News · Press Release

Valadao and Kiley’s Votes to Cut Medicaid Blasted as “Unconscionable” “Malpractice”

Fellow California lawmakers are speaking out against David Valadao and Kevin Kiley’s “unconscionable” decision to rubber stamp the GOP Tax Scam that will kick millions off of health care and food assistance, all to give tax cuts to the wealthiest Americans.

In an op-ed, Congressman John Garamendi blasted their spineless decision – noting that a “shocking” 70% of Valadao’s district rely on Medicaid (the highest percentage of any congressional district in the country). In Kiley’s district, 96,000 people rely on SNAP, and 28% are covered by federally subsidized health care.

“If that’s not malpractice, I don’t know what is,” he writes.

Read it for yourself…
  • One of the most dangerous proposals moving forward today…[is] a revived effort to dismantle Medicaid, one of the most essential lifelines for working families, children and seniors.
  • Medicaid…[is] the difference between having a doctor or none at all. It’s a family’s peace of mind when a child has a chronic condition. It’s the nurse who visits an elderly parent so they can live at home with dignity. It’s the infrastructure of a healthy life.
  • House Republicans voted to slash Medicaid funding by $880 billion, remove health coverage from over 14 million Americans and cut food assistance to 18 million children. This disastrous bill passed the House by just one vote. Unfortunately, not a single California Republican whose constituents heavily rely on these programs voted against the bill.
  • One of those votes was cast by Rep. Kevin Kiley… His district has 96,000 residents who rely on SNAP…and 28% are covered by federally subsidized health care. Still, he voted to gut their care and slash the resources their families rely on. It’s unconscionable.
  • For one Republican from Central California, the stakes are even higher: In Rep. David Valadao’s district, a shocking 70% rely on Medicaid or Medi-Cal. It’s the highest percentage of any congressional district in the nation. Yet he voted for this reckless budget. If that’s not malpractice, I don’t know what is.
  • This budget plan is not about saving money. According to the independent financial services firm Moody’s, the Republican budget would actually add $4 trillion to the national debt while ripping away critical care and nutrition from America’s most vulnerable.
  • The Trump tax bill contains a massive tax giveaway to the ultra-wealthy, leaving working families to pick up the bill. The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office estimates income for the poorest 10% of households would fall by 4% in the next decade as a result of the bill, while those in the wealthiest 10% would get a 4% income boost.
  • This fight is about values. It’s about whether we prioritize billionaires or working people. It’s about whether we, as a nation, decide to look out for one another.

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