Dear [firstname],
It’s been a busy week here in the nation’s capital. Read below for an update on my work on behalf of the Central Valley in Washington, DC. Make sure to sign up for my newsletter to receive regular updates on what's happening in DC and the Central Valley.
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For the last few years, law enforcement agencies around the country have struggled to recruit and retain qualified officers. The ongoing national police shortage has been especially harmful to rural communities in California’s Central Valley, putting immense pressure on our existing police force and the safety of our communities at risk. That is why, this week, I was proud to join fellow California Reps. Scott Peters, Darrell Issa, and Josh Harder in introducing the Providing Child Care for Our Police Officers Act. This bipartisan legislation aims to reduce the police staffing shortage by making child care more accessible and affordable for our officers who typically work nonstandard schedules, removing a barrier to entry and retention for working parents. I’m proud to support this bipartisan initiative to equip our officers with the tools they need to keep our communities safe. Read more here.
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This week, I had the chance to question the Department of Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg during a hearing in the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing, and Urban Development. I used this opportunity to ask him about the ongoing supply chain challenges on our railways, the impacts of supply chain issues on our farmers and agricultural community, and how we can reduce government red tape to make it easier for small communities across the Valley to move transportation projects forward. Watch my full questioning of Secretary Buttigieg here or below.
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This week, I had the privilege of welcoming Veterans to the United States Capitol for the 2023 Central Valley Honor Flight. These brave men risked their lives to protect our freedoms, and it was an honor to be able to meet them and hear their stories. I want to thank all these veterans for their service to our nation, and all the volunteers who helped to make this incredible experience possible.
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This week, the Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) announced that South-of-Delta repayment and water service contractors would now receive 100% of their water supply allocation. Given the initial allocation earlier this year was only 35%, this is welcomed news for the family farms, local economies, and communities that have suffered from drought conditions, burdensome regulations, and below-adequate water allocations for years.
While many of us are thankful for this rainfall, we also know there is an immeasurable amount of water from these storms that we won’t be able to capture and store due to a lack of water storage infrastructure. We need to be proactive about fixing our water storage and infrastructure issues so that we are better prepared for these kinds of weather events, and resilient to periods of drought.
You can read my full statement on Reclamation's announcement here.
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My office will be hosting a Service Academy Information Night on Wednesday, May 3, 2023 from 6:00-8:00 pm at Hanford West High School. Students will have the opportunity to learn about the U.S. Service Academies and meet with representatives from the Naval Academy, Air Force Academy, West Point, Merchant Marine Academy, Coast Guard Academy, and ROTC programs. For more information and to RSVP, go to: https://valadao.house.gov/services/academy-night.htm
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This week, FEMA opened a Disaster Recovery Center in Farmersville to help assist those who have been impacted by recent storms in California. The Center is located at: Farmersville Training Center 907 W. Visalia Road Farmersville, CA 93223 The Center is open from 9:00 am to 7:00 pm Monday through Saturday. The specialists at the Disaster Recovery Center will be able to help you: - Apply for assistance. You may also Apply for FEMA Assistance online or Apply/Check your status by phone 1-800-621-3362.
- Learn more about disaster assistance programs.
- Learn the status of your FEMA application.
- Understand any letters you get from FEMA.
- Find housing and rental assistance information.
- Get answers to questions or resolve problems.
- Get referrals to agencies that may offer other assistance.
- Learn about Small Business Administration (SBA) programs.
For more information, visit FEMA.gov or call the FEMA Helpline at 1-800-621-3362 If you are a farmer, rancher, or producer who was impacted by the storms and flooding throughout the Valley, you can find a list of agriculture-specific disaster assistance available to you by clicking here.
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Our question this week comes from Mike in Hanford. He asks: “Can Congress intervene to compel California to get started on much-needed water infrastructure? Very frustrating to see our plentiful rain year largely going to waste with a lot of water going right out to see, or causing flooding.” Thank you for the question, Mike. I share your frustration that after suffering through a terrible drought for years, California failed to have the necessary water infrastructure in place to store the all of this rainfall. Extreme environmentalists have prevented progress on much-needed water storage projects throughout our state for years. It should not take decades to raise an existing reservoir 10 feet. The situation we’re in right now emphasizes the need to be proactive about fixing our water storage and infrastructure issues so that we are better prepared for these kinds of weather events and resilient to periods of drought. The WATER for California Act. would increase much-needed water storage infrastructure by providing funding for the Shasta Enlargement Project, the most cost-effective water storage project in California. It also reauthorizes the successful surface water storage project program established by the Water Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation Act. In addition to passing this important bill, Congress needs to move commonsense permitting reform forward so that we can actually break ground on these projects in a timely manner.
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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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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.
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David G.Valadao Member of Congress
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