If Trump cuts Medicaid, this California Republican's House seat would be imperiled

Contributing sentiments towards policy:

56% : "Medicaid is the only place -- it's like the bank, it's where the money is," said Mark Peterson, professor of public policy, political science, health policy and management at UCLA.
55% : Stand by his constituents and Medicaid.
52% : The budget resolution vote, which is almost certain to cut into Medicaid, gave them something to work with: House Majority Forward, a progressive political action committee, started running attack ads in 23 potential swing districts held by Republicans, including Valadao's.
52% : Valadao voted for the temporary measure, saying in a statement afterward that it "ensures critical government services remain operational [and] protects Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid recipients from unnecessary disruptions.
51% : Some, such as German Cervantes, believe Valadao will ultimately stand up for his constituents who depend on Medicaid.
49% : "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.
48% : In 2017, he voted along party lines and joined his Republican colleagues to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act.
42% : But the Congressional Budget Office, which provides nonpartisan budget analysis, reported that it would be impossible for the Energy and Commerce Committee -- which is tasked with cutting $880 billion -- to find enough savings without touching Medicaid, Medicare or the Children's Health Insurance Program.
41% : " Republican leaders advocating for the budget resolution emphasized that it didn't explicitly mention Medicaid.
38% : "Hey David, when you are in Washington, D.C., with Congress, the only thing I encourage you is to please tell Congress not to cut Medicare and Medi-Cal," Cervantes said, "because if you do, not only will people lose their jobs and their healthcare appointments, many people will lose their lives."
35% : Back home, Valadao faces the difficult task of reassuring his constituents in the 22nd Congressional District that he will stave off cuts to Medi-Cal, as Medicaid is known in California.
32% : "David Valadao will regret betraying Central Valley families by voting to gut Medicaid in order to fund massive tax cuts for billionaires and big corporations," Justin Chermol, a spokesperson for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, said in a statement.
29% : As the minority party in both the House and Senate, Democrats have struggled to decide how to resist Trump and the Republicans in Congress.
26% : 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.
26% : If Valadao supports a final budget that cuts Medicaid, it could mean a repeat of his 2018 loss, said Matt Herdman, the California director for Protect Our Care, a nonprofit that advocates for increased access to affordable healthcare.
23% : Trump, who lobbied certain congressional Republicans to support the budget resolution, has also said that he wouldn't support cutting Medicaid.
23% : "If David Valadao votes to cut Medicaid, it will be the single largest issue to cause his defeat in 2026," Herdman predicted.

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