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 Blueprint for 2026-27:

“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. With the lives of millions of Californians on the line, and the future of our safety net at stake, the State Senate’s budget plan demonstrates that H.R. 1’s cruel cuts are not a foregone conclusion but can be mitigated through critical investments in the county eligibility workforce. 

“We applaud State Senate President pro Tempore Limón, Budget Chair Laird, and Budget Subcommittee Chair Menjivar for hearing directly from county welfare leaders across California to understand the dire reality on the ground, with unprecedented cuts threatening CalFresh food assistance just 6 weeks from now.

“We celebrate that the Plan prioritizes county health and human services eligibility workers, whose human touch is irreplaceable for keeping millions of Californians connected to life-saving food and healthcare. Counties are grateful that the blueprint protects In Home Supportive Services, maintains Medi-Cal for our humanitarian immigrant communities, and more.

“We urge the Assembly and Governor to build on the Senate’ blueprint to save the lives of as many Californians as possible, including to bolster anti-hunger support for those who lose CalFresh from H.R. 1, stop the planned IHSS Community First Choice Option county cost shift that would exacerbate H.R. 1’s consequences, and prevent a child welfare Emergency Response fiscal cliff that would undermine our crisis response capacity just as families risk losing vital concrete supports that risk traumatic family separation.

“As the state enters final budget deliberations, county leaders will continue to insist that any reductions do not come at the expense of our vital safety net programs that improve affordability, or on the backs of the most vulnerable Californians.”