Editor’s note: Rep. Adam Gray authored the following column in response to a story published by The Merced FOCUS on Aug. 21 with the headline “Facing mounting criticism over transparency, Gray finally explains controversial House defense vote.”
There’s plenty to disagree about in politics. Food prices are too high. Our service members are being stretched thin. Too many communities don’t feel safe.
Those are debates worth having.
Unfortunately, the recent Merced Focus story offered readers a one-sided view of my work with a lot of opinion disguised as reporting.
I’m not ashamed of my vote on the National Defense Authorization Act. I supported the NDAA because I believed it was the best way to protect American service members and maintain our national defense. If I and five other Democrats had allowed it to fail, a much worse bill would have been negotiated without us and passed in its place.
Seven Republicans voted against the bill for different reasons. Some opposed continued support for Ukraine. Some objected more broadly to American involvement overseas. Others wanted the SAVE America Act and other conservative priorities included within the NDAA.
Those are legitimate debates for Congress to have. But none justified defeating legislation that funds and equips the men and women serving in our military. None justified jettisoning an ally at the time of their greatest need.
Walking away from Ukraine would not bring peace. It would reward Vladimir Putin’s bloody aggression, weaken our allies and send a dangerous message to authoritarian governments watching to see whether America will stand by its commitments.
The bill included support for Israel and strengthened technological cooperation between the U.S. and Israeli militaries. I do not condone the suffering inflicted on innocent people in Gaza. But leaving our only democratic ally in the Middle East exposed to Iran, Hamas and other militants would not make the world safer.
Some Republicans wanted the SAVE America Act included in the NDAA. I disagreed and still do.
I have voted against the SAVE Act and the SAVE America Act at every opportunity, including the effort to attach it to this defense bill. We can disagree about election laws without holding up legislation our service members depend on.
Our service members deserve better than what this administration has given them. From the beginning of the conflict with Iran, there have been no clear rules of engagement and no path to victory. Our troops have faced unrelenting deployments, shortages of supplies and a failure of leadership at the highest levels. That is exactly why passing the NDAA mattered.
Whatever our disagreements about Ukraine, Israel, American involvement overseas or unrelated legislation, defeating the NDAA would not have solved any of them. It would have left our military men and women with fewer resources and greater uncertainty.
I’m happy to be judged on my votes. I’m also happy to be judged on how I represent the people who sent me here.
Now let’s talk about transparency. The reporter made it sound as if I have been avoiding questions. But the reporter never asked me directly. Three Focus staffers have my personal cell number. No one called.
Instead, the story relied on a handful of people, including two who don’t even live in the District, to criticize how I represent the people who do.
I just spent the last month in the district, traveling the Valley to meet with farmers, healthcare workers, first responders, local officials, small business owners and families. I heard plenty about the cost of living, water, healthcare, public safety and the everyday frustrations people have with government.
There’s no rule that says the only way a Member of Congress can listen to constituents is at a town hall. I meet with people where they live, work and play, hearing directly from the people I represent.
Since my election, I have convened meetings with farmers in Merced, Stanislaus and Fresno counties; doctors and nurses in Modesto and Fresno; union members in Modesto and Madera; first responders in Patterson; and water officials in Turlock, Los Banos and Stockton. I joined hundreds of Afghan residents and families in Stockton for the annual Afghan Mela, a celebration of Afghan culture, heritage and community.
My staff and I have attended community meetings in Lathrop, Santa Nella, Gustine, Livingston, Atwater, Chowchilla, Firebaugh, Ceres, French Camp, Dos Palos and other communities across the Valley.
We’ve helped hundreds of constituents, returning more than $4 million to Valley residents. We’ve responded to thousands of emails and phone calls, helping our neighbors solve problems with Social Security, mail delivery, visas and federal agencies. We even helped secure the delivery of a Purple Heart nearly 60 years after it was earned.
That’s what representation looks like: listening to people, understanding their problems, and doing something about them.
I don’t expect everyone to agree with every vote I cast. I expect to be debated. I expect hard questions. But let’s base those debates on the facts.
My job isn’t to avoid criticism or tell everyone what they want to hear. It’s to listen, make decisions, explain them, and keep working on the problems people sent me to Congress to solve.
Adam Gray represents California’s 13th Congressional District, which includes all of Merced and parts of San Joaquin, Stanislaus, Madera and Fresno counties.