Fact-checking Rep. Kevin Kiley’s Tele-Town Hall on March 17, 2025

Claim: Continuing the 2017 tax cuts is necessary for working families, and “tax cuts will benefit working families the most.”

This is misleading. While the 2017 tax cuts do provide some benefits for working families, the wealthiest Americans will disproportionately be the greatest beneficiaries from the extension of the tax cuts. There is no requirement that all of the tax cut provisions be extended in their entirety, meaning that the tax cuts for the wealthiest are not necessary. This is important because Republican proposals to pay for the tax cut extension involve cuts to programs that benefit working families.The wealthiest Americans will disproportionately benefit from the extension of the tax cuts.

Claim:  “Tax cuts created jobs and wealth in this country.”

This is misleading. After the 2017 tax cuts, corporations bought back stock and did not invest in jobs and economic growth. The Biden administration policies incentivized corporations to bring jobs back to the U.S. and increase domestic manufacturing.

Claim: “When we passed the Fiscal Responsibility Act, we actually increased funding for our veterans.”

This is partially true. However, the current Continuing Resolution, that Kiley voted for, reduces funding for veterans. Additionally, on February 13th, the VA announced it dismissed more than 1,000 employees.

Claim: "California has the highest poverty rate."

This is misleading. According to the U.S. Census's Official Poverty Measure, the the highest poverty rates are mostly led by Republican states like Mississippi and Louisiana. The Supplemental Poverty Measure (SPM) is an alternate poverty measurement that includes government benefits and necessary expenses like housing costs. California has ranked high in the SPM.

Claim: "When it comes to Medicaid, the biggest opportunity is simply the waste, fraud, and abuse that exists within the system...  There's $50 billion dollars, every year, of improper Medicaid payments."

This is misleading. The Government Accountability Office did estimate $50 billion of "improper payments" in fiscal year 2023. But, the GAO said that improper payments mostly included payments that were missing documentation to fully support the payment - even if the recipient was entitled to the payment.

The Republican’s budget is expected to force cuts to Medicaid that exceed potential waste, fraud, and abuse. Additionally, Republicans in Congress have not articulated a clear plan for reducing waste, fraud, and abuse in Medicaid to justify reductions to Medicaid funding.

Claim: “We have these periods of drought where citizens are forced to not water your lawn, or to limit your indoor use, or further Draconian restriction. We could have avoided all that if we simply saved water when it came to us.”

This is partially true. The State Water Board will sometimes issue emergency regulations to preserve water in times of drought. California Reservoir levels are currently at 15 million acre-feet of water - that’s about 15 million eight-lane swimming pools! After the devastating LA wildfires, the Trump Administration forced California, on short notice, to release water from two California reservoirs, effectively wasting the water.

Claim: “These jurisdictions carve out special protections, not just for people who are here illegally, but for those how have come across the border illegally, and then have committed crimes while here. That’s what the sanctuary state law does.”

This is false. California’s law (SB 54) clarifies what state and local law enforcement in California can and cannot do with regard to immigration. The law does not restrict what the federal government can do in the state. That means ICE can still arrest and deport undocumented people living in California and other sanctuary jurisdictions. Police can also tell immigration authorities about an inmate’s upcoming release if that person has been convicted of a serious crime.

Claim: “All the SAVE act is designed to do is make sure that people who vote are legal U.S citizens and can provide proof of identification in order to cast a ballot.”

This is misleading. The SAVE Act requires all citizens to provide proof of citizenship—in person—such as a passport, realID, or a birth certificate with a photo ID, whenever they register to vote or update their registration. This would disproportionately affect certain populations, such as individuals who change their name after getting married — as many women do.

Additionally, Federal law already requires that all voters are US citizens.

Claim: A recent right track/wrong track survey showed the ‘right track’ was “20 points higher than it was just a few months ago.”

This is false. As of March 19, 2025, Wrong Track had a 33.1% lead based on 439 polls compiled by The Hill. This has remained relatively the same for the last several months.