Opposition to Medicaid Cuts Grows
TUSTIN — Cynthia Williams is outraged at U.S. House Republicans for proposing significant cuts to Medicaid, the government-funded health insurance program for low-income individuals and people with disabilities.
The 61-year-old Anaheim resident cares for her blind adult daughter and her sister, a military veteran suffering from severe PTSD and other mental health conditions. Williams relies on Medi-Cal, California’s Medicaid program, which provides financial support for her caregiving work.
“Let’s be real. We shouldn’t have to be here tonight,” Williams told a standing-room-only crowd of over 200 people at a recent town hall. “We should be home, spending time with our loved ones and our families, but we’re here. And we’re here to fight, because when politicians try to take away our health care, we don’t have the option to sit back and let it happen.”
Impact of the Proposed Budget Cuts
The House recently approved a Republican budget plan that could reduce Medicaid spending by $880 billion over the next decade. The cuts would partially fund an extension of expiring tax cuts from President Donald Trump’s first term, alongside new ones that could total up to $4.5 trillion.
A cut of this scale would be especially devastating in California, where nearly 15 million residents—more than a third of the population—rely on Medi-Cal. Over 60% of Medi-Cal’s $161 billion budget comes from federal funding.
Personal Stories Highlight Devastating Consequences
Williams was among a dozen caregivers, patient advocates, disabled individuals, and family members who shared their stories at the town hall. The event was held in Rep. Young Kim’s district in Orange County, but neither she nor a staff member attended, despite being invited. Her constituents, however, made their stance clear: they will not accept cuts to Medicaid.
Josephine Rios, a certified nursing assistant at a Kaiser Permanente surgical center in Irvine, spoke about her 7-year-old grandson, Elijah, who has cerebral palsy and relies on Medi-Cal for life-saving treatments, including a $5,000-a-month seizure medication.
“To cut Medicaid, Medi-Cal, that’s like saying he can’t live. He can’t thrive. He’s going to lie in bed and do nothing,” Rios said. “Who are they to judge who lives and who doesn’t?”
Two-thirds of Californians, regardless of political affiliation, oppose Medi-Cal cuts, according to a new survey by the California Health Care Foundation and NORC at the University of Chicago.
Political and Grassroots Pushback
The town hall in Tustin was one of three organized by “Fight for Our Health,” a coalition of health advocacy groups and labor unions targeting Republican House members in competitive California districts. Other events were held in Bakersfield, represented by Rep. David Valadao, and Corona, home to Rep. Ken Calvert. Nationwide, similar protests and town halls have emerged.
The coalition is reviving tactics used in the successful fight against the GOP’s 2017 attempt to repeal the Affordable Care Act. The backlash from that effort contributed to Republicans losing control of the House in the 2018 midterms. Valadao was among those who lost his seat that year but regained it in 2020. Despite the heavy reliance of his district on Medicaid—where two-thirds of residents are enrolled—he voted in favor of the budget proposal.
Calvert, a long-time House member who narrowly won reelection, also supported the budget, as did Kim. All nine Republican members of California’s congressional delegation backed the proposal.
Defending the Cuts
Supporters of the budget argue that extending tax cuts will prevent a financial burden on American families and that the plan primarily benefits low-income individuals.
“American families are facing a massive tax increase unless Congress acts by the end of the year,” Calvert stated before the vote. While pledging not to touch Social Security or Medicare, he did not make similar commitments regarding Medicaid, instead emphasizing efforts to eliminate waste, fraud, and abuse.
The House-approved budget lacks specifics on where cuts will be made, instructing the Energy and Commerce Committee to reduce spending by $880 billion. The Republican majority in the House faces a challenge in securing enough votes to pass a more detailed version, particularly given divisions between fiscal conservatives demanding deeper cuts and members concerned about Medicaid reductions.
The House must also negotiate with the Senate, which has passed a narrower budget resolution that excludes the proposed tax cuts.
Public Backlash and Political Consequences
Kim, Valadao, and Calvert declined invitations to attend the town halls. At the Tustin event, speakers criticized Kim’s absence, and a screen behind the podium displayed an empty chair with the message: “Congresswoman Kim, we saved you a seat.”
Kim’s spokesperson later stated that she and her staff had prior commitments but that Kim remains “committed to protecting and strengthening our health care system.”
Beth Martinko, a resident of Anaheim, expressed deep concern over how Medicaid cuts would impact her 33-year-old son, Josh, who has autism and relies on Medi-Cal for his full medical coverage and round-the-clock care.
“It’s a moral obligation for all of us to look at the most disadvantaged people in our country and take good care of them,” Martinko said. “This has no place in politics.”
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