Latest news with #RandyVillegas
CNN
05-07-2025
- Politics
- CNN
Democrats going after Trump's megabill tell their own stories of needing Medicaid and other aid programs
As Democrats rush to define President Donald Trump's domestic policy and immigration law, a handful of liberal candidates are relying on their personal experiences with programs facing key cuts to highlight the broad scope of the legislation and target Republicans who voted for it. Randy Villegas, who is challenging California Republican Rep. David Valadao in a district with one of the country's highest concentrations of Medicaid recipients, said that the program covered his mother's prenatal care when he was born. Arizona's JoAnna Mendoza credits government assistance programs for allowing her to serve her country as a Marine. And one district over from Mendoza, 25-year-old first-time candidate Deja Foxx leads with her backstory as the daughter of a single mom to distinguish herself ahead of a July 15 Democratic primary. 'I have lived the policies people in DC debate,' Foxx told CNN in an interview. 'I have a different sense of understanding and urgency.' For Democrats, tapping into the personal stories of people impacted by policies they oppose is a familiar strategy. They're hoping to make Trump's 'One Big Beautiful Bill' a political albatross for the GOP by challenging the Republican argument that those affected by cuts are either refusing to work, committing fraud or living in the US without authorization. Mendoza, who is running against two-term Republican Rep. Juan Ciscomani, said government aid was critical for her parents, both farmworkers. 'I think what pisses me off the most and what really upsets me is that there is this sentiment that somehow people want to be on these programs,' she told CNN. 'I know for a fact how devastated and how embarrassed my parents must have felt having to go in and ask for assistance because they couldn't provide for their family. I think about that now as a parent.' She said her campaign has started holding listening sessions in the district to contrast with Ciscomani, who she argued has not made himself accessible to constituents. Ciscomani's office did not respond to requests for comment. In response to protests calling on him to hold more town halls earlier this year, the congressman told a local news outlet KGUN9 in April that he has attended events in the district and held a telephone town hall. During the 2024 presidential campaign, Democrats leaned on reproductive rights storytellers who shared their experiences of receiving delayed treatment for miscarriages or unviable pregnancies to highlight the impact of the Supreme Court's Dobbs decision. The strategy helped highlight the issue, but the economy ultimately far outweighed abortion when it came to the issues that mattered most to how people voted for president – 32% to 14% – according to CNN exit polls. As Democrats seek to reverse Trump's gains with working-class voters, they have emphasized that the bill's reductions in social safety net programs helped fund the extension of tax cuts that disproportionately benefit the wealthy. 'We need a strong economic populist message that says these billionaires don't give a shit about you,' Villegas said. Meanwhile, Republicans are also rushing to frame how Americans perceive the new law. The House GOP's campaign arm said in a memo released after final passage that they had voted to provide border security funding, prevent a tax hike and 'crack down on welfare fraud and restore integrity to Medicaid.' 'Today, (Democrats) handed Republicans a weapon to cement the party's image as out of touch with hardworking Americans: Democrats are not fighting for them,' the National Republican Congressional Committee memo reads Only one House Republican in a competitive district voted against the bill: Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania. GOP lawmakers have argued the changes will help sustain the programs for those who need them most and say it will only push able-bodied adults back into the workforce. Democrats and health policy experts, however, warn that the requirements will primarily kick off people who qualify for the benefits but struggle to frequently verify their eligibility. An estimated 11.8 million people could lose access to Medicaid coverage under the new law over the next decade, according to an analysis by health care policy site KFF, primarily due to new work requirements for some adults and the repeal of Biden administration rules that simplified eligibility screenings. The work requirement mandates people who don't qualify for exemptions work or volunteer 80 hours a month. The legislation also puts new work requirements on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, the formal name for food stamps, on parents with children older than seven and adults ages 55-64. Those rules, as well as provisions that require states to share more of the program's cost, could put assistance for millions at risk. 'Republicans don't typically run for office defending entitlement programs,' said Rob Stutzman, a California-based Republican strategist. 'I think it's a tough central message for any candidate.' Now that the bill has been signed into law, Stutzman said Republicans have an opportunity both highlight popular provisions in the bill, such a provision allowing workers to deduct up to $25,000 in tips from their taxes, and frame the Medicaid changes as a return to pre-Biden era policy. In California, specifically, Republicans can point to state leaders cutting Medicaid benefits for undocumented migrants in a recent budget. 'If I'm a Republican candidate, I'm saying 'Great, that program still exists for your parents, because your parents were able-bodied and working,' Stutzman said. 'We want to make sure that this program is being applied to people like your parents and not people that are not seeking work in order to maintain this health care benefit.' Democrats, however, argue that it's working people who will fall through the cracks under the new requirements. Noah Widmann, a candidate in Florida's 7th Congressional District, is running against GOP Rep. Cory Mills. Widmann has talked about benefitting from both food stamps and Medicaid growing up and described work requirements as 'red tape that make it tough for people that are eligible' to get care. 'At the end of the day – even if it happens to one family – if one family is having their health care and their food ripped away from them, it's wrong,' he said.
CNN
05-07-2025
- Politics
- CNN
Democrats going after Trump's megabill tell their own stories of needing Medicaid and other aid programs
As Democrats rush to define President Donald Trump's domestic policy and immigration law, a handful of liberal candidates are relying on their personal experiences with programs facing key cuts to highlight the broad scope of the legislation and target Republicans who voted for it. Randy Villegas, who is challenging California Republican Rep. David Valadao in a district with one of the country's highest concentrations of Medicaid recipients, said that the program covered his mother's prenatal care when he was born. Arizona's JoAnna Mendoza credits government assistance programs for allowing her to serve her country as a Marine. And one district over from Mendoza, 25-year-old first-time candidate Deja Foxx leads with her backstory as the daughter of a single mom to distinguish herself ahead of a July 15 Democratic primary. 'I have lived the policies people in DC debate,' Foxx told CNN in an interview. 'I have a different sense of understanding and urgency.' For Democrats, tapping into the personal stories of people impacted by policies they oppose is a familiar strategy. They're hoping to make Trump's 'One Big Beautiful Bill' a political albatross for the GOP by challenging the Republican argument that those affected by cuts are either refusing to work, committing fraud or living in the US without authorization. Mendoza, who is running against two-term Republican Rep. Juan Ciscomani, said government aid was critical for her parents, both farmworkers. 'I think what pisses me off the most and what really upsets me is that there is this sentiment that somehow people want to be on these programs,' she told CNN. 'I know for a fact how devastated and how embarrassed my parents must have felt having to go in and ask for assistance because they couldn't provide for their family. I think about that now as a parent.' She said her campaign has started holding listening sessions in the district to contrast with Ciscomani, who she argued has not made himself accessible to constituents. Ciscomani's office did not respond to requests for comment. In response to protests calling on him to hold more town halls earlier this year, the congressman told a local news outlet KGUN9 in April that he has attended events in the district and held a telephone town hall. During the 2024 presidential campaign, Democrats leaned on reproductive rights storytellers who shared their experiences of receiving delayed treatment for miscarriages or unviable pregnancies to highlight the impact of the Supreme Court's Dobbs decision. The strategy helped highlight the issue, but the economy ultimately far outweighed abortion when it came to the issues that mattered most to how people voted for president – 32% to 14% – according to CNN exit polls. As Democrats seek to reverse Trump's gains with working-class voters, they have emphasized that the bill's reductions in social safety net programs helped fund the extension of tax cuts that disproportionately benefit the wealthy. 'We need a strong economic populist message that says these billionaires don't give a shit about you,' Villegas said. Meanwhile, Republicans are also rushing to frame how Americans perceive the new law. The House GOP's campaign arm said in a memo released after final passage that they had voted to provide border security funding, prevent a tax hike and 'crack down on welfare fraud and restore integrity to Medicaid.' 'Today, (Democrats) handed Republicans a weapon to cement the party's image as out of touch with hardworking Americans: Democrats are not fighting for them,' the National Republican Congressional Committee memo reads Only one House Republican in a competitive district voted against the bill: Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania. GOP lawmakers have argued the changes will help sustain the programs for those who need them most and say it will only push able-bodied adults back into the workforce. Democrats and health policy experts, however, warn that the requirements will primarily kick off people who qualify for the benefits but struggle to frequently verify their eligibility. An estimated 11.8 million people could lose access to Medicaid coverage under the new law over the next decade, according to an analysis by health care policy site KFF, primarily due to new work requirements for some adults and the repeal of Biden administration rules that simplified eligibility screenings. The work requirement mandates people who don't qualify for exemptions work or volunteer 80 hours a month. The legislation also puts new work requirements on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, the formal name for food stamps, on parents with children older than seven and adults ages 55-64. Those rules, as well as provisions that require states to share more of the program's cost, could put assistance for millions at risk. 'Republicans don't typically run for office defending entitlement programs,' said Rob Stutzman, a California-based Republican strategist. 'I think it's a tough central message for any candidate.' Now that the bill has been signed into law, Stutzman said Republicans have an opportunity both highlight popular provisions in the bill, such a provision allowing workers to deduct up to $25,000 in tips from their taxes, and frame the Medicaid changes as a return to pre-Biden era policy. In California, specifically, Republicans can point to state leaders cutting Medicaid benefits for undocumented migrants in a recent budget. 'If I'm a Republican candidate, I'm saying 'Great, that program still exists for your parents, because your parents were able-bodied and working,' Stutzman said. 'We want to make sure that this program is being applied to people like your parents and not people that are not seeking work in order to maintain this health care benefit.' Democrats, however, argue that it's working people who will fall through the cracks under the new requirements. Noah Widmann, a candidate in Florida's 7th Congressional District, is running against GOP Rep. Cory Mills. Widmann has talked about benefitting from both food stamps and Medicaid growing up and described work requirements as 'red tape that make it tough for people that are eligible' to get care. 'At the end of the day – even if it happens to one family – if one family is having their health care and their food ripped away from them, it's wrong,' he said.
CNN
05-07-2025
- Politics
- CNN
Democrats going after Trump's megabill tell their own stories of needing Medicaid and other aid programs
As Democrats rush to define President Donald Trump's domestic policy and immigration law, a handful of liberal candidates are relying on their personal experiences with programs facing key cuts to highlight the broad scope of the legislation and target Republicans who voted for it. Randy Villegas, who is challenging California Republican Rep. David Valadao in a district with one of the country's highest concentrations of Medicaid recipients, said that the program covered his mother's prenatal care when he was born. Arizona's JoAnna Mendoza credits government assistance programs for allowing her to serve her country as a Marine. And one district over from Mendoza, 25-year-old first-time candidate Deja Foxx leads with her backstory as the daughter of a single mom to distinguish herself ahead of a July 15 Democratic primary. 'I have lived the policies people in DC debate,' Foxx told CNN in an interview. 'I have a different sense of understanding and urgency.' For Democrats, tapping into the personal stories of people impacted by policies they oppose is a familiar strategy. They're hoping to make Trump's 'One Big Beautiful Bill' a political albatross for the GOP by challenging the Republican argument that those affected by cuts are either refusing to work, committing fraud or living in the US without authorization. Mendoza, who is running against two-term Republican Rep. Juan Ciscomani, said government aid was critical for her parents, both farmworkers. 'I think what pisses me off the most and what really upsets me is that there is this sentiment that somehow people want to be on these programs,' she told CNN. 'I know for a fact how devastated and how embarrassed my parents must have felt having to go in and ask for assistance because they couldn't provide for their family. I think about that now as a parent.' She said her campaign has started holding listening sessions in the district to contrast with Ciscomani, who she argued has not made himself accessible to constituents. Ciscomani's office did not respond to requests for comment. In response to protests calling on him to hold more town halls earlier this year, the congressman told a local news outlet KGUN9 in April that he has attended events in the district and held a telephone town hall. During the 2024 presidential campaign, Democrats leaned on reproductive rights storytellers who shared their experiences of receiving delayed treatment for miscarriages or unviable pregnancies to highlight the impact of the Supreme Court's Dobbs decision. The strategy helped highlight the issue, but the economy ultimately far outweighed abortion when it came to the issues that mattered most to how people voted for president – 32% to 14% – according to CNN exit polls. As Democrats seek to reverse Trump's gains with working-class voters, they have emphasized that the bill's reductions in social safety net programs helped fund the extension of tax cuts that disproportionately benefit the wealthy. 'We need a strong economic populist message that says these billionaires don't give a shit about you,' Villegas said. Meanwhile, Republicans are also rushing to frame how Americans perceive the new law. The House GOP's campaign arm said in a memo released after final passage that they had voted to provide border security funding, prevent a tax hike and 'crack down on welfare fraud and restore integrity to Medicaid.' 'Today, (Democrats) handed Republicans a weapon to cement the party's image as out of touch with hardworking Americans: Democrats are not fighting for them,' the National Republican Congressional Committee memo reads Only one House Republican in a competitive district voted against the bill: Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania. GOP lawmakers have argued the changes will help sustain the programs for those who need them most and say it will only push able-bodied adults back into the workforce. Democrats and health policy experts, however, warn that the requirements will primarily kick off people who qualify for the benefits but struggle to frequently verify their eligibility. An estimated 11.8 million people could lose access to Medicaid coverage under the new law over the next decade, according to an analysis by health care policy site KFF, primarily due to new work requirements for some adults and the repeal of Biden administration rules that simplified eligibility screenings. The work requirement mandates people who don't qualify for exemptions work or volunteer 80 hours a month. The legislation also puts new work requirements on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, the formal name for food stamps, on parents with children older than seven and adults ages 55-64. Those rules, as well as provisions that require states to share more of the program's cost, could put assistance for millions at risk. 'Republicans don't typically run for office defending entitlement programs,' said Rob Stutzman, a California-based Republican strategist. 'I think it's a tough central message for any candidate.' Now that the bill has been signed into law, Stutzman said Republicans have an opportunity both highlight popular provisions in the bill, such a provision allowing workers to deduct up to $25,000 in tips from their taxes, and frame the Medicaid changes as a return to pre-Biden era policy. In California, specifically, Republicans can point to state leaders cutting Medicaid benefits for undocumented migrants in a recent budget. 'If I'm a Republican candidate, I'm saying 'Great, that program still exists for your parents, because your parents were able-bodied and working,' Stutzman said. 'We want to make sure that this program is being applied to people like your parents and not people that are not seeking work in order to maintain this health care benefit.' Democrats, however, argue that it's working people who will fall through the cracks under the new requirements. Noah Widmann, a candidate in Florida's 7th Congressional District, is running against GOP Rep. Cory Mills. Widmann has talked about benefitting from both food stamps and Medicaid growing up and described work requirements as 'red tape that make it tough for people that are eligible' to get care. 'At the end of the day – even if it happens to one family – if one family is having their health care and their food ripped away from them, it's wrong,' he said.
Yahoo
15-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Meet Kern's 2026 primary candidates: One-on-one interview with CD-22 hopeful Randy Villegas
BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET) — The 2026 Election is already underway, as candidates throw their names in the ring for local, state and federal offices. Monday morning, Randy Villegas announced his run for California's 22nd Congressional District. 17 political reporter Jenny Huh sat down with Villegas for a local exclusive candidate profile. CD-22 is one of the most contentious House races nationwide, each election cycle, without fail. The big question for 2026 — will Villegas be the Democratic candidate? 'I am running for Congress in California's 22nd Congressional District,' Villegas announced to a cheering crowd Monday morning at the Liberty Bell in downtown Bakersfield. The 30-year-old Democrat will be running against longtime incumbent Republican Congressman David Valadao in the 2026 Midterm Election. 'I think our communities work too damn hard to not have a representative who's going to stand up and speak on the issues, especially when those issues are going to impact us so dearly,' Villegas said in a sit-down interview with 17 News Monday morning, ahead of the big announcement. Villegas, a professor at the College of the Sequoias and elected board member of the Visalia Unified School District, calls himself a product of public education. 'I was the first in my family to graduate from Bakersfield College, then CSUB, and then I earned a full-ride fellowship to UC Santa Cruz to get my PhD,' he said. Villegas also described himself as a son of the Central Valley, son of Mexico immigrants and son of a working-class family that can represent working-class constituents. Though no stranger to advocacy work, Villegas — in recent weeks — has been front and center of rallies protesting potential cuts to federal assistance programs like Medicare, as Republicans work to cut spending in their new budget blueprint. 'It's just something I couldn't stand for,' Villegas explained. 'And so immediately, I began speaking out against these cuts… to Medicare, to SNAP, to WIC. These are programs that I grew up on. My mother was one of the 40,000+ women in this district who relied on WIC to make sure she had baby formula to feed me.' Villegas added that he not only wants to protect but expand those programs. 'We know that the Central Valley feeds the world, and yet our workers are struggling to feed their families. And that's because right now, we have Congress that's prioritizing tax cuts for billionaires,' the congressmember hopeful stated. Now, Villegas is a declared candidate for one of the nation's most competitive House races. CD-22 includes Kern, Kings and Tulare counties. It's majority Latino and leans Democrat, yet CD-22 is a purple district — there's a fair shot of it flipping blue or red in each election. Though his Democratic predecessor — Rudy Salas — former California Assemblymember, Bakersfield City Councilmember and two-time CD-22 candidate against Valadao — failed to flip the seat blue, despite being the Democratic candidate at the local, state and national levels. 17's Jenny Huh: 'When it comes to the Democrats and the Democratic candidates in the race, does it come down to you and Rudy at this point?' Randy Villegas: 'I actually interned for him back in college, so there is a relationship there. But with all due respect, I don't think that third time is going to be the charm.' Villegas is more progressive than Salas and is also affiliated with the progressive Working Families Party. He said he's already working to earn the endorsements of party leaders, like Dolores Huerta, a steadfast fierce backer of Salas. Salas confirmed with 17 News he is not ruling out a 2026 run. He's also filed papers delcaring an intention to run. Another important consideration for Villegas in this race will be CD-22's typically low voter turnout. 17's Jenny Huh: 'In 2022, in 2024, [Salas] just didn't see that Democratic, that Latino base turn out to vote. How are you going to get voters to turn out?' Randy Villegas: 'Beyond just contacting [voters], it's also giving people something to believe in. When you look at some of the issues, with all due respect to Assemblyman Salas and Congressman Valadao, a lot of the times, I felt I was listening to the same person.' Villegas also spoke with confidence in saying he'll run a people-powered campaign and that his issues transcend party lines. Healthcare concerns, like Valley Fever, the candidate noted, affects everyone, whether they're Democrat, Republican or voted in the last election. The candidate also promised at least two in-person town halls each year, offering constituents a time to ask questions and provide feedback. Click here to watch the full interview with Randy Villegas. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
