County officials warn HR1 cuts would strip more than $1 billion from local health services; Santa Clara places Measure A on November ballot

Santa Clara County officials told the Mountain View City Council on Sept. 23 that federal budget cuts enacted in H.R.1 will immediately and substantially reduce Medicaid (Medi‑Cal) and SNAP (CalFresh) funding to the county, creating a revenue shortfall that grows to more than $1 billion annually in coming years. County Executive James Williams and Supervisor Margaret Abakova described a three‑part response that includes cuts and restructurings, state engagement, and a November ballot measure (Measure A) that would add five‑eighths of a cent in county sales tax and is expected to generate about $330 million a year.

County Executive James Williams said Medi‑Cal is the single largest revenue source for the county’s public health system, Santa Clara Valley Health Care, and that the county expects more than $1 billion a year in lost revenue once H.R.1’s Medicaid reductions fully phase in. “If you lose your single largest revenue source, having that cut so dramatically would have catastrophic impacts on your ability to operate the entire range of services,” Williams told the council.

The county’s presentation outlined how the cuts would affect hospitals, behavioral health, supportive housing services and the food safety net.…