Representative TJ Cox Secures $69.5 Million for Citrus Disease Research

Rep. TJ Cox (CA-21) has been fighting for Central Valley priorities that are often ignored in the funding process, making sure our taxpayer dollars return to the Valley in order to fund the programs most critical to our communities. In March, Rep. TJ Cox led a bipartisan letter to the Chairman of the House Committee on Appropriations advocating for the funding of citrus research.  

Through this bipartisan action, Rep. TJ Cox has helped protect the Central Valley’s citrus industry by securing a total of $69.5 million for citrus research through the U.S. Department of Agriculture and other federal agencies. 

“Continuing to farm in the Central Valley will require two things: plentiful water and the best research and technology available. We have secured funding to help citrus farmers stay ahead of the curve and produce food and jobs for the Central Valley,” said Rep. TJ Cox. “With this funding for citrus research we can make sure our citrus farmers and farmworkers are safeguarded from diseases that can ruin Valley crops.”  

The funding secured by Rep. TJ Cox will, if passed by the Senate and signed by the President, provide $61 million for the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Citrus Health Response Program and $8.5 million to the HLB Multi-agency Coordination Group. These programs help protect the citrus industry from the exotic pests and diseases that threaten U.S. Citrus, including citrus greening, one of the world’s most serious citrus diseases.  

Last year, Rep. Cox hosted Rep. Barbara Lee (CA-13), who sits on the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies, to tour Valley citrus facilities.