Congressman Valadao should be standing up for the Valley and its farming interests

He is a member of the Agriculture subcommittee of the House Appropriations Committee, which brought its Farm Bill up for a vote last week. Yet for some reason, Valadao couldn’t be bothered to cast his vote. He is paid $174,000 per year (base salary) to represent the people in his district. It's time for a performance review by his supervisors.

What was Valadao’s motive in not voting for legislation that would have cut $20 billion from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and would have hurt a staggering 1 in 4 low-income people here in his district? Low-income working families, children, seniors and disabled people who rely on SNAP food assistance to tide them over, especially during times of illness, job loss or other family emergencies are the constituents Valadao doesn't seem to care about.

The central valley needed Valadao to stand up to this cruel legislation. The Farm Bill as presented would have hurt all of us – including workers and farmers and other businesses who depend on them. Why did Valadao refuse to support our interests? He helped shape the Farm Bill, then dropped it on the House floor when it got too hot to handle. We need a Representative who works for his community, not someone who works in D.C. backrooms and then hides with a no vote to try to cover his tracks. We deserve better, and we deserve answers.

Sincerely,

Claire Fitiausi

Hanford