Rep. Kevin McCarthy should be ashamed. By joining a chorus of Republicans calling for rollbacks to women's health care, environmental protections and support for the poor, McCarthy proved himself to be yet another cowardly politician only capable of serving those able to write a check rather than the entirety of his constituency.

Kern County consistently ranks in the upper tiers of several less-than-admirable lists, including teen pregnancy rates, STD transmission and asthma prevalence. At the same time, we rank poorly on air quality, education and income.

By voting to support the House budget more than a week ago, McCarthy said "yes" to exacerbating the social ills already tearing at the fabric of our county. Funding for low-income patients needing cancer screening, STD testing and treatment, and contraceptives? Cut. Child support for working families? Cut. Environmental protections aimed at cleaning our air and water? Cut.

The livelihoods of many of the residents of Kern County were deemed less important than preserving $4 billion in oil subsidies and implementing a program to provide contraceptives for wild horses. Yes, horses.

Discretionary spending in the U.S. is but a fraction of the total budget. Without addressing the problems of Medicare, Medicaid, defense spending and Social Security, all other actions are tantamount to a political grandstand. By showing that he and his colleagues are unwilling to tackle the big problems and only target the weak, McCarthy proved himself to be yet another cowardly politician uninterested in anyone unable to write a check.