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June 8, 2017

WATSONVILLE — Congressman Jimmy Panetta (D-Calif.) announced that three airports on the central coast of California have received federal grants from the U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Aviation Administration.

Watsonville Municipal Airport received $295,200, Mesa Del Rey received $334,606 and Salinas Municipal received $82,581. Specifically, the federal grants will be used for runway improvements and rehabilitation.


June 8, 2017

The National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition and the Supporters of Agricultural Research (SoAR) Foundation have praised Rep. Rodney Davis, R-Ill., and Rep. Jimmy Panetta, D-Calif., for establishing the bipartisan Congressional Agriculture Research Caucus.

Issues: Agriculture

June 7, 2017

WASHINGTON – A Trump administration plan to eliminate popular and longstanding foreign food aid programs as a cost-saving measure would be short-sighted and ill-advised, witnesses testifying before a House agriculture panel said Wednesday.

But even before they got started, the Republican chairman of the Agriculture Committee, Rep. Michael Conaway of Texas, said the proposed cut to the McGovern-Dole and Food for Peace programs "seems contrary to the role they play in a robust ‘America-first' policy."


June 7, 2017

WATSONVILLE >> Agricultural workers and their families could become eligible to apply for a "blue card" that would give them a one-time opportunity to acquire legal citizenship status and work authorization if they show consistent employment in U.S. agriculture over the past two years, pay a fine and pass a thorough background check.


June 7, 2017

The Ensuring Veteran Enterprise Participation in Strategic Sourcing Act would direct the Department of Veterans Affairs to work with the General Services Administration (GSA) to increase the number of Service-Disabled Veteran and Veteran-Owned Small Businesses represented on GSA contracts.

Issues: Veterans

June 6, 2017

Salinas >> Three area airports have received federal grants for runway improvements and rehabilitation, the office of Rep. Jimmy Panetta, D-Carmel Valley announced Tuesday.

Salinas Municipal received $82,581, Mesa Del Rey in the King City district received $334,606, and Watsonville Municipal got $292,200.

"Each year the airport applies for grant dollars," said Brett Godown, Salinas airport manager. "It's the best use of money for capital projects where the city pays about 5 to 10 cents on the dollar."

Issues: Agriculture

June 6, 2017

WASHINGTON – Today, Congressman Jimmy Panetta (D-Calif.), announced that three airports on the central coast of California have received federal grants from the U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Aviation Administration. Mesa Del Rey received $334,606, Salinas Municipal received $82,581, and Watsonville Municipal received $295,200. Specifically, the federal grants will be used for runway improvements and rehabilitation.

Issues: Agriculture

June 5, 2017

The silver lining of the roiling immigration debate is that it’s finally being discussed, says Live Earth Farm’s Broz. “Maybe it takes an administration like the one we have right now to [make people] realize what’s at stake,” he says. “[Maybe] enough people will put pressure on elected officials to implement comprehensive immigration reform. Things might come to a head where things have to get done.”

The trick in getting the new administration’s ear, says Panetta, will be to drive home the economic argument—that the Central Coast’s $9 billion ag and nearly $3 billion hospitality industries, for instance, are inextricably linked to immigrant labor. “We know on the Central Coast how important immigration is to this area—without immigrants the economy would be devastated and the Central Coast would almost shut down,” Panetta says.

“First thing is you’ve got to get Donald Trump out to the district, out to the fields,” Panetta continues. “This is a guy who grew up in Queens, who lived in a golden tower. The last person he picked in his cabinet was the secretary of agriculture. In the budget he put forward, he wants to cut 21% from the USDA. We need to speak to him on economic terms and let him know that the food he eats doesn’t just come from the store, but it comes from the fields. And in order to get from the field into your mouth, it takes people—especially with our specialty crops on the Central Coast.”


June 5, 2017

WASHINGTON – Congressman Jimmy Panetta (D-CA-20) and Congressman Rodney Davis (R-IL-13) have joined together to establish the bipartisan Congressional Agriculture Research Caucus.

Issues: Agriculture

June 5, 2017

20th District Congressman Jimmy Panetta (D-Carmel Valley) and Rodney Davis the Republican Congressman from Illinois joined together to start the bipartisan Congressional Agriculture Research Caucus.

The Caucus focuses on topics related to agriculture research, innovation, and mechanization efforts, and is coming at a time as Congress prepares for the 2018 Farm Bill.

Issues: Agriculture