• U.S. Sen. Adam Schiff (D-California) and U.S. Rep. Salud Carbajal (D-Santa Barbara) spearheaded a joint letter—signed by several legislators—to Sable Offshore Corporation CEO and Chairman Jim Flores on May 27, demanding that the oil producer preserve all internal communications records between the company and Trump administration officials related to the restart of the Santa Ynez Unit. “The administration’s reliance on the Defense Production Act—no doubt in consultation and coordination with lawyers representing Sable—is a serious misuse of a federal law meant to be involved for national security reasons, not to enrich an industry already making record profits,” the letter states. “To help Congress better understand this effort to circumvent California law and coastal protections, we seek detailed information on the company’s role in this decision, and your communications with the Trump administration in relation to Sable Offshore’s SYU [Santa Ynez Unit] project.” Alongside Schiff and Carbajal, those who signed the letter include U.S. Sen. Alex Padilla (D-California), Assemblymember Jimmy Panetta (D-Carmel Valley), and seven other legislators.
• On May 27, U.S. Sen. Alex Padilla (D-California) commented on the Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026, recently passed by the House of Representatives. “The House-passed version is not the answer—it does not reverse the devastating SNAP cuts made by Trump’s ‘Anything But Beautiful Bill,’” Padilla stated. “California’s families and growers deserve better. I look forward to working with my colleagues to make the meaningful changes necessary to get this bill right. … California is home to the largest agricultural economy in the country, and I am committed to delivering a Farm Bill that works for farmers, growers, ranchers, and families.”
• U.S. Rep. Salud Carbajal (D-Santa Barbara) was part of the 62-2 vote to advance the BUILD America 250 Act out of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, where Carbajal serves as a senior member. The BUILD America 250 Act is a bipartisan, five-year surface transportation reauthorization bill that invests in roads, bridges, transit, rail transportation, and highway and motor carrier safety programs. “To build an economy that works for everyone and lowers costs, we need reliable infrastructure. While I helped write and pass the historic Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, there is still much more we can do to modernize our roads, highways, and railroads,” Carbajal said in a May 29 statement. “This new legislation builds on that foundation and lays out a strong pathway forward to renew our nation’s infrastructure. I will continue working on a bipartisan basis to get this bill across the finish line.” According to Carbajal’s office, the BUILD America 250 Act provides the largest ever investment in U.S. bridges, provides the first ever autonomous commercial motor vehicle framework, and injects the Highway Trust Fund with its first new stream of revenue in more than three decades. Some bill priorities Carbajal advocated for included supporting metropolitan planning organizations, like the Santa Barbara County Association of Governments and San Luis Obispo Council of Governments, to access Metropolitan Planning Program funds by increasing funding by 18 percent above Bipartisan Infrastructure Law levels. The bill would increase the federal cost-share for Metropolitan Planning Program funds from 80 percent to 90 percent. “We are appreciative of the great work of Congressman Carbajal, who has been a consistent collaborator with industry stakeholders, like National Asphalt Pavement Association (NAPA), throughout this Congress ahead of consequential markup,” NAPA Vice President of Government Affairs Nile Elam stated. “[We] encourage all of his colleagues in the House to pass the BUILD America 250 Act as quickly as possible.”
This article appears in June 4 – June 11, 2026.
