Proposed federal budget cuts passed by House Republicans could have harmful impacts on families in California’s 22nd Congressional District, especially people in low-income communities, marginalized communities, and local economies, according to experts at the California Budget and Policy Center.
Alyssa Anderson, Policy Director at the California Budget and Policy Center, spoke with Kern Sol News about the potential fallout of these cuts. Which would significantly reduce funding for programs like Medi-Cal and CalFresh in order to fund tax breaks for the nation’s wealthiest households and large corporations.
“These cuts would make California’s affordability crisis even worse,” Anderson said. “Families who are already struggling to make ends meet would be forced to make impossible choices between paying rent, putting food on the table, or affording necessary healthcare.”
California’s 22nd District, represented by David Valadao, has the highest percentage of residents in the state who rely on Medi-Cal for health coverage. Two-thirds of residents in the 22nd district rely on Medi-Cal for health coverage, which is 67% of residents.
Valadao’s district ranks second in the state for CalFresh participation, with more than a quarter of residents using the program to help put food on the table.
“Cuts to these programs would have a ripple effect across the district,” Anderson explained. “Families would lose access to essential healthcare, and grocery stores would lose customers as people have less money to spend.”
CalFresh alone brings in approximately $474 million to the local economy each year. Cutting that funding would not only increase food insecurity but also can hurt local businesses, which supports local economies by enabling grocery purchases.
“Cuts to CalFresh would ripple far beyond individual households, impacting the broader community,” Anderson said.
There are also many families that rely on both Medi-Cal and CalFresh, which means they could lose access to both healthcare and food assistance at the same time.
“These are the same families who are already dealing with high rents and low wages,” Anderson said. “Taking away these essential supports would push many into deeper poverty and make it even harder for them to stay employed.”
The threat of federal budget cuts comes at a time when California’s poverty rate has already soared to high levels.
According to recent Census data, California’s poverty rate jumped to 18.9% in 2023, up from 16.4% in 2022 and just 11% in 2021. That means 7.3 million Californians lacked the resources to meet their basic needs. That is more than the populations of Los Angeles, San Diego, San Jose, and San Francisco combined.
The proposed cuts would also make existing racial and economic inequalities worse, hitting low-income communities and communities of color the hardest.
The Census data also shows that Black and Latino Californians are already facing disproportionately high poverty rates.
Nearly 75% of District 22 residents are Latino, and many are immigrants or people of color working in low-wage jobs.
“Due to systemic racism and discriminatory policies, people of color are disproportionately forced into low-paying work and are more likely to rely on safety net programs,” Anderson explained. “Cutting these programs while providing tax breaks to billionaires who are overwhelmingly white will only widen racial wealth gaps.”
These numbers reflect the economic conditions in the district, which may influence the need for programs like Medi-Cal and CalFresh, according to the California Budget and Policy Center.
What comes next?
While the budget process is still unfolding, the House and Senate have passed separate versions of the budget. But they now need to negotiate a compromise. Once that’s finalized, the specific program cuts will become clearer likely in April, according to Anderson.
In the meantime, Anderson urged state leaders to do everything possible to shield Californians from the harm of federal budget cuts, including raising state revenue by closing tax loopholes for the wealthy.
“California can’t control what happens at the federal level, but our state leaders can step up to protect communities,” Anderson said.
For residents of the Central Valley, cuts to Medi-Cal and CalFresh could send thousands into deeper poverty and destabilize local economies. “This is why it’s so important to get the word out,” Anderson said. “The more people understand what’s at stake, the more they can make their voices heard.”
