Select Committee on Federal Admin & Policy Changes – June 25, 2026
Select Committee on Federal Administration and Policy Changes – June 25, 2026
The Select Committee on Federal Administration and Policy Changes, chaired by Councilmember Alexis Mercedes Rinck, met on June 25, 2026, from 2:10 PM to 4:51 PM in Seattle City Hall. Six members were present (Rinck, Foster, Hollingsworth, Kettle, Lin, Saka); three were excused (Juarez, Rivera, Strauss). The agenda covered the impact of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (H.R. 1) on healthcare in Seattle and Washington State, a roundtable with healthcare providers, and a briefing on civil rights and 2SLGBTQIA+ communities.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Twenty-nine in-person and two remote speakers testified, many identifying as transgender refugees or advocates. Speakers overwhelmingly called for a declaration of a civil emergency for trans people, increased funding for mutual aid and community organizations, housing, healthcare, and legal support. Specific statistics cited: 1,200 medically fragile immigrants in Washington will lose Medicaid long-term care on Oct 1 due to H.R. 1; 95–40,000 trans refugees have relocated to Seattle; 0.17% of charitable giving goes to LGBTQ+ organizations; and multiple suicides and hate crimes were reported. Speakers also urged the city to fund organizations like Kawaguchi-O'Connor Initiative and to avoid depleting refugees' resources before providing services.
Discussion Items
One Big Beautiful Bill Act (H.R. 1) Impact on Healthcare
Trinity Wilson (WA Health Care Authority) and John Kim (HealthierHere) presented. Key provisions: 14,000 lawfully present non-citizens will lose Medicaid coverage Oct 1, 2026; 600,000 adults in the expansion population will face work requirements and six-month redetermination starting Jan 1, 2027; retroactive coverage reduces to 30 days; and provider payments could drop by $1.5 billion over time. The state is automating renewals (78% auto-renew) and launching communication campaigns. HealthierHere operates a community care hub with 85 workers speaking 40 languages, serving diverse communities. Councilmember Foster shared a personal story about Apple Health. Vice Chair Kettle emphasized collaboration across city, county, and state.
Roundtable with Healthcare Providers
Panelists: Mary Pearson (Aging & Disability Services), G. De Castro (Asian Counseling and Referral Service), Sommer Kleweno Walley (Harborview Medical Center), Esther Lucero (Seattle Indian Health Board), and Najma Osman (Somali Health Board). Harborview anticipates $700 million in reduced net revenue through 2031; 60% of its patients are on Medicaid/Medicare. ACRS projects 500 clients losing coverage (220 in Seattle). Providers stressed the need for a concrete plan, not just rhetoric, and urged the city to reallocate funds and support workforce training. Esther Lucero challenged the council to treat Medicaid as a property right and invest in creative solutions.
Civil Rights and 2SLGBTQIA+ Communities
Presenters: Dominique Stephens (Mayor’s Office), Dr. Hajer Al-Faham (Seattle Office for Civil Rights), Anne Maher (Intergovernmental Relations), and Chris Curia, Kody Allen, and Jessa Davis (LGBTQ Commission). They highlighted escalating anti-trans legislation, executive orders targeting DEI and trans youth, and a proposed OMB rule threatening federal grants. The state legislature passed protective bills (e.g., SB 6081 on sex designation privacy, HB 1604 on search procedures). The Mayor’s office has formed a Trans and Queer Community Stabilization Interdepartmental Team (IDT) to address immediate and long-term needs. The Office for Civil Rights enforces anti-discrimination laws and offers intake services. Councilmember Hollingsworth asked about immediate needs; panelists emphasized funding stabilization, system navigation, and low-barrier access to resources. Chair Rinck raised concerns about data privacy when collecting information on trans refugees.
Key Outcomes
- No formal votes were taken; all three items were information briefings.
- Councilmembers committed to follow-up on creating a coordinated plan with the IDT, exploring funding for community organizations, and engaging regional partners (port, county, state).
- The next Select Committee meeting is scheduled for September 10, 2026.
- Chair Rinck noted Trans Pride is June 26, 2026, and invited colleagues to attend a proclamation event.
Meeting Transcript
Good afternoon. The Select Committee on Federal Administration and Policy Changes Committee meeting will come to order. It is 2 10 PM, June 25th, 2026. I'm Councilmember Alexis Mercedes, ranked chair of the committee. Will the committee clerk please call the roll and let the record reflect that council members Juarez, Strauss, and Saka are excused. Councilmember Foster. Here. Council President Hollingsworth. Present. Vice Chair Kettle. Here. Councilmember Lynn. Here. Councilmember Saka. Here. Chair Rink. Here. There are six members present and three excused. Wonderful. Thank you. We will now move on to approval of today's agenda. I move to adapt today's agenda. If there is no objection, the agenda is adopted. Welcome everyone and thank you for attending today's Select Committee on Federal Administration and Policy Changes. As a reminder to the public, this committee was stood up in 2025 to understand how major changes happening at the federal level are impacting residents here in the city of Seattle, all who live and work here. This year, the federal select committee is meeting on a quarterly basis, with our most recent meeting had on March 5th, and we are scheduled after this meeting on September 10th before council heads into budget season. On today's agenda, we have three items covering two topics health care and LGBTQ civil rights. So first of all, happy Pride Month, everybody. On how changes made in the big betrayal bill passed by Congressional Republicans in 2025 are impacting health care here in Seattle and in Washington state. We will then hear directly from health care providers on what this looks like on the ground for their organizations and their patients. We will close with a briefing and discussion on civil rights and LGBTQ issues and how City of Seattle is responding to growing community concerns. Across the country, we have seen intense attacks against queer and trans people, both with hostile legislation and fiscal violence. So I want to say loud and clear while we know we have more work to do here in the city of Seattle. With that, we will now open the hybrid public comment period. Public comments should relate to items on today's agenda or within the purview of this committee. Clerk, how many speakers are signed up? Currently we have 29 in-person speakers signed up, and there are two remote speakers. Each speaker will have one minute. Speakers will alternate between sets of in-person and remote speakers until the public comment period has ended. Please begin by stating your name and item that you are addressing. Speakers will hear a chime when 10 seconds are left on their time. Speakers will be my mics will be muted if they do not end their comments within the allotted time to allow us to call on the next speaker. The public comment period is now open, and we will begin with the first speaker on the list. Wonderful. So I'm gonna read the first uh five uh speakers listed right here. If folks want to start cueing up, but the first uh public speaker I see here is uh Janice DeGucci, followed by a Courtney Smith Giles, and then Valerie Johnson, uh Violet Kawaguchi, and Taylor Farley. Um good afternoon. I'm speaking on the topic of Medicaid long-term support and services. Uh thank you for the opportunity to testify today. My name is Janice DeGucci, and I'm executive director of neighborhood health.
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