On Wednesday’s broadcast of the Fox News Channel’s “America Reports,” Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA) reacted to California facing a budget deficit by criticizing the “mistake” California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) made of “handing out checks well past COVID” and noted that Newsom made the decision “close to” the 2022 midterms and “now, they’re going to have to make some hard choices.”
Co-host John Roberts asked, [relevant exchange begins around 4:45] “California…has gone from a COVID-era surplus to now $32 billion in debt, according to the Governor. But California is now considering paying illegal migrants $300 a week for 20 weeks at a cost of what could be $385 million. That on top of the plan for reparations, which could cost upwards of $800 billion. I might have missed it, but I don’t think the state of California has got its own Bureau of Printing and Engraving. Where are you going to get the money for all of this?”
Khanna responded, “Well, look, I think that we made a mistake, actually, handing out checks well past COVID, and the Governor had done that close to the midterms. And now, they’re going to have to make some hard choices. I do think there is some sense where they can get additional revenue. But the Governor is going to have to figure out how to have a balanced budget, because as you know, states can’t run deficits.”
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