Press Releases

Today, Congressman Jimmy Panetta (D-Carmel Valley) and Congressman Salud Carbajal (D-CA-24) released a statement on the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ongoing consideration to use Camp Roberts as a temporary facility to house unaccompanied children under 18 years old who have crossed the southern border in an attempt to avail themselves of the laws of the United States.

Today, Congressman Jimmy Panetta (D-Carmel Valley) introduced the Veterans Earned Transportation (Vets ETA) Act. The legislation permanently reauthorizes a Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) program that provides safe and reliable transportation to and from VA facilities or other locations providing critical care such as vocational rehabilitation, counseling, and medical treatment. Congressman Van Taylor (R-TX-03), Congressman Ted Lieu (D-CA-33), and Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA-01) are original cosponsors of the bipartisan bill.

Today, Congressman Jimmy Panetta (D-Carmel Valley) introduced the Making Imperiled Communities Resistant to Outages with Generation that is Resilient, Islandable, and Distributed (MICROGRID) Act. The legislation incentivizes the expansion and deployment of microgrids, which provide backup power, independent from the larger energy grid, during emergencies. As extreme weather events, such as wildfires, become increasingly common, microgrids can mitigate the impacts of grid outages and public safety power shutoffs on communities using cleaner energy sources.

**Watch press conference given by Congressman Panetta and the bipartisan group of congressmembers at the conclusion of their trip to the Southern Border in Hidalgo County, Texas here**

**See photos from the visit here**

Today, Congressman Jimmy Panetta (D-Carmel Valley) along with Representatives Billy Long (R-MO), Mike Levin (D-CA), and Dan Newhouse (R-WA) introduced bipartisan legislation to help preserve agricultural fairs across the country and offset the devastating financial losses they have experienced due to COVID-19. The Agricultural Fairs Rescue Act would provide $500 million in federal grants for agricultural fairs through state departments of agriculture.

Today, Congressman Jimmy Panetta (D-Carmel Valley) held a virtual roundtable on the rise of anti-Asian American hate crimes with members of the Central Coast Asian American and Pacific Islander community. Congressman Panetta discussed his efforts at the federal level to curb anti-Asian hate crimes and listened to the stories and experiences of those in attendance.

SALINAS, CA – Today, Congressman Jimmy Panetta (D-Carmel Valley) was joined by Congresswoman Jackie Walorski (R-IN-02) to introduce the bipartisan Preserving Family Farms Act. The legislation would help family-owned farms continue operations after a loved one has passed by easing the burden of the estate tax. The bill would modernize the special use valuation provision of the estate tax by increasing the amount of farmland that can be valued for farming operations rather than development value.

Today, Congressman Jimmy Panetta (D-Carmel Valley) released the following statement following the death of U.S. Capitol Police Officer William "Billy" Evans.

"Today, once again, our Capitol Police officers risked their lives to protect our Capitol and all it stands for, resulting in the tragic loss of Officer William ‘Billy' Evans. May we never forget the heroism of Officer Williams and all who have sacrificed so much to defend our democracy. May his family find peace and comfort during this incredibly difficult time."