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Help us tell the Oakland stories that matter to you and your fellow Oaklanders.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Yes, I want to chip in to support Oaklandside\u2019s work!<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Yesterday, The Oaklandside reported on<\/a> the GOP\u2019s \u201cOne Big Beautiful Bill Act,\u201d a piece of federal legislation that President Donald Trump signed into law on the Fourth of July. Rep. Lateefah Simon and other Oakland elected officials spoke out immediately, charging that the bill\u2019s massive cuts to Medicaid, food stamps, and other social services would be devastating to Oakland\u2019s residents; The Oaklandside also reported that Mayor Barbara Lee had been noticeably silent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We reached out to Mayor Lee over several days to get her thoughts about the bill and to hear what she\u2019s doing to marshal outside resources for the city to compensate for the impending loss of federal funds. Lee\u2019s communications director, Justin Phillips, did not get us a response by press time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This morning, he sent Lee\u2019s responses to The Oaklandside, including her thoughts about the bill and the strategies she\u2019s pursuing to protect the people of Oakland. As these are her first public statements about a piece of federal legislation that will have a major impact on Oakland\u2019s most vulnerable communities, we have included them here in full.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Never miss a story.<\/strong> Sign up for The Oaklandside\u2019s free daily newsletter.<\/strong>Email<\/p>\n\n\n\n There\u2019s nothing beautiful about this bill. It is a cruel policy disguised as fiscal reform. It sacrifices the health and wellbeing of working families, people of color, low income people, seniors, children and immigrants to deliver tax breaks to the wealthy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As someone who helped defend Medicaid, SNAP [the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or food stamps], and global development investments for decades \u2014 and delivered billions in federal funding to my former congressional district \u2014 I see this for what it is: a political document that will hurt thousands of people in Oakland and millions across the country. I intend to continue to work with our federal representatives to ensure Oakland remains a priority in all policies, funding and appropriations decisions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We\u2019ve been doing the work. Since the bill passed, my team has been focused on coordinating with Alameda County, state agencies, and community partners to identify what\u2019s at risk and where we need to act. The urgency is real, but so is the need for a responsible, organized response. My job as mayor is not just to comment \u2014 it\u2019s to lead with solutions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n My office is working with the county and the state to identify the programs most exposed to federal cuts \u2014 particularly those serving families on Medi-Cal, CalFresh recipients, and patients at community clinics. We\u2019re exploring how to use local tools, including Measure W, to close critical gaps and support frontline providers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We\u2019re also working with other mayors to mount a coordinated response, so no one city stands alone. That includes legal strategy, policy advocacy, and joint funding efforts to shield our residents from harm. These challenges are real, however we will continue working to address them. <\/p>\n\n\n\n We\u2019re leveraging every relationship \u2014 from state government to philanthropy \u2014 to identify new support for healthcare, housing, food access, and immigrant services. Oakland has always been resilient, but this moment calls for deeper collaboration and bold leadership.<\/p>\n\n\n\n My experience in Congress and in coalition-building is helping us navigate those conversations now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I\u2019ve never shied away from speaking the truth \u2014 and I won\u2019t start now. But this isn\u2019t about statements. It\u2019s about action. My focus is on protecting Oaklanders. I\u2019m committed to standing up for our city in a way that\u2019s strategic, not reactive, and that gets real results. We\u2019re resisting the dangerous Trump administration policies and my focus, as it has always been, is on representing and working for those that I serve.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I served in Congress during the first Trump administration and I\u2019ve spent my career standing up to harmful federal policies. I won\u2019t stop now. Oakland\u2019s values are clear, and so is our responsibility to defend them. We\u2019re prepared to fight for our community while avoiding unnecessary risk \u2014 that\u2019s what responsible leadership requires.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We\u2019re deeply concerned about the potential loss of Medicaid funding, which would jeopardize care for tens of thousands of Oaklanders who rely on Medi-Cal. We\u2019re also watching CalFresh and food security resources closely. Cuts to these programs don\u2019t just hit individual households \u2014 they ripple through our entire public health, housing, and education ecosystems.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I\u2019ve fought over the years to support Planned Parenthood and will continue to do so. It provides vital women\u2019s healthcare. I helped fight to expand federal funding for reproductive care, and I know what it means when that support gets stripped away. If these cuts take effect, we risk losing jobs, closing clinics, and leaving patients with nowhere to go. We are not waiting for that to happen \u2014 we\u2019re actively preparing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I\u2019ve worked closely with the California Legislature as well as with the private sector, our federal officials, and philanthropy since taking office 50 days ago and have had productive meetings and outcomes. <\/p>\n\n\n\n We met with the governor\u2019s office, CalTrans, and the county to develop a partnership with our allies to develop a strategic partnership to ensure Oakland is a priority in all funding opportunities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This work doesn\u2019t always make headlines, but it\u2019s happening every day.\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n eli@oaklandside.org<\/a><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Eli Wolfe reports on City Hall for The Oaklandside. He was previously a senior reporter for San Jos\u00e9 Spotlight, where he had a beat covering Santa Clara County\u2019s government and transportation. He also worked as an investigative reporter for the Pasadena-based newsroom FairWarning, where he covered labor, consumer protection and transportation issues. He started his journalism career as a freelancer based out of Berkeley. Eli\u2019s stories have appeared in The Atlantic, NBCNews.com, Salon, the San Francisco Chronicle, and elsewhere. Eli graduated from UC Santa Cruz and grew up in San Francisco.More by Eli Wolfe<\/a><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n natalie@oaklandside.org<\/a><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Natalie Orenstein is a senior reporter covering City Hall, housing and homelessness for The Oaklandside. Her reporting on a flood of eviction cases following the end of the Alameda County pandemic moratorium won recognition from the Society of Professional Reporters NorCal in 2024. Natalie was previously on staff at Berkeleyside, where she covered education, including extensive, award-winning reporting on the legacy of school desegregation in Berkeley Unified. Natalie lives in Oakland, grew up in Berkeley, and has only left her beloved East Bay once, to attend Pomona College.More by Natalie Orenstein<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" In her first public statements about the bill\u2019s deep cuts to health care and food aid, Lee explains why she stayed quiet until now and what she\u2019s been doing behind the scenes to protect Oaklanders. by\u00a0Eli Wolfe\u00a0and\u00a0Natalie Orenstein July 9, 2025 (Oaklandside.com) Help us tell the Oakland stories that matter… Continue reading On President Trump\u2019s \u201cBig Beautiful Bill\u201d:<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
On why she waited several days to criticize the bill:<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
On what she\u2019s doing to respond to the bill\u2019s cuts to Medicaid, SNAP, and Planned Parenthood:<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
On why she hasn\u2019t been a louder voice of protest:<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
On which cuts will hit Oakland hardest:<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
On what she\u2019s doing to secure resources for Oakland:<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
ELI WOLFE<\/a><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
NATALIE ORENSTEIN<\/a><\/h2>\n\n\n\n