Following his recent election, California Governor-elect Xavier Becerra has sparked controversy by avoiding direct answers regarding the fulfillment of his core campaign promises during his first press conference.
According to reports from the Los Angeles Times on the 5th, Becerra held a press conference at the Sacramento State Capitol to outline his future governance direction. However, he ultimately avoided giving a definitive answer on whether he would restore the Medi-Cal support cuts targeted at undocumented immigrants, a reversal he had heavily campaigned on.
Becerra stated, “I cannot make promises without knowing precisely what situations we will face,” adding, “California residents do not want a governor who only makes pledges just like during an election campaign.”
Previously, Becerra had promised during his election campaign to protect healthcare service access for immigrant communities, even mentioning the possibility of raising taxes to reverse the Medi-Cal support cuts.
He also refrained from giving a clear stance on whether he would pursue income tax cuts for middle- and low-income earners.
Becerra only stated, “We must keep all options open,” and that he would comprehensively review energy, tax, and healthcare policies.
Furthermore, he failed to present concrete implementation plans for the ‘Power Hour’ policy proposed as a core campaign pledge, which aimed to supply free electricity to low-income households for two hours a day.
Although Becerra met with state legislative leadership that day to discuss healthcare services, energy costs, artificial intelligence (AI), and housing construction funding utilization, he did not disclose specific implementation methods or financing plans for major policies.
Meanwhile, the California government suspended new adult undocumented Medi-Cal enrollments starting this year due to budget deficit pressures and plans to impose a $30 monthly premium on select enrollees starting next year.
