He’s trotting out his turkey

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News Date
11/22/24
Description

As we near the Thanksgiving holiday, we have some news to be thankful for. We also have some turkeys we’re dealing with.

Let’s start with the turkeys, shall we?

Defending Our Healthcare From Being Sliced and Diced

As we brace for whatever the new Trump administration will bring, storm clouds are gathering over healthcare for San Diego County residents – including children, families, and seniors. 

When it comes to his cabinet picks, Trump’s been trotting out the turkeys: The nominations of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as Secretary of Health and Human Services and selection of “Dr. Oz” to lead the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services are extremely concerning (I can’t believe this sentence is real).

All this matters a lot here at home: Federal funding plays a crucial role in programs ranging from wildfire disaster aid to behavioral health services, and I am very concerned about news coming out of Mar-a-Lago and Washington regarding budget cuts and new restrictive policies. 

The stakes are high: Over half of San Diego County’s $236.8 million public health services budget, and more than a third of our $1.2 billion behavioral health services budget, comes from D.C.

Programs recently expanded under Medicaid, such as substance use disorder treatment, are particularly vulnerable to potential cuts.

RFK Jr.’s controversial stance on vaccines and public health in particular could undermine federal agencies like the CDC and FDA, which have long supported local advancements in life sciences and biotech. San Diego’s renowned institutions, including UC San Diego and Scripps Research, played pivotal roles in vaccine development during the COVID-19 pandemic, achievements that could face new hurdles under his leadership.

While we are still assessing the potential impacts of the new administration, my colleagues and I are mobilizing to safeguard federal support. We can’t afford to let politics jeopardize the health and safety of our community. As we navigate this uncertain political landscape, I am committed to defending our region’s hard-won progress to make sure more of our families have the healthcare they need.  

Giving Thanks for the Funding!

Something to be thankful for! This week the Biden Administration announced an important allocation of federal funding to help address the ongoing sewage crisis in the Tijuana River Valley. 

If approved by Congress, $310 million in disaster relief funding will be coming for the Tijuana River Valley. The funds, included in a supplemental budget package, would be used to upgrade the South Bay International Wastewater Treatment Plant, a critical step toward resolving a decades-long environmental and public health crisis.

It will support the ongoing expansion of the plant, doubling its capacity to treat wastewater and addressing cross-border pollution that has plagued the Tijuana River Valley. This latest funding builds on the $400 million already allocated for the project, bringing the total federal investment to $710 million.

I would like to express my thanks to the Biden Administration for this important funding allocation, and our Congressional delegation - including Democratic Representatives Sara Jacobs, Scott Peters, Juan Vargas, and Mike Levin – for their tireless work to secure federal funds for the wastewater treatment plant.

In service,

Terra