- California voted overwhelmingly for Xavier Becerra, who has vowed to make health care a center point of his Governorship, protecting Californians from H.R. 1 cuts and raising the revenue needed to keep our health system strong and accessible to all.
- Half of the eight remaining California Congressmembers that voted to pass the largest health care cut in America’s history have lost, retired, or are on the verge of losing their seats.
- The passage of Prop 3 proves that Californians want to keep funding available for our health care system through taxes on higher earners.
SACRAMENTO, CA – California has elected our state’s first Latino Governor who has made health care a central cause of his career, from his time as California’s State Attorney General to serving as our nation’s Health and Human Services Secretary under President Biden. Health care advocates in California have praised his past work putting health care consumers first over corporate attempts to drive up our costs of care. During his gubernatorial campaign, Governor-elect Xavier Becerra championed a plan to require corporations worth billions of dollars to pay their fair share when their employees turn to Medi-Cal, rather than posting billions in profits by shifting their costs onto taxpayers.
Californians also sent a resounding message to Washington – vote to take our health care away and we’ll vote you out of office. Four of the remaining eight California Congressmembers who voted for H.R. 1 have retired, been voted out, or are on the verge of losing their seats today. Along with the passage for Proposition 3, it’s clear Californians want their elected and state officials to protect our health care funding.
Below is a statement from Amanda McAllister-Wallner, Executive Director of Health Access California, the statewide health care consumer advocacy coalition.
“We congratulate Governor-elect Xavier Becerra on his historic victory. He has been a champion for health care – from his time in Congress leading the fight for the Affordable Care Act, his time as California Attorney General taking on health care consolidation and anti-competitive practices, and serving as Secretary of Health and Human Services.
“Now, he has a clear mandate to deliver affordable health care for all Californians and roll back the devastating cuts of the last two years. Voters want to see him deliver on his campaign promise to make large corporations pay their fair share to support our health care system. We want a return to the time – just a few years ago – when our most vulnerable Californians could count on Medi-Cal for coverage, regardless of immigration status, regardless of gender identity, without the paperwork barriers erected by the Trump Administration and Republicans in Congress. And Californians want leaders who will tackle the affordability crisis, including the crisis of our skyrocketing health care costs.
“And to federal leaders that were warned not to cut our health care or face the consequences – it was a night full of reaping what you sowed. Californians want elected leaders who will fight to expand access to health care and we will not stand for elected leaders who chose to cut it.”
Press inquiries an be directed to: Rachel Linn Gish, [email protected]
