David Valadao Battles Backlash In His Swing District After Voting For Medicaid Cuts That Hit Close To Home

BAKERSFIELD, Calif. — When Rep. David Valadao, R-Calif., was knocked retired of agency successful 2018, Democrats astir nan state were riding a activity of backlash against President Donald Trump and nan GOP’s attempts to trim wellness care.

Now, aft Valadao provided a captious ballot for a sweeping taxation cuts and spending package that slashed Medicaid and nutrient stamps, Democrats spot an opportunity for a repetition successful California’s Central Valley, wherever galore low-income residents dangle connected societal information nett programs.

Valadao has already drawn astatine slightest 2 Democratic challengers successful his battleground district, which will beryllium cardinal to Republicans’ efforts to bent connected to their constrictive mostly successful adjacent year’s midterm elections. These see Jasmeet Bains, a expert and personnel of nan California authorities Assembly who officially jumped into nan title past week. She told NBC News she was motivated by Valadao’s support for nan measure and plans to make wellness attraction a defining rumor successful nan run against him.

“This isn’t thing that I ever envisioned for myself. I’m a doctor,” Bains said of her determination to tally for Congress. “When I saw Valadao ballot for nan ‘big, beautiful bill,’ I was shocked. As was everyone. How could you do that successful a territory that has immoderate of nan highest needs? Some of nan highest Medicaid patients successful nan country?”

Randy Villegas, a schoolhouse committee trustee who is affiliated pinch nan Working Families Party, is besides mounting a bid successful nan 22nd District.

Even anterior to his ballot connected nan megabill, Valadao was seen arsenic 1 of nan much susceptible Republicans up for re-election successful 2026. After he mislaid successful 2018, Valadao made a comeback bid and returned to Congress nan pursuing cycle. But his ballot for Trump’s measure could now put his plaything spot moreover much astatine risk. Valadao’s territory has nan highest stock of Medicaid recipients and households receiving nutrient stamps of immoderate represented by a Republican successful Congress, according to an NBC News analysis.

In a preview of nan onslaught ads to come, House Majority Forward, a nonprofit group aligned pinch Democratic leadership, and nan League of Conservation Voters are launching caller ads adjacent week hitting Valadao complete his support for nan bill, according to a root acquainted pinch nan matter.

The agriculturally rich | region, which relies heavy connected migrant farmworkers, is besides bracing for wide deportations that immoderate fearfulness could disrupt nan section system and nationalist nutrient proviso chains. Valadao has urged Trump to prioritize deporting criminals complete undocumented laborers, but nan management has sent mixed signals astir its approach.

It each has nan organization present connected edge.

“I’m decidedly scared. I’m worried astir it,” 53-year-old Rick Garcia, a section resident who relies connected Medicaid aft he was permanently paralyzed successful his early 20s, told NBC News successful an question and reply astir nan wellness attraction cuts.

Valadao had many times vowed to reason nan “big, beautiful bill,” informing conscionable respective days earlier last transition that he couldn’t support nan Senate product. But he ended up supporting that type without immoderate changes to nan legislation.

When asked really he felt astir Valadao’s vote, Garcia told NBC News: “Betrayed.”

“If you’re a leader and you’re gonna opportunity you’re gonna do something, you’re relying connected that leader to do thing astir that problem,” Garcia said. “Be a man of your word.”

Republicans reason that only those they opportunity don’t merit to beryllium connected Medicaid, for illustration undocumented immigrants and able-bodied adults who don’t work, will beryllium kicked disconnected nan program. But Garcia said nan state’s Medicaid program, Medi-Cal, has already tried to region him doubly before, truthful he worries group could erroneously get swept up successful each nan caller changes aliases will struggle to navigate nan much predominant eligibility check-ins.

The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office projected Trump’s caller law will summation nan number of group without wellness security by 10 cardinal by 2034.

Valadao’s agency said nan congressman was not disposable for an question and reply for this story. In a connection aft nan House ballot connected nan measure earlier this month, Valadao defended his decision.

“I voted for this measure because it does sphere nan Medicaid programme for its intended recipients — children, pregnant women, nan disabled, and elderly,” he said.

Christian Martinez, a spokesperson for nan National Republican Campaign Committee, said nan measure that Valadao voted for will “ease nan load connected hardworking Californians” and took a swipe astatine Villegas and Bains.

“Their far-left schedule will proceed to wreck California’s economy, raise taxes, and put forbidden immigrants up of California families,” Martinez said.

Valadao has stood up to his ain statement before. Most notably, he was 1 of 10 House Republicans who voted to impeach Trump successful 2021 pursuing nan Jan. 6 onslaught connected nan U.S. Capitol. But Trump has since further tightened his grip connected nan party, moreover threatening to backmost superior challenges to Republicans who stood successful nan measurement of his “big, beautiful bill.”

The sprawling home argumentation measure extends Trump’s 2017 taxation cuts, removes immoderate taxes connected tips and overtime, and beefs up backing for migration enforcement and nan military. While nan authorities is generally unpopular successful nationalist polling, Republicans are betting erstwhile they commencement trading it, their members will beryllium rewarded for supporting it.

Some section business owners successful Valadao’s territory hailed nan measure and praised Valadao for backing it.

Rob Taylor, who has owned Stafford’s Chocolates successful Portersville for nan past 14 years, said he thinks immoderate of nan bill’s taxation provisions will beryllium a boon for mini businesses for illustration his.

“I admit Valadao sticking up for himself and his constituents here,” Taylor, who has voted for Valadao successful nan past, told NBC News. “He’s not conscionable a rubber stamp. He does look astatine some sides [of an issue].”

In bid to partially salary for nan bill, Republicans opted to standard backmost Medicaid and nutrient stamps. That includes instituting caller activity requirements for able-bodied adults, making undocumented immigrants ineligible for nan programme and putting caller restrictions connected nan authorities supplier tax, which is simply a important root of gross for agrarian hospitals.

Moderate Republicans fended disconnected moreover steeper cuts to Medicaid that had been successful nan operation during nan negotiations, specified arsenic reducing nan national cost-sharing formula. But Valadao acknowledged he still harbors concerns complete immoderate of nan Medicaid changes, peculiarly those impacting agrarian hospitals.

Access to wellness attraction successful agrarian areas tin already beryllium difficult. Often, accommodation are limited connected thief from nan authorities to enactment afloat. Kern Hospital successful Bakersfield, a societal information nett hospital, gets 72% of its diligent gross from Medi-Cal.

Then location are agrarian wellness clinics, for illustration nan Bakersfield American Indian Health Project, wherever Garcia receives immoderate of his care. These clinics trust connected various gross streams from nan national authorities and supply captious preventive attraction services to galore low-income patients connected Medicaid.

“There’s nary frills here. No one’s taking advantage of anything. They’re trying to survive,” Dr. Carson Chambers, a objective scientist astatine nan Bakersfield American Indian Health Project, told NBC News.

Asked astir nan impacts of nan Medicaid cuts, Chambers said: “It whitethorn beryllium well-intentioned, it whitethorn beryllium fiscally sound, but successful nan agelong run, I deliberation it’s going to costs more.”