Last year my team assisted the Westwood Manor Apartments in Earlimart secure a $1.3 million loan from the Department of Agriculture to help fund the renovation of the affordable housing unit. This week I stopped by the complex for a tour of the construction site. Ensuring adequate housing in rural communities is essential and I’m proud to have played a very small part in making this project a reality. It was great speaking with the tenants who will benefit from these much-needed improvements.

This week the Democratic supermajority in the State Assembly voted to raise gas prices for Californians. Governor Newsom’s oil refinery mandate, which would require companies to artificially restrict supply from the market, would drive up the already high energy prices in California and put a greater burden on Central Valley families. When the Governor announced his special session to vote on this refinery mandate, I joined my colleagues in sending him a letter urging him to change course. I’ll continue fighting against the harmful energy regulations coming from Sacramento.

On Thursday I met with Kerry Hydash, President and CEO of Family Healthcare Network (FHN). It was great to hear about the work FHN does to keep our community healthy and the challenges they face in the healthcare sector. While there, I also received a tour of their food pantry they offer to low-income patients.

This week, 100 veterans from Kern County traveled to Washington, D.C. as part of the Kern County Honor Flight trip to visit the nation’s capital and its war memorials. Among the group were four World War II veterans as well as many who served in the Vietnam and Korean Wars. Team Valadao staff helped facilitate a tour of the Capitol building in D.C. and were present to welcome them back to Bakersfield on Thursday night! Thank you to Kern County Honor Flight for your work in making this incredible trip possible for our veterans!

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 Tony in Bakersfield. He asks:

"Today here in Kern County and California there are so many homeless Veterans that served and unable to afford homes. What can we do to help us veterans become one of those states where Veterans are exempt from paying property taxes on their family homes?"

Thanks for your question, Tony. Our veterans have made incredible sacrifices, and we owe them a great debt of gratitude. Since the day I arrived to Congress I’ve been committed to ensuring that our veterans receive the benefits and services they’ve earned. To answer your specific question, property taxes are levied at the local level, without federal oversight. This highlights the importance of people getting engaged in government at the state, county and city/town levels, where critical issues close to home are decided.

While Congress does not have authority to exempt property tax for veterans, I’ve been proud to support legislation aimed at combating homelessness amongst veterans. Just two weeks ago I introduced and successfully passed a bill that extends many vital services and programs for our veterans. This includes grant programs for homeless veterans with mental illness, disabilities or those with children. There are also many resources in our community for veterans experiencing housing insecurity or needing assistance in accessing the benefits they’ve earned. Below you will find information on the many agencies and services available to support homeless veterans.

• The California Veterans Assistance Foundation (CVAF) is an organization dedicated specifically to assisting veterans who are homeless or at risk of homelessness. You can visit their website here.
• Kern County veterans can click here for information about the Kern County Veterans Services Department.
• Kings County veterans can click here for information about the Kings County Veterans Services Office.
• Tulare County Veterans can call 559-713-2880 to reach the Tulare County Veteran’s Service Office.

I’ll continue working to support our veterans and ensure they have access to reliable, affordable housing

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!

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