¶ Valadao Voted To Take Food Assistance From Californians Who Relied On It To Afford Groceries While Promising To Protect It After A History Of Votes Against It
¶ Valadao Voted To Cut SNAP While Promising Not To And Then Called The Cuts Reasonable
¶ Valadao Promised He Was Closely Watching The Budget Framework To Protect His Constituents From SNAP Cuts
2/14/25: Valadao Claimed He Was Closely Watching The Budget Framework For SNAP Cuts. According to Politico, "‘I don’t know where they’re going to get the cuts,’ said Rep. David Valadao, who represents a heavily Democratic district in central California, as he left the Capitol on Thursday. […] His district in California’s Central Valley is one of the six Hispanic-majority GOP seats where more than 20 percent of households receive food aid benefits from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, which is being targeted under the GOP budget for some $230 billion in spending cuts. ‘Obviously Medicaid and SNAP are ones that I’m very much watching,’ Valadao said. […] ‘There’s a lot of us, even leadership themselves, I think a lot of their districts are in the same boat as mine or close to it,’ Valadao said." [Politico, 2/14/25]
¶ February 2025: Valadao Voted For House Republicans’ Budget Framework, Which Set Up Future Cuts To SNAP
2/25/25: Valadao Voted For The FY 2025 Budget Framework That Included $2 Trillion In Cuts, Raised The Statutory Debt Limit By $4 Trillion, And Required House Committees To Recommend Legislation That Would Implement Trump’s Agenda. In February 2025, Valadao voted for, according to Congressional Quarterly, “the concurrent resolution that would recommend a budget for fiscal 2025 and budget levels through fiscal 2034. The resolution would assume minimum savings of $1.5 trillion over 10 years and 2.6 percent economic growth over the same period. It also would require the statutory debt limit to be raised by $4 trillion. It also would authorize the House Ways and Means Committee to increase deficits by $4.5 trillion over 10 years to extend the 2017 tax cuts and implement new tax cuts proposed by the White House. It also would provide instructions for the budget reconciliation process through which separate legislation could be considered and passed in the Senate via a simple majority vote. The measure would deliver instructions to 11 House committees to report legislation that would implement President Donald Trump’s agenda, such as expanding tax cuts and bolstering border security and immigration enforcement. The committees would be required to report their legislative recommendations to the House Budget Committee by March 27, 2025. It also would set a $2 trillion target for the spending cuts to be submitted to the House Budget Committee. The resolution also would stipulate that if the committees don't reach that target, the Ways and Means’ reconciliation instructions to increase the deficit by a maximum of $4.5 trillion would be decreased by the amount the other committees come in below the target. Similarly, it would stipulate that Ways and Means could increase the deficit above the $4.5 trillion level by the amount of savings the committees achieve above the $2 trillion target.” The vote was on passage. The House passed the resolution by a vote of 217 to 215. [House Vote 50, 2/25/25; Congressional Quarterly, 2/25/25; Congressional Actions, H. Con. Res. 14]
- HEADLINE: "House Republican Budget Takes Away Health Care, Food Aid To Pay For Expanded Tax Cuts For Wealthy" [Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, 2/21/25]
- CBPP Said The Republican Budget Resolution Outlined $230 Billion In Cuts, Primarily From SNAP Benefits. According to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, "The House Republicans’ budget plan would give major tax cuts to high-income, wealthy households. Extending the expiring individual income and estate tax provisions for households with incomes in the top 5 percent of the income distribution (households with incomes over $321,000) costs around $1.8 trillion through 2034, accounting for 49 percent of the total $3.6 trillion cost of extension through 2034. That $1.8 trillion for wealthy and high-income households is close to the amount of the spending cuts House Republicans have outlined — including at least $880 billion primarily from Medicaid, $230 billion primarily from SNAP benefits, and $330 billion primarily from making student loans more expensive. Of the tax cuts for wealthy households, nearly $200 billion is for an estate tax giveaway that showers some $6 million per estate on the 1 in 1,000 wealthiest estates. In contrast, the average SNAP benefit is $6.20 per person per day, which helps struggling families put food on the table." [Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, 2/21/25]
¶ After Voting For The Framework That Set Up Eventual SNAP Cuts, Valadao Promised To Only Vote For Final Legislation That Did Not Cut Them
Valadao Promised Only To Support A Final Budget Bill That Protected SNAP. According to Sacramento Bee, "‘I voted to advance the budget resolution--an important procedural step to keep the legislative process moving.... I've made clear to House leadership that I will only support a final bill that protects essential resources like Medicaid or SNAP for Central Valley families,’ said Rep. David Valadao, R-Hanford. […] Valadao is also an appropriations committee member, so he will have a large say in what ultimately happens. He said Thursday he would ‘keep fighting to protect access to healthcare and food security to ensure my constituents aren't left behind.’" [Sacramento Bee, 2/26/25]
Valadao Reassured Constituents In April That He Would Only Vote For A Final Bill That Strengthened SNAP. According to Sacramento Bee, "Valadao was a yes on the budget plan in another vote in February. He said after Thursday’s vote that thanks to the bill’s passage, Congress can now start writing legislation focusing on specific items such as ‘reauthorizing tax policies to help drive down costs for Central Valley families, while protecting essential programs like Medicaid.’ ‘My stance stays the same,’ he said. ‘I’ll only support a final (budget) bill that strengthens Medicaid, SNAP, and other critical programs that our Valley families rely on.’" [Sacramento Bee, 4/10/25]
- Valadao Missed The Vote That Approved The Budget Blueprint That Opened The Door For SNAP Cuts He Promised To Prevent. According to Sacramento Bee, “The House Thursday narrowly approved a Republican budget blueprint aimed at triggering big spending and tax cuts, with all the state’s Democrats voting no and all but one of the state’s GOP members voting yes. Rep. David Valadao, R-Hanford, did not vote, saying he could not be present because of a personal family matter. […] The measure passed on Thursday sets up what’s to come. It’s an outline of how much lawmakers want to spend and tax. The next step is expected to be legislation that includes tax cuts.” [Sacramento Bee, 4/10/25]
¶ May 2025: Valadao Voted For The House Version Of The Republican Reconciliation Bill, Which Included A $300 Billion Cut To SNAP
5/22/25: Valadao Voted For The FY 2025 Budget Reconciliation Bill That Included $3.8 Trillion In Tax Cuts Offset By $1.5 Trillion In Spending Reductions To Programs Like Medicaid And The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. In May 2025, Valadao voted for, according to Congressional Quarterly, “the bill that would provide for approximately $3.8 trillion in net tax cuts and $321 billion in military, border enforcement and judiciary spending, offset by $1.5 trillion in spending reductions, as instructed in the fiscal 2025 budget resolution. It would raise the statutory debt limit by $4 trillion and provide for increased spending on defense and border security, spending cuts on social safety net programs, such as Medicaid and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. It also includes a mix of tax breaks for businesses and individuals; tax increases on universities and foundations; and a phase-down of clean energy tax credits. […] It would reduce federal spending on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program by requiring states to shoulder more of the cost, expand work requirements for SNAP, extend programs authorized under the 2018 farm bill, and prohibit the U.S. Department of Agriculture from increasing the cost of the Thrifty Food Program. As amended, it would cap state and local tax deductions at $40,000 for households with incomes below $500,000.” The House passed the bill by a vote of 215 to 214. [House Vote 145, 5/22/25; Congressional Quarterly, 5/22/25; Congressional Actions, H.R. 1]
- The House Republican Reconciliation Bill Included Nearly $300 Billion In Cuts To The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. According to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, "The House-passed Republican reconciliation plan would cut nearly $300 billion from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) through 2034, based on Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimates — by far the largest cut to SNAP in history.[1] As a result of these cuts and other policies in the legislation — which are being used to pay partly for trillions in tax cuts skewed to the wealthy — millions of people would lose some or all of the food assistance they need to afford groceries, when many low-income households are struggling to afford the high cost of food and other basic needs." [Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, 5/28/25]
Valadao Called The House Budget Bill A Success And Said He Was Committed To Working Closely With The Senate To “Ensure” SNAP Was Protected. According to a press release from Congressman David G. Valadao, "Today, Congressman David Valadao (CA-22) released the following statement on passage of the House version of the reconciliation bill. ‘From the very beginning, I was clear with House Leadership: I would not support a final reconciliation bill that included any reduction in Medicaid coverage for our most vulnerable populations—children, seniors, individuals with disabilities, and pregnant women,’ said Congressman Valadao. ‘After months of meetings with my constituents, Central Valley healthcare providers, and my congressional colleagues, I successfully preserved the integrity of the program and prevented proposals that would disproportionately impact California. This bill honors my commitment to protect Medicaid for our most vulnerable populations, while implementing commonsense reforms to strengthen the program. As this process moves forward, my priorities remain the same, and I am committed to working closely with my colleagues in the Senate to ensure critical programs like Medicaid and SNAP are protected for those who need them most.’" [Press Release – Congressman David G. Valadao, 5/22/25]
¶ July 2025: Valadao Voted For The Final GOP Reconciliation Bill, Which Contained The Largest SNAP Cut In History
7/3/25: Valadao Voted For The Senate FY 2025 Budget Reconciliation Bill That Extended $4 Trillion In Expiring Tax Cuts, Added New Tax Breaks, Appropriated $448 Million In Defense, Border, And Immigration Enforcement Funding, Increased The SALT Deduction To $40,000, And Cut Medicaid And Other Social Programs To Offset The Costs. In July 2025, Valadao voted for, according to Congressional Quarterly, the “motion to concur in the Senate amendment to the bill that would permanently extend nearly $4 trillion in expiring individual and business tax cuts, create several new tax breaks and fund border and immigration enforcement and air traffic control upgrades. It would cut Medicaid and other safety net programs to partly offset the cost. Among other provisions, it would raise the statutory debt ceiling by $5 trillion and appropriate more than $448 billion in mandatory funding for Trump administration priorities and other needs, including $153 billion for defense, $89 billion for immigration enforcement, and $89.5 billion for border control and security. It also would increase the state and local tax deduction cap to $40,000 annually for five years for households making up to $500,000 a year until 2030, when it would permanently revert to $10,000.” The House passed the bill by a vote of 218 to 214. [House Vote 190, 7/3/25; Congressional Quarterly, 7/3/25; Congressional Actions, H.R. 1]
- HEADLINE: "Trump’s ‘Big Beautiful Bill’ Cuts Food Stamps For Millions — The Average Family May Lose $146 Per Month, Report Finds" [CNBC, 7/10/25]
- The GOP Reconciliation Bill Would Cut SNAP Funding By $186 Billion, Which CBPP Said Constituted The “Largest Cut To SNAP In History.” According to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, "The Senate Republican leadership’s reconciliation bill would dramatically raise costs and reduce food assistance for millions of people by cutting federal funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) by $186 billion through 2034, according to the Congressional Budget Office (CBO), about 20 percent — the largest cut to SNAP in history. These cuts would increase poverty, food insecurity, and hunger, including among children. The so-called ‘Big Beautiful Bill’ is anything but beautiful; it would cause widespread harm by making massive cuts to Medicaid and SNAP, which would raise costs on families and make it much harder for them to afford the high cost of health care and groceries." [Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, 6/30/25]
¶ Valadao Said The Changes Made To SNAP By The “One Big Beautiful Bill” To SNAP Were “Reasonable But Important”
7/8/25: Valadao Said The Changes The “One Big Beautiful Bill” Made To SNAP That Resulted In The Cuts Were “Reasonable But Important” And Refused To Answer Specific Questions. According to ABC 30, "Congressman David Valadao, who was a critical vote for the bill, sent Action News the following statement: ‘H.R. 1 makes reasonable but important reforms to SNAP by clarifying work requirements and holding states accountable for running the program responsibly -- without making significant cuts to services. SNAP is currently one of the only safety net programs without a cost-sharing requirement, and this bill builds on bipartisan Farm Bill policies by giving states the option to avoid those costs if they keep their error rates low.’ Action News requested an interview with Valadao to ask specific questions after speaking with the food bank but were told he was unavailable." [ABC 30, 7/8/25]
¶ Valadao Had A History Of Cutting Food Assistance
¶ 2023: Valadao Voted In Support Of A Proposed Budget Resolution That Would Cut Funding For WIC, Citing Fiscal Responsibility, Despite His Own Lavish Campaign Spending At Expensive Restaurants
2023: Valadao Voted In Support Of A Proposed Budget That Cut Funding For Food Assistance For Women, Infants, And Children That Ultimately Did Not Pass, Citing Fiscal Responsibility. According to American Journal News, "Valadao has been critical of irresponsible government spending. His campaign website says he ‘believes that Washington should live by the same rules as every American family, which means they must balance the budget and spend no more than what they take in.’ In September 2023, Valadao voted in support of a proposed budget resolution that would cut funding for multiple federal programs that working families rely on. This included a 30% cut to the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) which provides food assistance to pregnant people and families with young children. The resolution did not pass." [American Journal News, 4/2/24]
2023: Valadao Spent More Than $22,000 On Lavish Expenses, Including Expensive Meals And A Luxury Car Service, During His Campaign. According to American Journal News, "GOP Rep. David Valadao spent more than $22,000 at various restaurants in Washington D.C. and California last year, according to FEC reports. Valadao represents California’s 22nd district in the U.S. House of Representatives. CA-22 ranks as the twelfth poorest of the state’s 52 districts with a median household income of $54,697. All of the expenditures were described as meals or drinks with donors. Several of the meetings were at the Capitol Hill Club, a private Republican retreat that charges members a $4,000 joining fee and $675 in quarterly dues. Valadao also spent $11,700 on a luxury car service." [American Journal News, 4/2/24]
¶ 2018: Valadao Voted To Limit SNAP Eligibility In The Farm Bill
2018: Valadao Voted For SNAP Restrictions. According to International Business Times, “The counties that comprise CA-21 also have a very high number of people who use the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), according to county-by-county data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture in 2011, the latest year available. That could present a political challenge for Valadao because, while the 2018 renewal of the House Farm Bill gives additional subsidies to cotton farmers (an important constituent in the district), it also imposes new restrictions on SNAP eligibility. Valadao voted for the Farm Bill, which passed in the House Agricultural Committee in mid-April. (Valadao did not respond to interview requests made through his Washington office.)” [International Business Times, 4/25/18]
¶ 2014: Valadao Voted To Cut SNAP In The Paul Ryan Budget
2014: Valadao Voted To Cut SNAP By An Estimated $137 Billion Over 10 Years, Leading To Millions Of Americans Having Either Their SNAP Benefits Cut Or Losing Their SNAP Eligibility Entirely, As Part Of Rep. Paul Ryan’s Budget Proposal. In April 2014, Valadao voted for House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan’s (R-WI) proposed budget resolution covering fiscal years 2015 to 2024. According to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, “House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan’s budget plan includes cuts in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly known as the Food Stamp Program) of $137 billion — 18 percent — over the next ten years (2015-2024), which would necessitate ending food assistance for millions of low-income families, cutting benefits for millions of such households, or some combination of the two. Chairman Ryan proposed similarly deep SNAP cuts in each of his last three budgets.” The House adopted the budget resolution by a vote of 219 to 205, but the Senate did not. [House Vote 177, 4/10/14; Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, 4/4/14; Congressional Actions, H. Con. Res. 96]
- From 2015 To 2018, The Ryan Budget Would Cut SNAP By $12 Billion By Implementing The Major SNAP Program Changes Passed By The House In September 2013, But Not Included In The Final 2014 Farm Bill. According to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, Ryan’s budget “includes every major benefit cut in a House-passed version of the recent farm bill that Congress ultimately rejected when enacting the final farm bill. The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) has estimated the House cuts, which amount to $12 billion over the 2015-2018 period, would have terminated benefits to 3.8 million low-income people in 2014.” [Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, 4/4/14]
- Beginning In 2019, Ryan Would Transform SNAP Into A Block Grant Program That Would Be Funded So As To Cut $125 Billion From The Program’s Costs Between 2019 And 2024. According to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, Ryan’s budget “would convert SNAP into a block grant beginning in 2019 and cut funding steeply -- by $125 billion (or almost 30 percent) over 2019 to 2024. States would be left to decide whose benefits to reduce or terminate. They would have no good choices — the program already provides an average of only $1.40 per person per meal, primarily to poor children, working-poor parents, seniors, people with disabilities, and others struggling to make ends meet.” [Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, 4/4/14]
¶ Nearly 223,000 households in California’s 22nd congressional district relied on snap to afford groceries
2024: 222,854 Households In CA-22 Relied On SNAP.
[U.S. Department of Agriculture, SNAP Community Characteristics, viewed 6/30/26]
As Of March 2026, California Had Already Seen A 6% Decrease In SNAP Participation Since The Enactment Of The “One Big Beautiful Bill.”
[Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, State SNAP Participation and Unemployment Trends, 6/22/26]
¶ Experts Estimated The “One Big Beautiful Bill” Cuts On SNAP Would Significantly Harm Food Assistance In California
Co-CEO Of The Central California Food Bank Said Cuts Will Impact The Ability For Low-Income, Working Americans To Access Healthy, Nutritious Food. According to ABC 30, "Cuts to food assistance programs made in President Trump's ‘big, beautiful bill’ will increase food insecurity right here in Central California. The Central California Food Bank is sounding the alarm about the ramifications of the bill, which will slash more than $1 trillion from SNAP (food stamps) and Medicaid and create work requirements for assistance starting after the 2026 mid-term election. More than 300,000 people in Central California depend on SNAP benefits. ‘Those are low-income, working Americans that need support to provide healthy and nutritious food for their families,’ said Natalie Caples, co-CEO of the Central California Food Bank. Feeding America, the nationwide program the Central California Food Bank is affiliated with, says the cuts could result in six to nine billion more meals needed per year nationwide. ‘That's what we distributed last year. Collectively, we distributed 6 billion meals,’ said Caples." [ABC 30, 7/8/25]
One In Five Residents Throughout Counties In Valadao’s District Were On SNAP. According to Intersection, "Hundreds of thousands of low-income households in the San Joaquin Valley are likely to face a reduction in benefits aimed at helping them feed their families – benefits that already fall short of covering the cost of a healthy meal. About 482,000 households amounting to more than 950,000 people across Fresno, Kern, Kings, Madera, Merced, San Joaquin, Stanislaus and Tulare counties receive assistance through CalFresh, as the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is known in California. That means more than one out of every five Valley residents, or 22% of the region’s population, utilizes the program formerly known as food stamps. Of more than 5.6 million CalFresh recipients in the state, almost 17% – or almost one out of every six – live in the San Joaquin Valley. " [Intersection, 8/22/25]
Head Of California’s Health And Human Services Agency: “These Are Immediate Threats To The Wellbeing Of Millions Of Californians And Will Impact All Of Us.” According to Intersection, "The head of California’s Health and Human Services Agency, Kim Johnson, decried the SNAP cuts just days before the Senate and House adopted the final version of the federal bill. ‘We’re talking about 5.5 million low-income individuals in California, 3.3 million households accessing food they need to thrive,’ Johnson told reporters in a virtual press conference. ‘The proposals result in a loss of that access, benefit levels that will not keep up with the ever-increasing cost of food, (and) will limit access to nutrition education services that support healthier food choices.’ ‘These are not abstract. These are immediate threats to the wellbeing of millions of Californians and will impact all of us,’ Johnson added." [Intersection, 8/22/25]
California Association Of Food Banks Statement: “These Cuts Will Take Food Off The Table Of Working Parents, Grandparents Raising Children, And Veterans.” According to Intersection, "‘This legislation breaks with decades of federal commitment by shifting billions in costs to states, reducing food assistance for millions of families,’ and cutting support for other food safety-net programs, the California Association of Food Banks said in a statement on the Congressional votes. ‘These cuts will take food off the table of working parents, grandparents raising children, and veterans—at a time when many families are struggling to afford groceries and are already struggling to make ends meet,’ the organization’s statement added." [Intersection, 8/22/25]