California Ag Network

Tag: David G. Valadao

  • Congressman Valadao Joins McCarthy, Schweikert to Introduce Bill to Combat Valley Fever

    Congressman David G. Valadao (CA-22) joined Congressman David Schweikert (AZ-01) and Speaker Emeritus Kevin McCarthy (CA-20) to introduce the Finding Orphan-disease Remedies with Antifungal Research and Development (FORWARD) Act. This legislation supports various research and development programs with the goal of developing new drugs, treatments, and vaccines to combat Valley Fever.

    “Valley Fever has a huge impact on our neighbors and communities in the Central Valley, and we must prioritize the development of new treatments and vaccines to combat the spread of this disease and save lives,” said Congressman Valadao. “The FORWARD Act is an important step towards finding a cure for Valley Fever, and I’m proud to support it. I look forward to working with my colleagues on the Valley Fever Task Force to move this critical legislation forward.”

    “I’m pleased to reintroduce the FORWARD Act this Congress as our Valley Fever Task Force makes significant progress in improving care, treatment, and research into this terrible disease that has devastated so many lives in our communities,” said Congressman Schweikert. “As we’ve seen Valley Fever cases rise across the western United States over the last decade, it’s critical that we continue to prioritize the delivery of medical breakthroughs that will help treat our family members and their beloved pets. This bipartisan legislation helps to combat Valley Fever by providing resources to further close the scientific gap in understanding this disease, support research, and accelerate vaccine development that will hopefully eradicate it once and for all.”

    Background

    Congressman Valadao is a member of the Valley Fever Task Force alongside Congressman Schweikert and Speaker Emeritus McCarthy. The bipartisan Task Force, which was founded in 2013, is committed to raising awareness and advancing policies to combat Valley Fever. Congressman Valadao has been a member since its founding.

    Earlier this year, Congressman Valadao participated in a Valley Fever Roundtable hosted by the Task Force to discuss ongoing treatment and vaccine developments. The roundtable included medical experts, researchers, and advocates focused on combatting Valley Fever.

    The FORWARD Act:

    • Establishes a working group at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to advise on strategies that confront gaps in science that can help detect, treat, and eradicate Valley fever.
    • Encourages the development of Valley fever vaccines, cures, and treatments by directing the FDA to include Valley fever in its priority review voucher program.
    • Provides additional resources to support research efforts and add antifungal development to the existing CARB-X program.

  • Valadao Introduces Bill to Expand Access to Fresh Produce

    On September 21, Congressman David G. Valadao (CA-22) joined Representative Rosa DeLauro (CT-03) and Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH) to introduce H.R. 5589, the Fresh Produce Procurement Reform Act. This bipartisan, bicameral bill establishes a new mechanism for the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to purchase a wide variety of U.S.-grown fresh fruits and vegetables for distribution to those in need.

    “We need to ensure our food insecure residents in the Central Valley have access to the fresh, nutritious fruits and vegetables we grow right in our own backyard,” said Congressman Valadao. “This bill not only helps our neighbors in need, but it also helps our domestic agriculture sector by ensuring the produce they grow is being put to good use. I’m proud to join my colleagues to introduce this bipartisan bill that will strengthen our agriculture economy and make fresh produce more widely available to those in need.”

    “Far too many families across the United States do not have readily available access to high-quality fresh fruits and vegetables,” said Congresswoman DeLauro. “The USDA’s Commodity Procurement program buys more than $3 billion in domestically produced foods annually and helps drive important reforms across our food system. That is why I am introducing the Fresh Produce Procurement Reform Act with Senator Sherrod Brown and Congressman David Valadao. This will allow our diverse local and regional supply chains the opportunity to distribute U.S.-grown fresh produce to those in need.”

    “Improving access to local fruits and vegetables is a win-win for Ohio farmers and residents,” said Senator Brown. “Not only does this bill make it easier for Ohio residents to access local produce, but it will also help create shorter American supply chains, ensuring Ohio small family farmers and businesses keep more of their money in their community.”

    Background:

    On average, USDA directly purchases more than $2 billion annually of domestic commodities to redistribute to feeding sites around the country. Today, only five fresh produce commodities are available within the Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) catalog, accounting for just under $6.5 million of purchases. While USDA added a fresh produce box in 2021, it has had limited uptake due to constraints to the current program that limit the variety of fresh produce that can be included. The Fresh Produce Procurement Reform Act seeks to address the shortcomings of the current program to make a wider variety of produce available to organizations serving food insecure populations.

    The Fresh Produce Procurement Reform Act would:

    • Provide USDA with an additional tool to partner with existing growers and fresh produce distributors to procure a greater amount of fresh fruits and vegetables
    • Distribute U.S.-grown fresh fruits and vegetables to local food banks, schools, youth-serving organizations, tribal governments, and other nonprofit community members serving nutrition insecure populations.
    • Strengthen access to a wide variety of U.S.-grown fresh fruits and vegetables to recipients in need by including at least seven types of U.S.-grown fresh fruits in vegetables to vulnerable communities living in poverty.
    • Provide opportunities for a wider variety of high-quality produce sourced, packed, and distributed from growers and distributors of all sizes, including veteran, women-owned, and socially disadvantaged members of the agriculture community.