| After largely avoiding the press this election cycle, David Valadao broke his silence to lie and shirk responsibility for his own actions.
In a disastrous new interview with the Sacramento Bee, Valadao was offered the opportunity to answer for his record of casting the deciding vote for the Big, Ugly Bill that is “projected to leave millions of Americans without healthcare,” including nearly 70,000 of his own constituents.
Instead, he lied and dodged his way through questions about health care, immigration, his ties to Donald Trump and the extremes of his party in Washington, and his refusal to hold in-person town halls.
Read the Lowlights:
HEALTH CARE: VALADAO DENIES COVERAGE CUTS
- VALADAO LIE: “As far as the healthcare component of it, no one is actually being kicked off and there aren’t actual cuts.”
- TRUTH: CA-22 is home to the highest Medicaid enrollment rate in the country. Nearly 70,000 CA-22 residents will lose health coverage because of his vote, including up to 87% of children and the 82% of Medi-Cal recipients who are Latino.
VALADAO SUGGESTS MEDI-CAL RECIPIENTS ARE SITTING ON THE COUCH
- VALADAO LIE: “People…have the ability to either try to work, volunteer in their community, or go to school…You have to try to make your situation better. If you want to just sit on the couch and not make an effort for yourself — they’re going to make their own choices for themselves.”
- TRUTH: The overwhelming majority of people who have the ability to work on Medicaid already do. KFF found that among adults under age 65 on Medicaid, 92% were working full time.
RURAL HOSPITALS: VALADAO CAN’T SAY HOW MUCH RELIEF HIS DISTRICT WILL RECEIVE
IMMIGRATION: VALADAO REFUSES TO IDENTIFY ENFORCEMENT ACTIONS THAT WENT TOO FAR
- VALADAO LIE: When asked if the Administration has gone too far with immigration enforcement, Valadao said “in some cases, yes.”
When asked for specifics, he said “I’m not going to name cases.”
- TRUTH: Valadao stayed silent while Kern County became the testing ground for Trump’s extreme deportation agenda. He did nothing when Border Patrol agents conducted sweeping operations across CA-22, detaining law-abiding workers and families, often without identifying themselves.
He has defended and dodged on aggressive enforcement tactics and echoed Trump’s rhetoric, even as fear spread among his own constituents. And when asked about the recent raids terrorizing CA-22 communities, he said “it is what it is.”
IRAN: VALADAO SAYS THE WAR HAS GONE ON TOO LONG DESPITE REPEATED VOTES TO CONTINUE IT
- VALADAO LIE: When asked about the reckless war-of-choice in Iran, Valadao said “it has gone on too long.”
- TRUTH: Valadao has had 6 opportunities to put an end to the war, and he voted each time to continue it.
VALADAO FALSELY CLAIMS INDEPENDENCE
- VALADAO LIE: “I’ve done a pretty good job over the years differentiating myself from the president and the party where I needed to, and taken on my own party.”
- TRUTH: Valadao has voted with Donald Trump 98% of the time this Congress.
- VALADAO DODGE: Despite that voting record, Valadao repeatedly refused to directly answer whether he would welcome Trump to campaign alongside him.
VALADAO SAYS AVOIDING HIS CONSISTUENTS IS “MORE CONVENIENT”
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