Federal spending bill replenishes FEMA and leaves ICE funding for reconciliation, county lobbyist says

Don Gilchrist, Santa Barbara County’s federal lobbyist, told the Legislative Program Committee that HR7147 was signed into law and replenished FEMA’s disaster relief fund with $26.4 billion, helping restore reimbursement capacity for counties and other local responders.

"FEMA's disaster relief fund got funded at $26.4 billion," Gilchrist said, noting the bill also boosted several state-and-local preparedness and firefighting grants by roughly 5.5 percent. He described the package as containing most Department of Homeland Security funding except ICE and Border Patrol, which were removed to secure enough Democratic support for passage.

Gilchrist warned the committee that ICE and Border Patrol spending will likely be pursued through the budget reconciliation process, where the House and Senate have adopted a framework that would move roughly $70 billion for immigration enforcement over a three-year period. "That part of the funding process will be resolved" during reconciliation, he said, adding members should expect additional steps in early to mid-June.

On FY27 appropriations, Gilchrist said the White House proposal to boost defense spending by about 50 percent will complicate the process and could force offsets in domestic programs. He singled out housing programs as vulnerable: the Trump administration had proposed a 13 percent cut to some housing programs, and the House schedule places the housing subcommittee on May 21 with a markup expected by June 4.

Gilchrist also flagged the administration's budget proposal to shift Continuum of Care (CoC) funding into the Emergency Solutions Grant program, a move he said would effectively end the CoC program as currently structured. "We should expect them to have another notice of funding opportunity around June 1 that could go after anything that supports housing-first strategies or harm reduction," he said, urging continued advocacy and legal preparedness.

He briefly noted other federal items of county interest: the House passed a five-year farm bill (HR7567) and surface transportation programs need reauthorization by Oct. 1, a process likely to require short-term extensions.

Committee members asked follow-up questions about reconciliation limits, the parliamentarian and specific county projects in the appropriations pipeline; Gilchrist explained reconciliation's constraints and that some county projects advanced in the House while others remained under Senate consideration. After discussion the committee voted to receive and file the federal affairs report.

The committee did not record roll-call vote names in the transcript; members moved, seconded and approved receipt of the report by voice vote.