Press Releases
Fresno, CA– Rep. Jim Costa announced today that Fresno will receive $2.2 million for improvements to public transit in Fresno. The funds were made available through the Department of Transportation's State of Good Repair program which aims to provide reliable, safe transit services to riders. Fresno Area Express (FAX) will use these funds to purchase three new buses that will accommodate additional riders and produce fewer emissions.
Washington D.C. – Rep. Jim Costa called on Department of Interior Secretary Ken Salazar to take action in order to bring greater water security to the San Joaquin Valley. In a letter, Costa stated that the status quo was not sustainable and expressed concerns that delays on decisions has created a cycle of planning with no end in sight.
Calls on House to ‘Stop this Charade'
Washington D.C. – Rep. Jim Costa called on House Republicans to abandon legislation that put politics above protections for women and children who are victims of domestic violence during consideration of H.R. 4970, a bill to reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA). The law was originally enacted in 1994 and offers a wide range of services and support to victims of domestic abuse.
Washington D.C. – Rep. Jim Costa announced that the U.S. Department of Commerce's Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA) has opened a competitive grant process for the operation of MBDA Business Centers to support Native American and Alaska Native businesses. The centers will focus on providing business consulting services to Native American businesses.
Fresno, CA – Rep. Jim Costa released the following statement in response to the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation announcement today of a 40% water allocation for south of Delta agricultural water service contractors. The initial projection for 2012 was 30%. Following an extremely dry winter and spring, the 2012 Federal Water Allocation will be lower than the 2011 allocations for the Westside of the San Joaquin Valley.
Fresno, CA. – Rep. Jim Costa announced that $5.3 million has been awarded to 5 Central Valley water districts to improve efficiency in water delivery, storage, and management. The funds were part of a cooperative program between the Agencies of the Department of the Interior (Bureau of Reclamation) and Agriculture (Natural Resources Conservation Service).
Fresno, CA. – Rep. Jim Costa joined local, state, and federal elected officials for a celebration of the completion of the Delta-Mendota Canal/California Aqueduct Intertie Project. The Intertie pipeline and pumping station links the Delta Mendota Canal to the California Aqueduct.
Fresno, CA – Rep. Jim Costa released the following statement regarding the release of the California High-Speed Rail Authority's revised 2012 business plan.
"I want to commend the High-Speed Rail Authority and the Governor for listening to the concerns raised about high-speed rail," said Costa. "Transparency, construction costs, ridership numbers and long-term funding have to be addressed to make the project viable. Mitigation in the Valley, especially for agriculture, must be a part of the solution."
Washington, DC – Rep. Jim Costa released the following statement in response to reports that Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) had been detected in a Central Valley dairy cow. This is the fourth case of BSE ever in the United States and the first in California.
WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Congressmen Jim Costa (D-Fresno) and Dennis Cardoza (D-Merced) announced that the University of California Merced's Violence Prevention Program has been awarded the Allied Profession Award by the Congressional Victims' Rights Caucus for their work in addressing sexual violence, dating and domestic violence, and stalking on campus. Costa and Cardoza will present the award to the director of the UC Merced program during a Capitol Hill ceremony tomorrow.