Press Releases
Today, Congressman Jimmy Panetta (D-Carmel Valley) announced that he was appointed by Congressional leadership to serve on three important House Committees in the 117th Congress: the House Committee on Ways and Means, the House Committee on Agriculture, and the House Committee on Armed Services. This will be Congressman Panetta's third consecutive term serving on the Agriculture Committee and his second serving on Ways and Means. He was asked to return to the Armed Services Committee having served on the committee during his first term in office.
This week, Congressman Jimmy Panetta (D-Carmel Valley), Congressman Salud Carbajal (CA-24), and Senator Jeff Merkley (D-MA) sent a letter to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service calling on the Principal Deputy Director to make substantial investments in monarch conservation efforts to protect the crucial pollinator from the risk of extinction. On December 17, 2020 the Service announced that listing the monarch as endangered or threatened was warranted but was precluded by higher priority species.
Today, Congressman Jimmy Panetta (D-Carmel Valley) sent a letter to leadership of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) calling on the agencies to expand COVID-19 vaccine dose allocations to VA clinics and facilities outside of major population centers. The request, directed to VA Acting Secretary Tran, HHS Acting Secretary Cochran, and CDC Director Walensky, seeks to significantly increase vaccine access and reduce travel time for the veterans.
Today, Congressman Jimmy Panetta (D-Carmel Valley) and Congressman Brad Wenstrup (R-OH-02) reintroduced the Reservist Pay Equity Act to encourage employers to continue to pay employees that are members of the National Guard and Reserves while activated.
Today, Congressman Jimmy Panetta (D-Carmel Valley) reintroduced legislation to provide immediate support to nursing homes and skilled nursing facilities across the country experiencing outbreaks of COVID-19 cases. The Sending Outside Support Act, or the SOS Act, would authorize the Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary to allocate certain amounts of funding to states for the creation of strike teams of clinical and non-clinical staff to assist nursing homes and skilled nursing facilities with the management and treatment of COVID-19 outbreaks.
Today, Congressman Jimmy Panetta (D-Carmel Valley) released the following statement on Black History Month:
Today, Congressman Jimmy Panetta (D-Carmel Valley) announced that Sun Street Centers will receive a $49,417 federal grant to support its education and addiction treatment services. Located in Salinas, Sun Street Centers provides comprehensive services for education, prevention, and recovery services for alcohol addiction and substance misuse.
Today, Congressman Jimmy Panetta (D-Carmel Valley) announced that UC Santa Cruz will receive a $625,000 National Science Foundation (NSF) grant. The federal funding will be used to research the impacts of decision making by artificial intelligence. The NSF federally funds research and education in science and engineering, through grants, contracts, and cooperative agreements. Congressman Panetta secured $8.5 billion, an increase of $208.4 million, for the NSF in this the FY2021 appropriations package passed at the end of 2020.
Today, Congressman Jimmy Panetta (D-Carmel Valley) reintroduced legislation to create a tax credit to encourage municipalities to purchase and use zero-emission buses. The Green Bus Tax Credit Act creates a 10% manufacturer's tax credit for electric and hydrogen fuel-cell buses. Representatives Dan Kildee (MI-05), Don Beyer (VA-08), Earl Blumenauer (OR-03), Julia Brownley (CA-26), and Tom Suozzi (NY-03) joined the legislation as original cosponsors.
Today, Congressman Jimmy Panetta (D-Carmel Valley) announced $2,815,000 in U.S. Army Corps of Engineers funding for the Pajaro River Flood Risk Management Project. The funding will be used to complete the preconstruction, engineering, and design (PED) phase of the project in Santa Cruz and Monterey Counties. This funding is the product of extensive Congressional efforts and will help ensure the safety and prosperity of communities on the Central Coast of California.