McCarthy Co-Sponsors Bipartisan Agriculture Bill to Provide Relief after the Freeze

Washington D.C. - Today, Congressman Kevin McCarthy joined a bipartisan group of lawmakers as an original co-sponsor in supporting a bill to provide assistance to Central Valley and Central Coast farmers and farm workers after the recent agriculture freeze.

“With Kern and San Luis Obispo County’s agricultural losses estimated in the millions of dollars, Congress must do what we can to help our hardworking farmers and farm workers get back on their feet and continue to feed our nation,” said Congressman McCarthy. “I am pleased to support this strong bipartisan bill introduced by my friends, Jim Costa and Devin Nunes, which provides needed relief to our California farmers and farm workers.”

The bipartisan bill was introduced today in the U.S. House of Representatives by Congressmen Jim Costa (D-Fresno) and Devin Nunes (R-Tulare), and included Congressman McCarthy as an original co-sponsor. A companion bill was also introduced today in the U.S. Senate by Senator Barbara Boxer (D-California). The legislation provides emergency assistance to farmers, including needed aid to growers of citrus and other specialty crops harmed by weather over the past two years, including the 2007 California freeze. This bipartisan bill also provides unemployment assistance to workers who lost their jobs due to the freeze and relief to workers to help them pay for necessities, like food and housing.