Doug LaMalfa is a fourth generation rice farmer and business owner who has lived in Northern California all his life. Doug attended local schools and grew up learning the value of hard work and community service. Doug earned his degree in Ag/Business from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. He now manages the family farming business originally founded by his great-grandfather in 1931.
Doug is a strong voice for the North State’s agriculture and resources based economy and for the first district’s farms and businesses.
I’m proud to represent one of the most diverse and productive agricultural areas in the world. Northern California is the second largest rice growing region in the nation, we produce over 90% of America’s domestic olives, and we grow over half of all the dried plum produced in the world. Our farmers are also international leaders in almond, walnut, and pistachio production, among other crops.
As a rice farmer, I understand the unique challenges and obstacles facing our agricultural industry, from excessive state and federal regulations, unpredictable and sometimes catastrophic weather conditions, volatile markets, and significant barriers preventing new and young farmers from gaining stability.
During the very first Farm Bill I worked on as a member of the House Agriculture Committee, I advocated for eliminating costly direct payments, streamlining federal programs, investing in our specialty crops, and ensuring farmers have the tools they need to endure uncertainties, such as droughts or wildfires. We now must build off those successes as Congress continues to move toward reauthorizing the 2018 Farm Bill. I will continue advocating for policies that provide relief from burdensome red tape, develop new markets for our products, increase flexibility for our ranchers and foresters, and target resources to rural development and broadband expansion.
In Congress, I will continue to fight to ensure our farmers and rancher have the support, certainty and clarity they need to continuing feeding our nation and the world.
For more information concerning my work and views related to Agriculture, please contact me.
For more information concerning my work and views on Congressional Issues, please contact me.
I look forward to hearing from you.
Thank you.
Ensuring the strength and readiness of the United States Armed Forces is one of the primary responsibilities of Congress.
We are living in perilous times, and I will never underestimate the seriousness of the threats we face from foreign nations that seek to harm Americans, such as terrorist organizations, including the Islamic State and Hezbollah.
In the 21st Century, these threats rarely appear in the form of armored vehicles and regular armies – instead choosing to attack America and its allies with guerilla tactics and cyber warfare. A strong America must always maintain its conventional military edge, while continuing to invest in emerging technologies to confront our opponents on new frontiers.
For more information concerning my work and views on the issues of Defense and National Security, please contact me.
The most urgent and critical issue we face is growing our economy and jumpstarting job creation. Throughout our local community, and our nation as a whole, we have seen too many of our citizens struggling to find work. It is time for the federal government to get out of the way of small business owners, startup companies, and entrepreneurs all around the country so that we can finally get our economy back on track.
As a business owner, I know what it takes to make payroll, balance a budget, and plan for the future. Families and business all across the country are forced to live within their means and it is time for our federal government to do the same.
The first step towards a strong economic recovery that will provide more good-paying jobs for Americans is to finally get our fiscal house in order. Our country currently has over $16 trillion in debt and we are borrowing and spending at an alarming rate.
Secondly, our small businesses are overregulated. An estimate from the Small Business Administration indicates that the cost of all government regulations to our economy comes out to $1.75 trillion per year. We need a comprehensive review of federal regulations and I will work to repeal those that are unnecessary and are blocking job growth.
In addition, the United States currently has one of the highest corporate tax rates in the world. In the age of globalization, our country ranks only seventh in competitiveness. I support cutting our corporate tax rate and keeping all other taxes as low as possible too.
There are many commonsense steps we can take right away to improve economic conditions in the United States and help put people back to work. Job creation must continue to be our number one priority and I will fight on behalf of American companies and entrepreneurs.
For more information concerning my work and views related to Economy and Jobs, please contact me.
I look forward to hearing from you.
Thank you.
I strongly believe that every child should have access to a quality education. Providing a first-rate education for America’s youth is one of the most important responsibilities of parents, local school boards, states, and, to a degree, the federal government.
For over forty-five years, the federal government’s role in education has been expanding, yet it has repeatedly failed to improve the outcome for our students. I strongly believe parents should have control over their children’s education, and they should have the opportunity to send their children to a high-quality charter or private school, or chose home-schooling. Ultimately, increasing options and competition will strengthen the accountability of our public schools. We should not accept that a one-size-fits-all education structure is an efficient system. Our students need choice, and we should strive to give them the best educational opportunities possible.
When it comes to higher education, I am concerned over the rapidly increasing cost of tuition. While some individuals' paths may not require a college degree, there is no doubt that a college education generates greater opportunities. As the average tuition has increased tremendously over the past decade, the federal government has responded by spending more and more on financial aid. I believe Congress should focus on real solutions to the rising cost of higher education, but in a way that doesn't worsen our already unsustainable mandatory spending programs. Higher education institutions also need to be held more accountable for their spending and should have greater financial transparency so that students and taxpayers can see where their money is being spent.
For more information concerning my work and views on Education, please contact me.
Our nation needs a coherent policy that promotes domestic production of energy, which will grow our economy and decrease our reliance on foreign oil. Rather than focusing solely on less reliable and more expensive renewable power, an all-of-the-above energy approach will provide more good-paying jobs, lower energy prices, and more disposable income for hardworking Americans.
I have supported legislation that increases domestic energy – such as natural gas, hydropower, oil, and biomass – by removing restrictions, expediting the permitting process, and streamlining duplicative environmental reviews. In Congress, I will continue fighting for common-sense solutions will move our nation toward a more stable economy, increase our energy supply, and lower costs for households and employers
For more information concerning my work and views related to Energy, please contact me.
The growth of government spending is out of control. In the past four years our nation has added about $6 trillion in new debt borrowed against our children and grandchildren’s' future. Unfortunately, both parties have been complicit in increasing government spending dramatically, though for very different reasons. Today our nation faces $16 trillion in debt, much of it owed to foreign countries hostile to our economic interests and way of life. While some believe that these challenges can simply be put off to a later date, I believe that the time to act against higher borrowing is now.
I believe that part of the solution to our debt problem is to scale back the federal government and return to the private sector any federal job that could be done more efficiently by a business. There is any number of tasks performed by the federal government which could be provided at both lower cost and higher efficiency by a privately-operated business with real concerns about keeping costs down.
A second common-sense step is to limit the duplicative duties of many federal agencies, which often conflict and can be counterproductive. For example, in Siskiyou County, the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and Environmental Protection Agency all believe that they have a role in the regulation of water supply and use. These agencies provide conflicting direction, fight amongst themselves and generally fail to provide the area's farmers and ranchers with any clear path to profitable operation. Add in the regular disputes these agencies have with similar entities in California's state government and there is a wide array of government workers doing essentially the same job - an incredibly expensive and counterproductive way to operate.
For more information concerning my work and views on Spending Cuts and Debt, please contact me.
I look forward to hearing from you.
Thank you.
Financial Services are critical to the vitality of our economy. Our businesses and entrepreneurs require access to capital, stable financial markets, and regulatory clarity in order to grow and create jobs.
Unfortunately, federal bailouts and burdensome regulations have created a climate of uncertainty, and the volatility is a direct consequence of these misguided policies. The Dodd-Frank Act created massive new government bureaucracies that give too much authority to federal regulators. Dodd-Frank should be repealed so we can rein in federal bureaucrats and regulations that pose a threat to our economic recovery. That is why I have supported legislation to repeal the “too big to fail” designation, which has all too often left many small and medium-sized community banking institutions “too small to succeed.”
By maintaining stable financial markets that allow startup companies, students, individuals, and small business to get loans, we will lay the groundwork for future economic success. The first step is to get the federal government out of the way. In Congress, I will always work to ensure the federal government does not interfere in areas it doesn’t need to.
For more information concerning my work and views related to Financial Services, please contact me.
American foreign policy must focus on promoting freedom throughout the world, and building dependable alliances around the world. While foreign aid is a strong tool to incentivize adherence to these values, our nation should never fund countries or organizations that act against our interests.
Our nation has built the largest economy and the strongest military ever known. We must always leverage that strength to accomplish our nation’s goal of fostering peace and free trade around the globe.
For more information concerning my work and views on Foreign Affairs issues, please contact me.
The health and productivity of national forests have never been at a more critical juncture – 129 million dead and dying trees statewide from drought and insect and disease epidemics.
As a result of decades of aggressive fire suppression and hands-off management practices, our forests have become overgrown and mismanaged to the point of becoming virtual tinderboxes. In many cases, these catastrophic fires cannot be controlled, threatening entire communities and leaving charred forests that may not recover for a century or more. These are not the natural fires that have historically cleaned up the forest floors. Fires of the size, magnitude and intensity that we have seen with increasing frequency in recent years are, very simply, an incredibly serious threat to public health and safety.
This is why we must commit to common sense policies that allow local forest professionals, who know and understand the land, more flexibility to access our forests and thin them in a way that reduces fuels and restores them to a more fire resilient and healthier condition. Most recently, I was happy to see my bill, the Electricity Reliability and Forest Protection Act, signed into law. This legislation removes red tape so utility providers can remove hazardous vegetation near power lines before it can cause a wildfire.
In Congress, I will continue fighting for balanced, common sense forestry reforms that help prevent fires before they occur and start recovering our national forests.
For more information concerning my work and views related to Forestry, please contact me.
When it comes to health care, I believe Americans deserve access to quality, affordable health care options that can be tailored to fit their needs.
Throughout Northern California, I hear from many residents struggling under Obamacare. From high premiums, fewer choices, and costly mandates, the status quo is simply not working. These challenges are only exasperated in rural areas where workforce shortages continue to be an obstacle in accessing timely care. I share these concerns and believe we must do better. I support repealing Obamacare and replacing it with reforms that lower the cost of care and put patients back in charge of their health care decisions.
I also will continue to strongly advocate for programs that help improve care in rural areas, such as Federally Qualified Community Health Centers and the Teaching Health Center Graduate Medical Education program. Both of these have proven success in increasing primary care options in underserved areas, while preventing unnecessary and costly hospital visits.
In Congress, I will continue to work to reform our health care system to one that is patient centered, and expands access to affordable, quality care for everyone.
For more information concerning my work and views related to Health Care, please contact me.
Social Security and Medicare represent a promise that the federal government has made to its workers and elderly population since 1935 and 1965. It is the responsibility of Congress to ensure that the trust funds underpinning those systems remain stable and healthy in the long-term.
In recent years, it has become painfully obvious that there are serious issues at the core of funding for Social Security and Medicare. Although there is no threat of insolvency for well over a decade, Congress must work to address the shortfalls now in order to prevent a crisis in the future. As we do so, I believe the focus of our work should be on the solutions that present the most upside in the very long-term. While budgets are often made in a 10-year context, Social Security and Medicare funding must regain solvency beyond the 75-year window we currently project.
This funding is undoubtedly going to be rife with tough choices and hard decisions, but today’s workers have the same right to Social Security and Medicare benefits as today’s beneficiaries. We must ensure that both populations are able to receive the benefits they were promised.
For more information concerning my work and views on Social Security and Medicare issues, please contact me.
I have always opposed tax increases. It is my continued belief that government spending is inherently less efficient than private spending. In December, 2017 I was proud to join with my Republican colleagues to support H.R. 1, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, which provided across the board tax cuts for individuals and corporations, while also increasing the standard deduction and child tax credit to specifically support lower income families.
By directly cutting taxes for millions of American households, the government can increase private spending within the economy without the wasteful administration of the bureaucracy. I will continue to support lowering taxes to pave the way for a strong and vibrant economy that encourages flourishing opportunities for every American.
For more information concerning my work and views on Tax Reform, please contact me.
Our nation’s transportation network underpins almost every economic interaction in the United States. President Dwight D. Eisenhower’s Interstate Highway System was visionary when it was built, but Congress has allowed it to dim in recent years.
As a member of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, I am constantly looking at new solutions for funding our nation’s roads, bridges and highways – without regressive policies, like the gas tax, which hurt rural and poor Americans most.
In addition, I have consistently worked with my Republican and Democratic colleagues in the House of Representatives to reduce overregulation and red tape. In Northern California, rebuilding our roads will not just be focused on getting more dollars into our road system – it will be about making each and every dollar go further.
For more information concerning my work and views on Transportation issues, please contact me.
As important as it is to ensure that America is secure and prosperous, it is just as important to ensure we take care of those who were willing to put their lives on the line to guarantee our freedoms. The Department of Veterans Affairs has consistently shown the trademark problems with federal bureaucracy by being bogged down in an administrative process that benefits no one. They frequently fail to accomplish their main goal of caring for our veterans and allow bureaucrats that have violated the public trust to continue working.
Over the past several years, Congress has passed dozens of measures to improve the VA and raise the quality of life for our veterans. It is imperative that this work continue. I will work with my colleagues in Congress, both Republican and Democrat, to ensure that the needs of our nation’s heroes are addressed.
For more information concerning my work to support our Veterans, please contact me.
Approximately two-thirds of California's water supply originates north of the Delta, a great portion of which is within the counties I represent. Northern California water users hold longstanding superior water rights, many of which predate the construction of either the Central Valley Project or State Water Project. As such, I will always fight to ensure our area of origin water rights are fully protected and enforced.
In Congress, I have been working hard to build new water storage, such as Sites Reservoir. If this project existed right now, we would be able to store nearly 280 billion gallons of water this year, enough to serve 6.3 million Californians. My legislation authorizing the construction of Sites, as well as language guaranteeing more water for the North State to protect us from water grabs, has been included in every water bill considered in Congress.
For more information concerning my work and views related to Water, please contact me.