Jim Costa
Representative for California · Democratic · United States
“Almost 30 percent of households in my congressional district rely at some time or another on SNAP. It is one of the highest ratios in the State. Most of these households include a child, a senior, or a person on disability. These families are not living large, believe me. They are barely surviving.”
“Almost 30 percent of households in my congressional district rely at some time or another on SNAP. It is one of the highest ratios in the State. Most of these households include a child, a senior, or a person on disability. These families are not living large, believe me. They are barely surviving.”
“They have done it twice, once in the big, not so beautiful bill, in my view, and they have done it a second time in this ag appropriations that was passed last month. Again, the Agriculture appropriations bill made this cut, as I said, 5.6 percent, or another $6 billion below last year's enacted measure.”
“They have done it twice, once in the big, not so beautiful bill, in my view, and they have done it a second time in this ag appropriations that was passed last month. Again, the Agriculture appropriations bill made this cut, as I said, 5.6 percent, or another $6 billion below last year's enacted measure.”
“This Act fundamentally changed the safety and transparency of higher education, ensuring safety for millions of students. Throughout the years, Connie remained a steadfast advocate for victims' rights and institutional accountability.”
“This Act fundamentally changed the safety and transparency of higher education, ensuring safety for millions of students. Throughout the years, Connie remained a steadfast advocate for victims' rights and institutional accountability.”
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“For 51 years, a loving mother to Howard, III, Benjamin, and Jeanne, and a proud grandmother and friend. While her work became known across the Nation, her family remained at the heart of everything she did, and Connie's memory continued to inspire her life's mission. Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring the life of Connie Clery for her extraordinary service to students and the countless lives that will never know the danger she worked so tirelessly to prevent. May her legacy continue to inspire others to serve with integrity, compassion, and purpose. ____________________”
“This Act fundamentally changed the safety and transparency of higher education, ensuring safety for millions of students. Throughout the years, Connie remained a steadfast advocate for victims' rights and institutional accountability. Alongside her husband Howard, she helped advance more than 30 state and federal laws designed to improve campus safety and strengthen victims' rights. Even after stepping down from leading the organization she co-founded, Connie remained deeply engaged as Chairwoman Emerita of the Clery Center, continuing to mentor advocates and inspire institutions committed to creating safer learning environments. Her actions and courage continue to fuel a national movement that has protected countless lives and families. Above all, Connie was a devoted wife to Howard Clery, Jr.”
“Together, the Clery family founded Security on Campus Inc., now known as the Clery Center, an organization committed to promoting safer college campuses through education, prevention, and advocacy. Under Connie's leadership, the organization became a national voice for transparency, empowering students and families with information while encouraging colleges and universities to prioritize campus safety. Connie's perseverance helped inspire the passage of the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act, known as the Clery Act. This landmark federal law requires colleges and universities receiving federal financial aid to publicly disclose campus crime statistics and issue timely warnings about threats to campus communities.”
“While she will always be remembered as a loving wife, mother, grandmother, and friend, she is equally remembered as a national leader whose advocacy reshaped how institutions of higher education respond to campus crime and student safety. Connie's journey as an advocate began following the heartbreaking loss of her daughter, Jeanne Clery, who was tragically murdered in her residence hall at Lehigh University in 1986. Rather than allowing grief to define her family, Connie transformed this unimaginable loss into action. Alongside her husband, Howard Clery, she dedicated herself to ensuring that no other family would endure the same preventable tragedy.”
“Congressional Record, Volume 172 Issue 114 (Tuesday, July 14, 2026) [Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 114 (Tuesday, July 14, 2026)] [Extensions of Remarks] [Page E688] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] HONORING THE LIFE AND LEGACY OF CONNIE CLERY ______ HON. JIM COSTA of california in the house of representatives Tuesday, July 14, 2026 Mr. COSTA. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor and remember the life and legacy of Connie Clery, a courageous advocate for campus safety, victims' rights, and public accountability, who passed away on June 23, 2026, at the age of 95. Born Constance Benjamin Clery, Connie devoted her life to serving others with compassion, resilience, and determination.”
“Although technology and the ways people receive news has changed, ABC30's mission has remained steadfast: providing reliable journalism, addressing the issues that matter most to the community, and serving Central California with honesty and dedication. Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in congratulating ABC30 on 70 years of service in our Central Valley. We honor the station's history, its journalist and staff, and its lasting contributions to our community. We extend our sincere appreciation as ABC30 continues its legacy of trust, news reporting, and public service for generations to come. ____________________”
“Longtime anchors such as John Wallace and Nancy Osborne helped build a lasting connection with viewers, not only through their reporting, but through their leadership, professionalism and dedication to the community they served. The station's legacy is also reflected in its coverage of defining moments in Central Valley history, from the 1976 Chowchilla kidnapping to the aftermath of September 11, 2001, and the 2020 Creek Fire. Throughout each story, ABC30 has remained committed to its mission: to show up for the community and tell the stories that matter. Beyond reporting, ABC30 has become a familiar presence in the daily lives of viewers, through recognizable faces, iconic music, and community-centered programs.”
“What began as a local station with humble beginnings has grown into the region's longtime news leader, informing families and shaping the community thorough decades of storytelling. In the early 1970s, the station entered a new chapter with investments in equipment, staffing, and a new facility that helped launch the Action News format. This approach, emphasizing timely reporting, compelling visuals, and faster-paced coverage, helped ABC30 rise to the top of the ratings, a position it has proudly maintained for generations. ABC30 has been home to journalists and anchors who become trusted voices in households across the Valley.”
“Congressional Record, Volume 172 Issue 114 (Tuesday, July 14, 2026) [Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 114 (Tuesday, July 14, 2026)] [Extensions of Remarks] [Page E685] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] HONORING ABC30'S 70TH ANNIVERSARY ______ HON. JIM COSTA of california in the house of representatives Tuesday, July 14, 2026 Mr. COSTA. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize and honor ABC30 on its 70th Anniversary, a remarkable milestone celebrating seven decades of service, journalism, and steadfast commitment to the people of California's Central Valley. Since its first broadcast on May 10, 1956, ABC30's predecessor operated out of a small, modest facility in downtown Fresno with limited staff and resources.”
“The farm bill on the Senate side gives us another chance, and I ask that we reconsider the SNAP payments on that farm bill in September. Fraud is a crime, but hunger is not. Let us honor the values of this anniversary. ____________________”
“Almost 30 percent of households in my congressional district rely at some time or another on SNAP. It is one of the highest ratios in the State. Most of these households include a child, a senior, or a person on disability. These families are not living large, believe me. They are barely surviving. Madam Speaker, in this 250th year of America, I think we should be lifting people up and not taking food off their dinner tables because food in America is a national security issue, as I like to say. It is an international security issue when we look at food hunger around the globe and cuts that have [[Page H4419]] taken place in USAID that were devastating, to make but one of those examples. Our Founders did not build this Nation so that two and a half centuries later we would be debating whether or not hungry children deserve to eat.”
“They have done it twice, once in the big, not so beautiful bill, in my view, and they have done it a second time in this ag appropriations that was passed last month. Again, the Agriculture appropriations bill made this cut, as I said, 5.6 percent, or another $6 billion below last year's enacted measure. On top of that, they are cutting fruit and vegetable benefits from the Women, Infants, and Children's program--fruits and vegetables, healthy aspects of our diet. It makes no sense why we are making it harder for families in underserved communities to put fresh, healthy food on the table. I voted ``no'' on that bill. My district in the San Joaquin Valley in California has some of the most vital, richest agricultural production anywhere in the country or the world, yet we have a significant amount of people who are food insecure.”
“We are talking about mothers stretching bags of groceries to the last of the week and oftentimes making difficult choices between food or medicine for their children. We are also talking about veterans who have served this country and now have difficulty putting food on the table. We are talking about people with disabilities who have nowhere else to turn. We are talking about our neighbors. They are Americans living during the celebration of this 250th year of this Republic. A drop in enrollment has nothing to do with fraud or a stronger economy. It has to do with people losing their benefits that they are entitled to. Yet, many of my Republican colleagues cut SNAP and nutrition assistance twice.”
“It makes it harder because the USDA is part of a safety net for American agriculture. For hungry families, it is even crueler. It takes food off the table. I ask what it says about us, in this 250th anniversary that is intended to commemorate the greatness of our country, that we are stripping food from the most vulnerable Americans and calling it a positive trend. Give me a break. Madam Speaker, 46 percent of Americans being cut from SNAP are children--children, not criminals, not fraudsters. They are children. Over 700,000 kids have already lost their food benefits, and that is only in the 12 States currently reporting the child-level data. The real number, I think, is far worse.”
“Last month, the House passed the Fiscal Year 2027 Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, funding for the USDA and other ancillary purposes. The bill cuts, unfortunately, the United States Department of Agriculture's budget by more than $1 billion while farm bankruptcies are increasing and rising costs to farmers as it relates to energy costs, fertilizer costs, et cetera, are having a dramatic impact. Certainly, in California, bankruptcies are up from last year by 44 percent. That is devastating. In the San Joaquin Valley, growers are already fighting rising costs, volatile markets, and pest and disease threats. That is a normal part of farming, but this doesn't meet the moment. It makes it harder.”
“Congressional Record, Volume 172 Issue 114 (Tuesday, July 14, 2026) [Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 114 (Tuesday, July 14, 2026)] [House] [Pages H4418-H4419] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] {time} 1100 HUNGER IS NOT A POSITIVE TREND (Mr. Costa of California was recognized to address the House for 5 minutes.) Mr. COSTA. Madam Speaker, as our Nation continues to commemorate our 250th anniversary, we are reminded that the ideals on which America was founded are as critical today as they were then: a nation built on a promise that every person has dignity and that no one should be left behind--the land of opportunity.”
“For 51 years, a loving mother to Howard, III, Benjamin, and Jeanne, and a proud grandmother and friend. While her work became known across the Nation, her family remained at the heart of everything she did, and Connie's memory continued to inspire her life's mission. Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring the life of Connie Clery for her extraordinary service to students and the countless lives that will never know the danger she worked so tirelessly to prevent. May her legacy continue to inspire others to serve with integrity, compassion, and purpose. ____________________”
“This Act fundamentally changed the safety and transparency of higher education, ensuring safety for millions of students. Throughout the years, Connie remained a steadfast advocate for victims' rights and institutional accountability. Alongside her husband Howard, she helped advance more than 30 state and federal laws designed to improve campus safety and strengthen victims' rights. Even after stepping down from leading the organization she co-founded, Connie remained deeply engaged as Chairwoman Emerita of the Clery Center, continuing to mentor advocates and inspire institutions committed to creating safer learning environments. Her actions and courage continue to fuel a national movement that has protected countless lives and families. Above all, Connie was a devoted wife to Howard Clery, Jr.”
“Together, the Clery family founded Security on Campus Inc., now known as the Clery Center, an organization committed to promoting safer college campuses through education, prevention, and advocacy. Under Connie's leadership, the organization became a national voice for transparency, empowering students and families with information while encouraging colleges and universities to prioritize campus safety. Connie's perseverance helped inspire the passage of the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act, known as the Clery Act. This landmark federal law requires colleges and universities receiving federal financial aid to publicly disclose campus crime statistics and issue timely warnings about threats to campus communities.”
“While she will always be remembered as a loving wife, mother, grandmother, and friend, she is equally remembered as a national leader whose advocacy reshaped how institutions of higher education respond to campus crime and student safety. Connie's journey as an advocate began following the heartbreaking loss of her daughter, Jeanne Clery, who was tragically murdered in her residence hall at Lehigh University in 1986. Rather than allowing grief to define her family, Connie transformed this unimaginable loss into action. Alongside her husband, Howard Clery, she dedicated herself to ensuring that no other family would endure the same preventable tragedy.”
“Congressional Record, Volume 172 Issue 114 (Tuesday, July 14, 2026) [Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 114 (Tuesday, July 14, 2026)] [Extensions of Remarks] [Page E688] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] HONORING THE LIFE AND LEGACY OF CONNIE CLERY ______ HON. JIM COSTA of california in the house of representatives Tuesday, July 14, 2026 Mr. COSTA. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor and remember the life and legacy of Connie Clery, a courageous advocate for campus safety, victims' rights, and public accountability, who passed away on June 23, 2026, at the age of 95. Born Constance Benjamin Clery, Connie devoted her life to serving others with compassion, resilience, and determination.”
“Although technology and the ways people receive news has changed, ABC30's mission has remained steadfast: providing reliable journalism, addressing the issues that matter most to the community, and serving Central California with honesty and dedication. Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in congratulating ABC30 on 70 years of service in our Central Valley. We honor the station's history, its journalist and staff, and its lasting contributions to our community. We extend our sincere appreciation as ABC30 continues its legacy of trust, news reporting, and public service for generations to come. ____________________”
“Longtime anchors such as John Wallace and Nancy Osborne helped build a lasting connection with viewers, not only through their reporting, but through their leadership, professionalism and dedication to the community they served. The station's legacy is also reflected in its coverage of defining moments in Central Valley history, from the 1976 Chowchilla kidnapping to the aftermath of September 11, 2001, and the 2020 Creek Fire. Throughout each story, ABC30 has remained committed to its mission: to show up for the community and tell the stories that matter. Beyond reporting, ABC30 has become a familiar presence in the daily lives of viewers, through recognizable faces, iconic music, and community-centered programs.”
“What began as a local station with humble beginnings has grown into the region's longtime news leader, informing families and shaping the community thorough decades of storytelling. In the early 1970s, the station entered a new chapter with investments in equipment, staffing, and a new facility that helped launch the Action News format. This approach, emphasizing timely reporting, compelling visuals, and faster-paced coverage, helped ABC30 rise to the top of the ratings, a position it has proudly maintained for generations. ABC30 has been home to journalists and anchors who become trusted voices in households across the Valley.”
“Congressional Record, Volume 172 Issue 114 (Tuesday, July 14, 2026) [Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 114 (Tuesday, July 14, 2026)] [Extensions of Remarks] [Page E685] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] HONORING ABC30'S 70TH ANNIVERSARY ______ HON. JIM COSTA of california in the house of representatives Tuesday, July 14, 2026 Mr. COSTA. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize and honor ABC30 on its 70th Anniversary, a remarkable milestone celebrating seven decades of service, journalism, and steadfast commitment to the people of California's Central Valley. Since its first broadcast on May 10, 1956, ABC30's predecessor operated out of a small, modest facility in downtown Fresno with limited staff and resources.”
“The farm bill on the Senate side gives us another chance, and I ask that we reconsider the SNAP payments on that farm bill in September. Fraud is a crime, but hunger is not. Let us honor the values of this anniversary. ____________________”
“Almost 30 percent of households in my congressional district rely at some time or another on SNAP. It is one of the highest ratios in the State. Most of these households include a child, a senior, or a person on disability. These families are not living large, believe me. They are barely surviving. Madam Speaker, in this 250th year of America, I think we should be lifting people up and not taking food off their dinner tables because food in America is a national security issue, as I like to say. It is an international security issue when we look at food hunger around the globe and cuts that have [[Page H4419]] taken place in USAID that were devastating, to make but one of those examples. Our Founders did not build this Nation so that two and a half centuries later we would be debating whether or not hungry children deserve to eat.”
“They have done it twice, once in the big, not so beautiful bill, in my view, and they have done it a second time in this ag appropriations that was passed last month. Again, the Agriculture appropriations bill made this cut, as I said, 5.6 percent, or another $6 billion below last year's enacted measure. On top of that, they are cutting fruit and vegetable benefits from the Women, Infants, and Children's program--fruits and vegetables, healthy aspects of our diet. It makes no sense why we are making it harder for families in underserved communities to put fresh, healthy food on the table. I voted ``no'' on that bill. My district in the San Joaquin Valley in California has some of the most vital, richest agricultural production anywhere in the country or the world, yet we have a significant amount of people who are food insecure.”
“We are talking about mothers stretching bags of groceries to the last of the week and oftentimes making difficult choices between food or medicine for their children. We are also talking about veterans who have served this country and now have difficulty putting food on the table. We are talking about people with disabilities who have nowhere else to turn. We are talking about our neighbors. They are Americans living during the celebration of this 250th year of this Republic. A drop in enrollment has nothing to do with fraud or a stronger economy. It has to do with people losing their benefits that they are entitled to. Yet, many of my Republican colleagues cut SNAP and nutrition assistance twice.”
“It makes it harder because the USDA is part of a safety net for American agriculture. For hungry families, it is even crueler. It takes food off the table. I ask what it says about us, in this 250th anniversary that is intended to commemorate the greatness of our country, that we are stripping food from the most vulnerable Americans and calling it a positive trend. Give me a break. Madam Speaker, 46 percent of Americans being cut from SNAP are children--children, not criminals, not fraudsters. They are children. Over 700,000 kids have already lost their food benefits, and that is only in the 12 States currently reporting the child-level data. The real number, I think, is far worse.”
“Last month, the House passed the Fiscal Year 2027 Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, funding for the USDA and other ancillary purposes. The bill cuts, unfortunately, the United States Department of Agriculture's budget by more than $1 billion while farm bankruptcies are increasing and rising costs to farmers as it relates to energy costs, fertilizer costs, et cetera, are having a dramatic impact. Certainly, in California, bankruptcies are up from last year by 44 percent. That is devastating. In the San Joaquin Valley, growers are already fighting rising costs, volatile markets, and pest and disease threats. That is a normal part of farming, but this doesn't meet the moment. It makes it harder.”
“Congressional Record, Volume 172 Issue 114 (Tuesday, July 14, 2026) [Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 114 (Tuesday, July 14, 2026)] [House] [Pages H4418-H4419] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] {time} 1100 HUNGER IS NOT A POSITIVE TREND (Mr. Costa of California was recognized to address the House for 5 minutes.) Mr. COSTA. Madam Speaker, as our Nation continues to commemorate our 250th anniversary, we are reminded that the ideals on which America was founded are as critical today as they were then: a nation built on a promise that every person has dignity and that no one should be left behind--the land of opportunity.”
“Many of them are still today imprisoned and abused, and Azerbaijan must be held accountable. We cannot remain silent. I have joined my colleagues in urging Secretary Marco Rubio to enforce section 907 of the FREEDOM Support Act, demanding an end to United States military assistance to the Nation of Azerbaijan. They do not need it. They have violated the peace agreement of Minsk. America must make it clear: We stand together in unity and continue to tell stories of the past to ensure future generations never forget. ____________________”
“Madam Speaker, on April 24, throughout the country and throughout the world, Armenians recognized the Armenian genocide that took place from 1915 to 1923 at the hands of the Ottoman Empire. I stand here today to confront it, empowered by facts, and determined that we never, ever forget the Armenian genocide, the first genocide that took place in the 20th century. Obviously, the Holocaust was to follow later on. It is a dark history, but we should never, ever forget our history. Azerbaijan's President Aliyev, much like Putin of Russia, has led an ethnic cleansing and weaponized starvation against Armenians still today, notwithstanding the Minsk agreements that he has violated. Over 120,000 Armenians in the last 2 years have been driven out of their homeland of Nagorno-Karabakh, otherwise known as Artsakh.”
“His son still works there today and is considered one of the anchors of the VA hospital in Fresno and, of course, with his dad. I had the honor of meeting Mr. Castillo on an Honor Flight a number of years ago, and I saw him again just recently at the 75th anniversary of the VA hospital in Fresno before he passed away on Easter Sunday at 100 years of age. In that short time, he made a lasting mark and impression on me and everyone whom he ever touched and met because he was a true American hero with wisdom, kindness, and an unwavering spirit of 100 years of a life well lived. We celebrate that century of courage, service, and sacrifice, and we, as Americans, can never ever say thank you enough to Guadalupe Castillo, a true American hero from Fresno, California. [[Page H1631]] {time} 1215 Honoring Victims of Armenian Genocide Mr. COSTA.”
“Speaker, I rise to honor the incredible life of another American, Guadalupe Castillo, a true American hero from my hometown of Fresno, California, from the San Joaquin Valley. At just 18, he entered the United States Army to do his duty during World War II. He faced some of the toughest and fiercest battles that our Nation was engaged in at that time: the Battle of the Bulge, D-day at Omaha Beach, and the liberation of France from the tyranny of the Nazis. Mr. Castillo's courage and sacrifice helped shape the course of the history of our Nation in the 20th century, but his service didn't just end there. After World War II, he came home and devoted 20 years to helping fellow veterans there with the Veterans Administration at the veterans hospital in Fresno, inspiring his son to follow in his footsteps.”
“At just 28 years of age, Marcelino served with distinction as a combat engineer in the 1st Combat Engineer Battalion, 1st Marine Division. Marcelino's commitment took him across the world with distinction as a combat engineer and as a part of a Marine Rotational Force all the way to Darwin, Australia. His service was marked by distinction, earning him the National Defense Service Medal and the Sea Service Deployment Ribbon. We, the folks in the San Joaquin Valley, mourn his tragic loss. Our hearts are with his family, his friends, and his fellow marines. His courage and his service will never be forgotten. Semper Fi, and God bless. Honoring the Life of Guadalupe Castillo Mr. COSTA. Mr.”
“Congressional Record, Volume 171 Issue 70 (Monday, April 28, 2025) [Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 70 (Monday, April 28, 2025)] [House] [Pages H1630-H1631] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] HONORING THE LIFE OF MARCELINO GAMINO (Mr. Costa of California was recognized to address the House for 5 minutes.) Mr. COSTA. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life of Lance Corporal Marcelino Gamino, a proud marine of Fresno, California, who gave his life in service to our Nation. A grateful nation can never ever say thank you enough to this fine young man and his family. As a young man, Marcelino answered the call to serve in May 2022, quickly rising to the rank of lance corporal by August 2024.”