Last Thursday, just minutes after the House of Representatives passed President Donald Trump’s “Big Beautiful Bill” to overhaul federal taxes and health care spending, the National Republican Campaign Committee issued a statement touting Rep. David Valadao’s vote for the controversial measure.
“In a major win for Californians, David Valadao just voted to pass landmark legislation that lowers taxes, boosts economic growth, strengthens essential benefits and restores law and order in California,” the NRCC declared.
“Congressman David Valadao is doing exactly what he promised: delivering real results, restoring fiscal sanity and fighting for California families,” NRCC spokesman Christian Martinez said. “His vote is proof that strong leadership and commonsense still matter in Washington.”
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“Representative David Valadao just voted for the largest health care cuts in history in order to fund tax breaks for billionaires and big corporations, and we’re going to make sure that every single one of their constituents knows it,” said Matthew Herdman, director of Protect Our Care California.
The ads are aimed at Valadao and other members of California’s Republican congressional delegation, including Young Kim and Ken Calvert, because they are considered to be the most vulnerable incumbents as the two major parties battle over control over the House in next year’s elections.
Republicans have a paper-thin House majority — as demonstrated by the 218-214 final vote on Trump’s high priority bill — and Valadao, Kim and Calvert barely survived past challenges. Valadao first won a congressional seat in 2012, lost it in 2018 and regained it in 2020. He successfully fended off Democrat Rudy Salas in 2022 and 2024.
What happens in the three targeted districts next year could easily determine which party will prevail, with potentially major consequences for the final two years of Trump’s presidency.
Valadao’s vote for the bill is especially noteworthy because Democratic voters outnumber Republicans by 12 percentage points in the San Joaquin Valley’s 22nd Congressional District, two-thirds of his constituents rely on Medi-Cal (California’s version of Medicaid) for their health care, and he had repeatedly promised not to vote for any reductions in the program.
The Fresno Bee’s editorial page quickly excoriated him for seemingly abandoning that pledge under pressure from Trump.
“At a height of 6-feet-4, Rep. David Valadao can cast a giant presence in Washington, D.C.,” The Bee’s editorial board wrote. “Unfortunately, he doesn’t measure up when it comes to looking out for the best interests of his community.”
The editorial continued, “The Congressional Budget Office, a nonpartisan agency, estimated that the Senate version of the bill, which was eventually passed, reduces federal Medicaid spending by $1 trillion over 10 years and increases the number of uninsured people by 11.8 million.
“What happened to Valadao in five days to change his mind? For one thing, he visited the White House on Wednesday. His office didn’t provide details of that reunion, but Trump has used such meetings to pressure reluctant lawmakers to do his bidding over that of the people.”
Valadao insists that he received assurances from the White House that the Medicaid cuts will “be structured in a way that benefits our providers and keeps our hospitals and communities running.”
Aware of his precarious hold on the seat, Valadao has continuously stressed his independence, even being one of only 10 Republicans who voted to impeach Trump during his first presidential reign.
However, Valadao’s vote for Trump’s bill undermines that independent image and will almost certainly be weaponized as Democrats try again to capture his seat next year.
Dan Walters is a CalMatters columnist.
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