Congressmen Kevin McCarthy, Devin Nunes, David Valadao, and Jim Costa released the following joint statement in reaction to reports that the Bureau of Reclamation may refuse to provide rescheduled water for farmers from California’s San Joaquin Valley: “Through various conservation techniques and careful planning, many Central Valley farmers have minimized their water usage with the understanding ... Read more »
This week Speaker of the House John Boehner joined Rep. McCarthy, Rep. Valadao, and myself at the Starrh farm in Bakersfield to plead our case for more water for Central Valley farmers and communities. We announced that we’ll be submitting legislation in Congress to take three actions to resolve the water crisis: Turn on the Delta pumps this year and next year to capture future rain events. End r... Read more »
Congressman David G. Valadao (CA-21), Congressman Kevin McCarthy (CA-23), and Congressman Devin Nunes (CA-22) are developing emergency drought legislation to provide necessary water supplies throughout the state and the Central Valley. The three Congressmen were joined by Speaker of the House John Boehner Wednesday afternoon to announce their legislative proposal to provide immediate relief from t... Read more »
Policies pushed by environmental extremists have now taken deep root in the Central Valley, especially due to the Central Valley Project Improvement Act of 1992 (the George Miller/Bill Bradley bill), destructive court rulings based on the Endangered Species Act, and the San Joaquin River Settlement of 2009. The devastating results of these policies are now undeniable – the Valley is suffering from... Read more »
In the House of Representatives today, Republican Devin Nunes (CA-22) and Democrat Ron Kind (WI-03) introduced the Charitable Agricultural Research Act (H.R. 2671), which would provide a tax exemption for agricultural research. Senators John Thune (R-SD) and Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) are introducing a companion bill in the Senate. In order to spur private-sector funding for research and innovation i... Read more »
National Review Online The Democratic party portrays itself as the defender of the little guy, righteously battling corporate America and other powerful villains. Its appeals used to have a wide resonance, even among some members of my own family. But underneath the rhetoric and media spin, the Democratic party has emerged today as a vociferous protector of three entrenched and powerful groups -- ... Read more »
Horizons, California Agriculture Leadership Foundation As California agriculture faces serious challenges, including a government-induced drought, it’s more important than ever for us to train knowledgeable, proactive leaders who can help improve conditions for California farmers and agriculture workers. Today, it’s crucial for California to cultivate leaders with an understanding of international... Read more »
Along with California congressmen Jeff Denham and Kevin McCarthy, I sent a letter today to Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack seeking the immediate re-opening of the Central Valley Meat Company meat-processing plant in Hanford, California. The Department of Agriculture recently suspended all operations at the plant after a video surfaced purporting to show plant workers mistreating livestock. C... Read more »
Readers of my blog may remember my warning last year about possible food shortages. Well, CNN is reporting that the worst drought in more than fifty years has pushed up U.S. corn prices 50 percent in the last six weeks, potentially leading to a spike in food prices across the board. While the government can’t do much to make it rain, it can ease the plight of both farmers and consumers by ending ... Read more »
A brash, young Central California congressman is proving to be just as adept navigating the halls of Congress as he is at ruffling stoic partisan political feathers. U.S. Rep. Devin Nunes, a 38-year-old from a farm family with three generations of history in Tulare County, Calif., will say just about anything. “After 20 years under CVPIA (Central Valley Project Improvement Act), Congress can concl... Read more »
