| DCCC spokesperson Anna Elsasser released the following statement after Randy Villegas held David Valadao’s feet to the fire for failing Central Valley families in tonight’s CA-22 KGET debate:
“Tonight, voters saw the truth about David Valadao: he has spent twelve years in Washington selling out the people he was meant to serve. From ripping away health care, to rubber-stamping a reckless war of choice, to being bought and paid for by special interests raising our costs – time and time again, Valadao has left Valley families to pay the price for his actions. Randy Villegas’ story is the Valley’s story: the son of immigrants who grew up relying on Medi-Cal and WIC, worked his way up, built a small business, became an educator, and dedicated his life to his community. Randy proved he’ll always put working people – not billionaires – first and fight to give the Central Valley the deal it deserves. CA-22 is ready for change, and Randy is ready to deliver it.”
David Valadao Has Left the Valley Behind. Here’s How:
HEALTH CARE: Valadao repeatedly promised to protect Medicaid — then cast the deciding vote for the largest Medicaid cuts in history. His vote:
- Traded $1 trillion in Medicaid cuts for $1 trillion in tax breaks for billionaires.
- Gutted coverage for nearly 70,000 people in CA-22 and is costing local hospitals nearly $90 million in revenue cuts.
- Gutted SNAP, despite one in four Valley families relying on the program to put food on the table.
It’s part of a decades-long record: Valadao has voted at least 30 times to repeal, defund, or undermine the ACA. The last time his fate was decided in a healthcare midterm after voting to repeal the ACA (2018), he lost his seat.
COSTS: Valadao has broken every promise to lower the cost of living. He has faithfully supported Trump’s tariffs and reckless economic policies costing the average Valley family more than $5,700. Gas prices are over $6 a gallon. Families’ utility rates have increased by roughly 96% over the last ten years. California health insurance premiums have risen by 50% on average.
GAS PRICES: Valadao promised to lower gas prices. Instead, he voted six times to rubber stamp the Iran War as Valley gas climbed above $6 a gallon. The war has already cost taxpayers $43.6 billion and American families at least $1,200 each — while higher fuel costs squeeze Valley families and farmers.
IMMIGRATION: Valadao refused to stand up to extreme immigration enforcement tactics first tested in Kern County that disrupted farms and terrorized Valley families, pushing farmworkers to be afraid to go to work or seek medical care over deportation fears. And when Trump targeted the constitutional right to birthright citizenship, Valadao said he supported “making some changes.”
CORRUPTION: As Valley families faced soaring electricity bills, Valadao took thousands from utility companies and then voted for massive tax breaks benefiting utility companies.
DATA CENTERS: As Valley families worry about higher electricity and water costs, Valadao took hundreds of thousands from some of the largest data center developers right before voting to make it easier and faster to build them. He even voted for a bill that gave over $80 billion in tax breaks to data centers.
TARIFFS: Despite representing the region that produces 25% of America’s food, Valadao voted nine times to rubber-stamp tariffs crushing the very farmers, small businesses, and families that make up the backbone of the Valley economy.
PARTY RUBBERSTAMP: Despite touting himself as a “bipartisan leader” for the Valley, Valadao has voted with Donald Trump 98% of the time on every policy making life worse for Valley families. |
