Rep. David Valadao faces the difficult task of reassuring constituents in his Central Valley district that he will stave off cuts to Medi-Cal, California's Medicaid program.

The House narrowly passed the budget, 217 to 213, sending it to the Senate. The measure keeps the government funded through the end of the federal fiscal year on Sept. 30. All 43 California Democrats voted no, while all nine Republicans voted yes.

Lawmakers have taken Medicare off the table for cuts, which makes it impossible to reach $880 billion without cutting Medicaid.

When Donald Trump was on the campaign trail in 2024, he insisted that cuts to Social Security and Medicare were not on the table. But his Democratic opponents warned that if Trump won the election, he would not only target Social Security and Medicare,