Rep. Valadao, don’t cut CalFresh and Medi-Cal for vulnerable families like mine | Opinion

Congressman David Valadao and his fellow lawmakers are currently deciding which Americans are worthy of receiving publicly funded health care and nutrition assistance, how much of it and for how long. The proposed Republican budget resolution would make massive cuts to programs like Medicaid (Medi-Cal in California), the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (CalFresh) and Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (CalWORKs).

As a mother of two with experience in public assistance programs, I can speak firsthand about the critical importance of these supports for families like mine – even today as I work full-time as a therapist, with two college degrees. If these cuts happen, they will hit the people Valadao represents in multiple ways. Critical nutrition benefits will be cut, health care will be harder to get and the local economy will suffer.

In many ways, my story is one of great success: Between 2012 and 2014, I received CalWORKs, which supported my family and helped me through college with books and computer training. I received CalFresh from 2012 until 2018, and again for a year in 2023. This food assistance was extremely helpful in my household, as I’m not at my desired income and find it difficult at times to ensure all the proper food is in my pantry.

Even now, my family continues to access health care through Medi-Cal. This is not from a lack of ambition or effort on my part. I work hard and have succeeded in so many ways. Yet I still struggle to independently cover my children’s medical needs. My daughter has a unique dental condition that, left untreated, could have long-term effects. Because of Medi-Cal, I can prioritize her dental treatment and ensure she receives the necessary care to get the best start in life.

The transition off Medi-Cal can be daunting, and the costs of private insurance are prohibitive. I’ve experienced this with CalFresh, too. As my income increased, I transitioned off CalFresh, but the transition wasn’t easy. The income guidelines for programs like food stamps are unrealistic and don’t consider all the expenses involved in maintaining a household. Many families simply fall off a cliff when they try to move forward and end up falling back instead.

I am actively working toward financial independence, and I see Medi-Cal as a temporary support. The programs threatened with cuts are lifelines for many households like mine. The more roadblocks Congress builds and the more difficult it is to get and keep health care coverage, food assistance and other services, fewer and fewer of us will make it successfully down that path. Programs like Medi-Cal should be a bridge — a stepping-stone to financial stability while families work towards self-sufficiency.

Fundamentally, I believe that mindsets have to shift with those in powerful positions. It isn’t an accident that generations are utilizing public assistance. We need to address the root causes that make these programs necessary for so many families, rather than punishing those who turn to them when there is no other choice.

But for now, we need these programs. Families are asking for more help — not less — to afford groceries, health care and other basics to make ends meet. Nowhere do these programs matter more than to Central Valley families like mine: Valadao’s district has the second highest need in the state for CalFresh and the highest in the state for Medicaid, and Rep. Jim Costa’s district has the highest need for CalFresh.

I urge Valadao and every member of Congress to reject these cuts and take a stand with those of us who work hard yet still struggle with the cost of living. We need votes to strengthen our safety net, not decimate it.