Republican firebrand Marjorie Taylor Greene has called for a “tax revolt” in California, following the announcement of ambitious plans to expand health-care for low-income immigrants in the state.
The Georgia congresswoman blasted the plans as “treason” and suggested that such a revolt was necessary to “solve the problem”.
As of Monday, more than 700,000 immigrants living illegally in California will gain access to free health care through the state’s Medicaid program, known as Medi-Cal, after legislation was approved in May.
Ms Greene is one of many Republicans who would rather see funding channelled into security at the US-Mexico border.
Writing on X/Twitter several days before the expansion came into effect, Ms Greene said: “A tax revolt would solve this problem in California.” From her professional account, she later added: “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?”
It is estimated that the effort will eventually cost California about $3.1bn per year and inches the state closer to Democrats’ goal of providing universal health care to its roughly 39 million residents.
The new update will be California’s largest health care expansion since the 2014 implementation of former President Barack Obama’s Affordable Care Act, which allowed states to include adults who fall below 138% of the federal poverty level in their Medicaid programs.
The state first extended health care benefits to low-income children without legal status in 2015 and later added the benefits for young adults and people over the age of 50. Monday’s expansion will see the last remaining group, adults ages 26 to 49, eligible also.
State officials said more than 700,000 people will gain full health coverage allowing them to access preventative care and other treatment. “We’ve had this asterisk based on immigration status,” said Anthony Wright, executive director of Health Access California, a consumer advocacy group. “Just from the numbers point of view, this is a big deal.”
