'Do You Support Giving Illegal Immigrants Taxpayer-Funded Healthcare?': Lawler Confronts Hochul

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At today's House Oversight Committee hearing, Rep. Mike Lawler (R-NY) grilled Gov. Kathy Hochul (D-NY).

Transcript

00:00It's an order. Chair recognized Mr. Lawler from New York.

00:03Governor Hochul, under your watch, New York has spent billions of dollars of taxpayer money

00:07providing free housing, clothing, food, education, and health care to illegal immigrants.

00:12Meanwhile, you're charging hardworking New Yorkers $2,500 annually just for the privilege of driving to work.

00:19Speaking of driving, when you ran for Congress, did you oppose giving driver's licenses to illegals, yes or no?

00:26No, that was previous to that. It was in 2020.

00:31You had a commercial running for Congress touting your position about driver's licenses.

00:37Did you oppose giving driver's licenses to illegals when you were running for Congress, yes or no?

00:43At the time, I did, and I'll tell you why.

00:45Governor, yes or no?

00:46I had a chance to go out and see a very rural district.

00:48Reclaiming my time.

00:49Her mothers were being denied the chance to run their fees to the doctor's office.

00:51Governor, yes or no, do you support illegal immigrants getting taxpayer-funded health care?

00:55I'm not sure there'll ever be a real question.

01:00You were asked a question, and you chose to try to deflect.

01:03I gave an answer.

01:03The fact is you did support giving illegals driver's licenses, uh, oppose giving illegals driver's licenses.

01:09Now you support it.

01:10Governor, yes or no, do you support illegal immigrants getting taxpayer-funded health care, yes or no?

01:15We provide health care to people in need, including moms with new babies.

01:19Do you support giving illegal immigrants taxpayer-funded health care, yes or no?

01:23We support giving money, support for health care.

01:25The answer is yes.

01:26You expanded health care access in 2024 under Medicaid.

01:29Yes, I did.

01:29For senior citizens and moms with new babies.

01:30Governor, after the election, you said—

01:32I would do it all over again.

01:33I'm claiming my time.

01:34Governor, after the election, you said, someone breaks the law.

01:37I'll be the first one to call up ICE and say, get them out of here.

01:41Governor, yes or no, have you personally called up ICE and asked them to get anyone out of New York?

01:46As the governor of New York, I have an entire state police force that carries on my directions.

01:50Have you personally called anybody up and asked ICE to get anyone out of New York, yes or no?

01:55My state police asked as my agency.

01:57You have not, correct?

01:58When I say me, I'm referring to my entities such as the state police that handle that.

02:03Oh, you're like Governor Cuomo.

02:04I am the government.

02:05That's your position.

02:06That's your characterization, not mine.

02:07Yes or no, should ICE have been called on Sebastian Zapata-Cali?

02:13Can you refresh me as to the circumstances of the case?

02:16He's the individual who burned the woman alive on the train.

02:21Of course they should.

02:21Should ICE have been called on him?

02:24NYPD was handling that situation.

02:26Should ICE have been called?

02:27That's my question.

02:28Yes or no?

02:29If there was an arrest made, he should have been deported after conviction, yes.

02:32Okay.

02:33So, Governor, when you were sworn in in 2021, you signed an executive order keeping many

02:37of Governor Cuomo's executive orders in place, including EO 170.

02:42Interestingly enough, you did not include EO 170.1.

02:47Are you familiar with EO 170.1?

02:49I don't have it in front of me.

02:50I have thousands of executive orders.

02:51I have it right here, Governor.

02:53I'm sure you do.

02:53And what you did, you waited several years until this year, January 16th of this year,

03:01in which you finally signed it and reinstated it into law.

03:06Why did you wait until just four days before Donald Trump was sworn in as president to sign EO 170.1 into law?

03:17And to refresh your memory, it basically mandates that federal immigration authorities cannot enforce civil arrests in New York State buildings.

03:25Why did you wait several years to reinstate that?

03:30Because we had a high level of confidence that under the previous administration that people going into the courthouses,

03:35whether they're victims of crimes, witnesses of crimes, would have their rights protected.

03:39I had no assurance that that would happen.

03:40In other words, you believed they would not enforce federal immigration law,

03:43and you were concerned that President Trump and his administration would enforce federal immigration law?

03:48We thought it was important for victims of crimes and witnesses to murders, for example,

03:52that they have access to courts without being threatened or intimidated.

03:55Yeah.

03:56Speaking of crime, more than 3,200 illegal immigrants have been arrested in New York City

04:02for committing crimes while living in taxpayer-funded housing under your watch, Governor.

04:08Governor, are you aware of any law or executive order that would prevent a citizen of New York,

04:14a citizen of the United States from facing criminal or civil enforcement in a state building?

04:22I'm not aware.

04:24So you think that citizens should be treated less than and have less protections than illegal immigrants?

04:30Is that what you're saying?

04:31Our state laws say we cooperate in all criminal cases.

04:35I've made that very clear over the last seven hours.

04:36Yeah, but you're not doing that.

04:37That's the reality.

04:39Governor, do you support the New York for All Act?

04:42Governor, reclaiming my time, do you support the New York for All Act?

04:48I'm not speaking about hypothetical bills.

04:50Governor, this isn't a hypothetical.

04:52There was a sit-in in the state legislature today by activists blocking state senators from coming into the chamber.

04:58Do you support the New York for All Act?

05:01It's yes or no.

05:02I will tell you this.

05:03I get about 1,000 bills put on my desk probably by midnight tonight.

05:06Do you support the New York for All Act?

05:06Which is this is keeping me from doing the work of the people back home.

05:10But I can sit here as long as I want.

05:11Governor, you've done a terrible job as governor.

05:12It's not keeping you from anything.

05:13Frankly, New York is better off with you down here and not in the state.

05:16I don't think we're better off with you here.

05:18The fact is, governor, you will support the New York for All Act.

05:22You will sign it into law if it passes the state legislature.

05:25I have no confidence it's going to pass.

05:26You have no confidence it will pass?

05:27I don't know.

05:28If it does pass, will you sign it?

05:29I'm not able to keep an eye on it.

05:31They're voting on the decisions now.

05:31Will you sign it into law if it passes?

05:34I have about 1,000 bills that get passed every year.

05:35Will you sign the New York for All Act into law if it passes?

05:38You have to wait and see, like every other bill.

05:40We have to wait and see?

05:41Yes.

05:41Governor, you can't take a position on the New York for All Act.

05:44It would put into state statute that New York is a sanctuary state.

05:48That's why you're here.

05:50That is the exact reason why you're sitting in front of us testifying because of your disastrous EOs,

05:55your disastrous pro-criminal policies that have resulted in the death of New Yorkers.

06:01That is your failure.

06:02And the fact is that you can't even answer the question.

06:05No, the reason I'm sitting here is because Republicans are looking to deflect from a big,

06:09bad, ugly bill that's going to hurt people.

06:11Governor, are you going to answer his question when you sign the bill?

06:16I don't know what he's asking me.

06:17He asked if you were going to sign the bill.

06:18Ask anybody in the state.

06:19I never say how I'm going to decide on a bill until it lands on my desk.

06:23You are the governor of the state.

06:25I'm well aware.

06:27You are the governor of the state.

06:29It's shameful.

06:30It's shameful.

06:31You can't even answer the question?

06:32When it lands on my desk, I'll do the proper evaluation.

06:35Mr. Chair recognizes.

06:36That's what we do.

06:37You'll do what?

06:37That's how you become a governor.

06:39You'll sign it into law.

06:39That's exactly what you'll do.

06:40Okay.

06:40Chair recognizes.

06:41Right.

06:41Good member.

06:43Mr. Chairman, I have a number of unanimous consent requests.

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