Valley's newest congressman doesn't waste any time as he gets to work after taking oath

Cox won a narrow election in November over incumbent David Valadao, and the newly-minted Representative had plenty of family and friends with him as he took the oath of office.

“I was honored to stand beside my family today as I was sworn in as your Representative. Taking the oath of office, I was reminded of the trust and responsibility that the people of the Central Valley placed in me, and my obligation to fight for you each and every day in DC,” he said.

He insisted that taking the oath is a time-honored tradition, and he is honored to serve his district. The oath reminded him, he said, of the ”trust and responsibility that the people of the Central Valley placed in me, and my obligation to fight for each and every day in D.C.”

Cox promised to work hard for his district.  “I pledge to you that my priorities will be your priorities. There is too much at stake today for us to tread this path alone. No single party has all the answers,” he said. “But looking at the challenges facing our country, I think about the last election and the movement that defied the odds and the doubters to bring change to the Central Valley. Working together, I know we can achieve the America that our parents dreamed for us. I look forward to serving you.”

As its first order of business, the new Democratic majority in the House of Representatives passed a series of bills to re-open the federal government and end what Cox refers to as the Trump Shutdown.:

“The Central Valley sent a clear message in November that the time for infighting and dysfunction is over,” said Cox. “We made clear today that we are committed to responsible government that puts the people of the Central Valley first by voting to end the Trump shutdown. We need a working Department of Agriculture to ensure that our farmers have access to financing, small businesses in need of SBA loans, and federal employees who want to return to work.

Cox went on to say that the measures the new House voted on are a series of the commonsense measures already approved unanimously by the Republican-controlled Senate in the last Congress. “We will not hold the livelihoods of tens of thousands of families hostage to the Trump Administration’s misguided desire for an ineffective border wall,” he said.