Social Justice

"Veterans suffering from mental health problems need our compassion, solidarity, and support. I’m glad the Administration and Congress were able to work together on a plan to prevent veteran suicides. I look forward to monitoring the effectiveness of the SAV Act and to building upon this work"

The Congressman held a series of meetings and site visits in Lake County. The meetings focused on Lake County’s unique water needs, the value of nonprofits in the community, and issues of importance to seniors, students, and educators.

Under the new plan, the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) will reduce annual mortgage insurance premiums by 0.5 percentage point from 1.35 percent to 0.85 percent. For the typical first-time homebuyer, this reduction will translate into a $900 reduction in their annual mortgage payment. Existing homeowners who refinance into an FHA mortgage will see similar reductions to their mortgage payments as well. In total, this action will help millions of families in America save billions of dollars in mortgage payments in the coming years and it will support the housing market’s recovery.

“Many of our brave troops have experienced brain trauma and developed mental health illnesses while serving our nation on the battlefield. This has become a major public health crisis leading to homelessness, domestic problems, substance abuse, and suicide. We need to do everything we can to make our veterans whole again when they come home. Central to this effort must be a sustained focus on suicide prevention. I’m proud to support the SAV Act, which constitutes a significant step toward addressing this problem.”

He expressed his strong opposition to a proposal to increase University of California tuition five percent annually for five years, saying, "When we price students out of an education, we rob them of an opportunity to reach their full potential."

“Today’s announcement of a climate change accord between the United States and China, the world’s two largest greenhouse gas emitters, is an important but incomplete step forward. We need decisive action from our lawmakers to seriously address the climate crisis”

There is good news for America’s seniors, many of whom live on a fixed income. For the second year in a row, there will be no increase in the Medicare Part B premium or deductible. Also, because of the ACA, 8.3 million seniors have saved $12 billio on their prescription drugs and 37 million seniors received free preventative care in 2013 alone.

Garamendi visited with veterans and veteran support organizations at the North Bay Stand Down for lower income and homeless veterans in Dixon. Garamendi’s veteran casework staff were also on hand to help veterans who are having ongoing issues with the Veterans Administration and other federal agencies. This year alone, his office has secured more than $3.5 million in earned benefits for veterans facing unacceptable bureaucratic delays.