How would federal funding cuts impact Seattle's budget? Mayor Bruce Harrell explains

Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell has a long to-do list. He has bridges to fix, housing to build, and a World Cup to prepare for by next year. To make all that happen, Seattle needs federal dollars.

And thanks to executive orders and the new federal spending bill, that's money that the city could lose.

Harrell blasted the spending bill that congress passed and sent to the President's desk on Thursday.

“President Trump’s ‘signature’ bill is a hallmark of his approach to governing," Harrell said in a statement.

"It’s an action plan to gut needed supports for the country’s most vulnerable residents and families, provide massive tax breaks to the wealthiest among us, and worry about the devastating consequences later."

The spending bill specifically denies sanctuary cities like Seattle funding for supportive housing and addiction recovery programs.

And it's part of a larger trend that's hurting Seattle's ability to accomplish its goals.

For KUOW's economics podcast, Booming, reporter Joshua McNichols asked Mayor Bruce Harrell and Deputy Mayor Greg Wong:

How, exactly does Seattle spend its federal money?

"We really think about federal funding as one component that helps us to deliver the services that our residents, our communities rely on to be vibrant and safe," Wong said.

He likened managing the dollars to following a recipe.

"Let's say you're trying to make the perfect cake. That perfect cake is a city that is livable and thriving for everyone. Well, there's different components of that cake, and one of the key components for us in delivering those services is the federal funding that comes to do things like help with housing, sidewalks, public safety, all the things that make our communities great places," Wong explained.

"Really almost every aspect of people's lives is touched by the federal government, right? When we talk about these really basic things, whether it's a sidewalk, whether it's elevator access to our monorail, trees in our city, recreation. Certainly disaster preparedness and response, " he said.

Wong added that the city's ability see a $12 million USDA grant through to increase trees across Seattle is also on the line.

"Our ability to do that work to the same extent is severely hampered when the federal funding is threatened. We're really working on many levels, whether it's litigation or through our federal delegation, to make sure the federal government continues to be a strong partner in that."

Harrell also pointed to federal grants the city is using for heat pumps.

"We are a leader...in the green economy and we pride ourselves on that," Harrell said. "And so once again, while we are aggressively looking for federal assistance to build an economy around this, we are at odds with the federal government that denies climate change."

Another thing the city relies on federal money for is counter-terrorism efforts — especially when hosting large scale events, such as the upcoming 2026 FIFA World Cup.

"You look at some of the money we get from the federal government for counter-terrorism, that's about $5 million," Harrell said. "But counter-terrorism again is more than just the hard assets we could buy."

It also includes relationships with federal agencies like the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the FBI, he added.

"When you are in essence fighting with the federal government, not just for the funds but for the collaboration...you have exposure," Harrell said. "That's why we stay so alarmed about our relationship with the Trump administration."

He continued, "We want full cooperation with the government in the sense of helping us protect people, not raid them. You look at the hard assets in terms of Public Safety, Harbor Patrol, all the things we could do to make sure the [FIFA World Cup] experience is safe."

RELATED: How Seattle could raise more money by lowering most business taxes

The city's efforts to combat the high cost and shortage of housing in Seattle are also hinging on federal money. Cuts, Harrell said, would affect those initiatives "directly and adversely. "

"Now, we as a city will do everything possible," he said. "We spent over $1 billion since I've been in office on affordable housing, but it's just not enough in terms of we need the partnerships. These dollars are real dollars that save lives here in Seattle, and we have to recognize that."

Wong added, "There are many other services that go into making life affordable, particularly for our low-income, moderate-income residents.

"In the human services world, we receive significant grants that help with food assistance, that help with those mental health supports, and other things that allow people to live healthy lives," he continued. "And so that's really what's at risk here and why we're fighting so hard to make sure that we're preserving every single dollar from the federal government that we can."

Learn more about the city's plan to make up for lost federal dollars in the latest episode of Booming.