Dear [firstname],

Read below for an update on my work in Washington on behalf of CA-22.  

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Recently, I've received a lot of questions from constituents, so I wanted to take this opportunity to answer some of them.

Thank you for your question, Donna. I’ve been working for years to address the delays holding up construction of the new Bakersfield VA Clinic and make sure our veterans have access to the care they deserve.

In 2009, Congress approved funding for a new Bakersfield Community-Based Outpatient Clinic. Unfortunately, construction has been delayed for more than a decade because of repeated lawsuits filed by a developer seeking to use environmental regulations to block the project. The VA and the City of Bakersfield have consistently won these legal challenges, but additional appeals and legal actions have continued to delay construction.

This year, I secured language in the Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Appropriations bill requiring the VA to move forward with construction unless a state or federal court issues an injunction preventing it. After years of court battles, I was happy to see the Kern County Superior Court recently ruled in favor of the City of Bakersfield, allowing construction to finally move forward.

I’ve heard from many veterans in the greater Bakersfield area who are frustrated by long wait times, especially as our veteran population continues to grow. This new facility is long overdue, and I’ll continue pushing to begin construction so our Central Valley veterans can get the timely, quality care they’ve earned.

I appreciate your question, Isabella. Hardworking Central Valley families should not have to foot the bill for powering large corporate and tech data center operations. California families are already paying some of the highest energy costs in the country because of Sacramento regulations, and we need to do everything we can to protect ratepayers, lower utility bills, and make sure large energy users pay their fair share.

That's why I proudly cosponsored and voted for the bipartisan Ratepayer Protection Act. This commonsense bill would require large-load users—including data centers—to cover the full costs of the infrastructure needed to support their operations, rather than passing those costs on to families and small businesses. As we bring new investment and technology to California, we need to make sure it doesn’t come at the expense of the people who call the Central Valley home. That means protecting our water and natural resources, listening to local communities, and making sure ratepayers aren’t left footing the bill.

I was glad to see this bipartisan bill pass the House, and I’ll continue pushing for its passage in the Senate.

Filing taxes, managing a budget, building savings, and understanding credit are all important life skills, yet too many students graduate high school without the financial knowledge they need to make informed decisions. Instead of trying to navigate a complicated financial system on their own, students should have a strong foundation in financial literacy.

This week, I was proud to introduce the bipartisan Promoting Financial Literacy in Secondary Schools Act to help solve this issue. This bipartisan bill would help improve financial literacy education for students by requiring the Financial Literacy and Education Commission (FLEC) to include high schoolers when creating their best practices for students about budgeting, financial securities, credit, evaluating financial products, and student loan borrowing. This would give students these critical tools before they graduate and help prepare the next generation for success—whether they choose to attend college, pursue a trade, or enter the workforce.

To start the week, Team Valadao attended a ribbon-cutting ceremony celebrating the opening of a new neighborhood in Tulare. Later, my staff joined the Kern County Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, where they listened to speakers discuss the current state of oil drilling in California and potential legislative solutions. On Tuesday, my team met with the Tulare County Board of Supervisors and the Tulare County General Services Agency to receive updates on county business, projects, and other community priorities. Then, staff met with the Tulare County Association of Governments to talk about some of their infrastructure and transportation projects. In Kern, my team joined the Bakersfield Chamber of Commerce Luncheon to connect with local businesses and nonprofit leaders in the community. Afterwards, they celebrated Adventist Health Tulare’s 75th anniversary and the Tulare Local Healthcare District’s 80th anniversary, recognizing their decades of essential healthcare services to the Tulare community. 

On Wednesday, my staff met with the Tulare County Office of Education Superintendent to discuss education priorities, student programs, and some of the challenges schools are facing throughout Tulare. Next, Team Valadao met with the Tulare County Counsel to learn about the work they do alongside the Board of Supervisors. My team also met with the Tulare County Public Law Library to learn about the legal resources and services they provide to the community. Afterwards, staff joined California Dairies Inc. to tour their dairy processing facility and gain better insight into one of the Central Valley’s most important industries. On Thursday, my team met with the Hanford Task Force and other local community leaders. Later, my team met the new Kings County Library Director, Ashley Nuhfer, to discuss how my office can be a resource as she starts her new role. My staff then met with the Westfield Elementary School and toured Porterville College to learn about academic programs and resources available to students. After that, they honored the Monache High School FFA chapter with Certificates of Recognition to celebrate their recent state championship victory. At the Kern County Fair, my staff presented Herman Porter with a Congressional Record Statement plaque to honor him as the 2026 Kern County Fair Person of the Year and to thank him for his decades of dedicated service to the community.

To wrap up the week, Team Valadao attended the United Way Annual Recognition Breakfast to celebrate local organizations, volunteers, and community partners serving Tulare County. In Bakersfield, my team went to the Go Gold & Connect event to join local survivors and advocates to raise awareness for Childhood Cancer Awareness Month. Then, staff joined the Kings County Community Action Organization (KCAO) Clay Center Head Start for their reopening ceremony. Finally, my team presented Flood Ministries with a Congressional Record Statement plaque to congratulate them on 20 years of steadfast service to the most underserved members of the Kern County community. 

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!

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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