By Kevin Kiley – April 3, 2023

In his latest plea for attention, Gavin Newsom has started a PAC to fight “rising authoritarianism” in other states. The line between parody and reality has vanished entirely.

I spoke on Fox News about this stunt from the Governor whose own pandemic policies were the most authoritarian in the country. And we now know they had absolutely no benefit: a new study finds California had among the worst COVID-19 outcomes.

The harms, on the other hand, are felt in new ways every day. I spoke on the House Floor about the latest: an “incompetence tax” being forced upon California businesses.

Here’s what happened: thanks to Newsom’s lockdowns, millions of Californians filed unemployment claims. While Newsom and Julie Su couldn’t figure out how to get people their needed benefits, they showered criminals with $32.6 billion in fraudulent benefits.

As a result, the unemployment fund became insolvent, and California had to borrow $18.5 billion from the federal government. The state has now defaulted on that loan. Newsom neglected to pay it back even with a $97.5 billion “surplus” last year.

But the feds want their money back. Under federal law, a deadbeat state like California is forced to pay back its loan via a tax increase imposed on businesses. Every business, large or small, must now pay a tax that could grow to $434 per employee.

Meanwhile, Newsom’s home of San Francisco just announced a $290 million deficit. It’s losing people faster than any major city in history, and the SF Chronicle says the city “could collapse.”

This is the “model for the nation” Newsom is pushing as he once again abandons his post, this time for a Red State tour starting in Arkansas. And Biden is falling for it: by elevating Newsom’s chief enabler, Julie Su, he’s trying to impose California’s failures on all of America.

Join the fight to stop Newsom and Biden

Kevin Kiley is a United States Congressman