Congressman Ami Bera, M.D. has represented California's 7th Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives since 2013. The 7th district is located just east of California's capitol city, Sacramento, and lies entirely within Sacramento County.
Representative Bera is currently a member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, where he serves as Chairman of the Subcommittee on Asia, the Pacific, Central Asia, and Nonproliferation. He is also a senior member on the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology. Congressman Bera is also Vice Chair for Outreach for the New Democrat Coalition, a group of over 100 forward-thinking Democrats who are committed to pro-economic growth, pro-innovation, and fiscally responsible policies.
As someone who was born and raised in California, I grew up believing that America is the land of opportunity. It is a place where you can reach your full potential if you work hard.
I was fortunate to get a great education by attending California’s public schools from kindergarten through medical school. With some help from my family, scholarships, and while working part-time and taking advantage of federally-funded student loans, I was able to graduate with less than $10,000 in debt. I became a doctor and, along with my wife Janine, was able to support my family and raise my daughter Sydra. This was all possible because my country made an investment in me.
But today, many families have to work harder and harder to realize their American dream. I know many hard working families are worried that their children may end up worse off than they are.
As we continue to recover from the financial crisis that cost people millions of jobs, homes, and retirement savings, we’re also experiencing a shift in our economy. Many families are still under stress and aren't earning enough to make a decent living or to save for their retirement. At the same time, we’re living in an increasingly interconnected world where technology is reshaping our economy.
As our economy changes, we must to do a better job of keeping up. We need a plan for Sacramento County that creates more high-paying jobs and provides in-demand skills training so that workers have the opportunity to get ahead.
An economic roadmap for Sacramento County means rebuilding America’s roads, bridges, and levees to create more jobs and to modernize our economy. It means investing in education to maintaining high-quality schools that will educate the next generation of innovators. We need to focus on creating more jobs and opportunities in sectors such as high-tech and manufacturing. And we need to help every family get ahead so they not only can pay their bills, but earn enough to save for a secure retirement.
Here's the economic roadmap for Sacramento County: