still has not gone to see one of these facilities in person. It is critical that Congress hold the administration accountable for this baby formula shortage and ensure something like this never happens again. 

Watch my questioning of the FDA Commissioner here. 

It was great to welcome students from the Grow Academies of Shafter and Arvin this week to the United States Capitol. Meeting with constituents when they’re visiting Washington, D.C. is one of the best parts of my job.

If you are planning a trip to the nation’s capital and want to tour the United States Capitol, visit my website here or call my office at (202) 225-4695.

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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