Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene, a Georgia Republican, called for a "tax revolt" in California on Saturday after the state said it will offer free health care to undocumented immigrants in the new year.
Starting on Monday, approximately 700,000 undocumented immigrants between the ages of 26 and 49 will qualify for full health coverage under Medi-Cal, which provides low-income Californians access to medical care. This is an expansion on previous California laws that gave Medi-Cal access to undocumented children, young adults, and adults aged 50 or older. The California Health and Human Services Agency has set aside $835.6 million in 2023-24 for this expansion and $2.6 billion annually thereafter.
The expansion of Medi-Cal, which was approved in legislation in May, comes at a time of great friction between Republicans who want to push for more border security to stop what they see as a crisis at the U.S.-Mexico border and Democrats who want to ensure that America is a place of refuge for immigrants fleeing their home countries for better opportunities.
Greene shared an article from the New York Post about the expansion on her personal X, formerly Twitter, account on Friday and wrote: "A tax revolt would solve this problem in California."
On Saturday, Greene reiterated her support for a tax revolt on her professional X account.
"It's treason. No other way to say it. And now California is going to give illegals free healthcare, but nothing is free, the California taxpayers have to pay for it. The border crisis is the top issue and I want to impeach but can't get the votes. Would a tax revolt stop it?" the congresswoman wrote.
California Governor Gavin Newsom's office told ABC News about the Medi-Cal expansion, "In California, we believe everyone deserves access to quality, affordable health care coverage – regardless of income or immigration status. Through this expansion, we're making sure families and communities across California are healthier, stronger, and able to get the care they need when they need it."
Newsweek reached out to Greene's office via email for comment. Newsweek also reached out to Newsom's office via online form for comment.
Greene has been a vocal critic of the Biden administration's job on border security amid the influx of migrants crossing into the United States from the southern border.
"America is in a constitutional crisis," the congresswoman wrote earlier this month on X. "The admin is enabling a full scale border invasion and harboring illegal migrants. The courts are engaging in judicial tyranny. The government is politically weaponized against the people. Soon national divorce may be our only option."
In the 2023 fiscal year, which ended in September, U.S. Border Patrol (USBP) had 3.2 million encounters, according to USBP data. Encounter data includes USBP Title 8 Apprehensions, Office of Field Operations (OFO) Title 8 Inadmissibles, and Title 42 Expulsions.
What Is a Tax Revolt?
A tax revolt is when people refuse to pay taxes because they the oppose either the government imposing the tax, a government policy, or the taxation in itself.
There was a tax revolt in the late 1970s and early 1980s following high inflation that led to higher property taxes and an income tax bracket creep. Out of the tax revolt came California's Proposition 13.
In June 1978, California voters approved to amend the Constitution of California, to include the People's Initiative to Limit Property Taxation, or Proposition 13. The amendment decreased property taxes and restricted annual increases of assessed value to an inflation factor.
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Rachel Dobkin is a Newsweek reporter based in New York. Her focus is reporting on politics. Rachel joined Newsweek in ... Read more
