GOP Congressman in California Swing-District Race Defends Vote for Medicaid Cuts

BAKERSFIELD, Calif. — Ulises Hernandez 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. 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.” Hernandez, 41, said Valadao “should be ashamed of himself” for voting for the Republicans’ One Big Beautiful Bill Act. The law is expected to reduce Medicaid spending by more than $900 billion through 2034, with provisions such as stricter Medicaid eligibility rules and reducing federal money to states. Hernandez plans to vote for challenger Randy Villegas in hopes that this Central Valley toss-up district, where roughly 6 in 10 of constituents are enrolled in Medicaid, can help give Democrat...