Dear Friend,
It's wonderful to be back in the Valley. I visited with many of you at my town hall last night, at the Fresno VA Hospital today, and at other meetings the last few days. For those of you who I haven't been able to visit with, please stay tuned for many more opportunities in the coming days. I will also be hosting a teletown hall on Wednesday, August 10th at 6:00 p.m to continue to hear directly from you on issues of concern. If you would like to join the discussion, please sign up here or call my office at 559.449.2490 or 209.579.5458 and you'll be one of the first called.
I realize the last few weeks have been tumultuous for all of you, including myself. The economic uncertainty facing the nation and globe has caused financial markets to be worried about the future of our great nation. Be it the double-digit unemployment in the district, the heavy regulatory burdens our businesses face or the newly passed Budget Control Act, we will have a lot to discuss in the coming weeks.
Today the July unemployment numbers were released and only showed very little improvement nationally. Once again, the unemployment rates are worse in the Valley than compared to the nation as a whole. Unemployment is too high, manufacturers are struggling, and consumer spending is down. As I stressed last night at my town hall, we must continue to push pro-growth measures of low taxes, utilizing our natural resources and unshackle our entrepreneurs to get this economy back on track. My colleagues and I have put forth a robust jobs plan to do just this and it's time for the Senate and President to do the same. Our Republican plan will spur economic growth and provide an environment where businesses have the confidence to grow and hire again.
Many of you had questions and concerns about the recent debt talks in Washington. Last week, I voted to shrink a federal government that has done nothing but expand for the past 40 years. I voted for the Budget Control Act of 2011 to hold the President accountable and ensure that he does not receive a blank check to continue the spending spree that put us in the situation we're in today. While this legislation is far from perfect, it is a small step towards restoring fiscal discipline to Washington and instilling confidence in America's job creators.
I know you've all been forced to tighten your belts and it's now time that Washington did the same. With this legislation we have the opportunity to hold Washington accountable for the money it spends by voting on a Balanced Budget Amendment and sending it to the states for ratification.
I was happy to address many of your concerns at my town hall last night in Modesto. I want to thank to the nearly 200 people who stayed for over three hours for the conversation. You are frustrated with Washington and the status quo, as am I, and I enjoyed the productive discussion. Be it the debt deal reached in Washington, the double-digit unemployment in our area and the ideas for putting Californians back to work, my job is to carry your concerns to my fellow colleagues and fight for our communities. I uploaded a facebook album with pictures from the event at: www.facebook.com/RepJeffDenham.
I was honored to speak among many fellow Veterans at the reopening of the Front Entrance of the Fresno VA Medical Center today. The VA Medical Center is a crucial resource for our Central Valley Veterans and a priority for me in Congress. At the event there were many generations of Veterans represented and it's comforting to know we have this great resource available so close to home.
Next week I will be continuing these discussions throughout the district and hope to see you there. On Wednesday, I will be having breakfast at Latif's restaurant in Turlock. Please join me and let me hear your concerns. You can find more information at my website.
As I mentioned earlier, I am hosting a tele-town hall on Wednesday evening and would appreciate hearing from you. In addition to the call, my staff is also holding mobile office hours throughout the week; details are posted on the events page of my website.
I want you reiterate again that I am here to listen to your concerns and best represent your ideas back in Washington. I hope to catch up with you at a meeting this week or to hear your ideas for job creation on the teletown hall.
Have a great week!
Sincerely,
JEFF DENHAM
United States Representative
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