How Prop 50 Can Impact Health Care, Economic Security, and Immigration

On November 4, 2025, California voters will vote on Proposition 50, a proposal to approve new congressional district lines for the 2026, 2028, and 2030 elections.

What will Prop 50 really do?

If voters pass Prop 50, Democrats could gain up to five congressional seats, grow their California delegation from 43 to 48 of 52 total seats, and gain majority control of the U.S. House of Representatives. Republicans currently have a 219-214 majority in the House, with two vacant seats.

The party not in power in the White House historically gains congressional seats in midterm elections, and several polls show that Republican policies are increasingly unpopular among voters. That is why Trump and state Republicans are redistricting in Texas and other states to try to keep their party in power, and without any engagement or participation from voters. California is the only state in which state leaders are giving voters the final say on new congressional lines.

The outcome of the Prop 50 election will immediately influence who runs for Congress in the 2026 midterm elections and what issues they champion as they campaign and eventually govern. If Prop 50 passes, five Republican incumbents – Reps. Doug LaMalfa (CD-1), Kevin Kiley (CD-3), David Valado (CD-22), Ken Calvert (CD-41), and Darrell Issa (CD-48) – would be in more competitive districts with higher Democratic voter registration, which would open up opportunities for Democratic candidates to challenge them and give voters more choices between candidate policy platforms.

How will Prop 50 affect the issues I care about?

In July, the Republican-led Congress passed the federal reconciliation bill (H.R.1, One Big Beautiful Bill Act), which sets federal funding priorities for the next ten years — and includes some of the most severe cuts to several programs in history.

Prop 50 is a pathway for people in California to elect a more representative Congress and advocate for positive changes on the issues they care about the most. With majority control of the House, Democrats can pursue policies different than those currently led by Republicans, provide checks and balances to the president and U.S. Supreme Court, and protect the rights and freedoms of all Americans.

Health Care

The Republican reconciliation bill cuts more than $1 trillion from Medicaid and Affordable Care Act (ACA) marketplaces and is projected to take health insurance away from 3.4 million Californians in the next ten years. Over 40% of California’s population depends on Medi-Cal (California’s Medicaid program) and Covered California (California’s ACA program).

Democrats in the House and Senate have introduced bills (Protecting Health Care and Lowering Costs Act of 2025) that would reverse the cuts to Medicaid and extend ACA premium tax credits in late July. Eighty-six Democratic representatives and 46 Democratic senators have co-sponsored the bill. No Republicans have publicly supported the bill or allowed it to go to a vote in Congress. Additionally, Democrats have made reversal of the cuts an extension of ACA premium subsidies — which expire at the end of the year — the central part of their negotiations with Republicans on the federal budget for this year.

The Republican reconciliation bill also imposes a one-year funding ban on large nonprofit health clinics that provide abortions. In California, the ban applies to Planned Parenthood and Women’s Health Specialists, and affects patients who also use their broad spectrum of reproductive and general health services. Planned Parenthood has closed five Northern California clinics due to the loss of funding.

California Attorney General Rob Bonta and Democratic attorneys general and governors from 22 other states have sued the federal government to restore funding to Planned Parenthood on the grounds that taking away the funding violates Planned Parenthood’s First Amendment rights for their advocacy work.

Economic Security

The Republican reconciliation bill cuts 20% of the budget for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), a food assistance program that helps over 5 million Californians each month under the CalFresh program. CalFresh kept 1.1 million people out of poverty in California, and the cuts will affect every household on CalFresh. Cutting SNAP also takes away billions in revenue from farmers and ranchers and small businesses, causing additional instability and harm to an already struggling farm economy.

Democrats in the House and Senate have introduced bills (Closing the Meal Gap of 2025) to increase benefits for many SNAP recipients, and another (Restoring Food Security for American Families and Farmers Act of 2025) to repeal the Republican SNAP cuts.

The Republican reconciliation bill also reduces eligibility for the Child Tax Credit, which is worth $2,000 for each qualifying child, and has proven to improve economic security for Californians. An estimated 910,000 children in California will no longer be eligible for the Child Tax Credit because at least one of their parents does not have a Social Security Number. Child tax credits have historically been supported by members of both parties, but Senate Republicans rejected an attempt to expand them in 2024.

Immigration

The Republican reconciliation bill provides $170 billion in additional funding for immigration and border enforcement, including $45 billion to build new detention centers and $30 billion to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), tripling their current $10 billion annual budget and making the agency larger than most of the world’s militaries.

Democratic representatives have been pushing for greater oversight and transparency of ICE, and some are working with Republican colleagues on immigration reform policies, including pathways to citizenship and protections for Dreamers.

Tax Cuts

The Republican reconciliation bill gives $890 billion in tax cuts to millionaires over ten years. The average tax cut for people with incomes of $1.1 million or more is $80,000 per household per year. House and Senate Democrats have reintroduced a bill (Billionaires Income Tax Act) that would require billionaires to pay taxes on the growth of their wealth. The wealthiest families in the United States currently pay a lower income tax rate than middle-class workers because of their income from stock gains.

What can I do about Prop 50?

Californians will have the opportunity to vote with their values on Proposition 50 in a special election on November 4, 2025. Every registered voter will receive a mail-in ballot that must be returned by mail, at official ballot drop-off locations, and at vote centers by November 4. Your vote will have an impact on how we elect a Congress that best represents you on the issues you care most about.

Make sure you are registered to vote, and return your Proposition 50 ballot by November 4, 2025!

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