releases: http://cook.house.gov//media-center/newsletter/congressman-cooks-newsletter-december-16-2014
Data license: MIT · Data source: dwillis/congress-press
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| http://cook.house.gov//media-center/newsletter/congressman-cooks-newsletter-december-16-2014 | Congressman Cook's Newsletter: December 16, 2014 | 2014-12-16 | 2014 | 2014-12 | Republican | House | CA | Paul Cook | C001094 | cook.house.gov | legacy | Capitol Update A message from Congressman Cook on the Omnibus Spending Bill Many of you reached out to me to voice your opinions about the Omnibus Spending Bill. The bill, passed by Congress last week, will keep the government open. If Congress had not taken action the government would have shut down. This bill sets the stage for a showdown on the President’s executive order on immigration after January when a Republican House and Senate will be sworn in. The bill provides more than $1 trillion for operation of the federal government through September 2015. It is consistent with defense and non-defense budget caps, and all the terms agreed to in the Ryan-Murray Budget Agreement. It also puts funds for the Department of Homeland Security under a temporary Continuing Resolution until February 27. President Obama’s executive order is being implemented by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (CIS) agency. This fee-based organization collects money from processed immigration papers, and cannot be defunded. In fact, even if we had shut down the government last week, it would have been allowed to continue implementing Obama’s amnesty through fee revenue. The only way to reverse the President’s executive order is to pass a bill that includes specific policy riders banning CIS from using fee money to carry it out. This cannot be done as long as Harry Reid controls the Senate, but in February, the House will be able to work with the Senate to pass a Homeland Security funding bill blocking the President’s illegal orders. Because the rest of the government will already be funded, this will allow us to confront the President without letting him blackmail us by threatening to shut down the government. I’m already fighting to stop the President from forcing laws on Americans. I voted for H.R. 5759, the “Block Immigration Executive Action Act.” Under H.R. 5759, the President would be barred from using executive orders, regulations, or other actions to prevent the deportation of illegal immigrants in the U.S. I will continue to fight to stop the president’s lawless amnesty, and will continue fighting to block it. Congressman Cook Votes for California Drought Relief Effort Congressman Cook voted for H.R. 5781, the California Emergency Drought Relief Act of 2014. Currently, California is facing the worst drought in 1,200 years which has led to high unemployment and higher food prices across the country. This bill will expedite the approval of projects to address water supply shortages in California. This vital piece of legislation provides eighteen months of relief (two water years) while protecting the State Water Project and protecting Northern California water rights. There are three to four months of rain in California and under H.R. 5781 as much water as possible will be captured during that time. Additional water will be stored by capturing high river flows from storms. H.R. 5781 also provides regulatory flexibility to expedite permits and complete reviews to improve water quality and water transfer requests. It does not amend the Endangered Species Act, or deprive federal fishery agencies of any discretion to take actions necessary for the long-term survival of listed species. Cook says, “This legislation will provide much needed relief to Californians suffering under horrendous drought conditions without harming the environment. This common sense bill brings together ideas from the House and Senate, but it’s only a temporary fix. “This legislation will expire on September 30, 2016. We need to continue working together to come up with a long-term water solution for California families.” Congressman Cook Votes to Improve Job Opportunities Congressman Cook was pleased to support bipartisan legislation, the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act. This legislation is important for many Americans who are looking for work and for the employers who have job opportunities that remain unfilled due to the skills gap – meaning they have been unable to find workers with the training necessary for the job offered. Closing this gap will improve the lives of many American job seekers while helping our economy grow. The bill, which was signed into law, modernizes and improves existing federal workforce development programs, helps workers attain skills for 21st century jobs, and provides support to people with disabilities to enter and remain in competitive, integrated job settings. District UpdateMiddle School Students Win Big at Regional Competition Students from Mesa View Middle School took home an award after competing in the First Lego League Southern California Regional Championship. The students were up against 56 other teams from southern California at LegoLand. Students had to qualify for the competition. Teams earned their spots in by winning tournaments against 400 other regional teams. Teams were judged on robot design, core values, project, and game board competition. Mesa View had two teams, and Mustangs 1 was up for recognition in both Project and Core Values after all rounds were finished. The students created, and ran, a Coding Club for kids. There, they taught their classmates how to build their own websites. Mustangs 1 team members also showed they were able to work together, while having fun. The students even created a pledge to be good and respectful teammates. All of the team’s hard work was rewarded when they were called up to the stage to at the end of the competition to receive the first place Core Values Inspiration Award. Congratulations to these wonderful students from Mesa View Middle School. Picture courtesy of the Yucaipa News Mirror. Volunteers Needed For Bird Count Attention bird watchers and nature lovers! On Sunday, December 28 volunteers will meet at Joshua Tree National Park. The group will meet at Indian Cove Ranger Station or the West Entrance Station. The event will start at 7 AM and wrap up at 5 PM. Volunteers should bring lunch, water, binoculars, field guides, and warm clothing. For more information call (760)366-8913. USDA Food Giveaway Yucca Valley Church of the Nazarene will host a USDA Food Giveaway on Friday, December 12, at 56248 Buena Vista Drive. It will start at 10 AM and wrap up at 12 PM. For more information contact Michael Sereno at (760)365-7819 or msereno2004@yahoo.com. Holiday Event The Victor Valley Rescue Mission is hosting a Christmas Toy Giveaway for kids under 12 years old on Friday, December 19. The event will include a Santa’s Village, crafts, games, and live music. Registration is required for the toy giveaway. It will be held at 14800 Seventh St from 11 AM to 2 PM. For registration information call (760) 955-5958. Preliminary Flood Insurance Rate Map Released The Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has presented the Preliminary Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM) panels and Flood Insurance Study (FIS) report components for San Bernardino County and Incorporated Areas for the community to review. You can view the map here. Veterans Corner My office is here to help you. If you or someone you know needs help with the Veterans' Administration please call my Apple Valley District Office at (760)247-1815. Veterans Healthcare Living Assessment A powerful new tool can help Veterans better understand their health habits and overall health. It can also provide advice on ways to improve their well-being. It’s called the “HealtheLiving Assessment,” or, “HLA.” The HLA asks each user a set of personalized, confidential questions. The answers are used to calculate the Veteran’s “health age” and risk for disease. It takes about 20 minutes to complete and is available online 24/7. The tool is now available at the My HealtheVet website. Call for Landlords Willing to House Homeless Veterans California is home to nearly 2 million Veterans, of which an estimated 19,000 are homeless. The Housing Authority of the County of San Bernardino in collaboration with community based organizations throughout the county is developing a list of landlords interested in helping the Housing Authority and the local Loma Linda Veterans Administration (VA) house homeless veterans. This initiative is supported in part by traditional VA Supportive Housing (VASH) vouchers. Veterans pay about 30 percent of their net income and the voucher covers the rest of the contract rent. The list of landlords will be given directly to VASH voucher recipients as well as community organizations working directly with and supporting veterans that are in receipt of other funds to support permanent housing or who have their own means but are receiving services to help them transition back into private market housing. For more information contact Becky Murillo at vash@hacsb.com or by phone at (909)890-5308. Discounts for Veterans Outback Steakhouse is honoring all active and retired military personnel with a 15 percent discount through December 31. You must show a valid military ID. Great clips is offering free haircuts for veterans through December 31. Long Trail Home Raises Money for Veterans Matt Littrell, a Marine, who served two tours in Iraq during his enlistment is raising money for the Semper Fi Fund. The program provides immediate financial assistance and lifetime support to post 9/11 wounded, critically ill, and injured members of all branches of the U.S. armed forces and their families. Littrell rode his horse more than 2700 miles from Camp Lejeune, NC to Camp Pendleton, CA, and finished his journey on December 1. He dubbed the trip the, “Long Trail Home,” and began the journey on Veterans Day. Littrell has raised more than $80,000 for the Semper Fi Fund. The founder of GoDaddy has promised to match all money raised by the Semper Fi Fund until December 31, up to $5 million. For more information about the "Long Trail Home," click here. Image courtesy of The Long Trail Home Facebook Page. | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z |