The extreme federal service reductions being voted on in Congress right now aren’t some far away fight, or Washington politics as usual; if approved, they will going to directly affect you, me, and our entire region.

Some of the issues you contact me the most about — healthcare, housing, homelessness, the cost of living — would get a whole lot worse as a consequence of these federal budget reductions.

We need to be clear-eyed about what’s at stake: these cuts wouldn’t just hurt the poor, elderly, and sick. These are essential programs that impact each of us throughout our daily lives. 

Slashes to healthcare? It means bigger crowds and longer waits the next time you’re in the emergency room.

Elimination of federally-funded housing vouchers? It means local homelessness will increase as more of our neighbors won’t be able to make rent in high-cost San Diego.

Cuts to Medicaid? It means fewer beds in the County for unhoused people having a mental health or substance abuse crisis on the streets.

Reductions in the national food assistance program known as SNAP? It means kids in our community who we see every day — children of our friends, neighbors and coworkers — will have less to eat.

What happens next will be decided in D.C., but we’re not powerless here at home. Here’s what we’re doing to safeguard you and your fellow San Diegans. 

It’s Simple: Let the Public Know If Their Healthcare Is Being Cut

If your power is going to be shut off, you receive a notice. If your flight is late, you get a text. Yet more than one million people in our region are on the cusp of losing medical, rent, and food services they need to survive – without so much as a peep from the federal government.

This week we took the first step in the fight to make sure San Diegans are given fair warning if funding for essentials like healthcare, nutrition, and housing are halted due to budget cuts approved by Congress. 

I’m proposing that the County of San Diego send a "Notification of Funding at Risk" alert to everyone who relies on these programs to make ends meet.

On Tuesday I held a hearing about it. Unfortunately, this commonsense proposal was blocked by local Republican leaders, leaving uncertainty for tens of thousands of families.

These proposed slashes to public programs — pushed by billionaire Elon Musk, the Trump administration, and Congressional Republicans — would gut critical programs like Medicare (known as Medi-Cal in our state), supplemental nutrition assistance for the elderly and low-income, and housing support. 

Here’s what’s on the line:

• 50,000 people could lose access to job training and financial assistance.

• 400,000 San Diegans may no longer receive food assistance.

• Nearly 900,000 residents could lose Medi-Cal healthcare coverage.

Cuts of this magnitude will have real and devastating consequences for residents across our County. The results will be more poverty, homelessness, and suffering for our neighbors. 

I want to be clear – these are not handouts. These programs are paid for with San Diego tax dollars collected by the federal government and then returned to San Diego in the form of services within our communities. 

Basic dignity states that you should tell someone if their next meal or prescription refill is going to be ripped away from them. My proposal is about transparency to the public and accountability for government agencies, and I’m not done fighting for it. I hope you’ll join me in this effort.

In service,

Terra