Economy and Jobs

During the district work period this week, Congressman John Garamendi (D-Fairfield, CA) engaged in a whirlwind tour across the 3rd Congressional District.

“I’m a cosponsor of this bipartisan legislation, because Lake County residents deserve to be protected from these harmful invasive species," Congressman Garamendi said.

The bipartisan legislation continues the federal government’s commitment at Lake Tahoe by authorizing funding to reduce threats to wildfire, improve water clarity, combat invasive species and restore the environment in the Lake Tahoe Basin.

The bill, H.R. 3315, exempts agricultural structures like barns, sheds and silos from FEMA requirements that effectively prohibit construction in areas designated as floodplains. These regulations, which apply to new construction and rehabilitation of existing buildings, require structures to be raised above any potential flood lines –a requirement that is too costly and impractical for large structures like equipment sheds and rice dryers.

University of California at Davis will lead the Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Genomics to Improve poultry. They are one of ten research centers selected to develop a method for producing more food in an environmentally sensitive manner.

“Unless changes are made to the flood insurance program, a lot of my constituents will soon be hit hard in their pocketbook. This effect was not intended by the original reform, but it requires an immediate fix. The Homeowner Flood Insurance Affordability Act provides some breathing room to prevent some of the worst unintended consequences. This bipartisan legislation is needed and I urge its swift adoption.”

This bill is extremely important for my constituents and our nation. The levee projects provide life-saving protection for residents throughout California’s flood prone Central Valley. The construction projects will rebuild our crumbling water infrastructure and create jobs. By revitalizing our ports, waterways, and natural habitats, this bill supports business development, including the agriculture businesses in my district that export their products around the world.

We can stop this madness and prevent another crisis in the future, but it’s going to take the House Republican leadership to once and for all stop catering to what the Wall Street Journal has labeled the Kamikaze Caucus. It means they’ll have to fear the lasting damage they’re doing to our economy more than they fear radical Members and outside groups. It means they’ll have to start listening to the vast majority of Republicans who don’t want to careen from crisis to crisis.