Health care advocates rallied outside Rep. David Valadao’s office Tuesday, joining Protect Our Care California in a push to hold him and fellow Republicans accountable for votes they say jeopardize constituents’ healthcare access. The event was part of Protect Our Care’s six-state “Stop the GOP War on Health Care” mobile billboard tour, which is calling out Republican lawmakers for what advocates describe as ongoing attacks on the health care system.
Nicole Serrano, political director for Protect Our Care California, opened the press conference by noting that Valadao’s district, the 22nd Congressional District, has the highest percentage of Medicaid recipients in the nation. Despite this, Valadao backed nearly a trillion dollars in Medicaid cuts.
According to Serrano, the congressman previously promised to oppose the legislation, then voted for it less than a week later. This decision, she said, is already driving premium hikes across the region.
“1.7 million Californians get their health insurance through ACA tax credits,” she said. “But Valadao voted against extending those tax credits, and now Central Valley families are seeing premiums double, some by as much as $600, $1,000, even $2,000 a month.”
Assemblymember Jasmeet Bains, a physician who trained and practiced in Kern County, followed with a personal account of what health care access means in the Central Valley. She emphasized that her medical career has been rooted in serving the region’s most vulnerable communities.
“I trained here. I never left my community,” she said. “Exactly what the ACA protected was health care for the people who needed it most.”
Bains criticized Valadao for presenting a different image at home than in Washington, stating he is afraid to do anything to defy party leaders.
“Representative Valadao, your word is your bond in the Valley, and you broke that word,” she said. “Co-sponsoring bills is easy. Fighting for your constituents takes courage. That’s what separates real leadership from empty gestures.”
Gema Perez, Executive Director of the Greenfield Walking Group, echoed the call for support for the region’s most vulnerable families, sharing a personal story about the consequences of inadequate access to care.
“I am here today to uplift the voice of all communities, especially the most vulnerable, low-income people,” Perez said. “If this passes and healthcare programs end or increase, this will be tragic, and we will be reliving the same situations as before. We know what happens when people self-medicate. Around two years ago, a gentleman diagnosed with cancer was self-medicating because he could not afford insurance. He only survived a few months. This will only provoke more tragedies. We need help and support, so this doesn’t change.”
Reyna Olaguez, CEO and President of Building Healthy Communities Kern, said this issue isn’t just political; it’s also deeply personal.
“These health care cuts are dangerous,” she said. “Families across Kern County are at risk of losing coverage, clinics are at risk of closing, and jobs are at risk of disappearing. This isn’t a blue or red issue, or a black, white, or brown issue. It affects all of us.”
Olaguez called on community members to act as “health care heroes” by demanding the restoration of tax credits that she said protect thousands of families and children in Kern County.
