CENTRAL COAST — As local communities evaluate the impacts of the Trump Administration’s recent flurry of executive orders and memorandum pausing the delivery of all federal financial assistance, U.S. Reps. Zoe Lofgren (CA-18), Jimmy Panetta (CA-19), Salud Carbajal (CA-24) and Julia Brownley (CA-26) are calling on the Administration to clarify its actions and disclose a full list of programs and initiatives facing continued obstruction by federal agencies.
Although the Trump Administration rescinded its memorandum from the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) instructing all federal agencies to pause the delivery of all federal funding, impacting thousands of projects nationwide, there are executive orders still on the books that instruct federal agencies to withhold federal funding for projects, including projects derived from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the Inflation Reduction Act.
Reps. Lofgren, Panetta, Carbajal and Brownley recently raised the alarm on this continued delay to Central Coast projects in a letter to the Acting Director of the OMB, along with more than 150 other House Democrats.
“The Trump Administration’s lawless attempts to freeze federal funding are leaving our Central Coast communities scared and vulnerable. Without needed federal funding, community organizations and local governments’ operations are threatened, and families will face difficulty accessing basic services like health care, education, childcare, food assistance and more,” said the four members of Congress in a joint statement. “Together, we will continue to fight for our communities and call out the unconstitutional and, frankly, illegal actions taken by the Trump Administration that hurt American families in our districts and across the country. We reiterate our call for full transparency and disclosure from the Trump Administration about all programs and initiatives with congressionally-approved funding that have, could or will be targeted.”
Currently, Congresswoman Lofgren is collecting information via her website from nonprofits, organizations, local governments and institutions in California’s 18th District that have been or could be impacted by a federal funding freeze to allow them the opportunity to report any pauses in disbursements. The 18th District includes all of San Benito County and parts of Santa Cruz and Monterey counties on the Central Coast.
According to Lofgren, members of the local agricultural industry have told her that they currently cannot access ag subsidies that they’re entitled to under law. In addition, she heard concerns from the Monterey County Water Resources Agency, which relies on millions in federal funding in the form of grants and reimbursements to provide critical water resources to Monterey County.
Lofgren also heard from a nonprofit that runs Head Start programs across Monterey County that is worried about the stability of their funding.
And, Santa Cruz County officials said their recently-awarded electric vehicle (EV) funding is at risk. The $14.3 million grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Highway Administration was expected to go toward the installation of EV charging ports at 44 sites across Santa Cruz and Monterey counties.
Congressman Panetta and his team continue to coordinate with local entities on the impacts they are experiencing from the Administration’s funding freeze in California’s 19th District, which includes parts of Santa Cruz, Monterey and San Luis Obispo counties.
Panetta has identified significant federal investment for local projects that have been impacted by the Trump Administration’s unlawful freeze of funding. Disruptions range from local climate-focused infrastructure to small business assistance, and more.
A local organization dedicated to promoting access to economic opportunities said of the funding freeze, “We rely on this funding to provide critical resources, training and financial assistance to entrepreneurs. A prolonged funding freeze would disrupt essential programs that support women-owned businesses, rural entrepreneurs and our efforts to obtain Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) certification, which would expand access to capital for small businesses in our region. Without these funds, our ability to deliver technical assistance, provide business financing and foster economic development will be severely compromised. We urge policymakers to act swiftly to resolve this situation to prevent harm to the small businesses and communities that depend on the vital services we provide.”
Congressman Carbajal and his team are in touch with local entities that have flagged more than $22 million in federal funding currently frozen, the majority of which is from programs funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the Inflation Reduction Act. California’s 24th District includes all of Santa Barbara County and parts of San Luis Obispo and Ventura counties on the Central Coast.
“We have been told that a number of federal grants previously awarded to CEC and our partners are on hold and cannot proceed,” said Sigrid Wright, CEO and executive director of Community Environmental Council (CEC). “One such project — which we’ve been working on for almost two years — is improving access to electric vehicles and other clean energy technologies on the Central Coast. This freeze will leave CEC with a $2.5 million hole in our budget, and would deprive the Central Coast of the critical investments needed to ensure that our communities can meet the challenges of the climate crisis.”
In one case, a Central Coast entity who was awarded federal funding but has since seen those funds held up by the new Administration was told by the overseeing federal agency: “I’m still not supposed to talk to you.”
Across the 26th District in Ventura County, critical local projects are now at risk due to the Trump Administration’s freeze on federal funding. According to Congresswoman Brownley, initiatives essential to the safety and economic stability of the region — including those focused on infrastructure upgrades, electric vehicle charging and key community development — are now in jeopardy.
“These federal investments are not just crucial for strengthening local communities, they also create jobs and support both local and national economies,” stated the rep. “The ongoing uncertainty surrounding these funds is deeply concerning, particularly as it disrupts efforts to address urgent infrastructure and community needs. It is unacceptable for our communities to be subjected to such unnecessary delays and instability.”
