Washington, DC – Rep. Joe Baca (D-Rialto) continued his leadership role in rallying Congressional support for California’s agricultural businesses, growers, suppliers, farm workers and others hurt by the freeze earlier this year that devastated crops throughout the state.

“I have been in contact with the Secretary of Agriculture Mike Johanns and officials from FEMA and the Small Business Administration and met with California Secretary of Agriculture A.G. Kawomura to coordinate efforts and get assistance for California.  Agriculture is important to the Inland Empire and the state, and we need immediate federal funding to help our farmers, ranchers and agricultural laborers,” said Rep. Baca.

Rep. Baca and Rep. Devin Nunes (R-Visalia) worked together to write a letter to President Bush that urges the President to approve the state’s request for federal disaster assistance.  The letter, which was sent today, was circulated among members of the California Congressional delegation and received nearly unanimous bipartisan support.  Inland lawmakers who signed include Rep. Baca, Rep. Mary Bono, Rep. Ken Calvert, Rep. David Dreier, Rep. Jerry Lewis and Rep. Buck McKeon.

Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senators Dianne Feinstein and Barbara Boxer also signed the letter.

Rep. Baca is also an original co-sponsor of legislation introduced yesterday which would provide $1.7 billion in disaster relief funding for California counties that have been declared Federal Disaster Areas since 2005. 

Rep. Baca is the senior Californian on the House Agriculture Committee and the newly appointed Chairman of the Ag Subcommittee on Department Operations, Oversight, Nutrition and Forestry.