A GOP congressman voted to cut Medicaid. It covers 62% of his district. Can he win?
Republican Congressman David Valadao faces political backlash in his district for voting to cut Medicaid funding, a program that covers 62% of his constituents. The issue has become a central point of contention in his re-election campaign against challenger Randy Villegas.
Why it matters
Illustrates the tension between national fiscal policy and local constituent needs in competitive political districts.
Ulises Hernandez, of Bakersfield, Calif., has had health coverage through Medicaid for as long as he can remember.
But he had never waited as long for care as he did in September after a dental crown slipped down his throat during a procedure. He spent eight hours in an emergency room waiting for care and more than two days without food.
This story was produced in partnership with KFF Health News .
Sitting in his wheelchair to protest looming federal Medicaid cuts outside Republican U.S. Rep. David Valadao's Bakersfield office, Hernandez described his wait as a foreshadowing of what's ahead.
"I couldn't eat, I couldn't drink, I couldn't do anything, and I was in pain," said Hernandez, who had been discharged from the hospital a few days before. "I'm livid."
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