This week, I led my California Republican colleagues in a letter to Governor Gavin Newsom urging him to suspend the gas tax increase. Despite California already having the second highest gas tax in the nation, a new 8% increase in the tax is set to begin July 1st. This increase is going to put another burden on people in the Central Valley who are already dealing with the high cost of living in our state.

You can read more about our letter to Governor Newsom here. 

I want to hear from you:

Did you know you can now sign up for text 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.  

This week, I was proud to join my colleagues in reintroducing the bipartisan Farm Workforce Modernization Act. Food security is national security, and agricultural labor shortages threaten our ability to grow food for the nation. The Farm Workforce Modernization Act is a commonsense solution that ensures our farmers have access to a legal and reliable workforce and streamlines the process for the future flow of workers.

You can read more about the bill here. 

This week, I was in Tulare to attend the groundbreaking ceremony for the International Agri-Center Interchange Project. This project received a $16 million federal BUILD grant and will significantly improve the flow of traffic and safety around the ag center to alleviate some of the congestion we see during large events here. This project will also help businesses in the area grow and contribute to the overall economic development of our community. I will continue to support infrastructure projects that help our community.

I was in Delano earlier this week to tour San Joaquin Valley College’s (SJVC) Delano Campus and meet with professors and faculty in the nursing program. As we figure out how to best address a national nursing shortage, it’s important to see how SJVC’s program is helping to increase the number of nurses here in the Valley. I’m committed to supporting policies that address labor shortages and ensure our communities have access to high-quality, affordable healthcare.

This week, I also got the chance to tour Bakersfield College’s Delano Campus and meet with the school’s leadership team. Bakersfield College Delano Campus provides students across the Valley, and especially those in rural communities, an opportunity to further their education and begin their careers. 

The 2023 Congressional App Challenge is now accepting submissions. Each year, middle and high school students from across the country compete in the App Challenge to show off their coding and STEM skills. If you are interested in participating in this year’s App Challenge, you can click the link here to register.

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