Social Justice

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.

“The brave men and women of our military need to know that our government takes its responsibility to support their missions seriously, and I think that’s accomplished with this Defense bill.”

This bipartisan compromise earned my support because it rolls back some of the job destroying sequester cuts that are holding back American businesses and workers. More jobs will exist with this deal than without it.