Rancho Mirage – A day after President Trump proposed a budget that would deeply cut the federal government, Democrat minority leader Hakem Jeffries vowed on Saturday that his party is united by opposing Medicaid, Social Security, Veteran Services and other safety net programs for vulnerable Americans.
“We’re working to do everything we can in this moment to stop Republicans from trying to thwart this reckless, extreme budget in the throats of the American people,” he said hundreds of people gathered at the high school performing arts center for the Council’s City Hall. “It would hurt children, families, seniors, women, Americans with disabilities and Americans. Hospitals could be closed, nursing homes could be closed, and people could actually die.”
Jeffries said the budget comes from an out-of-control Trump administration, explaining the proposal is merciless and not Americans.
“We’ll do everything we can to stop this budget on that truck, bury it in the ground and make sure it doesn’t rise again,” he said.
Christian Martinez, a spokesman for the National Republican Congressional Committee, criticised Jeffries’ appearance at city hall, calling him “a drenched in paranoia, destructive and hypocrisy.”
The event took place in one of Trump’s late rally in the 2024 presidential election.
The event was the first stop on a national tour of the House Democrats’ Management and Policy Committee, and was the town hall hosted by Rep. Raul Lewis (D-Indio).
Lewis represents all of Imperial County and parts of Riverside and San Bernardino counties. In recent elections, districts are considered safely democratic.
But earlier this year, a political report from an independent chef deemed it “probably democratic” because of Trump’s performance in the 2024 election. In 2024, the president won 10 counties in California and voted for Biden in the previous election. This includes three from Southern California, and was stolen two points by former Vice President Kamala Harris of the Lewis district.
Lewis far surpassed his fellow Democrats, earning the district with 13 points. However, depending on who the GOP parliamentary candidate is in next year’s midterm elections, and whether the party places resources behind him or her, the race could be more competitive in 2026.
Lewis, who was first elected to Congress in 2012, said he was particularly concerned about the potential cuts in Medicaid, which provides medical compensation to low-income Americans due to his experience as a physician, and is known as medical in California.
“Many of the patients I looked after were in Medi-Cal so I was worried and I know that without Medi-Cal I wouldn’t be able to receive treatment.
He argued that Trump’s proposed budget cuts are so great that there is no way to enact Medicaid without cutting. Lewis said the Inland Empire Health Program told him that three hospitals in his district would likely have to close if there were significant Medicaid cuts.
“So, if you don’t have Medicaid, where are you going? If there’s an emergency, where are you going to go to get your chronic care?” Lewis said. “So this affects us all.”
Lewis’ comments responded to questions from members of the healthcare audience. Other inquiries were about deportation, due process, social security, and reductions to federal sectors, including the Centers for Disease Control and the Department of Education.
The town hall featured Rep. Nanette Barragan (D-San Pedro), co-chaired by the steering committee, and Rep. Teresa Leger Fernández (DN.M.), chairman of the House Democratic Women’s Caucus. The latter led to passionate pleas for women who are pregnant and rely on federal health insurance for their children about the impact of federal cuts.
“When those babies are born, we want them to be born strong and healthy,” Leger Fernandez said. “And those kids go to school, and we want to make sure they’re not hungry, because kids can’t learn where their stomachs growl… But now, Medicaid, nutrition programs, education, they’re all suggested to cut back…
Jeffries said such efforts were part of a wider attack on the country and democracy, and why Democrats hold city halls not only in their party districts but also in districts represented by Republicans.
“The Congress is an independent, comparable branch of the government,” he said. “We don’t work for this president. We don’t work for the president. We don’t work for Donald Trump. We don’t work with Elon Musk. We don’t work for far-right extremists. We do work for you.”
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