Press Releases

Today, Congressman Salud Carbajal (CA-24) is calling out House Republicans for dragging their feet on finalizing government funding for the current fiscal year, leaving more than $14,000,000 in funding specifically designated for Central Coast projects in limbo. The failure to reach a bipartisan deal has forced Congress to resort to a stopgap government funding resolution this week.

“Republican leadership in Congress has spent months prioritizing culture war poison pills over governing, refusing to work across the aisle to reach a funding deal for this year. These needless delays have real impacts on the Central Coast,” said Rep. Carbajal. “The funding in limbo will help build new fire stations, renovate public spaces, and improve education and public safety in our region. I urge my colleagues to drop the extremism that has caused these delays and reengage with House Democrats so we can finalize the funding levels for a fiscal year that we’re already one-fourth through.”

The funding bills written in the House contain more than $14 million secured by Rep. Carbajal for 15 different projects across the Central Coast, including:

·         $2,450,000 for new fire stations in Santa Maria and Santa Margarita

·         $2,000,000 for a new resource center in Santa Barbara Unified School District

·         $1,000,000 for renovations at Guadalupe’s Senior Center

·         $1,884,000 for public safety upgrades for Ventura and San Luis Obispo counties

·         $850,000 for a new community center in Carpinteria

The stopgap proposed this week would push the deadline for government funding for the fiscal year that began on October 1^st to the spring of 2025, putting a final funding deal for the year on track to be finished at least six months late.

Congressman Carbajal’s work on previous federal budget deals has delivered massive investments in Central Coast community projects, totaling more than $50 million in direct funding over the past three years.

Highlights of the 37 projects funded through Congressman Carbajal’s efforts include:

·         $2,500,000 for the Escalante Meadows affordable housing community in Guadalupe

·         $2 million for the renovations to the Anderson Hotel in San Luis Obispo

·         $1,600,000 for expanded services for victims of crimes at the Ventura County Family Justice Center (VCFJC)

·         $1,500,000 to expand capacity at the Foodbank of Santa Barbara County

·         $750,000 for upgrades to E.P. Foster Library in Ventura

·         $543,000 for public safety upgrades for the City of Grover Beach

More information on the Community Project Funding process and the funding requests championed by Rep. Carbajal can be found here.