LaMalfa votes to protect the interests of his out-of-state donors, not those of the Northern Californians he is supposed to represent. Most of his campaign contributions come from Paul Ryan and other GOP national party leaders, multinational corporations, corporate political action committees and Native American tribes from outside the District. In fact, 85% of LaMalfa’s campaign contributions in the 2016 election cycle came from lobbyists, businesses and people outside of CD1. LaMalfa votes the party agenda set by the GOP leadership back east and not the interests of his Northern California constituents.
His record on some important issues is described below.
Taxes
LaMalfa betrayed his Northern California constituents by voting to eventually INCREASE the taxes paid by 70% of the families in CD1 while he falsely claimed that most people would pay less.
Medicare and MediCal
To enable the tax bill giveaway to corporations and wealthy Americans living outside CD1, LaMalfa voted for massive cuts to Medicare and MediCal spending in CD1 just when the need is increasing for our aging residents.
Health Care
LaMalfa voted dozens of times to repeal all or part of the Affordable Care Act (ACA). LaMalfa has never made any effort whatsoever to fix any of the bugs in the ACA. Instead, he insisted on repealing the entire law, and denying more than 100,000 of his constituents’ health care on the pretext that the law makes health insurance more expensive for a few.
Campaign Contributions
Money talks; LaMalfa listens. In the 2016 election cycle, LaMalfa raised over $788,000 in campaign contributions. Less than $125,000 (16%) of those contributions came from individuals, businesses and native tribes in the district he is supposed to represent. He raised $398,000 (50%) from political action committees and other candidates, $182,000 (23%) from nonresident individuals and businesses, and $83,000 from native tribes from Connecticut to California.
Climate Science
LaMalfa listens to scientists in running the rice farm he inherited from his parents, but he turns a deaf ear to the overwhelming majority of climate scientists who conclude that climate change is made worse by human activity. Why? Because that is the GOP establishment party line, developed to serve Republicans in the coal mining and oil and gas generating states back East.
Forestry
Just about everyone thinks that improvements can be made in how we manage our National forests. Fuel loads need to be reduced to moderate the devastating wildfires that are threatening our communities. Ask LaMalfa and he will tell you who is to blame: The Forest Service.
Hunger and Poverty
LaMalfa’s family received almost $5.3 million in rice crop subsidies paid by the federal government with your tax dollars over the course of two decades. After receiving those payments, LaMalfa voted to cut supplemental nutritional assistance (SNAP, food stamps) for hungry families (about $1.40 per person per meal) for nearly 2 million low income people, mostly working families with children and senior citizens.
Reproductive Liberty
LaMalfa has voted repeatedly to deny women the liberty to make their own choice.
Water Issues
LaMalfa participates in an irrigation district that is a “senior water rights” holder. LaMalfa has voted time and time again in both the California Legislature and in Congress to revise existing environmental and other laws to sales of water to Southern California by senior water rights holders in Northern California. He recently co-sponsored a bill that would cause federal law to trump state water law (to the benefit of senior water rights beneficiaries like himself) and exempt state water projects from compliance with environmental laws.
Aerial photo released by the California Department of Water Resources, showing the damaged spillway with eroded hillside in Oroville
Environment
LaMalfa has a long and sorry record of opposing protections for the environment.
