Congressmen snag key assignments

This has been a good month for Valley congressmen seeking to represent local interests at a high level in Congress. First there was Rep. David Valadao, R-Hanford, being named to the powerful House Appropriations Committee, an unusual honor for a freshman. All expenditures for every federal agency go through the committee. Valadao is looking to have an impact on the Department of the Interior, which supplies water to many Kings County farms via the Central Valley Project. He’s also seeking leverage over the Endangered Species Act, which has been invoked to restrict critical water pumping from the Sacramento River Delta to local farmland.  Read More