Press Releases

The President’s Budget helps guide which projects get funded. I am proud to announce that the Administration’s Budget proposes funding for crucial Northern California water infrastructure projects that my office has advocated. These projects would establish property- and life-saving flood protection for Glenn, Yuba, Sutter, Sacramento, and Yolo counties. They would also help protect our environment and bring immense economic value to communities across our region.

The Congressman will serve his constituents on the Transportation & Infrastructure and Armed Services committees. He is well positioned to support needs of the district, including levee construction and supporting Travis and Beale Air Force Bases.

The measure would create tens of thousands of American jobs in our nation’s shipyards, put thousands of American Mariners back on U.S. ships while strengthening U.S. national security. The U.S. will soon begin exporting natural gas in a liquefied state (LNG). The amendment would ensure that United States-flagged and built ships are used for this business.

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.

“American LNG is a strategic national asset, and must be used to bolster another strategic national asset, our domestic shipbuilding industry and merchant marine personnel,” Ranking Member Garamendi writes in his letter to the President. The Congressman also offered an amendment today that would have required the use of US built vessels when LNG is exported.

California’s historic drought has demonstrated the need for expanded science-driven water conservation, recycling, and storage initiatives found in this bill and in the overwhelmingly passed Proposition 1. Both provide solutions that work for all 58 counties in California. By investing in smart water policies, the Water in the 21st Century Act would help create millions of acre feet of new water, ensure a reliable water supply, and create good jobs

Offers measure to ensure TransCanada pays into the Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund, which it currently does not, to cover cost of a potential spill. He said, "If you break it, you buy it, and if you spill oil over the heartland of America, you should pay for its cleanup."

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.