In a moment of clarity, Rep. Ro Khanna, D-California, admitted that his state’s budget should face a much-needed audit.
Accusations of “fraud” have dominated the media recently, and even progressive lawmakers are being forced to admit that things aren’t looking good. It’s difficult to convince voters to pay more in taxes when those funds are being wasted to the tune of billions. Khanna believes that it’s time for audits and accountability for local governments.
Watch:
Khanna was asked to respond to a spokesperson for California Governor Gavin Newsom seeming to dismiss the idea of an investigation into potential for fraud and abuse, implying that it could “create” more taxpayer waste than it would reduce.
“Well, look, it’s a serious report. It was the governor’s own inspector general who said that there are billions of dollars of fraud and waste,” the lawmaker replied. “And I heard about it from people in my district. They were saying, Ro, you’re calling for higher taxes, we’re maybe happy to pay those higher taxes, but we want to know — higher taxes on the very wealthy, I should clarify — but we want to know that that tax dollar is not going to get wasted. And there was fraud and waste with COVID. There’s been fraud and waste on some of the eligibilities of these programs. There’s been fraud and waste on some of these infrastructure programs.”
He suggested that addressing waste and abuse of taxpayer dollars should not be a political issue, but rather a bipartisan one that can bring both sides together in unity to protect the people who work hard every day, pay their taxes and expect their money to be used carefully and responsibly.
“So all I said is I’m going to work…on a bipartisan basis on the Oversight Committee to understand what that budget is, it should be audited, and make sure we’re getting rid of fraud and waste, whether it’s in California or whether it’s in a red state. This should not be a political issue, and it has nothing to do against any particular Democratic politician or Republican politician. It’s making sure that the American people get the receipts for what they’re paying.”
With so many stories of fraud being reported lately, it’s clear that the issue won’t just go away on its own. Americans are preparing to vote in the 2026 midterms and this issue may weigh heavily on their minds as they cast their ballots, so those running for public office will likely be forced to address it one way or the other.
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Sierra Marlee is a millennial whose hunger for the truth in a world of fake news has led her to write. Marlee also contributes to BizPac Review.
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