Thank you for that wonderful introduction and thank you all for being here.

The two issues that we focus on here today – the value of a free and independent press, and the rights of workers to organize – are critically important for our community and our country.

I am deeply committed to protecting the rights of working people.

And throughout my time in Congress, I have worked passionately to promote and protect the rights of workers.

And one of those important rights is the right to organize.

Indeed so many important workers’ rights come from the collective bargaining process – decent pay, safe working conditions, fair employment practices.

Regardless of profession, the right of employees to unionize is fundamental and must be protected.

When a group of employees decides that it is in their best interests to form a union and they vote to do so, that union must be recognized.

It is unacceptable for any employer to threaten, coerce or intimidate those workers for standing up for their rights.

It doesn’t matter if those employees are building cars, cleaning floors…or writing about the local news.

Their right to organize is guaranteed by law and it must be respected.

I stand with these workers and I applaud their courage.

The issue of organizing a workforce has taken a unique twist and new urgency here in Santa Barbara.

The efforts to shut down the right to organize have seriously affected the lives of workers and their families, and that is bad enough.

But these actions are also having a much wider effect on a critically important instituation in our community – our local newspaper.

An independent and vibrant press is a cornerstone of our democracy.

We trust the press to accurately and even-handedly report the news so that we can make informed decisions.

If this trust is broken, we lose an independent voice.

We lose one of our town forums and this jeopardizes our civic duty to stay informed. 

As a long-time resident of Santa Barbara, I am very concerned about what has been happening to our community’s paper.

We are losing a valuable resource for our community and that deeply saddens me.

I believe strongly in the value of our nation’s free press and I know that we would be a weaker country without it.

The News-Press has been a valued part of our community for many generations.

Let’s work together to preserve the integrity of our local paper for generations to come.

Santa Barbara is a special community, and her uniqueness comes from the people who live and work here.

Rallies like this – to support our workers and recognize the value of press freedom – is yet one more example why I am so proud to call Santa Barbara my home.

Thank you all for coming here today to show your support for our community.

Pictured above: (center) Congresswoman Capps meets with Central Coast firefighters to discuss emergency preparedness.