March 27, 2014

Dear Friend,

I love being back in San Diego and I was fortunate to be here last week, talking to constituents about how we solve our nation's problems and make our region even stronger. I wanted to share some of those activities with you.

Fighting for Basic Scientific Research Funding

One of my top priorities in Congress has been to protect and expand funding for basic scientific research, mostly through grants at the National Institutes of Health (NIH). San Diego receives 25% of all NIH grants in California, and we're home 42,000 life-science jobs. We risk losing our place as the top country for scientific innovation if we don't protect funding for scientific research.

I was proud to meet with members of our medical research community and my colleague, Rep. Susan Davis, at a roundtable discussion and press conference about the need for NIH funding. Watch KUSI's coverage of the event by clicking the image below.

Visiting the Marine Corps Recruit Depot

Whenever I get an extended time in San Diego I try to visit a military installation to see the dedicated work our servicemen and women are performing. On my visit last week to MCRD, I met with Brigadier General Bierman and base leadership and was honored to see their Silent Drill Platoon in action.

Feeding San Diego

Another stop was at the warehouse of Feeding America's San Diego chapter. This organization has a food center that provides meals to thousands of local families in our communities. As an advocate for policies that increase food security, I was eager to reengage and thank the group's leaders and volunteers.

Promoting Drought Resiliency

It isn't news to you that California is in the midst of a drought. While San Diegans have gone to great lengths to reduce water usage in recent years, we must do more to diversify our water supply to sustain us in future dry years. San Diego City Council President Todd Gloria and I were on KUSI to talk about the effort to find new sources of water, including recycling and desalination. Click the image below to watch.

Leading in Cyber Security

San Diego is home to a unique confluence of world-class research universities and a large military presence that is increasingly focused on cyber security. I was proud to lead the effort with local economic development leaders and San Diego Mayor Faulconer to launch the Cyber Center of Excellence that will help facilitate regional growth in this sector. Already cyber security has a $1.515 billion economic impact in our region, supporting more than 13,000 jobs. Watch NBC 7's coverage of the event by clicking the image below.

Stay Connected

I hope you'll stay connected with what I'm working on. Like my Facebook page, follow me on Twitter, add my Google + page to your circles, or visit my website for further information.

One of the most important jobs I have in Congress is providing a number of constituent services. As always if you have any questions, are having trouble with a federal agency, or want to weigh in on a particular issue, feel free to email me or call either of my offices at 202-225-0508 (Washington) or 858-455-5550 (San Diego). I look forward to hearing from you.

Sincerely,

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