Already a ripe goal for Democrats within the subsequent election, Central Valley Rep. David Valadao put his political future in deeper peril this week by voting in favor of laws that slashes the Medicaid protection important to roughly two-thirds of his constituents.
The Republican dairy farmer from Hanford stated that regardless of his considerations about President Trump’s megabill, he voted to assist it due to concessions he helped negotiate that may assist his district, akin to an extra $25 billion for rural hospitals, $1 billion for Western water infrastructure and agricultural investments.
Greater than a half-million residents in Valadao’s district are coated by this system identified in California as Medi-Cal — probably the most of any district within the state — based on the UC Berkeley Labor Heart. Whereas preserving tax breaks benefiting the rich, the invoice handed by a slim Republican majorities in each the Home and Senate would cut back federal Medicaid spending by $1.04 trillion over 10 years, based on the nonpartisan Congressional Funds Workplace estimates.
Valadao stated his constituents would straight profit from a number of provisions within the laws, together with the extension of the tax breaks, the elimination of taxes on ideas and extra time, and the growth of the kid tax credit score.
“These are real wins that will put more money back in the pockets of hardworking families throughout the Valley,” he stated. “No piece of legislation is perfect, but this bill ultimately reflects the priorities of [my district] — lower taxes, stronger farms, better infrastructure, and a commitment to protecting access to healthcare for Valley residents.”
Democrats vowed to make use of Valadao’s vote to oust him from workplace within the 2026 election. His district, which incorporates swaths of Kern, Kings and Tulare counties, is among the many best within the nation.
Valadao has repeatedly vowed to oppose laws that might lower healthcare for his constituents, most not too long ago on Monday, when he posted on the social media platform X: “I’ve been clear from the start that I will not support a final reconciliation bill that makes harmful cuts to Medicaid, puts critical funding at risk, or threatens the stability of healthcare providers across” his district.
After his vote on Thursday, Valadao stated that he voted for the invoice as a result of it preserves Medicaid “for its intended recipients — children, pregnant women, the disabled, and elderly.”
“David Valadao just sealed his fate by voting for a bill that will rip health care away from tens of thousands in his district, where more than two-thirds of his constituents rely on the very program he’s gutting,” stated Anna Elsasser, a spokesperson for the Democratic Congressional Marketing campaign Committee, in an announcement. “He lied to their faces, and then tried to sweep it under the rug. We all knew he’d fold when it mattered most. It’s spineless, it’s dishonest, and next November, it will cost him his seat.”
A billboard proclaiming “David Valadao Lied. He voted to gut Medi-Cal, giving CEOs a tax break. We’ll pay with our lives” was erected Thursday close to the 99 Freeway in Valadao’s district by Struggle for Our Well being, a nonprofit coalition of well being, labor, senior, incapacity and different teams.
Democrats additionally plan on focusing on Rep. Ken Calvert (R-Corona) and Rep. Younger Kim (R-Anaheim Hills) for his or her assist of the invoice. Tons of of protesters descended on Kim’s Anaheim subject workplace on Tuesday to induce the congresswoman to oppose the laws.
Trump’s proposal narrowly handed the U.S. Senate on Tuesday, with Vice President JD Vance casting a tie-breaking vote due to the defection of three GOP senators who joined each Democrat in voting in opposition to it.
The laws will dramatically overhaul the nation’s tax code by making tax cuts permitted in the course of the president’s first time period everlasting, a significant profit to firms and the nation’s rich, whereas slashing funding for historic federal safety-net packages together with Medicaid and the Supplemental Diet Help Program, which helps present meals to low-income Individuals.
A CBO evaluation launched Sunday estimated that the Senate model of the proposal would enhance the nationwide deficit by practically $3.3 trillion from 2025 to 2034 and would lead to 11.8 million Individuals dropping medical health insurance in lower than a decade.
The laws created a rift amongst Republicans, with some opposing the amount of cash it might add to the deficit whereas others expressing considerations about how it might influence their constituents. However in the end, GOP members of Congress put apart their variations to get the invoice on the president’s desk by Independence Day, as Trump desired.
In a marathon session that ended early Thursday morning, members of the Home of Representatives voted 220-212 largely alongside social gathering strains to approve a procedural rule that permits the laws to be thought of by the complete physique Thursday, a victory for Trump and GOP legislative leaders.
Valadao’s vote in assist of the procedural vote earlier than midnight Wednesday raised eyebrows, given the variety of his constituents who depend on Medicaid, his earlier willingness to oppose Trump and GOP considerations about holding onto management of his seat.
Greater than 40% of the district’s voters are Democrats, whereas 28.3% are Republicans and 23.3% registered as having no social gathering desire, based on the nonpartisan California Goal Ebook, which handicaps congressional races.
Valadao, 48, served one time period within the state Meeting previous to being elected to Congress in 2012. He was reelected twice earlier than narrowly dropping reelection in 2018. He retook the seat in 2020.
He drew the ire of fellow Republicans as one in every of 10 GOP members of congress who voted to question Trump in 2021 after a violent mob of the president’s supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol within the aftermath of the president’s loss within the 2020 presidential election. Nonetheless, Valadao didn’t face the identical retribution from Trump that the others did, reportedly due to the congressman’s long-standing relationship with former Home Speaker Kevin McCarthy of Bakersfield.
