One of my greatest privileges as a member of Congress is welcoming Central Valley veterans to our nation’s capital as part of their Honor Flight trip. This week 67 veterans from the Valley traveled to Washington D.C., giving them the opportunity to see the veterans and war memorials. On Tuesday morning I was joined by Reps. Vince Fong (CA-20) and Jim Costa (CA-21) to welcome the veterans to the Capitol building. Our veterans have sacrificed so much for our nation, and these Honor Flight trips are a great way to express our appreciation for them. 

This week I was proud to join my colleague, Congressman Darrell Issa (CA-48) in introducing the JUDGES Act. For years, California’s Eastern District Court, which covers the Central Valley, has faced an unsustainable workload due to a shortage of judges. This shortage undermines our justice system, causing unacceptably long wait times and prolonged legal proceedings. The JUDGES Act would create 63 additional judgeships over the next 10 years, including four for California’s Eastern District Court. Read more about the bill here.

September 15^th through October 15^th is Hispanic Heritage month. This is a great opportunity to celebrate the vibrant culture and rich contributions the Hispanic community has made to our country. I’m honored to represent a strong Central Valley Hispanic community in Congress.

Del 15 de septiembre al 15 de octubre se celebra el Mes de la Herencia Hispana. Esta es una gran oportunidad para celebrar la vibrante cultura y las valiosas contribuciones que la comunidad hispana ha hecho a nuestro país. Me siento honrado de representar a una fuerte comunidad hispana del Valle Central en el congreso.

Today I introduced legislation to extend certain VA authorities that are set to expire at the end of the fiscal year. This legislation ensures the VA can continue providing services our veterans and their families rely on, like resources for homeless veterans, new treatment options for PTSD, transportation services for medical appointments, and more. Read more about the bill here.

Unfortunately, the VA is facing a $3 billion shortfall for disability and education benefits because they failed to properly manage their budget. This week the House passed a bill I introduced alongside my colleagues on the Appropriations Committee to ensure benefits for Central Valley veterans aren’t impacted by the VA’s budget shortfall. This bill also takes critical steps to ensure the VA is held accountable for this mismanagement. We can’t allow our veterans to go without the benefits they’ve earned. Watch my remarks on the bill here.

This week the State Department announced that Online Passport Renewal (OPR) is now available. This exciting news means that any American passport holder is now able to renew their passport from the comfort of their home. First time applicants will still need to apply in person.  You can access the OPR system here.

For those needing assistance with their first passport application, you can visit my website here or call my Hanford office at (559) 460-6070. My team is ready to assist you!

Esta semana, el Departamento de Estado ha anunciado que ya está disponible la Renovación de Pasaportes por Internet – Online Passport Renewal (OPR). Esta interesante noticia significa que cualquier titular de un pasaporte estadounidense puede renovarlo cómodamente desde su casa. Los que lo soliciten por primera vez tendrán que hacerlo en persona. Puede acceder al sistema OPR aquí.

Si necesita ayuda con su primera solicitud de pasaporte, puede visitar mi sitio web aquí o llamar a mi oficina de Hanford al (559) 460-6070. ¡Mi equipo está listo para ayudarle!

Our question this week comes from Paula in Bakersfield. She asked: 

"I keep hearing that the government will shutdown next week. What is being done to prevent this?"

Thanks for your question, Paula. As you know, the government is facing a possible shutdown beginning October 1, as current funding expires on this date. Congress must reach an agreement on funding levels to avoid this situation. As a member of the Appropriations Committee, I’ve been working with my colleagues to write fiscally responsible, single-subject spending bills since early spring. As always, agreement is needed between the House, Senate and President for any legislation to become law. As we are currently in a divided government and unable to come to an agreement on funding levels, we must pass a Continuing Resolution (CR) which allows the government to continue operating under the same funding levels from the previous fiscal year for a set amount of time.

I and the overwhelming majority of my colleagues do not want to see a government shutdown. Government shutdowns are counterproductive, and end up costing the federal government billions of dollars. I am optimistic that within the next week the House will pass a CR to avoid a government shutdown. While I believe it is crucial to rein in out-of-control federal spending, I am committed to preventing a costly government shutdown and will continue working to avoid one.

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.

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