Weekly Update From Rep. Denham - October 5, 2012

Dear Friend,

Before returning home to the Valley for the district working period, I introduced H.R. 6488, a bill to extend military commissary and exchange store privileges to disabled veterans and their families. Our service men and women risk their lives every day to protect our country and I am committed to making sure we preserve the rights, protections and benefits that America's brave and heroic veterans deserve. H.R. 6488 is a common-sense bill that will provide much needed help for our disabled veterans and their families. I will continue my work in Congress to take the best care possible of our brave and deserving veterans.

On Wednesday, I joined Turlock City Council Woman Amy Bublak to honor the Turlock Partnership Incentive Program, an incentives program which rewards small businesses for opening locations in vacant existing space within the City of Turlock. It’s a privilege to join Council Woman Bublak in recognizing the Turlock City Council’s efforts to utilize vacant space and help our small businesses at home. The Valley’s small business owners are our job creators, and it’s my top priority to provide them with the certainty they need to not only keep our family and friends working, but to expand and innovate for a brighter and more secure future.

On a related note, my efforts to sell off vacant taxpayer owned buildings has made headway, as the General Services Administration (GSA) announced plans to seek feedback from the private sector for redeveloping several valuable federally owned buildings in Washington, D.C.. In 2009, the federal government wasted more than $1.7 billion on under-utilized and vacant buildings. That is outrageous, and it’s long overdue that the GSA gets serious about decreasing waste and increasing efficiency within our government.

Last Sunday, I participated in the Modesto Police Officer Memorial Run. It was the least that I can do in support of the critical and exemplary work that our peace officers undertake every day. They face danger, uncertainty, and too often do not receive appreciation and recognition for their service to our community. Thank you to all the peace officers and the families who surround them with love and support!

You may have already read the Modesto Bee article about Lance Corporal Diego Garibay, but if you haven't had the chance, I highly recommend taking the time to read about his homecoming to Riverbank this week after spending four years overseas on active duty with the Marines, including tours in both Iraq and Afghanistan. LCpl Garibay, I was pleased to welcome your highly-anticipated return; we are so happy to see you safely back home. Thank you, and all of our active service men and women, for your continued efforts to protect and defend our great nation.

In addition to the unique honor of welcoming home LCpl Garibay, another highlight of my week was visiting with the bright and eager students at Joshua Cowell Elementary School. I was there to recognize an exceptional fifth-grade student, Genevieve Florez, for her efforts in organizing a school-wide donation project to send care packages to our troops.  It was a pleasure to recognize and honor Miss Florez’s achievements by presenting her with a signed copy of my official remarks in the Congressional Record, which will forever be in the history of our nation. I know when I served in the military theater these packages meant so much to the men and women in uniform. It was especially heartwarming knowing the folks back home had us in their thoughts. Thank you Genevieve!

I had a great time visiting with the Silver Panthers, an alumni group of Modesto High and Downey High, who invited me to come and address their meeting on Wednesday. This group began in the 1930's and is still going strong. It’s great to see their strong commitment to civic participation, and I thank the Silver Panthers for their dedication to our community and allowing me join you.

A Lowe's store in Modesto hosted me for a behind-the-scenes look at all that goes into running a business in today's economy. In addition to thriving in our community, Lowe's is also a leader in giving back in service through community partnership, charitable giving, employee engagement, providing energy and water efficient appliances, and recycling, among other initiatives Lowe's has voluntarily undertaken.

It’s great to see businesses like Lowe's giving back to our community, and I’m committed to continuing our efforts in Congress to help businesses in the Valley create jobs and put people back to work. September’s unemployment numbers released by the Bureau of Labor Statics this morning echo the urgency of working together toward solutions that get Americans back to work. For too long, we’ve seen that the Administration’s policies are just not helping the American people, and we need a new direction and cooperation on both sides of the aisle. There are still 23 million Americans out of work, and millions have given up looking for a job altogether.

Like many of you, I was surprised to see the incredible spike in gas prices when I went to fill up my tank this morning. With the average cost for a gallon of gas at $4.35 in Modesto, $4.38 in Fresno, and well over $4.50 in other parts of the state, we have another reminder of how important it is to adopt an all-of-the-above energy policy. We need to make our country energy independent while creating new energy jobs here in the Central Valley today. I have and will continue to support measures that will get us back on the right path and lessen the pain we all feel at the pump.

This Monday is a federal holiday, Columbus Day. I encourage you to reflect on the beginning of our great nation along with me. I look forward to many more busy days in the district meeting with you, small businesses, organizations and community groups who want to share their thoughts and concerns about issues facing the Valley.

Have a great weekend!

Sincerely,

JEFF DENHAM