Media

Today, I am happy to tell you that Sacramento has been chosen as one of the first five cities to benefit from President Obama's announced andquot;Better Building Initiativeandquot;, a plan to increase energy efficiency in commercial buildings by 20 percent by 2020.

We are currently in the midst of Medicare's Open Enrollment season, which ends earlier than normal this year on December 7.

Today, on Veterans Day, we take the time to remember, honor, and thank our service men and women, both current and former, for everything they have done at home and abroad to keep our country safe. This morning, I am excited to have the chance to participate in the City of Sacramento Veterans Day Parade. It is always a humbling experience to be in the presence of Sacramentoand#39;s heroes.

As you are aware, the Sacramento region's housing market has been one of the hardest hit in the nation. I have heard from hundreds of homeowners who are frustrated and angry at the banks for giving them the run around when they are trying to work with them to stay in their homes and avoid foreclosure.

I strongly believe that even as Congress works to reduce our nation's deficit, our first priority must be the creation of jobs for American workers. We know that we cannot reduce the debt without growing our economy; we cannot have growth without job creation; and we cannot create jobs without small businesses.

As Congress continues to work towards an agreement that will keep the United States from defaulting on its loans, I wanted to reiterate to you my commitment to protecting Medicare and Medicaid, on this, the 46th anniversary of the law's signing.

I continue to work every day to see that Sacramento's flood protection needs are met and flood insurance is affordable. This week on the House floor, we considered two bills that are of the utmost importance not only to Sacramento families and businesses, but to the needs of families and businesses all across the nation.

As we go to crank up our air conditioners this summer season, I wanted to let you know about a bill I recently introduced that would help us reduce our energy bills.