Gov. Kathy Hochul directs agencies to cut $750M, accuses GOP of creating 'intentional' pain

ALBANY — Gov. Kathy Hochul said Thursday her administration is cutting $750 million from the budget adopted in May because Washington Republicans slashed federal aid to hospitals, nursing homes, health care and food programs for the needy and created "intentional" pain for New Yorkers that is "without a doubt putting lives at risk."

The Democratic governor said she has directed state agencies to look for cuts from the current $254 billion state budget to adjust for the federal budget bill adopted by President Donald Trump and the Republican-led Congress this month. She said the bill will cost New York an additional $3 billion next year.

"Unlike Republicans in Washington, we actually care about families," Hochul said in a news conference in the Capitol.

Hochul said she will carry that message statewide including into the seven districts represented by Republicans as they seek reelection this fall in races that will influence which party controls Congress. She said Republicans, including Rep. Andrew Garbarino (R-Bayport) and Nick LaLota (R-Amityville), "voted against their districts."

LaLota pushed back, citing an April poll by Marist College that found 33% of Democrats didn’t think Hochul was a good leader for the state.

"While Gov. Hochul visits the districts she lost badly, she’d be wise to take notes — because out here, we don’t put criminals before law-abiding citizens or migrants ahead of hardworking taxpayers," LaLota said in a written statement.

David Laska of the state Republican Committee called Hochul’s criticism dishonest and melodramatic. He said the Republican measure reduces wasteful spending, protects Medicaid from fraud and abuse by requiring recipients to provide more documents, and raises the income tax deduction known as SALT to benefit more taxpayers.

"If Kathy Hochul wants to tour the state, she should start by apologizing to every family crushed by Democrats' taxes and affordability crisis," Laska said in a written statement.

Garbarino didn’t respond to a request for comment.

The cuts to state programs for health care and food programs for the poor and for immigrants helped Trump pay for his expansion of tax cuts for wealthy taxpayers and bolster funding for the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents who are conducting Trump’s mass deportation.

The tax breaks and the measure, however, still increase the deficit by $3.4 trillion over 10 years, according to the Congressional Budget Office.

Trump has said the bill will "secure our borders, turbocharge our economy and bring back the American dream."

But a CNN poll found nearly 61% of those polled oppose the measure.

Shared blame?

The independent Citizens Budget Commission on Thursday, however, aimed some criticism for the fiscal plight at the Democratic leaders of the state and New York City governments. They did little to cut spending despite promises by Trump to slash aid, the CBC said in its analysis.

The state and city "budgets are unaffordable and unprepared both for a recession and for federal budget cuts that will start hitting this fiscal year and grow in the future," the CBC stated.

The CBC said state and city spending increased at 3 to 4 times the inflation rate without putting aside funding for expected federal cuts.

The CBC issued that warning earlier this year, as the state prepared a $254 billion budget that was adopted in May. New York Democrats said they didn’t want to make preemptive cuts because they didn’t know precisely what Trump and Congress would do.

Ultimately, Hochul and Democratic legislative leaders cut $400 million from the final budget, which reduced tax relief checks to $150 to $400 for most families. The original proposal was for checks up to $500.

'Even more havoc'

Hochul said there may soon be more cuts.

Hochul said in the Capitol news conference the tax and spending bill signed into law by Trump on July 4 will be followed in the fall by a full federal budget "that could wreak even more havoc on us."

She said her state tour will be aggressive and will include criticism of Trump’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement squad that often wears masks to hide agents' identity. She said ICE is "terrorizing" New Yorkers with raids on farms and stores.

"We rely on the workforce," state Agriculture Commissioner Richard Ball said. "Many of the workers are disappearing. They are afraid to go to work. They are afraid to go to Walmart on Saturday, they are afraid to go to church on Sunday."

Overall, Hochul called the Republican action "an intentional infliction of pain ... to fund tax breaks for the most privileged, the wealthiest ... who, last I checked, are doing just fine.

"They are not worried about putting a meal on their table or health care for their children," Hochul said.

By Michael Gormley

michael.gormley@newsday.com@GormleyAlbany

Michael Gormley has worked for Newsday since 2013, covering state government, politics and issues. He has covered Albany since 2001.