Democrats’ Illegal Immigration and Border Policies Harms the San Joaquin Valley Directly

When Vince Fong entered the race for CA-20 in December 2023, I called it a “mob of candidates.” I also said his candidacy’s last-minute legal confusion showed “the bid was not planned or thought out to serve the voters, it [was] an exercise in ego backed by Kevin McCarthy’s endorsement.” Conservatives in the Valley feared that Fong would be a continuation of soft Central Valley Republicans known for appeasing, and giving concessions to, the Democrats at every pivotal moment.  

From Politico; In an email thread between local conservatives, a prominent businessperson…denounced McCarthy as a “quitter” and Fong as “McCarthy 2.0,” a product of the “local machine pumping out candidates.”

But on June 27th 2024, just as President Joe Biden attempts to give amnesty to more than half a million illegal aliens, the house voted on a measure that would have banned Homeland Security funds from being used to carry out Joe Biden’s unconstitutional executive action. It failed because 14 Republicans joined 202 Democrats.

Like every native of the San Joaquin Valley, when I read a headline stating that a conservative measure failed because Republicans voted along-side Democrats, I immediately assumed the defectors came from my home area. As assumed, the measure to block the mass-amnesty of illegals failed because of our very own Reps John Duarte (CA-13) and David Valadao (CA-22). Just as immigration is being polled as the number one issue for voters by Gallop. Central Valley Republicans continue to block our Republican-majority House from using the slightest bit of Constitutional power to stop Democrat’s unconstitutional power-grab. The valley conservatives that elected these two Representatives did not vote in favor of President Biden having the power to wave his hand and create a flood of additional Democrat voters whose numbers would equal the state of Wyoming. So why won’t our representatives stop it when given the opportunity? 

While scrolling the list of Republican defectors, I didn’t see a district I expected to see. I didn’t see CA-20’s Vince Fong on the list of “no” votes. I’m not exaggerating, I turned to a friend of mine after reading and said “I bet you $20 Vince Fong is on the list as Not Voting.” I lost the bet. Fong had voted, correctly, along with conservatives to stop President Biden’s unconstitutional executive action. A move away from his Valley Republican colleagues.     

I’m not only someone willing to admit I was wrong, but I am happy to be wrong. While I thought Fong would represent the worst of Central Valley Republicans, he was the only one to vote conservative on an issue that affects our home more than most other issues. Democrats’ illegal immigration and border policies have flooded our home with fentanyl and cartel activity, killing Americans. The open border, where over 24,000 Chinese Citizens entered in 2023, enabled the illegal Chinese Bio Lab in Reedley that risked a disease outbreak throughout the Valley. The Democrats’ push to increase illegal immigration harms the San Joaquin Valley directly and it’s the issue our Republicans refuse to engage on.

Except, apparently, freshman Vince Fong.      

Congressman Fong has only been in the seat since earlier this month, with only around 80 votes to his name. That is obviously a far cry from naming someone a conservative champion. But this vote is special and does represent a shift. This is a vote that Bakerfield must support Fong on in the November election. He must be rewarded in November, for this vote specifically, if the voters want to re-enforce that real conservative policy is a winning strategy in the Valley. Conservatives in the Valley want to be wrong when they assumed Fong was McCarthy 2.0 and if Vince Fong becomes the face of the conservative resurgence in the San Joaquin Valley, then we will support him.