David Valadao: “This is not a speech I ever wanted to give. I have had the honor of serving in office now for a number of years, and…”

“This is not a speech I ever wanted to give. I have had the honor of serving in office now for a number of years, and even during my time in the State legislature my district has always bordered Kevin McCarthy's. He was in Congress, and I was in State. When I had the honor of being elected to this body, I served alongside him for a number of years now. To say that he hasn't played a role in my ability to be here or my success here, yes, I wouldn't be here without him. The policies we have been championing for a number of years would never have existed and would have never come to fruition if it wasn't for Kevin McCarthy. We wouldn't have been able to change some of the things in the Valley that have been so positive for us if it wasn't for Kevin McCarthy. It is a sad day for us as an institution and a sad day for us in the Valley when we have all these different issues we are dealing with across the country, across this body, and across even the Central Valley in my home, we have got so much we need to still do, and the reality that he is not going to be there is a huge hole for us in the Valley. Mr. Speaker, if you look at his time in service, understanding the policies that affect us, if it was something like water, we wouldn't have the WIIN Act if it wasn't for Kevin McCarthy. We are seeing some of the results of that as we speak today.…”