MONTEREY >> California’s District 19 Congressional Representative, Jimmy Panetta, D-Carmel Valley, has recently been recognized by two groups for his work and leadership — as one of Capitol Hill’s top “bridgers” by the Bridge Pledge group and a “Friend of Agriculture” by the American Farm Bureau Federation.

Panetta’s Bridge score was 99.65, placing him at the top of the list of the nonpartisan organization’s analysis.

Bridge Pledge is a citizen movement to systematically reduce measurable political divisiveness by unifying cross-partisan voters to choose candidates based on their ability to govern as free agents and independently from their parties, according to the organization. As a swing bloc, even a modest sized citizen voting alliance can wield outsized power to elect the most pragmatic and collaborative problem solvers — “bridgers” — from any party, to better represent common interests.

The Bridge Grade is an aggregate score that combines public data sources to assess members of Congress’ — including Panetta’s — ability to collaborate, build coalitions, deliver consensus solutions and bridge divides in America. Panetta was rated by the nonpartisan group’s analysis and earned him the highest score among United States Representatives in the 118th Congress.

But the analysis also revealed that 70% of the departing lawmakers this year are “bridgers,” leaving a concerning gap in coalition-building leaders, says the Bridge Pledge.

“For the most part, the people in the 19th Congressional District are sick and tired of the political divisiveness that they see on the news every day,” said Panetta in a press release “That’s why, they demand and deserve, a U.S. Representative who is willing to work with anybody to get stuff done in the U.S. Congress.”

Panetta added that although he appreciates this recognition of his bipartisanship, he also knows well that that’s just the foundation upon which he must continue to deliver federal services, investment and legislation for his constituents in California’s 19th Congressional District.

Panetta currently serves on the House Committee on Ways and Means, the House Committee on Armed Services and the House Committee on the Budget, where he says he works to forge bipartisan coalitions to the nation’s tax code, security and fiscal health. He also serves as a Chief Deputy Whip and is on the House Democratic Steering and Policy Committee.

The “Friend of Agriculture” award by the American Farm Bureau Federation was awarded to Rep. Panetta for his support of farmers in the U.S. Congress.

The American Farm Bureau Federation gives the award to members of Congress who are nominated by their respective state Farm Bureaus and approved by the American Farm Bureau Federation Board of Directors. Rep. Panetta accepted the award while meeting with the executive directors from each of the county Farm Bureaus that he represents including Monterey, Santa Cruz, Santa Clara and San Luis Obispo.

County representatives thanked him for his strong support for the region’s agriculture, specifically Panetta’s efforts to pass the new Farm Bill, funding for natural disaster relief, and funding for water resource infrastructure improvement. The representatives also thanked Panetta and his staff for their accessibility to County Farm Bureaus and their continued willingness to learn about the concerns and issues agriculture continues to face.

“It is of great benefit to have a strong advocate for farming and ranching with Congressman Panetta,” said Monterey County Farm Bureau Executive Director Norm Groot in a press release. “Even though the district was realigned in Monterey County, Mr. Panetta continues to hold strong with his support of local farming and ranching, both through legislative efforts and his engagement with federal agencies.”

Panetta previously passed into law policies to ensure specialty crop health, developed a strategy on mechanization, fostered organic research, empowered veteran farmers and provided greater certainty in agricultural trade.

Panetta successfully secured significant federal investment to support COVID-19 protections for farmers and farm workers, programs for socially disadvantaged producers, agricultural research, pest management and food safety.

He recently co-led the introduction of the Agriculture Disaster Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act which would provide an additional $14 billion to the U.S. Department of Agriculture to assist agricultural producers impacted by losses caused by natural disasters in 2023. Panetta continues to advocate for a Farm Bill that supports the farmers and rural economy of California’s 19th Congressional District with provisions to improve producers’ ability to recover from natural disasters.