Sacramento, CA- The following statement can be attributed to Carlos Marquez III, Executive Director of the County Welfare Director’s Association of California, on the Senate’s budget actions taken in Subcommittee #3 today. 

“Since President Trump signed H.R. 1 into law, county welfare leaders have urgently called on state leaders to stand in the breach and prevent an historic hunger and healthcare crisis. Today, thanks to the bold leadership of Pro tempore Limón, and Budget Chairs Laird and Menjivar, as well as Sen. Dr. Weber Pierson, the State Senate took decisive action to protect those at the tip of the spear of Trump’s cruel and immoral policies - choosing to preserve life-saving access to food and healthcare by ensuring counties have the staffing resources necessary to buffer the worst impacts of H.R. 1 on our communities.

“With the lives of millions of Californians on the line, and the future of our safety net at stake, the State Senate chose not to flinch or budge an inch from its stated values, choosing to stand up to and reject the Administration’s proposed county cost shift and de facto service cuts to In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS), Adult Protective Services, the Medi-Cal asset limit, and offering instead a transformational vision for the future of home and community-based care that will enable even more seniors and people with disabilities to access their health and safety needs sustainably and close to home. We urge the Legislature and Administration to embrace this vision by properly funding counties to support newly eligible IHSS recipients in navigating this transformation, and by repealing remaining county cost shifts that are incompatible with this vision. 

“As counties brace for community-wide impacts from H.R. 1., including working to prevent increased involvement of children and families in the Child Welfare System due to the elimination of concrete supports like food and healthcare, we thank Senate leadership for preserving flexible family supports for children, youth, and caregivers in foster care and urge the Legislature and the Administration to double down on our progress in reducing foster care entries by continuing to invest in adequate funding for Child Welfare Emergency Response at this critical juncture. We also urge the final budget to strengthen the state’s proposed CalFresh H.R. 1 implementation and a solution to prevent hunger for those cut off from federal food assistance. 

“CWDA urges the Assembly and Administration to adopt equally bold budget proposals and we look forward to working in partnership to protect our communities during this fraught moment for the safety net.”