Weekly Update from Rep. Denham

Dear Friends,

 

Tuesday was a significant day for our nation. It marked the 1000thday since the Senate has passed a budget. That’s right; it has been three years since the Senate even voted on a budget.  Every year, I balance the budget for my business, and my wife Sonia and I do the same for our family. I know all of you do the same.  Last year, I voted to pass a budget and 27 job-creating bills out of the House of Representatives; unfortunately, all are awaiting action in the Senate. America’s job creators cannot responsibly plan without a federal budget, which is why I voted Tuesday to pass H.Res.516, a resolution expressing the national importance of a federal budget for 2013.  I also joined a few of my House Republican colleagues at a press conference calling on the Senate to act in the interest of the American people.

 

Coincidentally, the President’s third annual State of the Union Address was also Tuesday. With our district suffering from double-digit unemployment and one of the highest foreclosure rates in the nation, we know the past three years of the Administration’s policies have largely failed us. However, I agree with the President that we must eliminate waste and create efficiency within the government, and I am ready to work with the Administration to create shovel-ready, common-sense construction and infrastructure projects that will improve our communities and get our friends and family back to work.

 

Now is the time for Congress to come together and pass legislation to put Americans back to work, create certainty for jobs creators, and eliminate wasteful government spending. On Wednesday, another independent group,  the California State Auditor issued yet another warning saying that the California High-Speed Rail project has become “increasingly risky” because of the uncertainty surrounding the project’s funding. There are many claims and many hopes for California high-speed rail right now; but the facts in no way support it, and the project should be cancelled.

 

After the House finished votes for the week, I headed back home to visit all of you in the district. On Thursday, I had the opportunity to present well-deserved Congressional Record Statements to the Summerville High School Jazz@8 choir and the Me-wuk Indian tribe formally commending them for their role in last month’s Capitol Christmas Tree Ceremony. Tuolumne County and thousands of California volunteers worked together to create a memorable event, successfully sharing our community with the rest of the nation.

 

Tune in to KYNO radio at 4 p.m. and CBS 47 in Fresno at 5 p.m. tonight, I’ll be on discussing the California High-Speed Rail project. On Monday, tune into KMJ 580 at 5 p.m. and also, if you can make it, I hope to see many of you Monday at my town hall meeting at the Nick W. Blom Salida Regional Library from 6:30-7:30 p.m. I’m looking forward to discussing my goals for the upcoming year in Congress and hearing your concerns and ideas for our community.  Remember to encourage your friends and family to signup for our weekly newsletter, like my Facebook page, follow me on twitter and visit my website. 

 

Have a great weekend.

 

Sincerely,

 

JEFF DENHAM

United States Representative

CRP Chairman’s Statement on Speaker Perez and Senate President Steinberg’s Lawsuit against State Controller John Chiang

SACRAMENTO, CA – California Republican Party Chairman Tom Del Beccaro today issued the following statement in regards to Assembly Speaker Perez and Senate President Darrell Steinberg's lawsuit against State Controller John Chiang:

  

"This cynical lawsuit seeks to chill the efforts of the Controller's office and makes a mockery of Prop 25. We could benefit from a more robust State Controller that audits our government programs and looks for savings in every corner. Rather than blame the Controller for last year’s illusory budget, the Democrats should look for positive ways to ensure reform in this year's budget."

CRP Introduces "The Daily Brief"

SACRAMENTO, CA – California Republican Party Communications Director Jennifer Kerns today announced a new morning tip sheet for 2012 called "The Daily Brief." Each morning, the Press Shop will provide you with a 5-minute snapshot of what’s going on at the party, including its political activity and Chairman Tom Del Beccaro’s reax on the day’s political events and statewide news. We promise it won’t be more than a paragraph, and it won’t take more than 2 minutes to read. That’s why we named it The Daily Brief. It is daily. And it is brief.

Tomorrow: The Daily Brief will offer a sneak peek into the "California Republican Party’s Official Response" to the State of the State Address.

Statement of CA Democratic Party African-American Caucus Chair on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day

As we reflect on America's incredible advancements in democracy, civil rights and social justice, we must still acknowledge that we are a nation that struggles to sustain and uplift social values that benefit all Americans. We honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s legacy by pushing on and continuing to work together, no matter how frustrating or slow the process may seem to be, and always with the belief that we can forge a better union. The words of Dr. King serve as both reminder and inspiration on this day: "Almost always the creative dedicated minority has made the world better."

CRP Chairman Del Beccaro's Response to the LAO's 2012-13 Budget Review

SACRAMENTO — California Republican Party Chairman Tom Del Beccaro today issued the following statement in response to the Legislative Analysts’ Office Review of the Governor’s Proposed 2012-2013 Budget:

 

"We have a revenue problem now because we have narrowed our tax base. Brown's plan will only make that worse. It's time to turn the page on yesterday's uncompetitive policies."

Governor Brown to Deliver State of the State Address on January 18

SACRAMENTO – Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. will deliver his State of the State address before a joint session of the California legislature on Wednesday, January 18, 2012.

 

 When: Wednesday, January 18, 2012 at 10:00 a.m.

 Where: Assembly Chambers, State Capitol, Sacramento, CA 95814

 

 **NOTE: Media interested in covering the event must be credentialed by the office of Assembly Speaker John A. Pérez. For further information contact John Vigna in the Speaker’s Office at (916) 319-2408.

CRP Chairman Del Beccaro's Comments on Gov. Brown's Budget Proposal

SACRAMENTO — California Republican Party Chairman Tom Del Beccaro today issued the following statement in response to Governor Brown’s budget proposal:

 

"In just a year’s time, Governor Brown has gone from 'checking in with the voters' to holding them hostage with supposedly devastating trigger cuts that mask his inability to make tough, reform-minded decisions. Brown is doubling down on the same ineffective strategies that pushed California into this mess. Californians have no reason to believe his budget is sincere; it lacks innovation as well as any meaningful structural reforms.

 

"This cynical, scare tactic budget strategy once again hinges on the hope that voters will ignore their own financial problems to bail out the Democrats with another ill-advised tax increase. It didn't work last year and there's no reason to believe that a new year will bring new results."