SERVING THE CENTRAL COAST

Following the 2020 Census, the non-partisan California Citizens Redistricting Commission dramatically changed the Congressional Districts in the South Bay and Central Coast. The Commission combined part of Santa Clara County with parts of Monterey and Santa Cruz counties and all of San Benito County to form the new 18th Congressional District (CA-18).

U.S. Congresswoman Zoe Lofgren engages with communities throughout the 18th Congressional District to ensure local concerns are addressed by leaders at all levels of government.

Below you’ll find descriptions of a few of the issues Rep. Lofgren has been focused on and following:

PAJARO RIVER LEVEES

Along with Rep. Jimmy Panetta and Sen. Padilla, in 2022, Rep. Lofgren helped secure $149 million from the bipartisan infrastructure law to upgrade the Pajaro River levees. Unfortunately, this project did not come early enough to prevent flooding of Pajaro and surrounding areas in early 2023.

Rep. Lofgren toured the area three times in the aftermath of the flooding, including meeting flood victims at the Watsonville fairgrounds, and explained the impact of the floods to President Biden when he surveyed the region. Rep. Lofgren also urged the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to accelerate construction of the federally-authorized project to repair the levee and to provide emergency repairs. And she met directly with the Army Corps’ San Francisco District commander on March 29, 2023 to urge the Army Corps to repair the levees as quickly as possible.

To further help expedite and advance the project, Rep. Lofgren requested $200 million in FY24 Community Project Funding to use design-build techniques to speed up the upgrades of the levees. Rep. Lofgren submitted written testimony to the House Appropriations Energy and Water Subcommittee in support of that request.

In addition to her efforts to speed up the repair and upgrading of the levees, Rep. Lofgren helped support communities impacted by the flooding. Immediately after the breach, she released a joint statement with State and local officials, promising to bring “the full weight” of government to aid local communities. Later that month, she met with local officials to coordinate how to protect the community. She led the entire, bipartisan California congressional delegation in supporting the State of California’s request for a Major Disaster Declaration following both the January 2023 and March 2023 storms. FEMA declared disasters for both requests, thus allowing residents to apply for assistance with FEMA. Rep. Lofgren also directly called FEMA Region 9 Administrator Bob Fenton on March 30, 2023 to advocate for aid to impacted communities.

Additionally:

AGRICULTURAL FLOODING

In addition to flooding the town of Pajaro and damaging homes and businesses across the region, the atmospheric rivers in January 2023 and March 2023 caused significant flooding of the Central Coast’s highly-productive agricultural land. Many local producers lost crops and/or entire growing seasons, and the storms caused hundreds of millions of dollars of damage. Rep. Lofgren toured flooded farms and met with many impacted producers to understand their needs, and has fought for funding to provide relief and support to producers as they recover.

Specifically:

  • Rep. Lofgren led the bipartisan California congressional delegation in supporting the State of California’s request for a Major Disaster Declaration following both the January 2023 and March 2023 storms. In granting these requests, President Biden unlocked assistance, including USDA emergency loans.
  • In April, Rep. Lofgren, along with Reps. Carbajal, Panetta, and Costa, wrote to House Leadership and appropriators to urge them to pass an emergency recovery package to provide assistance to agricultural producers.
  • Also in April, Rep. Lofgren urged Governor Newsom to help provide relief to small and underserved farmers impacted by flooding.
  • Reps. Lofgren, Panetta, and Carbajal created and distributed a fact sheetwith information on how local farmers and ranchers could access relief funding.
  • Rep. Lofgren published a joint op-ed announcing programs that were available to support local farms.
  • In June, Rep. Lofgren introduced H.R. 4127, the Fair Access to Agriculture Disaster Programs Act, with Rep. Panetta and others to provide protection for local specialty crop producers from future storms. The bill would revise the Adjusted Gross Income limits that often prevent local producers from accessing USDA programs. As Congress continues to consider a Farm Bill, Rep. Lofgren has also prioritized reforms to crop insurance and the Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program to make the programs more accessible for specialty crops.
  • In October, Reps. Lofgren, Carbajal, Panetta, Brownley, and Costa wrote to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to request that agricultural disaster relief be included in the forthcoming domestic emergency supplemental budget request. Following the Representatives’ letter, the Biden Administration included a request for $2.8 billion to support farmers and ranchers who suffered losses due to natural disasters.

FORT HUNTER LIGGETT

Fort Hunter Liggett in Monterey County is the U.S. Army Reserve’s largest training installation and plays a significant role in preparing our nation’s armed forces to best defend the United States. However, the infrastructure of the facility, including its Network Enterprise Center (NEC), needs to be improved and updated to meet the needs of our military. In 2022, Rep. Lofgren wrote to the Army Reserves to request information on the facility’s infrastructure needs. In response to the information she received, Rep. Lofgren requested $40 million in Community Project Funding to construct a new NEC facility and, subsequently, secured the funding in March 2024. She also requested that the project be authorized in the Fiscal Year 2024 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). The NDAA, which President Biden signed into law on December 22, 2023, authorized the project at the full $40 million level that Rep. Lofgren requested.

In addition to inadequate infrastructure at the Fort, Jolon Road, the only access road to Fort Hunter Liggett, needs significant repairs. At Rep. Lofgren’s urging, Monterey County applied for $14 million in funding from the Department of Defense’s Defense Community Infrastructure Program (DCIP) to make improvements to Jolon Road. Rep. Lofgren and Rep. Panetta wrote to DoD to support the County’s application.

SAN JUSTO RESERVOIR

The San Justo Reservoir and surrounding lands have been closed to the public to the public since 2008 due to the invasive zebra mussel. Residents of San Benito County have let Rep. Lofgren know that this has had a clear, negative impact on San Benito County communities, the economy, and local recreation opportunities. While it is important to prevent further spread of zebra mussels, Rep. Lofgren has worked to assist local officials in their efforts to restore access to the reservoir.

Specifically:

  • Rep. Lofgren and Rep. Panetta wrote to the Bureau of Reclamation (BOR) in 2022 to request that BOR prioritize and expedite the development of a zebra mussel eradication plan.
  • Rep. Lofgren and Rep. Panetta again wroteto BOR in March 2023 to request that BOR make invasive species eradication an eligible component of BOR’s Aquatic Ecosystem Restoration Program. That designation could potentially open up a federal source of funding for an eradication attempt.
  • In July 2023, Rep. Lofgren spoke at a San Benito County Fish & Game Commission meeting to provide an update on federal efforts to address the reservoir’s closure.
  • In November 2023, Rep. Lofgren wrote to BOR to request technical assistance for local officials as they consider whether a limited reopening of recreation opportunities could be done safely.

PG&E HOLLISTER SUBSTATION

Hollister and areas in San Benito County are among the fastest growing places in California, but the lack of electrical capacity at PG&E’s Hollister Substation currently poses a significant obstacle to the continued development of the region. The issue has prevented new businesses from calling the area home and delayed efforts to build infrastructure for zero-emission vehicles.

Rep. Lofgren wrote to PG&E to express concern about the substation and urge PG&E to prioritize the project to upgrade capacity. PG&E’s response to Rep. Lofgren committed to installing a new 21,000-volt circuit with an expected completion date of June 2024. This commitment will help the region meet its growing power needs.

HAZEL HAWKINS HOSPITAL

Hazel Hawkins Memorial Hospital in Hollister has been dealing with a fiscal emergency since November 2022 and has been at risk of closing. This is troubling, as it is the only hospital in the area that serves many San Benito County communities. Rep. Lofgren knows the hospital’s closure would severely and adversely impact health care access and, as such, is working to help resolve the issues.

In January 2023, Rep. Lofgren discussed the various financial challenges with the directors at Hazel Hawkins. She provided information on grant programs the hospital should apply for (including tax relief available as a result of the CARES Act that Rep. Lofgren voted for in Congress) and directly connected the executives with State and local health leaders and resources to help. Thanks, in part, to that assistance, the hospital stayed afloat in 2023 (which was not guaranteed at the beginning of the year), and Rep. Lofgren’s staff keeps an ongoing dialogue with the executives to learn of the latest fiscal efforts, plans, and third-party negotiations. Rep. Lofgren also senta letter to the IRS in support of Hazel Hawkins’s 2020 Reasonable Cause Penalty Abatement Requests to further help alleviate the Hospital’s significant financial hardship.

MISSION SAN JUAN BAUTISTA

Mission San Juan Bautista is a pillar of the Central Coast community and is an important piece of California’s history. The Mission welcomes over 100,000 thousand visitors yearly, which includes 40,000 school-age children. Mission San Juan Bautista, founded in 1797, is located only 100 feet from the San Andreas Fault. It was destroyed by earthquakes twice in the 1800s and was badly damaged by the great 1906 earthquake. A 2013 structural engineer’s report found that the church’s structure is inadequate to withstand seismic forces. Seismologists have estimated a 62% probability of one or more 6.7 or greater earthquakes in the San Francisco Bay area from 2003 to 2023, making the completion of this project especially urgent.

In July 2023, Rep. Lofgren visited Mission San Juan Bautista to discuss the revitalization and preservation effort with local leaders.

In September 2023, along with Reps. Eshoo and Panetta, Rep. Lofgren helped secure $750,000 from the National Park Service to perform a seismic retrofit of Mission San Juan Bautista.

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