Education

"This compromise was essential. If we didn’t act, 7.4 million students would have effectively seen a $1,000 tax increase every year they took out Stafford Loans," said Congressman Garamendi. "As someone who voted against every tuition increase as a UC Regent and CSU Trustee, college affordability has always been a top priority for me. I’m glad this time Congress was able to put partisanship aside to help our students."

Garamendi led a California Delegation letter to the House Agriculture Committee outlining a number of priorities for California.

Julia, who will be a senior next year at Dougherty Valley High School in San Ramon, attended an awards ceremony today in celebration of her drawing "Hamster In My Hand," which will hang in our nation's Capitol building for an entire year.

"This is good news for California and for young children and their families. By focusing on children in disadvantaged households, this service will help narrow the achievement gap that exists between wealthy and lower income families."

The NDAA amendment is a small but important step in assessing what challenges face the manufacturing sector and its ability to produce three-dimensional integrated circuits and advanced chips. The Manufacturing Extension Program amendment invests additional funds in a cost-effective, job creating program.

"While including some good provisions, overall this bill takes us in the wrong direction," said Congressman Garamendi. "In order to protect funding for crucial defense programs and investments in our economic prosperity, we have to be a responsible guardian of public funds. Cut where we can to protect what we need. Instead, this bill would establish an unending escalated commitment in Afghanistan, wasting billions of dollars propping up a corrupt Karzai government, and it would create new Pentagon projects that defense officials say are wasteful."

"Access to health care is a fundamental right that empowers us to live happy, healthy lives and strengthens our community," said Congressman Garamendi, who served as California's Insurance Commissioner for eight years. "Community clinics provide health services - ranging from prenatal care to chronic disease management and mental health care - that make this right a reality."

"Budgets are a reflection of lawmakers’ values and priorities. This budget does not reflect the values of most Americans. We need to create jobs and preserve vital health services, not take them away. We need to responsibly reduce the deficit, yet this budget manages to increase the deficit while harming the most vulnerable in our society. This radical assault on the health and livelihood of middle class and lower income Americans and seniors cannot stand."