Governor Hochul: “One year ago, I was sworn in as the very first woman Governor of the State of New York in our long history…But I did say, I came to this position and ran for office not to make history, but to make a difference. And we really put a laser focus on the challenges that New Yorkers are still dealing with in the aftermath of the pandemic.”
Hochul: “We have brought down crime, I'm proud of that. The violent crime rates are plummeting compared to what they had been. Our streets are safer, that's the number one concern of everyone on their minds in our state. But also, the mental health crisis that unfolded in the aftermath of the pandemic. We have teenagers and adults and others who are struggling so much…So, I said, ‘New York will be nation leading.’ We invested…There's a lot going on, but I feel up to the task. New Yorkers have put their faith in me, and this year has been extraordinary as my first year as an elected Governor.”
Earlier today, Governor Kathy Hochul joined Sirius XM’s POTUS Politics to discuss initiatives and responses the Governor led in 2023 to address the challenges facing the state and build a safer, more livable New York.
AUDIO of the interview is available here.
A rush transcript of the Governor's interview is available below:
Lauren Leader, Sirius XM: I'm thrilled to welcome to the show Governor Kathy Hochul. Thanks so much for joining us, Governor, bright and early on this last work day of 2023.
Governor Hochul: Well Lauren, thank you for having me. And yes, the road to a Democratic Congress absolutely runs through New York and we embrace that challenge and opportunity and I'll look forward to, one year from now, making sure that Hakeem Jeffries becomes the Speaker of the House of Representatives.
Lauren Leader, Sirius XM: It's a pretty amazing time for New York in Congress for sure, given that we have the leadership of the Senate and of course, the leadership of the Democratic party on the House side. But I want to just look back for a minute and just talk about this year past.
We've been talking a lot this morning about the ongoing crisis at the border and the surge of migrants to places like New York and Colorado and Denver and all over the country. I know you have worked tirelessly this year to find, almost impossible, but yet, somehow finding some solutions to handling the ongoing migrant crisis. I know you were advocating to the Biden Administration for work permits and the like.
Can you just talk a little bit about what you've been doing in New York to manage this crisis? And then we'll talk about a few other things you've done this year and look to the future. But I know a lot of Americans are really thinking about the migrant issue today, especially given this week's visit by the Administration to Mexico.
Governor Hochul: Yes, Lauren. And it is absolutely unprecedented, the number of individuals that are crossing the border into our country in search of a better life – and over 150,000 have come to New York City. We have been working so closely with Mayor Adams to try to adapt to a surge that has crushed the normal support services, the normal homeless shelters that we have, been building up congregate settings, large scale settings, trying to – now we're looking for gymnasiums to put people in.
It is a scale which we could not have anticipated, but we're trying to manage as best we can. But what the Biden Administration did do after a lot of conversations with Governors like myself is they said that Venezuelans who at the time were the largest population of individuals making this treacherous journey, they would be eligible to work when they arrive after about 30, 40 days, which was – this is what we're talking about. When people talk about what happened when there was the wave of immigrants, my grandparents fled great poverty in Ireland. They came in the 1920s, as did millions. They all could work when they arrived.
What we have now is a system that needs to be reformed. We have to have quotas. We have to have a certain number of people that can come in. But while we're having people await their asylum hearing, and it could take years, they have to be able to work. We have 460,000 open jobs in the State of New York. I have a database of 40,000 open jobs where people are waiting for migrants to get their work status.
So my belief is that yes, we need to do more at the border. It's been a huge challenge for the Administration. But in a state like New York, we don't have any choice. We have to manage the cards we've been dealt, and we've allocated over $2 billion of state dollars to assist the Mayor in housing these individuals, and our National Guard to protect the sites and the food and the clothes. We have been so engaged in this. But the answer to everything is to let them work.
Lauren Leader, Sirius XM: Yeah. And I think you deserve more credit than you've probably gotten for having advocated for that. It is a game changer for those migrants, but also for the New York economy and for the economies of the communities where these migrants are landing.
I wanted to ask you, just as you look back on 2023, about what you're proudest of having accomplished this year? I know you had a huge and very ambitious agenda. New York is, as we've said, a kind of leader for the nation in terms of many progressive policies. But as you think about the year, what are you proudest of? What do you feel best about having accomplished?
Governor Hochul: One year ago, I was sworn in as the very first woman Governor of the State of New York in our long history, which is rather shocking, but it's true. But I did say, I came to this position and ran for office not to make history, but to make a difference. And we really put a laser focus on the challenges that New Yorkers are still dealing with in the aftermath of the pandemic. We have brought down crime, I'm proud of that. The violent crime rates are plummeting compared to what they had been. Our streets are safer, that's the number one concern of everyone, on their minds, in our state.
But also, the mental health crisis that unfolded in the aftermath of the pandemic. We have teenagers and adults and others who are struggling so much with all the challenges that they are still feeling the effects of the pandemic. And I've gone to so many schools and campuses having these conversations.
So, I said, “New York will be nation leading.” We invested. One year ago, I said, “I'm putting forth $1 billion to deal with the mental health crisis.” And it's multifaceted, it's getting more support systems for people, making sure there's more psychiatric beds available, supportive housing, working on our subways, which, people have been afraid to go on the subways because someone may have a mental health episode and cause them harm. So, we're getting support teams there to help people where they are.
So, this is something we started on this journey. We've made great progress, but it's something I'm going to continue focusing on throughout my tenure as Governor. So that's one huge signature area in addition to what we've done with the clean energy revolution. There are wind turbines in the offshore waters of Long Island as a result of our aggressive approach to making sure we do our part to ensure that this planet is in better shape than we found it when we pass it on to the next generation because we're certainly in a dire situation with extreme weather resulting from climate change, dealing with so many natural disasters.
There's a lot going on, but I feel up to the task. New Yorkers have put their faith in me, and this year has been extraordinary as my first year as an elected Governor.
Lauren Leader, Sirius XM: I will say I'm a proud subway rider, and there's really no better way to get around New York. You can't dissuade me from taking the subway. I'm on it all the time. But Governor, I just – you’re our last guest on the last show of the live show of 2023. I have to ask you as we wrap up in this last minute or so your wishes, your hopes for 2024. What do you looking forward to in 2024?
Governor Hochul: I hope that we can do more than wish each other a Happy New Year and wish each other peace. We need to live that ourselves. And what is heartbreaking to me, and I did this in my Christmas day address, but talk about how we don't need platitudes this year, we need people to truly change their hearts and to be more open to other opinions.
And the rise in hate crimes and antisemitism and Islamophobia since October 7, even in a place as diverse and welcoming as New York, has been heartbreaking to me as a Governor. But I will not accept the status quo. We're going to make sure that we protect everyone's right to, yes, assemble peacefully, but also to not espouse hate toward each other.
We are one state. We are one nation. And this is an opportunity for us to come together. So, I hope by this time next year that we can look back and say, “We got through those rough waters. We had more empathy and understanding and a shared collective sense that we are Americans first. New Yorkers first.” And that is my hope and my dream for this upcoming year, something I'm going to be working aggressively toward.
Lauren Leader, Sirius XM: Well, we're super grateful for your time. And as my grandmother would say, “from your lips to God's ears.” My guest this morning, helping us close out the last show of the last day of 2023, Governor Kathy Hochul, Democrat of New York. So honored to have her this morning. I'm a proud New Yorker, will be forever, and super thrilled to have had her.