Dinner Meeting January 2, 2024

Congressman Jim Costa has represented the San Joaquin Valley in the United States House of Representatives since 2005. He represents California’s 21st Congressional District, which includes parts of Fresno and Tulare counties.

Growing up, Jim Costa worked on the family dairy in the Kearney Park area of Fresno. Costa graduated from San Joaquin Memorial High School and earned his bachelor’s degree in political science from Fresno State.

In college, he was an intern for local Congressman B.F. Sisk. After graduation, he was an aide for Congressman John Krebs and Chief of Staff to California State Assemblyman and U.S. Congressman Richard Lehman (D-CA).

In 1978, Costa was elected to the CA Assembly and was the youngest member of the State Legislature at the age of 26. He represented Fresno and other San Joaquin Valley counties in the legislature for 24 years, serving in the California State Assembly (1978–1994) and California State Senate (1994–2002).

Throughout his career he has championed legislation in support of Valley interests. These efforts have included the establishment of the San Joaquin River Parkway and Conservancy, the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District, and the agricultural interests of Valley farmers.

In 2004, Jim Costa was elected to represent the San Joaquin Valley in the U.S. House of Representatives. In 2005, Costa co-founded the bipartisan Crime Survivors and Justice Caucus with the shared belief of elevating the voices of survivors and victims of crime. As Co-Chair he introduced the
Victims of Child Abuse Reauthorization Act and the Respect for Child Survivors Act, which were signed into law.

He is a long-time supporter of California’s High-Speed Rail project, and secured major funding to widen Highways 41 and 99 and modernize regional public transportation systems.

As a senior member of the House Agriculture Committee, Rep. Costa has crafted three Farm Bills and has worked across the aisle to reduce hunger and uplift rural America. He has been a strong advocate for bringing additional water to the San Joaquin Valley and secured funding for many water infrastructure projects.

On the Foreign Affairs Committee, he has worked with each Congress to pass a resolution recognizing the Armenian Genocide and is a strong supporter of Israel as a vital partner of the United States in the Middle East. Costa supports a strong posture towards Iran – he was a conference committee member negotiating the Comprehensive Iran Sanctions, Accountability, and Divestment Act of 2010, which invoked the first significant U.S. sanctions on Iran. An outspoken advocate for Ukraine, he visited the capital city of Kyiv a few months after the invasion.

Jim Costa’s efforts have been recognized by organizations like the American Farm Bureau Federation, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, and the National Organization for Victim Assistance. In 2022 NWPC Fresno was proud to honor Congressman Jim Costa with our “Good Guy Award” at our annual Women’s Equality Day dinner. Jim Costa is a true “Son of the Valley.”