Padilla Secures Over $32 Million for Seven Projects Across San Diego County
Padilla and Schiff secure $26 million in federal funding for San Luis Rey Flood Control Project to support Oceanside’s flood mitigation efforts and to protect residents, businesses, and infrastructure
SAN DIEGO, CA — Today, U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) announced that he secured over $32 million in federal funding for seven projects across San Diego through Fiscal Year 2026 appropriations bills. The influx of federal funding includes $26 million Padilla and Senator Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) helped deliver for the San Luis Rey River Project in Oceanside, California. The new federal investment will increase flood protection for the Oceanside community by repairing the San Luis Rey River levee system and removing sediment and sand in the river channel. This funding is part of the $241,794,366 in total Congressionally Directed Spending funding that Padilla delivered for California for FY 2026.
“Oceanside residents depend on the San Luis Rey River Project to protect their homes, schools, and businesses from devastating flooding,” said Senator Padilla. “After years of project delays, this surge in bipartisan federal funding Senator Schiff and I fought for will make critical levee repairs and remove dangerous sediment buildup to mitigate flood risk for vulnerable Oceanside communities. I am proud to help secure millions in federal funding to support transformative projects across the region that will deliver lasting improvements for San Diego County residents.”
“I’m proud to deliver federal investments that will go directly towards making critical flood protection improvements in Oceanside,” said Senator Schiff. “For decades, the Oceanside community has been at the mercy of aging flood protection systems that threaten residents, the local economy, and infrastructure in the region. These federal dollars will underwrite work toward mitigating those flood risks. I’m proud to have joined my colleagues Senator Padilla and Representative Levin, as well as local leaders, in this effort to secure this major investment in Southern California.”
“For too long, Oceanside’s flood protection system has been unable to adequately protect residents, businesses, and infrastructure,” said Representative Mike Levin (D-Calif.-49). “This funding will start to make much needed improvements. It will begin the work to upgrade the system, fix the levees, and provide much needed flood protection that will mitigate risk to nearby residents. I look forward to this funding coming to our community and making a real difference.”
“On behalf of the City of Oceanside, I wholeheartedly thank Senators Schiff and Padilla for including $26M in critical funding for the San Luis Rey River Flood Control Project in the appropriations bill,” said Oceanside Mayor Esther Sanchez. “This long-overdue investment will finally allow the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to move forward in completing the project, including strengthening levees, removing sediment that can be used toward sand replenishment on our starved beaches, and restore reliable flood and fire protection for our residents and businesses. Senators Schiff and Padilla’s exceptional leadership is delivering results for Oceanside’s safety and resilience.”
The San Luis Rey River Project Flood Risk Reduction Project was originally authorized in 1970 to provide a 250-year level of flood protection. Delays in construction over decades have caused the projects costs to increase, leading to a dip in flood protection to a 70-year level, slipping far below the 250-year level of protection envisioned in the project authorization. Funding for this project will go directly toward geotechnical investigations, levee repairs, and sediment removal to reduce the risk of flooding for the Oceanside community.
Other projects across the San Diego region that will receive federal funding include:
- Pediatric Mental Health Services (Rady Children’s Hospital San Diego) – $2 million: This funding for Rady Children’s Mental Health Integration Program, which integrates primary care and mental health care by embedding mental health clinicians in pediatric primary care practices. Last year, Padilla and Representative Sara Jacobs (D-Calif.-51) heard from health care leaders, families, and pediatricians at Rady Children’s Hospital on how massive federal cuts to Medicaid’s budget would strain services and raise health care costs for millions of Californians.
- SPRINTER Platform and Track Enhancement Project – $1.20 million: This project enhances SPRINTER commuter rail platforms and track infrastructure in North County San Diego for improved safety and service.
- San Diego Homeless Shelter – $1 million: This project supports the City of San Diego’s homeless shelter construction, programs, and funding.
- Water Line Replacement (Fallbrook Public Utility District) – $1 million: This project will help replace an 80-year-old pipeline in the district’s service area encompassing downtown Fallbrook.
- Expanding Educational Opportunities for Community College Students, Including Purchasing Equipment – $655,000: This funding will support greater access to workforce training and strengthen child care and basic needs support at Grossmont and Cuyamaca Colleges.
- STEM Education Programming (Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers) – $236,000: This project provides monthly immersive STEM experiences in four classrooms, eight activities per year, serving up to 200 students per session directly within the school day, eliminating accessibility barriers, and fostering a sense of belonging for over 2,000 students.
More information on these appropriations bills is available here, here, and here.
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