At his first in-person town hall in eight years, District 1 Congressman Doug LaMalfa defended his support for the One Big Beautiful Act — as some members of his audience jeered and heckled him.
In fact, interruptions were relentless during the 90-minute town hall that began at 7:30 a.m. at Chico’s Elks Lodge. Despite the early hour, the meeting room filled quickly with 600 people with no seats left.
LaMalfa responded to a question about possible cuts to Medicaid. “When we’re talking about the people that really do need it and are eligible under the program, they’re not being cut,” the congressman said.
The so-called One Big Beautiful Bill, signed into law by President Trump on July 4, was promoted by the White House as a benefit to the working class. But some analysts say that the bill will slash federal funding for health care and food aid, largely by imposing work verification requirements on recipients and shifting cost burdens onto states.