DELANO, CA — On the 60th anniversary of the landmark legislation that created Medicaid, Central Valley doctor and State Assemblywoman Dr. Jasmeet Bains released the following statement:

“As a doctor, I’ve seen firsthand how Medicaid has been a lifeline for working families, seniors, and children across the Central Valley. For sixty years, this program has helped people get the care they need — from prenatal checkups to cancer treatments to addiction recovery.

We should be building on that progress. Instead, Washington politicians are playing games with people’s lives. My opponent, David Valadao, voted to slash Medicaid funding and kick millions off their coverage. That’s not leadership — that’s cruelty.

In Congress, I’ll do what I’ve always done as a doctor and as a legislator: fight for the health and dignity of every person I serve. That means protecting and expanding Medicaid, lowering costs, and making sure no family has to choose between going to the doctor and paying the rent.”

Dr. Bains has made improving health care access a central focus of her campaign, drawing on years of frontline experience serving underserved and rural communities in California’s Central Valley.