Newsletter - Delivering for Sacramento County
Statement
I've been hard at work delivering for local families, businesses, and seniors over these past several days. Here's an update on what I've been up to:
Folsom Dam Upgrades Creating Jobs, Helping with Water Storage
Last week, I joined with Interior Department Secretary Sally Jewell and Congresswoman Doris Matsui to review new upgrades at the Folsom Dam.
These improvements have brought hundreds of new jobs to our area and infused tens of millions of dollars into our local economy. That's why I voted to fund this critical project and to bring further drought relief to our state.
The upgrades will allow Folsom Dam to store more water, and also release it more strategically. This will help with our current drought and provide better flood protection during wetter years. The entire project is a model for our region, with everyone working together to keep it on schedule and under budget.
During our visit, Interior Secretary Jewell also announced that $20 million in new drought relief funds are now available to help California.
I was one of only 57 Democrats to vote for a government funding bill that became law last year, in part because it included funding for these drought relief measures for California. It also included more than $100 million in funding for the ongoing upgrades at the Folsom Dam.
Delivering Tax Help to Sacramento County Families and Small Businesses
It's that time again: tax season. I know this can be a stressful period for many local families and business owners.
That's why my office is hosting two new tax help workshops next month. We're holding them in partnership with the independent IRS Taxpayer Advocate Service, which helps people resolve their tax issues.
While the tax advocates can't actually file your taxes during these workshops, they can help answer questions you may have about your taxes, how to file, or what forms you need.
Here are all the details on our two upcoming workshops. If you're unable to attend, please feel free to call my office at (916) 635 0505 so we can connect you with help.
Bringing Resources to Local Small Businesses
Our local small businesses are crucial to a strong economy. So last week, I was pleased to sit down with the Small Business Administration (SBA) Sacramento Office district director and deputy district director.
My office often partners with the SBA and others to make sure our area businesses have the resources they need to grow and hire. Our meeting was a great opportunity to see what else we can be doing to make government work for our local businesses.
I was also pleased to see that one of our region's small business owners made the cover of the SBA 2014-2015 resources guide, Cindy Vatalaro, owner of Got Your Yarn Studio.
My office can help small businesses access SBA loans, work with local Small Business Development Centers, and use other resources to help our businesses succeed. If you're a small business owner who needs help, please call us at (916) 635 0505 so we can connect you with any assistance that you may need.
We're also planning new workshops to help local small business owners, so please stay tuned for future updates.
Introduced Bipartisan Bill to Combat Waste, Fraud, and Abuse in Medicare
As a doctor, I know how important it is to both strengthen Medicare for our seniors and reduce runaway health care costs. That's why I joined with 23 other Members of Congress from both parties to support the PRIME Act last week.
The PRIME Act ensures that criminals can't take advantage of the system so resources get to the people who need them. It's a commonsense, bipartisan bill that will save billions of taxpayer dollars.
The bill strengthens penalties for fraud in Medicare and Medicaid, takes steps to stop government overpayments, and improves sharing of anti-fraud information across government agencies to protect taxpayer dollars.
I'm humbled to serve you in Congress. As always, please do not hesitate to contact me on any matter of concern.
Be well,
Ami Bera, M.D.
Member of Congress
Source