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VICA members
had lunch at
The Garland
with
four of our local Congressional Representatives at VICA's 5th Annual Congressional Luncheon on Wednesday. Members spoke with United States Congressmen Pete Aguilar, Tony Cárdenas, Jimmy Gomez, and Brad Sherman. Our Congressmembers spoke about pressing issues such as international trade, education, immigration, and their hopes for the future of Congress.
Congressman Sherman
spoke about the impact of federal tax reform for people living in the Valley, noting that "Valley homeowners have their values locked in our homes - they are the main source of their investment." Sherman also discussed international security and nuclear developments,including the importance of monitoring nuclear armament in Russia and Saudi Arabia.
Congressman C
árdenas discussed the importance of building connections between local businesses and students, saying that "we need to prepare students for tradesmanship opportunities in order to meet the needs of manufacturing businesses." Cárdenas remarked, "we have some of the best higher education colleges in the UC and CSU system, but we need to reward community colleges and high schools with the same opportunities." He also spoke about the importance of a DACA solution for businesses: "If we tell DACA recipients to go, businesses will suffer. Nine out of ten DACA recipients are working or studying or both. Those are individuals that enhance the American dream."
Congressman Gomez started by discussing infrastructure, saying that California "needs real dollars for this." He also raised his concerns about the Administration's proposed tariffs. "I'm for fair trade, not no trade. It seems that we are pulling away from important markets. There will be someone who will step in and fill the gaps that we create," he explained.
Finally, Congressman Aguilar wrapped the afternoon by reiterating the importance of reaching a solution on immigration. He expressed his support for a sensible and secure measure that includes members from both sides of the aisle noting that "there are people working together for a solution. We want to extend a hand in politics. Our work is to get something done." Aguilar also raised the issue of natural disasters, saying that "we should not wait until a natural disaster happens to invest in this sector."
Our thanks to Presenting Sponsors
Boeing,
Comcast NBCUniversal, and
Wells Fargo.
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