McCarthy: small businesses struggle under the weight of over regulation, and the work going on to find a cure for Valley Fever

  Rep. Kevin McCarthy, House Majority Whip, gives us his weekly view from Capitol Hill.


"Small businesses are the engine of our local economy, and we need a strong and vibrant business climate to spur job creation. Today, I sat down with local small business owners at Kern Door  From burdensome regulations, rising health costs that will be exacerbated by Obamacare, frivolous lawsuits, and overtaxation, our local small businesses just want to be left alone from government. We discussed the importance for a national energy policy that moves our nation to energy independence, tax reform that allows our country to compete against other countries, and regulatory reform that reins in government bureaucracy.
Company listening to their challenges and concerns that they are currently facing.


 "Today, I also spent the day working alongside a technician of Kern Door installing a local garage door opener at a local home in southwest Bakersfield.  Kern Door has been in business since 1986 under the leadership of Ray Ice and his family. To see the hard work and dedication of his employees, the entire experience brought back the days when I owned and operated Kevin O’s Deli. To hear and see the challenges that Ray experiences on a daily basis is an important reminder that we need to simplify the lives of our small business owners.


"Also this week, I joined Congressman David Schweikert, who helped form the Congressional Valley Fever Task Force, in visiting the Valley Fever Center for Excellence at the University of Arizona to see the cutting edge research being done by Dr. John Galgiani and other scientists to develop a vaccine and a possible cure to Valley Fever.  Many may not know that three counties in Arizona and Kern County make up more than 90% of Valley Fever cases across America.


"We toured the Bio-Secure Level 3 research laboratory there and discussed the possible breakthroughs in detecting and preventing Valley Fever. There is promise in a drug called Nikkomycin Z to cure Valley Fever and the need for a drug trial to test its effectiveness.  There is also work being done in modifying the genetic makeup of Valley Fever spores that has promise in producing a viable vaccine. We also discussed strengthening the partnership between Arizona and California to develop best practices in diagnosis and treatment of Valley Fever.


 "After our discussions with Valley Fever advocates in Arizona, who will also be participating in our Valley Fever Symposium in Bakersfield in September, I continue to be optimistic that with continued collaboration and partnerships, that great strides can be made in fighting this growing disease.


"All the current advances in scientific research on Valley Fever began with the work in Bakersfield and Kern County.  And no one deserves more credit than the late Dr. Hans Einstein.  There is a People and Pets Walk for Valley Fever Saturday and they will honor the life of Dr. Hans Einstein afterwards. I encourage everyone in the community to attend.