Social Justice

“In a representative government, all rights begin with voting rights,” Congressman Garamendi said. “These reforms are commonsense and should be non-controversial: expanding online voter registration, expanding early voting opportunities, modernizing voting machines, easing voting access for servicemembers overseas, and providing more polling locations to prevent multi-hour long waits at the polls. Let’s get this done.”

Congressman Garamendi, whose Sacramento Valley-based District was one of the areas hardest hit by the housing crisis, congratulated the cities of Colusa and Fairfield on obtaining grants to improve housing for their residents.

Garamendi praised UC Davis for expanding support for first-generation, low-income students as they embark on their college career. He also commended six outstanding Yolo County students and academics who have been awarded Fulbright Program scholarships to study abroad.

“I can’t force a vote, but I can force a conversation. The letters my office is getting from constituents who don’t know how they’re going to feed their families, who don’t know how they’re going to pay their rent, are heartbreaking."

“Though flawed, this government appropriations bill increases critical investments in education, infrastructure, and defense, expanding opportunities for my constituents to secure a new job or keep the one they have. However, Congress needs to act on a comprehensive jobs plan."

“Denying this vital lifeline to America’s long term unemployed is cruel and fiscally unwise. The economy has improved since the dark days of the Great Recession, but the job market is still very tough,” Congressman Garamendi said.

This dragnet program alone is an unwarranted intrusion into Americans’ lives, but coupled with other NSA programs that have recently been made public, it raises serious concerns about the state of privacy in our country. Today’s ruling is a positive step towards protecting our rights to privacy enshrined in the Fourth Amendment and I hope next year that Congress takes a serious look at these programs.

Garamendi, spoke at a panel discussion on college affordability and President Obama’s initiative to create a uniform rating system that measures universities on the basis of access, completion, affordability, innovation, and transparency.