Next Tuesday, June 10, at 6:00 pm PT, I'll be hosting a telephone town hall to answer your questions and clear up some misconceptions about H.R. 1—or the One, Big, Beautiful Bill. If you or someone you know wants to join, make sure to mark your calendar and either call in or stream live. I'm looking forward to speaking with you!

The cost of maternal care is already expensive, and too often, families with private insurance are hit with surprise medical bills that they didn’t see coming. While Medicaid covers the full cost of childbirth for those enrolled, families with private insurance plans routinely face thousands in unexpected expenses—often as much as $3,000 to $10,000—because of confusing hospital pricing or gaps in their coverage.

Building a family already comes with so much uncertainty, which is why I joined Reps. Jared Golden (ME-02) and Young Kim (CA-40) to introduce the Supporting Healthy Moms and Babies Act. This bipartisan bill would help lower the cost of prenatal, birth, and postpartum care by designating them as essential health benefits under private insurance plans. It also eliminates cost-sharing from these services, so expectant families pay less when they go to the doctor, give birth, or pick up prescriptions. I’m proud to join my colleagues in supporting this practical solution that puts families first and gives parents some peace of mind during one of life’s most important moments.

This week, the Federal Railroad Administration released a report on the California High-Speed Rail Authority that reinforces what we've known all along—this project has been an expensive failure from the start with no viable path forward. Sacramento promised a fully operational system by the start of this decade, but after burning through seven billion in federal taxpayer dollars and billions more in state funding, all we have are bridges leading to nowhere and no finished track. The California High-Speed Rail Authority has been an extreme waste of taxpayer dollars, and I applaud the Department of Transportation for exposing this project as the mismanaged, massively overbudgeted failure that it is.

This week, I met with Bakersfield Mayor, Karen Goh, to discuss the city’s priorities and the ways federal support can help move key projects forward. We talked about current and future initiatives that are important to Bakersfield’s growth, including infrastructure, housing, and community development and grant programs. I'm grateful for Mayor Goh’s leadership and look forward to continuing our work together to support Bakersfield and the broader Central Valley.

Affordable housing is essential to the long-term health of our housing market, and on Wednesday, I met with the Fresno Association of Realtors to hear directly from local professionals about the challenges and opportunities they see firsthand. We talked about proposed legislation to reduce the cost of homeownership and create a lower barrier to entry for first-time homebuyers. I appreciated their insight and commitment to ensuring families across the Valley have a fair shot at achieving the American Dream.

This morning, I spoke at the American Sikh Caucus Committee Prayer Service and Breakfast to remember the tragedy of 1984. Leaders at every level of government have a responsibility to condemn transnational repression, and as co-chair of the American Sikh Congressional Caucus, I'm proud to help lead the charge.

While I was in Washington this week, Team Valadao was out in the Valley connecting with the community. In Bakersfield, the team attended the Kern Alliance of Nonprofits Awards Ceremony to recognize outstanding non-profits and their top members. Also, in honor of June being Cancer Survivor Month, they joined the Comprehensive Blood and Cancer Center for a survivor celebration. In Porterville, Team Valadao took part in the ribbon cutting ceremony hosted by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Sacramento District at the Richard L. Schafer Dam for Phase II of the Tule River Spillway Enlargement project. The ceremony highlighted the remarkable progress made to expand water storage and increase flood protection for the local community. In Hanford today, my team also met with two veterans at the Remington Senior Living facility for the Library of Congress’ Veteran History Project.

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?

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.  

I'll be using this newsletter as a way to keep you updated on my work in Congress. Make sure to sign up for regular updates and follow my Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram to keep up with my work.