Latest news with #DavidValadao
CNN
05-08-2025
- Politics
- CNN
Live updates: Texas Republicans push ahead with redistricting after Democrats flee state
Update: Date: 18 min ago Title: Meanwhile, sources say California Democrats are eyeing 5 GOP seats in push to redraw maps ahead of midterms Content: California Democrats are deep in talks to redraw the state's maps and flip five GOP seats toward their column — an aggressive move to combat the redistricting push by Texas Republicans to tilt the race for the House majority in their favor heading into the 2026 midterms. Sources briefed on the talks say the new maps are expected to be part of a ballot referendum in a November special election, where California voters will ultimately have to decide whether to go along with the Democratic power play to bypass the state's independent commission tasked with redrawing district lines at the start of each decade. Among the Republicans whose seats could be targeted are Reps. David Valadao, Kevin Kiley, Darrell Issa, Doug LaMalfa and Ken Calvert, according to the sources. Update: Date: 32 min ago Title: The Texas House is set to reconvene this afternoon Content: The Texas House quickly adjourned yesterday when a quorum failed to show, and the chamber is set to reconvene at 2 p.m. ET today. State House Democrats fled Sunday in a bid to block a partisan redrawing of the state's congressional map, which was orchestrated by Republicans with the support of President Donald Trump. The Texas Constitution requires two-thirds of the state House present to conduct legislative business, so without dozens of Democrats, there could not be a vote on the new map. Republicans face a narrow margin in the US House, and the new map would eliminate five Democratic seats ahead of the midterms. Lawmakers are meeting under a special session that can last for only 30 days, and the current session will end August 19. Update: Date: 30 min ago Title: These are the US House seats at risk if Texas Republicans' redistricting plan goes through Content: Texas Democrats have fled the state in a bid to block a proposed congressional map that Republicans hope will flip US House seats in next year's midterms. Two of the seats are in South Texas, one each is in Houston and Dallas, and the fifth stretches between San Antonio and Austin. Here are the Democratic members who could lose their seats under the new map:
Yahoo
24-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
As 2026 pool for CD-22 heats up, Democrat Asm. Dr. Jasmeet Bains touts endorsements
BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET) — The 2026 race for the California's 22nd Congressional District is heating up quickly. Last week, Assemblywoman Dr. Jasmeet Bains (D-Delano) declared her candidacy to unseat incumbent Rep. David Valadao (R-Hanford). The Bains for Congress campaign announced the congresswoman-hopeful has received dozens of notable endorsements, just days after throwing her hat in the ring. One credible name, Kern Democratic State Senator Melissa Hurtado — a fellow moderate Democrat and close political ally. SEIU California endorses Asm. Dr. Jasmeet Bains in congressional run for CD-22 The campaign also said numerous city leaders from Arvin, Shafter, Delano, McFarland and Wasco are backing Bains in her fight to unseat Valadao, following his vote for Republicans' 'Big, Beautiful Bill.' Bains, a family doctor, has pushed her agenda to focus on health care, arguing that by voting for the budget bill, the sitting congressman voted for cuts to federal assistance programs such as Medicaid and Medicare. At the state level, California Lieutenant Governor Eleni Kounalakis, State Treasurer Fiona Ma and State Controller Malia Cohen are behind Bains. California congressmembers have also announced their endorsements. Especially noteworthy is the endorsement by Democratic Congressman Adam Gray, who beat incumbent Republican Rep. John Duarte in the 2024 election by just 187 votes, flipping a purple district. Gray's 13th Congressional District is just as contentious and swing of a district as Valadao's 22nd Congressional District has been, without fail, in each election cycle. SEIU California – a group of local unions of those in health care and public service jobs – as well as IBEW Local 428, a labor union in Bakersfield have endorsed Bains as well. Support for Democratic candidates in pivotal CD-22 race takes shape Democratic infighting has presented itself, as candidates approach the June primary. Fellow Democrat Randy Villegas announced his candidacy for CD-22 in April. Villegas, a school board trustee in Visalia, is known as the more progressive candidate in the race, compared to Bains, who's made a name for herself as a more moderate Democrat in the California Legislature. On Monday, Villegas received the endorsement of a progressive Democratic organization Working Families Party (WFP), further differentiating his campaign and platform from that of Bains'. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Villegas stated he's collected over 4,000 individual donations amounting to over $250,000 of campaign cash. Bains stated she's has raised over $175,000 since her launch. 'This early show of grassroots support is a powerful affirmation of our message: families across the Central Valley want real leadership on health care affordability and a representative with the courage to act,' Bains stated in a press release. It still remains to be seen how Democrats will perform in June, and if any splitting of the blue vote between the two could allow for Valadao to advance to the November general election, taking him one step closer to another term on Capitol Hill. Click here for the full candidate profile of Jasmeet Bains. Click here for the full interview with Jasmeet Bains. Click here for the full candidate profile of Randy Villegas. Click here for the full interview with Randy Villegas. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
The Independent
14-07-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
Young Democrat wants cognitive tests for aging members of Congress
A young Democrat in the House has proposed a radical idea to deal with Congress' age problem, Axios reports. Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (D-WA) is a two-term Democrat who won a district that Trump won twice - and has heard from voters about the age of lawmakers. 'What I've heard from my neighbors, my community is this idea that this place is being run by a bunch of staffers,' the 36-year-old told Axios. 'And we're seeing a very real decline in confidence in Congress.' In response, Gluesenkamp Perez proposed an amendment to the appropriations bill to that sets aside money for congressional operations to require the Office of Congressional Conduct create a standard to assess members' 'ability to perform the duties of office unimpeded by significant irreversible cognitive impairment.' Such an assessment could lead to investigations into whether a member is mentally incapacitated to the point that their service damages Congress's credibility. The amendment failed to pass during a markup, with subcommittee chairman David Valadao (R-CA) saying 'a lot of concern with some of our colleagues sometimes when we see some of their comments,' but that elections are the proper barometer. But Gluesenkamp Perez told Axios that 'It's not a comfortable thing to think about time being irreversible and how our lives change, but ... real respect for our communities and the body here is [being] willing to have these honest, candid and difficult conversations.' Congress, particularly Democrats, have dealt with questions about whether senior lawmakers can continue to do the job. Last year, Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-VA) became the top Democrat on the House Oversight & Accountability Committee and died earlier this year after a diagnosis of esophageal cancer. Rep. Sylvester Turner (D-TX), a freshman Democrat, died in March shortly after President Donald Trump's joint address to Congress. Turner was 70 and had a history with cancer. In addition, earlier this year, Rep. Raul Grijalva (D-AZ) died after a long battle with cancer. Grijalva had missed most votes in the House of Representatives last year. Last Congress, the late Sen. Dianne Feinstein died in office at age 89 after she had faced multiple questions about her mental fitness to do the job. Perhaps the most pressing example came when former president Joe Biden had his disastrous sole debate with Trump in June of last year, where he sounded frail, stumbled over his words and often trailed off mid-sentence. Biden, who was 81 at the time, stepped aside less than a month after the debate and his vice president Kamala Harris became the Democratic nominee for president and later lost to Trump. Other Democrats such as Rep. David Scott (D-GA) and Del. Eleanor Holmes, Washington, D.C.'s nonvoting delegate in Congress, have also raised questions about their mental fitness.
Yahoo
13-07-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Protesters rally against Medicaid cuts outside Rep. David Valadao's office after Senate passes ‘Big, Beautiful Bill'
BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET) — Dozens of activists rallied outside Congressman David Valadao's office on M Street in Bakersfield on Tuesday to protest potential Medicaid cuts. That same morning, the Senate passed their version of Trump's budget bill in a 51-50 split vote, with Vice President JD Vance having the tie-breaking vote. Now the bill will be sent to the House for another round of voting. Constituents are asking Valadao to vote no on the bill. Speakers at the protest said the bill will cut back on healthcare in rural communities like Kern County, leaving residents vulnerable. State approves nearly $40 million in grant for Centennial Corridor Gilbert Garcia with the California Alliance for Retired Americans said this bill could negatively impact someone like himself. 'We need insurance coverage for medical, dental and vision,' Garcia said. 'When we retire, there's not a whole lot of money to retire on. That means I need my Medicaid card coverage.' Ana Alonso with the Disability Voices United said she is proud of all the support they get. Alonso said this was the third rally she attended. She said she is advocating for people like her son, who need access to emergency services. 'Unfortunately, my son has had 27 surgeries so far in his life and he's only 14. These kinds of services are our backbone,' Alonso said. Toddler who died after being left in hot car had temperature of 107 degrees: docs Protesters also expressed their frustration with Congressman Valadao's lack of public stance towards the bill. 'Cutting healthcare is too low, shame on you Valadao,' attendees chanted. 'It's not fair to represent so many people and not show up to answer any of their questions,' Monica Escalante with In-Home Supportive Services said. 'We matter.' Although Valadao has declined multiple interview requests with 17 News on this topic, he spoke about the budget bill on his social media pages over the weekend. Never miss a story: Make your homepage 'I've been clear from the start that I will not support a final reconciliation bill that makes harmful cuts to Medicaid, puts critical funding at risk or threatens the stability of healthcare providers across CA-22,' Valadao said on social media. 'I urge my Senate colleagues to stick to the Medicaid provisions in H.R. 1 — otherwise, I will vote no.' Protesters look to continue their fight for Medicaid and healthcare. 'I'm still hopeful and I believe we can fight this,' Escalante said. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
12-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
House GOP advances bill ‘gutting' government watchdog
House Republicans advanced legislation on Thursday that seeks to cut funding for the Government Accountability Office (GAO) by roughly 50 percent for fiscal 2026, prompting outcry from Democrats who say the move is counterproductive to GOP efforts to root out waste in government. The GOP-led House Appropriations Committee voted along party lines on Thursday to advance the legislation, with Democrats rising in sharp opposition to the plan. The annual legislative branch funding bill, one of 12 full-year appropriations bills the committee aims to greenlight before the August recess, includes funding for House of Representatives operations, the Library of Congress, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO), U.S. Capitol Police, and other agencies. The bill calls for $5 billion for fiscal 2026, a 5 percent drop from current levels, when not accounting for Senate items. The total discretionary allocation rises to $6.7 billion, however, when considering those items. 'While we had to make a number of tough choices in this bill, we believe that as the legislative branch, it is our responsibility to lead by example and make responsible funding decreases where appropriate,' Rep. David Valadao (R-Calif.), head of the subcommittee that crafted the plan, said in remarks on Thursday. The largest proposed cut outlined by appropriators in the bill amounts to a nearly 49 percent decrease in funding for the GAO, allocating $415 million for the agency in the fiscal 2026 budget. Democrats have also criticized a provision in the plan that they say would block the agency from bringing civil actions against other agencies for not complying with the Impoundment Control Act of 1974. 'This is about the GAO having nearly 40 open investigations into whether the White House is illegally withholding money that we, as a committee, previously appropriated. Supporting the administration's actions that contravene the rule of law means the committee compromises,' Rep. Adriano Espaillat (N.Y.), top Democrat on the legislative branch appropriations subcommittee, said at the start of the markup session. 'With this, 2,200 jobs will be lost. In addition, Congress will forgo tens of billions in cost savings that result from GAO work each year,' he continued. The cuts come as GAO officials have made clear that they have a string of probes into the Trump administration's efforts to freeze federal funds. At the same time, Trump officials have raised scrutiny over the agency in recent months, with White House budget chief Russell Vought accusing the office of 'improperly calling programmatic review impoundments' in a Senate hearing earlier this week. 'We're going through a programmatic review. We will look at our options under the law with regard to that funding. Each set of funding is different, as you know, and we will be continuing to evaluate that program,' he also said before the Senate Appropriations Committee on Tuesday. Democrats have accused the Trump administration of undertaking a sweeping, illegal funding freeze, blocking hundreds of billions of dollars in federal dollars previously approved by Congress. During the committee markup on Thursday, Democrats also singled out a proposal to cut funding for the Library of Congress by 10 percent for fiscal 2026. At the same time, the plan calls for increases to the U.S. Capitol Police, the CBO and the Architect of the Capitol, with a boost for salaries and expenses for House officers, employees and committee operations. The plan also calls for a funding increase for the Office of Congressional Workplace Rights. With the bill's passage on Thursday, the House Appropriations Committee has passed almost half of its annual funding bills for fiscal 2026. The House also passed its first fiscal 2026 appropriations bill, which lays out the party's vision for the Department of Veterans Affairs's full-year funding, earlier this week. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
