This government shutdown was a choice by federal Republicans to put politics over working class people. Over a million New Yorkers will lose access to healthcare coverage, over three hundred thousand will lose some SNAP benefits, and many more will lose access to WIC along with other essential services. This federal administration’s only focus is a short sighted political agenda that serves the wealthy few while putting the rest of the country in danger.

I’m proud to live and work in a state that prioritizes affordability and where we are taking our responsibility to serve more seriously. I look forward to working with the Governor, Attorney General James, Majority Leader Stewart-Cousins, the Senate conference, union leaders, and community advocates this upcoming legislative session to fund essential services and protect state agencies. The road ahead of us will be long, but I believe that together we can stand up for New Yorkers and against authoritarianism.

For more information on how federal budget cuts and this government shutdown will directly affect New Yorkers, join me on Monday, Oct. 6th. I’ll be hosting a virtual town hall to address this and discuss how we’re fighting back. Please join me and register at bit.ly/oct6townhall.