Media

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.

Washington, DC – Rep. Jim Costa opposed partisan budgets put forth by both Republicans and Democrats, and called on lawmakers to set aside their differences to put the nation's fiscal health first. In that spirit, Rep. Costa joined a bipartisan group of lawmakers led by Reps. Jim Cooper (D-TN) and Steve LaTourette (R-OH) in offering a budget alternative that mirrored the recommendations of the Simpson-Bowles Commission.

Washington, DC – Rep. Jim Costa announced Fresno County will receive $275,518 to offer rental assistance and case management to 50 homeless veterans. The HUD-Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing (HUD-VASH) program is a jointly administered program by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).

Fresno, CA – Rep. Jim Costa announced that he has nominated Candy O'Donel-Browne, President of the Board of Directors of Mountain Crisis Services, Inc. (MCS), for the Congressional Victims' Rights Caucus' Ed Stout Memorial Award for Outstanding Victim Advocacy. On April 19^th, the Victims' Rights Caucus will hold their annual award ceremony to honor outstanding individuals who have devoted countless hours of their time and service to helping victims of crime.

Over 780 Acres of Valley Wetlands Set Aside to Protect Migratory Birds

Washington, DC – Rep. Jim Costa announced that 783 Acres in the San Joaquin Valley have been added to the National Wildlife Refuge System for waterfowl and wildlife habitat protection. The decision by the Migratory Bird Conservation Commission will add 508 acres to the existing Tulare Basin Wildlife Management Area.

Both lawmakers call for bipartisan collaboration to develop a bill that can actually pass the U.S. Senate

Let's Not Make a Bad Situation Worse

Fresno, CA – Congressman Jim Costa released the following statement in response to the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation announcement today of a federal water allocation of 30% for south of Delta agriculture water service contractors. In light of recent dry conditions in California, the 2012 Federal Water Allocation Outlook is far lower than last year's initial forecast of 45% for growers on the Westside of the San Joaquin Valley.