California Democrat Rep. Ro Khanna says he has a solution for Silicon Valley elites angered by his embrace of a wealth tax: Tackling fraud.
Over the weekend, Khanna came under fire from some donors and allies in the tech industry after he endorsed a wealth tax. Labor groups in California are trying to add a proposal for a statewide tax on billionaires to the November ballot, prompting some wealthy Californians to warn they will leave the state if it passes and support a primary challenger to Khanna in next year’s elections.
In an interview with CNBC, Khanna, who represents Silicon Valley, said he’s launching a bipartisan effort from his post on the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee to root out state-level fraud to ensure the new tax windfall doesn’t go to waste. The effort, he said, will make sure that funds go toward health care and other essential services.
“If you want, as I do, to advocate for Medicare for all, to advocate for higher taxes, you have to have the public trust,” Khanna said. “People need to have a receipt for what their money is going towards. You can’t have corruption in the government and waste in the government and then expect people to support the progressive ideals that I have.”
