I'm pleased to announce my office is now accepting submissions for the 2025 Congressional Art Competition! This is a great opportunity for Central Valley students to demonstrate their creativity and artistic talent at the national level.

Students must submit their artwork and a student release form by 5:00 pm PST on Friday, April 25, 2025. The winner of the Congressional Art Competition will have their artwork displayed for one year in the U.S. capital and will be invited to attend a winner's reception in Washington, D.C. this summer.

For a full list of rules and regulations, please visit my website. I look forward to reviewing this year's submissions!

Online dating has become an increasingly common way for people to connect, but it's also a tool for scammers looking to take advantage of unsuspecting users. Romance scammers use fake identities to build trust and exploit their victims financially, which has cost Americans over a billion dollars per year. That's why I joined Reps. Brittany Pettersen (CO-07), Tom Suozzi (NY-03), and Craig Goldman (TX-12) to introduce the Romance Scam Prevention Act.

The Romance Scam Prevention Act is a bipartisan, bicameral bill which enhances users safety on online dating platforms. When an online dating service provider finds out a user is committing fraudulent activity, like illegally obtaining money, the service provider immediately deactivates the account. Unfortunately, people who meet online often take their conversations to other platforms, so even when a user's account is removed, someone might not know they're communicating with someone who was banned from a dating platform. This bill would require service providers to send a fraud ban notification to users who have talked to someone that's been removed from the app, providing some much-needed transparency. I'm proud to help lead the effort to make online dating safer and protect Americans of all ages from financial fraud.

Access to clean drinking water is essential for the health and well-being of every American—especially in rural and underserved communities like the Central Valley. Historically, agricultural heavy areas have led to increased nitrate in drinking and groundwater, including many communities in our region. To help combat this, I introduced the Nitrate and Arsenic in Drinking Water Act alongside Rep. Norma Torres (CA-35) this week.

This bipartisan bill gives rural communities that rely on groundwater the resources they need to reduce harmful contaminants and ensure our water supply is safe. I'm proud to work alongside my colleagues in Congress to help our small towns throughout the Central Valley fix this ongoing issue.

Far too often bureaucratic red-tape gets in the way of proper forest management, which contributes to the destructive wildfires we see throughout our state. When the dead trees aren't cleared, wildfires burn more intensely, which causes widespread devastation and directly impacts our air quality in the Central Valley. This week, I joined Rep. Salud Carbajal (CA-24) to re-introduce the Fire Safe Electrical Corridors Act to fight back.

This bipartisan bill would allow the U.S. Forest Service to approve the removal of hazardous trees near power lines on federal forest lands without requiring a timber sale. The Fire Safe Electrical Corridors Act is a common sense step towards reducing wildfire risk, and I'm proud to join Rep. Carbajal in support.

The Armenian Genocide caused the loss of over 1.5 million lives at the hands of the Ottoman Empire, and it's crucial that dark chapter isn't forgotten. That's why I joined Reps. Dina Titus (NV-01), Gus Bilirakis (FL-12), and Ted Lieu (CA-36) to reintroduce the Armenian Genocide Education Act. This bipartisan bill would fund educational programs at the Library of Congress to educate Americans on the Armenian Genocide. Teaching Americans about this tragedy is essential, and as the co-chair of the Congressional Caucus on Armenian Issues, I'm proud to support this effort to reaffirm our commitment to truth and remembrance.

Today, I was honored to attend the ribbon cutting for the Tagus Rehab Project. After years of careful planning and collaboration, it was exciting to see this critical infrastructure project come to life. State Route 99 in the backbone of our local economy—connecting communities, supporting businesses, and ensuring that goods can move efficiently across the state. By widening this section of highway, we're making long-overdue improvements that will benefit everyone who depends on it. These updates will ease traffic, improve safety, and help businesses operate more efficiently. This is a big win for Tulare and the Central Valley, and I look forward to seeing the benefits for years to come.

While I was in Washington this week, Team Valadao was out in the Valley connecting with the community. My staff joined the celebration of a 100-year-old WWII veteran and former Bakersfield fire chief, and recognized Carter Keith for earning the rank of Eagle Scout. They also presented certificates to the winners of the Bakersfield Marathon and participated in the Wasco Mental Health Awareness and Art Festival. Finally, Team Valadao was proud to recognize the 5th anniversary of the Lisa Project in Hanford—a powerful initiative that brings awareness to child abuse. I'm so grateful to my team for showing up and supporting the people who make our communities strong!

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 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!

Do you have a question about my position on an issue? How the Congress operates? My thoughts on the news of the day?

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