Acting Chair of the County of San Diego Terra Lawson-Remer and San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria are calling on the Trump administration and Congressional Republicans to reject proposed Medicaid cuts as part of the upcoming budget reconciliation process which could jeopardize state and local progress in tackling mental health, substance use, and homelessness.

"San Diego County is taking bold steps to expand behavioral health services and increase treatment capacity," said Acting Chair Terra Lawson-Remer. "But these services depend on Medicaid funding. Gutting Medicaid would pull the rug out from under our efforts and push more people into crisis, emergency rooms, and homelessness."

"As partners who want to see more behavioral health services for county residents, cuts to Medicaid will only make things worse,” said Mayor Todd Gloria. “One in four people in San Diego County rely on Medi-Cal for their healthcare, including many of our most vulnerable residents. Using Medicaid as a piggybank for tax cuts for billionaires isn’t just wrong—it will increase homelessness, deepen our behavioral health crisis, and leave more San Diegans without the care they need.”

Medicaid is the largest single funder of behavioral health care, supporting crisis response teams, residential treatment, outpatient services, and long-term housing for people with mental health and substance use disorders. In San Diego County alone, Medicaid funds approximately $581 million in services for San Diego County residents, covering over 900,000 people, including children, seniors, and individuals experiencing homelessness. 

"We have made too much progress to turn back now," added Lawson-Remer. "We urge Congress to reject these Medicaid cuts and protect the programs that save lives, reduce homelessness, and improve public safety."