Just days before the Fourth of July holiday, community members rally outside Rep. David Valadao’s office to protest a federal budget bill that would cut more than $1 trillion from Medicaid. 

The Senate narrowly passed the bill in a 50-50 tie, broken by Vice President JD Vance. Only three Republican senators opposed it: Thom Tillis (NC), Susan Collins (ME), and Rand Paul (KY). The bill now returns to the House for final approval. 

Rep. Valadao already voted once to cut Medicaid. Now, protesters are asking him to change his mind and vote “NO” this time.

One of the speakers at the rally was Gilbert Garcia, a member of the California Alliance for Retired Americans (CARA).

“We’re here to stand up against the Medicaid cuts,” Garcia said. “The Senate passed the bill last night, and now it’s going back to the House. We’re hoping lawmakers will do the right thing and stop these cuts.”

Garcia said Rep. Valadao needs to think about how this bill would affect people in his district and across the country.

“He should ask, why are we cutting $800 billion to $1 trillion from Medicaid? What reason is there for that?” Garcia said. “If he’s not asking those questions, he’s not doing his job.”

Dr. Randy Villegas, who is running for Congress in California’s 22nd District, attended the protest and spoke with Kern Sol News.

“We have lots of people out here today rallying against this budget, which will cut Medicaid by $880 billion,” Villegas said. “It’s also taking away food assistance from kids by cutting SNAP and WIC. That means literally taking food out of the mouths of hungry children.”

Villegas warned the bill would hurt many people in the Central Valley.

“People will die. That’s the reality,” Villegas said. “Rural hospitals and clinics will suffer. Families will lose access to Medicaid, SNAP, WIC, and Pell Grants. Even people who aren’t on Medicaid will feel this. Emergency rooms will be more crowded, and wait times will get worse.”

Anna Alonso, a self-advocate and mother of two children with developmental delays, spoke out about the impact of the cuts at the rally.

“I’m here to remind Rep. Valadao of the promise he made to all of us,” Alonso said. “Fourteen million Americans will lose their health care if this bill passes. Programs like Medicaid, Medicare, social security, and VA services help families like mine survive.”

She asked Valadao not to turn his back on his community.

“We know you’ve worked hard for farmers and families with water problems, but now it’s time to do more. Think about the 14 million Americans who need you. Don’t let this bill become a weapon that harms millions of lives,” she said. 

Protesters gather in front of Rep. Valadao’s office to speak out against a budget bill that would cut Medicaid funding by over $1 trillion. (Haley Duval/Kern Sol News)

This morning, Congressman David Min joined the group Protect Our Care CA to speak out against the bill. He called it an attack on working families and said Republicans like Valadao, Ken Calvert, and Young Kim are putting wealthy corporations ahead of their own constituents.

According to the latest Congressional Budget Office (CBO) analysis, the bill would:

• Cut over $1 trillion from Medicaid and the ACA
  
• Eliminate over $150 billion in hospital funding
  
• Increase premiums for 24 million Americans
  
• Threaten coverage for 15 million Californians, including:
  
  • 1.5 million seniors
    
  • 3.5 million children
    
  • 852,000 people with disabilities
    
  • 530,000 residents in Rep. Valadao’s own district