David Valadao Claimed To Be A Bipartisan And Independent Lawmaker, But He Voted With Trump 98% Of The Time In 2025, Including For The Big Beautiful Bill After Promising Not To Support It Because Of Its Cuts To Medicaid

2025: Valadao Voted With Trump 98% Of The Time, According To The Center For American Progress Action Fund

2025: Valadao Voted With Trump 98% Of The Time, According To The Center For American Progress Action Fund. [Center for American Progress Action Fund, accessed 5/19/26]

2025: Valadao Voted Twice For The Big Beautiful Bill, Despite Promising Not To Because Of The Cuts The Legislation Made To Medicaid

April 2025: Valadao Signed A Letter That Promised Not To Support A Final Version Of The Big Beautiful Bill That “Includes Any Reduction In Medicaid Coverage For Vulnerable Populations”

April 2025: Valadao Signed A Letter That Promised Not To Support A Final Version Of The Big Beautiful Bill That “Includes Any Reduction In Medicaid Coverage For Vulnerable Populations.” “We acknowledge that we must reform Medicaid so that it is a strong and long-lasting program for years to come. Efficiency and transparency must be prioritized for program beneficiaries, hospitals, and states. We support targeted reforms to improve program integrity, reduce improper payments, and modernize delivery systems to fix flaws in the program that divert resources away from children, seniors, individuals with disabilities, and pregnant women – those who the program was intended to help. However, we cannot and will not support a final reconciliation bill that includes any reduction in Medicaid coverage for vulnerable populations. […] Sincerely, […] David G. Valadao” [Letter to Speaker Johnson, Majority Leader Scalise, Majority Whip Emmer and Chairman Guthrie, 4/14/25]

May 2025: Valadao Voted To Pass The One Big Beautiful Bill Act

May 2025: Valadao Voted For H.R. 1, The One Big Beautiful Bill Act. In May 2025, Valadao voted for: “Passage of the bill that would provide for approximately $3.8 trillion in net tax cuts and $321 billion in military, border enforcement and judiciary spending, offset by $1.5 trillion in spending reductions, as instructed in the fiscal 2025 budget resolution (H Con Res 14). It would raise the statutory debt limit by $4 trillion and provide for increased spending on defense and border security, spending cuts on social safety net programs, such as Medicaid and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. It also includes a mix of tax breaks for businesses and individuals; tax increases on universities and foundations; and a phase-down of clean energy tax credits. It would reduce spending on Medicaid by $625 billion over a 10-year period and modify eligibility and cost provisions for enrollees and health providers and impose work, volunteer and education requirements on adults ages 19 to 64 who are covered by the program. It would appropriate “such sums as necessary” for reducing cost-sharing payments for low-income individuals who’ve purchased “silver” plans on the 2010 health care law’s exchanges. But payments to plans that cover abortions would be mostly barred. It would extend and make permanent individual tax brackets and rates included in the 2017 tax overhaul law (PL 115-97) and provide for the adjustment of the lower bounds of each tier based on inflation. It would reduce federal spending on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program by requiring states to shoulder more of the cost, expand work requirements for SNAP, extend programs authorized under the 2018 farm bill, and prohibit the U.S. Department of Agriculture from increasing the cost of the Thrifty Food Program. As amended, it would cap state and local tax deductions at $40,000 for households with incomes below $500,000 and prohibit Medicaid funding for gender transition therapies or procedures for minors and adults, among other provisions.” The bill passed by a vote of 215-214. [H.R. 1, Vote #145, 5/22/25; CQ, 5/22/25]

June 2025: Valadao Issued A Statement Saying “I Will Not Support A Final Bill That Eliminates Vital Funding Streams Our Hospitals Rely On” Or “Threatens The Stability Of Healthcare Providers Across CA-22”

June 2025: Valadao: “I Will Not Support A Final Bill That Eliminates Vital Funding Streams Our Hospitals Rely On.” “I’ve been clear from the start that I will not support a final reconciliation bill that makes harmful cuts to Medicaid, puts critical funding at risk, or threatens the stability of healthcare providers across CA-22. I support the reasonable provisions in H.R. 1 that protect Medicaid’s long-term viability and ensure the program continues to serve our most vulnerable, but I will not support a final bill that eliminates vital funding streams our hospitals rely on, including provider taxes and state directed payments, or any provisions that punish expansion states. President Trump was clear when he said to root out waste, fraud, and abuse without cutting Medicaid and I wholeheartedly agree. I urge my Senate colleagues to stick to the Medicaid provisions in H.R. 1 – otherwise, I will vote no.” [Rep. David Valadao, X, 6/28/25]

• Valadao Said He Would Not Support A Final Version Of H.R. 1 That “Threatens The Stability Of Healthcare Providers Across CA-22.” “I’ve been clear from the start that I will not support a final reconciliation bill that makes harmful cuts to Medicaid, puts critical funding at risk, or threatens the stability of healthcare providers across CA-22. I support the reasonable provisions in H.R. 1 that protect Medicaid’s long-term viability and ensure the program continues to serve our most vulnerable, but I will not support a final bill that eliminates vital funding streams our hospitals rely on, including provider taxes and state directed payments, or any provisions that punish expansion states. President Trump was clear when he said to root out waste, fraud, and abuse without cutting Medicaid and I wholeheartedly agree. I urge my Senate colleagues to stick to the Medicaid provisions in H.R. 1 – otherwise, I will vote no.” [Rep. David Valadao, X, 6/28/25]
• Valadao Said “I Will Not Support A Final Reconciliation Bill That Makes Harmful Cuts To Medicaid.” “I’ve been clear from the start that I will not support a final reconciliation bill that makes harmful cuts to Medicaid, puts critical funding at risk, or threatens the stability of healthcare providers across CA-22. I support the reasonable provisions in H.R. 1 that protect Medicaid’s long-term viability and ensure the program continues to serve our most vulnerable, but I will not support a final bill that eliminates vital funding streams our hospitals rely on, including provider taxes and state directed payments, or any provisions that punish expansion states. President Trump was clear when he said to root out waste, fraud, and abuse without cutting Medicaid and I wholeheartedly agree. I urge my Senate colleagues to stick to the Medicaid provisions in H.R. 1 – otherwise, I will vote no.” [Rep. David Valadao, X, 6/28/25]

July 2025: Valadao Voted For Final Passage Of The Senate Version Of The One Big Beautiful Bill Act

July 2025: Valadao Voted For H.R. 1, The One Big Beautiful Bill Act. In July 2025, Valadao voted for: “Motion to concur in the Senate amendment to the bill that would permanently extend nearly $4 trillion in expiring individual and business tax cuts, create several new tax breaks and fund border and immigration enforcement and air traffic control upgrades. It would cut Medicaid and other safety net programs to partly offset the cost. Among other provisions, it would raise the statutory debt ceiling by $5 trillion and appropriate more than $448 billion in mandatory funding for Trump administration priorities and other needs, including $153 billion for defense, $89 billion for immigration enforcement, and $89.5 billion for border control and security. It also would increase the state and local tax deduction cap to $40,000 annually for five years for households making up to $500,000 a year until 2030, when it would permanently revert to $10,000.” The motion was agreed to by a vote of 218-214. [HR 1, Vote #190, 7/3/25; CQ, 7/3/25]

The Big Beautiful Bill Made The Largest Cuts To Medicaid In The Program’s History And Was Estimated To Cost Millions Of Americans Their Health Insurance

The Hill: Republicans Passed The Largest Cuts To Medicaid Since The Program Began In The 1960’s. “Senate Republicans on Tuesday passed the largest cuts to Medicaid since the program began in the 1960s, a move that would erode the social safety net and cause a spike in the number of uninsured Americans over the next decade. The tax and spending bill is projected to cost more than $3 trillion during that time, but it would be partially paid for with about $1 trillion in cuts to Medicaid. Almost 12 million lower-income Americans would lose their health insurance by 2034, according to the Congressional Budget Office (CBO).” [The Hill, 7/1/25]

KFF: “CBO Estimates Show That The Number Of Uninsured People Will Increase By More Than 14 Million In 2034.” “President Trump signed into law on July 4, 2025 a budget reconciliation package (formerly called the ‘One Big Beautiful Bill Act’) that will make significant changes to Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act (ACA) Marketplaces. The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimates that, relative to its estimates of insurance coverage prior to the law being enacted, the law will increase the number of people without health insurance in 2034 by 10 million, because of changes to Medicaid (7.5 million), the ACA Marketplaces (2.1 million), and other policies and interactions among different provisions (0.4 million). These legislative changes come at a time when enhanced premium tax credits for ACA Marketplace enrollees are set to expire later this year. When combining the impact of the reconciliation law with that of the expected expiration of the ACA’s enhanced premium tax credits, CBO estimates show that the number of uninsured people will increase by more than 14 million in 2034. That estimate does not account for the effects of the Trump administration’s ACA Marketplace Integrity and Affordability rule finalized earlier this year, so the overall change in the number of uninsured people could be even larger.” [KFF, 8/20/25]

2024: Valadao’s Campaign Said He Had “Ignored Partisan Bickering” And Emphasized His Willingness To Reach Across The Aisle

2024: Valadao’s Campaign: “David Has Ignored Partisan Bickering And Demonstrated His Commitment To Local Priorities.” “Valadao, a farmer by trade, has continually focused his campaign on Central Valley's agricultural and water needs, an approach that has resonated with constituents. […] ‘David has ignored partisan bickering and demonstrated his commitment to local priorities,’ his campaign reiterated in a recent appeal to supporters. Painting Salas as a tax-and-spend Democrat, Valadao emphasized his willingness to reach across the aisle on issues critical to his district.” [Newsweek, 11/13/24]

• Newsweek: “Painting Salas As A Tax-And-Spend Democrat, Valadao Emphasized His Willingness To Reach Across The Aisle On Issues Critical To His District.” “Valadao, a farmer by trade, has continually focused his campaign on Central Valley's agricultural and water needs, an approach that has resonated with constituents. […] ‘David has ignored partisan bickering and demonstrated his commitment to local priorities,’ his campaign reiterated in a recent appeal to supporters. Painting Salas as a tax-and-spend Democrat, Valadao emphasized his willingness to reach across the aisle on issues critical to his district.” [Newsweek, 11/13/24]

2024: Valadao Called Himself A “Bipartisan Problem Solver” While Soliciting Campaign Donations

2024: Valadao Referred To Himself As A “Bipartisan Problem Solver” In A Post Containing A Fundraising Ask. “Join #TeamValadao to send a farmer and bipartisan problem solver back to Congress:” [David Valadao, Twitter, 9/3/24]

Image: see original report, p. 52

2023: Valadao Said “We Have To Work Across The Aisle To Get Things Done For The Good Of Our Constituents And For The Good Of Our Country”

2023: Valadao: “We Have To Work Across The Aisle To Get Things Done For The Good Of Our Constituents And For The Good Of Our Country.” “There are always places we can work together. We have to work across the aisle to get things done for the good of our constituents and for the good of our country.” [Rep. David Valadao, Twitter, 2/9/23]

Image: see original report, p. 53

2021: Valadao Said “Working Across The Aisle” Had “Always Been A Priority” For Him

2021: Valadao: “That For Me Has Always Been A Priority, Working Across The Aisle.” VALADAO: “So yes, that for me has always been a priority, working across the aisle. I mean, my background as a farmer, as a business person, the understanding that you have to work with people. There’s times that you disagree. Every time a salesman shows up on your property, they might be trying to sell you a product you might not like that day, but the following day, they’re going to have stuff you might like. And so to just cut off communication with someone because you disagree with them one day, doesn’t mean you cut off communication forever. I do believe in Congress. For you to legislate good policy, you have to have everyone at the table and be able to have a conversation about the topic. It forces you, one, to understand the issue, but two, to hear it from both sides and try to represent our areas as best we possibly can. I represent the largest dairy district in the nation, but making sure that we have the input from people who represent different types of areas, will also help you understand the issue to help you craft better legislation.” [National Milk Producers Federation, 6/28/21]

2020: Valadao’s Campaign Emphasized His “Long History Of Bipartisan And Independent Leadership” In Its First Campaign Ad Of The Cycle

2020: Valadao’s Campaign Said Its First Ad “Tout[ed] David’s Long History Of Bipartisan And Independent Leadership For The Central Valley.” “Today, David Valadao For Congress released its first ad touting David’s long history of bipartisan and independent leadership for the Central Valley. The ad focuses on David’s work reaching across the aisle working with President Obama to bring water to Valley farmers, as well as standing up to Republican leadership fighting to give DREAMers a pathway to citizenship.” [Valadao for Congress, Press Release, 9/1/20]

2020: Valadao Said “Time And Time Again,” He “Reached Across The Aisle And Worked To Find Solutions” While In Congress

2020: Valadao Said During His Time In Congress, “Time And Time Again, I Reached Across The Aisle And Worked To Find Solutions.” “Throughout my time in Congress, it was my mission to fight for our Central Valley and work with both Democrats and Republicans to stand up against policies harming our values and way of life.

Time and time again, I reached across the aisle and worked to find solutions to create a pathway to citizenship for DACA recipients, improve agriculture policy, and ensure our nation’s military and veterans are taken care of.” [Fresno Bee, David Valadao Op-Ed, 8/25/20]