I’ve been closely following the recent immigration enforcement actions by Customs and Border Protection (CBP) in Kern County and CBP informed me these operations  were focused on known criminals and individuals with ties to criminal organizations in our community. I’ve received numerous calls from constituents expressing fear for their families’ safety, and I don’t support inciting concern. I urge CBP to continue prioritizing known criminals and avoid targeting those responsible for producing our nation’s food.  We urgently need common sense immigration reform that creates a pathway to earned legal status for hardworking individuals contributing to our economy while ensuring the removal of those who threaten the safety of our communities. I’m looking forward to working on new legislation to combat these issues in Congress.

On Thursday, I met with Bakersfield Mayor Karen Goh and Assistant City Manager Anthony Valdez during their visit to Washington, D.C. During our meeting, Mayor Goh outlined the city’s priorities for the 2025 legislative agenda, including some of the urban and transportation development projects. I look forward to working with Mayor Goh and her staff and am excited to support their plans for the city.

This week, the House Appropriations Committee announced member appointments for the new Congress. I’m honored to have been selected as Chairman of the Legislative Branch Subcommittee, and I look forward to serving on the Subcommittee on Agriculture and starting my first term on the Subcommittee on Defense. Appropriations is one of the key Committees in Congress responsible for allocating federal funds, and I look forward to continuing my work on the Committee to deliver results for the Central Valley and the nation! You can read my full statement here.

As Co-Chair of the Armenian Caucus, I was proud to promote the relationship between Armenia and the U.S alongside my colleague Frank Pallone (CA17-6) this past Tuesday. I had the privilege of meeting with Armenian Foreign Minister, Ararat Mirzoyan, and Counselor to the Armenian Embassy , Hasmik Simonyan, where we discussed the state of bilateral relations between our two countries as well as the ongoing peace process between Armenia and Azerbaijan.

My office in Bakersfield has resumed full operations after a brief closure last week. Thank you for your patience as mandatory repairs took place.

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.  

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