Rep. McNerney delivers State of California’s 9th District address

Washington – Ahead of President Obama’s final State of the Union, Congressman Jerry McNerney (CA-09) today released a video message delivering the State of California’s 9th Congressional District. The Congressman highlighted some of what he’s accomplished on behalf of the district, discussed some of our biggest challenges, and outlined his goals for this year in Congress.

Excerpt from the State of California’s 9th District Address:

“We live in a unique region, home to the Delta and some of the richest agricultural land in the world. Our district is a transportation hub, making it a prime location for manufacturing and distribution. At the same time, there are several challenges we face… I’ve been a strong advocate for the region by fighting to provide more funding to create jobs improving our roads, bridges, and levees, to encourage small businesses to hire individuals previously out of work… managed to secure federal funding to build a veterans outpatient clinic and nursing home at French Camp… I recently became a grandpa, and my grandson reminds me that we must also take action now to protect the planet for future generations… As we move through the year, I want to hear from you. Please reach out to my offices in the district and in Washington,” said Rep. McNerney in his address.

Link to video of Rep. McNerney discussing the state of California’s 9th District: https://youtu.be/ZSvf1lUw1HE.

Full text of the State of California’s 9th District as prepared:

Hi.

As President Obama gets ready to deliver his last state of the union address, I’d like to review the state of our Ninth Congressional District… to highlight some of what we’ve accomplished together… discuss some of our biggest challenges… and to outline my goals for this year in Congress.

But before I get into specifics, I want to say that I’m honored to represent you in Washington.

Since 2007, I’ve given this job my complete commitment and worked in a bipartisan way to deliver real results for our district and our nation.

We live in a unique region, home to the California delta and some of the richest agricultural land in the world. Our district is a transportation hub, making it a prime location for manufacturing and distribution.

At the same time, there are several challenges we face, and I think the most important issue facing our district is the economy.

Too many people are unable to find jobs. Working families struggle to make ends meet. Things have improved, but not enough.

I’ve been a strong advocate for the region by fighting:

To provide more funding to create jobs improving our roads, bridges, and levees…

To encourage small businesses to hire individuals previously out of work…

To promote STEM education to prepare the younger generation for green jobs coming to our region…

To boost veteran-owned small businesses…

And to stop outsourcing jobs that should go to out-of-work Americans.

I’m working to make it easier for folks in our region to get ahead with a good-paying jobs that let them provide for their family, and put them on a path to own a home or see their child attend college.

I will also continue fighting for policies that ensure our families have access to affordable health care and family services.

California is home to nearly 2 million veterans; I’ve focused on improving the lives of our veterans since my first term in office.

Just a month ago, after years of bipartisan work, I managed to secure federal funding to build a veterans outpatient clinic and nursing home at French Camp, next to the San Joaquin County hospital.

This is an important step for a project that will eventually serve 87,000 veterans in our greater region, and employ 900 workers during construction.

I won’t rest until this clinic is built. We must take care of the men and women who served our country. We owe it to them to make sure they get the health care benefits they’ve earned.

The safety of our community is a top priority.

Over the past years, our community has been plagued by senseless violence.

I’ve worked closely with police departments across the district to better understand the crime and public safety challenges we face.

I’ve also participated in routine police patrols to get a feel for the situations that officers must respond to on the streets.

As a result, I’ve secured money for critical police programs such as the Byrne grants, and enforcement technology like the shot spotter system that enables police to instantly locate gun fire within feet of the source.

Safe neighborhoods go hand-in-hand with a strong economy. The 9th district is uniquely positioned to attract businesses and entrepreneurs from the bay area and beyond.

Our district is home to the California Delta. This body of water supports millions of acres of farmland and serves as a habitat for countless species.

We, more than most of California, are aware of the fragile state of our water system, and how it depends on the delta.

We’ve also seen and felt the effects of more than four years of extreme drought, and understand that we must do something to address this crisis and future droughts.

Unfortunately, Governor Brown and other leaders have decided that the best approach for our state is to guarantee that more water can be siphoned from the delta through two massive tunnels, no matter the consequences for the delta, our farmers, our businesses, and our families.

I oppose construction of the tunnels, and I’ve have been at the center of the fight at the federal level to halt their construction.  I’ve also organized members of congress from the delta region to oppose this misguided tunnels plan that does nothing to address our drought problems or create any new water.

We need forward-thinking solutions that will truly serve the entire state with a sustainable water system, not just serve the few who can afford the best lawyers.

I’m now finalizing legislation to improve and modernize our state’s water system that will be fair to everyone – and I plan to release it shortly.

Some of you might have heard that I recently became a grandpa. I’m excited to watch my grandson grow up.

He reminds me that we must take action now to protect the planet for future generations.

Climate change is a huge challenge that poses a specific threat to our delta region and demands a response from all levels of government.

The San Joaquin Valley has some of the poorest air quality in the state, and breathing this air has a direct impact on the health of our families and children.

In addition, a significant portion of our district is at or near sea level, and the heavy rains that are expected with rising sea levels and warming oceans will eventually threaten serious flooding in our district.

Consequently, I’ve been working with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to provide funding and approvals to improve the delta levee system.

But just preparing for natural disasters is not enough.

We need bold action to reduce carbon emissions and curb the effects of climate change. This is why I’ve introduced the Consumers REBAT Act.

This legislation puts a price on carbon to reduce emissions and distributes the revenue generated to consumers. You will have more income to purchase efficient cars, upgrade your homes, or save the money for a rainy day. This new income will boost the national economy, and especially the economy in our region.

The last challenge I want to talk about is the way that our election campaigns are financed.

Because of recent outrageous Supreme Court decisions, unlimited amounts of money from hidden donors, including corporations and possibly even foreign interests, are flowing into election campaigns at all levels of government.

This corrosive influence has contributed to the partisan gridlock we see in Washington and many state capitals, making it exceedingly difficult to tackle some of the most complex and pressing issues such as gun violence, immigration reform, and the grossly unequal distribution of earnings in this country.

This is extremely frustrating, and makes many people lose confidence in our government.

A majority of Americans believe with me that money has too much influence in politics, and that our campaign-finance system should be completely rebuilt.

For my part, I’ve proposed a constitutional amendment that will stop the ability of heavily-financed special interests to influence our elections.

In addition, I’m forming a bipartisan congressional caucus to fight for meaningful campaign finance reform, and hope that we can educate the people of this country on why achieving this reform is so badly needed.

As Americans, we have a lot to be proud of. We see turmoil in much the world, but as a country we’ve always risen up to meet our greatest challenges head on.

As we move through the year, I want to hear from you. Please reach out to my offices in the District and in Washington. Let me know what you think of my proposals and tell me what issues are important to you.

Thank you for listening to my vision for our district and our country.

Take care and I will see you around the district.

Also available on Rep. McNerney’s website at: https://edit-mcnerney.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/rep-mcnerney-delivers-state-of-california-s-9th-district-address.

Rep. Jerry McNerney proudly serves the constituents of California’s 9th Congressional District that includes most of Antioch and other portions of Contra Costa, San Joaquin and Sacramento Counties. For more information on Rep. McNerney’s work, follow him on Facebook and on Twitter @RepMcNerney.


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