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Issue Position
The San Joaquin Valley is the breadbasket of the world, producing over $24 billion in revenues including milk, grapes, nuts, and a multitude of vegetables and fruits. As a third-generation farmer, Congressman Jim Costa knows of the challenges that farmers and ranchers deal with in labor, trade, and water. He has always said food security is a national security issue, and it's critical we work to strengthen our nation’s food policy.
A long-time champion for California agriculture and farmers, Costa has advocated for fair trade agreements, tackling hunger, market stability, and fixing our supply chains. As a senior member of the House Agriculture Committee, he helped write the 2008, 2014, and 2018 Farm Bills. Costa codified the importance of the Specialty Crop sector in American agriculture by fighting to include Horticulture as its own title in the 2008 Farm Bill. He was also instrumental in implementing new programs and funding levels for disaster assistance, agricultural research, conservation, and crop assistance in previous Farm Bills.
In 2009, Costa helped enact the Food Safety Enhancement Act to provide key changes to our nation's food safety network to continue to provide the world's safest food. During the Obama Administration, he brought President Obama, and federal and state officials to the San Joaquin Valley to see the impact firsthand of the drought on farming and rural communities, which authorized a $183 million aid package to support farmers and conserve water resources.
While the San Joaquin Valley is an agricultural powerhouse, hunger is all too real in our communities. That is why, Costa has worked tirelessly to increase funding and protect nutrition programs like SNAP, WIC, and TFAP, which millions of American seniors and children. Costa has fought against harmful SNAP cuts to Able-Bodied Adults Without Dependents (ABAWDs) and Categorical Eligibility that would deny our most vulnerable communities with needed support. In addition, he has been a staunch advocate for global food aid programs like Food for Peace, which has uplifted millions of people who face hunger each day.
Representing the nation’s leading dairy state, Costa has been a champion for California’s dairy industry. Through the Farm Bill, he has secured critical assistance for dairy producers, expanded access to dairy products, and established access to new markets, with the launch of the Dairy Business Innovation Initiative at Fresno State.
In 2018, Costa worked in a bipartisan way to negotiate a beneficial deal for American agriculture in the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA). Serving on the 2018 Farm Bill Conference Committee, he successfully created new programs and secured funding to expand markets, deliver crop assistance, increase environmental stewardship, and feed America's most vulnerable populations.
During the pandemic, Costa designed the framework to provide critical support to farmers, farmworkers, and food-insecure Americans to weather the impacts of the coronavirus pandemic. He worked with the Biden Administration to push the Republic of India to successfully remove retaliatory tariffs on almonds, walnuts, apples, and other American products, many of which are grown in the San Joaquin Valley and California.
With a strong track record, playing a significant role in the House Committee on Agriculture since he first joined the Committee in 2005. Costa has brought significant leadership and experience to address the challenges of American agriculture - and it remains his top priority to continue this important work in Congress and the upcoming Farm Bill.
Source: costa.house.gov
Issue Position
The COVID-19 pandemic brought a severe economic crisis to the United States economy and across the world - with supply chain disruptions, high unemployment, and other economic challenges that took a toll on Americans.
When President Biden took office, he worked with Congressional Democrats to jumpstart our economic recovery. With the enactment of the American Rescue Plan and other executive policies, Congressman Costa and Congressional Democrats fueled one of the strongest economic recoveries in our history and than any other country. Together, they have created over 13 million jobs nationwide, and lowered the unemployment rate from 6.4% to 3.4%, near the lowest in 50 years.
Americans are seeing the best economy for American workers in decades, with people getting higher wages, better benefits, and better jobs across the board. Through laws like the BipartisanInfrastructure Law, Inflation Reduction, and the CHIPS and Science Act, Democrats have unleashed record job creation with over 800,000 manufacturing jobs nationwide, including 79,000 jobs in California (the second largest in the nation) and investing in the first new memory chip manufacturing plant in America in 20 years. This will reduce American dependency on countries like China and renew our leadership in manufacturing.
In the San Joaquin Valley, Costa is working local and regional partners to create more, and better-paying jobs for Valley residents. Over the years, he has secured federal funding for local infrastructure, energy, and transportation projects that have resulted in thousands of jobs. Along with federal investments in local institutions for agriculture, automotive, and healthcare job pathway programs.
Costa worked with the Central Valley Community Foundation and secured $88 million for the Fresno-Merced Future of Food Innovation (F3) Coalition to accelerate the integration of technology and skills in the region’s agriculture industry—improving productivity and driving a more resilient and sustainable food system. He also secured funding to help establish the Central Valley Career Technical training in West Fresno to assist individuals with job training and counseling.
Congressman Costa is committed to continuing to bolster job creation, strengthening our economy, and developing strong economic opportunities that will improve the lives of Americans here at home and across the nation.
Source: costa.house.gov
Issue Position
Education is the key to the future success of our children and promoting long-term economic opportunity across the San Joaquin Valley. Providing access to a high-quality and affordable education is essential for our children to compete in today's ever-evolving workforce and to ensure that they can make the kind of living our parents fought to provide our generation.
Head Start and Elementary Education
A good education begins early on. Since the 1960s, Head Start has provided a valuable education to underserved children and families across America. This education has left a long-lasting impact on their lives to achieve student success. Throughout his service in Congress, Costa has secured millions in funding for Head Start services; with the enactment of the American Rescue Plan - Congress made significant investments in the program to increase enrollment and expand services.
Career Technical Training
Career technical training is opening new opportunities and bolstering the workforce in high-demand industries. While also helping individuals from underserved communities who are seeking to enter the workforce and succeed. That is why, Costa secured funding to help establish the Central Valley Career Technical training in West Fresno to assist individuals with job training and counseling. Along with federal funding for other local institutions to invest in agriculture, automotive, and healthcare job pathway programs.
Making College Affordable and Investing in Higher Education
The cost of higher education has skyrocketed over the last decade. With rising costs, fewer students are able to attend college and some are taking up significant debt. Students are often forced to pick between food and their books - it’s not acceptable. Costa has been a strong advocate for lower costs and bolstering the Pell Grant and other financial assistance programs so more students can achieve their American dream.
As the sponsor of the Boosting University Investments in Low-Income Districts (BUILD) Act, Costa is fighting to establish a designation for regional public universities located in distressed communities like Fresno State, making those universities eligible for federal grants to spur economic and community development projects to build stronger, more resilient communities.
Expanding Medical Education
Growing our own doctors and nurses is the only way to confront the staffing shortage that is threatening access to healthcare in the San Joaquin Valley. Costa introduced the Expanding Medical Education Act to provide federal funding for medical school construction, which would benefit universities like UC Merced and UCSF Fresno. For some of his major achievements, he secured funding to help establish a nurse pipeline extension program at Fresno City College and to support the residency program at UCSF Fresno.
Investment in our children’s education is an investment in our future because when they succeed, America succeeds! Costa will continue working in Congress to give every Californian student access to a high-quality public education, make college more affordable, and ensure Valley kids are prepared to enter the growing workforce in the 21st century.
Source: costa.house.gov
Issue Position
The San Joaquin Valley is rich in energy and natural resources that are critical to our country. Congressman Costa believes in and supports American energy independence, to reduce our dependency on foreign nations, advance domestic energy security, and create good-paying American jobs. He believes we must also invest in energy efficiency while investing in cheaper, clean energy and other renewable energy sources that will diversify and sustain our domestic energy sector.
As a member of the Natural Resources Committee, he fought to rein in excessive speculation in our energy markets and to boost energy domestic energy production. In the Inflation Reduction Act, Costa secured funding for canals and solar-canal projects to generate renewable energy. We must make progress to tackle climate change. With the largest climate investment in American history, Costa has secured additional funds to invest in clean energy projects such as high-speed rail, clean school buses, e-bikes, and clean mobility transportation networks in our communities.
Costa has also been a strong advocate for other renewable energy sources like Hydrogen and Fuel Cells, calling for increased investment and bolstering California’s leadership in these new innovative energy resources. Along with the California delegation, Costa helped secure a significant federal investment through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to build and expand hydrogen projects to power public transportation in California.
California's prosperity is in part due to the wealth of natural resources available, but also home to nine national parks that unfold a variety of breathtaking landscapes. Costa has fought to protect our national parks by securing funds to preserve and improve wildfire risk management at Sequoia & Kings Canyon, and Yosemite National Parks. In Congress, he is co-leading the Save the Sequoias Act, which would provide a comprehensive response and critical resources to protect the Giant Sequoias from the devastating impacts of climate change.
Source: costa.house.gov
Issue Position
Protecting victims of crime should be a top priority for legislatures at all levels of government. When Congressman Costa first came to Washington in 2005, there was a void in leadership on issues related to crime victims and survivors. This led him to create the first Congressional Victims' Rights Caucus, which is now the Crime Survivors and Justice Caucus. This is a bipartisan caucus that seeks to represent crime survivors in the United States through legislation that reflects their interests, rights, and needs.
Crime survivors are our sons and daughters, husbands, brothers, wives, and mothers struggling to survive in the aftermath of crime and they deserve our help. Costa is committed to continuing to advocate on behalf of victims as the co-chair of the Congressional Crime Survivors and Justice Caucus, enacting compassionate policy and raising awareness of these crucial issues. Learn more about the Crime Survivors and Justice Caucus here.
Protecting Victims of Crime
Victims and survivors of crime deserve justice. Addressing these cases can be very difficult, but we know that social programs like Children's Advocacy Centers are effective at bringing together community and government resources to support victims.
Throughout his service in Congress, Costa has led several efforts to appropriate and increase funding levels for the Victims of Child Abuse Act (VOCAA), Crime Victims' Fund, and the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA), ensuring that national sexual assault, child abuse, and domestic violence programs have adequate funding to continue helping our most vulnerable in our communities. He has led the reauthorization of the Victims of Child Abuse Act (VOCAA) in 2018, and 2022.
In 2022, Costa along with a bipartisan group of Representatives and Senators introduced the Respect for Child Survivors Act, which was signed into law by President Biden. This law now requires the FBI to use multidisciplinary teams when investigating child sexual abuse, misconduct, and exploitation cases. This legislation was inspired by the FBI’s failings during the Larry Nassar investigation.
Tackling Gun Violence
There is a severe gun epidemic in the United States - it's plaguing our country from our schools, places of worship, and grocery stores to public spaces. It’s horrific, Americans don’t want thoughts and prayers - they want action. That is why, Congressman Costa has made it a priority to enact common-sense policies to save lives and reduce gun violence in our communities.
As a gun owner himself, Costa supports the right to keep and bear arms, as guaranteed by the Second Amendment to our Constitution. The Constitution provides each of us the right to protect ourselves and our homes. But this comes with great responsibility, and sadly weapons have ended up in the wrong hands that have brought a nearly unbreakable cycle of violence in communities across America.
Common-sense policies can help reduce this cycle by enacting background checks, gun safety storage laws, and tackling ghost guns and weapon smuggling, among other policies. Costa is a cosponsor of the Bipartisan Background Checks Act, which would expand background checks to cover all sales and most transfers - because it works. It would close current loopholes, greatly reducing the number of places criminals and dangerously mentally ill individuals can get a firearm.
The Every Town Alliance found that between 2009 and 2018, assault weapons accounted for 25% of deaths and 76% of nonfatal injuries. A study from the New York University School of Medicine estimated that if our country still had a federal assault weapon ban, we'd see 70 percent fewer mass shooting fatalities. Congress must do better - that is why, Costa is a co-sponsor of the Assault Weapons Ban Act of 2021 which would ban the sale, import, manufacture, or transfer of certain semi-automatic weapons.
In 2022, Costa voted to enact the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, the first time that Congress passed gun safety reform in nearly three decades. The law enacted several changes to the mental health system, school safety programs, and gun safety laws; including extended background checks for firearms purchases under the age of 21, funding for red flag laws, tackling arms trafficking and straw purchases, and partial closure of the boyfriend loophole.
Source: costa.house.gov
Issue Position
Americans deserve to have access to affordable, high-quality healthcare. Among the fastest growing regions in the country, the San Joaquin Valley lacks doctors and nurses, adding a critical lack of access to healthcare. But that’s only the start - language, financial, and cultural barriers also limit residents from seeking the care they need.
No one should have to choose between affording healthcare and putting food on the table. That is why, Congressman Jim Costa has always made it a priority to fix our broken healthcare system. While in the state legislature, he established the first and only regional trauma center between Sacramento and Los Angeles. Since elected to Congress, he’s passed landmark laws that have improved the healthcare system in America. While work remains, Costa remains committed to ensuring Americans have access to affordable, quality healthcare.
Expanding Access to Healthcare
In 2010, Costa worked with House Democrats and President Barack Obama to enact the historic Affordable Care Act (ACA), a landmark federal law that has helped over 35 million Americans enroll in health care insurance and safeguarded the future of over 130 million Americans who can no longer be denied coverage for having a pre-existing condition.
Since then, House Democrats and President Biden have built on the ACA by enacting the American Rescue Plan and Inflation Reduction Act. These laws have expanded ACA subsidies through 2025 for over 13 million people, helping them save an average of $800 per year on healthcare premiums.
A strong advocate of the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), Costa has voted several times to reauthorize the program and improve funding to provide healthcare coverage to over 12 million children in America. In addition, to securing funding to expand services for hospitals like Valley Children’s Hospital, one of the largest pediatric healthcare networks in the nation.
Curbing the Doctor and Nurse Shortage
The San Joaquin Valley has the lowest supply of physicians at a ratio of 39 doctors per 100,000 residents, 22% lower than the state average. There are simply not enough doctors for our growing population, a problem made worse by the pandemic.
That is why, Costa introduced the Expanding Medical Education Act to provide federal funding for medical school construction, expansion, and training in underserved communities that lack quality access to quality healthcare, which would benefit universities like UC Merced and UCSF Fresno. For some of his major achievements, Costa secured funding to help establish a nurse pipeline extension program at Fresno City College and to support the residency program at UCSF Fresno.
Source: costa.house.gov
Issue Position
Homeownership helps to form the foundation of the American Dream. Throughout his service in Congress, Congressman Costa has fought to help Valley residents have access to affordable housing by fighting federal regulators to bring relief, tackling the homelessness crisis, and helping avoid potential foreclosures from affecting Valley families.
During the height of the 2009 recession, Costa helped pass the Helping Families Save Their Homes Act of 2009 to prevent mortgage foreclosures for American families. In every appropriations process, Costa leads the effort to improve and invest funding in rural housing programs under the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which have helped build new housing in communities like Parlier and Farmersville. In addition, he has also secured federal funding to help homeless veterans, establish homeless shelters, and expand housing affordability.
In the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, we saw how Americans struggled to pay the rent and keep a roof over their head. Costa immediately got to work in Congress by helping pass significant COVID-19 relief including the CARES Act, the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021, and the American Rescue Plan to help Americans pay the bills and get the help they need during the crisis. Costa will continue working in Congress to make housing more affordable and address housing insecurity in the Valley and across California.
Latest Efforts to Expand Housing in the Valley
Building Homeless Shelters: Secured $1 million for the City of Fresno to build Tiny Homes and help dozens of homeless residents move into housing.
Emergency Rental Assistance: Helped secure $2.2 billion in emergency rental assistance, $1.2 billion in homeowner assistance, and $590 million in homelessness assistance funding through the American Rescue Plan for the state of California.
Renovating Affordable Housing Projects: Helped pass the American Rescue Plan in Congress, which provided emergency relief to communities. The City of Fresno utilized $5 million to help create affordable housing by renovating housing properties like Econo Inn Motel and Clarion Motel, and a former Motel 99 in West Central Fresno.
Hotel to Housing: Co-sponsored the Hotels to Housing Conversion Act, which authorizes $750 million in funding for state governments and housing authorities to work with local governments and community organizations to convert hotels, motels, and unused residential properties into emergency shelters.
Source: costa.house.gov
Issue Position
The United States is a nation of immigrants past and immigrants present. For 247 years, immigrants have made this great country what it is today. As a proud descendant of Portuguese immigrants, Costa's family values and heritage from the Azores have never been far from my heart. The story of his family and many others is part of the American story.
Unfortunately, our immigration system is broken and in critical need of reform. Far too many families have been broken apart, and millions continue to live in the shadows in fear. Since being elected to Congress, immigration has been a top priority for Congressman Costa. That is why, he is advocating for policies to fix our broken immigration system that would keep families together, secure our border, and improve the process to an earned pathway to citizenship. Continuing the status quo is unacceptable - Congress must act now. The American people – including our immigrant communities deserve no less.
Fixing our Broken Immigration System:
Protecting Dreamers: Costa is proud to be. a strong supporter of Dreamers and an original co-sponsor of the American Dream and Promise Act, which would protect Dreamers, Temporary Protected Status (TPS), and Deferred Enforced Departure (DED) holders by providing them a pathway to citizenship.
H-2A VISA Reform: In 2019, Costa helped craft and introduce the bipartisan Farm Workforce Modernization Act, which would reform the H-2A program and provide farmworkers a pathway to legal status. It’s the first agriculture labor reform legislation to pass the House of Representatives since 1986. This legislation passed the House in 2019 and 2021 and has been reintroduced and is being co-lead by Costa in the 118th Congress (2023).
E-1 and E-2 VISA Reform: Costa co-led the Advancing Mutual Interests and Growing our Success (AMIGOS) Act, which was signed into law by President Biden in 2022. This law grants Portuguese citizens eligibility for E-1 and E-2 Visas to enter the United States to conduct "substantial trade" or invest a "substantial amount of capital" respectively.
Enhancing Border Security: Costa supports strong border security and ensures we find solutions to solve problems at the Southwest Border. Instead of building a wall, he believes in enhancing border technology, modernizing lands ports of entry, and security infrastructure to better respond to evolving threats like drug and human trafficking, smuggling, and other dangerous illegal activity. He has voted for measures to enhance funding for these purposes in previous federal budgets that have also helped bolster the workforce and resources.
Improving an Earned Pathway to Citizenship: Costa a cosponsor of the U.S. Citizenship Act would fix our broken immigration system by responsibly managing and securing our border, creating an earned roadmap to citizenship, keeping families together, and better-managing migration across the Western Hemisphere.
Updating the Registry Status: Costa is a cosponsor of the Renewing Immigration Provisions of the Immigration Act of 1929, which would update the existing status adjustment process in the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA), better known as the registry.
Source: costa.house.gov
Issue Position
A modern infrastructure lays the foundation for a thriving economy in the 21st century. For far too long, we have been living off the investments of our grandparents and parents made generations ago. That is why, Congressman Costa has always made it a priority to invest and rebuild our infrastructure.
Since his days in the state legislature, Costa has secured funding to expand and repair highways like 41, 99, and 180, which has resulted in improved safety for drivers traveling through the Valley. In 2013, he secured $16 million to revitalize and open up Fresno’s Downtown Fulton Mall, leading to an economic boost in the heart of Fresno.
With passenger demand growing, Costa has been a staunch advocate for expanding the Fresno-Yosemite International Airport (FAT), the largest airport in the San Joaquin Valley. He secured nearly $20 million through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to repair its runway and expand the terminal as part of the FAT plan, which led to an $85 economic boost for the community.
Advancing California’s High-Speed Rail Project
A champion for California’s High-Speed Rail project, Costa authored the 1996 state law that created the California High-Speed Rail Authority (CAHSR) and got the project off the ground. Throughout his time in Congress, he has fought and secured millions to advance the construction of this modern, clean transportation project, which has created 11,000 jobs across California, many of them in the San Joaquin Valley.
In 2010, Costa worked with the Obama Administration to secure and invest $715 million to construct the state's high-speed rail system between Merced and Bakersfield - a major boost to the Central Valley's economy. With the enactment of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, he has secured nearly $300 million to advance the project and ensure California can provide a new method of transportation to residents across the state.
Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act
In 2021, Costa was instrumental in getting the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act signed into law, which makes a $1.2 trillion investment to rebuild our nation’s infrastructure. It’s the largest U.S. infrastructure investment since the Eisenhower administration created the Interstate Highway System in the 1950s.
From fixing highways like 99 and 41 to raising B.F. Sisk Dam to improve public transportation, Costa has secured significant investments for the San Joaquin Valley that are creating good-paying jobs and growing our economy.
Source: costa.house.gov
Issue Position
Keeping Americans safe is Congressman Costa’s greatest responsibility as the Representative for California’s 21st Congressional District. Costa has been engaged in foreign affairs and transatlantic issues since he first came to Congress in 2005.
He is a staunch defender of democratic principles at home and around the world. As a member of the Foreign Affairs Committee, Costa has helped shape U.S. foreign policy ranging from trade, human rights, and foreign aid, with a focus on strengthening bilateral and multilateral relations with U.S. allies. Throughout his time in Congress, he has traveled to various parts of the world including Ukraine, Europe, Armenia, India, the Middle East, and war zones to help improve U.S. relations.
Costa is a stalwart advocate for working with international allies and partners to uphold the post-World War II rules-based international order. A long-time member of the Transatlantic Legislators’ Dialogue (TLD), Costa is currently the Ranking Member of the U.S. Delegation on this important partnership. TLD brings together Members of the U.S. Congress and European Parliament to address global issues ranging from trade and economics to energy and national security.
With rising challenges from terrorism, nuclear developments, and human rights violations, Costa believes that the United States must assert its global leadership to keep us safe at home and abroad
Source: costa.house.gov
Issue Position
In 2022, Costa voted to take bold action to cut prescription drug costs. The Inflation Reduction Act created a $2,000 out-of-pocket limit on prescription drug costs and empowered the U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services to negotiate prescription drug prices with drug companies. The law also requires drug manufacturers to pay a rebate to Medicare if they increase their prices faster than the rate of inflation.
After capping the cost of insulin at $35 per month for Medicare recipients, pharmaceutical companies followed suit and lowered the cost of insulin for all Americans. We took further action by making hearing aids available over the counter without a prescription or exam, helping millions of Americans save nearly $3,000 in savings. Costa was the only member of the San Joaquin Valley to have voted for these historic laws to make it easier for Americans to get the care they need while putting more money back in their pockets.
Source: costa.house.gov
Issue Position
Our men and women in uniform have made the ultimate sacrifice to keep us safe here at home and abroad. Congress promised our service members and their families that we will take care of them when they come back home. Since his time in the California State Legislature, Congressman Costa has worked tirelessly to tackle issues affecting our veterans like improving access to healthcare, investing in workforce training, and ensuring they get the benefits they earned and deserve.
Costa was one of the forces behind the effort to establish the Fresno Veterans Home, the first in Fresno County. As a state lawmaker, he helped place it on the list of locations being considered by the legislature for establishment and fought successfully to get it approved. In Congress, he helped secure 65% of the costs for the construction of the home through the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Ten years later, the home has provided care to hundreds of veterans and to honor the legacy of veterans who spent their final chapter in the home; Costa secured $150,000 in federal funding to help build a memorial monument at the home.
Congressman Costa has made honoring Hmong and Lao American veterans a priority over the course of his career in public service and was instrumental in the passage of the Hmong Veterans' Service Recognition Act, which grants veterans of the Special Guerrilla Unit (SGU) with burial benefits in national cemeteries. The official extension of the benefits was secured in the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2018. To build on these efforts and expand eligibility, Costa introduced the Special Guerrilla Unit Veterans Service Recognition Expansion Act which was signed into law by President Biden as part of the National Defense Authorization Act of 2022.
As part of the annual defense and federal budget, Costa has secured millions to improve VA healthcare, including millions in funding for the Fresno Veterans Home, and Fresno Veterans Hospital and to end the epidemic of homelessness across the nation. He has also fought to end the VA benefits backlog and ensure student veterans receive the GI Bill benefits that they rightfully deserve.
In 2022, Congress and President Biden enacted the historic Honoring Our PACT Act, of which Costa was a cosponsor and voted to enact into federal law. The law has expanded healthcare to over 3.5 million veterans exposed to toxic substances during their military service. It is the first time in American history that those suffering from exposure to burn pits and airborne hazards will receive healthcare benefits from the VA. Costa will never stop fighting for our veterans. Thanks to our veterans we have the freedoms we get to enjoy today.
Source: costa.house.gov
Issue Position
Reliable water supplies are essential to public health, ecosystems, and the regional economic viability of our Valley. As a native and third-generation farmer of the San Joaquin Valley, Costa knows firsthand of the challenges our farmers and farming communities face without a reliable water supply. The worsening drought crisis has human and economic impacts that we cannot wait to confront.
In Congress, Congressman Costa’s first priority is to deliver water to the Valley by repairing our water infrastructure, increasing storage capacity, and improving groundwater recharge. As a member of the Natural Resources Committee, he fought on behalf of the Valley for increased water allocations, secured federal funding for Valley water projects, and against the flawed federal regulations that limit the water flowing to our region. He is not only focused on short-term but long-term solutions that will fix our broken water system.
Addressing the Drought Crisis
Costa worked closely with Governor Jerry Brown and state officials to declare a drought emergency in the state of California and to take actions to conserve as much water as possible and provide drought relief funding for counties across the San Joaquin Valley.
In 2013, Costa led the charge to ensure that the 340,000 acre-feet of carryover water was used for its intended purpose of irrigated agriculture during the 2014 drought. He later brought President Obama, and federal and state officials to the San Joaquin Valley to see the impact firsthand of the drought on farming and rural communities, which authorized a $183 million aid package to support farmers and conserve water resources.
Most recently, Costa helped secure funding in the Inflation Reduction Act to tackle the drought crisis in the West, with a whopping $4 billion investment.
Improving Water Storage
Throughout his service in Congress, Costa has secured millions to repair critical water infrastructure and improve water storage capacity. Most notably, he was instrumental in enacting the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, and securing over $250 million to improve water storage in the San Joaquin Valley, including:
$100 million for the modification of B.F. Sisk Dam to add stability berms and other dam safety features to the existing 3.5-mile-long earthen dam.
$82 million for the Los Vaqueros Reservoir Expansion Project, which would add 115,000 acre-feet of additional water.
$30 million for the Sites Reservoir Project to pursue off-stream storage capacity of up to 1.5 million acre-feet of additional water.
$25 million to pursue the B.F. Sisk Dam Raise and Reservoir Expansion Project and develop nearly 130,000 acre-feet of additional water.
$25 million for the Delta-Mendota Canal to complete a required feasibility study, which is used for permitting and design costs after completion.
$22.2 million for the Friant-Kern Canal to correct capacity constraints due to subsidence in Belmont Reach and below Orange Cove.
Water Conservation
While serving in the California State Assembly, Costa authored the San Joaquin River Conservancy in 1992, which now provides access to 5,900 acres within the 22-mile stretch of river between Friant Dam and Highway 99. With the purpose of preserving the river’s biological diversity, and protecting its valued cultural and natural resources.
In the State Legislature, Costa also authored the legislation to create the Kern County Water America's largest water bank. In Congress, Costa has advocated the Natural Resources for California’s wetlands, rivers, and water sources - even securing federal funding to better preserve and enhance these systems. In addition to increasing the Kaweah Reservoir's capacity by 48,000 acre-feet, improving water storage and flood protection.
Costa works closely with local water districts, farmers, and other stakeholders to gather their input on how he these issues can be addressed in Washington for the better well-being of the Valley, along with securing millions for local water projects to enhance water quality and supply.
Ensuring Safe, Clean Drinking Water
Nearly 10 million American households and 400,000 schools and childcare centers don't meet the standards to be considered clean and safe drinking water. The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act made the largest investment in drinking water infrastructure in American history.
Most recently, Costa secured $391 million for the state of California for essential drinking water infrastructure upgrades through the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF). The City of Parlier will benefit from $14 million to construct a water treatment system designed to remove Trichloropropane (TCP) from the water system.
Source: costa.house.gov
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