Panetta works to hear concerns from constituents about federal cuts
MONTEREY – Rep. Jimmy Panetta, D-Carmel Valley, has been trying to give his constituents plenty of opportunities to have their voices heard, holding 13 public forums so far as the response to the Trump Administration’s policies and positions grows louder.
“I’m proud to have held as many town halls and public engagements as I have in such a short period of time,” said Panetta in a press release, “bringing people together, listening to them, and working with them so that we can continue to stand shoulder-to-shoulder to protect federal services and defend our values.”
Panetta represents the 19th Congressional District, encompassing a large portion of the Central Coast, including the Monterey Peninsula. He has had a series of town halls, listening sessions and roundtable discussions in rapid succession since the beginning of the new presidential administration. His public engagement with constituents has focused on the Trump Administration’s potential cuts to Social Security, Medicaid, Medicare, federal jobs, federal funding for research, and more.
“Unfortunately we have an administration, you have Elon Musk, and you have DOGE (Department of Government Efficiency), that is doing nothing but providing chaos, confusion and uncertainty, and that’s why we have to continue to stand strong, stand up, and step forward when it comes to pushing back on this administration,” said Panetta at a press conference held after a closed-door listening session last week in Monterey. Panetta met and heard from federal employees who have been part of mass terminations by the Trump Administration, as well as those public servants still under threat.
“You had a range of emotions from these employees who are now working,” said Panetta after the listening session. “And that is one of the reasons why they are not here in front of the cameras, but also those who are on probationary status and had been let go.
“… with the confusion that is surrounding whether or not they’re rehired, on administrative leave, or brought back, they just don’t know, so a lot of them felt uncomfortable being here to answer questions with you,” he said, referring to the media.
Panetta has held 13 town halls, including eight public and five virtual town halls. According to an Associated Press story from March 4, House Speaker Mike Johnson is encouraging Republican lawmakers to skip town halls that have been filled with protesters decrying the Trump administration’s slashing of federal government, echoing the president’s claims that the demonstrations are fueled by professional protesters.
Panetta hosted numerous events last week, including a Social Security Town Hall with former Commissioner Martin O’Malley to discuss the Administration’s overhaul of the Social Security Administration and its impact on earned benefits. The event, conducted virtually, allowed participation from thousands of constituents across the district Panetta represents.
In an interview with WBAL News Radio in Baltimore on March 8, O’Malley said, “They (Trump Administration) are paying people to leave early, firing people for cause, even though they have no reason to fire them. The sharp, immediate, and fast reductions of the people that maintain the systems for payments, for claims processing, and everything else that goes into Social Security, I do believe it’s going to crater the agency and lead to a system collapse in the months ahead.”
Panetta also hosted the federal employee listening session in Monterey, a Social Security Town Hall to discuss the threat to Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid posed by proposed budget cuts, and a roundtable discussion on the National Institutes of Health that convened leaders and researchers addressing the severe impacts of the ongoing federal funding freeze on scientific progress. The conversation focused on the Administration’s funding freeze, its generational effects on university research and strategies to push back against these setbacks and support future scientific endeavors.
A Medicaid Town Hall was hosted by Panetta to discuss the potential impacts of the proposed cuts to Medicaid.
Federal cuts to Medicaid would have a significant impact on Natividad Hospital in Salinas, given that a substantial portion of hospital revenue comes from Medicaid reimbursements. If proposed reductions – ranging from 30% to 54% – are implemented, hospitals across the country, including Natividad, would face revenue losses, potential staff reductions and increased uncompensated care costs.
Panetta said last week that with all this uncertainty and confusion, there are systems that are working, including the United States’ system of checks and balances.
“We’re winning in the courts and we’ll continue to win as long as we continue to have this fight, and then eventually it’s mobilization,” said Panetta, who will return to Washington this week. “Making sure that people understand how important it is to get out there, make it be known, not just with roundtables like this, but actually letting their representatives know in other areas … they have to push back on their representatives. And basically it comes down to a question of are you more loyal to Donald Trump and Elon Musk and DOGE, or are you loyal to the constituents of your district?
“And that’s the question those representatives are going to have to answer.”
