Central Valley families protest Rep. David Valadao’s vote for Medicaid cuts
Central Valley families in U.S. Rep. David Valadao’s District 22 protested outside the congressman’s Valley offices in Bakersfield and Hanford this week after he voted approve Medicaid cuts.
Valadao was one of the nine California House Republicans who voted on Thursday to pass the 1,000-page package of tax cuts by a 215-214 vote in the House of Representatives. The legislation that President Donald Trump calls his “Big, Beautiful Bill” would result in a $698 billion cut in Medicaid funds, according to the Congressional Budget office.
Nearly 15 million Californians are enrolled in Medicaid, known as Medi-Cal in California. Four out of five children in Valadao’s district (87%, are on Medicaid) depend on Medi-Cal for health care. About 67% of residents (527,192 people) in the district rely on Medicaid.
One of those children is Brenda Gonzalez’s 9-year-old child who has been diagnosed with autism and depends on Medicaid for health care.
“Thanks to the speech therapy he receives, my child has been able to speak and communicate. But he still needs more specialized support,” said Gonzalez in Spanish.
Gonzalez, who lives in Bakersfield, said she speaks for many families in the Central Valley who depend on Medi-Cal.
“His therapies aren’t a luxury — they’re a necessity. There are thousands of children in California and across the country who need this kind of support,” Gonzalez said.
Medicaid provides health care coverage for more than 525,000 Californians in the Central Valley, including more than 225,000 children, according to a fact sheet from Families USA. The Central Valley, particularly Valadao’s congressional district, has one of the highest Medicaid enrollment in the nation.
According to Families USA, families in the Central Valley struggle to pay for health care with 75% unable to afford out-of-pocket health care costs and 63% reportedly skipping or delaying medical care due to costs. Almost half of surveyed residents reported having medical debt.
California could lose up to 217,000 jobs with the cuts to Medicaid, according to a policy brief by the UC Berkely Labor Center. The estimated job loss in Valadao’s congressional district is between 3,400 to 6,900 jobs in 2026. Medi-Cal payments to hospitals totaled $820 million, or 50% of net patient revenue in Valadao’s district, according to the California Health Care Foundation.
Dozens of people — families directly impacted by the cuts and healthcare workers — engaged in a week-long fast outside his office urging the Republican congressman to protect public services like health care.
“We understand what is at stake, with our health services being cut, with food assistance services being cut, and safety net service,” said Noe Garcia, policy coordinator with the Dolores Huerta Foundation.
Valadao has previously said he would not support a final reconciliation bill that would affect the vulnerable population in his district.
In a statement after his vote on Thursday, Valadao said he “successfully preserved the integrity of the program and prevented proposals that would disproportionately impact California.”
“This bill honors my commitment to protect Medicaid for our most vulnerable populations, while implementing commonsense reforms to strengthen the program,” Valadao said.
After his vote on Thursday, constituents held a demonstration outside the Hanford Office carrying signs that read, “Valadao lies,” and urged constituents to call their congressman. With the bill passing by one vote, some said Valadao had the power to stop the bill from moving forward.
This story was originally published May 28, 2025 at 12:56 PM with the headline "Central Valley families protest Rep. David Valadao’s vote for Medicaid cuts."
