This past Spring, I secured $55 million in federal funding for various community improvement projects across the Central Valley. This money will be used to improve our local water storage capacity, fix roads and other infrastructure, and increase public safety. Click here for an interactive map to view all the projects that have received community project funding in Fiscal Year 2024.

I visited some of these sites this week to see firsthand how these projects will improve our community.

I’ve been working closely with city leaders in Hanford to help them secure $7.3 million in federal funding for the East Lacey Corridor Improvement Project. This significant investment will allow the city to widen and reconstruct East Lacey Boulevard, which will lead to increased safety for both drivers and pedestrians and help boost economic activity in the area. On Tuesday, I joined small business owners and city leaders to talk about the project’s positive impacts on the city of Hanford.

The City of McFarland is receiving $6 million of federal funds to repave new roads and maintain existing ones that are unsafe for vehicles and pedestrians. This week I attended an event with McFarland Mayor Saul Ayon to highlight this significant investment. I’m glad to bring taxpayer dollars back to our community to invest in our infrastructure.

Earlier this week I hosted a Veterans Resource Fair and Town Hall with my colleague Rep. Vince Fong in partnership with staff from the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee. During the event, veterans from Kern County were able to ask questions about the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). It was great to hear directly from local vets about some of their concerns with the VA. I’m proud to represent our Central Valley veterans in Congress and will continue to advocate on their behalf.

Thank you to everyone who joined my telephone town hall on Tuesday! I was able to connect with thousands of people across the Central Valley to hear directly about the issues impacting our community. If you didn't get a chance to join, I still want to hear what issue is most important to you. Take the survey below to let me know.

One of my highest privileges as a member of Congress is nominating students from the Central Valley to attend a United States Service Academy. Serving in our nation’s military is among the highest callings there is. I am excited to share that my office will be hosting a Service Academy Information Night on August 29th for middle and high school students from the Central Valley who are interested in attending a military academy. This event will be taking place at the Porterville Military Academy from 6-8pm. You can RSVP for this event here.

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!

Our question this week comes from Sarah in Bakersfield. She asks:

"What is the hold up on the new veteran’s facility in Bakersfield? Is there anything we can do to help move the start up on the construction."

Thank you for your question, Sarah. I am also incredibly frustrated with the delays that have prevented the construction of the Bakersfield VA facility. Caring for our nation’s veterans is a top priority of mine, and Bakersfield veterans not being able to receive the care they need because of one Southern California developer is unacceptable. Just this week I held a town hall for Kern County veterans and heard firsthand about their frustration with these delays.

This new clinic has been plagued with endless lawsuits challenging the project by the landlord of the current facility. Our veterans do not have another decade to wait around for modernized facilities. I’ve been working closely with the Department of Veterans Affairs both at public congressional hearings and in private meetings to get answers about different paths forward.

I am determined to ensure the facility is built as soon as possible and my team and I have been working closely with the VA and involved parties to try and move this forward. As a member of the House Appropriations Committee, I included language in our annual spending bill which would mandate that construction begin by September 2025 unless there is a court injunction. The bill passed the House in June and now awaits action in the Senate.

Our veterans fought for our nation, and I will continue fighting to get them the care they need and deserve.

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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