Policy Priorities

  • Easing the COST OF LIVING and Doing Business in California

  • Emphasizing PUBLIC SAFETY for All California Families

  • Tapping into Unparalleled ENERGY Capacity

  • Putting Parents in the Driver’s Seat of their Kids’ EDUCATION AND HEALTHCARE

  • Ensuring that CALIFORNIA ELECTIONS are Fair and Secure

Download America First California Summary

California embodies the pioneering spirit that anything is possible and that ours is a country of boundless hope and opportunity. This is what drove men and women past the Rockies and the Sierra Nevada Mountains, on covered wagons and against all odds, toward this land of milk and honey. The land itself began to represent something unconquerable in the human spirit, something that was uniquely and undeniably American.

Later still, drawn by stories of gold speckling the riverbeds, small towns started to form among old Spanish outposts. Orange groves crept up the coast. Trains and automobiles arrived, and oil derricks began to appear. Earthquakes came, but the brave people of California rebuilt. The cities grew bigger and wider and the freeways broader, and the people, with the horrors of two world wars behind them, sought warmth and the ocean. This time, they were driven by different dreams, but the indomitable American spirit was still at the heart of them.

And yet, at some point in the last 40 years, California lost its way. Unfortunately, burdensome regulations, crippling taxes, high energy costs, and even higher crime rates have become the norm. And sadly, departing businesses and abandoned storefronts now mark what was once the land of plenty. On top of all this, California is now witnessing an increasingly intolerant culture war waged against those who do not subscribe to certain ideologies.

Based on the belief that there is still hope for turning things around, the America First Policy Institute (AFPI), a nonprofit, non-partisan research institute that educates lawmakers and the American public on the policies that put America first, has founded a state chapter in California. Building on AFPI’s America First Agenda, AFPI-California is committed to the renewal of California. By embracing the policies that helped build California’s economy, this state can once again experience a bright new chapter.

Team

Mike Garcia

Chairman, America First California

June Cutter

Executive Director, America First California

Latest

Statement | January 7, 2026

One Year Since California Palisades Disaster: State Government Mismanagement Continues

Today marks the one-year anniversary of the tragic Palisades fire in California, which destroyed 23,700 acres and damaged over 6,800 structures. The damage and pain have not ceased as America-last policies continue to harm those in the Golden State. Former CA Congressman Mike Garcia, Chairman of America First California, issued the following statement.
Op-Ed | December 10, 2025

Want Cheaper Gas? End California’s Special Recipe

Every Californian knows the feeling of dread at the gas pump. As prices climb past five, six, or even seven dollars a gallon, we are told it’s the fault of distant wars or greedy oil companies. If only that were true. The fact is that California’s sky-high gas prices are a self-inflicted wound, the direct result of state policies that intentionally make our fuel supply expensive, fragile, and artificially scarce.
Op-Ed | November 25, 2025

California At a Crossroads: Farmers and the ‘Land Equity’ Task Force

California stands at a crossroads. The state must choose: protect the farmers who feed America or surrender its fields to ideology and bureaucratic control. California’s allegiance to bureaucrats recently became clear with the release of the California Agricultural Land Equity Task Force’s draft report. The report, released this summer, calls for redistributing farmland based on race. Framed as “equity,” the plan would use state power to favor some Californians over others in determining who can buy, lease, or work farmland. What it really represents is an unprecedented intrusion into private property rights, race-based discrimination, and a direct threat to the foundation of the state’s agricultural economy.
Op-Ed | November 25, 2025

Off Target: Ukraine’s Fighter Jet Pivot a Betrayal to U.S. Taxpayers

In the midst of the continued conflict in Ukraine and the longest government shutdown in U.S. history, Ukraine publicly announced intentions to buy new fighter jets from Sweden and France instead of from the U.S.. After receiving nearly $180 billion in American aid (including free aircraft), Zelensky turns to others when it’s time for Ukraine to actually pay for weapon systems. Zelensky turns to the Swedes and French while President Trump has fought for a peaceful settlement and an end to this ugly war initiated by Russia. All wars end at a table, and we should continue to push both Putin and Zelensky to that end. But we should also require Zelensky to commit to buy American.
Statement | November 4, 2025

AFPI and America First Mayors’ Council Chair Condemn NYC Mayoral Outcome  

New York City has long served as a gateway to the American Dream, a shining example of American ingenuity and grit. Today, the mayoral election in New York City marks a major shift away from the American dream and towards the nightmare of Marxism.

Refine by:

Reset

Topics

Type

Videos

Selected...

State Health Policy Issue Brief: Increasing Hospital Price Transparency Compliance in States

Other State Chapters

See All State Chapters

America First Minnesota

America First Ohio

Join The
Movement



By providing your information, you become a member of America First Policy Institute and consent to receive emails. By checking the opt in box, you consent to receive recurring SMS/MMS messages. Message and data rates may apply. Message frequency varies. Text STOP to opt-out or HELP for help. SMS opt in will not be sold, rented, or shared. View our Privacy Policy and Mobile Terms of Service.