In the News
Farm bill extension offers little help for Kern growers
BY JOHN COX Californian
January 3, 2013
Kern County dairies benefited some but local growers of specialty crops such as grapes and nuts received little direct help from Congress' vote this week to extend the 2008 Farm Bill until Sept. 30.
Central Valley congressman blasts Congress
WASHINGTON, D.C.
January 1, 2013 10:05pm
• Says partisanship has trumped putting the country first
• "I am happy to now say goodbye to the 112th Congress"
A veteran of the halls of Congress, Rep. Jim Costa, D-Fresno, has few kind words for where he works.
"Far too many of those serving in this institution lack the will to put the country first and partisan interests last," he says.
Finish the job for rural America and pass the farm bill
How to Help the Survivors of Hurricane Sandy
Fresno Unified to get $160K grant
Published on 09/18/2012 - 12:57 pm
Written by Business Journal staff
Thirty-one organizations in 21 states were awarded funds through the Citizenship and Integration Grant Program this year. Thirty-one organizations in 21 states were awarded funds through the Citizenship and Integration Grant Program this year. Fresno Unified School District will receive $160,000 from the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services to assist lawful legal residents with the naturalization process, Rep. Jim Costa's office said in a release.
Fresno Business Journal:
Costa rolls out homeowner refinancing bill
Published on 10/10/2012 - 2:17 pm
Written by Michael Kincheloe
Flanked by members of the Fresno real estate community, Rep. Jim Costa reveals legislation to help homeowners with refinancing..
Rep. Jim Costa met with the media today to announce new legislation that will allow responsible homeowners to take advantage of current low interest rates on mortgages.
Renewable Fuel Standard flexibility needed
By Reps. Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.) and Jim Costa (D-Calif.)
The Hill's Congress Blog
09/20/12 11:04 AM ET
Grant To Support Legal Services for Domestic Violence Victims
By Bakersfield Californian, September 6, 2012
A nonprofit that provides free legal assistance and representation to residents of Kern County has received a grant from the U.S. Department of Justice to help bolster some of its legal services, according to a news release from Rep. Jim Costa, D-Fresno.
The nonprofit, Greater Bakersfield Legal Assistance, received $400,000 from the Justice Department's Office on Violence Against Women.
HUD leader spreads word of mortgage help in Valley
Secretary pitches home loan plan in Valley visit.
By BoNhia Lee - The Fresno Bee
Tuesday, Aug. 21, 2012 | 11:12 PM
The nation's top housing official was in Fresno on Tuesday to promote federal legislation that could help more underwater homeowners refinance their mortgages.
Does size matter? Yosemite National Park advocates think it might
By MICHAEL DOYLE - McClatchy Newspapers
Tuesday, Jul. 17, 2012 | 02:34 PM
WASHINGTON Yosemite National Park in California would grow by 1,575 acres under a bill seeking traction on Capitol Hill.
Nearly every member of the House Democratic Caucus signed onto a letter demanding an independent investigation into two fatal shootings carried out in the span of a week by officers at U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
“We are calling for immediate independent investigations into both of these deaths, without interference,” the lawmakers wrote, referring to the killings of Lorenzo Salgado Araujo in Houston and Joan Guerrero in Maine.