Rep. David Valadao faced a no-win decision last month: Fall into line behind President Trump and vote for a budget resolution that would almost certainly cut into Medicaid funding, risking his constituents’ wrath; or vote against it, catapulting his party into chaos and setting himself up for a primary opponent possibly backed by Trump.
Valadao, a Republican dairy farmer from Hanford, chose his party. In his speech on the House floor ahead of the vote, Valadao acknowledged that he’d “heard from countless constituents” advocating for continued support of the program.
“I will not support a final reconciliation bill that risks leaving them behind,” he said, adding, “I ask that leadership remains committed to working with my colleagues and I to produce a final product that strengthens critical programs like Medicaid and SNAP and ensures that our constituents are not left behind.”
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