Rep. Ken Calvert opens Palm Desert office, drawing supporters and a protest on Medicare

Rep. Ken Calvert, a long-time GOP congressman who newly represents several Coachella Valley cities, opened his office in Palm Desert this week, drawing a large crowd of supporters, as well as a few residents pushing him on policy questions about Social Security and Medicare.

Calvert, who was first elected to Congress in 1992, has long represented pockets of western Riverside County, including his homebase of Corona.

But after redistricting in 2021, Calvert ran for re-election last year in the new 41st Congressional District, which includes Palm Springs, Rancho Mirage, La Quinta, Indian Wells and Palm Desert. He beat Democratic challenger Will Rollins with roughly 52.3% of the vote in the November election.

Meanwhile, Democratic Rep. Raul Ruiz, who represented the entire valley for nearly a decade, easily won re-election in a district that includes Indio, Coachella, Cathedral City and Desert Hot Springs. His local office is now in Indio.

Help navigating federal programs

Staff at Calvert’s new office, located off Fred Waring Drive near Palm Desert City Hall, can assist residents with anything from accessing veterans’ services to getting a passport renewed.

“One of the primary jobs of any member of Congress is to provide service to their constituents,” Calvert said inside the new office Monday. “We help expedite interfacing with the federal government, which sometimes is frustrating.”

The office opening was the congressman’s latest extension into the desert. Calvert has also recently met with elected officials from the five valley cities in his district, with discussions focused on topics such as flood control, homelessness and the Salton Sea.

The event Monday drew dozens of people to the office, which is located in Suite 129 at 73710 Fred Waring Dr.

Group demands protections for Social Security, Medicare

While most people attended Monday in support of Calvert, a group of roughly 20 residents gathered with signs along Fred Waring Drive, near the new office, urging their congressman to protect Medicare and Social Security programs and oppose any cuts to them.

The federal programs returned to the spotlight last month when President Joe Biden suggested during his State of the Union address that some Republicans want to cut the programs, with the president and Congress trying to plan for raising the nation’s debt limit by a deadline this summer. GOP House Speaker Kevin McCarthy has said cuts to Medicare and Social Security are “off the table.”

The demonstrators outside Calvert’s office, who were mainly from the Palm Springs area, were with a new citizens' group called “CA41 Democracy in Action,” which is aiming to boot Calvert out of office and flip the district blue in 2024. They held signs urging Calvert to “Save Medicare!” and “Raise the debt limit!”

“Basically, I’m 68, and I’m concerned about Social Security, but I’m also concerned about it for the younger generations,” Palm Springs resident Peg McCloud said. “I think we’re okay, but taking it away from future generations, that is not what we are.”

Calvert, in a statement sent after the event, said he has consistently opposed cuts to Medicare and Social Security programs.

“I have no doubt that Congress will ensure these vital programs and our federal government have the resources they need to operate and support Americans who earned them,” Calvert said.

The congressman, however, also noted the national debt is “rapidly approaching” $32 trillion, along with more than $60 trillion in unfunded liabilities in Social Security and Medicare programs.

“These fiscal challenges pose a significant threat to future generations of Americans and require the House, Senate, and President come together to work in a bipartisan manner to approve a budget agreement to help put our fiscal house in order,” Calvert added.

Calvert recounts Asia visit

Even as he faces such pressing domestic questions, Calvert, who now chairs the defense appropriations subcommittee in the House, also recently returned from a delegation trip to Japan, South Korea and Taiwan. U.S. officials met with their foreign counterparts to discuss their countries’ efforts to counter China’s presence in the region.

Japan, for example, has said it will double its military spending in the next half-decade, citing threats posed by China and North Korea. Calvert called China “a problem," saying it has been effectively funding Russia’s war against Ukraine by purchasing its domestic oil supply.

“The best war is no war,” Calvert said inside the new office. “I believe (in) peace through strength, as Ronald Reagan said, making sure that we have a deterrence in the Pacific, where China does not impose themselves on these other countries.”

Tom Coulter covers the cities of Palm Desert, La Quinta, Rancho Mirage and Indian Wells. Reach him at thomas.coulter@desertsun.com.

This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: Rep. Ken Calvert opens Palm Desert office