Friday, June 20, 2014

New House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy of Bakersfield gives a nod to his humble roots, pledges to fight for the Central Valley

Rep. Kevin McCarthy, newly election House Majority Leader, submits this to Bakersfield Observed. In his own words:


 "I want to thank my colleagues and constituents for the trust they have placed in me as the new Majority Leader of the U.S. House of Representatives. To say that I am incredibly humbled and honored would be an understatement. Only in America can the grandson of a cattle rancher and the son of a firefighter have the opportunity I now have to fight for you, your families, and our community’s ideals in our nation’s capital.

 "I was born and raised right here in our community.  It is where I met my wife, Judy, and where we brought up our two children in the first house we ever bought together. More importantly, it is where I learned my conservative values.

 "Here, I started a small business—Kevin O’s Deli—and learned the importance of self-reliance and entrepreneurship; to always show up first and leave last; that anything worth doing is worth doing right.

 "Here, I came to appreciate the importance of good family and friends; of taking care for one’s neighbor; and President Reagan’s wise words that “All great change in America starts at the dinner table.”

 "And it was here I was taught to value the service and sacrifice of those who fought to protect our way of life; to always shake the hand of a veteran; and that we are the land of the free because of the brave.

 "I am reminded of these lessons each day as your Representative, and I am committed to ensuring that our values and priorities will be heard in Washington, D.C. Though we have made many great strides—in combating Valley Fever and in supporting the top-tier research being performed at Edwards and China Lake—there is still much work to be done.

 "I will continue our fight against inflexible and ideological policies that keep vital water resources from our region. I will put the brakes on Governor Brown’s poorly planned high-speed rail project that would cut through our communities and hamstring our budget. I will work to create a better business climate so that the Central Valley will remain a leading energy producer in the nation for years to come. And I will not stop until we reform the broken VA system that has woefully failed to care for those who have bravely fought for our country.

 "To our community, I would like to simply and humbly say, Thank You.




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