Vince Fong sworn into Congress to complete term of former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- Congressman Vince Fong was sworn successful by House Speaker Mike Johnson this day -- officially finishing retired the word near unfastened by erstwhile House Speaker Kevin McCarthy. Action News sat down with Fong anterior to the swearing-in and asked what helium hoped to tackle archetypal successful Washington.

"Mr. Speaker it is my large privilege to basal earlier you arsenic the Representative of the 20th District of the large authorities of California," said US Rep Vince Fong, (R) California.

Vince Fong is representing California successful the U.S. House for now.

The erstwhile Bakersfield Assemblyman won the peculiar predetermination successful May for the abbreviated word beating retired Tulare County Sheriff Mike Boudreaux.

McCarthy near the presumption successful December conscionable weeks aft being ousted arsenic House Speaker.

Now, Fong, McCarthy's handpicked successor is trading the authorities capitol for the nation's capitol.

"I besides privation to particularly convey my mentor and person Speaker Kevin McCarthy," said Fong.

At 4 Monday afternoon, Fong was sworn into bureau by House Speaker Mike Johnson.

With his swearing-in, the House present has 218 Republicans, 213 Democrats, and 4 vacancies.

As helium heads to DC Fong has respective issues, including borderline security.

"I deliberation we person to enactment to summation the Border Patrol, we person to physique carnal barriers successful the wall, we person to supply ineligible flexibility, we request to extremity drawback and release," said Fong. "Those are the things that we tin bash immediately."

His plans besides see addressing h2o retention needs successful California, from the national level with eyes connected the projected Sites Reservoir successful the Sacramento Valley.

"The voters of California passed a h2o enslaved to get that funded," said Fong. "The national authorities has allocated resources that project, but it's the permitting process that has slowed it down. And truthful the reddish portion has to beryllium cut. And that's 1 of the archetypal things I privation to enactment connected erstwhile I deed the crushed moving erstwhile I spell to Congress."

As to however helium plans to get the enactment done, helium said by gathering relationships.

One specified narration helium has pointed to is that with Former President Donald Trump who offered his endorsement to Fong months ago.

Fong said connected apical of legislative efforts helium volition enactment to get Trump backmost successful bureau this November.

Fong volition service successful this relation until the extremity of the year. He is besides moving for a afloat word successful bureau that begins adjacent year. He faces Tulare County Sheriff Mike Boudreaux erstwhile again successful the November wide election.

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