Jim Costa

Jim Costa was born in Fresno, California, in 1952. He earned a B.A. in political science from California State University at Fresno in 1974.[1][2] His career experience includes working as a farmer.[3] From 1978 to 1994, Costa served as a member of the California State Assembly and from 1994-2002, he was a member of the California Senate.[1]

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Campaign website

Costa’s campaign website stated the following:

Issues & Legislation

Fighting for Water

The San Joaquin Valley needs water to survive. Our Valley’s jobs and way of life are at stake, and it is my top priority to ensure that our farmers, workers, and communities receive the water we need to get our economy going again.

We are making progress, and each day is a new opportunity to secure more water and take on the critics of our Valley. This page will provide you with background on the water crisis, along with news and updates on my ongoing efforts to increase the flow of water to our Valley.

Producing Results

Water is the lifeblood of our Valley. Without water there are no jobs and no economic opportunity. Fighting to increase our water supply is my top priority and we are making progress.

Our Valley’s water challenges have taught us a lot about the art of the possible. In pressing this Administration to look for other ways to operate the water projects, we were successful in boosting the water allocation to Valley farmers over the past two years and continue to push for more. I fought hard for better science to be used so that we take a look at all the factors affecting the decline of the Delta, not just the pumps. Our Valley has been winning that fight and now the federal agencies are going back to the drawing board. I also worked with my colleagues in Congress to secure funding for the Valley and expedite water infrastructure projects like the California Aqueduct/Delta Mendota Canal Intertie project, which had been backlogged for more than 25 years. Last Congress, I also introduced H.R. 1251, the More Water for Our Valley Act, which continues my efforts to find commonsense solutions to California’s broken water system.

Looking at the Long-Term

There is no silver bullet that will solve all of our water problems. Compromise involves working together in a bipartisan fashion to find common ground on solutions for the short-term, interim, and long-term, and we have to work on all of them at the same time.

Valley communities require a sustainable water supply now as we work through long-term issues. We need to build new infrastructure that includes major conveyance and storage projects such as the Peripheral Canal/Tunnel, Temperance Flat, and raising Shasta Dam. If we expect to find compromise and stop the ages-old water wars, we need to fix our broken plumbing system, and rebuilding our infrastructure will get us to an even better place than we are today.

Our work is far from over, but we are winning this fight and more water is flowing to the Valley.

We will continue to fight against regulations that send water to the Pacific Ocean and do not consider the health and welfare of the Valley’s residents and their environment. We will continue to press the Administration and support a legal strategy to get the pumps flowing at maximum capacity. We will also continue to take on our critics and keep working towards long-term solutions to protect our Valley and state’s water supply for generations to come.

Improving Education

Education is the key to the future success of our children and promoting long-term economic opportunity across the Valley. Providing access to a high quality and affordable education is essential for our children to compete in today’s ever-evolving workforce and to ensure that they can make the kind of living our parents fought to provide our generation. To make good on these goals, our students must have the resources, schools and teachers they need in order to graduate high school prepared for college or their career.

A good education begins early on. As a result, I’ve fought to support programs like Head Start and Early Head Start in our Valley. For instance, I’ve worked to secure nearly $14 million for the Head Start program operated by the Fresno County Economic Opportunities Commission. I also supported $3.3 million to strengthen Head Start and Early Head Start programs in Kings County.

I have also fought for additional support to improve Valley schools and universities. During these tough times, many schools faced teacher layoffs and drastic budget cuts. To keep teachers in the classrooms I supported legislation like the Education Jobs and Medicaid Assistance Act. According to the National Education Association, this bill protected over 900 teaching jobs in our district. No one would have felt the effects of those job losses more than Valley students and families.

In addition, I have worked to secure funding for Valley community colleges and universities. This includes funding for West Hills College to create new academic programs in agriculture and water science, and funding for CSU Fresno to recruit and train more students in the field of agriculture education. These programs are double wins for our Valley. Not only do they allow more Valley students to obtain college degrees, but they also train the next generation of leaders to grow our agriculture economy.

One of the most important aspects of improving education is making college affordable. As college tuition has skyrocketed over the past years, a degree from a 2-year of 4-year college has become less obtainable for too many Valley students. To make it easier for Valley students to attend college and secure a good-paying job, I helped pass the College Cost Reduction Act of 2007 which increased Pell Grants and cut student loan interest rates. In 2010, I helped pass a new law that switched all schools to the more efficient Direct Loan program, saving $61 billion. This new law makes it easier for Valley students to finance their educations and $19 billion of the savings will go towards reducing the federal deficit.

Investing in our children's education is central to supporting economic development in our Valley and ensuring that we have an educated workforce that will meet the demands and challenges of the 21st century. I will continue working to secure the resources needed to strengthen Valley education and advocate for the greatest standards for our children.

Protecting Valley Agriculture

As a third generation family farmer, I know first-hand the daily challenges our farmers and ranchers face. Agriculture is our way of life and the viability of our region depends on this industry to create jobs and economic opportunity. This is why I have made protecting and growing Valley agriculture a top priority.

Securing a stable supply of water for our farmers and farm communities is central to supporting Valley agriculture. To make sure our farmers have the water they need to put food on America’s dinner table and put people back to work, I have pressed the Administration to increase our water allocations, secured federal funding for Valley water projects, and fought the flawed federal regulations that limit the water flowing to our region. Our work to secure our fair share is far from over, but we have made progress. To learn more about my fight for Valley water, click here.

Along with fighting for water, I have worked to ensure that our government recognizes the vital role Valley agriculture plays in our national economy. Our Valley is the leading producer of specialty crops which include tree nuts, fruits, dried fruits, and vegetables. For too long, the Valley did not receive its fair share of federal funds for these kinds of crops. To fix this, I worked with other Valley leaders to secure $1.7 billion for specialty crops in the 2008 Farm Bill. This was a win for our local economy and success we can build on.

A critical part of Valley agriculture is our dairy industry. In 2009, dairy farms throughout the Valley and nation experienced one of the worst price crises of the last 40 years. America’s roughly 65,000 dairies lost over $12 billion. Sharp losses forced dairy farmers to lay off workers and, in many cases, shutter their operations. To protect Valley jobs and help the dairy industry get back on track, I introduced the Dairy Price Stabilization Act. My plan would promote market stability and individual dairy farmers’ ability to grow their own business.

I have also worked to reduce some of regulatory burdens placed on Valley farmers and ranchers. Part of my work during the 2008 Farm Bill was to secure addition funding through the Environmental Quality Incentive Program to help farmers convert equipment to newer engines that meet air quality standards and water funding that helped growers install drip irrigation systems. I also support fully repealing the estate tax and have supported legislation that would exempt family farms and ranches from this burden. I know from personal experience the difficulty of protecting your family farm when a family member passes away.

I speak with our Valley’s farmers and ranchers on a daily basis to discuss what we can do to strengthen our agriculture industry. Being in close contact has allowed me to respond quickly to our Valley’s needs. When the European Grapevine Moth was detected in our Valley, I was able to press the USDA to release $2.75 million to help our farmers combat this foreign pest. These funds helped mitigate some of the economic impact it had on our summer harvest.

These are only a few examples of my work on behalf of Valley farmers and ranchers. Whether it is fighting for more water, securing additional funding, or advocating for expanding trade opportunities, I will continue to work to help our agriculture economy grow.

Addressing California's Housing Needs

Homeownership helps to form the foundation of the American Dream, but that dream is under attack. The housing crisis in our country ripped the bottom out of our economy and left millions of Americans with few other options than foreclosure. Few communities in the United States were hit harder when the housing bubble burst than the San Joaquin Valley. Hundreds of thousands of Valley families lost their homes – often a family’s biggest investment – and entire neighborhoods were economically decimated.

As your representative in Congress, I will do all that I can to cut through the red tape in Washington and connect you with the right resources to help you stay in your home. You can find more information about how I can help by clicking here.

While I will fight as hard as I can to prevent our homes from falling into foreclosure, we need an aggressive and comprehensive national strategy to right the market. For years, both the Bush and Obama administrations have tried and failed to fix the housing crisis. I will continue to push this administration and my colleagues in Congress to take action now.

One important step the Congress could take to stem the tide of these devastating foreclosures is to pass the Housing Opportunity and Mortgage Equity Act (H.R. 363). This legislation would put thousands of dollars in the pockets of millions of families across the country by allowing millions of responsible homeowners to refinance home mortgages at historically low rates. Preventing additional foreclosures would help families rebuild lost savings and wealth and our communities get back on their feet.

Strengthening Healthcare

What Health Care Reform Means For You

FOR THE VALLEY:

No discrimination against people with pre-existing conditions

Children can stay on their parents’ insurance until they’re 26

Ban on insurance plans dropping you if you get sick

Ban on lifetime coverage limits and caps out-of-pocket expenses

Tax cuts for 156,000 middle class households in the district to pay for coverage

FOR SENIORS:

Closing the Medicare Part D donut hole

Extends the solvency of the Medicare Trust Fund from 2017 to 2026

Free preventive care under Medicare – no co-payments and deductibles

Help for early retirees – temporary coverage for ages 55-64

FOR WOMEN:

Ban on gender rating that results in higher premiums for women

Eliminates all co-pays and deductibles for preventive services like mammograms

No discrimination for pre-existing conditions such as having had a C-section or being the victim of domestic violence

FOR SMALL BUSINESSES:

$40 billion in tax credits for small businesses to help them offer employee coverage

9,700 small businesses in the district qualify for tax credits of up to 50% of the costs of providing insurance

The same access to quality, affordable coverage that larger firms have

Lower administrative costs and stable pricing from year to year

Energy Sustainability

Our Valley is an energy rich region, supplying the state with power from oil, gas, and renewable sources like hydropower, biomass, wind, and solar. This vital sector of our economy is a job creator in our communities and a key player in reducing our nation’s dependence on foreign sources of energy.

For these reasons, I took the lead on this issue with a bipartisan group of legislators in the 112th Congress in introducing the Infrastructure Jobs and Energy Independence Act. Unlike the “cap and trade” bill which I opposed and voted against, this bill outlines a practical, responsible energy plan for America that would further develop domestic energy production of traditional oil and gas, provide a funding stream to clean up the environment and fully develop clean energy technologies.

In addition, our Valley’s energy economy has been bolstered through the Recovery Act. These funds have gone toward creating good-paying jobs, allowing Valley cities to develop and implement projects to improve energy efficiency and reduce fossil fuel emissions in our cities.

Fiscal Responsibility

Increasing our water supply and investing in Valley communities are critical to renewing our economy. However, long-term and sustainable growth also relies on getting our nation’s fiscal house in order.

Today, the national debt is approaching $20 trillion dollars, which is approximately $61,350 per U.S. citizen, and ensuring a robust 21st century U.S. economy will require Congress to get our fiscal house in order. As a co-chair of the Blue Dog Coalition, I will continue supporting fiscally sustainable policies that will grow our Valley and U.S. economy.

Just as no single reason led to the deep deficits now facing our country, there are no silver bullets or quick fixes to getting our country back on track. Putting our fiscal house in order will take hard work and tough decisions. This means reviewing and terminating unnecessary federal programs; ending expensive policies that encourage companies to ship American jobs overseas; and eliminating so much of the fraud, waste, and abuse draining our government’s resources.

As Americans, we must be honest about our long-term economic obligations and work together to get the job done. To learn more about some of the measures I have supported to help increase accountability and fiscal responsibility, you can visit the Blue Dog website here.

Serving Valley Veterans

Our Valley’s veterans hail from all backgrounds and represent what is great about our nation. The debt we owe to these selfless individuals and their families is immeasurable and we must always deliver on the promises made to those who stand up to protect our freedom and values.

Every day we have the responsibility to assist our service members and it is my personal mission to help our Valley’s veterans access the benefits they have earned and deserve. Since taking office, I have helped over 1,000 Valley veterans cut through red tape at the Veterans Administration (VA) or other federal agencies to access their health care, social security checks, and even medals. If you or a veteran you know is having difficulty with the VA or federal government, I encourage you to call my office in Fresno at (559) 495-1620.

Along with working with our veterans personally, I have fought to secure funding for programs and pass legislation that will benefit members of our armed services.

Fresno Veterans Home

One of the greatest achievements for our veterans can be found right here in our Valley. After we fought to secure $92 million in funding and a location, I was able to join with local veterans and leaders to break ground on the first ever Veterans Home in Fresno County. In 2013, we opened the Fresno Veterans Home, which includes a 120-bed nursing home and a 180-bed domiciliary. Construction of the home created nearly 1000 jobs in the Fresno area.

Reducing the VA Backlog

Veterans in the Central Valley know all too well the severe backlogs that plague the Oakland and Los Angeles Veterans Affairs Regional Offices. When the VA announced that not one California benefits office would implement a pilot program to reduce the backlog, I urged the VA to reverse its decision and received a commitment from the VA for additional staff and training at the Oakland office. I also instructed the government watchdog agency to investigate the Los Angeles office and provide recommendations for how to reduce the backlog.

Legislation for Veterans

With over one million unemployed veterans in the United States today, it is imperative for us to find ways in which we can ease their transition to civilian life. One of the best ways to facilitate that transition is by helping them find gainful employment. That’s why I was proud to support the VOW to Hire Heroes Act. This law helps our veterans by expanding education and training programs; educating separating service members on how their military skills and training can be easily adapted in civilian life; allowing service members to begin the federal employment process prior to their separation; and providing a veterans tax credit to businesses that hire veterans.

The President also signed another bill that passed the House with my strong support, the Restoring GI Bill Fairness Act of 2011. In 2008, Congress passed the Post-9/11 GI Bill, landmark legislation that restored the promise of a four-year education for veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. This law builds upon the success of the Post-9/11 GI Bill by increasing the amount of educational assistance available to student veterans attending private universities and colleges.

Because just one veteran falling asleep at night without a permanent roof over his or her head is one veteran too many, I fought to secure $1 million to help homeless and at-risk veteran families in the Valley find sustainable, stable housing. Ending homelessness among veterans and their families once and for all must be a national goal.

On the battlefield, the military pledges to leave no soldier behind. Let it be our pledge that when they return home, we leave no veteran behind.

National Security

One of my top duties in Congress is to keep our country safe. This means strengthening our national security, supporting our troops at home and abroad, and completing our missions in Iraq and Afghanistan.

To increase our national security, I have supported legislation to give our men and women in uniform the resources they need to keep us safe while ensuring accountability and good stewardship of our taxpayer dollars. For instance, 2011’s National Defense Authorization provides our military with the additional tools they need to disrupt, dismantle, and eventually defeat al Qaeda and its extremist allies. These tools include counter-proliferation programs to keep weapons out of the hands of our enemies and intelligence and cyber security efforts to deter threats as soon as we learn about them. Al Qaeda and our enemies are constantly adapting, and I am committed to supporting our military and defense community in evolving to meet new threats.

Supporting our Troops

Over two million American service members have deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan since 2001. These brave men and women put their lives on the line to keep us safe and it is critical to our national honor and security to support members of our military when they are in the field and when they return home. To learn more about my work for veterans and their families, click here.

Saving Fresno’s 144th Fighter Wing

The Air National Guard’s 144th Fighter Wing in Fresno is vital for our national security and our Valley’s economic security. The location of the 144th Fighter Wing on the West Coast helps our nation maintain air superiority in the Southwest region of the United States and around the world, and with more than 1000 guardsmen and women stationed at the wing, the 144th is a central part of our local economy.

That’s why I fought so hard to stop proposals by other states to end the 144th fighter wing and halt the transfer of new F-15s to the wing. On a bipartisan basis, I rallied more than half the California Congressional delegation in support of the wing, and we were successful. The new F-15s are on track and the 144th is safe from any proposed elimination.

Standing Up for Victims' Rights

Protecting victims of crime should be a top priority for legislatures at all levels of government. When I came to Washington in 2005, there was a void in leadership on issues related to crime victims. After speaking with some of my colleagues, I gathered several like-minded representatives together and co-founded the first Congressional Victims' Rights Caucus. This is a bipartisan caucus that seeks to represent crime victims in the United States through legislation that reflects their interests, rights and needs.

Furthermore, the Victims' Rights Caucus is designed to provide an ongoing dialogue between Congress and national victim assistance programs to enhance public education initiatives and communication. This way, our communities can better understand the impact of crime on victims and get involved in crime prevention and victim assistance.

Protecting the Crime Victim's Fund is a top priority of the Caucus. The Crime Victims’ Fund was started in 1984 to support crime victim assistance programs, helping over 3.8 million people each year. The fund also takes the burden off of victims for financial costs associated with crime, such as unreimbursed medical expenses, lost wages and funeral costs. Instead of being supported by taxpayer dollars, the fund is sustained through the collection of criminal fines and I want to ensure that it continues to be applied to the people it was meant to help. In each of the past years I have been in Congress, I led the effort to appropriate funds so that the Violence Against Women Act could be renewed, ensuring that national sexual assault and domestic violence programs have adequate funding to continue their efforts in our communities.

Victims of crime are our sons and daughters, husbands, brothers, wives and mothers struggling to survive in the aftermath of crime and they deserve our help. I pledge to continue my advocacy on behalf of victims as the co-chair of the Congressional Victims’ Rights Caucus, enacting compassionate policy and raising awareness of these crucial issues.

Immigration Resources

We are a nation of immigrants past and immigrants present. For more than 250 years, since the formation of the United States, immigrants have made our country what it is today.

Our immigration system is broken, and we must fix it. That’s why I support policies that would modernize our broken immigration system for the 21st Century by securing our borders, uniting families, and providing an earned pathway to citizenship.

My entire career in the House of Representatives has given me the opportunity to be a strong advocate for comprehensive immigration reform. I know first-hand the benefits that reforming our system will bring to the Valley. Continuing the status quo is not acceptable for the sake of our economy, the future of the San Joaquin Valley, and the 11 million people living in the shadows. We need reform now.[14]

—Jim Costa's campaign website (2020)[15]

Campaign website

Costa's campaign website stated the following:

Valley Water

Led the charge to ensure that the 340,000 acre-feet of 2013 carryover water was able to be used for its intended purpose of irrigated agriculture during the 2014 drought.

Urged Governor Brown to declare a drought emergency in the state and to take actions to conserve the water available to the state for human use. On January 17, 2014, Governor Brown declared a statewide drought emergency, calling for actions to reduce the state’s water use, activating California’s Emergency Response plan and freeing up drought relief funding for many of the counties across the Valley. The actions and flexibility provided by state and federal agencies this year resulted in approximately 200,000 acre-feet of water being pumped that would have been lost under standard regulatory practices.

Brought President Obama and Governor Brown to the Valley, where the President announced that the federal government would be providing the following disaster assistance to California:

$100 million in livestock disaster assistance for California producers;

$15 million in targeted conservation assistance for the most extreme and exceptional drought areas;

$5 million in targeted Emergency Watershed Protection (EWP) Program assistance to the most drought impacted areas of California to protect vulnerable soils;

$60 million to California food banks to help families that may be economically impacted by the drought;

600 summer meal sites to be established in California’s drought stricken areas;

$3 million in Emergency Water Assistance Grants for rural communities experiencing water shortages.

This assistance is in addition to the USDA announcement of $20 million in Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) Funds for agricultural conservation in California and $15 million in Conservation Innovation Grants.

Authored legislation to create the Kern County Water Bank-America's largest water bank.

Obtained $18.7 million for Delta Mendota Canal-California Aqueduct Intertie, producing 35,000 acre-feet of water annually.

Brought over $25 million to local water districts for projects increasing water quality, supply and water crisis relief for families and farms, including the following: Westlands Water District, Byron Bethany Irrigation District, Del Puerto Water District, Firebaugh Canal Water District, Fresno Slough Water District, Central California Irrigation District, Semitropic Water Storage District, Grassland Water District, and San Luis Water District.

Instrumental in bringing over 200,000 acre-feet of transferred water to combat the 2009 crisis.

$2.5 million for Improved Water Supply Reliability Grants.

$1 million to Improve and Maintain Jones Pumping Plant Systems.

Helped bring increased water allocation to south of Delta agriculture in 2010, totaling up to 198,000 acre feet of water not previously available to farmers at contracted rates.

$1.5 million for Water Conservation and Delivery at Madera Water Bank. Increased Kaweah Reservoir's capacity by 48,000 acre feet, improving water storage and flood protection.

Agriculture

As a member of the House Committee on Agriculture, and 2014 Farm Bill Conference Committee secured more than $1 billion for specialty crops in the 2014 Farm Bill

Obtained more than half a billion dollars for plant pest and disease prevention for the eradication of European Grapevine Moth, Light Brown Apple Moth and other invasive species

Secured millions through the EQIP program to help Valley farmers improve efficiencies in conservation

Included language in the 2014 Farm Bill that would allow California the opportunity to enter the Federal Milk Marketing Order. Costa has long advocated giving producers the chance to petition the U.S. Agriculture Secretary for entrance into the Federal Order

Fought to end $6 billion in taxpayer subsidies for the corn ethanol industry

Improved Williamson Act & Inheritance Tax for farm families bringing millions in tax cuts

Supported free trade agreements with South Korea, Colombia and Panama to help create new markets for California agricultural products

Housing Crisis

Fought federal regulators to bring mortgage relief to Valley homeowners

Helped hundreds of Valley residents avoid foreclosure

Fighting to pass his Responsible Homeowner Refinancing Act, which will help millions of homeowners refinance their mortgage and take advantage of today’s low interest rates

Secured millions to end homelessness in the Valley

Transportation

Led efforts to bring hundreds of millions for Highway 99 improvements

Secured $5 million to rehabilitate the Fresno Yosemite Int'l airport taxiway

Delivered millions for upgrades to highways 180, 198, and 41 and local transit

Saved the air traffic control tower at Castle Air Force Base

Secured $16 million in funding for downtown revitalization efforts at the Fulton Mall

Clean Air & Water

Created San Joaquin Valley Air District to clean our air

Forced SF Bay Area to stop sending air pollution to the Valley

Secured $30 million for zero emission power plants to clean our air

Directed $6 million for diesel retrofits on school buses and agricultural equipment

Brought $23 million to farmers to retire old, inefficient engines

Es