On the heels of a vote in the House of Congress last week to advance Republican leaders’ rushed plan to cut $880 billion from Medicaid, Bakersfield residents held a rally and press conference at Rep. Valadao’s district office. Their message: put our families over tax breaks for billionaires by voting NO on any budget plan that cuts Medi-Cal.
Despite nearly 70% of voters in his district favoring Medi-Cal, Rep. Valadao remained silent on April 10, when his House Republican colleagues voted to advance a budget resolution that ordered nearly a trillion dollars in cuts to Medicaid. The cuts are intended to fund tax handouts for giant corporations and greedy CEOs like Elon Musk.
“Twelve of the 14 families I care for rely on Medi-Cal, so I’ve seen firsthand how essential healthcare is for children to grow up healthy and safe,” said Maria Cisneros, Child Care Provider, SEIU 521. “My own grandson was born with an ear problem that required surgery – without Medi-Cal, he would have faced hearing loss and speech delays. Congressman Valadao, I have a simple message for you: NO CUTS to Medicaid! Lives are at stake.”
The impact of such deep cuts to Medi-Cal would be felt by a staggering number of children in CA-22.ome 225,000 kids between 0-19 years old – that’s 90% of every child in the district – receives care through the Medi-Cal program. Terminating health care for children or their families will force difficult decisions between paying for rent and food or for medications, behavioral health services, home care, and even basic care like hearing, vision, and dental. Hospitals and local clinics will shut down as funding dries up, forcing residents to travel further – and wait longer in Emergency Rooms – for care.
“Medicaid isn’t just a safety net for working families, it’s a smart investment in public health and economic stability,” said Norberto Gonzalez – CA State Program Director, Poder Latinx. “When we keep hospitals and clinics open so families have access to preventive care through Medi-Cal – we avoid costly ER visits, shorten wait times for care, reduce strain on hospitals, and keep parents healthy enough to work and provide for their kids. Cutting Medicaid would hurt our community and drive up costs for everyone.”
“The services we provide at our clinic are often the only care our patients can afford – especially mental health services for the American Indian community here in Bakersfield,” said Angel Galvez, Executive Director, American Indian Health Project. “If Republicans successfully rush $880 billion in cuts to Medicaid, clinics like ours may have to close their doors – cutting off a major source of life-saving care for children and families in our community. Rep. Valadao must stop these menacing health care cuts before it’s too late.”
“Cutting Medicaid would be catastrophic — and nowhere more so than in the Central Valley, where two-thirds of people in Kern and Tulare counties rely on Medi-Cal,” said Mardi Yeary, Enhanced Care Management (ECM) Supervisor at Koinonia Family Services. “I’ve seen firsthand how this care keeps foster youth off the streets, helps families in crisis stay housed, and gives rural communities their only access to healthcare. Any member of Congress who votes for these cuts cannot claim to protect the people who need it most — because the families we serve will feel the harm, and they will know better.”